Greeting GMS Community,
Congratulations to all our students, staff, and families on completing our first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year. This year continues to be like no other as we continue to work to find the best ways to connect, engage, and learn. We continue to extend our gratitude to our GMS community for the support and recognize and appreciate all the partnership and work our families are doing to support the success of our students. This is a true testament to GMS’s resiliency and the bond we share as a community.
We look forward to the Thanksgiving Holiday as a time to be with friends and family (remotely or in-person). Students will have off November 25- 27. November 23-24 are marked as “Remote Learning Days”. These are days that were required by Legislation and consist of students working on their own assignments, asynchronously. Teachers will be assigning work that students can do independently on this day. When this work is submitted to the teachers, students will be marked as present for these days.
On November 20, we will celebrate our 2020 graduates virtually at 6:00 pm. GMS was hoping for the opportunity to have an in-person graduation ceremony; however, we continue to focus on health and safety in the decision to host this ceremony remotely. The Class of 2020’s Virtual Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 20, 2020, at 6 PM.
Thank you again to everyone for your incredible demonstration of resiliency and determination as we proceed this school year. We will continue to work hard to provide high-quality individualized instruction and utilize as many tools we have at our disposal. We look forward to a successful and fun 2nd quarter and wish our students continued success.
Sincerely,
Matthew Mescall
Principal
Ms. Minter is Featured in News-Times “Coastal Living”
Author: Cheryl Burke
Grace Minter, a recent college graduate and new teacher, has once again proven that obstacles are made to overcome. Ms. Minter, 25, born legally blind, was recently named the North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year. The N.C. Association for Colleges of Teacher Educators announced the award during a zoom meeting ceremony Sept. 24.
After graduating as valedictorian in May from Mid-Atlantic Christian College in Elizabeth City, Ms. Minter was hired as a Braille education teacher in August at Governor Morehead School, a school for the blind in Raleigh. She did her student teaching earlier this year at J.C. Sawyer Elementary School in Elizabeth City. In an email to the News-Times, the Morehead City native said she was surprised to receive the award. Each of the state’s teaching colleges and universities select a finalist, with those picked vying for the state award. She was selected by a panel of judges from 10 state finalists. “I am both honored and humbled because when I heard the other nine finalists being described I thought to myself that each of them deserve the award,” she said. “All I did was do my best to love and bless each student as the special person they are, made in the image of their creator and infinitely valuable to him, while helping them overcome their own challenges.”
Ms. Minter said she is driven by a determination to teach her students that if she can overcome, they can, too. “As a legally blind teacher with a guide dog, I don’t just value diversity, I personify it, bringing a unique message to share: any challenge can be overcome with the right mindset,” she said. “Daily I demonstrate that physical limitations do not hold me back. I want my students to see this and be motivated to overcome their own struggles.”
Another passion for Ms. Minter is her love of reading. “As a student teacher at J.C. Sawyer Elementary School my favorite thing to focus on was literacy and reading comprehension,” she said. “I truly believe that reading enriches our lives in so many ways and is the access point to so many other areas of learning.”
She added that she got the best of both worlds when she landed her new job. “I absolutely love being a teacher at the Governor Morehead School for the blind,” she said. “I am the Braille education teacher, which means I get to do exactly what I love, teach literacy to open doors for my students. Only the medium has changed from print to Braille.” Ms. Minter currently teaches 23 students in grades kindergarten through 12. “The students I work with are incredible young people and it is an absolute joy to see them grow,” she said. “I teach some of them one-on one and others in small groups via Microsoft Teams. I look forward to the day when we will all be together at school.”
Ms. Minter received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with a minor in Bible, from Mid- Atlantic. Accompanying Ms. Minter on her journey through college and into her new profession has been her leader dog Stormy, a 7-year-old male golden retriever.
A graduate of West Carteret High School, she chose as her senior project in 2014 to help train leader dog puppies by working alongside Tom Snively of Morehead City, who helped raise and train puppies for the Leader Dogs for the Blind school in Rochester Hills, Mich. Ms. Minter’s love for her current dog Stormy is evident and the faithful canine is an important part of her everyday life. She was matched with the dog the summer prior to entering college. As well as beginning her teaching career, Ms. Minter has created a website to promote family literacy and encourage children to overcome challenges. To learn more about Ms. Minter and her mission, visit theblindbibliophile.com.
Grace Minter wins Student Teacher of the Year award Grace Minter of Morehead City, who is legally blind, stands with her leader dog Stormy in front of Governor Morehead School in Raleigh, where she teaches. (Contributed photo) Grace Minter of Morehead City, who is legally blind, reads with the help of a Braille notebook as she sits next to her leader dog Stormy. Ms. Minter, who teaches Braille at Governor Morehead School in Raleigh, was recently named the Student Teacher of the Year by the N.C. Association for Colleges of Teacher Educators.
November is Family Engagement Month
Governor Cooper has proclaimed November as Family Engagement Month! As stated in the Proclamation, “it is important for schools, early learning settings, and the community to welcome families, plan for family engagement, and to assist families in engaging their child’s learning in ways that are effective.”
Family involvement in a child’s education is one of the biggest predictors of success. During COVID-19 many families are challenged trying to balance a more involved role in their child’s education and the day to day demands of life. The Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) is proud to announce the celebration of families and schools and the promotion of activities for Family Engagement Month.
The Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) has put together several calendars for families and educators to celebrate family engagement. Please visit their website to download one of the calendars or contact 1-800-962-6817 or email ecac@ecacmail.org.
Information on the GMS Strong, Safe School Toolkit
The GMS Plan for a “Safe, Strong School” incorporates guidance from the Public Health Toolkit, the Infection Control and PPE Guidance, the Toolkit for Long-Term Care Settings, and best practices recommended by health organizations including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). GMS will implement the practices required by all public-school units. These “required” practices are essential baseline actions to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 for students, staff, and families across North Carolina. “GMS Strong, Safe School Toolkit” and is available on our website for your information and review.
Pinkout 2020
From Mrs. Laura Wooten
In the words of Gomer Pyle, “thank you, thank you, thank you”…Pink Out 2020 was a huge success!!! Thanks to you, family, friends, and community partners…
$1,238
Thanks to all who donated and supported Pink Out 2020. The funds will help many fighting cancer. We will donate to Pretty in Pink North Carolina and assist cancer patients right here in our community!
Science Museum Hosts STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities Virtually
Update 11/18/2020: STEM Career Showcase follow-up on GMS’s Facebook page.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts the 8th annual STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities on Tuesday, November 17, 1:00-3:30pm. The Showcase is a free educational event where students in grades 6–12 meet role models with disabilities who have thriving careers in STEM fields. This year’s showcase will be an entirely virtual experience that will feature remarks from keynote speaker Gina-Maria Pomann and the opportunity for students to engage with several panelists. Attendees will learn about how the panelists’ lived experiences and diverse perspectives shaped their unique approaches to navigating and pushing boundaries in their fields. The 8th Annual STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities will start at 1pm EST on Tuesday, November 17.
GMS Celebrates Veterans Day
GMS looks forward to celebrating our nation’s veterans on November 11. This is a day we reflect on our veterans’ dedication and sacrifice to show our gratitude for their service. GMS will do this by sending personal care messages of appreciation to Veteran’s Hospitals for patients with no family and share family stories of service. They will also dress in our nation’s colors, learn important events and dates in American history that were shaped by the military services, and continue to learn how our military serves us all as one nation. We also want to take the opportunity to recognize our GMS community members, GMS family members, and GMS staff who served by expressing a deep-hearted thank you! We are proud to live, work, learn, and represent a state school in the great state of North Carolina, served and protected by our military service members who unite us all as one country, the United States of America. Thank you for your service
Message from Governor Morehead Foundation
Dear GMS supporter,
Please make a tax-deductible donation to the Governor Morehead Foundation. We support GMS. Our mission is to foster the enlightenment of children and young adults of North Carolina with vision- impairment by providing funding for life experiences, academic programs and vision services, staff enrichment, and initiatives of both current and former Governor Morehead School students. Our Vision is in service to the Governor Morehead School so the students may achieve a more prosperous future.
Last year, we organized a Garden Party at the home of one of our board members and GMS alumni, Francisco Chavez. It was a wonderful afternoon with music, speeches, and gathering of new and long-time friends coming together to support the mission and vision of the Governor Morehead Foundation.
We also co-hosted a magical Christmas fundraiser on the GMS campus where supporters got into the Holiday spirit by singing and bidding in a silent auction with prizes big and small.
We’ve secured an Epson 9890 inkjet 44-inch printer for the Career Center. The funds raised have paid for lodging for students participating at the Model UN competition, the Eastern Music Festival, and Senior class trip to Atlanta.
Also, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we are supplying hot spots that will ensure students’ connection to their remote learning.
We have donated gift cards to families who needed assistance with food and household supplies.
Please help us continue to make a difference in GMS students’ lives by enrolling on the State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC).
Sincerely,
The Governor Morehead Foundation