June 2020 – Schools In High Point

June 26, 2020 0 Comments Schools in High Point Uncategorized

New GCS District and School Leaders Named

June 26, 2020 – Several GCS principals and leaders will take on new roles beginning this summer.

Eboni Chillis, current executive director of career and technical education, will serve as the district’s interim chief innovation officer. Chillis came to GCS in September 2019 from Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia, where she served as director/coordinator of Career Technical and Agricultural Education. Chillis has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Morris Brown College, a master’s degree in K-12 education from Cambridge College and a doctoral degree in instructional design for online learners from Capella University.

Denise Patterson, the current school support officer for non-traditional high schools, will now serve as the interim chief student services officer. Patterson earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2007. She holds a master’s degree in school administration and a master’s degree in elementary education from Gardner-Webb University and UNC-Charlotte respectively. Prior to joining Guilford County Schools, Patterson was the superintendent of Asheville City Schools, where she was the leader of more than 4,200 students at 10 schools.

Lise Timmons McLaughlin, the current principal at the Academy at Smith, will become the principal of Dudley High. While at the Academy at Smith, Timmons McLaughlin led the successful implementation of the Academy of Biomedical Technology at the Academy at Smith, one of five signature academies in GCS. Under her leadership since 2018, the school has consistently achieved a 100% graduation rate. Before becoming principal at the Academy at Smith, she was an administrator at Page High. Timmons McLaughlin holds a master’s degree in education, curriculum and supervision from the UNC-Charlotte, as well as a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from UNC-Charlotte.

Darrell Harris, who is currently the principal of the Middle College at GTCC-High Point, will become principal of the Academy at Smith. Under his leadership at the Middle College at GTCC- High Point, the school had a 100% graduation for three consecutive years (2016, 2017, 2018). Additionally, the number of students earning college credit has continued to increase. Harris has a doctoral degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a master’s degree in health and physical education from North Carolina A&T State University and bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Hampton University.

Angela Polk-Jones, principal of the Early College at Guilford, will become the principal of the Middle College at GTCC-High Point. Polk-Jones has been the principal at the Early College at Guilford since 2019 when it was named the number one high school in North Carolina. Before that, she was principal of the Middle College at UNCG, which was the only high school in the country to receive gold-level recognition as one of America’s Best Urban Schools in 2018. Polk-Jones has a master’s degree in school administration and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UNC-Greensboro.

Pete Kashubara, the current principal at Western High, will become principal of the Early College at Guilford. Kashubara has been the principal of Western High since 2010, where he helped create the district’s first Advanced Placement Academy. By the end of his second year as principal there, student performance was the highest in school history. He also served as principal at Weaver Academy from 2008 to 2010. Kashubara holds his doctoral degree in education from UNC-Greensboro, a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina A&T State University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Westminster College.

Gregory Newlin will become the new principal at Western High. Newlin comes from Indianapolis Public Schools, where he served as the executive director of schools. Before that, he was principal of Grimsley High from 2011 to 2014, and he has also served as a high school principal in two other districts in North Carolina. During his tenure at Grimsley High, the graduation rate increased from 82% to 85% and the dropout rate decreased from 4.5% to 2.5%. Newlin holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Citadel Military College of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the College of Charleston.

Courtney Blake-Smith, who is currently the principal of Hairston Middle, will become the principal of Pruette SCALE Academy, where she previously served as principal. Blake-Smith comes to Dean Pruette SCALE Academy after having been one of 10 schools in the state of North Carolina to successfully write and receive the Innovative Partnerships Grant (IPG) from the state of North Carolina. Blake-Smith also has extensive experience with 100% implementation of social and emotional learning instructional strategies to ensure her students have a safe and caring learning environment. Blake-Smith obtained her master’s degree in executive leadership studies from Gardner-Webb University in 2014. She also has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from North Carolina Central University.

Ashauna Harris is currently the principal of Welborn Middle and will become the principal of Hairston Middle. She was the 2018-2019 GCS Secondary Principal of the Year. While she was at Welborn Middle, school achievement improved in all subject areas and all grade levels. Harris has her doctoral degree in educational leadership from UNC-Greensboro. She has a master’s degree in school administration from UNC-Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in English from North Carolina A&T State University.

Shayla Savage, current principal of Union Hill Elementary, will become the new principal at Welborn Middle. Savage has been a principal at Union Hill Elementary since 2015, and during that time, the school’s performance grade improved to a C, and the school met or exceeded growth each year. She has her master’s degree in school administration, bachelor’s degree in special education and bachelor’s degree in social work, all from North Carolina A&T State University.

Therman Flowers will become the principal at Union Hill Elementary. Flowers is a school transformation coach at C. C. Spaulding Elementary in Durham, where he helped raise overall achievement from 49% to 75%. He has been a principal and executive director of schools in other districts across North Carolina and has served previously as an assistant principal in Guilford County Schools. Flowers has a master’s degree in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from North Carolina A&T State University.

Merrie Conaway, principal at Foust Elementary, will become principal at Jesse Wharton Elementary. Conaway has been at Foust Elementary since 2011, and before that served as principal at Lindley Elementary from 2005 to 2011. While at Foust Elementary, Conaway narrowed the student performance gap between the district and school on reading and math interim assessments by 56% and decreased discipline referrals by 73% through the successful implementation of Opportunity Culture Multi-Classroom Leader positions. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership and cultural foundations from UNCG, a master’s degree in school counseling from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Nicholas Dixon will become principal at Foust Elementary. Dixon is currently the assistant principal at Falkener Elementary, where he has served since 2019. During his tenure at the school, he developed school-wide systems that supported the social and emotional development of students, leading to a 20% decrease in office referrals. He started his education career as a teacher at Southeast Middle and he is a member of the New Leaders Assistant Principal Leadership Academy. Dixon holds a master’s degree in education from Cumberland University and a bachelor’s degree in history from East Carolina University.

Christopher Scott, principal at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary, will become principal at Northeast Middle. Scott has been at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary since 2017 and before that was an assistant principal and principal intern at Dudley High. While at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary, reading and science proficiency increased significantly, and the school exceeded expected growth. He was a finalist for principal of the year in 2019. Scott holds a master’s degree in school administration from UNC-Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University Southeast.

Robin Britt, assistant principal at Bessemer Elementary, will become principal at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary. Britt has been an assistant principal at Bessemer Elementary since 2017, during which time the school’s overall growth increased and out-of-school suspensions were reduced by 31%. He also was the director of instructional technology and innovation from 2014 to 2017. He taught middle and elementary school and previously worked as an education attorney. Britt holds a master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University, a juris doctor/business administration joint master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in history from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Denise Francisco, who is currently the principal of Oak Ridge Elementary, will become the principal of Northwest Middle. Francisco has been the principal of Oak Ridge Elementary for nearly a decade, and the school remains one of the top-performing elementary schools in Guilford County Schools, with proficiency composites over 85% while meeting or exceeding growth. Francisco holds a master’s degree in school administration and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UNC-Greensboro.

Jeanelle Lindsay, assistant principal at Southwest Elementary, will become the new principal at Reedy Fork Elementary. Lindsay has been at Southwest Elementary since 2017 and also was a teacher and reading specialist at Morehead Elementary. In 2019, Lindsay assisted Southwest Elementary with increasing the overall school performance score from 77 to 87 as well as increasing the state letter grade from a B to an A. Additionally, in 2019 Southwest Elementary had the highest growth index in Guilford County. Lindsay has a master’s degree in education curriculum and instruction from UNC-Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in child development from North Carolina A&T State University.

Dwayne Jordan, current principal of Jamestown Elementary, will become principal at Allen Middle. During his time at Jamestown Elementary, the school’s performance composite increased from 53% to 70% in four years. Jordan began his career with GCS as a fifth-grade teacher at Fairview Elementary. He holds a master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Winston-Salem State University.

Lindsay Traumuller, assistant principal at Ferndale Middle, will become principal at Morehead Elementary. Since 2016 she has been at Ferndale Middle, where she served as head of the English Language Arts department. During her time in that role, school data showed two consecutive years of exceeding growth. Traumuller has been a curriculum facilitator at Pruette SCALE Academy and was teacher of the year for Alamance-Burlington School System in 2007. She holds a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina A&T State University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida.

Link to Original Post: https://www.gcsnc.com/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=174&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=122440&PageID=1

June 19, 2020 0 Comments Schools in High Point Extraordinary Educators

Extraordinary Educators | Lakayla Allamby, Donelle Lyon, Kara Mason

To all of our High Point seniors, Class of 2020, we want to wish a huge congratulations! Although the conclusion of your senior year might not have gone the way you hoped or planned, we are incredibly proud of all the hard work you’ve accomplished – and we hope you are too!

We also don’t want to let the end of another school year pass without acknowledging the incredible work of the men and women who teach our High Point students year after year, giving them the tools they need to go into the world and make a difference. That’s why we’re celebrating another set of very Extraordinary Educators this month, three teachers who give to their students every day to ensure that they are equipped with everything they need to succeed in their education and their lives after the classroom.

Lakayla Allamby

“Never stop learning, after their done being a student in class, become a student of the world”

Lakayla, a first-grade teacher at Parkview Village Elementary School, was nominated by her principal, Crystal Gregory. Gregory describes Lakayla as “a respected leader who thinks beyond ordinary limits.”

As a first-grade teacher, Lakayla is especially inspired by the power of reading, both in her life and in the lives of her students. In her first class of first graders, she was touched after a read aloud session when her students told her she was the first person to read aloud to them.

“Now anytime I really want to teach my kids something, I know that reading aloud to them and having discussions is a way that they’ll appreciate learning,” she says.

Lakayla remembers the first time a teacher read aloud to her. The book was Stone Soup, and Lakayla still recalls morals the story taught her: to be kind and do good to those around you.

“My wish isn’t for my students to read one particular book,” she says. “My wish is for them to have the experience of reading many books that helps them to connect to and understand their world.”

Along with reading, Lakayla has always been inspired by the teachers around her – from the professors she learned from at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, to her fellow colleagues at Parkview.

“The teachers that I get to talk to and observe every day solidify and enforce the knowledge I get from books,” Lakayla says. “I get to see them put these education theories into practice and after having conversations and debates, I can figure out how to make it work for me. From the time I started teaching, every door at Parkview has been open to me. And this access to great teachers has made me a better teacher.”

Check out Lakayla’s Amazon Wishlist!

Donelle Lyon

“Keep pushing and striving to prove people that doubt you wrong. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do or be something. Take those negative words that people wish upon you and use it as fuel to your fire.”

Donelle Lyon, who teaches 6th through 12th grade physical education and health at High Point Pruette SCALE (School Community Alternative Learning Environment), was nominated by his principal, Tanecka Robeson. “Donelle inspires students to make healthy decisions at critical moments in their lives,” Robinson says.

As a physical education and health teacher, Donelle wants to inspire his students to face challenges with bravery and to be honest about the challenges they are facing. He notes the misperceptions around High Point Pruette SCALE – that it’s a place for students who have faced problems in their adolescence and don’t have a future to look forward to. But he says nothing could be further from the truth.

“People in the community don’t always know what’s going on inside with the students,” he explains. “But give the young men and women at High Point Pruette SCALE a chance to grow from the small mistakes that they’ve made… Students act out for a reason but nobody has the courage to see what’s truly going on with them at home.”

Donelle’s passion for his students at High Point Pruette SCALE come from his own story and experience with education.

“Troubled youth are my biggest influence,” Donelle explains. “I had a disciplinary problem in school. Even though I came from a rare household – having both my parents in the house – I was always being disruptive and being the class clown. It led to me being in situations inside and outside of school that could have easily been avoided. With that being said I can relate and understand what students go through.”

Donelle says throughout his time in education, he most remembers a time when a student shared how much of a positive male role model he was in their life. It’s this kind of relationship building that continues to fuel him to advocate on his students’ behalfs and find ways to help them solve problems.

Check out Donelle’s Amazon Wishlist!

Kara Mason

“I want students to learn to be kind to themselves and others. My desire is to have students treat others well and to also be kind to others. When kindness is present, it helps make connections with others that help students flourish. I think students would have a positive outlook for their futures and want to continue to learn.”

As a third-grade teacher at Florence Elementary, Kara was nominated by her principal, Chiyanna Young. Young says of Kara is a relationship builder who has enhanced her students’ learner through earning specific educational grants.

As a longtime employee in the Guilford County School System, Kara has worked in almost every area of the school system. Since 2003, she’s been everything from an ACES leader, to a substitute, to an assistant teacher, to a full time elementary teacher.

“Throughout the years, I valued having a connection with the communities I worked in because I cared about the impact that I made not only with students but also parents’ lives,” Kara says. “I ensured parents saw that I took interest in students’ lives by attending outside activities that my students participated in… Even though my life has changed a lot in 16 years, I continue to try to invest time in my students outside of school.”

In her years as a teacher, Kara has used her classroom as everything from a place to host a parent/student cookout to a makeshift football stadium – complete with football field, field posts, and football-themed lessons to engage her students in a new way. Kara attributes her creativity in the classroom to the high caliber of teachers she’s worked with over the years.

“The world around me influences my teaching style,” she explains. “I am lucky to have started my teaching career at an excellent school that had hard working passionate teachers where I had the ability to collaborate some of the best lessons.” From summer book clubs to workshops, Kara is always calling for herself and her fellow educators to better themselves to provide stronger educational support to their students.

Check out Kara’s Amazon Wishlist!

And the wise words offered up by these educators are good for more than just the students they teach; they’re good for all of us.

To our readers, to the Class of 2020, to High Point citizens: Keep pushing and striving to prove people that doubt you wrong. Be kind to yourself and to others. Become a student of the world.

Link to Original Post: https://barbourspangle.com/extraordinary-educators-lakayla-allamby-donelle-lyon-kara-mason/

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