Newton-Conover City Schools

To: Newton and Conover Area Home School Students and Families FROM: DATE: March 30, 2014 Re: Educational Options I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am Dr. David Stegall, new superintendent of Newton-Conover City Schools. I have called this school district my home for the past 6 1/2 years and have grown to love it and its children. First of all I want to emphasize the beauty of choice in education. Choice is one of the overwhelming strongpoints of public education in America. While you have made a solid choice to pursue your education in the home setting, I would be remiss if I didn't let you know about educational offerings that are right in your back yard. Newton-Conover City Schools serves over 3,100 students each day ranging from Pre K through 12th grade. We are staffed by over 200 highly qualified teachers on 8 campuses. There are many things that we are proud of in Newton-Conover. I'd like to share just a few of them with you: Strengths: 1. N-CHS Composite SAT scores in reading, math, and writing increased 17 points. 2011/2012 1423, 2012/2013-1440 2. Second Highest High School in Catawba County for students scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test 62% 3. N-CHS NJROTC placed in the top 17% in the nation on the National Academic Exam. 4. Four N-CHS students accepted to the North Carolina School of Science and Math Residential Program 5. Discovery HS had 4 perfect scores on SAT. The school s average ACT scores increased by 133 points from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. 6. NCCS made 90.2% of federal targets measured on 61 subgroups and 87.5% of state targets measured on 112 subgroups. 7. NCCS ACT results, a measure of college and career readiness, are above the state average. 8. NCCS ACT WorkKeys results, a job skills assessment that helps employers identify soft skills and work force preparation, are 14% above the state average. 9. NCCS SAT scores are at an all-time high with an increase of 13 points. 10. Lowest class size in the area 1

Accomplishments/Opportunities: 1. PD 360, a national training group who creates videos for teacher professional development, spent a few days in our district and visited numerous classrooms. Overall the executives from PD 360 were very impressed with NCCS and selected 20 classrooms to video for their national training videos. 2. U. S. News and World Report ranked Newton-Conover High School 14 th out of 607 North Carolina High Schools based on a variety of indicators. 3. Graduation Cohort Rate grew to 88.8% for the 2012-2013 school year. 4. Annika Sorenstam (professional golfer) - Skyped with North Newton students and discussed the First Tee program. 5. One of the lowest Dropout Rates in the State of North Carolina for the 2012-2013 school year (With the possibility that it will be the lowest in the state once final calculations are confirmed) 6. Top 5 graduation rate in North Carolina-2009. 7. $4 Million earned in scholarship money by the Class of 2013 (Newton-Conover High School: $2,936,117; Discovery High School $1,045,400) 8. #1 district in North Carolina for district AYP goals met in 2010. This is the Federal Government s measure of district academic effectiveness. 9. Apprenticeship Catawba 10. Strong Arts partners- Green Room Theater, Hickory Museum of Art, Western Piedmont Symphony, N-C Auditorium Authority, 11. Multiple HS options- N-CHS, Discovery, NC School of Science and Math (online or residential), Challenger HS (at LRU), HCAM, NCVPS 12. Multiple HS programs and pathways- CNA, ServeSafe, Microsoft IT, Career Readiness Certificate, Advanced Placement 13. Discovery HS Quiz Bowl team qualified for National Tournament in Chicago. 14. A Discovery HS student is currently a National Merit Scholarship Finalist 15. Discovery HS was named one of the Best High Schools in America by the Washington Post. 16. Discovery HS had a college acceptance rate of 100% in 2013-2014. As you can see, we have an amazing group of staff and students in our district. Getting back to my original comment about the beauty of choice, were you aware that students in our district have the option of attending comprehensive high schools, early colleges, or online programs of study. See the below list that details the variety of course options (Career/Technical Education, Honors, Advanced Placement) and methods of delivery (online virtual) that our students may take in addition to the core academic courses offered on the Newton- Conover High School campus: High School Honors/Advanced Placement Courses: Honors/Advanced Placement courses are taught either on the Newton-Conover High School campus or via the North Carolina Virtual Public School online platform. Advanced Placement courses offer students the opportunity to obtain both high school and college credits. Both Honors and Advanced Placement Courses provide students with additional quality points towards their Grade 2

Point Average. The Honors/Advanced Placement Courses include: Honors English 1-4, Pre-Calculus, Honors Algebra 2, AP Statistics, AP Calculus, Honors Math 2, Honors and AP Environmental Science, Honors and AP Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, AP US History, AP American History, Honors Civics, AP Government, Honors World History, Honors Spanish 3 & 4, Honors French 3 & 4, Honors Naval Science 3 & 4, Advanced Drill/Ceremony, AP Art History, Honors Band, Honors Choir, Drafting 3, Foods 2, Nursing Fundamentals Career and Technical Education (CTE) Courses are taught on the Newton-Conover Middle School and High School campuses. CTE courses provide a hands-on approach to learning that is directly related to career choices. CTE courses include: Middle School Courses: Exploring Careers and Technology, Exploring Family and Consumer Science, Exploring Business. High School Courses: Apparel I & II, BioMedical, BioMedical/Pharm Tech, Carpentry 1,2,& 3, Core, Drafting 1,2, & 3, Excel/Access, Foods I & II, Health Science l, Health Science I/Pharm Tech, Health Science II, Hort 1 & 2, Interior Design I & II, Internship, Masonry 1,2, & 3, Microsoft Word, Multimedia & Webpage Design, Nursing Fund, Parenting & Child, Personal Finance, Principal of Business, Sports Marketing 1 & 2, Teen Living, Yearbook/eComm North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) -provides students online courses in many subject areas including mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, arts, advanced placement, honors, and world languages. Other courses include test preparation, credit recovery, and Occupational Course of Study (OCS). The North Carolina Virtual Public School is a supplemental service to the public schools of North Carolina. Students enroll through their local public school; grades are reported to their public school, and their school awards credit. The courses use learning management and collaborative software to maximize student interaction in each class. NCVPS teachers use the latest technologies to engage students as well as prepare them to be career and college ready. See more at: http://www.ncvps.org Apex Learning -online mechanism by which students may access the Common Core Essential Standards. The following courses are offered on Apex: General Studies: English-English 1: Intro to Literature and Composition, English 2: Critical Reading and Effective Writing, English 3: American Literature, English 4: British and World Literature; Math- Introductory Algebra, Algebra 1-A, Algebra 1-B, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Integrated Math 1, Integrated Math 2; Science- Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics; Social Studies- Geography and World Cultures, World History, World History to Renaissance, World History since the Renaissance, U.S. History, U.S. History to the Civil War, U.S. History since the Civil War, U.S. History Government and Politics, U.S. and Global Economics; World Languages: Spanish 1, 2, & 3; French 1 & 2; Latin 1 & 2; German 1 & 2; 3

Electives: Art Appreciation, College and Career Preparation 1 & 2, Creative Writing, Financial Literacy, Liberal Arts Math, Mathematics of Personal Finance, Media Literacy, Multicultural Studies, Music Appreciation, Physical Education, Probability and Statistics, Reading Skills and Strategies, Skills for Health, Sociology, Writing Skills and Strategies; Advanced Placement: Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics B, Psychology, Spanish Language, Statistics, U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics; Foundations: Math Foundations 1 & 2, Science Foundations, English Foundations 1 & 2 ***For our high school students, the option of taking courses online from the comfort of your home will allow you to access the extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. Students who take at least 2 courses may be involved in our school-clubs and academic competition squads. Students who take and pass 3 or more online courses may also compete in the performing arts (marching band or drama) or extra-curricular athletics for the Newton-Conover High School Red Devils. This option will allow high school/ home school students to continue to study at home while also benefitting from the benefits of receiving online instruction through the Newton-Conover City Schools. Students in Newton-Conover also are the beneficiaries of a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular activities. See the following list that provides only part of the offerings that are available to our students: Kid Connection: Community Schools of Catawba County operates the Kid Connection Program at all Newton Conover City Elementary Schools. The program is available before and after school and on non-school days, spring and winter breaks as well as weekdays throughout the summer months. Children ages 4 through 14 have an opportunity at one of the 4 Newton Conover locations to interact with peers, in a safe supervised and enriching environment. Children can attend one day or the entire week, and enjoy crafts, games, parks, swimming and more. The Kid Connection program is growing leaders through student led activities, games, and lessons. Clubs and Organizations High School: BETA Club, Art Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Envirothon, Science Olympiad, Student Council, Library Club, Health Occupation Students of America(HOSA), Family, Career, & Community Leaders of America(FCCLA), Gamer s Club, Anime Club, Chess Club, Key Club, Afro-American Club, National Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, International Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Youth Alive, Drama Club, French Club, Balloon Club, Quiz Bowl, Juniorettes, Step Team Middle School: Photography, Prayer Club, Yearbook, Jr. ROTC Cadet Club, Student Council, Science Olympiad, Battle of the Books, Robotics, Quill, Quiz Bowl, Art Showcase (through NCASA), Math Counts 4

Sports: Middle School: Baseball- Boys Basketball, Boys and Girls Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Soccer Boys and Girls, Softball Girls, Volleyball Girls, Wrestling Boys (CVAC Conference Co-Champions Winter 2013) High School: Baseball Boys JV and Varsity; Basketball Boys JV and Varsity; Girls JV and Varsity; Cheerleading JV and Varsity; Cross Country Girls and Boys Varsity; Football Boys JV and Varsity (Varsity CVAC Co-Conference Champ Fall 2013); Golf Boys Varsity Golf (CVAC Conference Champ and NC State Champ Spring 2013); Soccer- Boys JV and Varsity (Varsity Southern District 7 Conference Co Champ Fall 2013), Girls JV and Varsity (Varsity CVAC Conference Co-Champ Spring 2013), Softball Girls Varsity, Swimming Coed Varsity; Tennis Girls Varsity (Southern District 7 Conference Champ Fall 2013); Boys Varsity (CVAC Conference Champ Spring 2013; CVAC Conference Tournament Champ Spring 2013; NC Double State Champ Spring 2013) Track Coed Varsity; Volleyball Girls Varsity (Southern District 7 Conference Champ Fall 2013); Girls JV (Southern District 7 Conference Co-Champ Fall 2013); Wrestling Boys Varsity Wrestling (CVAC Conference Champ Winter 2013; CVAC Conference Tournament Champ Winter 2013; NC State Champions Winter 2013) Performing Arts: Middle School: Newton-Conover Middle School offers 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th grade band as well as Jazz band as an extra-curricular offering. Students are given the opportunity to audition for All-County Band, All District Band. Five students auditioned and made the All-County Honor Band. Jazz band meets before school two days a week and offers students the opportunity to learn jazz at the middle school level. High School: Overall the high school band members in their various ensembles gave thirty-six performances. Concert Band The concert band gave two school performances in the winter and spring last year. The concert band also performed at Music performance Adjudication. The band performed grade V literature. Our winter concert this year was at Abernethy Laurels to a very complimentary audience. Jazz Band The Jazz Band gave two school performances and two performances at Band Variety Show. Marching Band The Marching Band performed at four marching festivals in North Carolina and received four Superior Ratings. Sections of the band received 1 st place trophies for Drum Major, Guard, and Drum Line. The band overall received two second place trophies and two first places trophies for the highest scoring band in their class. The band also received a Grand Champion Trophy for the high scoring band in class A, AA, and AAA. The band performed at all home and away games for a total of thirteen Friday nights from August to November. The band started its season with a concert of patriotic music on the courthouse square and an Old 5

Soldiers Reunion Day Parade. At Christmas the band performed a concert of Christmas Music for Light Up The Town. We finished our marching season with a performance at Universal Studios in Orlando. Pep Band The basketball pep band performed at six home games this year. We are one of the only schools in the area who still have a Pep Band. Variety Show The band gave their 45th annual Variety Show the first Friday and Saturday in May. Students gave solo and ensemble performances to very receptive audiences. The students choreographed and performed their own Song and Dance numbers without help from a Choreographer. Shane Brown arranged two pieces for band and performed them with members of the Woodwind and Brass Ensemble. All County Band Thirty-two members of the high school band auditioned and were accepted to perform with the All County Honor Band. This is a record number or N-C participants. Our students scored very well and several were first chair. They gave up a day off (teacher workday) to rehearse and perform a concert on Saturday for the community. Schools at a Glance Discovery High School: Discovery High School provides a small, non-traditional educational environment for students seeking an alternative to the larger comprehensive high schools of Catawba County. At DHS, technology-rich instruction is incorporated into a curriculum that focuses heavily on a problem-based approach to learning. Students are challenged daily as they participate in classes that are rigorous and relevant. Selfdirected learning, exploration and innovation, and collaboration are fostered and encouraged. The studentcentered environment provides a personalized high school experience where all students are known by each member of the faculty. DHS is a community-oriented school where individuals are valued and public service is expected. Our students score highly on State and National Exams, graduate college-ready, and go on to become successful members of their respective communities. Newton Conover Middle School: provides a rich educational experience for students that allow them to learn in a team approach. At NCMS, students can choose from a variety of exploratory courses that are high interest. These offerings range from African Drumming, Band and Chorus to Visual Arts, Computer Technologies and module based career exploration course. Our students can participate for the first time on school sanctioned competitive teams (7th and 8 th grades) and teamwork is again our focus. NCMS is housed in a state of the art facility with room to grow. Consider developing your Red Devil pride as you walk through our halls. North Newton Elementary School: North Newton Elementary provides a challenging and supportive academic program for approximately 475 students in kindergarten through grade five. The faculty at North Newton works closely with students to instill in them a lifelong desire to learn. All staff members care about each student academically and individually. The student body is highly diverse allowing children to learn about different cultures while teaching them how to effectively communicate and respect each other s differences. North Newton s teachers and staff are involved in 6

several educational initiatives dedicated to promoting creative and critical thinking and to achieve grade level proficiency in all academic areas. In addition, the students are provided access to multiple outlets of technology including ipads, chrome books, and laptops. Teachers effectively incorporate these tools into their daily lessons. In addition, students are involved in numerous academic, social, and cultural programs, as well as family-oriented events and activities throughout the school year. Some examples include Reading Night, Math Night, ESL Family Night, and grade level musical performances. For more information on our school, please visit our website at nccs.k12.nc.us and follow the link to North Newton Elementary. Shuford Elementary School: Shuford Elementary provides children an environment much like a "home away from home," which motivates and challenges each child to grow and achieve. Here at Shuford we recognize the importance of individuality and diversity and strive to create an atmosphere reflective of that belief. The importance of family and community are central to our culture and students are continually encouraged to be responsible, productive citizens. Shuford Elementary gives students the strong foundation they need for a successful future. Newton-Conover High School: Newton-Conover High School is a grade 9-12 comprehensive high school. We offer a challenging course of study designed to prepare students for life in the 21 st Century. We believe we can prepare all students to realize their goals and dreams after school. The teachers and staff of Newton-Conover High School hold high expectations for all students and are also willing to support our students to meet these high expectations. We believe all students should be involved in their school outside of the classroom. We offer many scholastic activities and many extracurricular activities to get your student involved. We invite you to join our school and learn what is meant by Red Devil Pride. Conover School: Conover School is a public separate school, and Developmental Day site, for students with moderate to severe disabilities located in Conover, North Carolina. This school serves three school systems (Catawba County, Hickory City, and Newton-Conover) under the administration of the Newton-Conover City School System. They serve approximately 145 students, ranging in age from 3 to 22 years. Conover School has a total of 17 classrooms--two preschool classrooms and fifteen school-age classrooms. Students are grouped based on their individual needs and functioning levels. These students benefit from a wide variety of programs and services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, assistive technology, community-based life skills training, Special Olympics, music, adapted physical education, community outreach, and adapted social events. South Newton Elementary School: South Newton Elementary is a Kindergarten through fifth grade school located in Newton, NC. Beginning Fall 2014 as we move into a brand new building, we will transform into a School of Leadership by implementing Stephen Covey s The Leader in Me practices within our school s total environment and curriculum. As a Leader in Me school, students will discover and practice a set of leadership and life skills from Stephen Covey s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The Leader in Me schools receive national recognition for their emphasis on developing leadership in young children preparing them to thrive in the 21 st century. At South Newton Elementary, it is our passion to develop leadership in all children. As we integrate The Leader in Me into our school environment, our students will gain the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, problem solve, and be creative innovators. Join us in our journey as we are on the Move building our future one child at a time by Teaching our students to think critically and creatively, Integrating 21 st century skills and standards, Growing leaders, Empowering students and staff, Respecting and appreciating differences, and Serving others. 7

When I referenced choice early on in this letter, I hope I emphasized that I truly respect the right of every family to choose educational options (home school included) and feel that it is vitally important. I also firmly believe that providing students with every possible resource for learning in an environment they feel comfortable in is also very important. Given what I have shared with you regarding options available to you in the Newton- Conover City Schools, won't you consider allowing us to serve your student(s) as they grow intellectually and as a whole person? Our caring staff and supportive school community make our district a wonderful option for academically-focused students like you. The choice is yours, so choose wisely. Call the school that your child would attend based on where you live and set up and appointment to discuss your options. Sincerely, David Stegall, Ed. D. Superintendent Newton-Conover City Schools 8