Thursday, September 8, 2011
Whitmire Middle School Team Faces Saluda Tigers
The middle school Wolverines began their season in a jamboree, securing a win with a victory over the Saluda Tigers. Whitmire traveled to Newberry High School to face off with Saluda. The first touchdown was scored by Chris Keisler, which started the game with a 6 to 0 score. The crowd went wild! The field goal was good, and this set the pace for the rest of the game. Saluda Tigers scored a touchdown on the Wolverines, but Alex Ellison blew through the Tigers and scored yet another touchdown for the Wolverines. The Whitmire middle school team could not be defeated and they fought like true Wolverines---until the end and NEVER QUIT! THEY ARE; WE ARE the MIGHTY WOLVERINES!
Volleyball Game VS Mid-Carolina Rebels
The Whitmire Lady Wolverines fell short to the Mid-Carolina Rebels Tuesday night, August 30th, during the first game of the volleyball season. Though the ladies worked hard, they were unable to pull a win in all three matches. In the first two matches, the ladies had trouble getting a good start, only scoring nine in the first match and ten the second. Still, the Wolverines didn't get discouraged and pulled out nineteen the last match. The Lady Wolverines were back at it again on September 6 when they took on Blacksburg and Southside Christian.
It's Weezy Baby! by: Matthew Dominick
Weezy's back and better than ever. This past week Lil Wayne A.K.A. Weezy released his new album "Tha Carter IV." Lil Wayne has made a huge name for himself with hits like "Go DJ", "Fireman", "A Milli", "Lollipop", and even more present hits like "Right Above It" featuring Drake. Tha Carter I, II, and III were all great but fail in comparision to "Tha Carter IV." This album has already produced three hits. "John" featuring Rick Ross, "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, and "How To Love." I predict that soon, even more songs will become hits. The songs that I predict are soon to be hits include but are not limited to "MegaMan", "She Will" featuring Drake, and the bonus track "Mirror" featuring Bruno Mars, which can be located on the deluxe edition of "Tha Carter IV." For sure- another album to add to your wishlist.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Watch The Throne by: Matthew Dominick
The title of the album says it all. "Watch The Throne" because this is the creation of rap royalty. Two of raps best, the legendary Jay-Z and the epic Kanye West who started out by producing tracks on Jay-Z's "The Blueprint". So the two have worked together in the past but never like this. The tracks that really stood out the most were "Otis", "Welcome To The Jungle", and "Why I Love You". This is for sure an album to add to your wishlist.
Friday, March 18, 2011
WCS Students Attend Exchange Club Dinner
WCS Students Attend Exchange Club Dinner
Exchange Club Youth of the Month is a program sponsored by the Exchange Club of Newberry to honor seniors. Students are selected by a faculty committee. The committee takes into consideration student achievement, leadership, extra-curricular accomplishments, and character in making its choices. The Exchange Club honors selected students each month with a banquet at their club house on Lake Murray
September - Alesia Henderson
October - Daniel McMurtury
November - Crystal Wallace
December - Alex Cromer
January - Chelsi Stevenson
February-Christopher Williams
All students selected as Youth of the Month were invited to a special banquet on March 1, 2011 to honor a Youth of the Year from each high school. Whitmire's Youth of the Year was Alesia Henderson. Alesia will compete against students from Newberry and Mid-Carolina for the county's Youth of the Year title.
WCS Puts on 4th Grade Play
WCS Puts on 4th Grade Play By Ms. S. Martin
To open the 2011 Talent Show, WCS 4th Grade students presented their original play, "American Firsts." Students wrote their own lines and performed the play at the February 24 event.
The theme of the play centered on the "first" people or groups to make history as our nation was established.
The students also sang two songs as part of the show. The show helped students master their social studies standards and also an ELA standard about writing skits to entertain.
Teen Advisory Board
Teen Advisory Board Assists with Media Center
By Ms. D. Hagen, Media Specialist
During Teen Read Week, students submitted applications to participate on the newly created Teen Advisory Board. The board’s primary function is to advocate for the library media program and to represent student interests and concerns. Board members meet with Ms. Hagen and discuss ideas for new books, reading incentives, and library procedures.
The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is currently creating READ posters like the ones displayed in the media center featuring celebrities and their favorite books. Members will have their own library shelf, displaying the poster with their favorite books. Service Learning student Jacob Coleman is editing the posters as they are designed by the TAB members. By sharing their favorite books, students help promote reading among their peers.
Any middle or high school student who has ideas for library activities, book selection, or reading incentives is encouraged to share them with a TAB member or Ms. Hagen. Members for 2010-2011 are Haley Babb, Erynn Hatfield, Alyssa Brock, Kandace Carroll, Chelsey Stevens, Tripp Alexander, Alana Moss, Shaianne Arnold, MacKenzie Reel, Haley Hughes, and Rebecca Glymph. Chair Persons are Haley Babb and Erynn Hatfield.
Fundraising for the Band
Raising Funds for the Band By Mr. R. Gunning
The band program at Whitmire Community School Atlanta , GA
The band will be traveling to Atlanta
“We had our second Bowl-a-thon on Saturday,” Gunning adds. “Thanks to pledges and donations, eleven band members made over $550.00 on Saturday to help pay for their trip.
Former Whitmire school teacher, band parent, grandparent, and supporter of the program, Fannie Hunter, owner/operator of Hunter Funeral Home in Whitmire, approached Mr. Gunning one afternoon at the school. “I just wanted to do something to help make some money for the band members,” tells Mrs. Hunter. “Our band is just so good, and we need to support them any way we can.”
That’s when Mrs. Hunter came up with the idea of having a yard sale. First the date and time were set, Saturday, March 12, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Then Mrs. Hunter asked Piggly Wiggly if we could hold the yard sale in front of their store, at which they agreed. “Now we need donations of items we can sell,” suggests Hunter. Items to be donated for the yard sale can be dropped off at Hunter Funeral Home, or the WCS band room prior to March 12, or just bring them to the sale on Saturday.
The WCS Band Booster Club will be hosting a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning, March 19, at Big Willie’s Grill on Main Street . Plates will cost $6.00 each, and tickets will go on sale soon. Orders can be eaten at the restaurant or made available to go.
The band would like to express its appreciation for all the support they have already received.
Putting Whitmire on the Map!
Putting Whitmire on the Map By Mr. J. Haney
WCS continues its efforts this past month to put Whitmire on the map. Ms. Bruyere, Ms. Cromer and Ms. Hall took us all the way to Myrtle Beach
Valentine Dance!
Elementary Student Council Valentine Dance By Ms. S. Martin
The Elementary Student Council sponsored a Valentine Dance on Monday, February 14, 2011, in the Multi-purpose room. Students danced and enjoyed refreshments from 2:30-3:30 pm. Cass princes and princesses were honored. Congratulations to Aubrey Brock, Emily Kessler, Catherine Baker, Angel McCall, Cameron Felker, and Logan Putnam for being named Class Princesses and Chase English, Matthew Prather, Chase Hood, Noah McCarley, Quin Lindler, and Mark Stevenson for being named Class Princes. These students were selected by their classes and all students in grades three, four, and five voted for Valentine King and Queen. Congratulations to Aubrey Brock and Quin Lindler for being named 2011 Queen and King.
Celebrations
Congratulations to Mrs. Shouse's Kindergarten class for winning the February Box Tops contest with 165 Box Tops! Her students were rewarded for their efforts in early March.
Mrs. Lee's homeroom won first place in the district attendance contest, and Ms. Adams’s homeroom won third place! Way to go!
The 5th grade raised the most money for Pennies for Patients this year— a total of around $300.00!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
8th and 9th Grade Job Shadowing
“I want two hamburgers and a chicken sandwich to go”…but wait, that’s DJ Norton working at Joe’s Market. Why she’s supposed to be in school…not today because she is participating in the Groundhog Job Shadowing Program. She was one of the thirty three students from Whitmire Community School who participated in the statewide initiative to get middle and high school students to experience actual career opportunities. If you’re wondering who the young lady under the hydraulic lift at D&D Automotive is, take a closer look and you’ll see that underneath the grease marks is Shelby Dickert. On the other hand, Kristin Hunt decided that she didn’t want to get dirty, so she dressed ever so professionally to assist Betty Thompson in the PreK program at Whitmire Community School. We had fifteen students who chose WCS as their job shadowing site this time. Those students job shadowed teachers and coaches to help determine if teaching is a viable career choice for them.
On Friday, February 4, 2011, WCS had students working in the Victim’s Advocate Office, Office of the Deputy Coroner, SmartStyle Salon in Newberry, the US Forest Service, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department, the SC Housing Authority, Palmetto Bone and Joint, Dalton Trucking, Harold Hunter Logging, Department of Defense, Keenan’s Barber Shop in Union, South Middle School in Lancaster, Cheap Chuck’s Tires in Columbia, and Milliken-Judson in Greenville.
We have two students who were unable to schedule their job shadowing on Feb. 4 and will be participating in the program on February 10 and 11. One of these students, who is interested in archaeology, will be working with Jakob Crockett at the Historic Columbia Foundation. The other student will be shadowing Heather O’dell at Mental Health in Newberry.
Thanks to all the teachers, agency heads, and business owners who make experiences such as this possible for our students. It is our responsibility to prepare our students; and the best way to make that happen is not through virtual experiences but those REAL life experiences. It is our hope that more students will take advantage of experiences such as these.
Alex Cromer -- Wendy's High School Heisman Recipient
Whitmire Community School is extending a special congratulations to Alex Cromer, who was recently named our School Winner for the prestigious Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. Alex was chosen for her outstanding excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school leadership and will move on to the next round of judging to possibly earn the coveted National award.
The Wendy’s High School Heisman celebrates the achievements of the nation’s top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the highest award in college football, the Wendy’s High School Heisman award is recognized as the most esteemed award at the high school level because it encourages future leadership by acknowledging well-rounded students.
Alex was selected as a School Winner based on the following accomplishments: she is academically and athletically gifted (Winners must have a “B” or better average and participate in a sport.).
“These students are an inspiration to those around them and will honorably represent their school in the next stage of Wendy’s High School Heisman award judging,” said Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy and Wendy’s High School Heisman program spokesperson. “I’m proud to be a part of a program that honors young men and women who embody the spirit of the Heisman tradition of hard work, dedication and an outstanding record both on and off the field.”
Alex was selected as our School Winner and joins the ranks of nearly 55,000 applicants nationwide.
“On behalf of Whitmire Community School, we are extremely proud to celebrate the outstanding athletic and scholastic achievements of Alex with this prestigious award,” said Principal Joey Haney.”
For more information or to track a student’s progress through the competition, please log on to http://www.wendysheisman.com/ or call 1-800-205-6367.
Jr. Beta Attends Convention
Twenty-three students from the Jr. Beta Club competed at the SC Jr. Beta Convention held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on December 9-10, 2010. The areas in which students competed were poster, living literature, speech, social studies, spelling, math, science, quiz bowl, banner, color photography, sketching, and sculpture.
Living literature is a highlight of the convention and one of the more rigorous competitions. The five students who competed in living literature demonstrated talent and skill by creating a scene from “Annabelle Leigh” by Edgar Allen Poe. Cseh Cranford submitted a portrait for the color photography competition and won third place. Photography winners are chosen by four judges who must come to a consensus on each placement. Overall the convention was a huge success, and the students are eager to return next year.
WCS News Crew Visits Newberry College Department of Communications
The news crew at Whitmire Community School visited Newberry College Thursday December 2, 2010 to experience broadcast journalism on a professional level. Since the crew produces the Morning News Show, they decided to tour a real studio for ideas on improving production and delivery of the news. Newberry College proved to be the perfect place for this.
Marshall Maddy, Assistant Professor of Communications, welcomed the group to Newberry College and showed them the Newberry College radio station studio. Each student took part in the morning radio show by introducing themselves and making a brief comment. Crew members commented that they enjoyed participating in an authentic radio production.
Dr. Jodie Peeler, Associate Professor of Communications, talked to the crew about the importance of writing and how each area of Communications—Electronic Media, Journalism, and Public Relations depends on excellence in writing skills. He asked students what they were doing in their language arts classes and related those activities to skills they would need if they pursue commuications careers, emphasizing writing as the most essential.
The highlight of the visit was a tour of the broadcast studio. Al De Lachica, Assistant Professor of Communications, gave an in-depth explanation and demonstration of the equipment and events that take place behind the scenes. Students took turns either anchoring the show or operating the camera as the producer communicated instructions from the control room through a headset. Dr. Peeler’s class stopped by to observe WCS students performing a “cold read” using the teleprompter.
After the show, students were debriefed on their experiences and what they had learned. They expressed their frustrations about using the teleprompter as Mr. De Lachica emphasized the need for teamwork among crew members. He talked about how the mistakes of one person can affect the entire crew because they are interdependent. Crew members learned about Newberry College’s Communication program and possible job opportunities that await them after they graduate.
The day ended with lunch at La Fogata, one of WCS’ business sponsors, topped off by fried ice cream, compliments of Principal Joey Haney! The WCS News Crew enjoyed the trip and brought back ideas for their morning news show and for possible college and career paths. The WCS News Crew is sponsored by Donna Hagen, Head Media Specialist at Whitmire Community School.
Newberry College Professor Mentors WCS News Crew
Marshall Maddy, Director of the Langford Communication Center at Newberry College visited the WCS News Crew during the Morning News Show on February 9, 2011 in the media center production studio. Afterwards, he met with the crew to discuss production procedures and technology issues. Mr. Maddy’s visit is a follow-up to the news crew’s Newberry College field trip in January.
Ms. Donna Hagen, WCS Media Specialist and WCS News Crew Sponsor, had contacted Newberry College as a possible field trip destination for the crew. She and Mr. Maddy decided to form a partnership between the Department of Theatre, Visual Arts, and Communications and the WCS News Crew. Mr. Maddy, Dr. Jodie Peeler, and Mr. Al de Lachica introduced the crew to the Newberry College studio, helped them produce a television newscast, and let them participate in a live radio broadcast. Mr. Maddy graciously offered to visit Whitmire to see them in action and to give them professional advice.
During his visit to WCS, Mr. Maddy talked with the crew about their ideas and how they can implement changes in the show. He gave advice on camera equipment, lighting, and training. Mr. Maddy will continue to provide assistance to the crew as they add new equipment and as they expand the show. Whitmire Community School is fortunate to have Newberry College as a partner, providing WCS students with professional mentors and potential career paths.
Whitmire Band Goes Bowling for Bucks
On Monday, February 7, several Whitmire band members participated in the Whitmire Band Bowl-a-thon to raise funds for their upcoming spring trip. The band is heading to Atlanta, GA, on April 1-3, to compete in a national Concert Band competition.
Band members solicited pledges from family, friends, and faculty members. Some pledges were as little as one to two cents per pin, while some were upwards to ten cents, and even higher. Then they went bowling. After bowling three games, the participating band members will collect the money from the pledges per their bowling scores. The money they collect will go to help pay their way for the trip. A second Bowl-a-thon is scheduled for Saturday, March 5.
Please help support your
favorite band members by making a pledge as they prepare for their competition in Atlanta.
Nursing Home
On Thursday, December 9, Mrs. Cody’s sixth grade language arts students welcomed a special visitor, Mrs. Melissa Gilliam, administrator for White Oak Manor in Newberry. The sixth graders have just finished reading Our Sixth Grade Sugar Babies by Eve Bunting, which included an elderly character dealing with the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Mrs. Gilliam entertained the students with a virtual tour of the brain on the Smartboard that labeled and described the parts of the brain. Then, she showed an emotional video detailing how a patient dealing with Alzheimer’s reacted to music from her childhood. Mrs. Gilliam surprised the students with a “quiz” based on the information she shared and gave a prize to Culan Means, the student who got the most questions correct. One of the most exciting activities she shared was a Mini-Mental Exam where students were able to determine a partner’s level of cognition. Before Mrs. Gilliam left, the students presented her with three-dimensional Christmas trees to take back to the residents of White Oak Manor.
The Nurse's Station
The Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:
Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.
Stay at home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing with others.
Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.
If flu conditions become MORE severe, parents should consider the following steps:
Extend the time sick children stay home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better soon. People who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have completely gone away.
If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.
Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the school year:
Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.
Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children in the household by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.
Identify if you have children who are at higher risk of serious disease from the flu and talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season. Children at high risk of serious disease from the flu include: children under 5 years of age and those children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.
Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick family members.
Update emergency contact lists.
Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if schools are dismissed or your child is sick and must stay home.
Talk to your school administrators about their pandemic or emergency plan.
For more information:
Visit: www.flu.gov
Contact CDC 24 Hours/Every Day
WCS Lends A Hand
Whitmire Community School participated in the 2010 Helping Hands Project this year. The purpose of this project is to assist families in need and help children receive a Christmas they may not have the opportunity to experience otherwise.
We had numerous families and organizations that wanted to help make a better Christmas for some of the children at WCS. Volunteers were willing to donate clothes, shoes, books, and toys to these children in need. We were able to help 17 families this year! That is an outstanding number, especially for our first year of participation! Hopefully we will be able to help even more families next year.
I would like to extend a special thanks to everyone who helped make this project such a success. It is because of you that many received the Christmas they deserve.
God Bless,
Mrs. Jennifer Hix
Friday, January 7, 2011
Does Your Teacher Rock?
Does Your Teacher Rock?
Nominate Your Favorite Teacher!
Go to the site below and follow the directions. http://www.myteacherrockssc.com/nominations/
Support Staff Employees of the Month
Ms. Jennifer Hix
(September)
Ms. Gwen Clark
(October)
Congratulations!
Sponsored by Big Willie's Grill!
(September)
Ms. Gwen Clark
(October)
Congratulations!
Sponsored by Big Willie's Grill!
Putting Whitmire on the Map!
Dr. Kim Neal recently presented at the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics held in Greenville. Her presentation, Using Projects In Statistics, focused on projects and interactive web-based links that can be used in a probability and statistics class. Dr. Neal is a regular presenter at the SCCTM conferences and is also active in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She teaches AP Statistics for the SC Virtual School Program and MAT 120, Probability and Statistics, for both Whitmire Community School and Piedmont Technical College.
Junior Beta Holds Induction Ceremony
As part of the Middle School Success Assembly on Friday, November 5th, the Jr. Beta Club inducted nineteen seventh and eighth grade students on the basis of academic achievement and exemplary character.
Each new member received a certificate and a Jr. Beta pin to make his or her membership official. The Jr. Beta Club would like to welcome Tripp Alexander, Nathan Baxley, Whitney Berry, Madison Brock, Jarrett Bruce, Bradley Burleson, Austin Chick, Cseh Cranford, Cole Eison, Mark Ford, Darian Gilliam, Becca Glymph, Davonte Holmes, Yaunna Hunter, West Jenkins, Iyana Lewis, Bridgette Morris, Max Stewert, and Madison Willis.
A Day of Honor
In what has become a tradition at Whitmire Community School, the community celebrated Veteran’s Day with a program which took place on November 11, 2010 at 10:00 AM. Coach Haney gave the call to order, and the presentation of the Colors was performed by Whitmire’s Boy Scout Troop 200. Alex Cromer, WCS student body president, led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, which was followed by the “Star Spangled Banner” beautifully performed by the WCS Concert Band, under the direction of Mr. Gunning. Coach Martin’s class informed us of the history of the American Flag, while Coach McGlohorn’s class informed us about the history and legacy of Veterans Day. In between these two informative pieces, the WCS Concert Band played “America the Beautiful.” The honorable Robert C. Lake, Jr. was the guest speaker. After his patriotic words, the American Legion presented Mr. Lake with a certificate of appreciation. This most humbling presentation was followed by a brief history of the five military branches of service, brought to us by Ms. Carwile’s classes. The program was appropriately ended with the WCS Concert Band’s rendition of the “Marches of the Armed Forces” and closing remarks by our principal, Mr. Joey Haney.
The Many Levels Of Success: The 2010 Marching Band Season
Success can be measured by any number of ways— through trophies, accolades, and praise. Though the Whitmire Community School Royal Regiment Marching Band has experienced many successes like these this year, they see success in a slightly different light.
The marching band season started as usual this year, a week of training with the rookies, Colorguard, and percussion, followed by a week of band camp and it’s grueling 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM schedule. There was another week and a half of “post-band camp” rehearsals, 6:30 – 9:00 PM, when school began. Then the regular after school schedule began, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 3:15 – 5:00 PM.
There was one unusual thing about this season, however. Of the 39 members in the marching band, 18 of them were first year members! That’s just a little over 45% of the membership that had never marched before, which includes one 5th grade and five 6th grade young ladies recruited just to give the band enough Colorguard members needed to help the show come together.
After nine weeks of long, hot, and challenging rehearsals, the first competition came. On Saturday, September 25, after a 10 AM rehearsal, the band boarded the bus and traveled to Boiling Springs High School near Spartanburg. “It is always challenging at competitions for our band,” states Band Director Rob Gunning. “Coming from the smallest public school in the state, every school has an advantage over us with a larger student population from which to build their band.”
“At the independent contests, marching in the 1-A Class doesn’t always mean the bands are from 1-A schools,” Gunning adds. Independent contests are events sponsored by school band programs as fund raising opportunities, but provide judges comments and criticisms that help bands learn and improve. Bands are placed into classes according to the size of their band, not the size of the school. Of the four bands in 1-A at the Boiling Springs contest, Whitmire and Landrum were true 1-A schools, while Liberty is a 2-A school, and Emerald is a 3-A school. But it was at the awards ceremony that night when the announcer announced that the first place trophy was awarded to Whitmire. Additionally, Whitmire was named the “Most Spirited Band” on the class.
Taking the comments and scores from the judges at that contest, the band knew it had a lot of work ahead of them. Understanding this would be the case, the band scheduled to take the next Saturday off, away from the pressures of competition, to have two weeks to prepare for the remaining contests ahead.
On Saturday, October 9, the band again met at 10:00 AM for a short rehearsal before boarding the bus to Newberry High School for their next contest. Again, as is typical at independent contests, the competition was stacked against Whitmire, with one other true 1-A school, and two 2-A schools in the 1-A class. This time Whitmire was not as fortunate, receiving 2nd place.
With a greater determination, the band continued to work hard to prepare for the 3rd and final week of competing at independent contests. This time, after another 10:00 AM Saturday morning rehearsal, the band traveled to Palmetto High School, south of Greenville, on Saturday October 16. With only one other true 1-A school and two 3-A schools in the 1-A class, Whitmire found themselves in 3rd place, behind the two much larger 3-A schools.
About this time in the season, the band received word that they had been chosen by the SC Autism Society as their Community Group of the Year for 2010. One of the band’s members, Grayson Snelgrove, has Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism. The SC Autism Society was so impressed that the Whitmire Band was working with Grayson, allowing him to be a part of our band, that they bestowed this honor upon them.
“This is what true success is really about,” explains Gunning. “We started the year, as we always do, helping our students understand what it means to be on a team; that each one has something to contribute, and that all of us working together, despite our differences, is the only way we can be successful. This honor is far better than any awards we can win at a contest, because this one shows who we really are, and what we are really made of.”
The South Carolina Band Directors Association sponsors two weeks of marching events that determines the state’s marching band champions. On the third week of October, the state holds the Upper State and Lower State Preliminaries for Class 1-A through 4-A, where classes are determined by school size only. The top six from each contest will then meet head to head on the fourth Saturday in October to determine the 12 best marching bands in the state for each class.
“We were looking forward to getting to the state-sponsored events,” explains Gunning. “We knew we would only have to compete against schools of our same size. Actually, being the smallest school in the state, there really isn’t anyone that is the ‘same size’ as us!” The goal for the band was to at least make the top six at their Upper State competition, so they could move on to the state finals. On Saturday, October 23, at James F. Byrnes High School, the Whitmire Band placed 5th. “Looking at the other bands in this competition, we thought we had a good shot at third, but the judges thought differently.”
With spirits still high, the band decided to prove to the judges and the audience that they deserved to be placed in the top five in the state. “I guess I had a little something to do with that,” says Gunning. “I challenged the band that if they made fifth place or better, I would let the Senior band members shave my head during lunch one day at school.”
After a very early 7:30 AM rehearsal on Saturday, October 30, the band was off to Batesburg-Leesville High School to march in the SC State Marching Band Championships. The band gave a truly outstanding performance, full of energy, emotion, and precision. “The best part about our performance,” tells Gunning, “is that we knew we had done our best when we came off that field. We knew we were successful, regardless of what place we got.” Later that afternoon, the WCS Royal Regiment Marching Band was named the fifth best marching band in the state among 1-A schools! The WCS Band Seniors shaved Mr. Gunning head on Friday, November 5.
The band wishes to thank all the support they have received from the school’s administration, band parents, students, and community. Whether its trophies, awards, honors, or just knowing you did the best you could despite the size or inexperience, the band has learned a valuable lesson. Success is a feeling best shared with those around you. Through our band, we all are successful.
Career Fair By Mr. J. Floyd
On Monday, November 22, Whitmire Community School held its annual career fair. Despite a recession that has affected the economic climate, several area businesses and agencies took time to set up tables at our school and share career opportunities with students. In addition to booths in the multi-purpose room, there was an outside display which included fire engines, police cruiser, and trucks from Newberry Electric Co-op and USDA Forest Service. Several of the businesses and agencies represented included former Whitmire students. All students from PK – 12 were given an opportunity to visit the career fair.
Agencies and businesses that participated this year included Whitmire Fire Department, USC Union, US Air Force, US Air Force Reserves, Family Connections, Newberry Police Department, Newberry DJJ, First Citizens Bank, USDA Forest Service, Newberry County Memorial Hospital, Newberry Hospital Wellness Center, Optometric Eye Care, Newberry County DHEC, Newberry Electric Co-op, Newberry County Sheriff’s Department, Piedmont Technical College, Remington College, and Wyotech.
2010 Teen Read Week the Best Yet!
Although Teen Read Week officially began on Monday October 8, 2010, students and teachers were busy the weeks before gearing up for all the activities. Middle and High School Language Arts teachers kept ongoing records of student reading and those results were displayed through the hallways on race cars and hot air balloons to reflect their “Reading Takes You Places” theme. Doorways were decorated to reflect the overall “Teen Reading” theme in preparation for the Door Judging contest on Monday. There were so many great ideas that the judges had a hard time choosing! Winners for the contest were Mrs. Brown’s, Mrs. Doolittle and Ms. Wood’s classes.
Monday was also Game Day in the media center. In addition to the regular chess games, students played new games for the media center including Uno, Battleship, Connect 4, and Clue. Tuesday was Graphics Arts Design Day and Library Fine Amnesty Day. Zac Hall and Amy Ross turned in winning graphic arts designs and students were allowed to return overdue books and have their fines waived.
On Wednesday, members were announced for the new Teen Advisory Board which will assist Ms. Hagen with book reviews and library programming ideas. The highlight of the week was the Poetry Slam. Mrs. Brown was the star of the day, engaging students from high school and middle school classes in “freestylin”!
On Thursday there was a Middle and High School school-wide Read-in. Students and teachers lined the halls for 30 minutes of silent reading. Principals Joey Haney, Martha Suber, and Lindsay Arrington demonstrated their support by joining in with the students to enjoy a few quiet moments of reading.
Friday was Reading Buddy day. Students from language arts classes were chosen by their teachers to come to the media center and read to the elementary students during Mrs. Shirley Suber’s library classes. They prepared their stories before they came and shared their love of books and reading with the younger students.
Students were excited all week and enjoyed all the activities. Many commented that they loved Teen Read Week and couldn’t wait for next year! Having the positive support and participation of teachers and administrators shows that WCS loves to read!
From The Principal's Desk
Scoring BIG
On behalf of the WCS Staff, I would like to wish all of you the best during this holiday season of thankfulness and giving. I hope that everyone will find the time to focus on the true meaning of the season and be able to spend some joyous time with their family and friends.
WCS has some celebrations to report as we have received our Spring HSAP results and the 2009-2010 school report cards. Whitmire Community School continued to lead the district in 2010 HSAP results based on first-attempt passage rate. We actually increased our passage rate from 80% to 86.1% in comparison to 2009. The HSAP formally known as the Exit Exam is initially given in the 10th grade. The HSAP assesses students on standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students are required to pass both parts of the examination in order to receive a South Carolina high school diploma. Congratulations Class of 2012!!!!
We proudly announced earlier in the year that all of our schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2009-2010 school year. Recently, the school report cards were released by the State Department of Education. This is another measuring tool to provide us with information on the progress of our school. Our elementary and middle schools have received an Absolute Rating of Below Average for several years. For the 2009-2010 school year, both schools have received an Absolute Rating of Average and a Growth Rating of Average. The high school report card won’t be available until at least January. This is definitely another celebration for WCS as we continue to improve and meet state standards. The school report cards are available through our school website and Facebook page.
All of these celebrations are made possible by the hard work and efforts of the WCS staff and students supported by our community. Let everyone know that we are Wolverines Committed to Success!!!
WCS Teachers of the Month
Ms. Beverly Wood
September Secondary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Kim Neal
October Secondary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Sabrina Martin
September Elementary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Paige Cromer
October Elementary
Teacher of the Month
Congratulations to our Teachers of the Month!
September Secondary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Kim Neal
October Secondary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Sabrina Martin
September Elementary
Teacher of the Month
Mrs. Paige Cromer
October Elementary
Teacher of the Month
Congratulations to our Teachers of the Month!
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