More school news

Blaszak, a Matthews resident, will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be considered for the National History Teacher of the Year award presented this fall. Providence Spring Elementary’s library will receive a core archive of history books and materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Inaugurated in 2004, the award promotes and celebrates the teaching of American history by honoring one exceptional K-12 teacher of American history from each state and U.S. territory.

Dilworth preschool teacher wins 2007 TEDDY Award
Donna Toole, a teacher of four-year-olds at Dilworth Child Development Center in Charlotte, has been named the 2007 TEDDY Award winner. The TEDDY, which stands for Teachers Educating and Developing Dynamic Youth, is presented each year by Child Care Resources Inc. to an outstanding Charlotte-area early childhood professional who has demonstrated exceptional achievement. Toole, an early childhood teacher with the Dilworth school for seven years, was selected from dozens of early childhood professionals who were nominated by parents from Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Union counties.

CPCC offering new online courses
Central Piedmont Community College’s Corporate and Continuing Education department recently partnered with Gatlin Education Services to provide online career training courses in health care and business. The noncredit, self-paced courses are designed for students at any career stage and combines online instructional content, traditional textbook material and instructor-facilitated lessons. Each course features open enrollment and takes an average of 90 days to complete. For program and course descriptions, visit www.cpcctraining.org/gatlin. For additional information, contact Scarlett Hollingsworth at 704-330-4218 or at Scarlett.Hollingsworth@cpcc.edu.

CMS announces personnel appointments
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education extended the contracts of three staff members at its latest board meeting. Nora Carr, chief communications officer, Jane Rhyne, assistant superintendent of exceptional children services, and John T. Middleton, chief information officer, will all continue in their current positions within the district.

The board also approved other personnel appointments:  
• David Brigman, currently the business analyst/implementation specialist for Verian Technologies, was named director of Lawson Integration – Procurement.

• William Shapcott, currently the principal of Northview Elementary School in Statesville, was named principal of Blythe Elementary School.

Queens student receives Fulbright
Sarah Hensley, a graduating senior majoring in international studies at Queens University of Charlotte, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. The Fulbright Program is the country’s largest international exchange program, allowing students, scholars and professionals to conduct graduate studies, advanced research projects and teaching lessons at learning facilities worldwide.

As a result of her scholarship, Sarah will travel to Tanzania in the fall to conduct a yearlong research project on the efficacy of the country’s antipoverty nongovernmental organizations. Her 2007 excursion to Tanzania will mark Sarah’s second trip to Africa. She held a six-week internship in the country last summer, performing community outreach initiatives in local orphanages and primary schools.

Local law firm helps beautify elementary school
Billingsville Elementary received a makeover courtesy of the law firm of Helms, Mullis & Wicker. On Friday, May 11, nearly 150 employees from the firm planted flower beds around the school, built an outdoor art classroom and repainted the school’s basketball court. The beautification project also included sprucing up the school’s adopted county park, Randolph Road Park, which is adjacent to the campus.