GEAR UP Matters
Wilkes County Middle Schools
GEAR UP Happenings-Volume 1
College & Career Visits
Eighth graders visit WECHS
Central Wilkes 6th graders
North Wilkes 6th Grade
In a recent visit to Appalachian State University, sixth grade students of North Middle were able to take in a campus tour, participate in a student panel, and enjoy the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble Percussive Dance Review at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. A key factor in deciding what college to attend is finding the right fit. College visits allow students to get a first hand view of college, talk to admissions and financial aid officers, ask questions of current college students, and glean what the day to day energy of the institution is like.
North Middle 8th grade
West Middle 8th grade
Polinator habitats, soil and water conservation, homegrown music, and North Carolina history were among the many educational and entertainment opportunities enjoyed by West Middle eighth grade students at the North Carolina Agricultural Fair and NC State University. Lucas Stinson, a recent graduate of NC State University and West High alumnus, articulated the importance of focusing on academics early, developing good study skills, and getting involved while in middle school and high school as being keys in preparing for college. Mr. Stinson challenged students to reflect on the NC careers represented by the exhibits at the fair and the education they required. Whether you want to be a farmer, NC State Trooper, or NC Forester, education opens the door to those and other job opportunities.
Multidisciplinary Units
North Middle 7th grade
GEAR UP Club Happenings, Events and Meetings
Central Wilkes Gear Up Club
Central Wilkes Gear Up Club
East Wilkes Middle Gear Up Club
East Wilkes Middle Gear Up Club
On Tuesday, the Gear Up Club Speaker Series welcomed author Hunter Darden to East Wilkes Middle School. Ms. Darden is a resident of Elkin, worked as a columnist for the Charlotte Observer and has written children's books, a novel, and several E-books. Fifty-three students representing the 6th, 7th and 8th grades spent their lunch time exploring topics with Ms. Darden such as self-publishing, traditional publishing, how authors make money, and creative writing and journalism majors in colleges.
We also learned during this time East Wilkes Middle has two aspiring writers! Eight grade students, Taylor Doyle and Brianna Martin are working together writing a their own novel!
North Middle GEAR UP Club
GEAR UP Club members welcomed North Middle and North High alumna, Maria Meyer, to campus to talk about her transition from North High to college. Topics included in her presentation were the importance of study skills, time management, tutoring, college coursework, and college life. Miss Meyer, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is majoring in Sports Medicine.
Miss Meyer’s message resonated with GEAR UP Club members. As a follow up event, club members’ hosted a well-attended Virtual Job Shadow and Tutor.com parent session during North Middle’s recent parent night.
West Middle GEAR UP Club
The West Middle GEAR UP Ambassadors have been taking the lead in hosting many of the activities on their campus. Those activities include Red Ribbon Week, Veterans Day Program, and student elections.
As host of the Red Ribbon Week celebration, students across campus participated in a campaign to encourage all students to be alcohol, drug, and violence free. The week long activities designed to encourage students to talk with their families about alcohol, drugs, and violence. A recent survey found students who talk to their parents about drugs regularly are 42% more likely to remain drug free.
GEAR UP Ambassadors at West Middle helped organized the Veterans Day program. Student Ambassadors collected hygiene items for the Veterans Restoration Quarters in Asheville, NC , spoke in the program, and hosted a reception for the special guests.
Gear Up Ambassadors have utilized the month of November to elect representatives. Students participated in preliminary race with campaigns throughout the school. Our Student body elected Luke Tharpe as our secretary and Jared Whittington as our Vice President. Last week we had a debate between our two presidential candidates and the winner will be announced on Tuesday November 22nd.
Bryna Anderson is our Lighthouse team Liaison Ambassador and she has attended two of our monthly meetings with updates from the student body.
M. Roark
Resources
Hello December - Career Focus by Tathel Miller
GEAR UP Resource Website
To check out the website click on the GEAR UP 101 Resources tab below.
All Middle & high school virtual job shadow accounts should be working.
Student Login: Student ID/Lunch #
Password: jobshadow
Example: 863018
jobshadow
Tutor.com/appstate
Please encourage 6th-9th grade students to use http://tutor.com/appstate as a resource for homework help both at school and at home. Students are able to have access to a tutor within minutes. These sessions are quality controlled, and students have access to a tutor who has at least a 4 year degree in the field in which they tutor. http://tutor.com/appstate site would also make a great resource to place on your teacher webpage for students to access.
If a student cannot log in to the website, please email the student's name, school email address, grade, and lunch number to freemanj@wilkes.k12.nc.us.
If a group of students cannot log into the website please email freemanj@wilkes.k12.nc.us the grade level and school.