April Herron-White’s class at Carter High School celebrated the end of their year by composing a class book together. Created with help from Studentreasures Publishing, “The BIGGEST Wildcats EC Career Training Class” chronicles the students’ experiences in high school, the activities they’ve enjoyed the most, the skills they’ve learned, and their ambitions after graduating high school. The book features biographies written by EC Teacher Assistant Regina Sockwell and images provided by Art Teacher Ronnie Harris.
Herron-White says that the book project served as an inspiration for her students to challenge themselves. It encouraged them to think about their futures and allowed them to see their hopes embodied in a tangible form. She hopes they’ll carry that confidence forward into everything they do.
“It gave them more self-confidence that they can be anything they want to be,” Herron-White said. “It gives them hope that they can do far more than they think.”
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Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy Senior Alexa Cruz is one of only a few hundred students in the nation to be chosen for The Gates Scholarship in 2026. Covering the recipient’s entire cost of college attendance after financial aid, the award is given only to seniors who have demonstrated exceptional academic success, leadership skills, and personal maturity during their time in school. The program receives over 100,000 applications per year, and fewer than 400 are chosen.
Ruiz will attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the fall and plans to study nursing. She says that winning the scholarship is a life-changing moment for her, and she’s grateful that the staff at WSPA were supportive of her throughout the application process. Her teachers and counselors have always made her feel like she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to.
“It makes a big difference because they’re your support system, they’re your village,” Ruiz said. “My teachers are like my family.”
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Reynolds High School partnered with Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont and Brenner Children's Hospital for a day of educational activities centered on road safety on Thursday. High schoolers cycled between stations focused on substance abuse risk, traffic stop protocols, DUI testing, first aid, pedestrian safety, and more. Because there are so many factors that go into staying safe on the road, programs like this that remind young drivers to be mindful can make a life-saving difference.
"They're going to encounter a lot of dangers out there while they're learning to drive, and they'll need to learn a lot of precautions," said Mykel Jones, an HBCU Fellow who presented on behalf of the NCDOT's BeRailSafe program. "I believe we're getting them at the right time with a program like this."
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The Board of Education recognized 15 educators who won grants from the WS/FCS Education Foundation during their meeting on Tuesday night. The foundation's first cycle of 2026 provided $19,350 that teachers can use to implement innovative classroom initiatives and enrichment opportunities. Congratulations educators, and thank you to the Education Foundation for your support!
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The Board of Education recognized students who won regional Scholastic Art Awards during a recent meeting. WS/FCS competes for these awards in a region with 27 counties that saw over 1,000 submissions this year. The district's students won nine Gold Key, 17 Silver Key, and 12 honorable mention awards at the regional level, and Miley Ellis from Lewisville Middle School went on to win a national Silver Key award.
The Gold and Silver Key winning projects can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/ywyj66za. Congratulations to our district's many talented artists!
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Soccer players at Griffith Elementary School played on a bigger pitch than they’re used to when they joined a practice with the men’s soccer team at Wake Forest University. The college players helped their guests practice skills and gave them some insight into what it’s like to play college sports. The Griffith players left with a new sense of determination to apply themselves and make the most of their talents.
“These are smart guys with a lot of experience, so I feel like I’m getting better by playing with them,” said Fifth Grader Jamareo Pinkney. “I’m having a lot of fun."
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Players and coaches from Winston-Salem State University’s volleyball and football teams joined Kimberley Park Elementary School for their field day on Friday. The teams played games with the students and visited classrooms to offer advice on how to succeed in sports, academics, and life. Principal Diamond Gwyn says working with WSSU offers her students a reminder of what they can achieve by working hard and making good decisions.
“We want to get our kids thinking about who they want to be after they leave us,” Gwyn said. “We want them to be ready for success after Kimberley Park.”
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Wiley Middle School celebrated its 100th anniversary last week with a special program at Reynolds Auditorium. Students performed songs and dances, former principals told their stories, Former Miss America Nia Franklin sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and North Carolina Music Hall of Famer Ben Folds discussed the impact Wiley had on his career as an artist. The night was a strong endorsement of the long-lasting benefits of a good education with WS/FCS.
“I had a really, really great band teacher. His name was Chick Shelton, and he’s the one that the band room is named after now,” Folds said of his time at Wiley. “I just had a really great two years here.”
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Kernersville Elementary School recently celebrated 100 years since the establishment of the first Kernersville school building. The campus has taught a wide range of grades in that time, and its schools have hosted plenty of interesting people, from statewide sports champions to integration trailblazers. ESL Teacher William Sykes, who organized the school’s exhibits for its anniversary celebration, hopes that learning more about the school’s history will inspire students with a healthy curiosity about the world around them.
“History fascinates me because it’s always right beneath the surface,” Sykes said. “There’s so much here that you don’t know anything about until you start to look.”
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DINE WS/FCS will kick off another year of its summer meal program with a public event at Clemmons Middle School on April 24. This year's program will introduce a take-home meal option. Learn more on our website at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/article/2818270.
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Walkertown High School's FFA invited local elementary students to their Agriculture Day on Friday. Students spent time up close with horses, cows, chickens, rabbits, goats, and more as they learned about raising animals and the impact the field has on their everyday lives. FFA Advisor Jalynn Sifford hopes that the event instilled a new appreciation in the kids for agriculture and the people who practice it.
"Whether it's where your food comes from, what your clothes are made of, or what kind of animals we depend on, agriculture is everywhere and it's important to be educated about it," Sifford said.
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North Forsyth High School students took a trip to Old Richmond Elementary School on Thursday to read stories with the younger students. Several of the high schoolers are planning to study elementary education in college, so this was a valuable chance to spend time at the head of a classroom. It was also a way to show elementary schoolers that their upperclassmen care about them and their literacy.
"The children are always excited to have visitors, especially if they're older kids," said Old Richmond Assistant Principal Tracy Holder-Kearns. "They really look up to these high schoolers."
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Atkins High School Sophomore Madison Johnson was one of only 100 high schoolers in the nation selected for the 2026 Disney Dreamers Academy. During this multi-day event, she attended sessions with leading professionals in industries ranging from healthcare to entertainment to marketing, filmed professional video productions in Hollywood Studios, and spent time with celebrities like WNBA Star A'ja Wilson and Painter Nikkolas Smith.
An aspiring engineer, Johnson says that attending Atkins has not only boosted her skills with science and math, but also taught her to be more confident in her abilities and ambitions. Participating in Disney Dreamers Academy was an extension of that confidence, and with this once-in-a-lifetime experience under her belt, she's more determined than ever to be successful in life.
"I really feel like I brought back more confidence with me," Johnson said. "You just really have to put in the work so that you can achieve your dreams."
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The Board of Education recognized Business Teacher Wilton Mitchell from Kennedy High School on Tuesday night for winning CTE Teacher of the Year from the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Congratulations, Mr. Mitchell!
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The Board of Education recognized the Atkins High School Academic Team for earning both the regular season championship and the tournament championship for this year's WS/FCS academic competition season during their meeting on Tuesday night. The team also earned regular season honors in English, math and science. Congratulations, Atkins!
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Speas Global Elementary School took their community on a trip around the world during their annual International Night on Friday. Students and staff presented research projects on countries across the world and shared those countries' cultures through music, dance, crafts, and more. International Night is the perfect opportunity to show off the vibrant worldview that students develop when they attend a magnet school with international curriculum, as well as a chance to bring the whole neighborhood together for a night of fun.
"It's a great way to build connections, both globally and within our school," said Stephanie Miller, a fifth grade dual-language immersion teacher at Speas. "Everybody has such a good time."
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Reynolds' theatre program is dazzling audiences this weekend with their production of Frozen, and the show debuted on Thursday with a twist that makes it more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. Learn more at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/article/2788148.
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Fourth graders at Clemmons Elementary School spent Friday morning bringing history to life with their Black History Wax Museum. Visitors roamed the cafeteria and spoke with costumed characters to learn more about famous Black scientists, artists, athletes, activists, and other trailblazers. Students who made projects for the wax museum felt like they came away with a better appreciation of how the historical figures they researched took initiative to enrich their communities, as well as how they can make a difference themselves.
"History helps us figure out what to do in the future," said Fourth Grader Emma Peek, whose project was on Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space. "It helps us understand what's important."
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The Board of Education recognized 55 student athletes from seven schools for winning NCHSAA state championships in cheerleading, swimming, track and field, and wrestling during their meeting on Tuesday night. Congratulations athletes!
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The Board of Education recognized eight magnet schools who earned grants and awards for their innovative programming during their meeting on Tuesday night.
Brunson Elementary School, Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, Wiley Middle School, and Flat Rock Middle School all received Burroughs Welcome Grants for creating projects that foster inquiry-based learning, support for teachers, and hands-on enrichment for students.
Atkins High School, John F. Kennedy High School, The Downtown School, and Reynolds High School all won national merit awards from Magnet Schools of America. Well done, magnet schools!
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