Volume 31: January, 2017

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As Jessica James (right photo), a fifth grade student at Marshall El-ementary School, made her way on to the stage at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition, the audience fell silent, waiting in antici-pation to hear what she was going to say. They did not have to wait long as Miss James launched into her speech with energy and enthusiasm. The crowd of several hundred people responded with applause and appreciation as Miss James held their attention, even drawing laughter at one point when she said, “Nothing ruins the truth more than stretch-ing it.” The full text of her speech appears at the end of this article. The final round of the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ora-tory Competition was held on the evening of January 26, 2017 at New Mount Zion Church in Orangeburg. The preliminary rounds of the MLK Oratory

Marshall Elementary Student Jessica James Wins The2017 MLK OratoryCompetition

The encore edition of “Dancing with the Or-angeburg Stars” provided a great night of enter-tainment for the Orangeburg community as nine “celebrity” couples competed before a sold-out crowd at The Cinema in Orangeburg on the eve-ning of January 21, 2017. The special event was sponsored by the Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five (OCSD5) Education Founda-tion with the proceeds going to support targeted and innovative educational programs and experi-ences for children attending OCSD5 schools. The dance competition featured performanc-es by a new cast of nine local, celebrity couples including: Drexel Ball and Tammy McCottry-Brown flashing back to the 70s and getting down to Brickhouse; Broadus and Brenda Jamerson step-ping back in time to the famous Cotton Club and swinging to Jeepers Creepers; Dr. Audrey Gordon

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“Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars” Fundraising Event Entertains the Community and Raises Funds

for OCSD5 Students

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Competition began several months ago with qualifying competitions in each of the eight el-ementary schools in Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five (OCSD5). The preliminary competitions determined the eight school cham-pions who would move on to compete as finalists in the district-wide competition. The competition was open to fourth and fifth grade students who were required to compose and recite an original speech of up to five minutes on the topic: “If Dr. Martin Luther King were to run for President of the United States today, what would he say in his campaign speech?” The names of the students who qualified to participate in the final round of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition, along with the schools they attend are: Jessica James, Marshall Elementary School, 1st Place; Justin Simpson, Brook-dale Elementary School, 2nd Place; Ghavon Sherman, Mellichamp Elementary School, 3rd Place; Jada Quar-les, Dover Elementary School, Finalist; Kamryn Summers, Bethune-Bowman Elementary School, Finalist; Jayden Skinner, Whittaker Elementary School, Finalist; Miracle Cummings, Sheridan Elementary School, Finalist; Mahi-rah Harper, Rivelon Elementary School, Finalist.

The stu-dents impressed the audience with speeches that were both i n s p i r a t i o n a l and entertain-ing. The primary purpose of the event, however, was to provide fourth and fifth grade students from across the district with an opportunity to

develop their skills in public speaking, historical research, current events, reading, and writing. An uplifting selection of musical entertainment was provided during the program by Appointed, accompa-nied Esther Jones on piano. Xzavier Anthony, winner of the 2016 MLK Oratory Competition, provided opening re-marks and encouragement to this year’s competitors. The Mistress of Ceremonies was OCSD5 Teacher of the Year Jessica McCormick. Karen James and Dr. Derrick James served as the event coordinators. Five community leaders volunteered their time to serve as judges for the competition including: Gloria C. Caldwell, a retired educator from the Calhoun County School System; Reverend Mack C. McClam, senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church; Dr. Judith Salley-Guydon, Professor

of Biology and department chair at South Carolina State University; Dr. Ronald Speight, interim coordi-

Oratory Competition. . . (continued from pg. 1)

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nator of the M. Ed. Program in Curriculum and Instruction and Visiting Associate Professor of Education at Claflin University; and Dr. Gloria Winkler, a retired educator and former Director of the Felton Laboratory School. It was our great pleasure to have Jimmy Jones Toyota of Orangeburg return as the corporate sponsor for the event. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsor, all of our final round participants received trophies and certificates and were treated to a special lunch with their Principals and coaches on the day before the competition. In ad-dition, the students finishing in the top three places re-ceived the following prizes: 1st Place – Microsoft Surface Tablet; 2nd Place – iPad Mini; and 3rd Place – iPod Touch. OCSD5 appreciates the support that Jimmy Jones Toyota provides annually to our teachers and students.

Full Text of the MLK Speech by Jessica James:“We Need a Change”Phenomenal! A word that describes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If he were running for president of the United States today, I be-lieve he would start off by asking “Can you hear me in the back? Can you hear me?” America, we have come from a mighty long way, but we still have a long way to go. August 28, 1863, I stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and told the world about my dream, knowing that my dream and change were not going to be automatic.

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Dancing. . .(continued from pg. 1)

and Northan Golden reuniting after being separated by the war to Turn the Lights Down Low; Hayward and Star-lette Jean recreating the time they first met on the campus of Claf-lin University to Gotta Have You; Senator Brad Hutto and Dr. Tracy Macpherson where tourist Tracy encoun-ters Brad, a local guy having a good time, to Tequila; Representative Jerry Govan and his wife Wanda engaging as Agent 007 and a dangerous Bond Girl to The Man with the Golden Gun; Roy Dickson and Beth Baggerly with a flirtatious encounter over drinks to Marry You; John Rodriguez and his mother Dr. Asha Rodriguez performing the classic Salsa dance to La Rebelion; and Jeanna Reyn-olds and her son John Henry rocking with a high energy workout to Let’s Get Ready to Rumble. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening was Von Gaskin, the First Alert Meteorologist with WIS-TV. The special judges for the event were Mary King and Leland Pinder, co-hosts of the WIS-TV Sunrise News, and Dr. Sharon Quinn, the Executive Director for Early Childhood and ESOL Programs with OCSD5. Tamalyn Blackman, the owner of Tamalyn’s Dance Studio and founder of the Or-angeburg Civic Ballet, was the Choreographer and Di-rector for the show. She was assisted by Cammie Bunch. Trophies were awarded in three categories includ-ing Judge’s Choice (based on technical dance skills as determined by the Judges), People’s Choice (based on vote totals and fundraising), and Most Entertaining (defined only as you’ll know it when you see it). The Judge’s Choice went to John and Dr. Asha Rodri-

guez for their traditional and elegant performance of the Salsa that John indicated was a tribute to his mother. The People’s Choice was awarded to Broadus and Brenda Jamerson who not only en-tertained the crowd with their dance steps, but also raised more than $14,000 to support the mission of the Foundation. Finally, the team of Hayward and Starlette Jean were selected as the Most Entertaining couple as Hayward, inspired by nerd-like character Steve Urkel, courted Starlette when they first met on campus at Claflin University. “I am so appreciative of the support we received from the Orangeburg community for our event,” said Paul Miller, the Presi-dent of the OCSD5 Education Foundation. He added, “I especially want to thank our dancers for their willingness to step out of their comfort zones to help the children in our district; the children are the real winners tonight.” DVDs of the “Dancing with the Orangeburg Stars” event are available for sale for the cost of $20.00. To place an order, please send an email to publicrelations@ocsd5.net. 3

John and Dr. Asha Rodriguez

Drexel Ball and Tammy McCottry-Brown

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January, 2017

On January 20, 2017, the Gamma Nu Chap-ter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. donated books to Bethune-Bow-man Elementary School that they collected dur-ing a book drive at Claf-lin University. We thank them for thinking of our children.

“The Buzz” @ BeThune-Bowman K-12 Campus

Again this year, TOMs donated free shoes to the students of BBES. Director of the award winning, “SAVE the Children” program, Darrow Riley, organiz-es the annual event that provides students with a new free pair of shoes to wear during the 2016-2017 school year. The TOMS shoe company has distributed over 11 million pairs of shoes worldwide as part of their “One for One” project where they donate one pair of shoes for every pair they sell. Save the Children currently partners with 16 schools in South Carolina

and serves over 7,000 children.

Books Donated to BBES

Students Receive Donation From TOMs Shoes

On February 6, 2017 BBES students celebrated being “100 days smarter” during the 100th Day of School by participating in a variety of instructional activities. Kindergarten students created books using manila folders that contained contents that represented the theme of 100. The Pre-K students combined the 100th day of school with a valentine theme and attached 100 objects to a heart shaped cut out. Students also dressed up as their interpre-tation of a 100-year-old adult.

100th Day of SchoolCelebrated at BBES

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The first and second grade P.A.A.L. students at Brook-dale Elementary were visited by Orangeburg dentist Dr. Eugene Atkinson recently. Dr. Atkinson talked about the importance of taking care of their teeth and what stu-dents could do to take care of them. Dr. Atkinson told the class about healthy habits such as brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily. He also told them of foods that they should avoid to have healthier teeth and gums. He used a fun video that featured su-per heroes as well as a slideshow. Dr. Atkinson gave teachers posters that they can place in their classrooms to help students to remember to care for their teeth. At the end, students had the opportunity to ask questions. It was a fun and informative event.

BrooKdale’s sTudenT of CharaCTer

Brookdale Talks Teeth

The Orangeburg Community of Character is an initiative that focuses on implementing positive character throughout our county. On January 27, 2017, fifth grade students from across the county including those here at Brookdale Elementary School assembled at Claflin University to recognize and promote this special initiative. The

5th grade Character Recognition Program is important to acknowledge great character and it is crucial to instill great character at an early age. Our very own Treshaun Craig was chosen to represent Brookdale Elementary School by writ-ing an essay ~ Which Character Trait is a Reflection of Me? ~ Respectfulness (By Treshaun Craig) “There are many great character traits that people use, but the trait which stands out the most is respectfulness! You will have good records when you are respectful, because re-spect is good. By being respectful, others will respect you. If you look for a job, you can be famous if you are just respectful, and get a nice job. Respect is a big character trait in school too. If you are in school and are respectful, you will make all A lists in class. You will have good records. Respect is good. If you respect people, people will re-spect you all the time. You will be seen as a good person. You will get far in life for being respectful if you respect people. Respect is what you need to have before you can get re-spect. If you want someone to treat you a certain way, you have to treat them the same way. You have to have manners. Of course, everyone wants to be treated equal without dis-

Animal Ambassa-dors visited Brookdale Elementary in January. Animal Ambassadors is a program that includes five different animals from around the world. Our students got the op-portunity to learn about the animal’s habitats, life cycles and charac-teristics. The students got the chance to see the animals up close and personal. During the presentation, the presenter asked questions and students received prizes for correct answers. The students got to see a parrot, a snake, a hedgehog, a lizard and a kangaroo. Our very own Ms. Dimsoy, third grade math and science teacher, wore the snake as a neck-lace! After the presentation, students were able to take a picture with the animal/animals of their choice for a fee with some of the proceeds going right back to the school. The presentation is free and fun for everyone.

Animal Ambassadors Visit Brookdale

E-Blast January, 2017in fiveBrookdale Elementary School’s ~ Bulletin

crimination of race or color. You even have to respect (have manners) for the disabled. It means that everyone deserves a chance to be treated like a human. Everyone deserves to be treated well unless they give you a reason not to. In conclusion, to sum it all up, always be respectful. Peo-ple will not like you if you are not respectful. If you are respect-ful, you will have a lot of friends and people will like you too.”

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Congratulations, to Ms. Jada Quar-les, photo on right, our fifth grade rep-resentative for the 2017 OCSD5 Martin Luther King Jr. Ora-tory Competition. Dr. King would be elat-ed and touched by the subject matter highlighted in Jada’s speech. Speaking against discrimination, poverty, and hate align with the beliefs of Martin Luther King’s time. Unfortunately, some of these subjects are still prevalent in our world today and plague our society. However, we are proud of her efforts, talent, and fortitude in preparing for this momentous occasion. Thank you to Ms. Hughes for taking time in coaching Jada. We appreciate all of your dedication and hard work as well. We would also like to extend a big thank you to the following students for participating and doing an outstand-ing job in the school level Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Com-petition (photo on left): La’kyia Folk, Johnez Glover and Keyosha Hammond.

Dover Student Represents School in Annual MLK Oratory Competition

E-BlastTHE DOVER ~ “DISPATCH”

Fifth grade students from Dover Elementary attended the 15th Annual Fifth Grade Character Recognition Program on January 27, 2017 held at Claflin University where Bailey Swain rep-resented Dover. New to the program was the response of each school during the roll call to present a character trait in their own way. Dover students proudly exclaimed, “We are Enthusiastic Eagles from Dover Elementary.” The simple but true statement was demonstrated with vigor and body movement. What an ex-citing way for students to become involved with building charac-ter. Our students represented us well and we are very proud of them.

January, 2017

5th Grade Students AttendProgram at Claflin

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Marshall Elementary School is so proud of a fifth grader student, Jessica Monique James, (photo on right) who represented our school in the District Oratory competition on Thursday, January 26, 2017. The most exciting part was Jessica won! Jessica

E-Blast January, 2017

MARSHALL’S MESSAGES. . .

Students who met at least one of their goals on MAP testing were honored with a MAP cel-ebration. Nachos and cheese were served fol-lowed by a dance.

MAP Celebration

Marshall Elementary Holds School Oratory Competition

Marshall Student WinsFourth Annual MLK Oratory Competition

Marshall Elementary School held its fourth annual MLK Oratory Competi-tion on December 15, 2016. The fol-lowing students represented classes: fourth grade – Malaika Gree, Riley Glenn, Ashlyn Hughes, BryNeshia Brown; fifth grade: Amiya Govan, Ken-nedy Gunn, Lauren Brockington, Ah-mere Pompey, A’sherah Murphy. The school winners: First Place – Jes-sica James; Second Place – Kennedy Gunn; Third Place – Ashlyn Hughes.

rendered a heartfelt speech, portraying King, if he were campaigning for president. She received a grand applause when she stated in her speech, that if she was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. she would say “ Teachers cannot continue to pass students to the next grade that cannot read, write, or do math on their grade level. If we do this, we are giving stu-dents false hope. I am sure it is embarrassing for a student to receive a high school diploma and cannot read the informa-tion on it.” Jessica enjoys dancing, writing, playing her PS4, and acting. Marshall Elementary School is extremely proud of our Busy Bee who accomplished the impossible, believed in herself and definitely set the standard for others to follow because she is a precious jewel of Marshall!

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January, 2017

Moments at Mellichamp...

Rachel Brailov, a third grade teacher at Mellichamp Elemen-tary School, has been named the South Carolina regional nominee for the Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fellowship. Originally from Deerfield, Illinois, second year teacher Ms. Brailov found her way to South Carolina by joining Teach for America as a 2015 corps member. Teach for America is a nonprofit or-ganization whose mission is to “en-list, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.” Ms. Brailov attended the Univer-sity of Iowa and earned her Bachelors of Arts in elementary education and minored in psychology. She always planned on becoming a teacher because of her love for working with children and learning. All second year corps members are invited to ap-ply for the Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fellow-ship. This is a prestigious award recognizing outstanding teachers who exemplify Teach for America’s core val-ues. These core values include transformational change, team, leadership, respect and humility, and diversity. The Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fel-lowship is about “reflecting on your growth as a leader in the fight to end educational inequity.” Throughout the application process applicants are asked to submit a resume of teaching accomplish-ments and involvements at their current school, two recommendations, a video lesson, student ar-tifacts, two student interviews, and a set of twenty questions that involve reflecting on the work they have done over the last year and a half. Ms. Brailov was selected as the regional nomi-nee to represent South Carolina in the national pool of candidates, which totals about 200 corps members. Regional nominees will have their ap-plications reviewed by a committee of Teach for America alumni and staff members. Ms. Brailov has the opportunity to become a semi-finalist in

the spring and hopefully a final fellowship re-cipient in May.

When asked about her thoughts on becoming the South Carolina regional nominee Ms. Brailov said, “It is truly an honor to not only represent South Carolina but to represent Mellichamp Elementary during this process. I have learned everything I know about teaching from the staff and students at Mellichamp. I am incredibly proud of my students and so lucky to have had them be a part of this process with me.”

Mrs. Journey’s students made snow! We used the water table to mix the in-gredients. Once mixed, the snow was cold! We made snowballs and snowmen then wrote let-ters in the packed snow. Each child described how the snow felt, smelled, or looked. A special thanks goes to Marie Walling who came up with the idea and did the mixing for us; and to Lauren Frazier who helped mix and lend a hand to the students who needed it.

Snow at Mellichamp!

Third Grade Teacher Named RegionalNominee for Fellowship Award

The Sheridan MLK Jr. Ora-tory School level competition was held on December 2 in the school cafeteria. The par-ticipants were Anaria Moorer 5th, Ashari Barnes 5th, Miracle Cummings 5th, Briantaye Cor-ley 4th, Ti’ Mya Mitchell 4th, and Warren Robinson 4th. Each student did a fantastic job which made the judges’ task very difficult. The judges were

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E-Blast January, 2017

“THE SCOOP” @ SHERIDAN ELEMENTARY

The Pre-K students at Sheridan kicked off the holiday season by participating in a Christmas Carol Program on Thursday, December. Students led the program and performed several Christmas songs: Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Must Be Santa, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. They truly had the Christ-mas spirit dressed in red, white, green and a big smile! Everyone who attended truly felt their holiday cheer!

Oratory Competition Held at Sheridan

Sheridan’s Pre-K Christmas Program

Robert Grant from OCSD5, Dr. Janice Owens from SCSU, and Mrs. Debra Norman from OCSD5 (photo at right). First Runner Up was Ashari Barnes. Second Run-ner Up was Anaria Moorer. Miracle Cummings was the first place winner who represented Sheridan in the dis-trict level competition.

E-Blast January, 2017in fiveUPDATES FROM WHITTAKER ELEMENTARY

The Whittaker family is proud to welcome Shelby Walters and Teandra White to our family. Ms. Walters, a first grade teacher, is a graduate of Co-lumbia College where she majored in Early Childhood Education. Ms. White teaches third grade and is a graduate of South Carolina State University where she majored in Early Childhood Education. We welcome these two ladies to the education profession and are de-lighted they have joined our Team!

Congratulations to Jayden Skinner, Whittaker’s 2017 representative in the MLK Jr. Oratory competition. Jayden is a fourth grader in Mrs. Dowling’s homeroom. He is a dynamic student and role model for his peers. Jayden is a principal’s list student who is also a member of the award-winning Whittaker Drill Team. He attends the Shepherd Outreach Ministry in Vance, SC where the Pastor and Founder is Winnifa B. Clark. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jef-frey (Kimberly) Skinner. Special thanks go out to his family, Mrs. Howell and Mrs. Shuler for their encouragement and coaching efforts. The entire Whittaker family is proud of Jayden!!

Whittaker Elementary held College Week, recently. Whittaker continues to motivate and encourage our students to build college awareness early. The following were the highlights of our week: Wednesday was “Got College Day” Our students were provided “Got College” shirts to wear. We celebrated HBCU day (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) Day by inviting the following col-leges to our campus to do a College Fair for our 5th grade students: South Carolina State University, Morris College, Claflin University, Voorhees College, Benedict College, and Al-len University. Thanks to Ruby Edwards, Pro-fessional School Counselor, who coordinated the program. The 5th grade students learned so much from our presenters about each college. The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be visiting Bene-dict, SCSU and Morris in the next month. The students will learn so much more because of the presentation they have already been ex-posed to. On Friday we had “Rival Friday” were our students could wear garnet/burgundy if they

were a SCSU fan and orange if they were a Claflin fan. SCSU won the rival battle.

College Week Held @ Whittaker

College representatives are (left to right): Jerry Hannah, Morris College; Faith Spells, Voorhees College; Paula Payton, Claflin University; Ruby Ed-wards, Counselor WES; Tara Satterfield, Allen University; LaSandra Robin-son, SCSU; Denver Wright, Benedict College.

The WhiTTaker Family Welcomes TWo NeW Teachers!

Whittaker’s Oratory Competition

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January, 2017

Orangeburg 5 is once again in the positive STEM spot-light! Industry leaders and community members visited and toured the Pitsco STEM Lab at Robert E. Howard Mid-dle School Friday, January 27, 2017. Gregg Robinson, Exec-utive Director, SCCED – Orangeburg County Development Commission, Kenneth Middleton, Coldwell Banker Middle-ton and One Orangeburg County Initiative, Dr. Tom Peters, Executive Director, S.C. Coalition for Mathematics & Sci-ence, Ted Riley of Riley, Pope and Laney, LLC, as well as re-gion

Students at Howard in a Positive STEM Spotlight!

E-Blast in fiveHappenings @ R.E. Howard Middle School

High interest books, explicit teacher-led whole group-instruction, engaging student instructional software, and re-search-based classroom structures describe Scholastic’s Read-180 Next Generation Program. The research is clear: stu-dents at risk of failure benefit from extra instructional time and smaller classes when literacy programs are implemented with fidelity!

Robert E. Howard Middle School has begun the District’s exciting Middle School Literacy Initiative, READ 180 Next Gen-eration Reading Program. This creative, innovative reading in-tervention program blends direct instruction and scaffolded practice each day to maximize students’ reading growth. Read 180 Next Generation emphasizes reading comprehension, academic vocabulary, reading proficiency, and writing skills for students through challenging activities, individualized learning, and group student rotation stations. Read 180 Next Generation will motivate RE Howard stu-dents to become confident readers through the use of high interest paperbacks, cutting-edge technology, whole-group reading instruction, and valuable skills practice. Read 180 Next Generation provides students the opportunity to gain crucial literacy skills they need to be successful in college, the work-place, and in this fast-paced 21st Century world.

“The 180 Next Generation Program”

representatives from the SC Co-alition for Mathematics and Science were all in attendance to ob-serve and speak with students regarding their experience in the Pitsco STEM Lab. A round table discussion was held with all afore-mentioned individuals as well Dr. Cynthia Cash-Green, Dr. Char-lene Stokes, and Mrs. Tammie C. Jenkins regarding the impact of the STEM lab on students/school/community, to generate enthu-siasm for the STEM initiative, and the continuous need of enabling our students to practice the college and career ready skills to bet-ter prepare the students to be workforce ready.

E-BlastJanuary, 2017

MORE Happenings at Howard...

Career Café is an opportunity for students in 6th-8th grade to meet individuals from the community and learn about their careers. Career Café is comprised of a thirty-minute session and serves approximately twenty-five students in 6th-8th grade twice monthly. Career Café speakers visit Howard Middle and speak to a group of about 25 students. Speakers share their career journey with students, including how they became interested in their current field, what education/training they needed, what they do in a typical day at their job, and any advice to students considering a job in their field. On Thursday, January 26, 2017, Mr. Keylon Singleton, a local business owner, had lunch with a group of 6th graders and discussed the importance of educa-tion, investing in yourself, using the talents you currently possess to succeed, and the advantages of networking. The students and staff in attendance asked great questions as they handled photography equipment and viewed products from Mr. Singleton’s photography studio.

Howard Middle School recently participated in a Winter Project-Based Learning (PBL) Experience: Journey Around the World. The students used a standards based curriculum to re-search various projects that depicts how the Winter Holidays are celebrated around the world. Each class was given a particular country to re-search. Students created colorful displays that captured the true essence of the holidays. They learned about

the countries t r a d i t i o n s and foods. S t u d e n t s made travel b r o c h u r e s and artwork, c r e a t e d

RE Howard Middle School GuidanceDepartment Presents: Career Café

Project-Based Learning Experience at Howard

PowerPoints, and learned dances and songs. During the opening ceremony students along with their teacher performed a dance from India taught by Mrs. Rathinam. Under the guidance of Ms. Gaffney several of the students performed an Af-rican dance. The show ended with one of Howard’s students per-forming American Sign Language (Signing) as Mrs. McCants sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas. There were performances by the choir and an instrumental solo by Jaden Shuler. After the program each class had a presentation station where students were able to share their research, food, and trinkets with their schoolmates. It was a joy watching students in the role as teachers sharing their knowledge with their peers.

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E-Blast in five January, 2017

Career Specialist Tamika Tucker had her class par-ticipate in a special career day lesson. BBMH students were assigned to come to school dressed up as their future career choice. They were also required to in-clude a tool of the profession as a part of their dress up. Students presented their career to each other dur-ing class. Careers of choice included doctors, nurses, models, lawyers, graphic designers, and architects.

“The Buzz” @ BeThune-Bowman K-12 Campus

Congratulations to the Bethune-Bowman Varsity Boys Basketball team for winning the Region Champion-ship. On February, 6, 2017 the Mohawks defeated Cross High School to finish the region with the best overall record at 6-2. Coach Artis Coulter and the team were awarded with a trophy at the end of the game as they celebrated with the fans of Bethune-Bowman. Senior Night was also held between the boys and girls basket-ball games as the graduating seniors and their parents/guardians were honored at center court.

BBMH Students Come to School Dressed as TheirFuture Career Choice

BBMH Varsity Boys Basketball Team Win Championship

Breaking news. . .

Coach Artis Coulter has been named the Region Coach of the Year.Congratulations!

E-Blast in fiveJanuary, 2017

NEWS from North Middle/High School

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Recently, Swansea High School hosted a Student Voice Panel in which several surrounding schools were invited to participate. The North Middle/High School representatives were juniors Tori Rutland and Zaachaeus Edmond with advi-sor Ms. Brenda Inabinette. Other schools that attended the conference were Riverbluff, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, and Swan-sea. The meeting began with a Student Voice introduction and a presentation about the ongoing Abbeville Lawsuit. A presentation of School Districts vs. South Carolina ensued,

which consists of how funds are allotted statewide. Students joined in small group break-out sessions where they discussed hot topics such as teachers meeting the needs of all learn-ers as well as students adapting to various teaching styles. Other topics mentioned were Access and Affordabil-ity, Civic Participation, Employability, Fair Assessment, and Technology. A presentation about the ACES program concluded the Student Voice session. The students will continue to meet in the future with hopes that other schools will become involved in the Student Voice Panel.

Congratulations to Crystal Waymyers and Jayla Young for be-ing selected as participants in the 2017 Region 4 Clinic Band to be held at Claflin University on February 24 and 25, 2017.

NMHS Student Voice:For Students, By Students

A Salute to Eartha Kitt On Friday, January 13, 2017, Rosa Bogar, known for her poetry and fashion design, visited with students and staff at NMHS. She was born in Orangeburg, SC, and later moved to upstate New York, then to Minneapolis in 1966. Before becoming a poet and fashion design-er, she worked as an educator for Minneapolis Public Schools. Rosa Bogar’s visit, however, was to share and celebrate the life of actress and author Eartha Kitt, well known for her role as “cat woman.” Eartha Kitt, a native of North, SC, passed away on December 25, 2015. Bo-gar spoke about her personal relationship with Eartha Keitt and asked students to sign “A Salute to Eartha Kitt Day” banner, January 17, in honor of her legacy.

Students Selected to Participate in 2017 Region 4 Band Clinic

E-Blast in fiveJanuary, 2017

More NEWS from North Middle/High

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Members of the North Middle/High School AVID Site Team attended the AVID 2016 National Conference in Dallas, TX in December. Attending the conference was: Matt Schilit, prin-cipal, Ms. Brenda D. Inabinette, site team coordinator, and new AVID elective teacher, Miss Allison Forshay. As conference attendees, we were able to whet our men-tal and professional appetite with a decadent menu of more than 80 concurrent entrees categorized into four topics of interest: Instruction, Systems, Leadership, and Culture. As appetizers, we attended the general sessions. Imagine, if you will, one stage, approximately one thousand onlookers, several cameras because the conference is live streaming to

tens of thousands, we’re taking pictures, commenting, and posting on social media – the anticipation and excitement was well worth it as our minds were blown by the incomparable keynote speak-ers: Patrick Briggs, AVID State Director for Texas, Jaime Casap, Educational Evangelist at Google, and Craig McKinney, English Language Arts Instructional Specialist for Plano ISD. Overall, the AVID 2016 National Conference experience was one for the books. We learned so much, met so many wonderful AVID teachers and administrators (the networking opportunities were endless), and participated in sessions that were both engaging and thought provoking. It is our desire to avail this experience to many more of our teachers; so, if you are interested in becoming an AVID Elective teacher, and would like to attend the 2017 AVID Summer Institute, please contact me at brenda.inabinette@ocsd5.net, or dial ext. 4539. Brenda D. Inabinette is an English Language Arts Literacy Coach with a teaching background in English, hu-manities, and GT. I am also the AVID Site Team Coordinator at North Middle/High School.

NMHS AVID Team Attend National Conference:

The North Middle/High School’s morning news show is a success! Students create a dai-ly news broadcast reporting the latest school news with a humorous twist. Jason Brinson, Tori Rutland, Whitney Heyward, Patrick Mack, Pat-rick Grenald and Zaachaeus Edmond share in the tasks of producing and editing the morn-ing news show. The first broadcast was aired in December 2016, and the students continue to volunteer their time daily to research news and brainstorm ways in which to make the program informative as well as entertaining for their viewers.

NMH Students ProduceMorning News Show

Orangeburg-Wilkinson Theatre Department is hosting a new Bruin Morn-ing Show. This is phase one of a PBL (Project Based Learning- CCEL) ini-tiative to broadcast school news and other program-ming school-wide pro-gramming. The plan is to expand to the community via the district’s YouTube channel and the local Channel 12 television station. Other projects in-clude interviews with school and community members. The productions will have numerous purposes including dis-seminating information, announcing upcoming events, presenting excerpts from events and performances and fostering a deeper connection between community and schools. Participants are: Savannah Dawson, Bernard Busby, Dakotah Dawson, Suntoria Benjamin, Tye Jones, Eric Tyler, Markeria Moorer, Kyla Haynes, Jas Shuler, Omari Washington, Devonte Coulter, Kaynika Harvin, Melinda Baughman, Jeanette Jackson, and Sydney Howell. Advisers are: Mrs. Angela Williams, Mrs. Georgette Hart, Dr. Casandra Jenkins, principal.

On December, 14, 2016, Bethune-Bowman Middle/High School held their annual Winter Concert put on by the student band and chorus. Fac-ulty, family, and friends gathered together in the Bethune-Bowman Cafete-ria to hear a collection of holiday songs which in-cluded “This Christmas”, “Christmas Time”, “Oh Christmas Tree”, and “Faliz Navidad”. The

band did a wonderful per-formance.

E-BlastJanuary, 2017

Orangeburg-Wilkinson HighOWHS Theatre Department Host the New Bruin Morning Show

BBMH Band Holds Winter Concert

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January, 2017

On January 28, 2017 the HSHP chapter of Fu-ture Business Leaders of America (FBLA) par-ticipated in District IV Leadership Conference in Charleston. We con-gratulate all of the mem-bers that attended and competed. District IV consists of 12 counties within South Carolina. The following stu-dents won their respec-tive competitions:Business Ethics: 1st

Place - McKayla Evans (11th Grade); Health Care Administration: 2nd Place - Alayshia Mack (9th Grade); Intro to Business Presentation: 1st Place

- Amaya Calloway, Takayla Hart & Christopher Key (all 10th Grade); Public Speaking I: 1st place - Jonathan Davis (10th Grade); Parliamentary Procedure: 1st place - Ahnazha Muhammad, Micah McCoy, Tekiah McClary, Tyjanik White & Danyel Dantzler (all 11th Grade); Public Service Announcement: 1st place - Layla McMillian & Stanley Montgomery (all 11th Grade). The students are now qualified to compete at the State Leadership Conference in March. The chapter ad-visers are Mrs. Andrea Jamison and Mr. Rahn Scott.

HSHP Chapler of FBLA Wins BIG!

Congratulations to the HSHP VEX Robotics Team 9823 Chrom Supremacy on their victory as Tournament Champions in the Phoe-nix Challenge held at Palmetto Scholars Academy on January 21, 2017. This win qualified them for State Competition. The team won 5 out of 6 match-es in the qualifying rounds and were undefeated through the finals. Team 9823 also won the Judges Award in Anderson, SC on January 14, 2017. Congratulations to the team members in attendance: Captain: Kirubha Rajadhas, Vice Captain: Reth Abraham, Drivers: William Ancrum, Kendarius

Butler, and Taylor Stewart. Congratulations to our second team, the Neo-Knights for overcoming adversity! The members are Keylon Walk-er and Arianna Sanders. Additionally, we thank Taylor Stewart for helping Neo-Knights with Driving and Chrom Supremacy for supporting.

Victory for HSHP VEX Robotics Team 9823

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E-BlastJanuary, 2017

Students from the Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five Technology Center (TTC) re-cently visited North Charleston, SC to participate in the DreamLearners Program at Boeing South Caro-lina. Students currently enrolled in the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Introduction to Engineering Design course were selected by their instructor, Ms. Phyllis Pelzer, P.E., a licensed engineer and PLTW program coordinator at TTC, and Advisor of the school’s Na-tional Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Jr. Chapter. As part of the program activities, students were divided into teams to design and build a paper air-plane capable of flying the furthest distance. With specific job roles such as engineers, pilots, mechan-ics, material handlers, and finance managers, the stu-dents gained valuable experience in group dynamics and its impact on team performance. The students were given a total of 15 minutes to complete the paper airplane building activity which included de-sign selection and assembly, pilot-testing, as well as financial management and accounting. After being evaluated for completeness and accuracy, the select-ed designs were allowed to compete in a competi-tion. The DreamLearners program and paper airplane building exercise are approved, grade-appropriate activities which meet academic standards in Math and Science. The student’s field experience is a part of the school’s School to Work Program (STW) under the direction of Mayor Michael Butler, the school’s STW Program Coordinator. The students were also

ENGINEERING STuDENTS’ IMAGINATIONS SOAR AT BOEING

supported and mentored by PLTW board member Dr. Anthony Stewart, Assistant Professor at Allen university and Vice-President of the South Carolina Midlands NSBE Professionals. For more information on the DreamLearners Tour, please visit https://weareboeingsc.com/dream-learners-program.

The members of the winning team included (l to r): Jerrell Thompson, Ashley Mitchell, Jaquel Brown, Malcolm Green, Benjamin Brockington, and Maia Pelzer. Phyllis Pelzer, P.E. (center) is the students’ PLTW teacher and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Advisor.

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January, 2017

Oratory Competition. . . (continued from pg. 2)

Since then, We as a people have suffered and sacrificed much in or-der to have equal rights. We as a people have suffered and sacrificed much in order to sit on the front seats of the bus. We as a people have suffered and sacrificed much in order to have good jobs with good benefits. We as a people have suffered and sacrificed much in order to attend the best colleges and universities. Because change was not automatic.I had a heart to heart conversation with my children, and I had to remind them that things don’t get done by themselves. Hard work pays off. Running for president or simply having my name on the ballot does not make me president. My job is to convince voters to vote for me. In other words, it is not automatic. America is the greatest country today, and yet I say we can be better. Our homes can be better. Our schools can be better. Our cities and our nation can be better. But this change is not automatic.My parents always taught me to be honest because nothing ruins the truth more than stretching it. If we want change to happen, teachers cannot continue to pass stu-dents to the next grade that cannot read, write, or do math on grade level. If we do this, we are giving students false hope. It is embarrassing for a student to receive a high school diploma and cannot read the information on it.College tuition is at an all-time high. The price of going to college continues to rise each and every year. It is time to make continuing education affordable to those that qualify. I am sure it is discouraging for a student to grad-uate from college with a degree and find out that there are no jobs in their field. As President of these great Unit-ed States, I will work with congress and local governing officials to put top jobs in every state and community.Along with jobs should come good benefits. I see peo-ple choosing between buying food and buying medica-tion. In America that should not be a choice. That’s why I would start the MLK Affordable Health Act. It’s time to make health care and medication affordable for every-body. We need a change, but change is not automatic.As a child, I remember singing a song; Red, Yellow, Black, White, we’re all precious in God’s sight. Yes, all of your lives matter.And finally as a candidate for President of this nation, I would like for you to know that God is my top advisor. You see, every morning I have to kneel be-fore God so I can stand before men. Step by Step, we will make this journey, but we must put all our trust in God. My fellow Americans, change will not come if we are waiting on someone else. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek. God bless you and God bless America.I AM Jessica Monique James representing Marshall Ele-mentary School, and I approve this message. Remember we need a change, but change is not automatic. Thank you.

JULY 2016 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

AUGUST 2016 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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JANUARY 2017 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

FEBRUARY 2017 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

MARCH 2017 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

APRIL 2017 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

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JUNE 2017 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

OCSD5 2016-2017 CALENDARJuly 4 .......................Independence Day HolidayAugust 8-12 .............Teacher Workdays/Staff DevelopmentAugust 15 .................First Day for StudentsSeptember 5 .............Labor Day (Holiday)September 14 ...........Interim Reports IssuedOctober 17 ..............1st Nine Weeks Ends (45th Day)October 21 ..............Parent/Teacher Conference Report Cards IssuedNov. 8 .....................Election Day (Holiday)Nov. 16 ...................Interim Reports IssuedNov. 23-25 ..............Thanksgiving HolidaysDec. 19-Jan. 2 .........Winter Break (Holidays)January 3 .................School Opens/Return from BreakJanuary 9-10 ............Teacher Workdays/Staff DevelopmentJanuary 12 ...............First Term Ends (90th Day)January 16 ...............Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Holiday)January 17 ...............Report Cards IssuedFebruary 15 ..............Interim Reports IssuedFebruary 20 ..............President’s Day (Holiday) or SW1March 17 .................Staff Development Day or SW2March 21 .................3rd Nine Weeks Ends (135th Day)March 28 .................Parent/Teacher Conference (Early Dismissal) Report Cards IssuedApril 10-14 ...............Spring BreakApril .........................ACT/Work Keys Testing - TBAApril 26 ....................Interim Reports IssuedMay .........................PASS, PASS Field Tests, Make-ups - TBAMAY 26 ....................GRADUATION (HSHP & North)MAY 27 ....................GRADUATION (O-W & Bowman)May 30 ....................2nd Terms Ends (180th Day) Report Cards IssuedMay 31 ....................Staff Development Day or SW3

School Days First & Last Day of School

No School for Students/Employees

Teacher Workday/No School for Students

Severe Weather Make-up Days End of Quarter(SW1-SW3)

Schools dismiss early on Tuesday afternoons for teacher planning.See www.ocsd5.net for details.

Beginning and ending dates for employee groups

190 August 8, 2016 - May 31, 2017200 August 1, 2016 - June 7, 2017210 July 25, 2016 - June 14, 2017220 July 18, 2016 - June 21, 2017230 July 11, 2016 - June 28, 2017240 July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017