Our Future, Our Commitment, Our Students

M A R C H , 2 0 0 7

AP of The Year 2

CTE Month 3

Quiz Bowl Champs 4

Soil Erosion 5

MLK Reenactment 6

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

F I R S T T H U R S D A Y

More Than a Building Historical Glance at Riverside

To most people, the Porch Building on the Riverside Campus in Louisburg doesn’t look like it has much to offer.

While the building looks run down and out of date, it repre-sents a piece of history that should never be forgotten.

The Porch Building is the only building left of the old Riverside Union School, which was once Franklin County Training School. The school was made for African Ameri-cans, but eventually changed to Louisburg Elementary in the fall of 1968 following man-dated integration by Federal law.

During the school’s peak period in the 1960s, the cam-pus had more than 1,500 students and staff members on it, many of who still work and live in Franklin County

today. The school was originally

part of the historic Rosenwald Foundation that was started by the famous and very suc-cessful Julius Rosenwald of Sears Roebuck. The Rosen-wald background has impor-tant historical significance. Many of the more than 5,000 Rosenwald schools have been destroyed. There is a push from historical societies to save as many of the buildings as possible. The two Rosen-wald buildings constructed on the Riverside campus are no longer there. One was de-stroyed by fire and the other has been moved.

The Porch Building is cur-rently used for storage, but there is a committee that is in the process of trying to get the

SEE PORCH PAGE 8

BMS Power of I Leading Students to Success “If it’s late, it’s a zero.” Sound familiar? Chances

are most people have heard a teacher utter that phrase, or something similar, during their time as a student.

While many teachers offer partial credit to turn stuff in late, Bunn Middle School is taking a different approach to incomplete work and un-

satisfactory grades with The Power of I program. The I stands for incomplete.

The program requires stu-dents to complete their work in a satisfactory format. Stu-dents failing to complete work in a satisfactory and timely fashion are given ex-tra time to complete assign-ment, but with a grade pen-

alty. Non-compliant students can also be required to at-tend a Saturday Academy session to complete their work as well.

“We are trying to make students more academically responsible,” Bunn Middle School Principal David

There is an active committee trying to restore the

Porch Building on the Riverside Campus.

SEE POWER OF I PAGE 7

Receiving an award of any kind is al-ways a nice experience, but getting one from your colleagues is extra special.

That’s what Franklinton High School Assistant Principal Bill Askins is experi-encing right now.

Askins, who was recently named Franklin County Schools 2007 Assistant Principal of The Year, is grateful for the prestigious award.

“It’s a special honor for me because I was selected by my peers,” Askins said. “They recognize the value of what you do more than anyone else. None of this is possible without people to help get you there. The people in Franklin County are really good, and they want to help every-one else around them get better. This is why we have so many successful people in our school system.”

Askins has had a variety of professions

in his life (paralegal, business, health-care) and entered the world of education as a special education teacher in 1991. Askins taught at Broughton High School from 1991 through 2001 and then be-gan a principal program at N. C. State University. He was one of just 60 people across the state to be selected for the Principals Fellows Program.

He spent a year in the classroom for that program and then began his year-long internship at Bunn Elementary School. The 2007 AP of The Year gradu-ated from Bunn High School in 1967.

Askins actually finished his internship at Franklinton High School and was hired on as a full-time AP in July of 2003. He first stepped through the doors at FHS as an administrator on March 6, 2003. It was quite a memorable day for him. He was put to work immediately, and in some tough situations.

“It was a very memorable day,” Askins said. “It really prepared me for my future here.”

Askin’s cheery, no-nonsense approach has made him a respected person at FHS, by both staff members and stu-dents.

“I really enjoy what I do,” Askins said. “This is a great place to be, and I owe a lot of thanks to Mr. Fuller (Charles Fuller, FHS Principal) and Carol Davis, my men-

FHS Askins Named AP of The Year

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Page 2 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

SEE ASKINS PAGE 3

“It’s a special honor for me because I was se-lected by my peers.”

- Bill Askins

Bill Askins (center) gets a warm congratulations from fellow Franklin County Assistant Principals David Averette

(left) of Louisburg Elementary and Dr. Paschal Mubenga of Franklinton High School (right).

Our Future, Our Commitment, Our Students

M A R C H , 2 0 0 7

Page 3 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

Askins Continued from page 2

Cedar Creek Middle School students found the Bio Technology program interesting.

Asking a middle school or high school student what they want to do for a career can produce a variety of answers.

Many students have a difficult time de-ciding what they want to do for a career, but a few Cedar Creek Middle School stu-dents may have a better idea after a visit to Franklinton High School.

AIG students from CCMS took part in a bio technology workshop last week on the FHS campus as part of Career and Techni-cal Education month.

The students were introduced to possible careers in bio technology by FHS teachers Jo Don Robertson and Wynn Clayton. Also leading the students in discussion was Julie Kinlaw. Kinlaw is the Bio Works Coor-dinator at Vance Granville Community Col-lege.

All three instructors play major roles in the Bio Technology program offered to Franklin County high school students. It is a collaboration program between VGCC and Franklin County Schools.

“This is a growing field,and we wanted students to get an opportunity to see what the program is all about,” FCS Career and

Technical Education Director Laureen Jones said. “We targeted AIG students be-cause typically you have to have a strong background in math and science to excel in bio technology.”

Students got a very hands-on experience during the program. Whether it was mixing chemicals in test tubes or making silly putty, students appeared to be engaged in the activities.

The Franklin County bio technology pro-gram has taken quite a leap this year, due to a grant that Jones and the CTE depart-ment received. The grant was provided by the North Carolina Department of Educa-tion that provided the program funds to buy much-needed equipment.

“The equipment makes the program that much better,” Jones said. “This is a grow-ing field, and we really want students to explore it.”

High school juniors and seniors are eligi-ble for the program and earn five semester hours of college credit when they complete the class through VGCC. Not only do they

Bio Tech program highlighted for CTE month

tor.” Fuller was named FCS 2007

Principal of The Year this past fall.

Davis, who is an assistant principal at Youngsville Elemen-tary School, was Askins’ mentor when he began his internship. Davis recently underwent a life-saving kidney transplant.

“There are hundreds of people who have helped me along the way,” Askins said. “You can’t get places without the help of oth-ers, but there are two people who really helped me get on the right track in life. – Robert Wheeless and Gene Mullen.”

Mullen and Wheless both taught Askins in high schools.

“Both of these guys were great to me at a time when I really needed guidance,” Askins said. “They taught me the value of hard work.”

Askins has a variety of hob-bies, including fishing and hik-ing.

- Nathan Moreschi

SEE CTE MONTH PAGE 8 Bill Askins was honored to be

named FCS AP of The Year.

Page 4

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F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

Bunn’s Brilliant Bunch Wildcats tops in county

quiz-bowl showdown Through the early rounds of competition, it

didn’t look too promising for the Bunn High School Quiz Bowl team during the Franklin County competition.

Despite being on the brink of elimination in the early going, the Wildcats took on the be-havior similar to that of theatrical hero Rocky Balboa – they simply wouldn’t give up. In the end, the only team standing was the Bunn team consisting of Charles Haley, Tyler Ander-son, Sara Thompson, Zack Ross and Alan Moore.

Bunn High Quiz Bowl advisor Anne Paris, who has taught science at Bunn High for 12 years, was very pleased with her team’s per-formance.

“These students are very self-determined and self-motivated,” Paris said. “They are going to continue to excel and will be among the top in their classes in college. They have big aspirations. They don’t give up, and it’s not over until it is over with them. They really encourage each other, and they never criti-cize one another. They work very well to-gether as a team.”

Each member of the team has his or her area of expertise, making for a well-rounded squad. The victory didn’t come too easily. They nudged Louisburg High School by a mere five points, which equates to half of a question. Franklinton High School rounded out the competition in third place.

“It wasn’t easy,” Bunn senior Tyler Ander-son said. “We were like a rat in the corner biting any ankle we could find.”

The animated Anderson said his forte in the competition was answering random and often miscellaneous questions. He plans to

attend UNC-Greensboro in the fall and major in science education. He hopes to earn a Teaching Fellows Scholarship as well.

Charles Haley, another senior, specialized in history and current events during the competition and will attend the Virginia Military Insti-tute this coming fall. He is going to pursue international studies and then venture into the Army.

The literature and culture ques-tions seemed to flow in the favor of senior stalwart Sara Thompson. Thompson has been accepted to

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and may major in a sub-ject that relates to art or history.

Zack Ross found his broad sci-ence knowledge to be very valu-able. The senior has been accepted to North Carolina State University and plans on majoring in science education. Like Anderson, Ross hopes to earn a Teaching Fellows Scholarship.

The Bunn High School Quiz Bowl team trailed in the early stages of

competition, but battled back, ultimately winning the title.

SEE QUIZ PAGE 9

Rainy days can make people feel a little gloomy, but there are a select few who actually get excited about it.

Franklin County Soil and Water em-ployees Charlie Bass and Kelly Ibrahim are in the minority group when it rains. Both have participated in soil erosion projects, and they get a good look at how their work is holding when it rains.

Among the projects they have helped with is an on-going work at Bunn Middle School. There was an erosion problem at Bunn Middle behind the soccer field and near the baseball field, so they helped head a project to help fix the issue.

Most of the work was completed by Shawn Springer, who has since left for another job.

The biggest problem at Bunn Middle was that when a significant rain storm came through, the current creeks could not handle all of the water flowing at one time. The creek near the soccer field was rutted out, and the erosion was beginning to threaten the parking lot for the baseball field.

Well, as many of you might guess, work of this caliber can cost quite a bit of money. The group applied for and received a Federal grant to fund the project.

“This project has turned out very

well,” Bass said. “This is a great way to help protect the environment.”

The undertaking is nearly completed, and Bass and Ibrahim are very happy with the results. They hope to receive a state grant in the near future to rebuild two creeks at Bunn Middle.

The main purpose of the original pro-ject was to some how slow the flow of water down during storms.

To get an idea how the water was ac-tually flowing, the group observed the area during times of heavy rainfall.

The group planted a few trees, built some impressive erosion walls and made a bio-retention area. In addition, they installed several benches and made the location aesthetically pleasing with proper landscaping.

Springer began the project to help complete his Environmental Educator certificate. Certification requires a pro-ject of this type. Both Ibrahim and Bass have their certificate and completed similar projects. Ibrahim, who has worked for Franklin County Soil and Wa-

ter for five years, led a job at Cedar Creek Middle School for drainage, while Bass worked on a project at Bunn High School to complete his certificate. Bass has worked for Franklin County for nine years.

- Nathan Moreschi

M A R C H , 2 0 0 7

Page 5 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

Soil Erosion Project Benefits Bunn Middle

New retention walls help slow the flow of water to prevent erosion..

Benches and small trees have esthetic

value, as well as function. The gravel area

shown serves as a collecting pool for water

during storms.

Charlie Bass and Kelly Ibrahim

Athletic field area gets spruced up and more prepared for storms

There isn’t a student at Franklinton High School who ever personally wit-nessed Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech, but there are many now who have come as close as they could get without hearing with their own ears.

As part of Franklinton High Schools’ tribute to Black History Month, 1985 FHS graduate Larry Andrews reenacted the famous speech in late February.

Andrews, who has studied Martin Luther King’s speeches in great detail, delivered the speech with amazing accuracy and detail to a large group of students and staff members at the FHS auditorium.

It was the fifth time in three weeks that Andrews had given the speech to a group of people. For the most part, Andrews delivers the speech to churches.

“I’ve been studying Dr. King’s work (seriously) for about 10 years,” An-

drews said. “This is a very good learn-ing experience for these kids. He was an amazing man, and he refused to give up. He was all about doing things he wasn’t supposed to be able to do. He opened doors for a lot of people, and now, the sky is the limit.”

Andrews, who has operated his own masonry company for the last 12 years, has always been inspired by King and continues to study tapes and writings about King.

“I go through his tapes and study how he spoke and what he said,” An-drews said. “He was an incredible man who had a lot of doors slammed in his face. The thing is, he kept moving for-ward because he believed in what he was doing.”

Andrews told the FHS students in the auditorium that day that they should continue to pursue their dreams and keep moving forward, much like Dr. King did.

“Life is a struggle; it isn’t easy – it is what it is,” Andrews said. “You have to keep going and don’t give up.”

Andrews’ reenactment of the famous I Have a Dream Speech is one of many functions put on at FHS this month to celebrate Black History Month. Sarah Lewis, FHS chorus teacher, led the cho-rus in several African American music pieces on the day of Andrew’s visit.

In addition, there was a Black History Month trivia contest for the student body during each school day in Febru-ary.

Other activities included motivational speakers, film screenings exhibits from the African American Heritage Preser-vation Cultural Complex and a presen-tation from Dawn Formey, Adjunct In-structor at North Carolina Central Uni-versity, on Living History: An ex-Slave’s narrative.

- Nathan Moreschi

M A R C H , 2 0 0 7

Page 6 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

On Lives the Dream

FHS Students Treated With MLK Speech Larry Andrews delivers a famous MLK speech ... … FHS students listen with enthusiasm.

Hawks said. “We want to hold kids ac-countable for zeros and give them a way out. I really believe you are letting kids off the hook when you give them a zero- the kid never does the work using that method.”

The penalties for not turning work in on time can range from a 20-point reduction on an assignment grade to a grade level academic remediation class. The grade level academic remediation class is a separate class in which students attend during regular class day. Students are pulled from their exploratory classes, such as band or art, for the remainder of the six-week marking period to catch up on their assignments and master the ma-terial.

“When children don’t have to turn in their homework, and are willing to take a zero for it, they learn how to beat the sys-tem,” Hawks said. “This system simply requires them to finish it in an acceptable fashion, but there are still penalties. We are trying to prepare these kids for high school, and we really believe in it.”

The system is showing early signs of success. One third of the sixth graders who were struggling and placed in a grade level academic remediation class have worked their way out of it. One-fourth of the seventh-graders have done so, and one-fifth of the eight graders have earned a spot back in the traditional set-ting.

A total of 60 students were in the aca-demic remediation classes in the sixth grade, and 20 have worked their way out.

“That’s 20 kids who would be failing and are now in good academic standing,” Hawks said. “That’s 20 lives.”

It is important to note that the grade level academic remediation classes are a last resort. There are a host of lesser pen-alties, including working lunches. In addi-tion, if a student has an incomplete as-signment, he or she cannot participate in sports until the assignment is complete, and he or she cannot participate in sports at all if they are in an academic remedia-tion class.

Hawks said that one of the biggest fac-tors in making the program a success is the effort from the teachers.

“In order to do this, teachers have to go the extra mile,” Hawks said. “It would be easier to give students a zero, but I

commend my teachers for doing this pro-gram. It requires more work from the teacher to keep up with this.”

“It’s a good program, and we are still working to make it better,” Hawks said. “It’ll help students be more successful, but it is not an easy road. We have to change the current mindset. It does mean that the students will get second chances, but some of these kids really need it. The path of least resistance for the students is to do the work correctly the first time.”

- Nathan Moreschi

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Page 7 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

School Enrollment Report (month 5)

School Students

Royal 640

Youngsville 692

Laurel Mill 313

Franklinton 613

Bunn 675

Edward Best 520

Louisburg 498

Elementary Schools School Students

Bunn 878

Franklinton 734

Louisburg 687

High Schools

School Students

Bunn 663

Cedar Creek 716

TLMS 593

Middle Schools

Total for all Franklin County Schools : 8,222

BMS Prin-

cipal David

Hawks is

very happy

with the

early suc-

cess of The

Power of I

program.

POWER OF I continued from page 1

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Page 8 F I R S T T H U R S D A Y V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 3

structure restored to its original state when it was built in 1951 by World War II Veterans. The veterans were young in age and constructing the building as a project to earn on-the-job training for masonry and carpentry. Many of the veterans were forced to leave high school prior to graduating to fight in the war.

The structure was originally going to be used as a vocational building, but was actually used as classroom space from the beginning. Grades 1-7 were taught there during the days of River-side Union School. The building served as classroom space through 2000 when Louisburg Elementary moved into a new facility on Route 39.

There’s a long list of successful peo-ple associated with the old school, but nobody knows more about the place than former student, teacher, coach and principal of the school Harold Green. Green, who is 84 years of age, currently lives in Louisburg and has no difficulty in remembering the vibrant times from the campus.

Green taught and coached at the school from 1951 through 1968 and left for a brief stint as a teacher at Louisburg High School, before returning to Riverside to be Principal of Louisburg Elementary.

Other notables on the list of Riverside

attendees include Franklin County Board of Education member Bernard Hall, Louisburg Town Council member Mary Green Johnson, Curriculum and Instruction Director of Secondary Educa-tion Dr. Faye Keith, Franklin County Board of Commissioners member Syd-ney Dunston, Terrell Lane Middle School Principal Novella Brown and Terrell Lane Curriculum and Resource Teacher Fan-nie Perry. Perry’s father was one of the veterans who helped construct the building. The Porch Building was one of two major projects the group completed. The other was a gymnasium on the same campus that has since been de-

stroyed. Also of note from the Porch Building is

96-year-old Mary J. Hill. Hill taught at Riverside Union, as well as Franklin County Training School. She currently lives in Louisburg.

The list of success goes much deeper, but it is important to remember that the Riverside campus represents a very im-portant era in not just the history of Franklin County, but that of the United States. It was site of hope that led to prosperity for the African Americans who were a part of this community.

- Nathan Moreschi

PORCH Continued from page 1

The Porch Building may not look like much right now, but it represents a great

deal of history in Franklin County.

earn the valuable credit, but also coursework that is required by organiza-tions that employee people from the field. Included in that list of organiza-

tions is Novozymes. “This is a very valuable course for the

students,” Jones said. “Novo requires its employees to complete this course if they desire a job in this field.”

Jones stated that the success of the program is monitored through student surveys and by observing the enrollment figures from semester to semester.

Jones will lead the FCS CTE depart-ment in a presentation on March 6 at the North Carolina College-Prep Techni-cal Conference. Jones and company will discuss how they successfully landed the grant to fund equipment, as well as the process of collaborating with VGCC.

- Nathan Moreschi

CTE MONTH Continued from page 3

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Alan Moore proved to be the political specialist for the Wildcats. Moore intends on becoming a lawyer in the future. He hopes to attend UNC-Chapel Hill or N. C. State to major in political science.

The only negative for the Wildcats this

season is that there is not a state com-petition this year. The funding for the program no longer exists, but it is hoped that funding will return for future state competitions.

“It was very satisfying to win, but it’s kind of disappointing that we don’t get to continue,” Haley said.

The group did get a very good perk for winning the event – a trip to the state legislative building. Representative Lucy

Allen, who helped conduct the Quiz Bowl, arranged the visit for the students. Dur-ing their visit, they visited with state rep-resentative Doug Berger for nearly an hour and they got to speak with State Speaker of the House Joe Hackney. The entire team had a very enjoyable time in their visit to the state capital.

- Nathan Moreschi

QUIZ Continued from page 4

Public Officials Day at LES

Local elected officials and com-

munity leaders flocked to

Louisburg Elementary School in

late February to read books to

LES students of all grades.

Mary Vollmer (left), Franklin

County Board of Education

member, reads to a group of

students in Ms. Bass’ class at

LES. In all, 22 adults came out

to LES to participate in the an-

nual event. Included was Con-

gressman Bob Etheridge, as

well as other FCS board mem-

bers and various other officials.

Bob Etheridge and John May Lyn Buffaloe Judge John Davis Paige Sayles