Davidson IB Middle School’s Future City Team won both the state and regional titles at a competition in Raleigh Saturday.  In other school news, don’t forget that Thursday is the deadline for applying to both Davidson IB and the Children’s Community School. You’ll find the necessary links below in our calendar section, along with details on “family dinner night” at Bailey Middle and other upcoming events. Also read about Davidson Elementary’s winning quiz bowl team, get the spelling bee results and learn about how a local class helped solve a problem for radio station WDAV.

Future City success –

Davidson IB’s Future City team had a long day Saturday, but walked away with a check for $1,250. Team representatives will be taking their exhibit to Washington, D.C., Feb. 16-21 to compete against 40 other regional teams for the National Future City Team title. 

First, team members won the state title, and then advanced to the regional competition where they placed first among 37 teams from North Carolina and Virginia.  The Future City Competition is sponsored by National Engineers Week for the purpose of inspiring students to explore futuristic concepts and careers in engineering. The contest consists of four components; a computer generated competition, an essay, an exhibit and a presentation. 

The nine-member team is coached by science teacher, Jay Hager, assistant coach, David Davenport, engineering mentor, Dane Horna, and lead parent, Carolyn Konieczy. Team members include: Catherine Bizub, Adam Carriker, Sean Corcoran, Jerry Cui, Jimin Fan, Grayson Godwin, Cassidy Mills, Mikayla Murphy, and Zachary Price. Coach Hager, Mr. Horna, and presenters Catherine Bizub, Jerry Cui, and Grayson Godwin, will represent the team next month in Washington, D.C.

Are you smarter than a fifth grader? – 

The Quiz Bowl team at Davidson Elementary has once again placed first in the state. The 13-member team earned a score of 720 out of 1,000 possible points on the January Knowledge Master Open competition for fifth graders. Davidson Elementary was one of eight schools in North Carolina to join the competition. Nationally, the DES team, which is led by teacher Celia Felthaus, ranked 12th out of 248 schools. So, are you smarter than a fifth grader? Click here to try your mouse at sample questions.

North region spelling bee –

Three students from the Davidson area were among the competitors at the North Learning Community spelling bee, held Jan. 25. Graham Goodrich, an eighth grader, represented Bailey Middle; Jerry Cui represented Davidson IB Middle; and Olivia Berkey, a fifth-grader, represented Davidson Elementary. The competition was open to grades 3-8, with one representative selected from each of the 14 schools within the north region of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Olivia had the most success among the three local spellers, making it to the second round, where she tied for fifth place. Winning the competition by correctly spelling “vaccinate” was a seventh-grader from Alexander Middle School in Huntersville, who will go on to represent the north region in the CMS district bee.

Handing out CDs for WDAV – 

The Problem-Solving elective class at Davidson IB was featured on the cover of the latest issue of the CMS Magnet Messenger, a district-wide magazine about magnet schools. The class, which is led by teacher Cameron Swallow, took on a problem proposed by the Davidson College public radio station, Classical 89.9 WDAV – what to do with 800 classical music CDs donated to the station? According to the Magnet Messenger, the students decided on “a two-pronged plan” to give half of the CDs to local hospitals for distribution to the families of newborns, along with information about how classical music stimulates early brain development, and hand out the rest as prizes at a music-themed carnival to be held on Davidson’s village green.

Teachers recognized –

Tina Cataldo of Davidson Elementary and Andrea Reimers of Davidson IB Middle were among the 162 teachers honored Jan. 24 as members of the 2007 class of National Board Certified teachers. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools ranks fifth in the nation in the number of board-certified teachers on staff. National Board certification requires a series of performance-based assessments, such as teaching-portfolio reviews and thorough analyses of classroom teaching and learning concepts. Teachers must also complete a series of written exercises assess subject knowledge and teaching ability. North Carolina rewards board-certified teachers with a 12 percent salary increase for the 10-year period of certification.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR –

• Wednesday, Jan. 30 – Davidson Elementary’s Turning Tigers team of jump ropers will perform during the Davidson College men’s basketball game against Wofford.
• Thursday, Jan. 31 – Deadline to apply for magnet schools, including Davidson IB Middle and also for applying to the local charter, the Children’s Community School.
• Feb. 13 – The staff at Davidson Elementary will take to the Davidson College basketball court to play the teachers at JV Washam.
• Feb. 5– The Royal Shakespeare Co. (currently in residence at Davidson College) will put on a presentation for students at Bailey Middle.
• Feb. 7 – Family Dinner Night at Bailey Middle, sponsored by the school PTA’s Cultural Arts Committee, will be held 6-8 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Brooklyn South Pizzeria will offer dinners at $6 per plate, and entertainment will be provided by “Mime in Motion,” a mix of mime, dance and clowning with an emphasis on audience participation.
• Feb. 21 – Math Fair projects will be on public display at Davidson Elementary.
• March 4 – Art Fest at Davidson Elementary will feature the public display of hundreds of samples of student art.
• March 6 – Davidson IB Middle and Bailey Middle will send teams of readers to the CMS North Region “Battle of the Books” competition. This statewide annual contest involves answering questions drawn from the 27 books selected for the students to read by the North Carolina School Library Media Association.
• March 14-15 – Bailey Middle theater students will perform the play, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”