All in Education
As 2020 closes, Arendell Parrott Academy marks the end of its 55th year as an educational and economic force in Lenoir County and eastern North Carolina. Founded in 1964 by a small group of local citizens, the academy has grown from 123 students in 1965 to this fall’s enrollment of 667.
Six Parrott Academy students finished their first semester of French IV with a unique creative writing project. Designed by French teacher Sadie Crockett, the assignment asked the high schoolers to compose and illustrate an original children’s story in French for an audience of elementary school French students.
Lenoir County Public Schools plans to begin on-site rapid testing for Covid-19 in mid-January as part of a pilot program developed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. “The test isn’t really looking for the negatives; it’s looking for the positives,” said LCPS school nurse April Hardy said. “We’re going to have those students who don’t have one of those exclusionary systems like a cough or fever but they might have a runny nose. We test them and if they show up positive, then we’ve found a positive that we probably wouldn’t have sent home based upon our guidelines.”
The 4th Annual Governor’s School Supply Drive is being extended to encourage more donations for supplies to support North Carolina students and teachers. “Supporting students and schools in these challenging times takes just a few clicks and a few minutes,” Gov. Cooper said. “Kristin and I have made our personal contribution and we hope you can too.”
For students of migrant farmworker families in Lenoir County Public Schools, it might seem that Santa Claus has relocated to Laupus Library at East Carolina University.
Greene Early College Super Senior, Joshua Mooring, recently had his work spotlighted on LCC’s marquee on main campus on Highway 70. The artistic piece was completed in Art 121, taught by Leigh Ann Parrish.
Lenoir County’s Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma recently recognized outstanding beginning teachers in their third year of teaching. These special young women were chosen by their mentors because they exhibit the qualities of an exceptional educator. Each of these young women received a bag filled with teaching supplies, as well as a certificate of recognition and a brochure about Delta Kappa Gamma.
On December 4th Parrott Academy’s annual Holiday Concert provided cheer to lower school students, even as performers were masked and the audience was masked and socially distanced. The traditional all-school assembly was replaced by three concerts for smaller groups of the school’s youngest classes.
Snow Hill Primary gives out a weekly award called "Terrific Kid" awards. Each teacher at SHP chooses a student who has been responsible, shows great character, or has reached a personal goal.
North Carolina native Dr. Philip Rogers has been elected the 12th chancellor of East Carolina University by the UNC Board of Governors. The appointment is a homecoming for Rogers, 37, who is senior vice president of learning and engagement for the American Council on Education. Rogers was raised in Greenville and is the great-grandson of an early student of the East Carolina Teachers Training School. His wife, Dr. Rebekah P. Rogers, is a two-time ECU alumna.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has selected 17 school districts and 11 charter schools to participate in a pilot program to deploy COVID-19 rapid testing in K-12 public schools where any in-person instruction is happening. Lenoir County Public Schools has 17 locations that will participate in the pilot program. Schools in the pilot will use the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test card, which uses a nasal swab to detect COVID-19 and provides results in 15 minutes without laboratory processing. The swab must be performed by trained personnel.
A 10th grader at North Lenoir High School has won national recognition and a college scholarship for an essay she wrote in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Shyaé Hood of Kinston was one of four grand prize winners of the 2020 Suddenlink Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest honored in a virtual ceremony Wednesday night and awarded a $1,500 scholarship. She is the first-ever winner from North Carolina.
No less than teachers of English or social studies or other academic subjects, teachers at the heart of LCPS’s fine arts program are connecting with students through a blend of face-to-face and remote instruction and are finding a virtual venue in video and audio files.
Annual grant awards from the Lenoir County Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association to inspire projects related to horticulture have gone to seven teachers in Lenoir County. Pat Bizzell, center, president of Lenoir County Master Gardeners, with 2020 grant winners, clockwise from bottom left, Kaitlyn Stroud of Northwest Elementary School, Carol Riddle of Bethel Christian Academy, Brenda Griffin of Pink Hill Elementary School, Rachel Hill of Northwest Elementary School, Ashley Ledford of Southwood Elementary School, Jodi Maxey of South Lenoir High School and Jessica Jones of Woodington Middle School.
Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, has announced the students achieving the Dean's List designation for the 2020 fall semester, including Lauryn Banks of Kinston.
Employees with 20 years of service with Harvey Enterprises & Affiliates were honored recently by the Harvey family with a contribution to the C. Felix Harvey, Sr. Scholarship through the Lenoir Community College Foundation.
Congratulations to the following La Grange Elementary Student of the Month and Honor Roll List students.
LCPS students currently going to school twice a week for face-to-face instruction can move to a four-day-a-week schedule in January provided public health guidelines can still be met at their school and in their classroom.
Parrott’s SERV Society this week concluded a successful toy giving campaign, which started after students returned from Thanksgiving. Each day, a growing pile of toys filled collection boxes in the school lobby.
In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the Lenoir County Board of Education voted Monday evening to allow K-12 students a four day school week beginning next semester. According to Superintendent Brent Williams, applications for the four-day school week should be online Tuesday. In other business, Bruce Hill was voted as Chairman and W. D. Anderson was voted as Vice-Chairman. This story is developing and will be reported in-depth come Tuesday.
