Three Newport News Public Schools students earned accolades for their stories submitted to the WHRO Young Storytellers Contest.
\r\nSaniya Hundley-Sweeney won first place for \"Sanita and the S-bots,\" written when she was in Eric Goff's fifth grade class at Carver Elementary. Her book details her adventures creating robots who encourage humans to recycle.
\r\nMr. Goff wants students to feel comfortable writing. He says, \"I tell my students that if they can talk to a friend, they can write a story. I try to get them to think of writing as a phone call or FaceTime with their friends, but instead of speaking, they write their thoughts down.\"
\r\nLucy Gurganus won first place in her category for \"The Puppy Pizza Place.\" Lucy recently completed second grade in Jennifer Howell's class at Deer Park Elementary.
\r\nMs. Howell says, \"As a team, we teach reading and writing with our favorite read-aloud stories and fun and adventurous writings, always modeling the writing with our own attempts first. We try very hard to create a safe place for students to express themselves through writing in hopes that this helps each child know that they are all authors.\"
\r\nKylen Boyer, who just finished third grade at Sedgefield Elementary, earned an honorable mention for \"The Day I Glitched.\"
\r\nMadison Lundy, Kylen's teacher at Sedgefield Elementary says, \"I encourage the writers in my class by assuring them that just like everything else, writing takes time. Itâ??s a process; it may take a rewrite or two before successfully relaying what they are trying to express, but practice makes perfect. I remind them that being a good writer goes hand in hand with being a good listener and reader because they never know when inspiration may strike.\"
\r\nThe winners will join their counterparts from surrounding Hampton Roads schools at a virtual Ceremony Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. on WHRO's Facebook page.
","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 22, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"210622013543643_2021-saniyahhundleysweeney.png","image_2_caption":"Saniya Hundley-Sweeney","image_3_path":"210622013543643_2021-lucygurganus.jpg","image_3_caption":"Lucy Gurganus","image_4_path":"210622013543643_2021-kylenboyer.jpg","image_4_caption":"Kylen Boyer","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/archive/2021-06-22_Three-Students-Honored-as-WHRO-Young-Storytellers.html","news_id":"3505"},{"headline":"Congratulations to the NNPS Class of 2021!","blurb":"","description":"Newport News Public Schools is proud to introduce the top graduates from each of its six high schools.","body":"","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 21, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"","image_2_caption":"","image_3_path":"","image_3_caption":"","image_4_path":"","image_4_caption":"","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/topgrads/","news_id":"3504"},{"headline":"Menchville High School FareShare Team's Work Recognized","blurb":"","description":"FareShare, the Menchville High School Lead4Change Team, is one of six nationwide grand prize winners for their outstanding efforts to serve their school and the community.","body":"FareShare, Menchville High School's Lead4Change Team, is one of six nationwide grand prize winners for their outstanding efforts to serve their school and the community. The Lead4Change Student Leadership Program awarded $10,000 to the Menchville team. The team will donate half of the prize to THRIVE Peninsula, and the school will use the remainder for the school's garden, food pantry, and other projects. In the last six years, the group has received $62,000 in award money that it shared with local non-profits.
\r\nThe Lead4Change Student Leadership Program teaches students leadership lessons and skills. To participate in the award program, students use their leadership skills to develop a service project that addresses a need in their community.
\r\nThe Menchville FareShare team led the \"Take a Stand\" student activism campaign to encourage students to advocate for a cause. The district-wide food drive raised $4000 and collected 2900 donated food items. The group also earned second place in this year's Youth Volunteer Corps Canstruction competition, and hosted a virtual talent show for Menchville students.
\r\nParticipating students included: Sigrid Perkinson, Beth Ellis, Kailani Vera, Ashley Johnson, Melissa Zheng, Desiree Harrington, Leah Louk, Logan Taylor, Tera Ortega and Laura Beier.
","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 21, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"21062111180666_team.jpg","image_2_caption":"From left: Menchville FareShare team members Leah Louk, Laura Beier, Sigrid Perkinson and Beth Ellis won second place in this year's Youth Volunteer Corps Canstruction competition.","image_3_path":"","image_3_caption":"","image_4_path":"","image_4_caption":"","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/archive/2021-06-21_Menchville-High-School-FareShare-Team-s-Work-Recognized.html","news_id":"3503"},{"headline":"Governor visits Woodside High School, signs two education bills","blurb":"","description":"Governor Ralph Northam visited Woodside High School on June 11 to ceremonially sign Senate Bill 1196 and House Bill 1904, which will equip all teachers with cultural competency training and ensure that history and social science teachers are trained to teach African-American history.","body":"Governor Ralph Northam visited Woodside High School on June 11 to ceremonially sign Senate Bill 1196 and House Bill 1904, which will equip all teachers with cultural competency training and ensure that history and social science teachers are trained to teach African-American history.
\r\nDuring remarks before the bill signing, the Governor addressed the importance of the legislation which codified the Commission on African American History Education's top recommendations by establishing several new training, professional development and evaluation requirements to equip all Virginia educators with the skills necessary to sustain culturally-responsive classrooms.
\r\nIn addition to fostering important cultural competencies, the legislation helps to ensure history and social science teachers have the specific content knowledge and training to teach African American history with sensitivity and confidence.
\r\nWoodside High Principal Dr. Windy Nichols welcomed the Governor and several dozen guests including bill patrons Senator Mamie Locke and Delegate Clinton Jenkins, and state Secretary of Education Atif Qarni, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. James Lane and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Janice Underwood. Delegate Marcia Price, Delegate Mike Mullin, School Board Chairman Douglas Brown, Vice Chairman Lisa Surles-Law, School Board members Dr. Terri Best and John Eley, Superintendent Dr. George Parker and other members of the NNPS leadership team were also in attendance.
\r\n2021 Woodside Graduate Lamarr Burnett introduced Governor Northam.
\r\n","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 11, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"","image_2_caption":"","image_3_path":"","image_3_caption":"","image_4_path":"","image_4_caption":"","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/archive/2021-06-11_Governor-visits-Woodside-High-School--signs-two-education-bills.html","news_id":"3485"},{"headline":"NNPS salutes the 2021-22 NNPS Support Staff of the Year","blurb":"","description":"NNPS salutes the 2021-22 NNPS Support Staff of the Year","body":"","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 11, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"","image_2_caption":"","image_3_path":"","image_3_caption":"","image_4_path":"","image_4_caption":"","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/news/recognition/2021-06-09-ssy.html","news_id":"3480"},{"headline":"ARPA ESSER III Fund Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services","blurb":"","description":"ARPA ESSER III Fund Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services","body":"","body2":"","publish_date":"Jun 01, 2021","image_1_path":"","image_1_caption":"","image_2_path":"","image_2_caption":"","image_3_path":"","image_3_caption":"","image_4_path":"","image_4_caption":"","image_5_path":"","image_5_caption":"","url":"http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/returntolearn/doc/ARPA-ESSER-Plan.pdf","news_id":"3474"}]);