Sophia Tyburski

Friends and family have offered their condolences and financial support this weekend to the family of an 11-year-old Cornelius girl who died last week.

Sophia Tyburski, a sixth grader at Bailey Middle School, died unexpectedly Thursday at Novant Presbyterian Hospital. She was taken there after her health declined quickly; school officials said she had shown flu-like symptoms at school earlier in the week.

A prayer service and visitation for Sophia were planned Sunday afternoon at James Funeral Home, with a funeral Monday. (See details in her obituary, “Sophia Katlyn Tyburski, 11″ )

Sophia was the daughter of Matthew and Carri Anne Walker Tyburski of Cornelius and the sister of Lauren. She loved soccer, Starbucks, her large family and her many friends, her obituary says.

Friends started a donation page at online site gofundme.com that raised more than $20,000 as of midday Sunday. The original goal for the page was $15,000.

A message on that page, posted by an aunt, reads: “Our wish for dear Sophia ‘Fia’ is that she be remembered and laid to rest respectfully and without undue stress on her family. We have received numerous messages of love and desire to support. Please help Carri, Matt and Lauren get through this difficult time by donating towards Sophia’s funeral and medical expenses.”

Sophia was at school last Monday, Nov. 10, when she showed “flu-like symptoms,” according to a message from Bailey Middle School to families. The school alerted families about Sophia’s death in telephone and email messages, and offered counseling last week.

In a followup message Friday, Principal Chad Thomas said:

“As you know, one of our 6th grade students passed away suddenly yesterday. Her name is Sophia Tyburski and she was a wonderful student and friend here at Bailey. We are all deeply saddened by this news and had extra counselors on campus throughout the day today to provide support for students and staff. Sophia exhibited flu-like symptoms while at school on Monday so, as an extra precaution, CMS has been working with the Health Department to determine if there is any further cause for concern. We have been informed that no public health risk has been identified at this time. In addition, I have attached some information that may be useful to you in helping your child at home. Please continue to keep the Tyburski family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.”

Here’s the information the school made available to families, offering advice on talking to children about Sophia’s death.

In addition to direct messages from the school, Bailey’s PTSA and District 1 school board member Rhonda Lennon have been passing along information as well, via Facebook.

RELATED LINKS

Nov. 16, 2014, Obituaries, “Sophia Katlyn Tyburski, 11″

J.V. Washam Elementary School has announced this year’s 1st quarter A and A/B honor rolls. See the list below:

THIRD GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Mac Amick
Gordon Anderson
Joseph Bitel
Graham Butcher
Joseph Bitel
Ryleigh Elliott
Kaylee Hubbard
Khaki Hudson
Ruthvik Jeenigiri
Shreya Karumuri
Audrey Mordock
Ritika Myana
Sthavishta Potti
Kylie Roeder
Evan Ruskin
Jack Searby
Taylor Shiley
Mason Smith
Leo Trainum
Leo Wachter
Emilie Woolley
Sierra Childers
Logan Creely
Lily Erwin
Riley Gardner
Ashlea Izzard
Aadhya Kankipati
Jackson Kinney
Simone Mack
Jade Tinsley
Johanna Weber
Sammie Van Dyke
Mae Cameron
Logan Crane
Sohpie Evans
Milo Fagan
Grace Malaspina
Sebastian Rodriguez
Jack Thompson
Michael Thompson
Kaylee Atkocious
Lacey Mayhew
Gabrielle Phifer
Malachi Pinto
Ashley Ratiram
McKenna Simms
Isabella Sprague
Rogan Troxel
Makenzie Weller
Topher Accetta
Chloe Brooks
Grace Bryant
Nicholas Doebler
Ella Gabler
Taryn Ghiloni
Ava Gossett
Baylee Heil
Kyra James
Sydney Lassiter
Bailey Lyons

THIRD GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Nick Costarella
Blake Dibenedictis
Maggie White
Michael Palmano
Lyndsay Morrison
Ashley Miller
Mariana Gutierrez
Terri Moore
Serena Burch
Cole Crabtree
Reetinder Kandhola
Lyric Lewis
Trish Nguyen
Landon Peeler
Eryn Rueb
Maggie Stamm
Carolyn Winkler
Jaden Brandon
James Lyerly
Riley Tuttle
Barrett Fite
Madison Hubbard
Aiden Johnson
Layla Lilly
Ryan Robinson
Owen Ruskin
Dan Scibetta
Riley Bogart
Anmarie Garrison
Bryce Drury
Thomas Eaton
Luxe Zelasko
Tyler Orr
Cameron Steedman
Sydney Taylor
Chase Wilkinson
Emerson Wilson
Desiree Costarella
Hannah Eldridge
Paige Farmer
Zane Haney
Keiana Harris
Houston Hartsell
Palak Jawale
Brayden Kiser
Makenna Lackey
Tracey Massey
Keira Ringel
Drew Sutton
Olivia Baudo
Rishik Bijjala
Kyle Browning
Will Eisley
Ryleigh McKinney
Emma Mitchener
Anya Moskowitz
Bella Oltremari
Samantha Pagley
Isabella Pulver
Nicholas Ruggerio
Anna Ross Whittaker
Trevor Archer
Riley Clanton
Preston McConnell
Nicole Moen
Dylan Natal
Cameron Niblack
Devlin Pollick
Kaitlyn Schmitt

FOURTH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Ava Zimmerman
Maddox Whittington
Sammy Petersen
Olivia McElroy
Sami Lorenz
Brianna Jorgensen
Braxton Blackburn
Camden Barlowe
Claire Arnold
Chase Brown
Victor Aguilera
Matthew Barnes
Kennedy Bell
Julia Burhans
Emerson Caty
Carter Elmer
Eleanor Franzen
Reece Hinson
Liam Illingworth
Samantha Klaassen
Noah Kolkhoarst
Spencer Kraus
Ava Lewandowski
Jalee Loranger
Jolie Nicodeme
Emily Otto
Caroline Poe
Calla Poulton
Jadon Rivera
Nick Vuchev
Ben Yates
Reese Cloninger
Connelly Martin
Luis Cella
Shayla Bergeron
Kelsey Blackwell
Andrew Burk
Giselle Carrasquilla
Clayton Carrol
Anna Ciuca
Hannah Clapp
Daneilla Covarrubias
Patrick Eber
Jamison Gavin
Owen Harsch
Ethan Hixon
Presley Hodges
Jayden Hollar
Ava Johnson
Henry Jung
Isabella Loreto
Payton Roy
Christian Johnson
Riley Sullivan
Gavin Stone
Emma Tubbs
Gabby Welfare

FOURTH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

McKenna Bolding
Reese Peters
Bryce Pearson
Ella Gumola
Emma Boozer
Devon Carter
Kaylee Howell
Serena Pope
Mathea Brodland
Ashlyn Brown
Harrison Conrad
Karley Duncan
Truitt Evely
Byers Faunce
Maxwell Greene
Tad Hudson
Dante Maglietto
Abigail Mills
Megan Mottola
Brooks Pallo
Kylie Peele
Sydney Pensler
Sebastian Renteria
Ryann Rohlwing
Nathan Valdez
Kieran Velez
Avery Beamer
Rylee Bost
Alyssa Cole
Dylan Felice
Luke Fitzgibbons
Ella Furr
Baileigh Hodnett
Alyssa Hunter
Matthew Mongillo
Zachary Moore
Kayla Morlan
Elizabeth Owens
Nicalis Phillips
Kayden Prevost
Riley Tanner
Kyle Wade
Natalie Vazzana
Madison Waldron
George Winkler
Ethan Jones
Gracey Libby
Evan Pescho
Davis McClure
Jack Mumma

FIFTH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

A Honor Roll
Isabel Gandy
Taryn Brown
Janine Mahoney
Stella (Anna) Higgs
Gabriel Thompson
Emily Burhans
Courtney Cain
Ashley Dehn
Lucy Franzen
Reid Palmer
Yuvan Suresh Babu
Alexis Toler
Kelsey Van Rossen
Carly Walden
Annelise Woolley

FIFTH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Marianna Castillo
Ashley Gordon
Luke Holland
Alivia McCroskey
Vivi Nguyen
Sydney Standish
Ariana Poynor
Bridget Anderson
Caleb Collins
Campbell Cupples
Savannah Faunce
Declan Finnin
Miles Gil
Alex Lantz
Yasmine Moudarrir
Hailey Myers
Thuy Nguyen
Marina Salazar
Julian Bennett
Olivia Foley
Jesse Lyerly
McKenna Markovics
Leah McKelvey
Jarrett Carroll
Jackson Doebler
Angelina Goss
Rowan Griffin
Cooper Mok
Samantha Morand
Brett Pearson
Cayden Rose
Cassie Schafer
Kirstyn Somers
Caroline Whittaker
Mariella Gonzalez
Isaiah Mack
Harrison Bartholomew-Schoch
Quinn Curtis-Warner
Charis Olsen
Riley White
Ben Schmidt
Julia Hensley

Ruth Petersen, Bailey Middle band director

By BRENDA BARGER
CorneliusNews.net

Kudos to Bailey Middle School Band teacher, Ruth Petersen, who has earned the North Carolina Bandmasters Association 2014 Award for Excellence for the South Central District, which includes Mecklenburg and nine surrounding counties.

The award, one of six given statewide, was presented at the North Carolina Professional Development Conference on Nov. 9 and is added to the long list of awards this energetic band teacher has earned. As one enthusiastic parent wrote, “She is fantastic!” 

The North Carolina Bandmasters Association is the official band section of the NC Music Educators Association, a department of the NC Association of Educators.

Ruth came to Bailey Middle School in 2006 when it first opened. Before that she taught at Bradley Middle School for eight years and at Smith Middle School for six years. Ruth has Bachelor and Master’s Degrees from UNC-Greensboro and is a National Board Certified Music Teacher.  Her primary instrument is the trombone, but she teaches privately to numerous brass students.

“I love being a band director. I knew it was what I wanted to do since the eighth grade. I wanted to influence and care for students the way my teachers did for me.”

Ruth grew up in the town of Onawa, Iowa (pop. 3,000).  Her parents still live there and she recently learned that Rick Owens, the current band director at Bradley Middle School visits family in Onawa regularly and has a cousin who was in Ruth’s high school graduating class of 54 students.  Small world.  Ruth also has one sister who is a Lutheran pastor in Syracuse, NE.

After almost 20 years in Charlotte, Ruth recently moved to Huntersville with three rescue cats.  In her spare time she enjoys art, reading, graphic design, genealogy, and, of course, music.  We are glad to have you at Bailey, Ruth!

A CLOSE TIE WITH DAVIDSON COLLEGE

According to the bandmasters website (http://www.ncbandmasters.org/), the organization has a tie-in with Davidson College:

“James Christian Pfohl (1912-1997) was the first elected president of the newly formed North Carolina Bandmasters Association in 1938. At the age of 19, he was asked to start a music department at Davidson College which, under his direction, was the first men’s college in America to give credit for applied music.”

A young James Christian Pfohl at Davidson College

Davidson College Archivist, Jan Blodgett, sent us the following additional information on the very precocious James Christian Pfohl, a name familiar not only in our area, but also in Brevard where he was instrumental in founding the Brevard Music Center.  (Jan also commented that Mr. Pfohl was probably 21 – rather than 19 – when he came to Davidson College.)

From the college archives:  Music officially became part of the Davidson College curriculum in 1927 when Ernest J. Cullum was elected Director of Music and Associate Professor of the History and Appreciation of Fine Arts.   Students had organized music clubs as early as 1868, but the only music instruction available was through private tutoring.  Professor Cullum taught courses in the history of music and art appreciation for four years.  In 1931 the Trustees voted to suspend the courses due to low enrollment. James Christian Pfohl was hired in 1933, only 21 yrs old, as the second music professor.

He was Director of Music from 1933 to 1946.  His many achievements included renovation of old musical organizations, creation of new ones, a concert band and a concert orchestra. He infused new life into the Glee club and Varsity Quartet, gave regular organ recitals and brought guest artists to the campus.  He taught organ while his wife taught piano to interested students.  The Pfohls raised their children in Davidson and today one son, David Pfohl, has returned here to live and remains active in many areas of music.

In 1936, he founded a summer music camp at Davidson. That camp moved to Charlotte for one summer and then to Brevard in 1944, known first as the Transylvania Music Camp, until 1955 when the name was changed to the Brevard Music Center.  In a 1940 letter, Davidson College President Walter L. Lingle summed up the thoughts of many when he wrote:

“Mr. Pfohl is a man of boundless energy and of boundless resources. It seems to me that he specialized on the impossible. He also has a great deal of initiative and is full of ideas, most of which are practical. If all the members of our Faculty, including myself, and including the members of the coaching staff, had as much energy, as much initiative, and as many ideas as Mr. Pfohl, Davidson College would be a humdinger.”

Congratulations again to Ruth Petersen of Bailey Middle School who is upholding the James Christian Pfohl tradition of excellence (with great enthusiasm) for music!

Brenda Barger writes the Around Davidson column for DavidsonNews.net. 

Petersen holds her NC award.

The charter school is in a building that once housed a Montessori School and a church. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

The new public charter school, which focuses on leadership and talent development, has about 370 students, Principal Patty Moreira said. That’s below the original target of 488, mainly because of the limited capacity of the temporary quarters.

“When we were scheduled to open, our building was not ready for occupancy, so we had to split our kids up into three temporary sites,” she said.

Those sites were the Christian Montessori School (kindergarten), Huntersville United Methodist Church (first and second graders) and Huntersville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (third and fourth graders).

Most students have already moved into the Statesville Road building, and the last group – third and fourth graders – could move in the next few weeks, she said.

Moreira said she’s pleased with the launch of the school, whose board includes teachers who helped found Lake Norman Charter School as well as other educators and experts. She said Thunderbird has hired experienced teachers from throughout the area,.

“I was able to hire the best of the best from private schools, charter schools and public schools,” Moreira said. “The curriculum is phenomenal. … The school culture and the high academics, it’s amazing.” She also praised the school’s parents for their involvement.

The Old Statesville Road site itself is only temporary. Thunderbird officials have said they hope to occupy the site for a couple of years, while they build a permanent school building at an unnamed site in Huntersville. Eventually, the school will add grades until it becomes a full K-12 school.

Moreira didn’t say where the school plans to build. “Our business partners and our board have narrowed it down to one particular place, but we’re not ready to announce it,” she said.

RELATED COVERAGE AND LINKS

See past coverage of Thunderbird Prep on CorneliusNews.net

Thunderbird Preparatory School website, thunderbirdprep.org

Nov. 19, 2014, “New charters open, but with fewer students than projected.”

By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

The Charlotte region got nine new charter schools this fall, but they’ve only enrolled about two-thirds of the students they expected. One school – Concrete Roses STEM Academy – closed after the first month. Others enrolled 1,643 students, short of the 2,400 they had anticipated. Meanwhile, there are more charters on the way: 40 more groups applied to start new schools in 2016.

Overall this year, charter schools in Mecklenburg County enrolled about 10,700 students. That’s about 2,000 more students than last year.

The enrollment figures matter to new schools because the state ties funding to them, our news partner WFAE-FM reports. If charter schools don’t get enough students, they may not have enough money to operate. That played a factor in both the closings of Concrete Roses this year and StudentFirst Academy last school year.

State officials also calculate payments to local school districts based on their projected enrollment. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools got less than it expected at the start of the school year, because state officials projected higher charter enrollments. Now, partly because charters didn’t get the numbers they expected, the state will have to transfer money to local districts.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction put out the enrollment figures last week, including those for Thunderbird Prep in Cornelius. The school reported 366 students, below its first-year projection of 488. (Related story: “Thunderbird Prep moves in to its NC 115 home.”)

Meanwhile, more charter schools are planned statewide and in the region for 2016. The Department of Public Instruction reported Sept. 29 that it had received applications from 40 nonprofit organizations to open public charter schools in August 2016.

Here’s a list of the 14 prospective charter schools that have applied in Cabarrus, Iredell and Mecklenburg counties, along with their main contacts.

• Heritage Charter School, Shirley L. Fulton, MECKLENBURG
• Academy of Excellence, Sherry C. Lykes, IREDELL
• Extraordinary Leaders Academy, Kerby D. McLean, MECKLENBURG
• Kannapolis Charter Academy, Talitha McGuinness, CABARRUS
• Mallard Creek STEM Academy, Jose Garcia, MECKLENBURG
• Mooresville Charter Academy, Barbra Byan, IREDELL
• Young Inspiration Charter School, Debra Edwards, MECKLENBURG
• Francis Classical School, Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Grosse, MECKLENBURG
• Charlotte Classical School, Cynthia Roeth, MECKLENBURG
• Unity Classical Charter School (“Unity”), Beth Early, MECKLENBURG
• Queen’s Grant High School, Ted Biggers, MECKLENBURG
• Legacy Academy of Charlotte, Kenneth Benton, MECKLENBURG
• Lake Academy, Dr. Kenneth Benton, IREDELL
• Matthews-Mint Hill Charter Academy, Eddie Sieber, MECKLENBURG

As of this fall, there are 148 charter schools across the state. Three more that had been scheduled to open in August 2014 received one-year delays, because of problems with their facilities, and could open in 2015.

RELATED LINKS

Nov. 12, 2014, WFAE.org, “New Charlotte Area Charter Schools Have Fewer Students Than Expected”

Nov. 11, 2014, The Charlotte Observer.com, “Charlotte-area charter school enrollment falls well below projections”

Sept. 23, 2014, The Charlotte Observer, “CMS official: Schools ‘busting at the seams’ as student growth exceeds projections”

Sept. 29, 2014, “NCDPI Receives 40 Applications to Open Charters in 2016″

Lake Norman Christian students handed Operation Christmas Child boxes up a line to a waiting car Friday. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

DAVIDSON – Lake Norman Christian School students formed a human chain out of the school on South Street in Davidson Friday morning, passing gift-filled shoeboxes for needy children around the world as part of Operation Christmas Child.

Teachers showed students a map of India during the event, which included an internet video chat with a class of students in India. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

The students loaded several cars with about 115 boxes they had packed with Christmas gifts and supplies. They included personal letters, toys, socks, jewelry, candy, stickers, journals, and toiletries. One boy packed a deflated soccer ball and pump in his box destined for a boy his own age.

The annual drive is organized at schools and organizations nationwide by Samaritan’s Purse of Boone.

The loading came after a hour-long assembly and prayer service in the school auditorium that included a video chat with a class of orphaned children halfway around the world, in northern India. That gave Lake Norman Christian students a glimpse at the kind of children they were helping.

Lake Norman Christian School is in the former Davidson IB Middle School. It has about 108 students in grades K-12, and 22 teachers.

Find out more about Samaritan’s Purse at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Before shipping the gift boxes off, students gathered round, touched and prayed over them. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

Back row, from left: Lou Varljen, Jack Higgins, Robert Pinkston, Bob Westcott. Front row, from left: Jessica Savage, Bonnie Koring, Dee Eicher

By MILANA FIELDS
W.A. Hough High School

Most local residents rarely take the time to get involved with neighboring schools. But last year, residents of the Bailey’s Glen neighborhood off Bailey Road toured nearby W.A. Hough High School to observe how school has changed since they were teenagers. After learning that several students were in need of financial aid they started a partnership with the school.

In December the retirement community on Bailey Road donated 36 gift certificates to needy students at Hough to bring Christmas cheer that holiday season.

“Words cannot express the gratitude and awe I feel for the generosity of your community,” principal Laura Rosenbach said.

Bailey’s Glen wanted to help on a more permanent basis though. With a donation of $5,000 to serve as seed money, the partnership began.

Five Bailey’s Glen residents and four volunteers from Hough High School guide the partnership.  Lou Varljen, Jack Higgins, Bonnie Koring, Dee Eicher, and Bob Westcott serve on a Board of Directors along with faculty members Rob Pinkston, Maghen Sickler, Jessica Savage, and junior Matt Mohr.

Bailey’s Glen has a diverse community of retired educators who volunteer to mentor both the students and teachers at Hough. Residents also give career presentations, and volunteer as proctors for tests and judges for senior exit projects.

Many public school teachers have to dip into their own pockets to provide educational materials for their students.  As a solution, Bailey’s Glen offers mini-grants “to purchase necessary and/or beneficial educational materials” for the classroom.

But Hough isn’t the only one benefiting from this partnership. Students and staff members provide technology classes and tutors to teach the residents through various programs including software training, a Photoshop class and a camera club. A website for the partnership is also currently under development by CTE teacher Beverly Brown and a team of students. The website will house basic information about the partnership and ways the public can help.

Aside from technology, students also provide artwork for display and musical compositions for events at Bailey’s Glen. One of those events is a Clubhouse Auction this coming January to raise funds for the partnership. Music and dance students will perform while a live and silent auction raises money for the school.

The partnership has applied to the IRS for 501(c)3 nonprofit status so donated gifts will be tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation to the partnership, please contact Jack Higgins at jhiggins119@gmail.com.

Milana Fields is a senior at Hough High School.

Lake Norman Christian School is in the former Davidson IB School at 251 South St. in Davidson.

Lake Norman Christian School got an early Christmas gift recently: The 105-student school achieved dual accreditation from AdvancEd and the Association of Christian Schools International.

“Accreditation is a significant milestone in the life of the school,” Head of Wes Johnston said in an announcement.

Wes Johnston

“We congratulate our dedicated stakeholders who were instrumental in making this a reality. The school board is passionate about the success of the school, the teaching staff is highly qualified in their disciplines, and the administration and support staff work diligently to encourage growth in every area of the school’s ministry,” said Johnston, who is in his second year leading the school.

The 7-year-old independent, non-denominational Christian school says it serves families who want “quality academics with a Christian worldview, personalized attention, athletic and artistic opportunities, leadership and citizenship training, and a strong sense of community.”

The Association of Christian Schools International provides accreditation, staff certification, legal guidance, communication, and national and regional teacher and student activities to more than 28,000 member schools and school systems in more than 100 nations. AdvancEd accredits more than 32,000 public and private schools and school systems in 70 countries.

Lake Norman Christian School serves students in K-12, at 251 South St., Davidson. More info: www.lknc.org.

Kiwanis Club members recognized JW Washam Terrific Kids recently. from left, Kiwanians Jim Christol, Russ Wert, Arene Arciero and JV Washam Principal Paula Rao recognized kids for courage.

The Lake Norman Kiwanis Club launched its Terrific Kids program recently at JV Washam School in Cornelius. Terrific Kids is a student recognition program that promotes character development, positive self-esteem, and perseverance.

At JV Washam, the teachers teach their students about a specific character trait each month. Then the students from each classroom write about, and vote for, the student in their class that best displays that character trait.

The winning students are presented with a Terrific Kids bumper sticker from Kiwanis members at a monthly, ceremony to which their families are invited.

Interested in finding out more about LKN Kiwanis, the Terrific Kids Program, and other activities to help children in our community? Come to the Kiwanis Open House on Thursday, Feb. 12 from 6-8pm at Harvey’s in Cornelius at 19707 Liverpool Parkway.

Parents of prospective students are invited to explore J.V. Washam Elementary School in Cornelius with a series of parent-led tours beginning this month. Tours are Thursday mornings twice a month through May. Meanwhile, an open house is planned Jan. 22 at 9:30am.

Tours begin at 10am on the following Thursdays: Jan. 15 and 29; Feb. 12 and 26; March 19 and 26; April 16 and 30; May 7 and 21. Reservations are encouraged but not required. Call the school at 980-343-1071. Check in at the front office prior to the tour to receive your visitor’s badge.

Please bring a driver’s license as it is required for check in. Parents are encouraged to attend tours without children so they can concentrate on the information that is being presented. Prospective kindergartners will have an opportunity to visit the school on Beginners Day, April 22.

Additionally, an Open House will be held Thursday, Jan. 22, at 9:30 a.m. Principal Paula Rao will give a brief presentation and answer questions. The event will conclude with a tour.

Kindergarten enrollment is underway for the 2015-16 school year. To be eligible for kindergarten, students must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31, 2015. For an enrollment packet, visit the school website at schools.cms.k12.nc.us and click on “Parent Resources.”

Ann Clark

Clark replaces Heath Morrison, who resigned in November. She had been acting superintendent since his departure.

Clark’s term will be limited at her request. A statement from CMS Tuesday night said she had planned to announce her retirement late last year when Morrison stepped down.

“I was excited to explore new opportunities to continue to serve the educational needs of our community,” she said. “I made the personal decision to postpone my announcement once Dr. Morrison resigned. The timing was no longer right. I care too much about CMS to leave during such a critical time of leadership transition.”

Clark has been with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools since 1983, when she began working as a teacher for behaviorally and emotionally handicapped children. She has served as a principal at all levels and in a variety of administrative jobs in the district.

“Ann is a strong CMS and public-education advocate and I am excited about the leadership she will provide over the next year and a half,” school board chair Mary McCray said in a statement. “We are making great strides as a district and she brings the stability we need to maintain our momentum.”

The school board said it plans a “comprehensive search” for a new superintendent, beginning next month.

As superintendent, Clark will receive a base salary of $262,000. She will also receive $4,971 for the additional responsibilities she assumed from November 2014 through January 2015.

See the CMS announcement at http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/

JV Washam has released the names of students in the honor roll.

THIRD GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Topher Accetta
Chloe Brooks
Gracie Bryant
Nicholas Doebler
Bryce Drury
Ella Gabler
Anmarie Garrison
Kyra James
Sydney Lassiter
Bailey Lyons
Emerson Wilson
Luxe Zelasko
Audrey Mordock
Ritika Myana
Reese Peters
Kylie Roeder
Sophia Evans
Jack Thompson
Kaylee Atkocious
Lacey Mayhew
Emma Mitchiner
Gabrielle Phifer
Ashley Ratiram
McKenna Simms
Isabella Sprague
Rogan Troxell
Makenzie Weller
Malachi Pinto
Nicholas Ruggerio
Anna Ross Whittaker
Sierra Childers
Ashlea Izzard
Johanna Weber

3RD GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Thomas Eaton
Riley Bogart
Taryn Ghiloni
Ava Gossett
Tyler Orr
Caden Sellers
Cameron Steedman
Sydney Taylor
Mac Amick
Gordon Anderson
Joseph Bitel
McKenna Bolding
Graham Butcher
Owen Crawford
Kaylee Hubbard
Khaki Hudson
Shreya Karumuri
Sthavishta Potti
Evan Ruskin
Jack Searby
Taylor Shiley
Mason Smith
Leo Trainum
Leo Wachter
Emilie Woolley
Lily Erwin
Jackson Kinney
Logan Creely
Jaden Brandon
Jordan Bushroe
Mae Cameron
Logan Crane
Milo Fagan
Barrett Fite
Madison Hubbard
Aiden Johnson
Adam Kudlik
Grace Malaspina
Ellis McDonald
Ryan Robinson
Sebastian Rodriguez
Owen Ruskin
Michael Thompson
Rishik Bijjala
Kyle Browning
Sara Davis
Will Eisley
Andrew Kudlik
Ryleigh McKinney
Djimon McKnight
Anya Moskowitz
Samantha Pagley
Isabella Pulver
Olivia Baudo
Bella Oltremari
Nicholas Costarella
Blake Dibendictis
Riley Gardner
Mariana Gutierrez
Aadhya Kankipati
Simone Mack
Ashley Miller
Jade Tinsley

4TH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

A Honor Roll
Shayla Bergeron
Kelsey Blackwell
Andrew Burke
Giselle Carrasquilla
Clayton Carroll
Anna Ciuca
Daniella Covarrubias
Patrick Eber
Jamison Gavin
Owen Harsch
Ethan Hixon
Presley Hodges
Jayden Hollar
Ava Johnson
Christian Johnson
Ethan Jones
Henry Jung
Isabella Loreto
Payton Roy
Gavin Stone
Riley Sullivan
Emma Tubbs
Devon Carter
Serena Pope
Luke Fitzgibbons
Kennedy Bell
Julia Burhans
Emerson Caty
Eleanor Franzen
Samantha Klaassen
Noah Kolkhorst
Ava Lewandowski
Jalee Loranger
Jolie Nicodeme
Caroline Poe
Claire Arnold
Braxton Blackburn
Sami Lorenz
Olivia McElroy
Sammy Petersen
Maddox Whittington
Ava Zimmerman
Reese Cloninger
Connelly Martin

4TH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Eva Bible
Hannah Clapp
Gracey Libby
Jack Mumma
Evan Pescho
Gabby Welfare
Sasha Bernard
Emma Boozer
Sebastian Del Negro
Maxwell Grooms
Kaylee Howell
George Hughes
Ryan Koohang
Reagan Creswell
Zofia Makowski
Reagan Adams
Sebastian Arango
Charles Bagley
Chelsea Persad
Layla Watts
Morgan Whitehead
Megan Anselmo
Avery Beamer
Rylee Bost
Luis Cella
Alyssa Cole
McKenna Deneroy
Dylan Felice
Ella Furr
Baileigh Hodnett
Zachary Moore
Kayla Morlan
Kayden Prevost
Riley Tanner
Kyle Wade
Victor Aguilera
Trevor Archer
Matthew Barnes
Riley Clanton
Carter Elmer
Reece Hinson
Liam Illingworth
Spencer Kraus
Preston McConnell
Nicole Moen
Dylan Natal
Cameron Niblack
Emily Otto
Devlin Pollick
Calla Poulton
Ben Yates
Jadon Rivera
Kaitlyn Schmitt
Nick Vuchev
Camden Barlowe
Chase Brown
Brianna Jorgensen
Bryce Pearson
Harrison Conrad
Karley Duncan
Scarlett Duncan
Truitt Evely
Byers Faunce
Max Greene
Megan Mottola
Brooks Pallo
Kylie Peele
Sydney Pensler
Sebastian Renteria
Ryann Rohlwing
Natalie Vazzana
Kieran Velez
Madison Waldron
George Winkler

5TH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

A Honor Roll
Emily Burhans
Ashley Dehn
Lucy Franzen
Rowan Griffin
Reid Palmer
Yuvan Suresh
Lexi Toler
Kelsey Van Rossen
Carly Walden
Annelise Woolley
Gabriel Thompson
Bailey Wagenknecht
Declan Finnin
Alex Lantz
Janine Mahoney
Hailey Myers
Brooklyn Smith

5TH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Courtney Cain
Jarrett Carroll
Rose Caylor
Jackson Doebler
Cooper Mok
Brett Pearson
Cayden Rose
Cassie Schafer
Kirstyn Somers
Callie Whittaker
Taryn Brown
Daniel Campagna
Marianna Castillo
Kayleigh Clark
Charlee Efaw
Isabel Gandy
Luke Holland
Alivia McCroskey
Ariana Poynor
Sydney Standish
Julian Bennett
Sydney Campagna
Eduardo DaMata
Parker Dawson
Olivia Foley
Stella Higgs
Mariella Gonzalez
Bridget Anderson
Caleb Collins
Campbell Cupples
Savannah Faunce
Sydney Lane
Sarah McCarroll
Bryce Mostert
Thuy Nguyen
Marina Salazar
Cooper Smith
Hayden Stone
Avery Clark
Jaden Haney
Julia Hensley

Pine Lake’s only athletic field right now is a square of turf at the center of campus. A corner is cut off by a creek. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

Chris Terrill

By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Pine Lake Prep is preparing to expand again, by adding a new $4.5 million Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) building and auditorium next to its NC 115 campus, and by developing athletic fields at an off-campus site it plans to buy next month.

To pay for the projects, Pine Lake has quietly begun a $1.78 million fund drive, its second capital campaign since opening in 2006.

The expansion will help the 1,682-student K-12 charter school add new capabilities and develop its athletics program, Head of Schools Chris Terrill said. The new facilities are not designed to add student capacity; he said the school believes it is currently the right size and scale.

Terrill said the new facilities are badly needed. Right now, lacking an auditorium, the school uses its gym for large gatherings, and rents other facilities – such as the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville – for dramatic productions. Meanwhile, Terrill said, “We’re begging and borrowing for fields.”

The building program and fundraising campaign were among a series of initiatives announced in a Feb. 2 letter to parents and stakeholders from the school’s board of directors. Those include:

• STEM Building – Pine Lake in November bought a 1.2-acre parcel on NC 115 just south of its administration building as a site for the new building, which will be its sixth. The school paid $280,000 to property owner Kathy Holthouser, who also sold Pine Lake the 23-acre site for its campus. The property currently is home to the tiny Penguin Palace Snow Cone Shop. The new building will cost about $4.5 million, and include a Lower School creative sciences lab, and robotics facilities (a Pine Lake specialty). Officials hope to break ground this summer and open in Fall 2016.
• Auditorium – The new building will include a 300-seat auditorium. Current plans call for a professional stage, lighting and sound for theatrical productions and a balcony. School officials say it will “help set our arts programs apart from surrounding schools.”
• Athletic fields – After a multi-year search, the school has a contract to buy about 55 acres site about three miles from its current campus. School officials aren’t disclosing details about the property until after the deal closes, which is expected around March 1. “We tried for something closer,” Terrill said, but nothing was available at a price the school can afford. Terrill said the first phase of the project would cost $2 million to $2.5 million and include development of infrastructure, and a soccer and football stadium. When fully built, it will include 6 tennis courts, separate baseball and softball stadiums, practice fields, and a track and field. Right now Pine Lake’s only on-campus field is a small 50-yard by 50-yard square of artificial turf at the center of its campus, which is used for physical education. Pride sports teams play at other schools, including Hough High, Northwest Cabarrus High and Mooresville’s Cornelius Road Park.

The new construction will be the latest additions to a campus that has grown quickly in the past few years. In 2013, the school opened a $1.2 million fine arts building and a $2.25 million athletic center.

A theater arts class in Pine Lake’s arts building, which opened in 2013. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

In the note to parents, the board also said it is pursuing both accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and a renewal of its charter. The latter would come a year earlier than required by the state of North Carolina, making Pine Lake the first school to win early renewal of its charter. Terrill said since both processes require similar efforts and documentation, it made sense to pursue both at the same time.

The letter to parents was one of the ways Pine Lake is trying to stay in touch with its constituencies. At a time when some other charter schools are struggling and even failing, Terrill said the school wants to be “a model of transparency for North Carolina.”

“We need to do things that will separate ourselves from other schools,” Terrill said.

That approach also could help as the school tries to raise money for its expansion. Said Kristen Sutek, the school’s communications director, “If we expect parents to be engaged with this capital campaign, they need to know where they’re money is going.”

Paying for the new construction actually will be slightly easier than it might have been, thanks to another big move the school is undertaking right now – refinancing its $19 million in debt, Terrill said. The school expected to shift from variable to fixed-rate financing, which will save money and provide extra moneyt to help pay for the new work.

RELATED LINKS

PineLakePrep.org school website

Pine Lake’s upper school. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

Grand Oak Elementary has announced the roster of elementary school students on this year’s 2nd quarter A and A/B honor rolls. See the list below:

3RD GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Bachofner, Camryn
Gustafson, Claire
Hamilton, Jezek
Heis, Michael
Hoblet, Lilian
Homan, Brianna
Kester, Brady
Lair, Cooper
MacGowan, Kyle
Meredith, Abby
Meredith, Ella
Miranda, Alexa
Moore, Henry
Reep, Christopher
Reynolds, Ada
Schaefer, Bayley
Stanziola, Nicolas
White, John

3RD GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Alkins, Mark
Bailey, Madison
Barry, Natalie Quinn
Benitez-Tapia, Isaac
Benner, Reese
Bergmann, Brandon
Bodo, Riley
Briggs, Audrey
Brooks, Hayden
Burton, Spencer
Cabbage, Davis
Campbell, Emma
Carpenter, Reagan
Chenalloy, Nicholas
Danison, Ainsley
Dill, Ian
Durham, Sarah
Evans, Cade
Finnerty, Connor
Fitzgerald, Martin
Flotkoetter, Alexa
Freeman, Sara
Gann, Lillian
Gilbert, Cassandra
Gulley, Grayson
Hamilton, Ella
Hawes, Skylar
Jaouny, Joseph
Jenkins, Ella
Keller, Carlie
Maddox, Coleman
Maman, Justin
Manning, Brianna
Nichols, Ryan
O’Brien, Mia
Putnam, Maxwell
Renehan, Emily
Roberts, Evan
Royster, Joseph
Shaw, Natalie
Simeon, Carter
Stock, Brianna
Teague, Logan
Thompson, Kylee
Timmes, Brooke
Van Dam, Alexa
Watters, Ava
Wells, Luke
White, Henry
Whittington, Ethan
Wilmsen, Joshua
Wilson, Katelyn

4TH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Avsian, Adar
Barry, Sophie
Batignani, Riley
Buchsbaum, Megan
Cosentine, Matthew
Demeo, Gianni
Dorfman, Ross
Durham, Olivia
Faulmann, Mia
Johnson, Kirsten
Kullstam, Annika
Nguyen, Arthur
Shingleton, Thomas

4TH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Austin, Alexander
Beauford, Miranda
Bedell, Jamison
Bishop, Addison
Blackwelder, Jon
Block, Mia
Boone, Emily
Chambers, Kristofer
Chen, Nicholas
Dawson, Alexandria
Elcock, Emma
Faria, Amanda
Gagan, Miles
Gann, James
Hawkins, Kyle
Hawley, Charles
Houston, Kalani
Huynh, Sara
Johnson, Grant
Keller, Patrick
Lafferty, Ryan
Littlefield, Chelsea
Marrelli, Mitchell
Masterson, Hailey
Matterface, Ella
Mayfield, Ashlynn
Myers, Mia
Nesta, James
Robeson, Jacob
Rogers, Brennen
Sabbagh, Rachael
Scarnato, Matthew
Schwanz, Maxwell
Selders, Vaughn
Sullivan, Logan
Thompson, Luke
Wollersheim, Marie

5TH GRADE A HONOR ROLL

Alfaro, Colin
Alkins, Adam
Beall, Benjamin
Biancofiore, Sophie
Briggs, Jordan
Camelon, Erin
Christman, Kate
Dunn, Noah
Giovanelli, Kennedy
Hambleton, Nathan
Hawkins, Kacy
Hinkson, Patrice
Jackson, Olivia
Kimbro, Olivia
Kogan, Maximilian
Lazur, Matthew
Little, Taylor
Liu, Aaron
Lowry, Ronan
Manning, Hanna
Moore, Riley
Ngo, Ciara
Ridenour, Thomas
Schaefer, Sydney
Settle, Aidan
Shook, Henry
Starr, Luke
Thompson, Tyler
Venegoni, Nicholas
White, Wilson
Wirl, Corban

5TH GRADE A/B HONOR ROLL

Alkins, Scott
Bailey, Benjamin
Bales, Avery
Barnhardt, Michael
Benner, Quinn
Brambila Morales,
Burton, James
Curry, Alexandra
Danison, Delaney
Desautels, Lauren
Duffy, Ashlyn
Evans, Riley
Fisher, Alexa
Freeman, Celeste
Frey, Reagan
Frye, Haley
Gundlach, Oliver
Hawes, Holden
Hinkson, Patrick
Holtham, Jack
Hughes, Caroline
James, Morgan
Jatulis, Aidan
Juchter, Andrew
Keller, Logan
Kester, Madeline
Lally, Peyton
Ledermann Elias, Jean Pierre
Mathon, Blake
McClory, Mia
Mercuri, Abigail
Meyer, Noah
Nohr, Samantha
Patel, Shiven J
Pillo, Adriana
Purdy, Jackson
Rayburn, Maria
Reynolds, Sierra
Ricciani, Robert
Royster, Patrick
Russell, Ryan
Sanders, Kendall
Settlemyer, Luke
Silia, Martin
Trollinger, Carissa
Williams, Isabel
Wilson, Ellie
Wolski, Ava

Cornelius police have begun enforcing a new lower speed limit (25 mph) on Bailey Road, near Bailey Middle and Hough High schools. (David Boraks/CorneliusNews.net)

School and town officials and the NC Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced a series of new safety measures on Bailey Road, including speed limit signs with flashing lights. The changes come as police have begun enforcing the recently lowered 25 mph speed on the road near W.A. Hough High and Bailey Middle schools.

The speed limit near the two schools was lowered last month from 35 mph to 25 mph. Other new measures will improve pedestrian safety and smooth traffic flow around the schools. The improvements should be in place within the next two weeks, and include:

• New 25 mph “school zone” speed limit signs, equipped with flashing lights.
• A new pedestrian crosswalk at Bailey and Bailey Springs roads near Hough, with button-activated flashers to alert drivers when pedestrians are using the walk across Bailey Road.
• Improvements in Hough’s rear parking lot to improve traffic flow for student drop-offs and pickups.

“The main reason for these improvements is for pedestrian and vehicular safety,” said Tyler Beardsley, project manager for the Town of Cornelius. “There will also be some efficiencies gained with the drop-off line by adding the second drop off location.”

RELATED COVERAGE

Jan. 13, 2015, CorneliusNews.net, “Police begin enforcing 25mph limit near Bailey Rd. schools”

Davidson LifeLine will host “A Community Response: Where Did We Drop the Ball?” on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, a forum on teens’ use of social media, including the recent case in which a student posted nude photos of other students on Dropbox.com.

The event runs 7 to 8:30pm at Davidson College Presbyterian Church Congregation House, 218 Concord Road, Davidson.

The forum follows the recent news that Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools police are seeking charges against a student who posted and shared 75 nude photos of high school and middle school girls in a folder on Dropbox.com. (See Feb. 11, 2015, “CMS police seek charges after student shares nude photos of girls”)

Panelists will include:

• John Concelman –Character Development Specialist, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
• Phillip Geiger –Town of Davidson Police Officer with special interest in social media
  and cybercrime
• Gretchen Anthony, LCSW, Mindy Ellen Levine Behavioral Health Hospital in Davidson
• Ashley Flowers – Lake Norman Young Life Area Manager
• Kenny Lynch, detective with CMS Police Department

The panel will answer questions from attendees and address topics including:

• Teen brain development—why they make some of the decisions they make
• Social media and the law
• The combined minefields of raising teenagers and social media

“Creating spaces for conversation about wellness in our community is part of our purpose. Gathering to talk, to learn, to get resources for ourselves or others; each interaction breaks down stigma a little bit more.” Davidson LifeLine President Lynn Hennighausen said.

For more information, please contact Diana Merrifield at 703-622-0893 or visit www.davidsonlifeline.org

Lake Norman is in the midst of another round of soul-searching about our teens, this time over the discovery that students were sharing an online folder with nude photos of area high school and middle school girls. It’s horrifying, embarrassing, and shocking for those families directly affected. But it should be a concern for anyone with kids using networked devices.

Speakers at a forum hosted by the nonprofit Davidson LifeLine last Thursday said it will take a community response to head off incidents like the one that became public two weeks ago, involving students from W.A. Hough High School and other area high and middle schools. The forum, “A Community Response: Where Did We Drop the Ball?” was at Davidson College Presbyterian Church Congregation House.

I was there, along with about 50 other people, as a concerned resident and as the father of two teen girls. We came to hear panelists including the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools detective investigating the case, an FBI supervisor who investigates crimes against children, a Davidson police cybercrime expert, a social worker, and Charlotte Mecklenburg schools character development specialist.

Kenny Lynch, the CMS Police Department detective, said solutions to the problem lie both with the community and parents.

“It takes a community to be able to change this,” Lynch told parents. “But it starts at home. … That parent at home that hands that child a smart phone is where it has to begin.”

This isn’t a problem for some isolated group – it’s nationwide, and it’s us. “These kids … 99 percent are from good families,” Lynch said after Thursday’s forum.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Davidson LifeLine originally was formed in reaction to a rash of suicides in the Lake Norman area, and one of the big questions was how such tragedies could happen here. We’re asking the same question now, as we try to understand how those girls’ photos ended up being shared.

The answer is pretty simple. We’ve put powerful, network-connected devices into our kids’ hands without fully understanding how they’ll use them, and often without boundaries or safeguards.

You wouldn’t give a 12-year-old a power saw without training and a safety lesson. The same should hold true for electronic devices.

“We have to help teens understand the powerful consequences of the technology they hold in their hands,” said Lynn Hennighausen, president of the nonprofit Davidson Lifeline. “And we need to help parents navigate the crucial conversation with kids.”

Social worker Gretchen Anthony, from Carolinas HealthCare System’s Mindy Ellen Levine Behavioral Health Hospital in Davidson, said parents need to understand how teens’ brains work.

She demonstrated with a short exercise, giving everyone in the audience a sheet with a list of items ranging from a bathing suit and toothpaste to an iPod and laptop. She gave everyone 15 seconds to think about which they’d take on a vacation.

It was a challenge for anyone with a mature, analytical brain. How long is the vacation? Where will it be? Fifteen seconds wasn’t enough.

But, Anthony said, many teens wouldn’t stop to ask themselves those questions. They’d just pick a few items from the list.

“This is how children think – they’re very impulsive,” she said. “Their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed yet.”

Young people are just learning about decision making – they’re “practicing,” she said. Yet they’re often put into situations where impulsive decisions can have major consequences. And they’re in an environment of peer pressure.

The consequences can be scary and dangerous. “Social media are incredible,” said Davidson police officer and cybercrime specialist Phil Geiger. “Unfortunately, like every tool, it can be morphed and perverted.”

Lynch said there’s been a “normalization of sexual exploitation” that gives kids a different frame of reference for things like sexting than their elders.

The Dropbox account that students were sharing in recent weeks contained 75 nude photos of teens – high school and middle school girls from around the area. The girls had taken the photos themselves and shared them with friends or boyfriends, surely not imagining they’d eventually end up on the internet equivalent of a public bulletin board.

Lynch has interviewed most of the girls involved in case over the past few weeks. Sharing nude photos “really wasn’t that big of a deal to them,” he said.

They’re inundated with images and news about celebrity nude photos and videos, he said. “For the most part it was kind of normal to them. Technology has allowed them to share that and and put it out there,” Lynch said.

And yet, the negative consequences of that behavior can be personally harmful and even criminal. A student who takes or passes on inappropriate photos can face shame as well as serious criminal charges.

Self esteem and confidence issues also may contribute to girls’ (or boys’) inappropriate behavior on the web or social media, speakes said. For many teens, “their number one fear is rejection from peers,” said Ashley Flowers, area manager with Lake Norman Young Life.

Many youths use about 10 different social media sites or apps, and they’re reminded of their social status every day, she said.

Laws governing the exchange of photos like those in the recent Dropbox case may not exactly fit this situation.

“It’s a very difficult issue to deal with because in many states the laws were not created to deal with children photographing themselves and sending them out,” Lynch said.

Instead, laws are more likely to treat nude photos on the internet as pornography than as a game among kids. These laws are the same as those used to go after pedophiles or others involved in sexual exploitation, and can apply to anyone who transmits, shares or views a nude photo, the experts said.

The penalties are harsh, especially if the photos are of minors: long jail terms, probation, and the requirement that those convicted register as sex offenders.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

John Concelman, Character Development Specialist with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, cautioned against coming down too hard on the children involved. “We don’t want to blame the victims … we all have a responsibility in this,” he said.

He said parents shouldn’t try to relate to their children by talking about their own experiences with high school or middle school dating. “It’s different now,” he said.

Added Flowers: “It’s just a different ballgame. They are dealing with self-esteem and rejection 24-7″ because of social media.

She said 51 percent of teen girls have felt pressure from a guy to send nude photos of themselves. If our teens really are making snap decisions, we want them to be making those decisions from a position of strength, Flowers said. “They need really strict boundaries. They also need to know, ‘Mom and Dad, am I cool? Are you proud of me? Do I matter?'”

The simplest answers to the question of what we can do are to keep supporting our kids and to “be on your kids’ social media,” as panelist Susan Ostrobinski urged. She supervises an FBI squad that investigates crimes against children.

Some other tips:

• Think about what it means to give your child a device with access to messaging, social media and the internet. And talk to them about it. “You’ve got to start talking to them as early as fifth and sixth grade, the minute you decide to hand them that smart phone or piece of technology,” Lynch said.
• Treat the device as a “loan” that can be taken away any time. Know your child’s passwords and let them know you have a right to examine their device. “You’re less likely to make bad choices if you know mom or dad are going to look in on you unannounced,” Lynch said. Added Hennighausen: “You get to be the parents. Check on them. It’s not judgmental unless there’s a problem.”
• Keep on top of the latest apps. Read up on what they can do. Are they right for your child?
• Know what’s on your child’s smart phone and how they’re using it. “The best way to keep on top of this is to look through your kids’ phones. I know it’s not popular,” Ostrobinski said. “Would you invite a stranger in? That’s what you’re doing when you give your kid a phone or a laptop in their room.”
• How do you do that? Create a culture of trust with your child. Hennighausen said she monitors her kids’ phone usage, but gently, in the spirit of taking an interest in the child – not forcefully. “If I can create a sense of trust in our family, at least I have a shot,” Hennighausen said.
• Help kids understand the potential long-term effects of something like photo sharing, or messages on social media. Let kids know that when they share information on the internet, they’re creating a “digital footprint, or a digital tattoo.” You want it to be a good one, Lynch said. Added Geiger: “The internet is forever. It does not go away. I cannot be deleted.”
• Another sensible idea came from a high school student in the audience: We need to teach teens to look at “the bigger picture,” she said. Community service can do that. Not a bad idea, and it could, incidentally, keep kids so busy they have less time for the internet messaging drama around them.

RELATED COVERAGE AND LINKS

DavidsonLifeline.org

Feb. 11, 2015, “CMS police seek charges after student shares nude photos of girls”

July 8, 2012, LiveScience.com, “Adolescent Angst: 5 Facts About the Teen Brain”

An ice halo around the early morning sun Wednesday perhaps foretold the evening’s storm. This was shot on the greenway in the Bailey Springs neighborhood. (Tim Sandor photo)

Updated 8:07pm
The forecast of snow Wednesday night and early Thursday has brought cancellations across the area, from high school basketball playoffs and school activities to public meetings and church events. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and other schools have canceled classes for Thursday.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning effective at 4pm Wednesday and running through 7am Thursday.

The forecast calls for a slight chance of rain late Wednesday afternoon, rain and snow likely before 8pm, then snow over night. Snow could be heavy at times, the weather service said. Snowfall could total 6 to 10 inches. Light snow could continue early in the day Thursday, with a slight chance of rain and snow showers in the early afternoon.

Mixing brine at a DOT operations center. (NCDOT photo) MAKING BRINE To prepare for the upcoming storm, workers in Mecklenburg County began making brine Tuesday night and loading it onto trucks to use for pre-treating roads. Brine is a solution of water and salt with several benefits, including lowering the freezing temperature of water and preventing ice and snow from bonding to the road’s surface. NCDOT makes the brine by loading a large hopper with salt and adding water. After it’s agitated and tested so it’s at the national standard of 23 percent salinity, it’s loaded onto trucks that spray the mixture onto the roads. NC Department of Transportation crews were on the job in Meckenburg County at 3am Wednesday to begin coating local roads with brine. The DOT has nine trucks assigned to the task. Another shift of NCDOT workers was scheduled to report at 2pm Wednesday, manning 34 NCDOT trucks. At the same time, 10 more contract trucks and four spreaders were scheduled to arrive.

CANCELLATIONS, CLOSINGS, DELAYS

Here’s a list of cancellations, closings and weather related delays in the Lake Norman area. Check back – we’ll update this as new notices come in (new items at the end). Have news? Send to editor@davidsonnews.net

• High school basketball playoffs – All games in Mecklenburg County and many others across the region have been canceled Wednesday night. The NC High School Athletic Association has asked schools to play the games on Thursday.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools have canceled school for Thursday. On Wednesday, all after-school, extended day and athletic activities were canceled. All Community Use of Schools events Wednesday also were canceled. The After-School Enrichment Program (ASEP) will remain on its regular schedule. All schools were expected to dismiss at their normal time Wednesday. For more about Thursday’s closing, see the CMS website. 
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport- With the weather still hours away, the airport said around 4:30pm Thursday that officials were keeping an eye on weather conditions and planned to implement its snow and ice control plan around 6pm, which includes rotating snow teams to treat runways, taxiways and landside areas. Travelers are advised to check with airlines for updated flight status before leaving for the airport.
• North Carolina Community Sailing – Adult Learn-to-Sail Instructor Class for Wednesday, evening, Feb. 25, is canceled.
• Carolina Rapids soccer – The towns of Huntersville and Cornelius have shut down the fields tonight because of safety concerns related to the winter weather. As a result, all activities for Wednesday night are canceled.
• Cornelius Architecture Review Board – Thursday, Feb. 26, meeting canceled, will be rescheduled.
• Davidson United Methodist Church -All church events scheduled for Wednesday night will end at 7pm.
• Jewish Family Services of Lake Norman, Cornelius office open house Wednesday night, postponed until March 25.
• Temple Kol Tikvah in Davidson will close its offices Thursday. All activities scheduled for Thursday, including Adult Hebrew, committee meetings, and ladies’ night out, are canceled.
• Dance Davidson studios will close at 7:30pm.
• Bailey Middle School “A” Honor Roll Breakfast scheduled for Thursday morning postponed to Tuesday, March 10.
• Cabarrus County – All library branches (Concord, Harrisburg, Kannapolis and Mt. Pleasant) closed at 5pm Wednesday. The Cabarrus County Senior Centers in Concord and Mt. Pleasant have suspended all evening activities and the centers closed at 5pm. Cabarrus County Youth Athletics have suspended all evening activities Wednesday.
• Concord/Kannapolis Rider Transit announced that Thursday’s service will not start until 12:30 p.m. (conditions permitting). Service updates are available at ckrider.com, or by calling the customer service line at 704-920-7433.

Send us a cancellation notice here

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools has canceled classes for Thursday because of a winter storm that began dropping snow on the Charlotte region around 7pm. Meanwhile, other schools in the Lake Norman area also called off school.

CMS said in a statement:

“Forecasters are predicting a severe winter storm with freezing rain and significant snow accumulation for our area. Therefore, with the safety of staff and students in mind, there will be no school for CMS students tomorrow and all CMS schools and offices will be closed. All school-based and athletic activities are canceled. The scheduled community engagement meeting at Hopewell High School is also cancelled. No student make-up day will be needed.

We will continue to monitor the weather and road conditions to help inform decisions about school schedules for Friday, Feb. 27. We will communicate any information as soon as decisions are made. “

For more about Thursday’s CMS closing, see the CMS website.

OTHER SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS

• Woodlawn School announced it would be closed Thursday, along with all extracurricular and evening events will be canceled. Woodlawn Night at Moe’s has been rescheduled to March 5.
• Pine Lake Prep is closed Thursday. The Senior Pride Showcase is canceled and rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon, March 3, after completion of the ACT. The school’s Sibling Lottery, originally scheduled for Thursday evening, will now be Monday, March 2, at 7pm at the Middle School.
• Davidson Day School – closed Thursday.
• Cannon School – closed Thursday.
• Lake Norman Charter School – closed Thursday.
• Iredell-Statesville Schools – closed. More info here. 
• Mooresville Graded School District – closed.
• Phoenix Montessori, Davidson – closed.
• Lake Norman Christian - closed.
• Lake Norman Charter School – closed, and 2-hour delay on Friday.

OTHER CANCELLATIONS

See other Wednesday and Thursday cancellations in our previous post.

The winter weather may be moving out, but there’s still time for one more weather-related delay. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools announced Thursday night that classes will be delayed 2 hours on Friday, Feb. 27. Other schools also will be delayed for 2 or 3 hours, and some charter and public schools in the area will be closed for the day.

The National Weather Service is forecasting mostly cloudy skies overnight, with a low of 27. On Friday, expect fog before 8am, with skies becoming sunny as the day goes on. The day’s high will be around 39.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools officials said buses will run morning routes and schools will open two hours later than their normal times.

“The two-hour delay for students provides extra time to ensure our buses are running and warm, students and families can walk safely to bus stops in daylight, and wait times at bus stops are minimized,” CMS said in an announcement.

The delay means postponements and delays for some other events. At Cornelius Elementary, fifth graders won’t make their planned field trip to Discovery Place.

The weather also has pushed back state tournament basketball games until Friday.

Meanwhile, Pine Lake Prep will be closed Friday. Staff will report at 10 for a teacher workday. Iredell-Statesville Schools also will be closed.

Mooresville Graded School District and Kannapolis City Schools will delay classes by 3 hours.

2-hour delays are planned at: Woodlawn School, Community School of Davidson, Davidson Day, Lake Norman Charter, Thunderbird Prep, Cabarrus County Schools,

Phoenix Montessori will open at 9:30am.

Friday is teacher workday at Cannon School – no classes.