MIDDLE SCHOOL BATTLE OF THE BOOKS COMPETITION

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in today's heated competition. Each year, The North Carolina School Library Media Association provides the selection of books and this year's list consisted of 20 titles. Students battle in numerous rounds answering detailed questions about the titles and authors from the book list.

Please applaud this year's winners:

• First Place-HJ MacDonald Middle School
• Second Place-West Craven Middle School
• Third Place-Tucker Creek Middle School

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK-MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE

We hope all of our educators had a wonderful week and enjoyed being showered with lots of kindness and gratitude.

A few of our students and staff recently had an opportunity to share why they love their teacher(s). Take a listen and know how special each and every one of our teachers is to the CCS Family.

We celebrate the unsung heroes of our schools: our incredible school nurses! Happy National School Nurse Day!

To all the dedicated nurses who work tirelessly to keep our students healthy and safe, we THANK YOU for your compassion, expertise, and unwavering commitment to our school community.

Your kindness and care make all the difference in the lives of our students every single day. From band-aids to comforting words, you provide comfort and support in times of need, creating a nurturing environment so our students can thrive.

We appreciate our amazing school nurses for their invaluable contributions to our schools and the well-being of our students.

We are so fortunate to have an amazing School Nutrition Staff-

Check out this amazing crew at West Craven High on

SCHOOL LUNCH HERO DAY

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DARE PROGRAM IN EPISODE 3 of

THE REEL: Craven County Schools Podcast

RED CARPET GALA 2024

The magic was happening at Carolina Colours Pavilion on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024, as the 2023-2024 Teacher Ambassadors, Rookie Team, and finalists for the Linda Thomas Volunteer of the Year graced the red carpet. This annual event allows the Board of Education to celebrate our finest during Teacher Appreciation Week. We applaud this year's teacher ambassadors and their contributions in the classroom and as leaders at their school:

·    Nicole Avolis-AH Bangert Elementary

·    Amanda Rice-Cowart-Arthur Edwards Elementary

·    Jaime Fravor-Ben D Quinn Elementary

·    Emily Simmons– Bridgeton Elementary

·    Jane Harvey-Brinson Memorial Elementary

·    Kelly Messer-Creekside Elementary

·    Amy Kostelnik-Insley-Graham A Barden Elementary

·    Kellie Bamford-Havelock Elementary

·    Angelia Smith-JT Barber Elementary

·    Katelyn Nobles- James W. Smith Elementary

·    Christine Simpson-Oaks Road Academy

·    Whitney Hernandez- Roger Bell New Tech Academy

·    Rachel Donnelly-Trent Park Elementary

·    Brittany Clark-Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary

·    Amanda Fahey-WJ Gurganus Elementary

·    Kristin Lane-Grover C Fields Middle

·    Octavius Johnson-Havelock Middle

·    Misty Guthrie-Tucker Creek Middle

·    Eudanah Beard-West Craven Middle

·    Alison Strommer-Craven Early College

·    Johnicia Simmons-Craven Virtual Academy

·    Thomas Ebert-Early College EAST

·    Ronald Thomas-Havelock High

·    Jocelyn Thammavong-New Bern High

·    Naomi Wilson-West Craven High

It is an exciting time to see everyone as the NEW Teacher of the Year is also announced at the finale of the program.

Congratulations to this year's Teacher of the Year Finalists:

Misty Guthrie, TCM

Whitney Hernandez, RBNTA

Amanda Rice-Cowart, AWE

Johnicia Simmons, CVA

Alison Strommer, CEC

It is a great honor to announce the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year is Johnicia Simmons. CLICK HERE to read the full press release.

It was a wonderful evening highlighting the work of all and we cannot wait to see

what the future has in store for this fabulous group of individuals.

2023-2024 ROOKIE TEAM

The Rookie Team is selected by the BT Mentors and is comprised of Beginning Teachers in their first year of education who have demonstrated their determination to go above and beyond. This elite group shows a special charisma when working with students and is highlighted for their passion and dedication to learning. Congratulations to this year's Rookie Team:

·    Krissy Buchanan-New Bern High

·    Haley Dail-Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary

·    Rebecca Gover-Trent Park Elementary

·    Teja Knight-West Craven Middle

·    Christian Martin -HJ MacDonald Middle

·    Catonia Phynon -Oaks Road Academy

·    Stacey Porter -Havelock Middle

·    Andrew Ross -Craven Early College High

·    Shannda Smith-James W. Smith Elementary

Prior to the Red Carpet Gala, each school is encouraged to nominate a deserving candidate for the Linda Thomas Volunteer of the Year Award. This year there were five very deserving finalists:

·    Audrey Corby, HJ MacDonald Middle School

·    Charlene McCoy, James W. Smith Elementary

·    Peter Monte, JT Barber Elementary

·    Ruth Powers (Kingswood Program Garber Methodist Church), Bangert Elementary

·    Lee Wilson, West Craven High

After much consideration, since all of our finalists are worthy of this award based on their contributions to the school, Charlene McCoy was named this year's Linda Thomas Volunteer of the Year. Congratulations!

From the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Facebook Page

Today (Wednesday, May 8, 2024) we had the opportunity to fly Cherry Point hometown hero, Nardi Routten, prior to the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Air Show!

Nardi is currently a fourth-grade teacher at Creekside Elementary School. She is Craven County’s Teacher of the Year and the Burrough Wellcome Fund 2024 Southeast Region Teacher of the Year. She mentored teachers in topics such as reading, reciprocal teaching, Thinking Maps, Math Talks, unpacking state standards and building a classroom community. She represents fourth grade teachers as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board. She helps set policy for National Assessment of Educational Progress and helps identify subjects to be tested, approves all test questions, and determines the content and achievement levels for each assessment. Mrs. Routten has earned local and national recognition for her excellence throughout her career, more recently she was selected as a North Carolina state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She also implemented a teaching session called Math Detectives at Creekside Elementary, aiming to inspire a love and excitement for math; students use a combination of “Amazing Race” and “Escape Rooms” to solve complex math problems.

Our Key Influencer Program aims to showcase the hard work and dedication of people who give so much to their local communities. Every airshow nominates a Key Influencer, and they are given a backseat ride by Lt. Connor O’Donnell, Blue Angel #7.

U.S. Navy U.S. Marine Corps #airshow #HometownHeroes #aviation #cherrypoint

Summer Camp Registration Deadline has been extended until May 15, 2024!