Davidson IB's winning team. Click to enlarge.

Davidson IB Middle School’s Science Olympiad team is headed to national championships in August, Ga., next month, after placing second of 44 at the middle school division at the state finals April 24-25 in Raleigh. Adviser Tiffany Sabin, a Davidson sixth-grade teacher, said she thinks the team has a shot at improving on its 13th place finish of last year. Read the full story

“Getting a new school leader today is a process that respects community input,” said Dr. Monique Gardner-Witherspoon, the area superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ North Learning Community.

She was referring to how she, along with  Superintendent Peter Gorman and other CMS leaders, select school principals – a process used this spring for Davidson Elementary School.

“(Dr. Gorman) wanted community imput, and he got it,” Dr. Gardner-Witherspoon said.

A committee of Davidson teachers, parents and residents recently spent a grueling two days interviewing candidates to replace outgoing principal Celeste Spears-Ellis.  Then the committee ranked the applicants and presented Dr. Gorman with a single name: Terry Hall.

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Bryant Barr is taking registrations for the Buzzkill "Davidson Shoots Nothing But Nets" benefit tournament.

The azaleas are dazzling, the bees are feasting on the holly blooms, the lawnmowers and pond frogs are serenading through the evenings – spring has clearly sprung.  The energy of the season has infected us for this column, so we bring news of busy young people out doing good deeds for our community.

At Davidson College, hoopster Bryant Barr is organizing a youth 3-on-3 basketball tournament that will raise money to help prevent the spread of malaria in Africa.  At Cannon School, high school freshman Tyler Carson of Davidson is coordinating donations for a new Goodwill store set to open next month in Concord.  Meanwhile, the horticulture club at North Mecklenburg High School will hold their spring plant sale this Saturday.  We have the news on all that, plus a note about the return home of our own Brenda Barger. Read the full story

Terry Hall (SOURCE: Walnut Creek Elemenary School)

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board on Tuesday named Terry Hall principal at Davidson Elementary School.

Ms. Hall is currently principal at Walnut Creek Elementary School in Atlanta. She has been an assistant principal and principal in Atlanta since 2002. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership and administrative supervision from the University of Georgia, according to an announcement from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

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Excited for Saturday's 5K are: (back, l-r) race directors Robin Kruse (with daughter Emily) and Kellie Kenning, PTA-Too Member Mary Phalen and DES students (front, l-r) Cameron Kruse, Nicholas Kenning, and Nadya and Nicolas Schrader.

Organizers are gearing up for Saturday’s first-ever 5K run to benefit programs for exceptional children at elementary schools in north Mecklenburg.  Learn why event co-directer Robin Kruse is so excited to be involved with this project.

School news this week also brings you an update on how local students and school teams have been performing in state, regional, and even national competitions that we have previously reported on; along with a report on Bailey Middle’s bridge to France, Davidson IB’s “Community Walk for Darfur,” and kindergarten registration time at Davidson Elementary.

Plus, our calendar has upcoming events, including golf tourneys and a dog show being organized by a sixth-grader at Woodlawn. Read the full story

The economic downturn is having a negative effect on spending plans at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. That includes staff cuts, inclding the two psychologists at Davidson Elementary, and a delay in the planned renovation and expansion at Davidson IB Middle. But another project – construction of a new high school on Bailey Road in Cornelius, remains on track.

See below for more on that, plus news of Dr. Jo Karney‘s study tour of Poland this summer, work by juniors at Davidson Day to spruce up McEver field for youth baseball, and a calendar listing with upcoming golf tournaments for both Davidson Day and the Children’s Community School as well as a “Walk for Darfur” . Read the full story

Art Instructor Sue Rettammel and McKinney Academy Head Andrea McKinney with students showing off their bench.

Downtown Davidson Inc. press release

The nice weather wasn’t the only highlight on the Village Green in downtown Davidson Saturday. Fourteen teams of artists and their sponsors converged to create functional works of art at the annual Benches on the Green festival.

April Is for Arts continues all month. See our March 30 preview

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March Madness may mean college basketball, but it could also refer to the flurry of spring competitions for clubs in local schools.  The debate team at North Meck High, the band at Bailey Middle, the Science Olympiad team at Davidson IB – all have seen success at recent competitions.

We have news on how they’ve performed, plus a list of recent inductees into the Junior National Honor Society, information on how to register your kindergartner for school in the fall, news of an upcoming parenting seminar about kids and text messaging, and a full calendar of upcoming school events. Read the full story