Aware May Final July 22 - Public Schools of Robeson County

Volunteers 

Get a 

Thank you 

A Time to 

Celebrate 

Students Analyze 

Women's Issues 

Chief Financial 

Advisor Gets a 

Makeover 

May 2013 

1

From the Superintendent’s Office 

As another class of students prepares to march into their futures, we also have a number of 

employees who will say farewell as they also transition into a new future. The Public Schools of 

Robeson County is a close family and seeing many leave will be difficult. The efforts of those 

who have given so much of themselves to support our students will carry on with each student. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Johnny Hunt 

Superintendent, Public Schools of Robeson County 

Retirement Banquet 

James Locklear 

St. Pauls HS 

CONTENTS 

PBIS Initiative Offers a Fresh Look.................................................................... 4 

Volunteers Honored .................................................................................... 12 

School Bus Rodeo....................................................................................... 11 

Southeastern Health Supports Robeson County High School Athletes ................... 13 

PSRC Students Analyze Women’s Issues ......................................................... 21 

School News A - Z ...................................................................................... 4 

Volunteers’ Banquet 

Page 

2

Editor and Copy Writer 

Tasha Oxendine 

Copy Editor 

Courtney L. Chavis 

Assist. Superintendent 

Stephen Gaskins 

Print Department 

Tim Bryan 

School Copy 

Contributors 

Sabrina Branch 

Teresa Mitchell 

Thomas Oxendine 

Holly Clegg 

Ms. Rhonda Lange 

Diane Hardee 

Sherri Byrd-Newberry 

Tonya Chavis 

Rhonda Hunter 

Angel Ligon 

Bridget Dial 

Courtney Locklear 

Juanita Deese 

Rosemary Hemingway 

Delois Lowry 

Ms. Heather Berry-chavis 

April Maynor 

Margie Emanue 

JoAnn Harris 

Joy Lynn Locklear 

Charles Perdue 

Jessica Pate 

Michelle Ivey 

Shanita Wooten 

Bonnie Rogers 

Erin Hunt 

Ginger Hyde 

Anna Warren 

Lena Lowery 

Mrs. Ana Locklear 

Joyce Oxendine 

Rebecca Freeman 

Belinda Green 

Superintendent’s Choice 

Art Reception 

A partnership to 

protect athletes 

Artist receive 

recognition 

3

PBIS Initiative Offers a Fresh Look 

at Improving Student Behavior in the Classroom 

In April, 14 schools in 

the Public Schools of 

Robeson County were 

recognized for their 

achievement through the 

PBIS program. The 2012-13 

Green Ribbon PBIS 

Schools are Green Grove, 

Pembroke Elementary, 

Peterson, Piney Grove, 

Rex-Rennert, Rosenwald, 

Tanglewood, Townsend, 

Union Elementary. The 

Model PBIS Schools are 

Janie Hargrave, Red 

Springs Middle, Rowland- 

Norment and W.H. 

Knuckles. The highest 

PBIS marks go to West 

Lumberton for their 

Exemplar status. 

Kimberly Jacobs says 

this year she has seen a real 

difference in her son as the 

PBIS program teaches him 

to handle things positively. 

Jacobs has two sons at 

Orrum Middle School. “I 

really see it in his behavior 

as he is getting along better 

with other children. He will 

now stop before he speaks 

and look for the positive,” 

says Jacobs. 

PBIS or Positive 

Behavior Intervention and 

Support is an initiative the 

North Carolina Department 

of Public Instruction is 

spearheading across the 

state. The initiative requires 

school leaders to think in a 

proactive versus reactive 

way to behavior. Leslie 

Drennan, the PSRC - PBIS 

Coordinator, says school 

staff members are being 

trained to recognize 

appropriate behavior in 

students and call attention 

to it. 

One key component in 

the program is student 

incentives. Several 

elementary schools across 

the district have a school 

store where students can 

purchase items with school 

bucks they earned for good 

behavior. Oxendine 

Elementary’s incentives 

allow students to be a 

teacher’s assistant 

or sit in the 

teacher’s chair for a 

period of time. 

Some incentives 

allow students to 

attend an ice 

cream celebration 

or class party. 

In the past three 

years, office 

referrals at PSRC decreased 

by 20 percent with PBIS. 

Those include teacher, bus 

driver or school staff writeups 

sent to the principal. 

The decrease gives teachers 

more time to focus on 

instruction. 

“In the past teachers 

might send students to the 

office for not doing 

homework or chewing gum, 

but now they find other 

alternatives to deal with 

those behaviors. This allows 

administrators to deal only 

with behaviors which 

seriously threaten the 

instructional day or safety of 

the school,” said Drennan. 

PSRC began looking at 

the behavioral initiative at 

West Lumberton Elementary 

in 2004. Today the district 

has 34 PBIS schools in 

kindergarten through 8th 

grade. Each of these has a 

PBIS team to collect and 

analyze monthly behavior 

data. That data is used to 

resolve problem areas. 

PBIS extends beyond 

the classroom to the school 

bus with some drivers giving 

tokens or incentives. Poor 

bus behavior also dropped 

by 20% this year. 

A third component of 

the PBIS initiative is 

recognition for teacher 

accomplishments. 

Educators receive rewards 

such as a dress down day 

or an early leave pass for 

going the extra mile. One 

school wanted to decrease 

poor behavior on the school 

buses by allowing teachers 

to ride. Those teachers who 

volunteer multiple times 

receive a gift certificate. 

“I had a principal tell me 

since implementing PBIS 

she found she is a more 

positive person. If teachers 

see behavior such as one 

child help another child pick 

up their books or another 

good deed, they are trained 

to recognize that pro-social 

behavior as a part of 

responsibility”, said 

Drennan. 

PBIS receives federal 

funding which pays for 

training, substitutes for 

teachers to attend training 

and coordinator training at 

the state and national level. 

For more information, 

visit ncpublicschools.org/ 

Leslie Drennan 

4

Arts Education News 

As a continuation of Music in 

Schools Month, the PSRC vocal music 

programs showcased their vocal 

talents during the All County Choir 

Concert April 11 at Berea Baptist 

Church. Participating Beginning Choir 

schools included Carroll Middle, 

Littlefield Middle, Prospect Middle and 

Lumberton Jr. High Schools. Under the 

direction of Dr. Jose Rivera and Angie 

Carter, pianist, the students performed 

four selections that impressed the 

capacity audience! High schools 

participating in the Advanced Choir 

were Fairmont HS, Lumberton HS, 

Purnell Swett HS, Red Springs HS, 

South Robeson HS and St. Pauls HS. 

These students were under the 

direction of Dr. Jaeyoon Kim and his 

pianist, Dr. Seung-Ah Kim; they 

performed six wonderful pieces that 

showcased three-part music at its best! 

A complete gallery can be found on the 

Arts Education Website http:// 

www.robeson.k12.nc.us/Page/40521 

Middle and high school band 

students who were selected to 

participate in the 2013 All-County Band 

Clinic and Concert worked with visiting 

directors during the daylong clinic at 

RCC and showcased musical results at 

the All County Band Concert on April 

26th at RCC. Jayme Taylor, the 

Assistant Director of Bands at the 

University of South Carolina, directed 

the high school band; David Stroud, 

director of bands at Newport Middle 

School in Carteret County, worked with 

the middle school band; and Lorenza 

Floyd, director of bands at Magnolia 

Elementary School worked with the 

honors band students. Each band 

performed from a list of selected works 

and each student received a bronze All 

County Band medallion. 

The gallery can be found on the 



The 2013 All County Orchestra 

Concert was held Thursday, April 18, 

2013 at Lumberton Jr. High School. 

Students from the St. Pauls and 

Lumberton Strings Program auditioned 

for and prepared, specially selected 

music for the performance. Our guest 

conductor for the Concert Orchestra 

was St. Pauls’ Director Peggy Marshall; 

Philharmonic Director was Janice 

Swoope who directs the Reid Ross 

Classical 7th & 8th grade and High 

School Orchestras; and directing the 

Symphonic Orchestra was Nathan 

Artley, he is the director for both the 

Pine Forest Middle and Pine Forest 

High School Orchestras. This year's All 

County Orchestra participation was the 

largest to date with over one hundred 

and fifty students in grades 5th through 

12th. The gallery can be found on the 

Arts Education website http:// 


High school visual art students 

continued Youth Art Month by 

participating in the first Small Works 

Squared Exhibition sponsored by the 

Arts Education Department. Each of 

the one hundred seven pieces are 6” x 

6” and include a variety of mediums 

and techniques. The exhibition opened 

with a reception on April 11 and is up 

for view through May at the Carolina 

Civic Center located in downtown 

Lumberton. As students, parents and 

teachers viewed the exhibit, students 

were asked, “How did you like working 

in a small format”. Responses for the 

artists ranged from “I loved it” “I like 

working small better” “I like working 

big” to “I didn’t have enough room to 

put all the things in my picture I 

wanted.” The exhibition was judged by 

Columbus County artist Teresa 

Wuebbles who was very impressed 

with the overall quality and variety of 

work in the exhibition. A complete list 

of winners and gallery can be found on 

the Arts Education website at http:// 


Visual Art students in K-12 had 

their annual All County Art Show at 

Biggs Park Mall April 15-25, 2013. 

Each school had their own display of 

fantastic artwork that included two and 

three-dimensional works. Paintings, 

drawings, mixed media, printmaking 

and collage were some of the mediums 

used to create the nearly 500 pieces in 

the exhibition. Student artists received 

a bronze medallion in honor of their 

participation in this year’s exhibit. A 

complete gallery can be found on the 



Visual Art students Olivia Billings 

(Fairmont HS) and Natalie Jones (East 

Robeson) were selected to represent 

Region 4 for NC in the National Art 

Education Association exhibition in 

Washington, DC. These students, their 

families and their art teachers, Ashley 

Berdeau (Fairmont HS) and Barbie 

Coble (East Robeson) will travel to the 

nation’s capital to attend the award 

ceremony June 21 at the LBJ Building 

of the Department of Education. The 

artwork will be exhibited during the 

months of June and July 2013. 

5

Deep Branch Elementary 

Our kindergarten students enjoyed 

their Spring Fling dancing to “Soul 

Man”! We are counting down the days 

until we are first graders! Thanks to 

Ms. Anna, Ms. Christina and Ms. 

Ashley for making this school year 

such a wonderful learning experience 

for our students! 

Our First graders are busy 

working in the outdoor classroom 

harvesting radish, sweet peas, lettuce 

and carrots! Ms. Connie and Ms. 

Marie’s class is patiently waiting for 

our new baby chicks to hatch in May 

and learning about Embryology! We 

also provided the staff with items for a 

springtime salad fresh from our 

garden! Thanks to Ms. Connie and all 

the first grade students for their hard 

work this year in the outdoor 

classroom garden! 

Our Second grade students have 

been working hard preparing for our 

Spring Fling! The dance went very 

well and the children danced in their 

beautiful red shirts. Mr. Hardin’s class 

is waiting patiently for their eggs to 

hatch into baby chicks! 

Our Third grade students have 

been traveling all around the world! 

We traveled to the Nation’s Capital, we 

toured the monuments and we even 

visited the National Zoo all on the web! 

It’s amazing the virtual places we can 

go! Many thanks to Ms. Bobbie Jo., 

Ms. Clarissa and Ms. Teena for 

working with our students for their 

upcoming EOG tests! 

Our Fourth grade students have 

been working especially hard in our 

classes on Study Island. The students 

have been focusing on standards 

based on their benchmark results. 

Ms. Candace is using resources on 

Study Island and working together in 

our Daily 5 groups! Ms. Ladonna is 

teaching the students about NC 

History and the “Trail of Tears”. Ms. 

Beth is busy teaching about math with 

creative games and activities using her 

Smart Board! Congratulations to 

Deremiah Chavis for winning a trip to 

New Mexico next March in the IEA 

Science Fair with his project! 

Watch out for Deep Branch’s Fifth 

grade Bulldogs! We are working on 

our test taking skills and getting our 

students motivated to read! Mr. Eaton 

is busy teaching Motivation Math! Ms. 

Lakeshia is busy reviewing 

benchmarks for the science EOG! Ms. 

Diane is working with students using 

Mountain Language and working with 

our Daily 5 groups! 

Our Sixth grade students have 

been studying ancient history and 

ecosystems in science with Ms. 

Jennifer. Reading strategies and 

vocabulary review for the EOG and 

MSL testing is a part of our weekly 

classes with Ms. Amy. Students who 

had 240 conduct points for the third 

nine weeks received an ice cream 

party and were cheerfully served by 

Mrs. Jane, our math teacher! 

Congratulations to Ms. Vicki 

Locklear, our pre-kindergarten teacher 

& Mrs.Harver Jacobs, our IEA teacher 

for being selected our Employees of 

the Month! 

Congratulations to the following 

students for being selected Student of 

the Month for April: 

Kindergarten: Jordon Hammonds 

First: Tazanna Porter 

Second: Chenoa Ferguson 

Third: Marissa Lopez 

Fourth: Brannon Dial 

Fifth: Taylor Bullard 

Sixth: Ariel Dimery 

These students each received a 

certificate, picture and t-shirt! 

Spring Fling was enjoyed by 

everyone this year! Thanks to Ms. 

Tiffany, Ms. Rosa, Mr. Kenneth, and 

Mr. Travis for planning this event and 

working with our students in learning 

their dances! 

Ms. Harver Jacobs & Ms. Vicki Locklear 

6

East Robeson Elementary 

Art/Barbara Coble 

Congratulations to Natalie Jones! 

Natalie's artwork will be exhibited 

during the month of June and July 

2013 at the LBJ Building of the 

Department of Education, 

Washington, DC. A reception and 

celebration for students, parents 

and art educators will be held on 

Friday, June 21 at 10am with a 

ceremony in the auditorium at 11 

am. Distinguished speakers and 

national guests will be in 

attendance. 

East Robeson Kick Off for Pennies 

for Patients during March was 

successful. Pennies For Patients is 

a special program sponsored by the 

Leukemia and Lympho Society’s 

School and Youth Program. During 

March our students brought in 

pennies to give to the Leukemia and 

Lymphoma Society’s programs. 

East Robeson Primary goal was 

$2000.00. 

East Robeson parents,teachers, 

and students collected spare 

change to Change Lives. 

The winners were: 

Bronze Pennant $100-$199 

Pre-K V. Rogers/ class 

1st Grade Ms. Biggs/class 

2nd Grade Ms. Warwick /class 

3rd Grade Ms. Dubuke/class 

Silver Pennant $200-299 

3rd Grade Ms Bissell/class 

Gold Pennant 

2nd Grade with $300.00 Ms. Beth 

Jones /class 

We Reached our Goal $2096.74 

Thank you Parents ,Students, and Staff 

Graphic Packaging , Inc came out 

April 30th to plant seedlings with 

third grade teacher Ms.Kena 

Freeman’s class. This is sponsored 

through their program “Cards in the 

Trees”. Kaylyn Murphy ‘s dad, 

Rodney Murphy, entered their name 

and they won! We (Third Grade) 

had field trip to Camp Grace where 

we learned about trees, soil, 

photosynthesis, and transpiration. 

The third grade students at East 

Robeson Primary have been 

working very diligently to gain new 

skills and strategies that will enable 

them to become more independent 

and deep thinkers. Students 

enjoyed a beautiful day at Camp 

Grace exploring trees, learning 

about soil, seed dispersion, 

photosynthesis and transpiration. 

Students and teachers alike are 

trying very hard to follow and 

reinforce PBIS expectations as we 

near the end of the school year. As 

always, students are persistently 

striving to be caring, to be thinkers, 

and to be safe! 

The following students' artwork 

was selected to represent ERPS 

for the 2013 All-County Art 

Exhibition at Biggs Park Mall 

Kindergarten 

Adrian Romero 

Kaylie Barnes 

Giselle Munoz 

Karla Molina Patricio 

Kinslee Martin 

1st Grade 

Leah Anderson 

Tocomah Hair 

Jaylie Nance 

Kyleigh Hardin 

Chloe Hunt 

Ashton Hardee 

Danna Zamudio 

2nd Grade 

Elvis Daniel-Cruz 

Evelishia Smith 

Joselyn Salaz'an 

Ny'Asia Mitchell 

Billie Jean Hinson 

3rd Grade 

Austin Dixon 

Austin Turbeville 

Caleb Walker 

Citlali Capote 

The following students had artworks 

exhibited in the Central Office Lounge 

during the month of April. 

Mandy Stone (3rd, Freeman) 

Reanna Grimsley (3rd, B. Locklear) 

Bella Spillman (K, Gaddy) 

Bethany Kelley (1st, Eaton) 

Bradley Pait (K, Cook) 

Jesse Taylor (1st, Privette) 

7

Early College High School 

counties for 5 years. Ms. Sinclair 

received her Master’s in English from 

East Carolina University. Her plans 

are to find a job with her Master’s 

where she can make more money. 

“Though the expectations of 

teaching have become over 

complicated in the past years, my 

students remain valuable to me.” 

Congratulations to Carina, who 

submitted a Doodle for Google. 

Carina’s doodle was not chosen as a 

finalist, however, kudos to Carina for 

having the courage and taking a chance. 

Congratulations to Mr. Josh O. He 

was one of 1,000 students who 

received the Bill and Melinda Gates 

Millennium Scholarship Award. Out of 

about 50,000 students, 1,000 are 

chosen from across the nation. Josh 

will have the opportunity to attend the 

college of his choice and pursue his 

Bachelors, Masters and eventually his 

Doctorate degrees under the 

scholarship. Josh says he is humbled 

and honored by this experience. 

Congratulations again and best of luck 

Josh. 

Ms. Tara Sinclair, Ms. Concetta 

Lowery and Mrs. Tammie Paul recently 

graduated with a Master’s degree. Ms. 

Sinclair graduated from Lumberton 

High School and has been teaching with 

the PSRC for 9 years. Before that Ms. 

Sinclair taught for Bladen and Hoke 

Ms. Lowery has been a 

counselor with PSRC for 9 months and 

attended Fairmont High School. She 

received her Bachelors in Native 

American Studies from Dartmouth 

College in New Hampshire. Ms. 

Lowery recently graduated from UNCP 

with her Masters in Professional School 

Counseling and has recently applied for 

admission into a Doctorate program. 

Her plans are to continue her work 

with PSRC. Ms. Lowery was recently 

engaged and is planning to be married 

within the next couple of 

months. Congratulations to the 

future Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Bullard. 

Mrs. Paul (Robeson Early 

College Teacher of the Year) has 

been teaching with the PSRC for 

8 years. Mrs. Paul attended 

West Robeson High, received 

her Bachelor’s in Math from 

UNCP and graduated May 2013 

with her Masters in Math 

Education. This semester Mrs. 

Paul decided to try a new 

approach to Math by having her 

Advanced Functions of Modeling 

class create a math video. When 

asked about the video, Mrs. Paul says, “I 

gave my students direction and they 

excelled in writing the lyrics, recording, 

and putting together a video about how 

to complete the square. We recorded 

with an IPad and then transferred the 

video clips to VideoPad Video Editor on 

a laptop. The students had a great time 

with this and not only learned the 

process of how to complete the 

square, but also how to explain the 

process to peers”. 

Inducted into Phi Theta Kappa 

were Cody, Cierra and Rachel and 

inducted into the National Technical 

Honor Society were Cheyenne, 

Everette, Brittany and Mahogany, Jose 

and Alexander. Congratulations to 

those students. 

8

FAIRGROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL 

A banquet 

was held 

on April 27, 

2013 which 

honored 

one of our 

very own, 

Donn 

Kirkwood, 

8th grade 

science 

teacher at 

Fairgrove 

Middle 

School, we 

received 

the 

Outstanding K-8 Educator Award in 

Science, Mathematics and Technology 

Education for his work bringing science 

alive for his students. The North Carolina 

Science, Mathematics, and Technology 

Education Center (SMT) held their annual 

awards on Saturday to honor teachers, 

students and organizations throughout the 

state that have made an impact on 

Science, Technology, Engineering and 

math (STEM) Education and Development. 

To get students excited about science while 

giving them a better understanding, 

Kirkwood applies his lessons to lab 

experiments and real-world scenarios. He 

has succeeded in instilling a passion for 

science while providing the necessary tools 

to help each of the children succeed in a 

future STEM career. Last year, 90 percent 

of Kirkwood’s 8th grade class performed at 

or above grade-level for North Carolina’s 

proficiency standards, higher than district 

and state averages. “The Outstanding K-8 

Educator Award recognizes the educator 

who excels in fulfilling SMT’s mission of 

providing children with the knowledge and 

skill to succeed in his or her career,” said 

SMT Center President and CEO Dr. Sam 

Houston. “I hope Donn Kirkwood’s 

dedication to his students’ success sets a 

new standard for teachers across the state. 

His unique and innovative approach to 

educating future STEM practitioners is 

helping to further North Carolina’s prestige 

in education.” 

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Fairgrove’s 

cafeteria staff served Muffins for Moms on 

Friday May 3, 2013. Letters were sent 

home to parents and we had a great 

turnout. Mothers came during breakfast 

and ate with their children. 

On Thursday, May 2, 2013, Fairgrove 

held an EOG Night to help parents get a 

better understanding of the importance of 

EOG (End of Grade test). Dinner was 

served to staff and families then several 

staff members discussed skills, websites, 

and to help students and parents get 

ready for the upcoming EOG. 

L. GILBERT 

CARROLL 

L. Gilbert Carroll Middle School 

passed their first SET Evaluation 

with ease. We have enjoyed 

implementing PBIS this year and the 

students love the incentives! 

April has been a “Showcase of 

the Arts” and CMS students have 

certainly been a part! CMS students 

have taken part in All-County 

Chorus, All-County Orchestra and 

All-County Band performances. In 

addition, several students had 

artwork displayed at Biggs Park Mall. 

Special Needs students took part in 

Special Olympics and enjoyed 

their day of games at Purnell Swett 

High School. 

CMS hosted “Spice Up the Knights” 

at Chick-Fil - A and had an 

impressive turnout! We thank all the 

chicken eaters who supported our 

effort. 

The Jr. BETA Club is sponsoring 

“Pennies for Patients” to help the 

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

The team in each grade level tower 

that raises the most money for the 

cause will win an ice cream sundae 

party. We look forward to those 

results. The Jr. BETA Club will have 

inductions next month. They will 

also have a team of walkers at 

Relay for Life. 

We have recently given 

benchmark tests in reading, 

math and science. Each team 

anticipates their ranking among the 

other teams in their tower. 

We wrapped up April with trips to 

the planetarium. Students in 5th and 

6th grades enjoyed the program and 

shared the learning with 

administrators at the “Knights of 

the Lunch Table.” 

Secretaries were flourished with 

thanks and appreciation from coworkers 

during Administrative 

Professionals Week. We are thankful 

for the ladies in the office and all 

they do to make CMS run smoothly. 

Mr. Kenny Simmons and Mr. 

Gary Walters promoting 

“Spice Up the Knights” 

9

Fairmont High School 

would like to thank Mr. Elarce 

Oxendine, Mrs. Ashley Berdeau, 

Ms. Monica Houser, Mrs. Jean 

Heubach, and Mr. Stephen Love 

for the hard work that went into 

the planning of this trip. 

Fairmont High inducted 40 

Students into the National 

Technical Honor Society on April 

11th at LSHS. The most of any 

high school… Go Fairmont !!! 

Fairmont High School 

conquered the Big Apple. 

The students at Fairmont High 

got their opportunity to conquer 

New York City. 36 students visited 

New York City from April 18-20. 

While there, they visited Times 

Square, the Empire State Building, 

the 9/11 Memorial, a cruise around 

the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, 

and Radio City Music Hall. The 

FHS group also attended a 

Broadway Musical – “Phantom of 

the Opera.” Students saw this as 

an educational and cultural 

opportunity of an lifetime. We 

FAIRMONT HIGH SCHOOL 

HOSTS DR. PAMELA 

HILBERT 

Fairmont High School recently 

hosted Dr. Pamela Hilbert, 

President of Robeson 

Community College at its 

quarterly Community Leaders 

Breakfast. Dr. Hilbert informed the 

audience of the great things 

happening at RCC and shared with 

the students the importance of 

being well prepared for the future. 

Fairmont Mayor Charles Kemp was 

also in attendance and spoke of 

his admiration for the partnership 

that continues between the town of 

Fairmont and the school. Student 

participants included James 

Campbell, Hannah Henderson, 

Andrew Stephens, Rokia Hunt, 

Tyrik Alford, Matthew Miles, Dustin 

Register, Shawn Horne, Anthony 

Swett and Christopher 

Hammonds and Morgan Hunt. 

The breakfast series will 

conclude on Friday, June 7th 

at 8:45am in the cafeteria. 

FAIRMONT HIGH SCHOOL 

RECEIVES ACCREDITATION 

Fairmont High School recently 

completed the accreditation 

process through AdvancEd. 

Reviewers were on campus 

March 12th through the 13th 

completing interviews and making 

observations based on the five 

standards: Purpose and Direction, 

Governance and 

Leadership,Teaching and 

Assessing for Learning, Resources 

and Support Systems and Using 

Results for Continuous 

Improvement. A highlight of the 

process was the student focus 

group where randomly selected 

students were afforded the 

opportunity to provide feedback on 

the educational process at 

Fairmont High School. The on-site 

visit concluded on Wednesday, 

March 13th with the exit interview 

where faculty, staff and students 

were notified that Fairmont High 

School would receive endorsement 

for the five-year accreditation with 

no recommendations. 

Congratulations to Principal 

Kent Prater, the administration, 

faculty, staff and students for a job 

well done. 

10

LITTLEFIELD MIDDLE 

Officer Ben Wagner, Littlefield 

Middle’s resource officer, was selected 

as School Resource Officer of the 

Year for the Public Schools of 

Robeson County. Officer Wagner is 

very dedicated to his job and he is 

always trying to be a positive influence 

to the students. He is very deserving 

of this recognition. Way to go Officer 

Wagner! 

Jamie Bell, an 8th grade student in 

Mrs. Tonya Jacobs’ art class, received 

the Superintendent’s Choice Award 

for 2013. Jamie’s work which was a 

marker print called “African American 

Freedom” will be displayed for a year 

in the lobby of the PNC bank in 

Lumberton. 

The art classes at Littlefield Middle 

School journeyed to the NC Museum 

of Art in Raleigh, NC. Students 

toured the exhibition "0 to 60" which 

deals with time. This exhibit 

demonstrates how a person perceives 

time and the effect of time on people 

and objects over certain periods. 

Students were able to visit the 

sculpture gardens where they viewed 

artwork on a very large scale. 

Students had the opportunity to ask 

and answer questions based 

on what had been taught and 

discussed in class. 

Littlefield celebrated Cinco de 

Mayo with a fabulous program 

organized by our ESL teacher, 

Ms. Sandra Lopez. Many of 

our own Hispanic students 

danced and presented 

information to the crowd. Ms. 

Rosa Alejandro sang the 

Mexican National Anthem while 

Ms. Madison Bolin sang the 

American National Anthem. We had 

some very special guests, some of 

which danced and sang. We had a 

Mariachi Band, Mariachi de Mi Tierra, 

who entertained us throughout the 

program. We had the Chinelos 

dancers which were made up of our 

Hispanic families and their kids. Chips 

and salsa were provided to our 

students from San Jose’ Mexican 

Restaurant. This was an excellent way 

to introduce all students to the 

Mexican culture. 

In an effort to help prepare our 8th 

graders for high school, our guidance 

department took them on an 

adventure to visit Lumberton Senior 

High. The LSHS guidance department 

prepared an outstanding presentation 

for our students. Each 

department was represented and 

students showcased their work, 

abilities and information learned. 

We were entertained by the band 

and the JROTC demonstrated 

how to get down and dirty with 

push-ups! They not only 

informed our students of the 

academics available at LSHS, 

they also demonstrated the 

extracurricular activities available. 

The guidance department put together 

an outstanding presentation. 

Littlefield’s Thermostat Club along 

with our ESL students traveled to 

Pembroke, NC to visit the American 

Indian Museum. The main objective 

of this school trip was to PROMOTE 

CULTURAL INTERACTIONS. It was 

an unforgettable and wonderful 

experience to see students from 

different cultural backgrounds working 

together. They learned about how a 

language affects our perceptions and 

appreciation of other cultures with the 

Lumbee traditions as a base. 

Fifth grade recently went to the 

USS N.C. Battleship in Wilmington, 

N.C. They explored the historical 

battleship and were able to learn 

awesome facts about WWII. The 

students seemed to really enjoy 

learning about the life of a sailor and 

checking out Charlie the Alligator. 

Our 6th grade class visited 

Lumberton High to see the Studio 

One production of “Grease”. The 

students were excited to see some of 

their current and former classmates in 

action. It was a wonderful 

performance. 

11

Volunteers Honored for Making a Difference for 

Students Each Day in PSRC District. 

Dr. Olivia Oxendine is sworn 

in as new State Board of 

Education Member 

April welcomed of six new State 

Board of Education members: 

William Cobey Jr., at large member 

from Orange County; Marcella 

Ramirez Savage, at large member 

from Union County; Rebecca H. 

Taylor, District 1 member from Pitt 

County; Dr. Olivia Oxendine, District 

4 member from Robeson County; 

A.L. “Buddy” Collins, District 5 

member from Forsyth County; and 

Gregory Alcorn, District 7 member 

from Rowan County. The board 

elected Cobey as its new chairman 

and Collins as its vice-chairman. Dr. 

Oxendine is an Assistant Professor 

in the Department of School 

Administration and Counseling at 

UNC Pembroke. 

Dr. Johnny Hunt and Regina Hyde 

at the Sandhills leadership 

reception for Cohort 3 

The end of the school year 

is marked with celebrations. These 

include graduations, award 

ceremonies, various honors 

programs, retirements and much 

more. Behind many of these 

successes stand various heroes 

and supporters who cheer our 

students, staff and employees on 

throughout the year. One group, 

which deserves many honors, is 

our volunteers. Volunteers assist in 

classes, the cafeteria, clean 

buildings and so much more. 

Vanessa Brown is one of thousands 

of volunteers who support our 

schools. Brown has no children in 

the Public Schools of Robeson 

County, but the Maxton woman 

spends more time than most in the 

classroom. Brown is a volunteer for 

Townsend Middle School. In the 

past school year, she donated 

1156 volunteer hours to the school 

system. “I volunteer to give back 

to the community and to the area 

where I was brought up. I have a 

passion for children,” said Brown. 

Brown helps as a teacher’s 

assistant at Townsend Middle. She 

is among 2,204 volunteers who 

gave 73,386 hours to the Public 

Schools of Robeson County during 

the 2012/13 school year. 

“Volunteers are a valuable asset to 

our schools and students. We do 

appreciate the volunteers who 

donate their time and talents to 

the boys and girls of the Public 

Schools of Robeson County,” said 

Sophia Oxendine, 

Community Services 

Coordinator. 

Brown and other 

volunteers who contribute to 

the PSRC District were 

recently honored at the 

annual volunteers banquet. 

The 1 st Place Volunteer who 

donated the most hours is 

Mike Lowry with 1727 

custodial hours at Union 

Elementary School. The 2 nd place 

volunteer is Vanessa Brown with 

1156 volunteer hours at Townsend 

Middle School. The 3 rd place 

volunteer for the district is Jesse 

Odom with 1055 custodial 

volunteer hours at St. Paul’s 

Elementary School. Lumberton 

Senior High School received 

accolades for the school with the 

most volunteer hours. This year 309 

volunteers donated 25,262 hours of 

their time to work at Lumberton 

Senior High School. 

The dedication by these 

volunteers is a valuable asset to 

our school system. When 

calculated by hours, to pay the 

more than 2000 volunteers for their 

73,386 hours, it would cost the 

district more than half a million 

dollars. “We are very grateful for 

the volunteers that work with our 

students and give their time and 

energy to make them more 

successful. They are an 

irreplaceable resource,” said 

Assistant Superintendent Stephen 

Gaskins. 

Volunteers such as Brown 

say it is more than a way to give 

back. She hopes some day to 

become a teacher. The 20-yearold 

is young, but she is teaching a 

valuable lesson to students and 

her peers about the importance of 

giving of themselves to help 

others. 

12

Talissa Fann is an 8th Grade 

Math Teacher at LJHS. She has 

been in this profession for 2 years 

and both years have been at LJHS, 

she was previously a bookkeeper 

for an elementary school. Ms. Fann 

is married to Lathan Fann and they 

have three sons, Tate, Walker, and 

Corey. Ms. Fann earned her BS 

Degree in M6 Math and 

Concentration Sp. Ed. at UNCP. In 

her spare time, she enjoys working 

LUMBERTON JUNIOR HIGH 

with little ones at Kingdom Place 

and spending time with her family. 

Bonnie Ray is an EC Teacher 

Assistant at LJHS. She has been in 

this profession for 11 years and all 

of those years have been at LJHS. 

Mrs. Ray is married to Robert Ray 

and they have one son, Roderick. 

In her spare time, she enjoys 

singing in the church choir and 

spending time with her 

Talissa Fann, Bonnie Ray, Chasanee McNair & Myo Aung 

grandchildren, Shamar, Destiny and 

Mason. 

Chasanee McNair is a seventh 

grade student at LJHS and is 14 

years old. She is the daughter of 

Belinda Locklear. Her plans for the 

future are to attend college and 

become an OGYN doctor. In her 

spare time, she enjoys spending 

time with her friends and playing 

the violin. 

Myo Aung is an eighth 

grade student at LJHS and is 

12 years old. She is the 

daughter of May Aung and Tin 

Myoe Nywe. Her plan for the 

future is to become a 

pediatrician. In her spare 

time, she enjoys watching TV 

and spending time with her 

friends. 

Southeastern Health Supports Robeson County High School Athletes with New 

Concussion Evalua;on System 

Southeastern Health (SeHealth) Foundation presented SeHealth Rehab Services’ Athletic Trainer program with a check for $12,500 to 

purchase ImPACT; a computerized concussion evaluation system, as well as computer equipment needed for the program such as I-pads and 

printers.“We felt that our student athletes deserve the best care possible, and we wanted to go above and beyond the 

state law to make sure that all our athletes are kept safe and their care managed appropriately,” said SeHealth 

Outpatient Rehab Manager Henry Edwards. 

Most of the information currently used to evaluate concussions, such as experiencing headache or dizziness, is 

subjective in nature.“This will give our athletic trainers and neurologist some objective data on the athlete who has 

received a concussion,” added Edwards. Baselines will be performed on all contact-sport athletes. If they sustain a 

concussion, the test will be re-administered to help determine if the athlete is safe to return to participation. This 

neurocognitive test provides objective data on how the brain is recovering from the concussion. It can help to 

objectively evaluate the concussed athlete's post-injury condition and track recovery for safe return to play, thus preventing the cumulative effects of 

concussion. Neurocognitive testing has been called the "cornerstone" of proper concussion management by an international panel of sports 

medicine experts. 

Currently each of the 6 six high schools in Robeson County has athletic trainers on-site who are provided by SRMC and the Public 

Schools of Robeson County. These trainers are on school campuses each afternoon until the last practice or school game to offer preventive care or 

treat athletic injuries for the players.“PSRC athletes experience dozens of concussions during the course of a school year. The ImPACT software will 

offer more protection for our athletes by taking some of the subjectivity out of clearing an athletic to return to participate in a sport. It will not stop 

athletes from suffering a concussion, but it should prevent Second impact syndrome,” said PSRC Athletic Director Jason Suggs. 

Robeson County will be the first school district in the area to implement ImPACT testing. Edwards says there are a few colleges and 

universities that are utilizing the software. “We know how important it is for our student athletes to be safe and that they not return to sports after a 

concussion until they are cleared by a physician,” said SeHealth Foundation Chair Coble Wilson. 

Athletic trainers in Robeson County’s six high schools will begin using the web-based evaluation system beginning with football 

season this fall. Southeastern Health Foundation is a separate not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that’s mission is to organize regional community 

efforts which assist in the growth and development of quality health care provided by Southeastern Health. 

13

PSRC Employee Gets A 

Makeover on Steve Harvey Show 

Erica Setzer 

spends her days crunching 

numbers as the Chief Financial 

Officer of the Public Schools of 

Robeson County. By night she 

is a wife and mother of three 

boys -17, 15 and a 6 year old. 

Her busy life warranted her a 

Special Mothers Makeover 

from the Steve Harvey Show. 

Viewers watched the 

transformation on the May 6th 

show. The episode kicks off a 

weeklong celebration of 

mothers. 

In March, Setzer’s 

husband saw a Steve Harvey 

Tweet asking if anyone was 

interested in a makeover. “I 

sent in an email saying I had 

given hair to Locks of Love and 

would love to come on the 

show for a makeover. I sent in 

an email, but I didn’t think 

anything about it”, said 

Setzer. 

To her surprise, the show 

producer called for a video 

about herself and why she 

wanted a makeover. 

Setzer told the 

producer she had not 

cut her hair in three 

years and between 

her husband, job and 

three boys she hardly 

ever took time for 

herself. 

Setzer’s family 

created a video with 

her sons and husband 

demonstrating how busy her 

home life is. She also showed 

her waist length hair. Setzer’s 

husband is a teacher and 

coach at St. Pauls High 

School. The family sent in the 

video in mid-March. The show 

received 500 videos 

submissions. Over the next two 

weeks, the producers asked for 

additional photos of Setzer’s 

busy life with ball games and 

other family activities. The last 

week in March, Steve Harvey’s 

staff announced that Setzer 

was selected and she and her 

husband would fly out April 3 rd 

for her makeover. “I was 

flipping out because we listen 

to Steve Harvey in the 

morning, we watch Family 

Feud and we tape his talk 

show to watch it at night. We 

always loved Steve and he is 

so funny and it was amazing 

we got selected out of all those 

people,” said Setzer. 

Setzer and her husband 

traveled on their first trip to 

Chicago on April 3 rd during 

Easter break from her job at 

the Public Schools of Robeson 

County. “They put us in 

different hotels so my husband 

wouldn’t see as the makeover 

was occurring until the big 

reveal on Friday,” said Setzer. 

The reveal day was 

Setzer’s 36th birthday. The 

Fairmont native 

joined 9 moms in 

the studio salon. 

The stylist on the 

show picked a 

celebrity to style 

each mother after 

the Mother’s Day 

Makeover Show. 

Setzer’s celebrity 

was Halley Berry. 

“I knew they were going to do 

something drastic since it was 

Halley’s Berry’s Pixie cut. I said 

it is Steve Harvey and when 

will I ever get this opportunity 

again,” Setzer said. 

The stylist proceeded to 

cut Setzer’s 28 inch long blond 

hair. During the makeover they 

cut two - 21 inch braids and an 

additional 7 inches of hair as 

they worked toward the pixie 

cut. The hair will be donated to 

Lock’s of Love. “I was excited! I 

think they all expected me to 

have some kind of nervous 

breakdown. I was looking 

forward to something different. 

I always had long hair, so I was 

excited about it”, said Setzer. 

The stylist colored Setzer’s 

blond hair a chocolate color. 

The mother of three also 

enjoyed a manicure; a 

pedicure and she received a 

red carpet gown and 

accessories to wear to the 

reveal day on Friday, April 5 th . 

“We spent all day as they cut 

my hair again that day and 

styled it. All the moms received 

a complete head to toe look for 

the reveal. Then they called us 

up 2 at a time as Steve and the 

stylist went over everything 

they had done to us on the day 

before,” said Setzer. 

Steve Harvey asked 

Setzer how she felt about the 

changes. “I told him I am going 

to need new words because it 

is a complete transformation. 

My husband loved it. The 

spouses were supposed to 

wait until the stylist finished 

telling about everything 

they had done, but my 

husband was so excited he 

ran up on stage and 

hugged me. I thought they 

were going to make us do a 

retake, but they didn’t it,” 

said Setzer. 

Immediately after the 

reveal and photos Setzer and 

her husband flew out of 

Chicago and arrived in 

Fayetteville at 1:00 am. Her 

sons were still waiting up when 

the couple arrived home. 

“Everybody loved it except my 

6-yearold son who really 

wasn’t so sure about it. I still 

had on my make-up from the 

show and I don’t normally wear 

make up,” said Setzer. The 

mother of three said her baby 

finally warmed up to the new 

look and she is thrilled to have 

had this opportunity.“I still love 

it, but it is amazing to see 

people I hadn’t seen in a while 

and they don’t recognize me. 

People walk right by me and 

do a double take, because they 

don’t know who I am. I feel like 

a new person and it is amazing 

what a haircut can do for you,” 

said Setzer. The PSRC 

employee said everyone 

should be able to experience 

pampering like her makeover. 

The reveal show of all ten 

mothers was Monday, May 6, 

2013 at 3 p.m. on the Steve 

Harvey show on NBC. 

Setzer received a $1000 

shopping spree from 

Venus.com, a women’s 

clothing retailer, a photo shoot 

with a celebrity photographer 

and her red carpet gown and 

accessories. 

14

Long Branch School 

Long Branch Kindergarten Classes 

went to The Children’s Museum of 

Wilmington and had a great time. 

They were able to explore the many 

exhibits throughout the museum. The 

students, parents and teachers all had 

a wonderful experience! 

Our First Graders have also 

completed an extensive "Reading 

Project" which is currently on display 

in their school's library. The project 

gave the first grade students the 

opportunity to read a self-selected 

book and complete a hands on book 

report depicting the summary, 

characters, setting and self-made 

activity as an extension from the book. 

This project consisted of several 

reading vocabulary 

terms that will better prepare the 

students for tested areas. 

The Second Grade Classes 

enjoyed their trip to Lumber River 

State Park for Hug-A-Tree Day! The 

students learned about recycling, bees 

and many other things related to the 

environment. They went on a nature 

walk and had a picnic lunch. 

The Third Grade Students had a 

fun and exciting time on their field trip 

to Wonder Works at Myrtle Beach, SC. 

Students rode bicycles that made 360 

degree circles, they had a blast 

making huge bubbles, rode a roller 

coaster simulator, experienced a rope 

course and enjoyed a fun game of 

laser tag. 

The Fourth Graders are working 

on a project where they have to design 

a solution to all the animals being 

killed on interstate highways. They will 

be sending them to the President 

Obama. 

Long Branch students ended the 

month of April with our PBIS incentive 

rewards. One student per grade level 

had the opportunity to shadow a 

teacher. Our County Commissioner, 

Mr. Tom Taylor, had lunch with our 

PBIS Lunch Bunch students. Mr. 

Taylor not only had lunch with the one 

student per grade level, but also 

brought each student a little surprise, 

a pencil and pen. All the students that 

earned “Eagle Bucks” throughout the 

month of April were able to spend their 

“eagle bucks” at the “Eagle Nest” 

Store. 

Our 3rd and 4th grade students 

and teachers are working hard 

preparing for the EOG. Not only the 

3rd and 4th grade students and 

teachers working hard to prepare the 

students, but the whole school is 

pitching in. K-2 teachers and resource 

teachers are helping out by tutoring in 

3rd and 4th grade classes. The Pre-K 

through 2nd Grade students is also 

encouraging the 3rd and 4th grade 

students through a variety of 

ways! LET’S GO EAGLES!! 

Long Branch Eagles always 

are reminded of the school 

motto: Learning Today For A 

Better Tomorrow and they are 

always striving to follow the 

school's PBIS rules for safety, 

organization, responsibility 

and respectfulness. 

15

Orrum Middle School 

! 

Students were able to see 

a champion hoop dancer 

from Cherokee, Drum 

Exhibition, and dance 

exhibition. Many exhibitors 

were present displaying and 

creating arts and crafts. 

Students from every grade 

level enjoyed their 

educational experience. 

about career tracks for high school. 

Congratulations to our Special 

Olympics team. Both participants 

received awards. 

Beta Club induction was held 

April 30, 2013. New inductees 

recited the pledge and were given 

pins and a letter of recognition. 

Congratulations to the Beta Club 

for raising $810 for St. Jude’s 

Children’s Hospital. 

We are very proud of you! 

Students in grades fifth through 

eighth participated in an 

Educational Day hosted by the 

Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. 

Joseph Hunt, sixth grade 

student, won second place for the 

AISES Science Fair. As a winner, 

Joseph will receive an all expense 

paid trip to 4H Camp. 

Congratulations Jospeh! 

A competition was held on April 

11, 2013 to choose the new Orrum 

Idol. Congratulations to Brandon 

Edge. He sang his rendition of 

“Amazing Grace” acapella. He 

received high marks from the 

! 

judges and many denoted that 

he had the voice of an angel. 

Eighth graders visited 

Fairmont High School to tour 

the campus, meet with the 

ninth grade team, and talked 

about the transition from 

middle school to high school. 

Saturday, April 20th, 2013, 

Orrum Middle School Band 

participated in Carowinds Festival 

of Music. 

Lumberton Senior High 

School guidance counselors 

Sarah Hendrix and Adrian 

Hammonds came to OMS and 

held a mini-session of 

Freshman Five. Students 

played games, received 

awards and were advised 

16

Parkton Elementary 

Parkton 

Elementary is 

very proud of 

one of our 4th 

grade students 

who volunteered 

at the Child 

Advocacy 

Center of 

Fayetteville. Robyn represented a doll 

named Kit Kittredge at the American 

Girl Fashion Show on March 24, 2013. 

She modeled on the American Girl 

outfits to help support the center. 

Congratulations to the PARKTON 

BRUINS & SECOND HARVEST 

FOOD BANK SOUTHEAST NORTH 

CAROLINA / BACKPACK PROGRAM 

for a much needed partnership! This 

partnership provides healthy snacks 

for children by continuing to meet their 

nutritional needs on the weekends and 

school vacations when other 

resources are not available. This 

program also fosters independence as 

they are easy to prepare & quite tasty! 

Our teachers are showing their 

creativity, posting test strategies in the 

hallways. Making sure everyone has 

the tools to get ready for End of Grade 

Testing. 

April PAWS winner was 1st grade!! 

Congrats on your hard work. The 

P.B.I.S. PAWS program has been very 

effective in increasing desired 

behaviors in our focus areas across 

the grade levels. Since implementing 

the program in December we have had 

greater staff 

involvement 

and more ontarget 

behaviors in all 

areas. 

The kids 

are really driven 

to do well at all 

times, and not 

just in their classrooms. Success! 

First Graders have been busy 

learning about plants. We have 

learned the parts, and what a plant 

needs in order to survive. The first 

graders have planted sunflower seeds 

and are anxiously awaiting to see 

growth. We have also relaxed by 

visiting Millstone Theatre and watching 

the movie "The Croods" and enjoying 

lunch at CiCi's pizza. 

The 4th grade Bumblebee team is 

in extensive review for the upcoming 

EOG standardized tests. Planned 

interventions have been designed 

within our grade level to ensure all 

Pembroke Elementary 

students the opportunity to do their 

best on the test! We are also very 

excited about the implementation of 

the Daily 5 reading structure into our 

classes. Two of our 4th grade teachers 

had the recent opportunity to witness 

the Daily 5 program in full force and it 

was a wonderful experience creating 

great enthusiasm for next year! 

May 10th was our Family Fun Day. 

Fourth grade has been working hard to 

be ‘Footloose’ on the black top that 

day! We are looking forward to all of 

our Pembroke Elementary families 

joining us for the celebration. 

Congratulations to our participants 

in the 2013 Special Olympics. 

Students ran, jumped and threw with 

all their might bringing back many 

ribbons to show their achievements. 

Our K-5 students have 

been excited about studying life cycles 

of flowers, frogs, ladybugs, chicks, 

and butterflies. Our caterpillars have 

become chrysalis and we are patiently 

waiting to see butterflies break out so 

we can set them free. 

This year we have worked hard 

learning about coins and money, as 

well as, supermarket words. We will 

demonstrate our skills in a trip to Wal- 

Mart, Dollar Tree and Taco Bell, where 

we will have a treasure hunt finding 

items and making purchases. 

We finished our NC Extend I 

testing with success and continue to 

BEE ALL WE CAN BEE!!! 

Computer Club has worked hard 

this year as they completed multiple 

technology projects and fundraisers 

selling Photos with Santa, Valentine 

gifts, and this month Mothers day 

gifts. We have had our share of fun 

too, with an Easter egg hunt and 

celebration, and a future trip to the 

skating ring. 

17

Peterson Elementary 

This group of educators from 

Peterson Elementary, along with their 

DPI Instructional Coach, Jenn Hatch, 

presented at the North Carolina 

Collaborative Conference for Student 

Achievement. Tanya Fore-McDonald, 

Lisa Zekanis, Renae Oxendine, Sharon 

Phillips, Ashley Bailey, and Sara Hall 

accompanied Ms. Hatch to the 

conference to share the amazing 

instructional shifts Peterson has been 

making this year. They gave two 

presentations detailing the hard work 

and growth of the school's teachers 

and students; Anchor Texts as an 

Instructional Tool and Collaborative 

Web Based Professional Development. 

Both presentations were well received 

and highlighted the passion of these 

great Tiger teachers. 

The Journey Begins 

The new beginning for the children 

in Peterson Elementary School started 

on April 17 as the parents and 

students begin the registration 

process in the gym with the assistance 

of nurses, bus driver, teachers, and the 

school counselor, Rosemary 

Hemingway and assisted by Mrs. 

Bonnie Mack and Mrs. Tonia 

Ferguson.. Pre-k and kindergarten 

registration begin at 8:30 am and 

ended at 2:30 pm. Both the parents 

and students were pleased with the 

door prizes and gifts packs given to 

them on behalf of Mrs. Katherine 

McDaniels and the Public Schools of 

Robeson County. 

Drummers under the directions of 

Mr. Rick Dial, music teacher; provided 

an outstanding performance for the 

Red Springs Head Start and 

Pembroke Shining Stars during their 

orientation visit to Peterson. The 

teachers and students were greeted 

by Ms. Rosemary Hemingway, school 

counselor. Fourth grade students 

provided the tour of the school 

campus. 

Appointment to 

West Point 

David Singh, Jr. of South 

Robeson High School has been 

appointed to The United States 

Military Academy at West Point. 

Only ten percent of candidates are 

chosen to receive this honor. 

David will receive a full four year 

scholarship valued at over 

$200,000 covering tuition, room, 

board, and medical care as well as 

a monthly stipend. Upon 

graduation, David will be 

commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant 

in the Army and plans to make the 

Army his career. David is the only 

student from SRHS to ever receive 

this appointment. The faculty and 

staff of SRHS are very proud of 

South Robeson HS 

David and applaud his hard 

work and commitment. 

David was chosen as the 

number 1 Cadet at Junior Camp 

Leadership Camp where he 

commanded approximately 1000 

Army JROTC cadets. David has 

served as a Regimental Executive 

Officer for the last two years and 

is currently second in command in 

the Robeson County JROTC 

Regiment. He is ranked as a 

Cadet Lieutenant Colonel in SRHS 

JROTC. 

David is the son of Pamela 

Singh and David Singh, Sr. He 

resides with his grandparents, 

James and Patsy Hunt, brothers 

Jonathan Singh and Jashand 

Singh, and cousin Darian Hunt. 

18

Pembroke Middle School 

PMS Battle of the Books Team 

Competes in Regionals 

Congratulations to Pembroke Middle 

School Battle of the Books Team. The 

team won the 2013 Robeson County 

Middle School Battle of the books 

competition which was held on March 6 

and 7, 2013 at Lumberton Junior High. 

Eleven middle schools from across the 

county “battled” for the title. Pembroke 

Middle represented the Public Schools of 

Robeson County in regional competition 

on Friday, April 19, 2013 at Campbell 

University and placed 8th. Team members 

are front row from left, Christopher Blue, 

Pacey Brooks, Jamison Strickland, Aaron 

Lowry, Lyndsay Woodell, Tala Lowry and 

Victoria Lowry. In the second row from left 

are Coach Loretta Lowery, Coach Rena 

Locklear, Lakota Craft, and Coach Robin 

Woodell. (Not Pictured) Coaches Lesa 

Maynor and Vickie Locklear. 

Pembroke Middle School Band 

On Friday, April 26th, several students 

from the Pembroke Middle School Band 

participated in the 2013 All-County Band 

Clinic. Kyra Jacobs and Darien Herndon 

won an auditioned spot in the All-County 

Middle School Band under the direction of 

Mr. David Stroud. KaLeigh Lowry, Anissia 

Hunt, David Burns, Isaiah Locklear, and 

Kerighan Chavis-Jacobs were chosen to 

participate in the All-County Honors Band 

under the Direction of Mr. Lorenza Floyd. 

Several alumni of the band also 

participated in the All-County High School 

Band. 

PMS Warriors Softball & Baseball 

Teams 

The 2013 Lady Warriors are conference 

champs this year. Our softball team has a 

record of 13-1. The team is packed with 

talented young ladies who worked hard to 

become champions. The team consists of: 

Hunter Bullard, Jocelyn Bullard, Jamie 

Bullard, Desaree Dunham, Caycee Chavis, 

Marya Oxendine, Aleah Tilson, Madison 

Strickland, Destiny Locklear, Morgan 

Locklear, Nadia Nephew, Taylor Edwards, 

Mikayla Hunt, Kyra Jacobs, Brittney Dial, 

Sabrina Chavis, and Hannah Mariani. The 

Lady Warriors are coached by Ms. Danielle 

Sabol and Mr. Rodney Locklear. We are 

proud of the success our ladies. 

Our Warrior Baseball Team is equally as 

talented this school year. Our baseball 

team has a record of 12-0; we are 

undefeated this season and in first place in 

the conference. The Baseball team 

consists of: Lucas Oxendine, Bladen 

Strickland, McKinley Strickland, Chay 

Locklear, Kendall Locklear, Michael 

Bullard, Prentice Urban, Ryan Graham, 

Ryan Taylor, Shawn Williamson, Christian 

Cummings, Ashton Cummings, Braydon 

Scott, Josh Revels, Johnnie Lowery, 

Chance Lowry, Phillip Locklear, Jerry 

Locklear and Jarrett Hunt. The team is 

coached by Head Coach Mr. Roger 

Graham, and Assistant Coaches Mr. Chuck 

Oxendine and Mr. Reggie Strickland. 

Science Fair Winner 

Indian Education American Indian Science 

and Engineering Society Science Fair was 

held at IEA in Pembroke on April 25, 2013. 

Brittany Goins, an 8 th grade student, at 

Pembroke Middle School won 1st place in 

the Science Fair for her category. She will 

be attending the National AISES Science 

Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico in March 

2014 or she will receive up to $500.00 paid 

registration for an academic summer camp. 

Congratulations Ms. Brittany! Pembroke 

Middle School Warriors are so very proud 

of you. 

19

Piney Grove School 

During the month of April, 

our Kindergarteners went on a 

field trip to Omni Cinema and 

Chuck E Cheese. They saw 

the movie Wreck-It Ralph 

where they learned the 

importance of friendship, not 

bullying as well as how to 

work as a team to accomplish 

tasks. They had an awesome 

time! 

Now we are preparing to wrap 

up this exciting year 

with graduation and a funfilled 

picnic. We are working 

hard to get them ready for first 

grade! 

School is winding down 

but First Grade is still Keeping 

Up with the Goals! Our 

students are still working hard 

to understand Author’s 

Purpose and different Power 

of 12 ideas (drawing 

conclusion, cause and effect, 

and predictions- just to name 

a few). We have enjoyed 

revisiting environmental 

factors- such as pollution, 

people, recycling, and even 

conservation for Earth Day. 

Students in First Grade are 

giving it their all in order to 

end the year with a fabulous 

sense of wisdom and 

accomplishment. We are 

looking forward to Mother’s 

Day activities and a great deal 

more learning! First Grade is 

Fun for all! 

We here in second grade 

are working hard to get 

ourselves ready for third 

grade. We just finished the 

third Benchmark Test. Our 

students did great! The 

students are preparing 

themselves for the EOG by 

taking the Benchmark Test. 

For the math we are working 

the problems out and learning 

to use a calculator to get 

better prepared. We recently 

learned about Earth Day 

and things to do to take 

care of "Mother Earth". At 

the end of Earth Day week, 

we planted seeds in cups to 

watch them grow. They 

have already sprouted! Once 

they have a beautiful flower, 

we will take them home for 

Mother's Day. So much going 

on towards the end of the year 

and we are still gearing it up!!! 

In honor of Earth Day 

our third graders are 

beginning a new unit on 

the life cycle of a 

butterfly. Each third class 

received their very own 

collection of caterpillars to 

observe firsthand the 

complete metamorphosis of 

the painted lady butterfly. Also 

to celebrate Earth Day our 

third graders are taking the 

“Sunflower Challenge”. Each 

third grade student received a 

pack of sunflower seeds to 

plant at home to care for and 

watch grow. This project 

allows hands-on learning for 

our students about plants and 

there importance to our Earth. 

We are now all looking 

forward to our 

upcoming EOG 

pep rally, as well as 

our third grade 

picnic. 

On Friday, May 

3rd, Piney Grove’s 

volunteers were 

recognized for their 

outstanding service and 

support for the 2012-13 school 

year. Our volunteers were 

given a breakfast and a small 

gift for all they have done for 

the school. 

Thursday, May 2nd, the 

Piney Grove’s media center 

held it last BBs for the year. 

192 students attended the 

April BBs. 

Go Pioneers! On Friday, 

May 3 rd , 2 nd grade earned the 

PGS (PBIS) party. Students 

enjoyed dancing and learning 

the “Wobble” dance. GO 2 ND 

GRADE! 

20

Prospect Elementary School 

Robeson County Battle of the Books 

1 st Place 

Rikayla Collins, Peyton McMillan, Jassidi 

Jones, Honiah Locklear, Madison Deese, 

Hannah Evington, Ariana Locklear 

Coaches: Mrs. Katrina Locklear & Mrs. Amy 

Woods-Locklear 

News from Wildcat Country 

Congratulations to our 4th & 5th 

Grade Battle of the Books Team. Prospect 

students placed 1st in the County Battle of 

the Books competition. They also 

participated in the North Carolina Regional 

Elementary Battle of the Books 

Competition at Fayetteville State University 

on April 10th. A big thank you to the 

coaches: Mrs. Katrina Locklear and Mrs. 

Amy Woods-Locklear. 

Our 6 th Grade Band students who 

made the All-County Honors Band, 

performed at Robeson Community College 

on April 26 th . Thank you Mr. Jorgensen and 

students for your hard work and we are 

very proud of our Wildcats. 

PSRC Student Artwork was on 

display at Biggs Park Mall this month 

through April 25 th . We had several students 

who were honored to have their work 

chosen to display. Congratulations! 

Shakoria Brewington, Rakayla Collins, Kyla 

Dial, Kiriah Jacobs, Raymond Jones, 

Katelynn Culbreth, Leya Farley, Eliana 

Waltman, Kyran Hunt, Makayla Chavis, 

Patience Gray, Jace A. Jacobs, Addison 

Tucker, Madison Chavis, Saleiya Lowery, 

Anna Cavan, Antoine Francis, Amber 

Brayboy, Michaela C-Douglas, Keely 

Oxendine, Rylan Oxendine, Kelly Locklear 

The Superintendent’s Choice Visual 

Arts Winner 

Destiny Scott 

Mrs. April Strickland’s 4 th grade 

April has been a very busy month 

for our 7 th & 8 th Grade Choral Students. We 

had thirty-five Choral students who 

represented the Wildcats very well in the 

PSRC’s All County Chorus on Thursday, 

April 11, 2013 at Berea Baptist Church. 

Forty-three more Choral Students 

participated on a tour at the Sunbridge 

Nursing Facility in Pembroke. We are so 

proud of our students and our music 

teacher Mrs. Angie Carter for their 

willingness to share their talents with our 

community. 

Our 8 th grade students 

participated in a project called Green Teen 

Drivers. This project was for students to 

research 3 different types of vehicles with 

an alternative fuel source. Vehicles that are 

better for the environment and savings on 

gas. When presenting their research they 

found that Flex fuel, which is 85% Ethanol, 

is the only alternative fuel source available 

in North Carolina at this time. Thank you 

Mrs. Debbie Locklear for leading our 8 th 

grade students in the Green Teen Drivers 

research in recognition of Earth Day. 

21

PSRC Students Analyze Women’s Issues and 

Rights Through Literature 

Tucked away in Dale Scott’s 

English III American Literature 

class students are debating 

whether women should fight in 

combat. This contemporary 

question is just one argument in 

the literature study as they look at 

Combating Women’s rights. “A lot 

of these students didn’t know 

anything about women in history or 

how they fought for women’s 

rights”, said Dale Scott. 

This English Literature 

Women’s issues unit is the first 

such class in the Public Schools of 

Robeson County. Scott taught 

three classes at Lumberton Senior 

High School. The classes look at 

fiction and non-fiction as the 11th 

grade students integrate history 

into literacy. The key goal behind 

the class is for students to write 

more. The class focuses on 

teaching strategies, which capture 

interest, but at the same time 

learning skills in reading, writing 

and research, which are preparing 

the students for college and life. 

The unit fits perfectly into 

Women in History Month as the 

students wrote an argumentative 

speech as well as held a debate 

and deliberation. 

The class also studied 

contemporary issues of women as 

the teacher illustrated how some 

old issues are still relevant today in 

the 21st century. 

The students looked at women 

in combat in 2013, but they also 

debated issues such as “Is there 

anything wrong with being a 

housewife” 

Scott said many students took 

the right to vote as well as other 

rights for women for granted. “My 

first period class is all girls. They 

were apathetic to the revolution, 

but once we arrived at the 

Women’s Unit it empowered them. 

Most people assumed women’s 

rights were already in place,” said 

Scott. 

The students are studying the 

subject through film, 

advertisements, online videos, 

posters, music and historical 

documents. One particular 

document that is in the module is 

President Woodrow Wilson’s 

speech to Congress on September 

30th 1918. President Wilson’s 

speech supported guaranteeing 

women the right to vote. 

Scott’s students also looked at 

the Declaration of Independence 

as well as The Declaration of 

Sentiments. This document parried 

the original Declaration of 

Independence with a list of 

grievances against men. 

During the 20 lessons, the 11th 

graders were surprised to learn 

some well-known names on 

products were real people. One 

such person who the students 

knew from a coin is Susan B. 

Anthony. The students looked at 

Anthony and Alice Paul as two 

women who were imprisoned 

during the struggle for the right to 

vote. They also analyzed how the 

vote eventually led to other equal 

rights. 

The class study fits into the 

Literacy Design Collaborative as 

the teachers map out the class 

work unit using Common Core 

Standards. One key component in 

Common Core is the use of 

informational literature. The LDC or 

Literacy Design Collaborative is a 

National Initiative, which through 

Common Core stresses critical 

thinking skills. 

The teacher Dale Scott has 

taught for 11 years. 

Scott said she always had this 

unit in the back of her mind, but 

the LDC helped her to put it 

together. 

The next project for Scott’s 

class is equality for the races and 

immigration. After more than a 

month of looking at the struggle for 

women’s equality, Scott says these 

students have a new perspective 

on rights and freedoms. 

22

Students from Purnell Swett 

High School participated in the 

Career Day and Manufacturing 

Awareness 

PURNELL SWETT 

Activities on Monday, April 8, 

2013, on the RCC campus. 

Students visited the Advanced 

Manufacturing Lab, Green Zone, 

Biofuel Trailer and toured the 

STEM bus. They explored careers 

in Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Math. The 

students were excited to learn of 

the new career opportunities 

coming to Robeson County. 

ROSENWALD ELEMENTARY 

Jhaniyah Kissein, Madison Ivey, Leonel Jimenez, Saul 

Santiago, Jamesha Howell, Jushon McNeil, Jerrick Gilchrist, 

and Jeremiah Reaves. 

The Kindergarten students have been learning about the 

five senses. The students have been conducting 

experiments by tasting different types of foods, touching 

different textures, listening to various sounds, smelling a 

variety of scents, and sight. 

The Employees of the Month for April are Mrs. Jessica Reid, School 

Nurse; Mrs. Survon Atkinson, Cafeteria Assistant; and Mrs. Shirley 

Billings, Bus Driver. 

The Superintendent’s Art Award was presented to Sarah 

Blanton a fourth grade student in Mrs. Faulk’s class. Ms. 

Nancy Johnson is the art teacher. 

The following students’ artwork was on display at Biggs 

Park Mall in Lumberton: Jeremy Sweat, Caleb Bailey, Jykease 

Manning, Deandre Leggett, Ethan Hunt, Nehemiah Davis, 

The First Grade went on a field trip to Asheboro Zoo. 

There were many parents who attended the Zoo with 

their children. 

Jeff Prince from Kiwanis visited our second grade 

students and read a story to them. Each student received 

a book from Kiwanis. 

The 21 st Century tutoring attended a field trip to the Putt 

Putt Golf and Games in Hope Mills. There were many 

parents who attended the field trip with their children. 

The trip ended with lunch at Golden Corral in 

Lumberton. 

23

Students at RB Dean Elementary School are 

working and celebrating in a variety of ways 

to achieve the Common Core Challenge. 

R.B. DEAN 

School Improvement Team met to finalize 

the big day, Spring Fling! It is an amazing day 

in which our parents and community 

support us in huge numbers. It is a fun day of 

dancing, eating and crowning our very own, 

Mr. and Mrs. RB Dean, Kind and Queen. We 

are always excited to have our Mayor and 

Board of Education representative, along 

with many other dignitaries. We elected our 

2013-2014 Teacher Assistant of the Year, 

Mrs. Sandra McRae. She is a very unique lady 

who devotes all her time working with 

students in the classroom with Mr. Rosellini, 

first grade teacher. Mr. George Marston, 

fourth grade teacher, was elected to serve as 

our Teacher of the Year! We are very proud 

of both persons who contribute to the 

education of our young people. It’s a big 

thank you to our parents and PTO faculty 

and staff, along with the City Of Maxton and 

our Police Department for mounting and 

hanging our new flag pole. We are proud of 

“Ole Glory” and the men and women it 

represents each day. 

March ended like a lion at RB Dean! We 

went out with a roar! Our fourth graders 

went to Raleigh and enjoyed a great day at 

the IMAX Theatre watching Under The Sea. 

We were able to visit the NC State Public 

Library, the Museum of North Carolina 

History, we saw the Legislative Building along 

with the Governor’s Mansion and the State 

Capital Building. Students concluded an 

amazing day with dinner at Sandpipers in 

Fayetteville and what an appetite. Thanks to 

Baker’s Bus Tour for your fine driving. 

We ended March with a lot of noise in the 

Gym, as we celebrated our PBIS students 

who earned $30 in Trojan Bucks to play 

Basketball competing with the third and 

fourth graders, along with some brave 

teachers and assistants! We had a “Ball”! It 

was just Madness, I say, Just Madness! Trojan 

Pride is contagious. 

Congratulations to Ms. McClary’s third grade 

class for being chosen March PBIS Class of 

the Month Mr. Rosellini’s first grade for being 

selected April PBIS Class of the Month. 

These classes sure did enjoy some really 

good ice cream! Thank you Ms. Wade, 

Principal. 

The following classes were awarded Blow 

Pops for not blowing out the noise in the 

cafeteria. Congratulations to Mrs. Wilson’s 

Pre-K, Mrs Jackson’s Kindergarten, Ms. 

Cumming’s first grade, Mrs. Epps second 

grade, Ms. McClary’s third grade and Mr. 

Marston’s fourth grade. 

We also want to Recognize Mr. Rosellini’s 

first graders who created a PBIS Cheer for 

Trojan Pride. They cheer every morning 

during the announcements to begin a day full 

of Pride, bring Positioned, Responsible, 

Independent, Determined and Empowered. 

ROBESON COUNTY CAREER CTR. 

This spring our 

SkillsUSA Chapter 

attended the NC 

SkillsUSA Conference 

in Greensboro, NC. Eight of our students participated 

in competitive events. Every student represented the 

Career Center in a very admirable way. James McColl 

and Alejandro Cortez competed in the Welding contest 

at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Both of these 

young men had to qualify in a preliminary event to be 

eligible in the State Contest. Morris Currie represented 

the Carpentry Class very well in the Carpentry Contest. 

Bon Dubois competed in the Masonry Contest and 

perfomed very well. Rufo Garcia, from Network 

Engineering, placed fourth in a very challenging 

Internetworking Contest. Kyle and Cameron Woods, 

the Electrical Guys, competed in the Residential Wiring 

Contest with Cameron finishing fourth out of 45 

contestants. Juan Delacruz presented our Chapter 

Display Project and was presented the First Place Medal. 

Mr. Lewis, the Advisor, has been busy making plans for 

Juan Delacruz and himself to attend The National 

SkillsUSA and Leadership Conference in Kansas City 

Missouri at the end of June. At the end of Thursday's 

competition, Mr. Lewis took five of the young men with 

him to Roanoke Rapids, NC for the first ever NC 

Methodist Men's Association, along with SkillsUSA, joint 

venture to construct a home for a retired Korean War 

Veteran that lost his home last year to Hurricane Isaac. 

When we departed about 2:00 pm on Saturday, the 

home was "dryed-in". Juan Delacruz, Morris Currie, 

James McColl, Alejandro Cortez, and Rufo Garcia are to 

be commended for their 

unselfish time and effort to 

help someone that really 

needed a "hand up". 

Congratulations to all of 

these fine young men and 

wish Juan success when he 

24

Rowland Middle School 

The Cobras have much to be 

proud of. The 3rd Nine Weeks Awards 

Program was held and many students 

received recognition for PBIS, 

Accelerated Reader, behavior, 

attendance, citizenship and 

leadership. Those receiving the 

Principal’s Award for the year were: 

Austin Hunt (8th), Jason Blaze Walters 

(7th), Kevin Oxendine (8th), Tyler 

Chavis (8th), Fantashia Johnson (7th), 

Christopher Sweat (7th), Jared Morgan 

(8th), Aaron Locklear (8th), Daniel 

Strickland (8th), Zion Davis (7th), 

Anthony Owens (7th), Jarurias Adams 

(7th), Tyreanna Page (8th), Tamara 

Butler (8th), Halei Chavis (8th), 

Jasmine Baker (8th), Kaleb Bowen 

(8th), Jamison Adams (8th), Daylon 

Cummings (7th), Carla Rivera (7th), 

Jennifer Lambert (8th), Aleeyah Brown 

(8th), Aniya Smith (8th), Lucrecia 

Campos (8th), Destiney Rogers (7th), 

Siane Lambert (8th), Darrius Brown 

(7th), Izean Bethea (7th), Hannah 

Locklear (7th), Alli Williams (8th), 

Christian Owens (8th), and Terry 

Oxendine (8th), 

Rowland Middle School received 

the attendance banner at the 

board meeting on 

April 9! Way to go 

Cobras! They 

also passed 

their SET for 

PBIS!!!!!!! ALL 

students 

knew what 

C.O.B.R.A.S. 

stands for- 

Cooperative, Observant, Be 

Respectful, Achievement, and Self- 

Confident. 

Rowland now has an Expo 

Cultural Center and Art Gallery. This 

will serve as a central hub for cultural 

activity that has a purpose of 

promoting art education and 

increasing art appreciation in the 

Rowland community and beyond. It 

will be exhibiting the work of local 

artists including the Rowland Middle 

School Cobras! The grand opening of 

Rowland’s Expo Cultural Center and 

AIR Gallery showcased the talents of 

many students from 6th, 7th and 8th 

grade. Over 40 pieces came from 

Rowland Middle School’s staff and 

students. Additionally, the All County 

Art Exhibit featured Rowland Middle 

School students’ artworks at Biggs 

Park Mall this spring. All of the 

students received recognition medals 

for their participation and outstanding 

work in the exhibit on Awards Day. 

On Friday, April 12 th Carowinds’ 

Education day was a blast! The 

thunderclouds ran out of rain and gave 

way to a beautiful day at the park. The 

incentive trip was attended by 

students who excelled with 

Accelerated Reader and PBIS. 

Students participated in various 

educational activities throughout 

the park. Students also eagerly 

waited in lines for the Boo 

Blaster, Intimidator, Vortex, 

Afterburn, Riochet and of course of 

the Carolina Cobra! Carowinds in 

conjunction with Discovery Place 

provided hands-on activities that 

reached far beyond the classroom. 

Carowinds’ Education day was able to 

bring classroom learning to life in an 

interactive setting. The event allowed 

students to gain a deeper 

understanding of math, science, 

technology and engineering. We are 

anticipating returning next school year! 

Rowland Middle would like to 

congratulate Miss Wooten on being 

nominated to be part of the 2013 class 

of the Fayetteville Observer’s 40 under 

Forty. Miss Wooten and the other 

honorees are nominated by their peers 

and selected by a panel of 

independent judges. Each class 

includes dynamic professionals who 

reached unbelievable heights early in 

their careers. They are judges, 

principals, attorneys and small 

business owners. All of the honorees 

have extensive records of community 

service and giving back to others 

through their time, talents and 

donations. The Fayetteville Observer 

honors 40 of the area's rising leaders 

for their both professional success and 

community impact. Miss Wooten will 

be recognized during a formal gala on 

May 31, 2013 and will be featured in a 

special 40 Under Forty publication and 

at fayobserver.com. Way to go Miss 

Wooten!!!!!!! 

25

St. Pauls Elementary 

April has flown by, but 

showers of learning have left our 

students in full bloom, ready to 

do their best on upcoming End 

of Grade assessments. 

Our month started out 

with an accreditation visit 

from AdvancEd. The 

school, staff, and 

students saw it as a time 

to shine. The team had 

very positive things to 

say about the displays 

and work in the school, 

the rigor of instruction, 

and the caring, 

encouraging, 

environment. They also 

noted how very friendly 

all of the Bullpups were; from the 

smallest to the tallest. 

On April 11th, seven of our 

star students carried on the 

tradition of Bullpup Pride and 

gave their best efforts to 

participating in the Special 

Olympics! We are so very proud 

of all of them. 

The halls were packed with 

new Bullpup recruits as we 

registered over 120 students for 

2013-14 Pre K and Kindergarten. 

We look forward to having our 

newest St. Pauls Elementary 

family members join us in 

August. 

Earth Day was an opportunity 

for Bullpups to show that they 

care for the world around them 

just as much as they care for 

their school. Third graders 

worked diligently planting 

flowers in front of the school 

while other students created 

projects that pointed out the 

values of reducing, reusing and 

recycling. 

Our Reading Road Trip has 

continued to be a success. At 

the beginning of the month we 

celebrated our arrival in St. Paul, 

MN and began the return trip to 

St. Pauls, NC. We are hoping 

our Reading Road Trip returns us 

to school just in time for summer 

vacation. 

April 26 was Career Day at 

our school. Third through fifth 

graders visited with various 

professionals from our 

community and had an 

opportunity to explore various 

careers. The gymnasium was 

buzzing with 

students excited 

about the prospects 

for their futures. 

Our Bullpups have 

set their sights on 

careers in medicine, 

health care, 

teaching, nursing, 

law enforcement, 

military service, 

cosmetology, 

reporting, 

mechanics, 

firefighting and crime scene 

investigation. We look forward 

to May and continuing to prepare 

our students for the bright 

futures that await them. 

26

St. Pauls Middle School 

CTE students at St. 

Pauls Middle are going above 

and beyond 6th grade 

Computer Skills & Applications 

I. Students are really working 

hard. We are currently working 

on formatting memos and 

business letters as well as 

creating tables in Microsoft 

Word 2010. Students are 

having a great time adding 

color, clip art, borders, as well 

as adding their own style to 

their tables. 

7th grade Computer 

Skills & Applications II 

students are adding formulas 

and functions in spreadsheets 

and creating graphs. Students 

have been learning how to 

create a database. They are 

really doing an outstanding job. 

8th grade Exploring 

Business, Marketing & 

Entrepreneurship students 

have been busy working on 

Future for Kids, SAT questions, 

Interviewing Skills, and 

Entrepreneurship but most 

importantly students have 

been focusing on why 

education plays a major role in 

their career choice. Students 

have been researching different 

types of jobs and reviewing 

their job descriptions. They 

have also been looking at jobs 

in Emergency Management, 

Government, and careers in 

technology which will forever 

change our future. As a result, 

students are collaborating, role 

playing, and promoting 

teamwork. 

! 

The seventh graders have had 

a very productive month during 

April. In English Language Arts, 

students have utilized the 

mobile computer lab, a 

valuable resource, which has 

enabled students to research, 

a project of choice, and create 

multimedia presentations, 

using a variety of technology. 

Students have been creating 

PowerPoints, incorporating 

images, audios, and videos 

along with animated videos, 

and comic strip generators for 

their presentations using Smart 

Board technology. The Math 

students participated in several 

mathematicians’ projects that 

consisted of research of 

ancient Greek mathematicians 

and their contributions to 

mathematics. They made use 

of angles and measurement to 

draw and build architectural 

buildings such as houses. The 

students learned vital 

information from each set of 

projects from where the 

Pythagorean Theorem evolved 

to how important the 

foundation of a house is as 

well as how important the 

precise angle measures can 

be. In Social Studies, 

students studied Communism 

and Capitalism, made posters 

describing Communism and 

Capitalism, and learned about 

the five major religions of the 

world. In Science, students 

studied the reproductive 

system and digestive systems 

as well as made posters 

showing the digestive system. 

Our main event for the month 

of April was our picnic that was 

held on April 26 th for all of our 

students who made a 3 or 4 

on their Benchmark. There was 

a total of 104 students—an 

average of 70 percent for the 

third Benchmark. The picnic 

served as an award and as a 

motivator for other students to 

try harder next time. The 

afternoon was filled with food 

and games for all! 

Orchestra students 

participated in All-County on 

Thursday, April 18 th at 

Lumberton Junior High School. 

The concert featured string 

players from St. Pauls 

Elementary and Middle 

Schools, Carroll Middle School, 

and Lumberton Junior and 

Senior High Schools. Students 

were accepted by audition and 

the judges were impressed 

with their playing. The students 

spent the day rehearsing with 

guest conductors Janice 

Swoope and Nathan Artley of 

Fayetteville, as well as 

interacting with other strings 

students from Robeson 

County. They worked on tone, 

dynamics, intonation, rhythm, 

balance, and ensemble. A 

beautiful performance was 

given that evening, featuring 

the beginner group, the 

intermediate level group, and 

! 

the advanced high school 

group. Nayeli, an 8 th grader at 

St. Pauls Middle, performed a 

beautiful solo in Shores of 

Ireland. The orchestra is giving 

another performance on May 

2 nd , at 7pm at St. Pauls Middle 

School. The beginner group 

will perform May 16 th , at 

6:30pm at St. Pauls 

Elementary School. Any 

student who still wants to be in 

orchestra next year should see 

Ms. Marshall or send an email 

to 

peggy.marshall@robeson.k12.n 

c.us. For more information 

about the orchestra program, 

please go to our website at: 

http:// 

! 

www.robeson.k12.nc.us// 

Domain/4191. 

Our AIG students have 

been excitingly using 

technology to enhance their 

learning experiences and the 

appearance of their finished 

products. Reading students 

have been using the “Word 

Mover” I pad app to publish 

their own poetry following the 

extended metaphorical pattern 

of Emily Dickenson. Eighth 

grade math students have 

been using computer 

resources to research different 

forms of relationships and 

functions. Sixth and seventh 

grade math students have 

been solving and classifying 

equations to evaluate if 

different forms of equations are 

equivalent, even though they 

look very diverse. 

Students are reading and 

taking Accelerated Reader 

quizzes at St. Pauls Middle 

especially Mr. Weller’s Core 2 

Language Arts Class. 

Congratulation goes to these 

students as our Accelerated 

Reader Class Champions for 

earning the most AR points for 

both 2 nd and 3 rd Nine Weeks. 

They earned 442.0 AR points 

and will enjoy a Pizza 

Celebration and an opportunity 

to shop with their AR points 

earned. Great job students! 

27

Tanglewood Elementary 

AIG Student-Led 

Conferences 

Third and fourth graders completed a 

research study on inventors, inventions and 

biomes as a project in their AIG 

classes. Tanglewod AIG students present an annual student-led 

conference on a topic or project of their choice. 3rd graders choose to 

either build a biome or study math in various careers. Fourth graders 

learn about an inventor, create an invention or study how algebra is used 

in various careers. During thier presentations students present their 

creations, dress in character and teach special guests all they have 

learned. Special guests scored student work using rubrics and 

interviews. Ms. Tammy Wilkerson teaches AIG students at Tanglewood 

Elementary and has been an AIG teacher since 2004. 

Townsend Middle School 

Tanglewood Superheroes 

Tanglewood's spring bookfair was held to 

raise funds for technology and ink 

purchases. Students know that, just like 

Scholas@c's book fair theme, "Reading 

Gives You Superpowers." Students 

celebrated by dressing up as superheroes 

and mad scien@sts! Superteacher, Tori 

Bell and her students and Super Jaylon 

Townsend Middle Boys Basketball members receiving recognition from the Maxton Town 

Commissioners in honor of winning the County Championship!! Recent Awards Day 

recipients for the 3 rd Nine Weeks at Townsend Middle. Brittany Locklear and Dakota 

Locklear recently participated in our County Special Olympics and won five 1 st place 

ribbons out of six events entered. Great job guys!! First year participants of Girls on Track 

completing a 5k Race in Fayetteville! Runners shown: Taylynn Atkinson, Tynordria Ellerbee, 

and Nakijah Watson. Not shown: Niaria Leach, Arianna McRae. 

Participants in the Robeson County Honors Band: Kyra Hunt, Noah Easter, William 

T.Locklear, and Julia Guerrero. They performed new music with other students from all 

over the county. They did a wonderful job representing Townsend Middle School 

and our music program. 

28

Union Elementary School 

The year is coming to an end. 

Summer is about to begin Mrs. Blue & 

Ms. Yvette would like to say thank you 

parents for such a great year!! We had 

a great group of parents this year as 

always! We would like to let our 

students know that we love and will 

miss them. HAVE A GREAT 

SUMMER!!!!! 

Kindergarten has been super 

busy!! We have studied insects and 

plants during the last month. We 

learned all about the life cycle of the 

butterfly and we drew the parts of the 

cycle and labeled each section. We 

concluded our plant unit by planting 

seeds and now we are monitoring the 

growth of our plants. We are adding 

and subtracting in math. We have 

learned all beginning sounds and are 

blending sounds to read. We are 

continuing to write more and more 

stories. We are independently writing 

sentences and are not afraid to use 

invented spelling. WOW!! One of our 

favorite books in Kindergarten at this 

time of the year is Leo the Late 

Bloomer by Robert Kraus because we 

can associate with the way Leo 

blooms in the story. Kindergarten has 

definitely bloomed. First grade, ready 

or not, HERE WE COME!!! 

Here at Union Elementary First 

Grade 

takes 

earth 

day 

serious. We made our own earth 

people after we discussed how we can 

take care of it. Our writing explained 

what we can do to help cut down on 

littering and pollution. Our earth 

people are calling to you today too. 

Take care of the planet and it will take 

care of you! 

PBIS has been a great success for 

third graders! PBIS celebration parties 

are held every 3 weeks to celebrate 

positive behaviors that help our eagles 

to have Safety, Organization, 

Achievement, and Organization 

(SOAR) each day. So far we have 

enjoyed free time outside, ice cream 

sundaes, and free technology day with 

Ipads and computers, which is their 

favorite. Our students also had a very 

fun and educational field trip at Camp 

Grace to experience their Roots 

program, where the outdoors became 

their classroom. The students were 

engaged with hands on activities and 

learned about the different types of 

soils, trees, and seeds. We are now 

enjoying a free and wonderful butterfly 

kit to observe the stages of a butterfly. 

All of these real life experiences will be 

a great abundance of knowledge to 

open up their minds to the great world 

of Science! 

5th grade students enjoyed 

performing their “Country-Western 

Spring Fling 

Dance” to 

Little Big 

Town’s 

“Tornado.” 

They have 

also been 

working hard in all efforts to “blow 

away” their EOG tests with powerful 

“3’s & 4’s!” 

Union Elementary 5th Grade Eagle 

1 Club students had the opportunity to 

visit Robeson Community College 

April 10. The students observed 

experiments in the science lab, Early 

College students learning about 

installation of electrical outlets in a 

house, robotics that are used in 

manufacturing, and how to use a 

stethoscope on patients. The Eagle 1 

Club students also heard about the 

importance of attendance, GPA, and 

goal setting in secondary school. 

After the campus tour the students 

were treated to free time at the 

Lumberton Bowling Alley. 

April 17 the 6th Eagle 1 Club 

visited UNC-Pembroke. Our campus 

tour started at Old Main, the oldest 

brick building on campus. The 

students were immersed in the 

artifacts that they discovered in the 

Museum of the Native American 

Resource Center. A UNC-P student 

provided valuable information about 

the 41 undergraduate programs and 

the 18 graduate programs that they 

could possibly enroll in after high 

school. She informed them of the 

uniqueness of our campus (American 

Indian, African American, Hispanic, 

Asian/Pacific Islander, 25 states and 

the District of Columbia are 

represented along with 19 countries. 

Our guide shared with the Eagle 1 

students the importance of setting 

goals, self-discipline, study skills and 

GPA while they are in secondary 

school. The students enjoyed lunch in 

the cafeteria and free time in the park. 

For more pictures from our 

campus tours visit our link http:// 

www.robeson.k12.nc.us/site/ 

Default.aspxPageID=24277 

29

W.H. Knuckles 

W. H. Knuckles’ Family welcomes 

a new member, Mrs. Judith Osegueda, 

to the 4th grade team of teachers. She 

is a graduate of UNC-Pembroke with a 

Bachelor of Science degree in 

Elementary Education. She has eight 

years of teaching experiences in 

Robeson County Schools. She lives in 

Lumberton with her two children. She 

states, “ I am very excited to be 

working with PSRC again!” 

Special thanks and appreciation 

are extended to our school secretary, 

Debra Jackson, social worker, Carol 

Floyd, guidance counselor, Rebecca 

Freeman, and all administrative 

helpers in recognition of Administrative 

Professional week. 

The Teacher Cadets class at 

Lumberton Senior High makes a 

difference at the school by mentoring 

third and fourth grade students. 

W. H. Knuckles Elementary School 

springs into April with some exciting 

events. The school, held an 

Educational Day, where students led 

conferences with their parents on April 

25th. The school, also, participated in 

a campaign for Butterflies, which was 

led by the Media Department. The 

project of The Arts and Science 

Council sponsored the butterfly 

project, where people could donate 

money to help butterflies grow from 

larvae. Each donation of $10.00 paid 

for 5 butterflies that would be given 

out to children during the North 

Carolina Science Festival. Thanks to 

our school, we raised over $100.00. 

The top givers were Xzandria L. and 

Cedrione M. Congratulations to the 

top giving class: Mrs. J. Osegueda-4th 

grade class!! All classes who 

participated received ice cream, and 

the top winning class won movie time 

and a special treat in the Media 

Center. To find out more ways to get 

involved in other projects, go to 

www.power2give.org. 

The first graders have been 

discussing the life cycles of various 

insects. Each student had the chance 

to have their own mealworms in a cup 

to observe and record what was 

happening. Each of the classrooms 

had the chance to have a butterfly kit 

in the class so students could watch 

the life cycle of the butterfly. On April 

18, the students went to Ripley’s 

Aquarium to see the various animals 

and explore sea life. The students had 

the experiences to participate with the 

Johnny Rockets wait staff as we ate 

lunch in their family-friendly 50's 

atmosphere. On April 30th the first 

graders held a Poetry Tea in honor of 

National Poetry Month. Students wrote 

poems and presented them to parents 

during a Tea Style Party. 

Second grade had Kiwanis Club 

come and visit this past week. The 

students listened to a story and were 

each given their very own books. The 

students have been reading them 

during their Daily 5 time and taking AR 

tests on them increase their points 

before the end of the year! This week 

in reading we also made comic strips 

online at http:// 

www.makebeliefscomix.com/. 

Students were able to explore 

characters thoughts and emotions 

while integrating technology. 

In Science, students have been 

learning all about sound. From feeling 

the vibration of their own vocal chords, 

to listening to Mrs. Arroyo play her 

violin, to finding out how their dog 

know when someone has come to the 

house before they get to the door, the 

students have been doing fun 

engaging inquiries about sound. 

In Math, students are coming full 

circle. Ending off with geometry, the 

students are going back and reviewing 

the major work of the grade, and 

concentrating on their math skills as 

they get ready for the K-2 Summative 

Assessment. 

Spring time has brought in a new 

and refreshed energy for the school 

year. With April being Jazz 

Appreciation month, the third, and 

fourth graders are learning about 

specific musicians who make a 

difference on their respective 

instruments. Each grade has also had 

a lot of fun learning the instrument 

families, categorizing the way sounds 

are produced and learning instrument 

names. In honor of Earth day, some 

fourth graders even created an Earth 

day rap!! We are excited in welcoming 

the warm weather and shift in season, 

and in honor of International Jazz 

Appreciation day, welcomed trumpeter 

and flutist Gary Lamb to talk and 

perform a little bit of jazz on his 

instruments. 

Looking forward to EOG 

preparation, students will continue to 

write poetry and research motivational 

quotes in order to inspire each other to 

do their best. 

30

Union Chapel 

Elementary 

West Lumberton Elementary 

Union Chapel School recently 

participated in Spring Fling which was 

titled “Country Living – Country Loving.” 

All students Pre-K through 6th grade 

dressed up in their western attire and 

danced to various country artist songs. 

We were also graced by the presence of 

the May Court and entertained by the 

Union Chapel Cheerleaders and Mascots. 

The staff even surprised us with a country 

step dance performance. 

Union Chapel hosted a Scholastic 

Book Fair. The event was a huge success. 

The students and parents eagerly 

purchased books and materials. The Book 

Fair is aimed at increasing literacy among 

our student population. 

The Union Chapel 100 Book Club and 

students who earned 100 points on 

Accelerated Reader were rewarded with a 

trip to Fayetteville. They went to Monkey 

Joe’s where they played games and then 

they were treated to lunch at Golden 

Corral. 

Kindergarten students were able to 

explore hands-on science activities at 

Discovery Place. The students were very 

excited about their field trip. As a followup 

activity they drew pictures and told 

stories related to what they learned on 

their field trip. 

The 5 th grade students visited Wonder 

Works at Myrtle Beach. Here the students 

participated in over 100 interactive 

exhibits. For example, the students were 

blown away by 74mph hurricane force 

winds, were able to maneuver the controls 

of a NASA spacecraft, and fly a fighter jet. 

Our third and fourth grade 

students took a field trip to Fort 

Caswell on May 2, 2013. During 

a hay ride students learned how 

Fort Caswell guarded the Cape 

Fear River and additional 

coastal areas in the 19 th and 

20 th century. Students were 

impressively engaging with our 

host and demonstrated a good 

knowledge base of North 

Carolina history. 

Our host also covered 

environmental issues with our 

students. During a walk on the 

shore, students were allowed to 

collect shells to bring home. . 

Also we learned about the 

importance of sand, the sea life 

and dunes. A water cycle game 

was played in which students 

created a bracelet to bring 

home. All activities were both 

enlightening and enjoyable. 

31

Celebrations 

See the Aware Magazine online 

We hope you enjoyed this edition of the Aware Magazine. The publication is available on-line at the Public 

Schools of Robeson County website at http://www.robeson.k12.nc.us/ 

By Going Green, the Aware Magazine is protecting the environment. We are keeping printing to a minimum, 

thereby saving trees and sending less waste to the landfill. Enjoy other publications throughout the school year 

on your mobile device or phone. If you have questions about the publication feel free to contact Tasha 

Oxendine, the Public Relations Office for PSRC at the Central Office at 910.671.6000. 

Shining light on the GREAT things in the Public Schools of Robeson County 

Public Schools of Robeson County * 410 Caton Road * Lumberton, NC 28358 

32

Aware May Final July 22 - Public Schools of Robeson County

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