They will be in a new grade of course with new teachers and different subject matter. There will be new experiences.
For a few, however, there will be a brand new building as well. Pilot Mountain Middle School’s new campus and Rockford Elementary School are slated to open their doors for the start of the 2010-11 school year.
“It’s more than just the physical structure,” said Dr. Ashley Hinson, superintendent, of the goal of getting the schools open in 2010. “It is redistricting and getting those schools up and running when children are there. That will be a huge task for us next year.”
The redistricting plans have already been drawn up to account for the new elementary school in the central district, which will affect students at Dobson Elementary and Copeland Elementary, and the conversion of the existing Pilot Mountain Middle School into Pilot Mountain Elementary School, which will affect students at Shoals Elementary and Westfield Elementary.
The conversion of the existing Pilot Mountain Middle into Pilot Mountain Elementary cannot take place until this summer once students are out of school, meaning workers have a limited amount of time to get everything completed.
Something that excites board members about the new schools is that they will eliminate the need for mobile units on four elementary campuses and one middle school campus.
“I am not a fan of mobile classrooms,” said board member Michele Hunter during walk-through of the new schools. “I’m very excited to be getting rid of the mobile classrooms.”
An emphasis for the school system this year will be to once again maintain the jobs that exist. During 2009, the school system was able to do that and officials have indicated they will work hard once again to maintain that standard.
Hinson has asked that a bigger emphasis be placed on the arts this year, leading to the creation of the Arts Wow extravaganza this spring. It will be an event that highlights all forms of art within the school system, not just drawing as has been the focus in the past.
The school system has started the process of having students create a senior graduation project. State officials had indicated they would make such a move mandatory across the state, but then backed off. The first group of local students to present started in the fall of 2009 and will continue into 2010.
“The state abandoned the process but we feel like it’s something worthwhile for the children,” said Hinson of the decision to continue having students work towards that goal. “We’re proud of the fact that we’ve maintained it and been successful.”
Surry Early College High School of Design will have its first group of graduates this spring. While the school has been in existence for only four years and it is billed as a five-year program, some students have worked hard enough over the past four years to complete both their high school education and their associate’s degree from Surry Community College this spring.
“It’s not the whole first cohort,” said Melissa Atkinson, Surry Community College liaison for Surry Early College. “It’s designed to be a five-year program, but there are students who have taken some extra courses. Most of those students are college transfer students.”
Atkinson said that for students working toward a degree in an area like applied science, graduating in four years is practically impossible because of all of the lab hours required.
“They’ve worked hard and taken a lot of classes. They’re fairly advanced students who took on a whole lot,” said Atkinson.
These students will have the opportunity to walk with the SCC graduates in the spring, however the early college will not have a graduation ceremony until spring of 2011 when the entire class will officially graduate.
Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.
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