Families,
Friends, and Community Members:One of the
most exciting times in education is the start of a new school year and the
return of our teachers and students. There is a contagious enthusiasm
surrounding the entire school community as we look forward to making new
friends, participating in challenging and rigorous educational activities, and
engaging in critical thinking throughout the year.
I’m pleased
to share that our repertoire of exceptional academic programs will continue to
grow this year. The 2018-19 school year will mark the second year of the
Asheboro High School Early College Academy and our Dual-Language Immersion
program will extend into the second grade at Balfour Elementary and first grade
at Lindley Park Elementary. Our Career
and Technical Education program will continue to expand opportunities for high
school students to obtain certifications in agriculture, finance,
manufacturing, and information technology as well as many other areas.
Each year I
find myself even more amazed by our students’ accomplishments. Just this past
year, our seniors earned over $7 million in academic and athletic scholarships.
The talent of our students who participate in our cultural arts program rivals
professional actors and musicians. And, our graduation rate continues to exceed
the state average year after year. The Class of 2018 had a graduation rate of 92.6
(unofficial) – incredible! Our sustained high graduation rate is one of the
reasons why Asheboro City Schools was named a top 10 school district in North
Carolina. We are delighted to welcome several new teachers to the Asheboro City
Schools family. In our highly-selective recruitment process, we sought out
talented and positive individuals who are gifted and will help our students
realize their full potential. Our new and veteran teachers have engaged in
professional development throughout the summer. These sessions have been geared
towards delivering instruction that is both problem and project-based. Our
educators have the power to be change-agents for each and every student in
Asheboro City Schools.
In addition
to new teachers, we are pleased to introduce two new principals for the
upcoming school year. Ms. Ann Evans, former assistant principal at Charles W.
McCrary Elementary School, is now the principal of Guy B. Teachey Elementary
School and Lisa Hayes, former assistant principal at Donna Lee Loflin
Elementary School, now serves as their principal.
Also new
this year will be changes to the start and end times for our middle school
students. North and South Asheboro Middle schools will begin the day at 8:20
a.m. and end the day at 3:20 p.m. This change seeks to promote student safety
through alleviating traffic congestion at the intersections of Walker Avenue
and Church and Park Streets.
In
collaboration with the Asheboro City Board of Education and Smith-Sinnett
Architecture, district leaders continue to focus on maintaining our facilities.
Our Maintenance and Facilities Department has done a tremendous job completing
projects during the summer months, ensuring our schools are ready for students
to engage in their best learning. Families can rest-assured knowing our
facilities are well-maintained for every season of the year. Even more exciting
is the Asheboro High School Renovation and Expansion project. We look forward
to sharing progress throughout the school year with our families and community.
The renovation will update the existing infrastructure at Asheboro High School
and the addition will provide a state-of-the-art learning facility, equipped
with 15-18 new classrooms, an expanded area for our band program, and increased
core capacity for our growing student population. We are grateful to the
Randolph County Commissioners for their continued support of this project.
Delivering
rigorous instruction is just a piece of how we care for our students. Our
teachers understand that their roles include providing for the social,
emotional, and physical needs of our students. As a part of a strategy for
addressing needs, we’re pleased to provide a free universal breakfast at each
school in Asheboro City Schools. This program helps prepare our students for
daily learning. This is just part of what makes Asheboro City Schools such a
special place. We’re more than a school district. We’re a community.
As we look
ahead to this new school year, we remain committed to providing the best
educational resources for our deserving students. Our primary focus is teaching
skills our students need to excel as 21st Century learners, workers, and citizens.
We will continue our work with families and the community to ensure that our
students are academically proficient, effective at communicating,
collaborating, and thinking critically and creatively, and are globally aware,
independent, and responsible.
We hope you
will join us as we continue to make the best school district even better!
Thank you,
Terry W.
Worrell
Superintendent
Asheboro City Schools