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SAS is going to high school.

The Cary software company is expanding a pilot programming course taught at Apex High School to nine other high schools this academic year.

Seven of the newly added schools are in North Carolina, including Cary High School and the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, and one each is in Florida and Alabama. The course will be available to high schools across the country beginning in January.

“I do think it is something that can be successful nationwide,” said Julie Oster, director of Apex High’s information technology-oriented curriculum. “It’s a skill that is in high demand … because SAS is used in so many industries. Statistical analysis is now everywhere.”

John Garrison, a senior at Apex High who took the SAS course last year, said it opened his eyes to the power of data. “It really allows for a lot of statistical analysis,” he said. “It’s a great platform for learning.”

The teen said he found the “syntax” of SAS — the basics of the programming language — easy. But it was harder to determine the best ways to process and manipulate data, which is at the heart of the company’s business intelligence and analytics software.

SAS, which has more than 4,000 workers in Cary, views the course as a way of doing good — enriching student curricula — as well as helping itself by spreading the word about the company and training what is potentially a new generation of SAS programmers.

That’s important because demand for SAS programmers exceeds supply. Demand is especially high at pharmaceutical and financial services companies that use SAS software.

The high school program is an extension of the company’s efforts to teach SAS skills at the university level.

That includes helping to develop N.C. State University’s master’s degree program in analytics and a data mining certificate program at Oklahoma State University.

Nor is SAS’s push into high schools unique. More schools are offering information technology curricula, and IT companies are eager to work with them. Cisco Systems courses were taken by 2,939 students at 47 high schools in North Carolina from October 2006 to October 2007, the company said.

“The same courses I’m teaching at high school, you can actually take at a community college or university,” said Geof Duncan, who teaches two Cisco courses — network engineering technology I and II — at Knightdale High School.

The first course teaches students to set up a wired or wireless network in a home or small office. The advanced course teaches skills such as configuring routers. Combined, the two courses are the equivalent of one college course.

Leslie Keller, the Apex teacher who worked with SAS to adapt its adult certification program for the high school level, views the course as useful even for students who don’t pursue a career in IT.

“All programming language is problem-solving and critical thinking, regardless of what the programming language is,” she said. “In addition, SAS offers a broader perspective and appreciation of data and how it can be beneficial and how it can be used.”

SAS’s sophisticated business intelligence and analytics software isn’t easily explained in a few words, but Keller has a pat description: “SAS takes data and turns it into useful information. It analyzes the data, creates reports from the data in many, many different ways.”

For years SAS has been approached by high schools interested in teaching SAS programming. Until now the company didn’t have a course to offer them, said Caroline McCullen, director of SAS education initiatives

Read More:News & Observer

Third Annual Essay Contest Gives Kids Chance to Thank Outstanding Drivers

“America’s school bus drivers are collectively doing an outstanding job of safely transporting our children to and from school every day,” says John O’Leary, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses, the leading manufacturer of school buses in the United States. To recognize the contributions individual drivers make to children’s safety every year, Thomas Built sponsors an annual Children’s Choice School Bus Driver of the Year essay contest.

With their parents’ help, children in kindergarten through sixth grades can nominate their favorite drivers by submitting a 90-word essay on what makes their driver so special. Now in its third year, the contest runs until August 1, 2008. Winners earn a $1,000 educational savings bond and laptop computer for the nominating child and a $1,000 Visa gift card for the nominated driver. All winners and runners up also receive Thomas Built Buses jackets and Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus lunch boxes. To enter the contest, visit www.thomasbus.com/contest for complete rules and an entry form.

Completed forms and typed or legibly printed 90-word essays should be mailed to: Children’s Choice Essay Contest, HMH, 1435 W. Morehead St., Suite 140, Charlotte, NC 28208.

School buses are the safest and largest mass transportation system in the United States, according to research by the School Bus Information Council (SBIC). Consider the following eye-opening facts about school bus safety:

* Each year, the nation’s 450,000 yellow school buses annually make 8.8 billion student trips carrying 24 million children, the SBIC reports.

*While nearly equal numbers of children ride the school bus as use other modes of transportation in getting to school, in 2003, the last year for which statistics are available, five passengers were fatally injured while riding in school buses. By contrast, every year about 800 school aged children lose their lives on their way to school while either riding in private passenger vehicles, walking or biking, according to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

* Long gone are the dubiously maintained and equipped school buses you might remember from your own childhood. Today’s buses have safety devices that range from specially cushioned high-backed seats, and flashing red and yellow warning lights to rollover protection, enhanced braking systems and buses can now be equipped with optional three-point lap-shoulder belts for every seat without reducing passenger capacity.

* School bus drivers undergo rigorous special training, must hold commercial drivers licenses, and submit to criminal background and substance screening tests.

“Modern school buses are outfitted with extensive safety devices but one of the most important contributors to your child’s safety is the bus driver,” O’Leary says.

To nominate your driver for “School Bus Driver” of the year, visit http://www.thomasbus.com/contest  for complete rules and an entry form.

Raleigh, N.C. — The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education is receiving a $25,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation to improve use of technology in educating North Carolina youth. The grant, part of the AT&T Excelerator program, will fund technology enhancement, reinforcement and expansion the Poe Center’s programs and evaluation methods.The project will improve the Poe Center’s website to give students, teachers and parents better access to health education curriculum and resources. It will also provide for an online evaluation system. By expanding its website, the Poe Center will expand its reach to all of North Carolina and beyond.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

Raleigh, N.C. - Despite unseasonably warm weather across the state, Kerr Drug is offering flu shots until January 31, 2008 at several Triangle locations. As one of the state’s leading pharmacy chains, Kerr Drug is encouraging people to get their flu shot before the flu season peaks.

The following Triangle Kerr Drug Health Care Center locations will be offering flu shots until January 31, 2008, so call to make your appointment

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

Carolina Unmanned Vehicles, Inc. (CUV), Raleigh, North Carolina, has delivered a Lightweight Aerostat System (LAS) to Lockheed Martin Corporation.

The Helikite, supplied by Allsopp Helikites Ltd. of Great Britain, has lifting surfaces that generate aerodynamic lift to support the blimp in winds which drive traditional designs into the ground by wind drag. LAS can be launched in 35 mph winds and continue operations in 50 mph wind. With the Helikite, LAS can be made smaller than traditional aerostat systems yet still operate in much higher winds, improving mobility, mission utility and capability in adverse weather. Versions of LAS are suitable for surveillance / security, communications relay and research missions for Defense and Homeland Security missions. It operates for weeks at a time at a fraction of the cost of comparable aircraft or Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV). LAS requires only two technicians, not highly trained pilots or UAV operators. It is readily operated in FAA controlled airspace, unlike most UAVs.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

RALEIGH - The rapid pace of Raleigh’s growth is forcing officials to rewrite the city’s core planning document for the first time in nearly two decades.Today, the city begins a 15-month public process to update its comprehensive plan, which is Raleigh’s long-term vision for how it should grow.

The comprehensive plan — a document about the size of two phone books — is perhaps the most important city document residents have never heard of. It helps determine where roads, parks and greenways go, as well as how crowded certain areas of the city should become.

“This is the primary tool we’ll use to control the growth,” said Mitchell Silver, Raleigh’s planning director. “How big does Raleigh want to be?”

Raleigh’s population has increased more than 70 percent to about 368,000 since the latest comprehensive plan update in 1989. Over the next two decades, the city could grow by another 70 percent if the 20,000 acres of remaining undeveloped land is built out according to current plans.

How this growth occurs or doesn’t occur will affect everything from the environment and transportation to affordable housing and water resources. Although the comprehensive plan does not supersede existing zoning rules, state statutes require that all rezoning cases take it into consideration.

“It’s a blueprint of where you want to be,” Silver said.

The update will provide the city an opportunity to incorporate more state-of-the-art planning tools. One option is to create economic development zones, or places where the city would consider investing public money to spur development.

Where and when to make such public investments became an issue this year after developer John Kane asked the City Council to provide assistance for his North Hills East project.

Another hot-button issue that the updated plan will have to deal with is infill development. Over the next 20 years, older areas of the city will experience some redevelopment as property owners tear down existing houses and put up larger buildings.

“The biggest issue is how we’ll approach density and infill,” said Brad Mullins, chairman of the Raleigh Planning Commission.

The Planning Department will hold three citywide workshops next month at which residents will be asked to say what they want the updated plan to include. Silver said that those priorities will help guide public funding. For instance, the 1989 plan made greenways a priority and set the stage for the current greenway system.

Read More: News & Observer

Survey Reveals School Nurses Treat More Than 16 Ill Students Every Day

(ARA) - School nurses say more can be done in America’s classrooms to help prevent the spread of illness, especially at the height of cold and flu season when more than half of school nurses, who were recently surveyed, send five or more sick children home each day.

According to the new survey of school nurses from the National Association of School Nurses about germs at school sponsored by The Clorox Company, 76 percent of school nurses treat more than 16 ill students every day.

In addition to ensuring proper hand washing in the classroom, the survey revealed:

* An overwhelming 94 percent of nurses surveyed believe classroom cleaning protocols for teachers to follow would help combat germs at school.

* Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe disinfecting plays an extremely important role in maintaining a healthy classroom.

* 98 percent disinfect their own offices. It’s also important for sick students to stay home. More than half of students seen by school nurses came to school ill.

Traditionally, school custodial staff members clean areas of the classroom including floors, chalkboards, sinks and bathrooms, but do not disinfect desktops, computer keyboards and mice, and other high-touch areas where germs can harbor. It’s left to teachers and parents to clean these items.

A fall 2005 study by the University of Arizona further shed light on the importance of cleaning in schools. After comparing bacteria presence on office surfaces of professionals in different occupations, the study ranked classrooms as the No. 1 workplace for germs and named teachers as having the “germiest” job.

Help to Expel Germs
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 52 million cases of the common cold each year among Americans under the age of 17. With illness keeping students out of school for a national average of four days a year, experts advise parents to devise a plan of action for how to deal with their kids’ sick days.

Donna Mazyck, president of the National Association of School Nurses offers the following tips for helping to reduce the spread of germs in the classroom:

* Teach children hand-washing habits; it is one of the most important thing teachers can do to help prevent illness during the school year. Use warm, soapy water and rub hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds (about the same time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.)

* Use disinfecting wipes regularly on commonly touched classroom surfaces to decrease the level of germs that can cause illness.

* Encourage kids to cough and sneeze into their elbows, not their hands (where they’re more likely to spread viruses through touch).

* Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, as these are easy ways to transmit germs after coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.

* If you are uncertain about when to keep a sick child home, it’s important to talk with your school nurse or doctor.

Clorox is providing tips and tools for teachers to help them expel germs from their classroom. For more information on promoting a healthier classroom, teachers can sign up at www.cloroxclassrooms.com to download free “Clean Up the Classroom” lesson plans, children’s games and more.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

CONGRATULATIONS TO AVERSBORO ELEMENTARY, CREECH ROAD ELEMENTARY,

SCHOOL ON MEETING THE CRITERIA FOR BECOMING A SCHOOL OF PROGRESS UNDER

CONGRATULATIONS TO EAST GARNER MIDDLE SCHOOL ON RECEIVING $3830 FROM

HOLOCAUST AND REMEMBERING

Read More About Garner NC

Do your school parent group meetings consist of the same four people each month? Does your child’s classroom need a volunteer to take on a special project? Are you trying to recruit volunteers to help with the school festival? These tips will help you attract school volunteers

and keep them coming back to help. 5 Things Volunteers Love

“We’re so glad you’re here.” A warm welcome can win your volunteer’s heart. Introduce her to others. Show her where the restroom is and how to use the copy machine. Include her in conversations. If the work environment is pleasant, your volunteer is much more likely to participate again.

“We’re doing this because…” Help your volunteer understand how her role relates to your overall goals or mission. Working on the assembly line is no fun if you can’t see the finished product.

“Thank you so much.” Let your volunteer know you appreciate her help, whether she donated an hour or a week, whether she did the most difficult task or the easiest. She could have spent time with her family or at the gym or with the Girl Scouts.

“Whatever works best for you.” People have different styles and abilities. Whenever possible, let volunteers take ownership of the process. Give them the goals of the project or the desired outcome, and let them choose their own way to get there. Don’t say “we do things this way,” especially if there’s no compelling reason to stick with the status quo.

“Your hour’s up.” New volunteers are almost universally concerned that the time commitment will be too much. Want to impress a new volunteer? Ask her to spend an hour helping out, then remind her when the hour’s up. (And don’t forget to say thank you!)

5 Things Volunteers Hate “We don’t need you after all.” Your volunteer shows up on time and ready to help. But when she gets there, she discovers there’s no work to do. Maybe you have enough help already. Maybe the task changed and you’re going to do it a different way at a different time. The reason doesn’t matter. The message to the volunteer is: “Not only don’t we need you, we also didn’t care enough about you or your time to tell you before you drove over here.”

“We just need to run to the store.” When the volunteer shows up to do some work, all of the materials to do the job are not yet in place. While organizers gather everything that’s needed, volunteers end up standing around, waiting. The message: Volunteering with your group is a big time-waster.

“Good night, and good luck.” Being given a job to do without proper instruction or the tools to do the job properly can be very frustrating — especially if you leave your volunteer on her own to figure things out for herself. Most people won’t submit to that kind of experience twice.

“Just another hour-or so.” You ask the volunteer to donate an hour of her time. But it turns out to be the great elastic hour — it stretches and stretches until the job is done. She might stick around to see things through, but she’ll think twice before committing to help out again.

“You’re doing it all wrong!” It’s OK to tell a volunteer when she’s doing the wrong thing, but presentation matters. Be helpful rather than confrontational. Anything that sounds like “You’re dumb” will cost you one volunteer — and maybe more if she tells her friends.

5 Things That Keep Volunteers Motivated

“That’s a great idea.” Nothing is more motivating than making your own idea a reality. An atmosphere that encourages new ideas not only energizes volunteers; it keeps your group fresh and injects excitement, too.

“We’re all in it together.” If your volunteers feel like part of a team, they’ll be more motivated to do their part. A team atmosphere means making sure everybody feels wanted and participates. And it’s crucial to break up cliques.

“You’re really good at that.” Use people’s talents, not just their time. Not many people will get excited about constantly being on the cleanup committee. But if you let the person who loves carpentry build your carnival booths or the one who’s interested in graphic design create your newsletter, they’re much more likely to do a great job and want to continue.

“How did that go for you?” Check in with volunteers occasionally. Make sure their needs are being met and they haven’t become disgruntled. Personal contact lets them know you care about them individually, and it catches potential problems before they become significant.

“We did it!” When things go right, share your successes with your volunteers. A shared sense of accomplishment can be a powerful motivator.

5 Good Ways To Find New Volunteers

“Position available.” Write help-wanted ads. Create a flyer or section of your newsletter with descriptions of the jobs you need help for. Include the duties of the position, likely time commitment, and other pertinent information. You’re more likely to find a good match for your position if you publicize it well.

“There’s a lot you can do.” You already know that one of the biggest fears of volunteers is that they’ll be sucked into a black hole of never-ending time commitment. One way to address this fear is to create a list of all of the things that volunteers can do in one hour to help your group.

“Would you help?” The No. 1 reason people say they don’t volunteer is because “no one asked.” Asking doesn’t mean a newsletter ad that says “new officers needed.” It requires a personal approach, and it works best if you have a specific task in mind. “Jim, we need ticket-takers for the carnival. Can you spare an hour to help?”

“Bring your friends!” People are much more likely to participate in a group if they know someone who participates already. You can use this to your advantage by asking existing members to issue personal invitations to people they know.

“Thanks for your interest.” Don’t let volunteer surveys sit around for weeks before you respond, even to people who expressed interest in an event that is months away. People are much more likely to follow through later if you make a connection now. Also, this is an opening to ask for more involvement: “I know you said you’d help with the spring carnival, but I wonder if you could spare an hour to help children pick out books at the book fair in October?”

5 Ways To Get the Most Out of Your Volunteers

“Let me show you.” When you have a new volunteer, have an experienced volunteer work with her to show her the ropes. Your new volunteer will get up to speed faster and, if your mentor does her job well, will feel more like a part of the team from the start.

“It’s all written down.” Create a binder with information on your most common activities. Include resources, tools, and key steps. Don’t forget items like tips for using the copy machine, how to handle cash, etc

Read More:GreatSchools

RALEIGH - The Wake County school board on Tuesday appointed a new principal for Timber Drive Elementary School in Garner.The board promoted Kendra Culberson from assistant principal to principal of Timber Drive. She replaces Sue King, who retired after having been the school’s principal since Timber Drive opened in 1997

Read More: News & Observer