My School Rocks! 2014-03 - Our 10th Anniversary Edition | Page 24

TEACHER

2028 Little Rock Road
Charlotte, NC 28214
980-343-6055
http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/tuckaseegeeES

ghes
helle Hu
Rayc
By Holly

ee El
aseeg
Tuck

PRINCIPAL’S
TOP 10

1

We have a program called
purposeful PE. Our PE teacher,
Kathleen Bode, designed a program that
incorporates math and literacy with PE.
One example is she teaches fractions
using a hopscotch board.

2

We create and maintain a family
atmosphere despite changes in the
district and community.

3

Behavior Management Technician
Kelvin McClary developed a
mentoring program called The Better
Men’s Society, for our fourth and fifth
grade boys focusing on issues
students may be having and
how to respond to those and be
productive citizens. One day per
week, our students in this program
wear a tie to school.

Dr. Rhon
d a L . Gom
ez
24 – My School Rocks! | March 2014

We are a No Excuse school. There
are no reasons not to achieve or
succeed. We believe now is the time
to start acting like the person you want
to be. It takes effort to be successful.
Choose to be excellent and to be
resilient.

MSR: Do you have a favorite
lesson?

5

International night: Students
celebrate diversity by showcasing
different foods, traditional cultural
dances and songs.

6

We are one of six magnet schools
in CMS, and we are a partial LI/TD
magnet focused on learning immersion
and talent development/gifted students.

7

We have five multi-aged classrooms
at the school. The K-2 students stay
with the same teacher for three years.

8

Our consistent literacy program,
called Balanced Literacy Framework,
focuses on developing readers who are
college and career ready.

9

We believe in concept-based
learning. We explore generalizations
across all content-based learning.

10

We offer many math competitions
including Math Olympiads
and First in Math (a computer-based
program) to enhance and support our
mathematical practices throughout all
grades.

MSR: How do parents like it?

STUDENT
STORY

Teddy: They love it. We build
relationships and community with
families over three years, from
kindergarten through second
grade.

tary
em en

Principal Dr. Rhonda L. Gomez shares
the top 10 things to know about
Tuckaseegee Elementary School.

4

TAKEAWAYS

models. K-1 students see second
graders thinking and glean from that to
think outside the box.

ddy
Lauren Te

Teddy: Recently, we worked
a problem-based leaning
exercise where students came
up with their own holiday.
Groups of three to four
students researched holiday
symbols, traditions and
colors then created their own holiday
and presented it to the class.

Tuckaseegee Elementary School
provides many unique learning
experiences for students –
including a multi-aged model
Lauren Teddy says is designed
to meet K-2 students at their
individual ability levels.

t Grader

Jula: I can make lots of friends, and
learning is fun!
MSR: What’s your favorite subject?
Jula: Reading, because after we do a
paper we get to read, and I really like to
read.

MSR: What makes your classroom
different?

MSR: Do you have a favorite book?
Jula: I love the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”
series.

Teddy: Our multi-aged learning
program is a lot more flexible. If a child
is really excelling, they have the freedom
to move up in a multi-aged room; and
if they are struggling, they have the
freedom to move down. The children’s
individual needs can be met. I’ve had
children move from middle group to
advanced because they were taught
the way they needed to be taught.

MSR: Do you have a favorite special?
Jula: My favorite is media because I can
keep the books longer and read them
the days I get them and the day after.
MSR: Do you have a favorite teacher?

MSR: How is a multi-aged learning
program inspirational?
Teddy: The younger kids really look
up to the second graders as role

Jula, Firs

MSR:
What’s
your
favorite
thing
about
school?

Photos by LunahZ

on

Jula: Yes, Miss Schuster. She is really
nice, and during recess I get to play with
my best friend. My best friend is 7, and
we have a lot in common. We play lots
of games together and like the same
shows.

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