Learn more about the Rocky Mount Freedom School by visiting their website:
http://rockymountpeacemakers.org/ministry/freedom-school/
Cheers and energetic voices rang out in the hallways and auditorium of The Freedom School at Peacemakers of Rocky Mount on a bright Tuesday morning. As we visited NELA Cohort V fellows Johanna and Lacey at their summer internship at Peacemakers, their colleagues welcomed us with open arms and huge smiles, explaining the mission of the organization as young children were arriving in a groggy-yet-eager state and filing into their classrooms. The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program provides a free eight-week summer enrichment that motivates children to fall in love with reading, increases their self-esteem, and generates more positive attitudes toward learning. Children are taught using a model curriculum that supports children and families around five essential components: high quality academic enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational leadership development; and nutrition, health and mental health. The program is designed for children in low-income communities, and priority is given to children with at least one incarcerated family member. Each day, the "young scholars" begin with Harambee, a meeting filled with hyped-up energy, cheers, chants, and dance, along with a read-aloud activity by a guest speaker. It was a joy to watch these diverse and eager young scholars connecting with Cohort Fellows Johanna and Lacey and dozens of other staff who embodied the Peacemakers mission and served as positive role models. The happy, high-energy educational environment fosters a sense of community and growth, and provides a healthy learning space for the young scholars in the summer months. NELA is excited to partner with such an impactful and positive community agency - there's no school like Freedom School!
Learn more about the Rocky Mount Freedom School by visiting their website: http://rockymountpeacemakers.org/ministry/freedom-school/ View Jo & Lacey's Video about Peacemakers
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Cohort V participated in a Flipped Classroom training on March 4th with Dr. Lodge McCammon. After the training, each fellow created a Flipped Classroom lesson. During the lesson, Cohort V fellows recorded a one take music video using music and movement to learn about the solar system. #NELAFlip16 Lacey said "This was awesome not only due to time saved because of students not interrupting but we also had 3 students absent who were able to complete the experiment without me having to reteach them. I am really excited to continue to use this resource in the future." The NELA Cohort V Fellows recently attended the 2016 No Kid Hungry NC conference at the Friday Center for Continuing Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. No Kid Hungry NC is the North Carolina program of the nonprofit Share Our Strength’s national No Kid Hungry campaign. The conference brought together a group of more than 250 teachers, principals, superintendents, public health officials, and child advocates from all parts of the state. During the conference, Fellows learned about programs and initiatives which are helping to expand access to nutrition programs including school breakfast and summer meals. The goal of No Kid Hungry is to end childhood hunger in the United States by connecting children to effective nutrition programs such as school breakfast and summer meals. Billy Shore, the CEO of Share our Strength and No Kid Hungry campaign asserted that child hunger is one of the most profound social justice issues today. He said, “Our kids aren’t hungry because we lack food or because we lack of food and nutrition programs in the US. Our children are hungry because we are not connecting the dots and we not collaborating. Practices need to be shared. We need to stop focusing so much on how everyone else has to change and challenge ourselves to think differently about how we do our work.” A panel from Guilford County Schools discussed how they successfully implemented “Breakfast for ALL KIDS.” Principal Fabby Williams, of Northeast Guilford High School, served on the panel. Mr. Williams came to the U.S. from Liberia and said, “I knew hunger. I lived through it.” He compelled attendees, especially principals, to show courage in taking the first step in doing what is right for children. Mr. Williams discussed the importance of helping staff understand the “why” behind the breakfast in the classroom program and its significance to children and impact on student achievement. Principal Williams, acknowledging the potential for resistance to change, said “I wasn’t going to ask permission to feed my kids. Part of loving kids is feeding them. I don’t give a damn about test scores. Feed the kids and the score will go up.” Margaret Walz, the cafeteria manager at Northeast Guilford High School said she believes “a cafeteria can be a part of the heart of the school.” North Carolina has one of the highest percentages in the US of children under 18 years old who are food insecure on a regular basis: in NC over 1 in 4 children (Data is from 2014 Hunger in America Study, by Feeding America and the Food Hardship in America 2012 Report from the Food Research and Action Center.). Edgecombe County NELA Cohort IV fellows, Caroline Joyce, Julie Simpson and Billy Strother, hosted a two-part discussion panel that focused on the exceptional children’s (E.C.) program from a parent perspective with a follow-up panel of E.C. professionals. The panel discussion took place in the Edgecombe County Public School’s Board Room in Tarboro on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. In the discussion panel, parents freely shared the challenges they have experienced in the E.C. process, and they also shared advice with the future school executives. What Parents Want Administrators and E.C. Case Managers to Keep in Mind at I.E.P. meetings:
What E.C. Professionals Want Administrators To Know:
This post was written by Cohort IV Fellow, Caroline Joyce
The purpose of the Social Justice Specialized training is to facilitate opportunities for NELA Fellows and Graduates to develop an understanding of how to be leaders of equity. Sessions focused around vernacular, common vocabulary and understanding; economic equity, environmental equity, and criminal justice restoration - school to prison pipeline, education, and other conversations. We had an excellent training in an appropriate setting - the Franklinton Center at Bricks in Whitakers, NC. NELA had a great 2015! Check out our 2015 impact in the video below. We are looking forward 2016!
Cohort V's own, Mary Bridgers, was featured as the Edgecombe County Public Schools' Teacher Spotlight the week of November 14th. She is currently teaching at Stocks Elementary School as a first grade teacher while completing the first year of course work in the NELA program. To view the Teacher Spotlight, please visit this link: http://www.ecps.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=48&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=4716&PageID=1 NELA Cohort V traveled to Ocracoke, NC to participate in our Digital Storytelling Specialized Training. Storytelling is a very powerful skill for school leaders. "Stories enable us to communicate our values not as abstract principles, but as lived experience, they have the power to move others". Simultaneously, Fellows develop their technology skills as they work to compile their story and their path to school leadership digitally. |
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AuthorThis blog is managed by Leelynn Pinion. Questions about the blog can be sent to [email protected]. For more information, please visit go.ncsu.edu/nela2.0 or go.ncsu.edu/nela-dst. Thank you for visiting! |