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Henry County School Board member Rudy Law (right) and Sanville Elementary School Principal Sally T. Rodgers take part in the roll call at the Henry County Schools’ convocation for faculty and staff on Tuesday at Magna Vista High School. (Contributed photo) |
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Magna Vista High School gym was full of spirit, mascots, air horns, chants, face paint, costumes and pride for Henry County Public Schools during the 2009 Opening Convocation on Tuesday.
Both the visitor and home stands were packed with about 1,000 Henry County Public School employees and community supporters, including representatives from churches, businesses and The Harvest Foundation.
The convocation is the one day in the school year when all faculty and staff members assemble in one place at one time, according to school spokesman Melany Stowe.
Individual schools and departments displayed their spirit during a roll call.
The pupil transportation department sang, “the wheels on the bus go round and round” several times, and Irisburg Elementary School, Collinsville Primary School, Bassett High School and Carver Elementary School were among the schools featuring mascots. Magna Vista High School teachers and staff members shared their last seconds of spirit with Laurel Park Middle School employees as they waved fan towels together that featured a Warrior and a Lancer, the schools’ mascots, respectively.
The recurring message during convocation focused on building relationships that provide results.
Keynote speaker Bill McNeal echoed that message as he shared four things from the movie, The Wizard of Oz.
“Each (character) was in search of something,” McNeal said. Dorothy was in search of her home; the tin man was in search of a heart; the scarecrow was in search of a brain; and the lion was in search of courage.
He said the characters already had the things they searched for, they just didn’t realize it.
“So why did they need the great and powerful Oz?” McNeal asked the group. His response, “They didn’t know they had those assets.”
McNeal told school employees, “You are the great and powerful Oz. The message will come from you. Recognize that you have tremendous power to have people looking up to you. You will be the first to let them know they aren’t in Kansas anymore and that success is just over the rainbow.”
McNeal became the executive director of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators in July 2006 after retiring as superintendent of the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, N.C.
He leads the membership association that serves nearly 7,000 public school administrators from all 115 school districts in North Carolina.
McNeal has received many awards and honors for his service to public schools, including being named the National Superintendent of the Year in 2004 by the American Association of School Administrators.
All 15 Henry County schools achieved full accreditation and the principals were given 2009-2010 accreditation banners to display in their schools.
Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman Debra Buchanan welcomed the school system’s new superintendent, Anthony Jackson.
“Mr. Jackson let me publicly thank you for choosing to come to Henry County. I know you will find Henry County to be all that you expected and more,” she said.
“I am thrilled to be the superintendent of Henry County Public Schools and to have the opportunity to welcome each employee to what I know will be an exciting and productive school year,” Jackson said.
“This year our challenge is clear. We will seize the opportunity to focus the entire school division on building a culture that supports good teaching and learning, high expectations for student achievement, safe and orderly schools, and effective and efficient use of our resources,” he said.
Henry County Administrator Benny Summerlin also attended the convocation.
The county schools will hold Back to School Night at each school from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday. The first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 19. |
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