Wrapping up their 2021 spring visits, Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Catherine Truitt and her team traveled to the Sandhills on May 17 to visit Cumberland County Schools to mark their last District Visits and Voices stop of the 2020-21 school year.
Thank you @CCSSuptConnelly @CumberlandCoSchools! Loved experiencing a sampling of the incredible work in your schools and meeting passionate staff members leading the way. #DistrictVisitsVoices @CTruittNCDPI @DeputySupTaylor @kdeviere @DianeWheatleyNC @twinologist @stoverscience pic.twitter.com/HwHwjwMmXv
— Jessica B. Swencki (@JessicaBSwencki) May 18, 2021
Greeted by Cumberland county school district staff, Truitt and her team began the day at Sherwood Park Elementary School to learn about the day treatment center. Through training from the Alexander Youth Network, teachers are prepared with behavior management tools and equipped with methods to regulate students’ behavior. At Sherwood Park, students are “wrapped with love,” as principal Melvetta Wright said, to set them on a path to thrive and grow at school.
The DPI staff continued its day at Douglas Byrd Middle School where principal Dr. Christina DiGuadio has developed a strategic plan to build a stronger community for their school’s families. Modeled after Cumberland County’s strategic plan, DiGuadio and her team have developed a five-year strategic plan to mitigate teacher attrition, empower teachers, create a positive culture, and embrace a “can do” mindset. Through intentional and strategic hiring, teachers’ goals have extended beyond academics to building relationships, being compassionate, maintaining high expectations and teaching perseverance which align with the long-term strategies of Douglas Byrd Middle School.
At @dbyrdhawks @CumberlandCoSch they are aligning their school with the district’s behavior and strategic goals #oneteamonevoice #Edleadnc #equity @CTruittNCDPI @twinologist @CCSSuptConnelly pic.twitter.com/Ab58CkWHNU
— Mrs. Stover (@StoverScience) May 17, 2021
Wrapping up the day at Massey Chapel Classical High School, Truitt began the final visit with a Purple Star ceremony where Cumberland County was recognized as one of eight districts in North Carolina to receive the award as a military friendly district. Additionally, principal Dr. Jason Jordan accepted the award on behalf of Massey Chapel Classical High School. Instructed using the Socratic method, Truitt and the DPI team concluded their day touring classes, including art history and band.
Today, @CTruittNCDPI visited @CumberlandCoSch and presented @CCSSuptConnelly with the State Superintendent’s Purple Star District Award, recognizing the district’s support of military-connected students and families. All 89 schools in the district are Purple Star Schools. pic.twitter.com/xAsqLg2yxW
— Cumberland County Schools (@CumberlandCoSch) May 17, 2021
Now what? Dynamic leadership guided each school visit in Cumberland County, rooted in intentional hiring to target specific needs of students and the community population. Dynamic teachers and administrators work to support students beyond their academic needs to be successful in their futures. Moving beyond traditional student testing, schools have put an emphasis on developing the whole child as society recovers from the pandemic. In addition to a student focus, principals of each school empowered beginning teachers and invested in teacher retention to spark change from the ground up.