New Albany names Teacher of the Year

Here’s news from Kim Day, public information officer for the New Albany School District:

Angela Spencer, a first grade teacher at New Albany Elementary School, has been named “Teacher of the Year” for the New Albany School District. Spencer has worked in the New Albany Schools for eighteen years, having taught fifth through eighth grade gifted science and music at New Albany Middle School and fourth grade at Ford Elementary and New Albany Elementary before making the move to first grade this school year.

Peers describe Spencer as a model teacher whose great love of children is evident in everything that she does. “Angela is always willing to give her time and considerable talents to work with her students,” said Tammy Kirkland, a fourth grade teacher at New Albany Elementary. “She has a tremendous desire to help every child reach his or her potential.”

A New Albany native, Angela is the daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Vance Witt. She is married to David Spencer and they have two children, Witt and Allie. Mrs. Spencer will enter competition for State Teacher of the Year which will be announced in June 2008.

Other teachers selected as Teacher of the Year for the individual schools in the New Albany School District are: Gloria Cooper, New Albany Middle School and Jim McCarty, New Albany High School.

Dyslexia symposium at Southern Miss

Fom the DuBard School for Language Disorders at the University of Southern Mississippi:

HATTIESBURG – The University of Southern Mississippi DuBard School for Language Disorders and The International Association Method Task Force presents the 12th Annual DuBard Symposium: Dyslexia and Related Disorders Feb. 7-8.

The symposium, held at the Lake Terrace Convention Center, is geared toward educators, social workers, marriage and family therapists, rehabilitation counselors, school administrators, speech-language pathologists, parents and psychologists. Continuing education units and presentations will address the written language disorder known as dyslexia and other related disorders.

Registration for the two-day symposium is $105. Check-in time for Feb. 7 is 7:30 a.m. Symposium activities for each day begin at 8:30 a.m. For more information or to register, please call 601.266.5223.

Click here to view the entire article online.

Mississippi College alums to meet in Oxford

From my friend Andy Kanengiser at Mississippi College:

Mississippi College alumni from at least nine north Mississippi counties will converge on Oxford for an evening of fun, food and fellowship on Tuesday, Feb. 26. They’re gathering at the home of Bill and Carole Dye to hear an update on the 4,600-student university from MC President Lee Royce, and mingle with fellow MC graduates from the region.

A retired attorney and 1954 MC graduate, Bill Dye will welcome alums from Benton, Coahoma, DeSoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Tate and Tunica counties. Others speaking to the group will include retired MC administrator Doc Quick and Ross Aven, director of alumni affairs. The gathering is at Dye’s residence at 233 Saint Andrews Circle. The event begins at 6 p.m. and wraps up at 8:30 p.m.

“The main thing is to get together and have a little fellowship,” Dye said. “We have a good number of Mississippi College people in the area.”

Royce is expected to give alumni an update on MC’s “Growing the Vision” fund drive. The goal of the campaign announced in Fall 2006 is $65 million. The Baptist-affiliated school based in Clinton recently topped the $52 million mark. The funds are for scholarships, academic needs and building projects.

Other upcoming alumni events have been booked. MC alums from Alabama will meet in Montgomery on April 2, while Georgia alumni convene in Atlanta May 3. MC is Mississippi’s largest private university and America’s second oldest Baptist college with roots dating back to 1826.

For more details about the Oxford event or to make a reservation, contact Bill or Carole Dye at 662-234-5864.

Starkville finds next superintendent

On Tuesday I caught up with Judy Couey, who last week was named to replace Superintendent Phil Burchfield when he becomes superintendent of the Clinton School District. Mr. Burchfield, a former Clinton High School principal, will remain in Starkville until June 30. Mrs. Couey, a former Mississippi Department of Education employee and currently Starkville’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will assume her new role on July 1.

Read my story about Couey in today’s Daily Journal. Thanks to Starkville schools’ public information officer Nicole Thomas for sending the photos.

Northeast at New Albany

I wrote about this in the Jan. 19 edition of the Daily Journal. Here’s info from the official news release submitted by Tony Finch at Northeast Mississippi Community College:

NEW NORTHEAST AT NEW ALBANY FACILITY OPEN – Northeast Mississippi Community College President Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D. (fourth from left) leads a group of officials during the ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new facility at the Northeast at New Albany campus. Included in the building is a science lab, computer lab and three classrooms. CIG Contractors of Corinth earned the right to the project with a bid of $1,226,400. With the approval of a Substantive Change by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) last spring, a student may now obtain 50 percent or more credits toward an associate degree program on the New Albany campus. Northeast at New Albany opened in June 2003 following renovations to the Mattie Thompson Elementary School library building, which was made available to the college by the New Albany Board of Education after it ceased being used as an elementary school in the spring of 2002. The space houses administrative offices, classrooms and the Workforce Investment Act (WIN) satellite office. Pictured are (l-r) Billy Bolden, director of Northeast at New Albany; Tim Kent, mayor of the City of New Albany; Danny Jordan, chairman of the Union County Board of Supervisors; Allen; T. Jack Ramsey, chairman of the NEMCC Board of Trustees; Rud Robison of Pryor & Morrow Architects of Tupelo; and James Huffman, administrator of Baptist Memorial Hospital-New Albany.

Thomas Street Elementary Reading Fair

Sherry Rial sent me these photos of winners from the Reading Fair at Thomas Street Elementary. Tupelo’s districtwide Reading Fair will be Jan. 28 at the Hancock Leadership Center. Great job, kids!

The winners are:

Kindergarten - Jordan Wayne

1st grade - Cole Herrington, Mya Thorderson, Stephen Lake, Faith Gammel

3rd Grade - Abbey Edmonson, Maren Thorderson, Lauren Wilson, Gracie Bertleson, Dajah SilasFamily Division - Adrienne Hildenbrand, Allison Foreman, Claudia Berry

All first-place winners are Adrienne Hildenbrand, Abbey Edmonson, Harrison Flouhouse, Jordan Wayne, Cooper Edmonson, Drew Edmonson, Zeke Camp and Cole Herrington.

Push in Jackson for education reform

Here’s the latest from Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents’ Campaign: 

Dear Ginny,

Thanks to the support of people like you, there is a spirit of optimism brewing at the State Capitol!  State leaders appear ready to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is necessary to improve education and move our state forward.  We could well be on the cusp of unprecedented change in Mississippi!  The Parents’ Campaign, with your support, stands ready to help lead that charge.

The Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), our state chamber of commerce, hosted its “Capitol Day” today - an event that features speeches by our elected leadership.  Improving education through the Quality Education Act of 2008 was a common theme.    

Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant reminded the crowd that education is central to economic development.  He spoke with a sense of urgency about moving Mississippi forward when he said, “We don’t have time to take incremental steps in Mississippi; we need to be bold.”  Later in the day, following his swearing in, Gov. Bryant said that, despite a “tough budget year,” he is committed to building a “world-class education system.”  

MEC president Blake Wilson reiterated the state chamber’s endorsement and support of the Quality Education Act as he introduced State Superintendent of Education Dr. Hank Bounds.  Dr. Bounds reminded the crowd that the nine initiatives called for in the act are “basic, common sense things” that are “critical” to improving public education.

We at The Parents’ Campaign are excited about the opportunity to be a part of this important movement, and we thank our leaders for their support of what is good for Mississippi children and for our state.  We will soon be sending you the contact information for the legislators in your district and for other state officials.  Please join us in encouraging them to take the bold steps necessary to brighten the futures of Mississippi kids.  To again quote Gov. Bryant, “Mississippi is more about the future than the past.  If we will dedicate ourselves to that idea, there is no stopping us.”  Amen!

All the best,

Nancy

News from The Parents’ Campaign

Here’s the latest from Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents’ Campaign:

Dear Ginny,

The 2008 Legislature convened at noon today. Representatives and Senators were sworn in, House members reelected Rep. Billy McCoy as Speaker of the House and Rep. J. P. Compretta as Speaker Pro Tem of the House, and Senators elected Sen. Billy Hewes as President Pro Tem of the Senate. Lieutenant Governor-elect Phil Bryant will be sworn in on Thursday.

We at The Parents’ Campaign look forward to working with the leadership and membership of both chambers to improve Mississippi’s education system through passage of the Quality Education Act of 2008. I will keep you posted on related developments as we progress through the legislative session. Thanks so much for working with us to brighten the futures of Mississippi children!

Warmest regards,

Nancy

Fulton homeschoolers go the distance

This past Sunday I wrote about Matt and Mikey Thorn, homeschooled brothers from Fulton, Miss., who are long-distance learners in a course called Junior Medical School (part of Super School University). While researching medical information about Antarctica, the future physicians got to interview explorer Doug Stoup, who’s walking across the South Pole. The Dec. 18 interview was broadcast live on Kid’s Talk Radio and PNN.com.

Today I’m happy to report that PNN has mentioned my story on its Web site at http://press.pnn.com/4509-authors-in-the-news. Read what Matt and Mikey have been learning at http://drmatt.pnn.com and http://drmikey.pnn.com, and catch their radio interview with Stoup at http://blip.tv/file/555167.

Pontotoc native wins Kentucky accolades

A few days ago I interviewed Pontotoc native Patrice McCrary, a kindergarten teacher in Bowling Green who will be inducted into the inaugural class of the Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame on Jan. 24. Read my story from the Daily Journal here. Special thanks to Patrice’s mom, June Powell, for letting us know about her daughter’s achievements.