by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen said on Wednesday his recent decision to replace Jeff Thomas as principal of Carrboro High School was based on unsolicited feedback from staff and parents, as well as the results of surveys that indicated both students and teachers were unhappy with their experiences at Carrboro High.

The district announced last week that Thomas was reassigned to the district’s central office and that Rodney Trice, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction, will serve as interim principal. The release announcing the change did not indicate why Thomas was being replaced.
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by Jordan Timpy
Staff Writer

The Dean Dome was rocking Saturday – for Tigers and Wildcats rather than Tar Heels – as Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill high held graduation ceremonies.

Nearly 400 anxious-looking CHHS students dressed in caps and gowns lined the corridors of the Smith Center before their afternoon ceremony began. Sporadic applause and shouting from the seating area was audible even before any of the students entered, as the faces and names of graduates were displayed on the big screens around the court.
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by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has announced that Carrboro High School Principal Jeff Thomas has been reassigned to the district’s central office and that Rodney Trice, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction, will serve as interim principal.

District officials wrote in an email to The Citizen that Thomas had one year remaining on his contract and that he “is not filling a specific position and his responsibilities are yet to be determined.”
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Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has announced that Carrboro High School Principal Jeff Thomas has been reassigned to the district’s central office.

A district press release did not say why Thomas was reassigned, or what position he will fill at the central office. Thomas has served as principal of Carrboro High for two years, and opened the school last August.

According to the press release, Rodney Trice will serve as interim principal at Carrboro High over the summer until the selection process can be completed. Trice has served as director of Curriculum and Instruction for the district since March 2006.

District officials expect that a permanent appointment will be made prior to the beginning of the new school year in August.

by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education is considering changes to grading policies that would make 61 the lowest score a student could receive and eliminate zeros.

The school board discussed the possible policy revisions last week in a work session. A number of teachers and parents, however, have sharply criticized the proposed changes, saying they would lower standards and inflate grades.
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Carrboro High School will hold a Men’s Lacrosse Academy July 12-18.

The camp is aimed at giving skills instruction during an intensive two hours of play every evening for seven days.

The camp will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. each day at the Carrboro High School practice field.
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The Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College will hold open houses June 18 and 25 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Middle College program allows 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn honors-level high school credit while taking college courses. Students considering enrollment and their parents are encouraged to attend an open-house event.
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The Town of Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation invites youth in grades nine through 12 to join the Chapel Hill Youth Council.

The Youth Council provides an opportunity for young people to participate in local government and to learn skills in leadership and responsibility. Members will work with other groups to carry out programs that benefit youth as well as the community and to represent the youth of Chapel Hill in civic matters.
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Tracy Weeks, director of instructional technology and media for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, served on a panel of experts during the PointSmart.ClickSafe.Summit on Children’s Online Safety and Literacy in Washington D.C. this week.
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Supervised soccer free play will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. starting June 17 at Chapel Hill High School.

All area middle and high school boys and girls are welcome to play in the organized pickup games. Free play will be supervised by a certified high school coach.
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The Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate and the Youth Leadership Institute has won an award from a multi-media art gallery in San Francisco for their video from last summer’s trip to Ghana.

For the contest, sponsored by SF Camerawork, nine artists and curators from around the world were asked to choose a favorite video in the youth category. The Ghana video was selected the winner.
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The Town of Chapel Hill will hold a workshop entitled “Gangs? Not My Child” for parents and other concerned citizens on Monday at 6:30 p.m.

The workshop will be led by Chapel Hill Police Officer Charles Pardo, who will provide information on gang awareness and tools to keep children out of gangs. The workshop will be held at the Chapel Hill Community Center on South Estes Drive.
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Staff recommends Northside locale

by Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

For the first time since the 1960s, elementary school students could return to class at the site of the segregated Northside Elementary School in downtown Chapel Hill.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education will consider two sites — one in the Northside neighborhood and the other on the Greene Tract — for the district’s 11th elementary school in a work session tonight (Thursday).
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Carrboro Elementary School teacher Briana Corke was named Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Teacher of the Year last week at the district’s annual recognition banquet.

Corke teaches the fourth-grade Spanish dual-language class at Carrboro Elementary, where she began her teaching career in 2003. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a bachelor’s degree in English from UNC. Corke earned her National Board Certification as a middle-childhood generalist in 2007.
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The 15th annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Project Graduation needs volunteers and donations.
Project Graduation, an all-night, alcohol- and drug-free party for graduates, will be held graduation night, June 14, at the UNC Student Union. The event is free of charge to participants to reward seniors for a job well done and to encourage maximum participation.

All costs are covered by donations from parents and businesses in the community. To donate or volunteer, visit www.projectgraduationchccs.com