Glenwood Claims Battle of the Books Title

Battle of the Books is a reading competition that takes students on a reading adventure with award-winning books. The goal is to make reading fun and exciting! 

On April 4, six elementary schools, including Carrboro Elementary, Estes Hills, Frank Porter Graham Bilingüe, Glenwood, Scroggs, and Seawell, participated in the district competition. The books were selected by the librarians in the participating schools. 

This year, we congratulate the All-Stars of Glenwood Elementary School for winning the 2018 Battle of the Books competition. Way to go, Glenwood Gators and all of the participating students and schools for their hard work, dedication to reading, and participation in this annual reading program.

Estes Hills Elementary Students “Shop with a Cop”

While most of their classmates were working on math or reading Tuesday morning, 50 energized Eagles from Estes Hills Elementary boarded activity buses to “shop with a cop.” Led by a pair of Orange County sheriffs on motorcycles, the students were treated to a full motorcade, blue lights flashing, all the way to the Walmart in Hillsborough. As one officer told a student standing in line for the bus, “It’s just like the president in his motorcade.”

When the buses arrived in front of a very busy Walmart, rows of police cruisers and motorcycles brought the nearly 50 officers who were waiting to be transformed into personal shoppers. Eight law enforcement agencies partnered with the initiative this year: Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Mebane, UNC Hospital and UNC Police Departments, as well Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Each officer matched up with a student, or in a few cases, a pair of students, and off they went into the crowded aisles of the store, orange shopping lists in hand. Every student received a $100 gift card.

The Optimist Club of Chapel Hill began organizing the event in 2012 when they selected Carrboro Elementary as a partner. For the first few years, 20 children were chosen to go on the shopping sprees, but last year the number grew to 40, and this year, 50 students in grades K-5 participated. Trish Verne, president of the club, said that the goal for Shop with a Cop reaches beyond the desire to help families experience a brighter holiday season; for many children, this is an important early exposure to law enforcement. “We want to start building bridges now,” Verne said, in hopes that positive associations and trust can form.

Betsy Booth, social worker at Estes Hills Elementary, said she’d been waiting 23 years during her time at the school, in hopes that her students could benefit from a holiday program like Shop with a Cop. She organized the event, writing letters to parents for permission and collaborating on shopping lists, lining up drivers and helpers from the school. “Shop with a Cop was a tremendous event!” she said. “Many children bought gifts for family members in addition to toys and clothes for themselves.  The enthusiasm was overwhelming, and I think the police officers enjoyed the event as much as the kids.”

The officers engaged fully in the shopping process, advising children on purchases, praising their selections. One boy chose poinsettias for his mother and grandmother, another picked out a bracelet for his mother, and many children used part of their $100 to buy gifts for younger siblings. For the students themselves, there was a lot of Slime and Pokemon cards in the shopping carts, Legos and dolls, in addition to socks, shirts and sweaters. One student held his new fishing pole proudly, and he talked about how much he loves to go fishing with his grandfather. 

When the last of the students left the store, alongside officers pushing carts filled with huge plastic bags, the Eagles boarded the buses again for the bells-and-whistles ride back to Estes Hills.

“The children felt so special,” said Booth. “Thank you to the Optimist Club and all the local police departments for sponsoring this once-in-a-lifetime event.”

To learn more about the Optimist Club, visit www.ch-optimists.org/.  Trish Verne is accepting donations for next year’s Shop with a Cop. Checks can be mailed to her at 6803 Turkey Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Board Approves Three Administrative Appointments

The CHCCS Board of Education approved three administrative appointments at its July 24 meeting.

Pamela McCann

Pamela McCann was named principal of Estes Hills Elementary. She is currently the assistant principal of the same school, arriving in 2016 from Durham Public Schools. In Durham, McCann served as an assistant principal at both Creekside Elementary and Githens Middle. Additionally, she worked as an academic coach and classroom teacher, with experience in Social Studies, Language Arts and Behavior Intervention. Her teaching career included time in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Durham Public Schools and Orange County Public Schools (Florida). McCann completed her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of School Administration from North Carolina Central University.

Monica Bintz

Monica Bintz was named principal of Culbreth Middle. She is currently assistant principal of Phillips Middle, where she has worked since 2015. Prior to that, Bintz worked as a principal intern and teacher in Durham Public Schools, and as a Language Arts teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her experience also includes serving as a teacher and dean of students in Brooklyn, New York, and as a teacher and basketball coach in Washington, DC. Bintz completed a Master of School Adminstration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Education from the City University of New York, Hunter College, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary Washington.




The Board also approved the appointment of Tiffany Cheshire as assistant principal at Phillips Middle.

Board Approves Seven Administrative Appointments

The CHCCS Board of Education approved seven administrative appointments at its meeting on Tuesday evening.

Beverly Rudolph

Beverly Rudolph was named principal of Carrboro High. Rudolph has been the principal at Culbreth Middle since 2011. Prior to that, she served as assistant principal at East Chapel Hill High from 2007-2011. She also taught English/Language Arts in Edgecombe, Buncombe and Cabarrus County Schools. Rudolph earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina – Asheville, her Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in School Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia.

Drew Ware

Drew Ware was named principal of Phillips Middle. He has been the principal of Estes Hills Elementary since 2013. Prior to that, he served as a principal, assistant principal and classroom teacher in the Wake County Public School System. Ware earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He is currently working toward his Doctorate of Educational Leadership.

Arrica DuBose

Arrica DuBose was named principal of Seawell Elementary. She has been the principal of Creekside Elementary in Durham Public Schools since 2012. She has also served as a school improvement specialist for Title 1 schools, parent involvement district coordinator, summer school administrator and teacher for Durham Public Schools. She also spent five years as an assistant principal in the Wake County Public School System. DuBose earned her Bachelor of Science from Winston-Salem State University, her Master of Education from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Educational Leadership from East Carolina University.

Two assistant principals were named. Michael Brown will serve at Morris Grove Elementary and Tomeka Ward- Satterfield will serve at Carrboro High.

Dr. Elaine Watson-Grant, currently the school district’s coordinator of dual language and world language, has been named Director of Elementary Education. David Bouldin, currently of Chatham County Schools, has been named Exceptional Children’s Compliance and Educational Programs Coordinator.