State bus tour finds excellence at turn-around school
By KIP BURKE news editor

Some 60 visitors were warmly welcomed (above) by Washington- Wilkes Elementary School students and faculty for the GPEE Bus Tour of outstanding schools. At right, Bus Tour visitor Jessica Sires of Macon State College talks with 5th-grader Dalton Cordell about how he uses the computer lab in his English class.

The kids at Washington-Wilkes Elementary School knew it was real when two giant tour buses, with a blue-light escort of police, deputies, and state troopers, pulled up in front of their school. It was real, and it was a very big deal.

From the buses poured some 60 special visitors, smiling and greeting the sea of kids in blue and gold at the school Tuesday afternoon.

The visitors, part of the 15th annual Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE) statewide bus tour, brought leaders and educators from across the state to study how schools like W-WES excel in math, science, and technology innovation.

"This has been the most exciting day of our lives," said Principal Wanda Barton Jenkins. "We've talked about it for months but I don't think the kids realized what a big honor this was until they saw the buses escorted in."

The elementary school, one of only 13 schools honored statewide, has been a remarkable success story. On the "Needs Improvement" list for six years, teachers and students brought the school to a complete turnaround in two years, and now has been a Title 1 Distinguished School since 2005, Jenkins said.

The visitors were welcomed in the school's cafeteria by many city, county, and civic leaders, and Jenkins spoke with pride of the school's achievement. "This has been the pinnacle of my career. Thank you for coming and validating to the students and the community that we are doing what we should be doing," she said. She attributed most of the school's success to the teachers who had been part of the school for years. "This school was in their blood, and they would not see it fail."

Wilkes County Superintendent of Schools Joyce Williams also welcomed the visitors. "You're going to see some things in this school that we are very, very proud of. This school has done an about-face with virtually the same staff."

Pre-K teacher Mary Elizabeth Burdette (left) is congratulated by Georgia Teacher of the Year Emily Jennette after the surprise announcement that Mrs. Burdette had been chosen the elementary school's new Teacher of the Year as her fellow Pre-K teachers - who were in on the secret - look on.

The visitors toured classrooms to see science, math, and technology embedded in each lesson, she said, along with reading, and language arts.

They were guided by 12 handpicked student tour guides to classrooms around the school, where they saw how the school's instructional technology is used to innovate the teaching of math and science. The guides, fifth-graders Hannah Forrester, Bob Norman, Troy Allen, Hunter Newsome, Austin Hackney, T.J. Witherspoon, Kinya Gordon, Brandon Harris, Ashlyn Holley, Miranda Crook, Amy McAvoy, and Divesia Lee, worked for weeks to learn their parts.

One visitor remarked on the dedication and focus of the school's teachers. Mitchell County School Superintendent Beauford Hicks said he was quite impressed. "Every teacher is on task, focused on teaching each student what they need, and charting their progress as they go. That's one reason why they're so successful."

Student tour guides (from left) Troy Allen, Bob Norman, Ashlyn Holley and Brandon Harris, along with Kinya Gordon and Divesia Lee (at rear) realized what a big deal the bus trip was as they proudly escorted groups of visitors around their school.

The integration of technology with instruction impressed Jessica Sires from Macon State College. "Watching the students using the 'smart board,' I could see they were so excited to get up and show off their knowledge."

After touring classrooms, the visitors gathered in the cafeteria for a question and answer session, and the presentation of gifts and a plaque honoring the event. Georgia statewide 2008 Teacher of the Year Emily Jennette, who chaired this year's tour, told Principal Jenkins, "What a delight it was to come here today and see the dedication and determination of your students, faculty and staff. Your leadership empowers each one who walks through that door every morning to do their best."

After meeting the past year's W-WES Teacher of the Year Peggy Jones, Jennette had a surprise announcement - that Pre-K teacher Mary Elizabeth Burdette had been chosen as the school's Teacher of the Year for 2008, and the school's nominee for Wilkes County Teacher of the Year.

She was presented with a bouquet of roses to the cheers, tears, and applause of her fellow teachers.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
The Office Cat	2
Neighborhood vandalism is out of control	1
The Office Cat	1
Drug problem growing; little is being done	1
The Office Cat	1
Family escapes death in semi hit-and-run	1
Feed a family of four for $10 a week	1