All in Education
After the most recent school board meeting of Lenoir County Public Schools, many members of the community took to social media to share their reactions to the LCPS reopening plan. Two mothers have now filed for write-in candidacy for at-large board seats in response to the July 27th decision.
I am writing to all parents in Lenoir County, NC. I am writing to home school parents, private school parents, public school parents, parents who support the current plan, parents who do not support the current plan, and all parents of school-aged children in Lenoir County. Many of you may have heard, seen, signed, or shared a petition I have started regarding the Lenoir County Public Schools Reopening Plan. I am reaching out to you today to clarify the reason for the petition. The petition is about parental choice. The petition is only about parental choice.
Governor Roy Cooper today announced that North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase 2 for another 5 weeks as students and staff return to schools, colleges and universities and the state doubles down on efforts to decrease COVID-19 numbers.
“Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher. We will not make that mistake in North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper.
Lenoir Community College Health Sciences Department recently held its pinning ceremony for Medical Assisting, Polysomnography, Radiography, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, and Associate Degree Nursing graduates.
Steve Saint-Amand, principal of South Lenoir High School for the past 10 years, speaks at June’s commencement exercise. Saint-Amand’s retirement on Friday ends a 28-year career in education, all but two of those years spent at South Lenoir.
The parental reaction to Lenoir County Public Schools reopening plan has sparked a planned protest and an online petition. There is also support for their decision.
The Lenoir County Board of Education decided Monday night that all students will begin the 2020-2021 school year as remote learners and, after the first nine weeks, the district’s youngest students could transition to in-person instruction provided certain public health metrics are met.
The Lenoir County Public School board voted on a hybrid option of Governor Cooper’s Plan B guidelines to reopening public school. W.D. Anderson made a motion for, “I move that Lenoir County Public Schools start the 2020/21 school year under Plan B - Transition, with the first 9 weeks virtual instruction. In-person instruction to begin with grades Pre-K through 2 and students with special needs in the second nine weeks, pending a two-week decline in COVID cases and a 5% or less positive testing rate for 14 days prior to the first day of in-person instruction, as reported by the Department of Public Instruction for Lenoir County.” The motion was seconded by Elijah Woods and passed by a 4-3 margin.
Jones County Board of Education unanimously approves ‘Plan B’ for reopening schools on August 17th. The Board of Education gathered information from their teachers, as well as the parents in the community, to create a hybrid model that incorporates both state and federal safety guidelines. Social distancing will be enforced with all classrooms set up with desks 6 feet apart. Masks will be provided and required for all students and staff with times available for masks to be removed.
A special meeting of the Lenoir County Board of Education is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 27 to discuss plans to reopen schools for the 2020-21 school year.
Arendell Parrott Academy is preparing to reopen for on-campus classes on August 24. Located in Kinston, the school last year served approximately 670 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Head of School Brooks Sutton has appointed a health advisory task force which includes two physicians who are infectious disease specialists, a regional hospital administrator, and a full-time school nurse. “We are guided by our parents’ and students’ strong desire for a return to our classrooms,” Sutton stated.
Lenoir County Public Schools announced their annual awards, including 2020-21 Teacher and Principal of the Year.
On Friday, July 17, the National Jr Beta Club released the winners of their first-ever National Jr Beta Virtucon. Rylee Greene and Harlee Murray had plans to attend the conference in person but due to the school shutdown in March, they were unable to. Fortunately, they were able to represent North Carolina and Greene County at the Virtucon and became the National Champions in the Technology Competition. Out of over 400 submissions, Greene and Murray’s submission was chosen as the best in the nation. This represents the very first time Greene County Middle School has ever attended the National Convention and has ever placed in the competition.
After Governor Cooper unveiled his plan for K-12 education on Tuesday, locally-elected state leaders including Rep. John Bell, Sen. Jim Perry and Rep. Chris Humphrey shared their concerns. One of the most notable frustrations is the Governor’s lack of including the General Assembly in the state’s Covid-19 response.
Governor Roy Cooper announced on July 14 that North Carolina public schools will open in August with fewer children in the classroom, utilizing social distancing, face coverings, and frequent cleanings.
Governor Cooper is scheduled to hold a press conference online on July 14 at 3:00 p.m. He plans to share his decision on whether public school students in North Carolina will resume in-person education, if they will continue to utilize online learning or a blend of both.
Wayne Community College has recognized its top students of the 2019-2020 academic year. Sixty-seven students were honored with 80 awards.
The school bell rang – albeit virtually – for nearly 450 elementary students on Monday as LCPS launched its Jump Start summer learning program.
Retirements and promotions have led to reassignments of LCPS administrators that will put new principals at four Lenoir County schools for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Lenoir Community College Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Center (AAMC) will officially open its doors at the Global Transpark.
