NOTE: Rhonda Lennon of Huntersville, the newly-elected representative for District 1 on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, was sworn-in Tuesday at the Government Center in Charlotte. Her installation ceremony preceded a school board meeting at which she introduced a motion (defeated 7-2) to rescind a prior board vote to name the new high school in Cornelius for William A. Hough (click here to read our coverage). She then joined the minority in an unsuccessful (also defeated 7-2) motion to delay changes to the Myers Park High International Baccalaureate program.

Following is a written version of her remarks at the end of the meeting: Read the full story

Joe Hunt

Joe Harvey Hunt of Charlotte, a lifelong educator and athlete who once coached basketball under Lefty Driesel at Davidson College, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. He was 79. A funeral is planned Saturday, with visitation Friday evening. Details below.
Read the full story

Davidson Day students delivered over 1,200 pounds of food to the Ada Jenkins Center in November. (Photo courtesy Davidson Day)

The holiday season is a time when most area schools conduct food drives, several of which benefit the local food shelf at the Ada Jenkins Center.  Davidson Day students made a delivery right before the Thanksgiving holiday, while Bailey Middle will be sending its collection of donations Monday, Dec. 14.  Click here to let us know what your school is doing!

School Notes this week focuses on all the school performances planned for Davidson’s annual holiday festival, “Christmas in Davidson.”  We also have information on the upcoming CMS board meeting, which will include action items about the new W.A. Hough High in Cornelius. Our calendar also lists December events, including open houses and workshops on “Managing Stress for Teens and Parents” (Dec. 10 at Bailey Middle)  and “Young Children and Sports” (Dec. 14 at Cannon School). Read the full story

The Hough High name issue is formally back on the table at the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board.  The Charlotte Observer is reporting this afternoon that board member Kaye McGarry has put reconsideration of the name for the new high school in Cornelius on the board’s Dec. 8 meeting agenda. Ms. McGarry did so at the request of incoming board member Rhonda Lennon, the newspaper reports. (DavidsonNews.net had reported Nov. 23 that Ms. Lennon was planning to call on the board to revive the naming issue.)

Meanwhile, Charlotte Observer columnist and Davidson resident Mark Washburn weighed in on the issue today. In a column titled “What’s in a name? Cheap laughs, a test of maturity,” Mr. Washburn observes that the name issue can be  a “teachable moment” with kids. And he offers his opinion on how the school board should vote.

A special Thanksgiving meal for the staff at Community School of Davidson.

Parent volunteers at Community School of Davidson used the Thanksgiving holiday as a chance to offer a special “thanks” to their teachers, serving up a full holiday meal during a “Thanks for Giving” luncheon (see photo at left).

The charter school does not have a separate cafeteria, so teachers usually eat with their students in their classrooms.  The Nov. 18 luncheon transformed the gym into a dining room, with elegant place settings and a buffet line.

“This gives the teachers some time together,” said parent volunteer Eileen Simon.

School Notes this week includes news of state chorus honors for two Cannon students, Joanna Copio and Stephen Metz, plus an update on the charity golf tournament organized by two Woodlawn students, Scott Murr and Darius Knott, and news of a special plaque for Gethsemane Baptist from Davidson’s newest football team.  We have the honor roll from Davidson IB Middle, and calendar listings of events at “Christmas in Davidson” and more. Read the full story

A letter from Rabbi Michael Shields of Davidson.

Underestimating students and taking away an opportunity for real learning

To the Editor:
William Hough helped shepherd his school through the tumultuous desegregation era. Not having known Principal Hough, I have gathered from accounts of those who knew him that he was respected by his students because of his commitment to an educational philosophy that recognized every student regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class. A friend of mine in the clergy here in Read the full story

Following is a letter to the editor from Leane Turner, a Davidson resident for 14 years, a parent of three children headed to attend the new high school,  a member of the PTO and School Leadership Team and volunteer at Davidson Elementary and Bailey Middle School.

To the Editor,

With all due respect, I just want to clarify for the record and to Ms. Cresenzo (the granddaughter of Mr. William Hough quoted in “School Board rep to seek new name for Hough High“) and others that many of us who have expressed objections to the naming of the new high school in North Mecklenburg are the very folks who do “do something real” with their time. Letters to Read the full story

School board member-elect Rhonda Lennon.

By LAURIE DENNIS
DavidsonNews.net
Rhonda Lennon is still two weeks away from being sworn in as the new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education representative from District 1, which includes north Mecklenburg. But the school board member-elect is already drafting motions. Ms. Lennon says one of her first priorities will be seeking to change the name of the area’s newest high school.

Ms. Lennon intends to call for a school board vote Dec. 8 to reverse the board’s November decision to name the new high school in Cornelius for William A. Hough and to put the late educator’s name instead on the stadium at North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville.

That would reopen the question of what to call the new high school on Bailey Road, which is scheduled to open its doors next September. Read the full story