Episode 268: Our Community School

EdNC, a nonprofit news outlet, embedded in P.W. Moore Elementary School in Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools in 2024-25. From the first day of school through the last day of school, this film documents the power of the community school model for students, educators, families, and the community.

Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:12

Here at PWR, we love our children. We're trying to make a difference in these children's lives.

SPEAKER_11 0:22

We're located right in the heart of Elizabeth City. I say the heart of town because that's this is where my heart is.

SPEAKER_04 0:31

When I got here, I said, this is where I need to be. This is a school where everyone works hard.

SPEAKER_19 0:38

A lot of our families, they're doing the best they can to support us and support their students.

SPEAKER_08 0:44

They care about their children. They want their children to learn. They want them to succeed and be positive citizens.

SPEAKER_18 0:50

I'm a product of this neighborhood. I came from five houses down from Petermore. And I believe that any child, if they are given the right to, can come out of this environment of these neighborhoods around us feed into Peter Moore. They can come out with being successful people.

SPEAKER_06 1:09

This school is one of the oldest schools here in Elizabeth City. We just hit 100 years. This is the only school here that has been a high school, a middle school, and then an elementary school.

SPEAKER_18 1:22

When you say P.W. Moore to a lot of people, it means something. P.W. Moore being an educator, born into slavery himself, becoming the first chancellor out of Elizabeth City State University. So a lot of tie-in between the name of P.W. Moore here at this school and then those alumni that are still around in Elizabeth City that loves this school and the name P.W. Moore.

SPEAKER_17 1:47

I actually went to school here. Some of the same teachers that taught me are still here. So it's really hard.

SPEAKER_06 1:57

And then my first job was here.

SPEAKER_07 1:59

I was a student of PW Moore. I worked here for 10 years. I was a seventh grade student here at PW Moore. I retired from here in 2019.

SPEAKER_11 2:10

I was actually a student here. I'm from Elizabeth City, born and raised. When I requested to come back to PW Moore, they were like, oh, she won't be able to change the tide there. They're in F-school, they've been in F School, they're not going to do anything different. They said we couldn't do it, but we did it.

SPEAKER_12 2:34

We're meeting here this morning in the courtyard of the historic P.W. Moore Elementary School. This school, having been three years ago, determined it was an F school, we're now sitting in a school that has exceeded growth, met growth, and is now a C school.

SPEAKER_10 2:55

As Toby Keith says, how do you like me now?

SPEAKER_12 3:05

So today we just concluded a press conference to announce some really significant gains in student achievement across the district. And this school in particular has grown two letter grades in just two years, and I'm so proud of it.

SPEAKER_22 3:19

We're saying good morning, we're giving them these papers so they can see how much our growth is.

SPEAKER_21 3:25

The teachers were working hard for that. The amount of growth. To say it's exciting is an understatement.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

That makes me feel really proud because guess what? I'm a part of that growth.

SPEAKER_08 3:38

I am just so proud that I'm here still teaching to enjoy the major accomplishment.

SPEAKER_03 3:44

Our school went down from an F all the way to a C.

SPEAKER_08 3:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 3:50

When you do your test scores, you have your proficiency. How many students are proficient? How many students are on grade level or above? So 80% of that score is what you keep. Then your growth, we get 20% of that. So that 20% with the 80% added together gives you what your grade is. As far as how we did it, we needed the community involvement to come in to help us. We couldn't do it by ourselves. And I can do hard things. Have a great day in the Lions Den.

SPEAKER_20 5:12

I'm just a sweaty mess.

SPEAKER_06 5:22

I'm looking forward to this last year, and I'm my goal is to grow every single one of them. Yeah, that's my goal.

SPEAKER_09 5:30

My personal goals is to continue imparting knowledge in an impactful and meaningful way. Every child can learn and every child must learn.

SPEAKER_05 5:41

Maybe on YouTube.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

It's possible.

SPEAKER_10 6:13

Made it through the first day of school. Hooray! Yes!

SPEAKER_11 6:21

Today we're not matching today, but that's okay, right? How are you doing, Mr. Cooper? Good. Have a good day, buddy. We became a community school. Last year was our first year.

SPEAKER_12 6:32

The community school model is an approach to engage the community in what belongs to them, which is their school.

SPEAKER_18 6:39

The biggest part of this whole thing is about resources, connecting people together, and relationships. You have a coordinator that can work those lines outside of the school where a normal school employee can't do that because they can't leave the building.

SPEAKER_13 6:54

My goal as a community school coordinator is finding ways to get parents back into the school, getting them to volunteer to come out, do special events. They are the backbones into making our students' educational success.

SPEAKER_06 7:08

I think that the community school, that whole initiative has really helped as far as the community coming together to support the school. To me, it seems like things have changed and gotten a lot better.

SPEAKER_18 7:21

For the next five years, that's a federal grant by the U.S. Department of Education out of Washington, D.C. So that's major. East Carolina was selected. They would manage the eastern part of this work. Funding comes out of East Carolina for staffing, all the employees that will be hired in the community school coordinators positions. They are ECU employees. They just work in partnership with ECPPS. PW Moore was selected to be that project school to see just if this model will work. We did two listening and learn sessions. The first one was at a local church in one of our communities where about 30 parents came, talked to us about, we asked them what is it that you need from us this year for your child to be successful. Another one was an ice cream truck. All the kids and parents could get one free ice cream off the truck. We had some of the staff there, Dr. Parker and the board vice chair was there serving ice cream just to listen. This is a model we feel now. We are asking you, what is it that you need from us? That's a national model with four pillows.

SPEAKER_14 8:41

We have funding to support needs that may be barriers that are outside of school, but they affect school. Like when we have to do physicals and shots and things like that, we provided a space through community schools where they can come in and they can get physicals before school so they don't have to miss any school.

SPEAKER_11 8:59

They come every month and give a free screening for vision. And then if the students don't have the resources to get glasses, they will provide those resources for us.

SPEAKER_18 9:08

Those doctors that came and nurses and the health department that helped with physical, it won't for a certain class of people. It was for all students. We don't get into picking and choosing. See, part of the whole community school thing is you want to bring as much as you can to the school. Because the school is a place that they're what familiar with. That's a place that a lot of your parent base and communities are gonna what come to. If you make it where it's what inviting and you make it where it's exciting that they want to come, they're gonna come to the school. So you therefore try to put what as many of those resources and things in front of them at the school. If you come and say, um, my rent, I can't make it this much. A resource center person will have applications for you to fill out, make the phone calls so that they can take that bill down to city offices, get your bill paid.

SPEAKER_19 9:54

So you can see I've kind of built my closet up for a long time. Community schools can help me a little bit more now that if I do run out of a size, I can reach out and get that support. Of course, we try to keep everything confidential. So I actually bring them in here and give them the ownership of picking out something that they like, you know, whatever they feel comfortable in, try it on. And once they say yes, we'll cut off the tag, it's yours.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

If you're stressed, you can't learn. So I try to use some strategies to help them unwind.

SPEAKER_09 10:34

We take on B.F. Skinner's approach and we reinforce positive behavior on a daily basis.

SPEAKER_19 10:43

We want to make sure that they're able to communicate effectively their wants and their needs.

SPEAKER_08 10:49

You just have to listen to them. Show empathy to the children.

SPEAKER_14 10:53

We know them by names, we know their parents, we know different parts of their lives so that we can take into consideration, well, we know there was a situation, we might need to offer tender care a little bit more.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

If they believe they need to, you know, just sit down and unwind, they can. We do breathing, we use common bottles, and as the glitter falls down, it helps to relax, you know, what's going on in your mind and help just help you calm down. The students kept warning them. I said, well, we'll make some for home.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

The community school, I must say, created opportunities where we could offer extended learning for students. Some students, it's hard for them to learn in the large setting. We were able to do after school, and this was as a result of what support we got from community school.

SPEAKER_11 11:52

Community schools helped us go after that grant to do the after-school tutoring and pay our teachers and have 120 students come in. After school, they have a full meal and then a snack before going home. It'll be an uh 45 minutes of enrichment and another 45 minutes of tutoring to help them. I really love the 21st century after-school program. He's excelling, he's got straight A's, so it really helps. The parents could tell there was a big difference this year in their academics, and the children want to be here. They want to stay. He's more willing to come, like he's he's enjoying being here, especially in the after school program.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

The after-school program was a big factor in our results because we were targeting those students who needed that extra, you know, push.

SPEAKER_11 12:43

The month of July, we're going to provide three weeks of instruction because we found that our students have the summer slide, and we want to prevent that summer slide so they don't go so far down when they come back at the beginning of the year when they take their beginning of year assessments. We want those students to continue to rise above.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Fifth grade last year, we went on field trips, and we were able to do that only because of community school. A lot of our kids, some of them have never left this little town, Elizabeth City. We are able to take them outside of this town, outside of the state. Many students would love to go on like field trips, but their parents cannot afford. So I would like to see that being extended.

SPEAKER_11 13:31

I'm seeing the parents happier this year.

SPEAKER_05 13:36

Alright, y'all have a goal with us.

SPEAKER_11 13:38

Last year was the first year. We were kicking it off, we were getting our feet in the door, and this year is the year that they're a they feel like they're welcome to come in. They're welcome to see things.

SPEAKER_13 13:48

They're always doing something where parent involvement is involved at this school.

SPEAKER_18 13:54

We come all the time. Every time they have an event, we're here.

SPEAKER_20 13:57

It's just awesome. I love it. I love coming to the school to see how the school is run. And then you know it firsthand. You don't have to go about what anybody else says.

SPEAKER_09 14:06

Parents come into the classroom as visitors, they assist us, they become a part of our instruction and they see what we're doing so they can reinforce learning at home with students.

SPEAKER_11 14:23

Today we had donuts with grown-ups.

SPEAKER_18 14:26

It's been a good day so far. We had about 60 people to come in.

SPEAKER_14 14:31

The parents are coming. So we have some assorted donuts, and then we have some glazed donuts.

SPEAKER_15 14:40

Thank you very much. Alright, so uh you're welcome. I hope you enjoy your time.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Me, I got a two-in-one. I got breakfast this morning, and I got to spend time with my daughter in class and see how she interacts in the public atmosphere, and uh, that meant the most to me, you know.

SPEAKER_09 14:58

When the students recognize that their parents are part of their success, they are motivated to even do better.

SPEAKER_05 15:06

Where are you?

SPEAKER_14 15:07

We have Title I nights, we've turned those into family dinner nights where we also provide meals for the families so they bring everybody out.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

Every month we'd have the family dinners, and the parents would look forward to that, and they would pour in, they would pour in on those Tuesday nights.

SPEAKER_11 15:26

We will provide a meal and we will provide a program of some sort for our families.

SPEAKER_13 15:33

So tonight is our family dinner night. Tonight's theme is mental health awareness. Teaching the students and the parents different techniques when they're feeling overwhelmed or feeling a little anxious.

SPEAKER_16 15:46

We're either wired all the time and we can't find a way to get back here, or we're just like tired all the time. Whenever we're here, our body is in fight or flight mode. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

We can release stress and prepare ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

There was actually a pretty robust discussion. Just uh had a wonderful meal with uh some hamburger, rice, and green beans. Here, you gotta get the good stuff.

SPEAKER_14 16:15

I enjoyed this. I try to come every time they have it. We do sometimes encounter families that may not have enough food to feed all of their family, their children, and things. So, this is another way to help support them in that.

SPEAKER_11 16:30

The community collaborative would come in and they would help us with the meals. Um, they would help us get people to come in and talk with the families.

SPEAKER_13 16:38

This is also a time for teachers to listen to the parents so we can think of different strategies for the upcoming school year so that we can help improve our schools.

SPEAKER_06 16:48

We always had meetings and discussions about what we need to do to get these kids' uh grades up, and I think that played a big part in us making that grade.

SPEAKER_22 16:59

Family dinner we go to. Yeah, because it's really fun. You have food, you get to like occasional games.

SPEAKER_18 17:06

She's talking about 300 strong every month for a dinner. Nowhere are you hearing where 300 people come into a family dinner in the public schools. That's not, you can probably look around the state. That's not something that you hear a lot of.

SPEAKER_19 17:25

We have done so well because we are a true team.

SPEAKER_21 17:31

Our staff is all in. We take an all hands-on-deck approach. Everybody does whatever's needed to support students. They are a teacher, they are a nurse, they are competent.

SPEAKER_19 17:44

Even though I'm a school counselor, I've done tutoring with students because that's what we needed. Everyone takes part in that student to make them be the best version of themselves.

SPEAKER_11 17:57

I say, I am here to learn.

SPEAKER_09 18:00

My principal is extremely supportive, she's on board, she's flexible, she's quite the innovative type, and she listens a lot to her stuff, and she's willing to take suggestions, take it to the drawing board, and come back to her style with even greater ideas.

SPEAKER_11 18:18

We have to brainstorm together to do what's right for our children, and it makes a huge difference.

SPEAKER_14 18:26

We have a lot more people that are supporting our students outside of what a normal academic day would look like. We have volunteers that can come in and they can work with the students. The fire department came out.

SPEAKER_04 18:40

I invite men from their community. They could be law enforcement, it could be the mayor, it could be the city manager, but I'll invite them into the classroom to talk to these kids about the importance of education and about their jobs. I realize the difference that it was making with them and what they did in the classroom.

SPEAKER_18 19:00

College students now are starting to be a part of this model where they might come into the school and be mentors, tutors.

SPEAKER_14 19:07

I'm a student out of Newswood City State University. We have ECSU students that come out. So it could be basketball players, cheerleaders, it could be student government leaders, and it could be fraternities and sororities.

SPEAKER_11 19:19

The biggest thing is to make sure that you're always welcoming to all of the people that come.

SPEAKER_18 19:24

They know it's a safe haven that they can go and take advantage of resources. Just like if somebody showed up for the elementary physical and their kids don't even go to this school, they could have had a physical. They come to the black history of programs and don't even have kids here.

SPEAKER_11 19:42

So the Black History program started. Well, this is my fifth year at PW More and every year since we were able to come back off COVID. They have amped it up a little bit more and a little bit more. So it's not a program, it's a production.

SPEAKER_06 19:54

I started the Black History program. That's probably my biggest accomplishment here. Right, left, right, right. Being that I was doing that, I saw so many parents get involved with wanting their kids to be a part of that play. And it wasn't really just about black history, it was just about the seeing their kids doing something that they don't typically do. A lot of kids have said they had never been on a stage before. So it really was another way of bringing all of us together.

SPEAKER_11 20:25

The parents bring them out on Saturday mornings and they um have about two and a half hours that they practice.

SPEAKER_05 20:31

This okay?

SPEAKER_11 20:34

This year, unfortunately, Miss Todd will retire after this year. She said, This is gonna be the biggest year ever. This will be amazing. This will probably be one of the best ones. She hasn't let me go in to see what's going on. She tells me about it, but I can't see it until the day of the event.

SPEAKER_18 20:49

We're looking for four or five hundred people.

SPEAKER_20 21:27

I came here for the Black History Program. I think they did good. They were professional. I just thought they did a fabulous job. I did the African dance. You wanna tell them your mommy's from Africa?

SPEAKER_07 21:42

I used to work here, so I know about all the programs they've had, and I say this has been the best one that I've seen of all of them. I know Miss Todd has done it for several years. This is her finale, but it has been one of the greatest. And Miss Todd is my niece. And my cousin. We're not being bite.

SPEAKER_18 22:08

If you give a student the proper nurturing, any kid can succeed. And I've seen that here at PWO over the last one of my sixth years now.

SPEAKER_11 22:22

We're seeing that progress. And we're seeing more community people wanting to come in and talk with us. So, yes, it is very exciting. They're just, Ambrose, your school just seems so happy, and it is happy. It's a happy place, but we feel like the happiness also comes from the support that we're getting with the community school involvement.

SPEAKER_12 23:21

And one of the areas that we're focused on improvement in is the letter grade for our school dropped from a C to a D. And that has given us a moment of deep reflection to understand the reasons why that happened and also to help us chart the strategy for the future. The road to the mountaintop is a winding road. It curves. It's not a straight line. We believe that the kids in this school can perform at the same high levels of any kid in the state and country.

SPEAKER_18 23:54

P.W. Moore has made great strides in the last three years. We're getting phone calls, we're getting Zoom meetings, we're getting people who want you to come and speak about community school because they're hearing ECPPS, something is going on. We believe if we can continue the model of community school and getting people to buy in and come in, we haven't seen yet the peak of where Peter Moore can be and will be.