RTHS Awarded Department of Education Grant

The U.S. Department of Education announced that Research Triangle High School was awarded a $522,000 grant to use over the next three years to directly fund for planning, program design and implementation.  We are honored to be one of eighteen new charter schools to receive the grant.  In the official Department of Education announcement, RTHS is listed as Contemporary Science Center, the founding non-profit organization.

We are also honored to be featured in a Herald-Sun article by Wes Platt that details how ecstatic we are to have received the grant:

Durham charter high school lands $522k federal grant

It just got a little easier for Research Triangle High School, Durham’s first charter high school, to build on what started this fall.

The federal Department of Education has announced that RTHS was one of 20 schools across the nation and one of only two in North Carolina to receive a grant to support planning and development.

Over the next three years, RTHS is expected to receive $522,000. The other Carolina school tapped for a grant was Triad Math and Science Academy in Greensboro.

“Everyone’s kind of ecstatic,” said Pam Blizzard, director of external engagement for RTHS. “It’s funding faculty salaries, our digital media program, (information technology) costs. It will let us keep building the school as a vehicle for outreach around the state. It’s really great.”

The grants, totaling about $4 million for this year, are intended to fund charter developers for planning, program design and startup of new charter schools, as well as sharing best practices and disseminating information about charter schools.

“High-quality charter schools across the country are making amazing differences in our children’s lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a prepared statement. “These grantees serve a range of students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and prepare them for college and careers.”

RTHS, a public charter school, is answerable to the state Department of Public Instruction and receives some state tax dollars, but not as much as traditional public schools. Charter schools receive no state money for capital outlay, for example, unlike traditional public schools.

Blizzard credited Amanda Marvelle, biology teacher and director of digital media for the school, for taking off the month of May to hunker down and focus on the grant application. Sandy Collins, parent of RTHS student Hailey Collins, stepped in for that month to help cover Marvelle’s administrative duties.

“We spent some time planning the grant, but then she just hid and cranked out a 50-page grant application,” Blizzard said. “I wasn’t sure we’d get it, because it’s such a competitive program. We feel really honored to be recognized.” By Wes Platt  wplatt@heraldsun.com; 919-419-6684

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Durham charter high school lands 522k federal grant 

Pieces and Bits: High School

The RTHS Raptor Repertory presents its inaugural show--

Pieces and Bits: High School

Join us for RTHS's first fall show, a musical revue about popularity, grades, and the rest of teenage life.  PIECES AND BITS: HIGH SCHOOL includes scenes from Class Action by Brad Slaight and music from Wicked, High School Musical, 13, and The Fantasticks, as well as Carly Rae Jepson and Justin Bieber.  Come support your fellow Raptors with a night of great performances!

SHOWTIMES
Thursday, October 25 7:30 PM
Friday, October 26 7:30 PM

TICKETS
RTHS students - Free
Children under 12 - Free
Others - $5
Tickets available at the door

Raptor Sports Report

Our cross country team took part in its biggest meet yet when it ran in the Great American Cross Country Festival on September 29, 2012 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Out of 20 teams in the independent school race, the boys' team finished 10th, with two runners finishing in the top 25 out of 150 competitors in the field.  Madison Daniel and Michal Swepson finished 9th and 24th respectively. The team will compete in the final meet of its successful inaugural season on Thursday, October 11 at Durham Academy.

RAWR!

Lunch with a Scientist

Friday, October 12th, 2012, students had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Ward Peterson, formerly of Inspire Pharmaceuticals, who shared a brief history of his work in drug development for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. He talked about his educational background and his current fun job flying to Vienna, Washington D.C. and London consulting for drug companies. The students were very engaged.

We will continue to bring in a wide variety of community members to talk to students during lunch. Be on the lookout for the next topic.  

Meet our faculty - Ms. Marianela Miller, Spanish

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Ms. Marianela Miller.

My name is Marianela Miller, but my friends call me Mari. I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I came to the United States when I was 17 years old. I graduated from George Washington High School, in Manhattan, New York. I got my B.A. in Spanish Literature from Hunter College, and my Master's in Education and Spanish Literature from Lehman College. I also have forty-five post-graduate credits in education from various colleges and universities of New York.

I've been teaching Spanish and ESL (English as a Second Language) since 1992. It's my passion. I love teaching, and I love young people. The years I have worked as a teacher have given me the opportunity to work with diverse populations from various ethnic, economic and social backgrounds. As a teacher, I have always been dedicated, with the desire to instill in my students the passion to be lifelong learners.

I am very excited to be part of the Research Triangle High School community. Moreover, I am eager to learn more about the flipped teaching program and how I can contribute to the school's overall success. I also feel privileged to be working with Mr. Grunden and his staff. I love his vision for the school and his dedication. I sincerely hope that this new school year will be a success for our students and us as educators.

Meet our faculty - Mrs. Mamie Hall, Social Studies

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Mrs. Mamie Hall.

Mamie Hall earned a B.A. in English Literature with minors in History and Secondary Education from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Most recently, Mrs.Hall taught middle school in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system for the past seven years. She is excited about working with RTHS students and helping them make a smooth transition into high school. Mrs. Hall is a National Board Certified teacher who has served as department chair, a mentor for beginning teachers, and a supervisor for pre-service teachers. She is passionate about not only providing the best possible education for her students, but also encouraging the next generation of  teachers. Mrs. Hall has been know to read multiple books at a time and has a particular affinity for historical fiction and biography. 

Meet our faculty - Mr. Ian Finley, English and Drama

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Mr. Ian Finley.

Ian Finley holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU (where he earned the Harry Kondoleon Award for Playwriting, 2002) and a BFA in acting from the University of Utah.  He has served as Director of Education for Burning Coal Theatre Company for eight years, where he expanded the program to bring hands-on experience with Shakespeare, playwriting and dramatic arts to thousands of students each year.

Mr. Finley is also an accomplished playwright, and currently serves as the 2012 Piedmont Laureate in the field of Playwriting and Screenwriting.  He is the author of several plays including Jude the Obscure - Parts 1 & 2, 1960, Green Square, Suspense, Giblet and the critically acclaimed Our Histories series of plays for Burning Coal Theatre Company.  His writing for digital media includes the award-winning Babel, Kaged and Klockwerk: The Shadow in the Cathedral. 

Mr. Finley has taught for fourteen years for the University of Utah's Youtheatre, Young Playwrights Inc. in New York, Southern Methodist University, and Burning Coal Theatre Company.  He is excited to begin teaching drama and English. 

Meet our faculty - Mrs. Tammy Darden, Exceptional Children

We are excited to share with you a little about our newest faculty member, Ms. Tammy Darden.

Mrs. Darden is joining Research Triangle High School from Wake County Public Schools, where she was the Special Service Teacher Assistant for five years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from East Carolina University with a dual licensure in Special Education and Reading for grades K-12.  Mrs. Darden is licensed to teach general curriculum special education, in-class resource, cross-categorical resource and reading intervention, and she has an extensive background in all inclusive programs serving students in Pre-K through 12th grade.

Through her educational studies, she has become proficient in writing and implementing student's individual education plans, six-step lesson plans centered on student assessments, and designing classroom management plans.

She is very excited to be joining the team at RTHS this fall.

Meet our faculty - Ms. Valerie Cosimano, Math

We are excited to share with you a little about our newest faculty member, Ms. Valerie Cosimano.

Valerie Cosimano is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she received a B.S. in mathematics. Due to the lack of an education school at the university, she worked through the rigorous mathematics curriculum that was expected of all math majors.  In addition, she also had the benefit of taking classes at Saint Mary's College to obtain certification in teaching mathematics.  Prior to switching to the mathematics program, Ms. Cosimano was a biochemistry major, which gave her an extensive science background.  
Ms. Cosimano is certified to teach mathematics in grades 6-12 in North Carolina.  She has had experience teaching all levels of mathematics (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II/Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus AB) and has worked with students in grades 6-12, including two years of full-time and one year of part-time teaching experience. She has worked at the Hunting Learning Center doing SAT prep, New York Regent's Exam prep, and subject tutoring.

Currently, Ms. Cosimano is completing her master's project on state testing.  She will complete her master's degree in mathematics education from Buffalo State College by the end of the summer of 2012. 

Meet our staff - Mrs. Mila Presutti, Office Manager

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest staff member, Ms. Mila Presutti.

Mila Presutti was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, and a BS in Business Administration from North Carolina Wesleyan College, (Rocky Mount, NC - RTP campus).  

She is trilingual, being fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.  Prior to joining the RTHS staff, she worked as an Enrollment Specialist at the Center for International Enrollment (CIE) for Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).  Mrs. Presutti actively participated in the creation of the WCPSS's Center for International Enrollment from its inception. As part of WCPSS Central Office's administrative personnel, she supported schools, teachers, students, and the community.  Previously, Mrs. Presutti was a teacher at Fred Olds Elementary School, where she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) and Spanish.  She started her career in education as an ESL teacher assistant when her daughter first started school at Wiley International Magnet School.  Mrs. Presutti is a professional with a strong multicultural background, an expert in effective school administrative support, and a professional with a passion for education. 

Meet our staff - Ms. Nicole Wilson, Accountant

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest staff member, Ms. Nicole Wilson.

Nicole Wilson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, and a Master of Business Administrations summa cum laude from Campbell University.

Ms. Wilson is originally from Clinton, NC where she managed her family's business.  Ms. Wilson is excited to be moving to the Triangle area to serve as the finance officer at RTHS.

Mr. Grunden receives the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

On June 11th, 2012, President Obama named 97 math and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. We are excited to announce that our very own Mr. Grunden was one of these 97 teachers.  He will receive his award in Washington, D.C. later this month from the president himself. 

Check out the official news release here.

Meet our staff - Mr. Daniel Eckert, IT

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Mr. Daniel Eckert.

Daniel Eckert is a Senior at North Carolina State University completing a B.S. degree in Computer Science with a minor in History.  He enjoys leveraging complementary experiences in web design, web application development, software design/development, network design/engineering, and information assurance, and he is excited to be working with RTHS to design and implement its information technology infrastructure.

Since graduating from Raleigh's William G. Enloe High School, Mr. Eckert has interleaved his studies with work for more than a dozen companies and organizations, including Iowa State University, SAS Institute, Cisco Systems, NC State University, Cigital, and most recently, Microsoft.  He also serves as a private consultant, helping individuals and organizations adopt and update information technology practices, and he develops HostedGroups, an online service that provides management tools for community service clubs and organizations.  He currently holds a CCNA certification from Cisco Systems and plans to complete the CCNP and CCDP certifications in 2013.

As an avid volunteer, Mr. Eckert enjoys contributing his time to student groups and non-profit organizations to help them realize increased efficiency and efficacy in their operations.  Outside of the IT realm, he often volunteers as a backstage technician and production staff member for shows at Raleigh Little Theatre, where he also serves on the Board of Directors.

Meet our faculty - Mrs. Melissa Young Gresham, Math

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Ms. Melissa Young Gresham.

Melissa Young Gresham is joining the RTHS team from The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro, NC.  Mrs. Gresham is originally from Garner, NC and is excited to be back in the Triangle area.

Ms. Gresham is a certified high school math teacher with a Bachelor of Science Degree summa cum laude in Mathematics and Secondary Education from North Carolina A&T State University. Mrs. Gresham's other accolades include being a graduate of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program and holding a certification in Academically and Intellectually Gifted instruction. 

Mrs. Gresham has spent the past four years teaching Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra II, and Honors Pre-Calculus at The Early College at Guilford.  In addition to teaching, she served as the student council adviser and varsity cheerleading coach.

Mrs. Gresham has a lot of energy and enthusiasm that she cannot wait to bring to RTHS and the math department!

Meet our faculty - Mr. William (Bill) Massey, Visual Arts

We are excited to share with you a little bit about our newest faculty member, Bill Massey.

I grew up on a small farm in Northampton County where, beginning at age six, I was reared by my paternal grandmother.  I tell you that because there is not better preparation for life than hard work on a farm, and the guiding influence of a wise and caring grandparent.  Though a native North Carolinian, I lived and worked all over the world in my former corporate career in which I held marketing executive positions with IBM, Exxon, Sheraton, and GE. 

My interest in visual art was sparked while serving as Chief Operating Officer for a large advertising agency in Boston, MA, prompting me to attend the Massachusetts College of Art and North Carolina State University's College of Art and Design where I obtained a bachelor of arts degree.

Combining my business experience with my art education, I subsequently held creative director positions with prominent advertising agencies in Boston, MA, Denver, CO, and Raleigh, NC.

My passion for teaching was ignited when I conducted a series of seminars on the role of art and design in business.  Thus inspired, I obtained a North Carolina K-12 visual arts teaching certification and taught middle school art and AVID in Granville County, where I was a Teacher of the Year in 2009.  

In addition to my educational pursuits at NC State and Mass Art, and in my ongoing quest to constantly learn as I teach, I have taken numerous art or education classes at Barton College, Campbell University, and North Carolina Central University.  

Now, armed with all that I am and all that I know, I enthusiastically embark, with my fellow faculty members at RTHS, upon this journey into the minds and lives of our students, and with our students into their futures.