Berewick Elementary A Young School on the Rise
by Virginia Franco
Berewick Elementary School opened its doors just four short years ago . During this period , however , it has been strongly embraced by the community , and is well on its way to being recognized by CMS as a school on the rise .
Principal Mojdeh Henderson
While the adage that every child can learn is well known , the leadership and staff at Berewick have truly owned it and believe it , according to Principal Mojdeh Henderson . “ We have embraced data to make this happen ,” she says , “ by making sure that every effort we make is about the kids and not about what works best for us as teachers .”
Part of the neighborhood located in Southwest Charlotte near the intersection of I-485 and Steele Creek Road , the community of Berewick was established in 2002 . The community was instrumental in getting the school built , Henderson says . “ They were very invested in the school and remain very involved today .”
Berewick Elementary greeted its first students in 2009 , and is surrounded by Berewick Town Center featuring apartments , townhomes , and single-family homes as well as offices , retail shops , and restaurants .
Those that have been here since the beginning have had the unique experience of getting a school off the ground . “ I fell in love with it and am very connected ,” says Grades 3-5 Academic Facilitator Linda Schultz . Families and pioneering staff had a say in everything from naming the school to voting on the Bobcats as the school ’ s mascot .
The Parks and Recreation Department ’ s office is located within the school building , and as a result the students , families , and community residents can take advantage of a dedicated school gym as well as fields .
GROWTH , GROWTH , GROWTH No matter how you slice it , it is clear that Berewick is growing . The school ’ s rich and diverse student population has seen an increase in its enrollment year after year . With more than 700 students , “ we are using every nook and cranny of the school ,” says Schultz .
Henderson , together with teachers and facilitators like Schultz , have worked to build upon this academic progress , while continuing to foster parent involvement , enhance existing community partnerships , and reaching out to build new ones .
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Last summer when Henderson joined Berewick , she reviewed the school data and identified opportunities for academic growth as well as further refined its focus on student-centered learning .
As a Response to Intervention / Instruction ( RTI )
and Balanced Literacy Phase III school , testing was in place to allow teachers to analyze individual learning and create plans to tailor their instruction to meet the unique needs of each child .
Academic Facilitator Linda Schultz
“ By differentiating the learning you can really impact growth ,” Henderson says . The school schedule has been reworked to include two hours of math and literacy daily , and encompasses both math and literacy workshops where the focus is on allowing for small group instruction and conferring with individual students , the hallmarks of differentiated learning .
Academic facilitators like Schultz remain integrally involved in classroom planning and hands on instruction . The school ’ s assistants work in staggered schedules to ensure all grade levels have an extra hand during reading and math workshops .
“ At the end of the first year teachers and kids were all coming from different places andbackgrounds ,”
28 – My School Rocks !