June 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 10, 2008
Contact: Bobbie Fisher, Chief Communications Officer, 757.889.9107

WHRO PRESENTS GEDDY AWARD TO AREA SCHOOLS
Schools Honored for Integration of Technology into Classrooms

NORFOLK: WHRO announced today that it has awarded the 2008 Vernon M. Geddy, Jr. Awards to four area public schools. The Vernon M. Geddy, Jr. Award was established by WHRO’s Board of Directors in April 2004, to recognize regional public schools perceived as most effectively integrating technology into the curriculum, as well as increasing overall school efficiencies. The award is named in honor of the late Williamsburg attorney and former Mayor of the City of Williamsburg, whose advocacy for education and commitment to the region are well known. Mr. Geddy served for many years on the governing Board of Directors of the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association (HRETA), which does business as WHRO. He served on several of its committees, including the Executive, Audit & Finance and Nominating committees. In addition, he was a charter member of the WHRO Foundation.
In determining each year’s Geddy Award honorees, relative size, budget, community partnerships and special circumstances are considered. Nominations are solicited through WHRO’s Superintendents Advisory Council.

The 2008 Elementary School Geddy Award was presented to John B. Dey Elementary School in the Virginia Beach Public School Division. John B. Dey School uses technology instructionally in the classroom and throughout the school in a wide variety of applications. Students at John B. Dey have exceeded the Virginia Standards of Learning benchmarks every year for the past eight (8) years.

In the Middle School category, the Geddy award was presented to Larkspur Middle School, in the Virginia Beach Public School Division, for dedication to Technology Integration, from its classrooms, resource labs, library, television studio, and the office. Classroom applications extend from online grading, wiki sites for student and parents to track assignments, to 35 cited examples that include digital storytelling, creation of podcasts, use of GIS software, interactive lesson creation, animation, moviemaking - that extend technology integration into every discipline and grade level.

The Geddy Award in the High School category was presented to Warhill High School in Williamsburg-James City County. Warhill was built with an extensive array of technology and software that accommodates different learning styles, differentiated instruction, and research-based instructional strategies. Technology is used to communicate grades and achievement to parents, administrators, guidance counselors, and the athletic director. Warhill has instructional relationships with William and Mary, ODU, the local Chamber of Commerce, the Williamsburg regional library, and Thomas Nelson Community College and Sentara Hospital on career pathways.

An unprecedented second place recognition was awarded to Tallwood High School, in the Virginia Beach public school division. The quality of technology integration at Tallwood merits special recognition. The technology-infused “Ambassadors of Change” project is a prime example. Originating from a single videoconference with a school in an Internally Displaced Persons camp in northern Uganda and expanding to a series of videoconferences with various non-profit organizations throughout the country, this program has become an annual activity which will take on a global issue every year. Tallwood students have also connected with students in Bolivia and Egypt, produced podcasts in speech and communications, use wikispaces and creatively utilized technology in numerous other ways.