The Brunswick Beacon

September 14, 2006

 

North Brunswick High School receives national grant

 

North Brunswick High School was one of just 16 schools in the country to receive a $10,000 “School of Distinction” grant from Intel and Scholastic to improve its freshman academy programs.

North Brunswick freshman academy teacher and former Brunswick County Schools Teacher of the Year Leslie Newman wrote the grant application and was notified several weeks ago that the application was successful.

She and other teachers will travel to Washington, D.C., next month to learn about the types of things for which the money can be spent. Newman said the school will most likely purchase reading materials or technology for the freshman academy's writing labs.

Superintendent Katie McGee said that the honor is a great morale booster for the faculty and staff and gives well-earned recognition to the school.

“For one of our high schools to receive recognition for being a school of distinction does a lot for the morale of the school,” McGee said. “Once state and national recognition is given, it sparks involvement.”

Newman said the school's freshman academy has been successful and that the observers noticed its success.

“We do have such a strong freshman academy,” she said. “When they came out and did a site visit in the spring, our administration was very supportive of us. The students are very hard-working and positive and all our teachers are interested in seeing the success of our students.”

The goal of the freshman academy in all county high schools is to help students make a smooth transition from middle school to high school, ensuring that they don't lose interest in learning, Newman said.

“We try to do a lot with parent communication,” she said.

Parents are invited to pick up report cards and have meetings with the student's four core teachers and are contacted often using the system's Connect-Ed message system.

The four teachers act as a team, working to prepare the students for the challenges of high school.

McGee said the academy is crucial for freshmen because ninth-grade is one of the most challenging years for students and parents.

In her four years with the academy, Newman says she has seen the students increase their confidence and perform well in high school.

This year, the money will most likely be put to good use at North, since more than 200 freshmen are enrolled there.