Rock Hill Schools Information for Friday, October 31

Stallions V. Bearcats
Tickets for the South Pointe/Rock Hill High varsity football game on Nov. 6
will be on sale starting Monday, November 3. Rock Hill High will sell
tickets from their Athletic Department Office; South Pointe will sell
tickets in the school's main lobby. Both schools will sell tickets on Nov.
3, Nov. 5, and Nov. 6 from 11:00-2:00. This will be a South Pointe Home
Game. South Pointe season ticket holder passes will get them into the game.

Ticket prices are $7 in advance and $8 at the gate.

November 4
All schools and district offices will be closed for Election Day.

Program Needs Employees' Help
Applications for Toys for Happiness, a holiday assistance program for
income-eligible families with children between birth and age 14, will be
available at ParentSmart, beginning Nov. 7.

¡Dorothy Burris, custodian for the district office, is featured on the cover
and in an article in the winter edition of HealthBreak, a publication of
Piedmont Medical Center. The article deals with heart disease symptoms in
women.

¡The Theatre Department at Rawlinson Road has been awarded a $250 grant from
the Cargill Corporation, thanks to the grant writing of Naomi Thomas, drama
teacher.

¡Belk Department Store will hold its fall charity sale from 6:00 a.m. until
10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, to benefit local charities and nonprofits,
including the Boys and Girls Clubs of York County. By purchasing a $5 ticket
from the Boys and Girls Clubs, one can save 20-50% off Belk products,
including rarely discounted brands, plus $5 off one's first purchase. To buy
a ticket, contact Sara Hunt at shunt@bgcyc.org or call (803) 324-7920.

¡Northwestern's Bryan Coburn, District Teacher of the Year, has been awarded
a $25,000 grant from AdvanceSC for the purchase of a Rapid Prototyping
machine for Northwestern.
¡South Pointe Cheerleaders will host a BBQ fund-raiser at the SP v. RHH
football games on Nov. 5 and 6. Plates will be $7 and a pound of BBQ will be
$8. Orders will be available for pick up at the District Three Stadium both
days between 5:00-7:00 p.m. Coach Adrianne Neal will provide tickets and
take orders until the close of the workday on Nov. 3 by calling (704)
231-4325.

Theatre Productions Certain to Please

¡South Pointe's Choral Program will present its Third Annual Madrigal
Feaste at 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 8 and at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the school's
Renaissance-style dinner theatre (cafeteria). Tickets at $15 for adults and
$10 for children age 10 and under include a four-course meal fit for a king,
as well as singing, entertainment, and a lot of jovial merriment. The Feaste
spotlights English teacher Michael Henthorn as King James I and science
teacher Melissa Holland as his queen plus many talented students. For
tickets, contact director Beverly Laney via email or by calling 980-2172.

¡Northwestern's Musical Theatre Class, directed by Tamara Altman, will
present Thoroughly Modern Millie at 7:00 p.m. November 5-8 in the school
auditorium.

Bob Norwood on Straight Talk

Bob Norwood gets interviewed on WRHI's Straight Talk Show. You can hear a
replay here.

Rock Hill Schools Robotics Mentoring Needed

The Rock Hill School District Robotics Team needs help from some adult
"fix anything" guys. Anyone who likes to tinker and work with High
School Students should contact Mack Bailey at Rock Hill High School
mbailey@rock-hill.k12.sc.us . The team is meeting now, practicing with
Lego robots, thinking about fund-raising and logo design, and organizing
the shop. Mentoring help will be needed in January and February.

Mack Bailey

Help Feed Hungry Students

Support Back the Pack at Williams & Fudge, Inc. on Saturday, November 8, 7 am - 1pm, at the Old Cotton Factory off Dave Lyle Blvd. This effort supports Rock Hill School students who go without adequate nutrition. Bring food (breakfast bars, crackers, fruit snacks, handi-snacks, protein bars, pop-tarts, pudding cups, raisins, sugar-free cereal, 100% fruit juice boxes, or any ready to eat snack that a child can take home) or money. $12 will feed a child for a month, $105 will feed a child for a year. Goal is $25,000 to help feed the 500 identified Rock Hill Children for the year.

There will be a bake sale, mascots, and fun for the whole family!

If you are unable to attend, you may write checks to the Rock Hill School District Foundation and mail to the Attention of Wendy Stewart, P.O. Box 11590, Rock Hill, SC 29731.

Are Vouchers Working?

Debi Bush has an interesting OP ED in the Greenville News, Evidence Shows Vouchers Not Working . Read her comments and research her statistics to form your own opinion.

Rock Hill Schools October Business Meeting Results

Action Items:

-approved 7-0 the consent agenda consisting of ; minutes of the September 22 and October 13 school board meetings; personnel recommendations; overnight field trip requests submitted by Rock Hill High, South Pointe, Sullivan, Ebenezer Avenue, Rawlinson Road, and Dutchman Creek; agreed to attach a copy of the revenue summary for the 2008-09 General Fund Budget to the June 2008 board minutes; and approved distribution of Trustee Jim Vining's October-December board compensation to Back the Pack, RH Elementary School Honors Choir, and Rock Hill Schools' Robotics Team

-approved 7-0 first reading of policies DKB (Salary Deductions), JI (Student Rights and Responsibilities), GBAA (Employee Racial/Sexual Discrimination and Harassment), and second reading of policy GCO (Evaluation of Professional Staff);

-approved 6-1 trips to Hawaii during the 2009 spring break for the bands at Northwestern and at Rock Hill High. Due to travel accommodations, band members will have to miss more school days than previously thought, but the board was assured that teachers will work with students to make up missed work. Brown voted against because of trip security issues.

In other business:

The Northwestern High School Purple Regiment Band was recognized as the 2008 South Carolina 4A State Champion. The band has won many championships, but this is its first state championship. Representing Northwestern was Band Director Larry Wells and Principal James Blake.

Allowed Eddie Knox, Ralph Brannon, and Hugh Barnett (96 years young) to discuss their participation in the Senior Tour '08 on October 22. They told how much they enjoyed visiting the schools, watching the teachers, and getting to interact with the students.

The Rock Hill High School Athletic Program was recognized on its selection as the 2007-08 Class 4A, Region 3 Award of Excellence for exemplary display of sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity. Representing Rock Hill High were Principal Judy Mobley and Athletic Director Billy Parker.

Supt. Moody made the following announcements:
Students will receive their first report cards this school year on Thursday, October 30.
The next Community Chat will be held on Wed. morning, Nov. 5, at Durango Bagel in the Millwood Shopping Center on Herlong Avenue. Come talk about the Rock Hill Schools between 7:30-9:00. The first chat was held on Oct. 1 with an excellent turnout.

All schools and offices will be closed on Election Day, November 4 (although many will be open for voting), and for the Thanksgiving holidays, Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 26-28.

The school board's next work session will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Mon., Nov. 10, in the Cyber Cafe at the Flexible Learning Center. Dr. Walter Wolff, director of the Phoenix Academy, will serve as the host.

Wednesday, November 12, will be the third of six late start dates this year so that teachers can participate in staff development activities. Students in kindergarten for five-year-olds through grade 12 are to report to school on a two-hour delay. Parents who transport their children to school, and who need to drop them off at the usual time, should notify their school principal as soon as possible.

Assoc. Supt. Bill Mabry provided information on projected reductions in funding for K-12 this year. From information received from the State Dept., school districts will not see any further reduction of funds related to the Education Finance Act, employer contributions, retiree insurance, EEDA guidance, career specialist or nurse funds at this time. The district will have to absorb a reduction in Education Improvement Act funds, which could possibly total $1 million.

Assoc. Supt. Harriet Jaworowski gave a report on Adequate Yearly Progress. Dr. Jaworowski stated that Rock Hill Schools did not meet AYP in 2007 or in 2008, but most schools met more objectives in 2008 than in 2007.

Trustee Walter Brown state that public education (K-12) was foremost in the minds of House and Senate members as they looked at budget reductions, and that we owe them a vote of thanks.

Northwestern High School Band Wins State Championship!

The Northwestern High School Purple Regiment Band took first place in the 4A State Championship on Saturday. The Fort Mill Band came in Second and the Clover Band came in Fourth.