PSRC Monthly Newsletter
Your source for PSRC happenings
Staff Spotlight Feature: Melissa Thompson
"Thompson says career has come 'full circle'"
Staff Spotlight Feature: Beth Brill
"Educator seeks to empower students, prepare them for the workforce"
Staff Spotlight Feature: Renee Steele
"Steele seeks to serve, support educators"
News around the District
UCES to pilot virtual reality career exploration program
Some Union Chapel Elementary School sixth graders participated recently in virtual reality simulation demonstrations in automotive, welding and customer service.
The demonstrations from the Transfr company were part of a project supported by Robeson County Commissioner Judy Sampson and her recently formed Simulation Knowledge in Learning Task Force, which seeks to give all students an opportunity to explore career paths. Members of the task force include Sherry Watson, Scottie Locklear, Jeanette Chavis and Judy Sampson.
The school will pilot the software including a set of virtual reality goggles for the remainder of the school year.
PSRC welcomes new 3-5 Curriculum Supervisor
The Public Schools of Robeson County recently welcomed Dr. Debra Dowless as the district’s 3-5 Curriculum supervisor.
Dowless brings with her 27 years of experience in the field of Education.
Dowless holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in School Administration and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.
She previously served as superintendent and as assistant superintendent of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction for Hoke County Schools. Prior to her work at the district level, Dowless served as a principal, assistant principal and elementary educator in Hoke County.
“I believe that all students deserve a high-quality education because it has the power to transform lives and change a student’s life trajectory,” Dowless said. “Understanding the influence I have on a child’s life and future opportunities serves as a daily reminder of the urgency of my work and practices.”
Principal Amanda Graham selected to serve in Leverage Leadership Institute Fellowship
St. Pauls Elementary Principal Amanda Graham has been selected to join the 2023-2024 cohort of the Leverage Leadership Institute Fellowship.
“The LLI Fellowship is a selective opportunity for great leaders to become extraordinary by joining a diverse community of principals and principal supervisors to drive impact in schools of all types across the country and the world,” said Kathleen Sullivan, Leverage Leadership Institute Senior Partner.
The fellowship program, which targets “high-performing principals and principal managers,” will span one year, according to the Relay Graduate School of Education’s website.
Beasley Media Group’s “Driven 2 Excel” program, sponsored by Lumberton Honda and Piedmont Natural Gas, is a community enhancement campaign designed to reward high school seniors in Robeson County who achieve high levels of academic achievement and exemplary attendance records throughout the 2022-2023 school year.
In conjunction with the Public Schools of Robeson County and other community partners, Beasley Media Group has joined with local dealerships and businesses to reward qualifying students with fantastic incentives for scholastic performance.
If you’re a Robeson County Schools student, reach out to your guidance counselor for more information on how you can qualify to win a 2022 Honda Civic, just by having great grades and attendance!
Click here for the official Driven 2 Excel Robeson County rules.
PSRC is working to add outdoor classrooms to various schools
The Public Schools of Robeson County is placing outdoor classrooms at multiple schools across the district.
The outdoor classrooms consist of a large canopy and multiple tables situated on a cement foundation.
“This project allows our students to take learning outdoors and to enjoy the fresh air. We envision these spaces as areas perfect for collaborative, creative and hands-on learning activities for our students,” said Bobby Locklear, assistant superintendent of Auxiliary Services at PSRC.
The $875,000 project is funded by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and should be completed by the end of this school year.
The project is underway and some schools have already used the outdoor learning spaces placed on school campuses.
Students from every PSRC high school participated recently in the Public Schools of Robeson County’s inaugural High School Robotics Expo.
Each year, students leave millions of dollars of financial aid unclaimed, which could have been used to help them pay for college tuition as they embarked on a journey to their careers. PSRC urges students to take advantage of financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid now.
As of April 7, only 45% of high school seniors within the Public Schools of Robeson County had completed the FAFSA, according to the College Foundation of North Carolina’s FAFSA Tracker.
The federal deadline for the completion of FAFSA is 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on June 30, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website.
“Completing the FAFSA is a critical step in the process of going to college, especially for students who need financial aid, including the Pell Grant or NC Assist Loan to pay for college,” said Jessica Swencki, deputy director of myFutureNC.
“We encourage our students to take advantage of the opportunities that scholarships and grant monies can give them. These funds can help alleviate and remove financial burdens from the shoulders of parents, guardians and students as they prepare students to enter college classrooms,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson.
“Our students deserve opportunities to excel and we encourage them to take the next step in that process if they decide to pursue a college degree. That next step starts with completing the FAFSA,” Williamson said.
In order to complete the FAFSA, students should visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. For additional help in completing the form, students should contact their school counselor.
The day was filled with fun, engaging, and creative hands-on activities!
The PSRC Multilingual Learner Program of PSRC received a donation of Make-Do Kangaroos, Koalas, and Australian Wombats Kits from KIOSC (Knox Innovation, Opportunity, and Sustainability Centre) in Victoria Australia to support our blended STEAM station La Casa, A Prototype of Community Wellbeing which was held at the School of Education of UNCP on Saturday, April 22 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
We were overjoyed to bring the global perspective of STEAM to our county and we would like to thank Dr. Kulari Lokuge, KIOSC Director and Mrs. Leanne Caira, KIOSC Project Leader for providing a well-structured lesson plan and the presentations for this unforgettable experience for our local multilingual learners.
PSRC CTE Battle of Careers was a success
PSRC CTE students participated in recent competitions that showcased lessons learned in a variety of CTE courses offered by Public Schools of Robeson County CTE during the Battle of Careers event!
Students used lessons learned to present their skills in website design, culinary arts and more!
We are very proud of our students!
“All kids are not going to be competitive in sports but they can be competitive in an area that they are passionate about. This gives them an opportunity to do that,” said PSRC CTE Director Herman Locklear.
PSRC Online Summer Registration is now open!
Applications are posted on middle and high school websites!
The deadline for applications to be submitted is June 2, 2023!
For more information, please contact your school counselor or email terry.langley@robeson.k12.nc.us!
Please fill out the Out-of-School Digital Device Access Parent Survey posted in the link below on our website and Facebook page.
The Parent Survey will close by Friday, May 19, 2023, at 4 p.m. This Out-of-School Digital Device Access Parent Survey is required from DPI to see what devices are used and purchased from the home. You must complete one survey per child enrolled in PSRC schools.
Student Celebrations
Congrats, PSRC AEOP Scholarship Winners!
Congrats to the 2023 United Tribes of N.C. Distinguished American Indian High School Student!
Congrats, Kaylee! We are so proud of you!
Lumberton High School student selected to serve on State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council
Chloe Hammonds has been selected to serve as a 2022-2023 SSAC Junior Member for the Region 4 Sandhills area.
Hammonds is the daughter of Adrian and Cynthia Hammonds.
“The two-year appointment to the SSAC provides student advisors the opportunity to meet twice per month to discuss education issues affecting students, advocate on behalf of their peers and ultimately advise decision makers in state public education,” according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s website.
How to encourage safe and responsible social media usage for your child
"Likes, posts, tweets, and friends" are the catchphrases in social media. Social media plays a larger role in our lives than ever before.
However, "social media can foster body image issues, create addiction-like patterns of use, promote products that are harmful or illegal for young audiences, and fuel destructive bullying" (KOSA, 2022).
It's not uncommon for students to create these accounts using false information as a way to bypass restrictions. For example, a 10-year-old may create an account for a social media site
that requires/recommends an age of 13 or higher.
Snapchat, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and most sites require an age of 13, but they rarely verify the information.
SOCIAL MEDIA & KIDS
On a positive note, these tools can help kids connect and form relationships. (APA chief
scientist outlines potential harms, benefits of social media for kids, Feb., 2023)
The internet, when used properly is a very valuable learning tool. Students can read books,
research a topic, or get help with homework to name a few.
ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE USE
Model responsible social media usage before giving your child the green light. What if people only posted encouragements, or ways to offer support? Check out these recommendations to help your child use social media responsibly.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Inform your child that Robeson County Schools uses a program called Gaggle to help monitor
student computers/accounts. This system flags and reports students that use language that may indicate harm to self or others.
- Set time limits, especially near bedtime.
- Discuss with your child what should/should NOT be discussed on social media.
- Discuss what pictures/videos should/ should not be posted (Ex. minors, nudity, weapons).
- Encourage your child to "block" users that offend.
- Ensure your child is the recommended age and has the maturity level to handle social media
-Students should not communicate on social media with unknown or unsolicited individuals.
- Monitor your child's activity & "friends" often.
- Discuss the importance of protecting their password.
- Educate your child and let them know that crimes can be committed using social media.
- Use social media tools to report bullies, threats, and harassment.
- Notify law enforcement. Report crimes to the FBI through the following link: https://www.ic3.gov/
*This list is only a foundation for responsible social media usage.
Courtesy of St. Pauls Elementary School's Counseling Dept.
Testing Update
NC High School Check-Ins #2 - All (8th Grade Math 1) Math 1, Math 3, English II, and Biology (Ecosystems and Evolution and Genetics) Common Formative Assessment (CFA): English 1 and Math 2 - May 1 - 5, 2023 - District
AP Exams - May 1 - 12, 2023 - State
Amplify/Classworks EOY - May 10 - 31, 2023 - State
PSRC Early College EOC Assessments - May 18 - 24, 2023 - State
NCEXTEND1 - Grades 3-8 & Grade 10 - May 26 - June 9, 2023 - State
NC EOG Math, Reading & Science K-8 May 26 - June 9, 2023 - State
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events and fun national holidays!
May 4 - Superintendent's Choice Arts Awards
May 5 - US School Lunch Hero Day/Cafeteria Workers Appreciation
May 6-13 - National Nurses Week
May 8-12 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 9 - Teacher Appreciation Day
May 10 - US National School Nurses Day
May 11 - PSRC National Technical Honor Society Induction Ceremony - 6 p.m. - Lumberton Jr. High School
May 18 - National Speech Language Pathologist Day
May 18 - Math Family Engagement Night
May 19 - Driven 2 Excel - Lumberton Honda
May 25 - Superintendent's Academic Awards
May 26 - PSRC ECHS Graduation
May 29 - Memorial Day - Holiday
Math Family Engagement Night is May 18!
PSRC Family,
Registration is now open for our last districtwide family engagement night. Please Join us on May 18 at 6 p.m. for the Math Family Night. This Math-focused Family Engagement Night will engage families with hands-on games, activities and trivia to help families explore math skills at home.
We know that educating our children requires a team effort and that building connections between families and schools is critical to developing academic achievement for all children. Hosting family engagement events that are linked to learning is a part of our efforts to build those connections. Research says that events such as Family Math Nights can help build strong family-school partnerships, engage parents meaningfully, and contribute to achieving high standards.
Be sure to scan the QR codes on the flyers or click the following links to register.
MATH Family Engagement Night (English): https://forms.gle/NR6jDugLtvt1GM1q8
MATH Family Engagement Night (Spanish): https://forms.gle/DZbUKz44r447EqRF8
Parents, please take note of the following back to school immunization information.
By law, students are given 30 days after the start of school to complete the NC State Immunization and Health Assessment Requirements. Students will not be allowed to attend school after the date until the immunizations and/or health assessment requirements have been met. The absences will be coded "unexcused.”
Kindergarten students must have a completed immunization record and a health assessment turned in by the date. Additionally, students in seventh grade must receive the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
All 12th graders are required to have received a second dose of the Meningococcal vaccine. This also applies to students who transition to senior status after the first semester.
Any new student to North Carolina Public Schools must have an NC Health Assessment completed within the first 30 calendar days from enrollment.
Back to School Event is Aug. 5!
SAVE THE DATE for the 2023-2024 Back to School Event!
Each school will have a booth set up at the event to hand out information to families and meet parents/students.
The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Southeastern Agricultural Center, located at 1027 US 74 ALT, Lumberton, N.C. 28358.
Quote of the month
"Through education we have the power to change lives every day."
Public Schools of Robeson County
"One Team, One Goal" We serve more than 21,000 students across 39 schools, including PSRC Early College at RCC and the Robeson County Career Center. To keep up with PSRC district happenings, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our district website at robeson.k12.nc.us.
Email: webmaster@robeson.k12.nc.us
Website: robeson.k12.nc.us
Location: 100 Hargrave Street, Lumberton, NC, USA
Phone: 9106716000
Facebook: facebook.com/PublicSchoolsofRobesonCounty
Twitter: @PSRCEDU