Category: Education

The total number of reportable acts of school crime and violence, short- and long-term student suspensions, and expulsions all decreased in 2011-12 according to the 2011-12 Consolidated Data Report today presented to State Board of Education members. The total number of acts of school crime and violence was the lowest reported number since 2008-09. State Superintendent June Atkinson said there are two clear facts when it comes to high student achievement. “Students learn best in an environment where they feel …

Vance-Granville Community College celebrated employees who had retired from the college — and particularly the most recent retirees — during the holiday social for faculty and staff, held on Dec. 17 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked all employees, past and present, for their dedication to students and the community. “We have decided today, at a time of both joy and reflection, to recognize the remarkable work of our …

Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for a new course that introduces tools that anyone can use to digitally edit videos, sound files and photographs, adding a layer of quality to the electronic files that record our lives. “Video, Audio and Picture Editing” is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m., Feb. 5 through March 28, in room 7239 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Mike Leonard, a computer services …

Leading the nation in the number of National Board Certified Teachers is a trend worth boasting about, and it’s one that continues in 2012 as the state congratulates 636 newly-certified National Board teachers. This newest batch of credentialed teachers brings the state’s total number of National Board Certified Teachers to 19,799 – making North Carolina home to the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the country. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) this morning released the …

Area high school students interested in creative writing have until Feb. 9 to sign up for a unique opportunity offered by Vance-Granville Community College. The Spring 2013 VGCC Creative Writing Camp is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Students in the ninth, tenth and eleventh grades who love to write — whether poetry or prose, fiction or nonfiction — and would like to see their work in …

Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled several personal enrichment classes to start soon on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County, offering area residents a variety of fun opportunities to learn new skills or develop hobbies. “Beginning Spanish,” taught by José Martínez, will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 until 9 p.m., Feb. 4 through March 27.  Students will learn the basics of the Spanish language, including common phrases and grammatical cues, and they will gain a foundation in beginning …

The high school exam schedule to end the first semester in Vance County Schools has been announced. First semester exams will be administered at Northern Vance, Southern Vance and Western Vance high schools on Thursday, January 10, and Friday, January 11, during the school day. First and third-period exams will be administered on Thursday, with second and fourth-period exams administered on Friday. Students will be dismissed at the regular time of 3:15 p.m. each day. State end-of-course tests in selected …

Community organizations, nonprofits and other interested groups have submitted 161 Letters of Intent to apply to open a public charter school in August 2014. The letters were delivered to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction by 2 p.m. today and signal that the groups plan to submit a charter proposal to the NCDPI’s Office of Charter Schools by noon on March 1, 2013. “The continued interest in establishing public charter schools reveals that organizations across the state recognize that these …

The Welding Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College recently received international exposure in the form of a glowing article on the web site of Wisconsin-based Miller Electric Mfg. Co. (millerwelds.com), the world’s largest manufacturer of arc welding and cutting equipment. “VGCC has set to flight the careers of hundreds of certified welders since the inception of the welding program 40 years ago,” the company’s article said. In fact, 19 VGCC Welding students recently became the latest to earn their national …

The Student Association of Medical Assistants (SAMA) at Vance-Granville Community College recently helped brighten the holidays for those in need by participating in the Raleigh Rescue Mission’s annual “gift tag” program. The club received 10 gift tags from Raleigh Rescue Mission requesting specific items for a homeless man, woman or child. The students and their instructors delivered the gifts to the Mission in person on Dec. 7. Pictured above, from left to right are Medical Assisting instructor Patrice Allen, SAMA …

Twenty-five cadets graduated on Dec. 18, 2012 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Graduates of VGCC’s 95th BLET class included Christopher Brandon Strickland of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Aston Donomic Mitchell and Jonathan Glen Thomas, both of the Henderson Police Department; Brittany Renee …

Vance-Granville Community College’s Adult Basic Skills department is sending a message to students who have started but not completed the five-part GED test: “Make a New Year’s Resolution to complete your GED in 2013.”  There is a sense of urgency because the current version of the GED, known as the 2002 Series GED Test, will expire at the end of the year. The national GED Testing Service will replace that series with a new version on Jan. 2, 2014. That …

Vance-Granville Community College is now registering students for an upcoming class about Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD). The “AutoCAD” course will be held on Wednesday nights, Jan. 23 through May 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The AutoCAD LT software is used in a variety of professions such as engineering, architecture, manufacturing and even landscaping and interior design. AutoCAD, the world’s number-one-selling two-dimensional drafting and detailing product, can streamline and simplify day-to-day tasks, thanks …

Vance-Granville Community College is currently registering students for Physical Therapy Aide training. The course will be offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., Jan. 22 through May 9. Classes will meet in room 5218 of Building 5 on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Among VGCC’s newest offerings, the Physical Therapy Aide course provides an overview of the profession and covers key aspects of a career in physical therapy, such as physical therapy roles, practice …