Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090105
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Journell, a Northside graduate, has been an assistant principal on Henderson's staff in recent years. He has 26 years of administrative and teaching experience in the counties of Roanoke and Botetourt.
Journell is a former assistant principal at Cave Spring High School and Arnold R. Burton Technology Center.
The Roanoke County School Board approved Journell's appointment Thursday night.
The board also approved the appointment of several other principals to fill vacancies caused by retirements and transfers:
Linda Wright, principal of Westside Elementary School in Roanoke, was named principal of Penn Forest Elementary School, succeeding Patricia Sales, who is retiring.
Shelby Thomason, Glenvar Elementary School principal, has been appointed principal of Glen Cove Elementary School, succeeding Mary Lee Hunt, who is retiring.
Danny Guard, assistant principal at Glenvar Elementary, becomes the school's principal, succeeding Thomason.
The School Board also adopted new reading and spelling textbooks for the elementary grades that emphasize the use of phonics in teaching reading and spelling.
There has been controversy nationwide in recent years over the use of the "whole-language" method for teaching reading.
In whole-language instruction, students learn whole words at a time.
Many researchers insist that whole-language works, but some critics contend that it teaches children bad habits, including that correct spelling isn't important.
In phonics, children sound out letters and combinations of letters. There is emphasis on correct spelling.
Judy Miller, a Cave Spring Elementary School administrator who headed the committee that recommended the new reading textbooks, said there is a strong strand of phonics in them.
The new textbooks use an integrated approach to reading that include all components of the language, not just phonics, Miller said.
School officials also told the board that they are investigating the possibility of connecting all of the schools' burglary and fire alarms to a central agency or station so they can be monitored when school is not in session.
Homer Duff, director of facilities and operations, said the schools' burglar and fire alarms are not connected to police and fire stations.
by CNB