Saturday, October 20, 2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Dr Kafitz will be our featured speaker

On July, 1, 2012, Dr. David Kafitz became the Superintendent of Watauga County Schools. A career educator of sixteen years, Dr. Kafitz has worked in many capacities prior to this appointment. He began his career in education teaching 5th grade at West Buncombe Elementary School in Buncombe County Schools, served as a Teacher on Loan to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and worked as an Assistant Principal at A.C. Reynolds Middle School in Buncombe County Schools and at McKee Road Elementary School in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Dr. Kafitz opened New Town Elementary School as Principal and also served as the Directory of Technology Services for Union County Public Schools. Prior to accepting the appointment as Superintendent, Dr. Kafitz returned to the principalship at East Elementary School in Union County Public Schools. Dr. Kafitz is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with a double major in finance and management. He earned his credential to teach by attending the University of North Carolina - Asheville. Dr. Kafitz went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education degree specializing in Elementary Education from Western Carolina University. In preparation for working in education administration, Dr. Kafitz went on to complete his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree from Western Carolina University. Throughout his career, Dr. Kafitz has worked to integrate digital tools into the teaching and learning process for students. He has had projects featured in the local media, presented at technology conferences and symposiums, and participated in state technology initiatives. His work in other school systems included planning and launching the largest 1:1 computing initiative in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Kafitz has served on the K-12 Education Advisory Council for Dell, In., and annually attends the Digital Education Leadership Conference sponsored by the Center for Digital Education (an invitation only event of educators from across the United States) to provide input into and discuss future trends in education technology.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

October Red Pencil

The Red Pencil Newsletter of Watauga County Retired School Personnel Vol.XV, No.2 October 2012 ntn1066@hotmail.com October Meeting When: Thursday, October 18, NOON, $10, check made payable to Watauga County NCRSP Where: Deerfield Methodist Church Why: To share time with each other AND to hear from new Watauga County Superintendent of Education, Dr. David Kafitz. Please come! With:non-perishable food for the Hunger Coalition, plastic bags of all sizes, aluminum can-tabs (NOT the cans) for Ronald McDonald House and Box Tops for Education, all the lovely, noisy, loose change you’ve been collecting for the Scholarship Fund, and an extra $5 for raffle tickets for one of Janice Burns’ extraordinary coconut pound cakes NO medicine bottles!!!!! Not this time. Nope, nada. Next time, maybe. If your caller has not reached you by October 13, phone Margaret Sigmon, 264-2036, to make your reservation. Remember that we’ll be selling take-home meals for $5. If your medicine cabinet is in much need of cleaning out and you missed the day we were supposed to turn in old medicine here in Boone, bring your outdated or unused medicine to our meeting so that it can be disposed of properly. Polluting our water and landfills is not what we want to do. In Memoriam The members of the Watauga Unit of North Carolina Retired School Personnel send their deepest sympathy to Martha Graham and Minnie Snead on the death in August of their sister and our fellow NCRSP member Mary Graham. In her memory, we have made a gift to the Scholarship Fund. If you would like to remember or honor a friend or colleague in this way, please give your check to Dot Barker along with the name of the person for whom you are contributing. LISTEN UP!!! OK, that was shouting and I know shouting isn’t polite. On the other hand, I really need your attention. The Red Pencil is only as useful to you as you allow it to be. In a world filled with “stuff” bombarding all of us all the time, information overload is not just possible; it’s well nigh unavoidable. Our little newsletter, however, can’t become just another piece of flotsam and jetsam in your life. You can’t let it. News about our programs and our schedules and activities is in here. A message from our unit president is in here. Business matters like the budget on which we’ll all have to vote are in here. What to bring to meetings, whether or not Janice has made another of her legendary cakes for auction, Eula Mae’s latest news about volunteer opportunities, even brief book recommendations are in here, and it’s all important. Please take the time to read this newsletter, and if you have comments to make about it or news you want to share through it, get in touch with Nanci Tolbert Nance, ntn@skybest.com or 828.963-8892. The Book Nook, a corner in which our members recommend a good book for you. After more than twenty years, Harold Fry receives a letter from an old colleague. It says simply that she has cancer and just wants him to know. Harold attempts to write a warm reply that ultimately amounts only to “I’m thinking of you and wish you well,” and leaves his simple English cottage and his simple English wife behind when he walks to the nearest mailbox. At the mailbox, he finds the letter won’t leave his hand – and it stays with him as he walks from mailbox to mailbox, until he realizes that he is really meant to be walking the 300 miles to his dying correspondent. In fact, he realizes – or comes to believe – that she will live so long as she knows that he is making a pilgrimage to her bedside. This novel is magical. A first work, it has been shortlisted for the Man-Booker Prize, England’s most prestigious literary award. I promise that it will transport you to a new and different and truly inspiring world. ntn President’s Message Dear Friends, Autumn is here at last with slashes of blazing colors beginning to adorn the hillsides. Simultaneously, other less appealing embellishments decorate the roadsides as thousands of political campaign posters have sprouted like weeds. (None of mine this time!) As annoying as they are, the signs can serve as a reminder not to sit this one out. There is just too much on the line, both for us as retirees and for those who are still in the trenches. An election can be decided as much by those who stay at home as by those who vote. Please remember to be keeping a record of your volunteer hours. I was one of the guilty ones last year and did not turn mine in. I promise to do better and encourage you to do the same. I will miss the upcoming meeting as I will be attending the wedding of my nephew. Many thanks to Lee for stepping in. I'll look forward to seeing you all BR Winkler NCRSP District Meeting Our district meeting is scheduled for West Jefferson on October 19 at the First Methodist Church. We’d like to be VERY well represented. If you can attend (and imagine how glorious the ride up 221 will be!), please call Dot Barker immediately at 264-3621. The Importance of Membership Rep. Tillis’ plan to make joining NCRSP difficult and thereby cut into our membership numbers is working, unfortunately, and we have lost several of our number to the increasingly complicated process of paying dues. You know how important this organization is and how much good NCAE, NEA, NEA-R, and NCRSP have done for you throughout your career and how valuable your membership and participation are to all of us. If you have not renewed your membership in the Watauga Unit of NCRSP for this year, you will find the amount of your dues in the upper right corner of the mailing label on this newsletter. Your Horace Mann Accidental Death Insurance policy will end on October 31 if you do not renew your membership by that time. If you are newly retired and have not joined yet, please make your decision now to join this vital organization. You need us, and we need you, too! In fact, we need every retired educator to be on our membership roster in order to strengthen our position as advocates for retaining and improving benefits for all retired school personnel in this state. Together, we have strength. You can pay your dues at our October meeting or mail them to Dot Barker, 451 Poplar Hill Dr., Boone, NC 28607. If you are a new retiree, your dues are $111 and can be paid by check or you can join by bank draft or credit card. If you plan to join by bank draft, bring a voided check with you. Both forms will be available at the meeting. If you have questions, please call Dot at 264-3621 or Barbara or Roland Moy at 264-8811. Heros in the making--Our Newest members The Watauga Unit of NC Retired School Personnel is delighted to welcome these new and nearly-new retirees. We’re happy to have you! Sharon Farthing Barbara Kinsey Kathy Moorman Ala Sue Moretz Jo Sorrell If you know of retired school persons who would benefit from membership in our organization, and wouldn’t they all, please invite them to attend the next meeting with you. From our Community Participation Chair: Now let me remind you again of our goals that 50% of our members report their volunteer hours and that 25% of those hours be in some kind of educational effort. I know you are out there doing many acts of kindness and selflessness; please be diligent in recording them. Eula Mae Fox stuff you don’t know but should This month: all about cucumbers 1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day. Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. 2. Feeling tired in the afternoon? Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. 3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. 4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area. 5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes. The phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles, too. 6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes to replenish lost essential nutrients, keeping everything in equilibrium and avoiding both a hangover and headache. 7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders, and explorers for quick meals to thwart starvation. 8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe. Its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water. 9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Rub a slice of cucumber along the problematic hinge, and, voila, the squeak is gone! 10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water. The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams. 11. Just finish a lunch with friends and realize you don't have gum or mints? Press a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath. 12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean. It will remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine and it won't leave streaks or harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean. 13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing. This method also works great on crayons and markers that the grandchildren have used to decorate the walls!! We will be voting to approve this budget at our October meeting. Watauga Unit of NCRSP Proposed Budget for 2012 - 2013 Income Local dues based on 80 members @ $8.00 640.00 Local dues based on 45 members @ $10.00 450.00 Total dues income 1090.00 Other estimated income 400.00 1490.00 Expenses Newsletter printing (5 @ $100.00) 500.00 Other printing 25.00 Postage for newsletter (5 @ $70.00)325.00 Other postage supplies 25.00 Total printing,post and supplies 875.00 Officers’ expenses State Convention 300.00 Workshops,etc. 100.00 Total Officers’expenses 400.00 Miscellaneous (Memorials, gifts, TLC) 150.00 Committee Expenses 65.00 Total Miscellaneous 215.00 Total Expenses 1490.00 You will notice that Scholarship Fund is never in our budget, because dues cannot be used for scholarships and our scholarship is funded entirely by donations. Please be generous with your donations for scholarship, with your major donation, and with your change in the little watering cans on the tables at our lunches. This past May we awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Seth Moody and he is now a student at ASU. We want to be able to do this every year. IN OUR MAILBOX: Our unit has received a most kind letter from the public information director of the Watauga County Schools thanking us for our August contribution of school supplies. You’ll find a copy of Mr. Ashcraft’s letter in your email box and someone will read the letter at our October meeting. Keeping Up with the Computer Age 1.Remember to check our local blogspot, http://wcrsp.blogspot.com/, for the latest issue of The Red Pencil, photos of the most recent meeting, news of the members, and links to important information. 2. Go to www.ncrsp.org for legislative updates, information about NC retirement, supplemental insurance, and lots of retirement links. 3. Send a quick note to your humble editor, Nanci Tolbert Nance, at ntn@skybest.com to insure that you receive The Red Pencil by email and save our unit more than $5 per year for your subscription. 4. And just for fun (and to keep up with what’s going on around here), try www.resortcams.com and scroll down to see all the places that have live video cameras operating all the time. You’ll be able to see the fog roll through Main Street in Blowing Rock or watch folks shopping on King Street in Boone and even catch a glimpse of a child or grandchild on the sand in Myrtle Beach!