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School Showing Promise
(8/24/2010)
Rhyne Elementary is a standout school showing promise.
When this website was established, one of the most commented on articles that we featured was about Rhyne Elementary School and the photos we posted showing the school grounds. It was not pretty to say the least. We looked up test scores and found out they were not much better. (Keep in mind the scores were a year old and this was two years ago) What we didn't know at the time was there were already changes taking shape inside of the school that told a completely different story. At the urging of School Board Chairman, Annette Carter, we started looking into what was happening at Rhyne and we must admit we have been pleasantly surprised.
We sat down with the faculty and staff at Rhyne to find out exactly what was happening and if the things we were hearing abut Rhyne were true.
Leaving the meeting I must admit that I felt like they were not only true, they were exciting and definitely worth writing about. There was a positive energy that you could feel and hear coming from the staff. They like being educators and they like the challenges that they face at Rhyne.
There are so many things that make a school good or bad. There are the visuals. What does the campus look like? Is it clean? Is is a new modern facility? Rhyne does not give you the greatest first impression but the school was built in the 1950's so new and modern are not an option. The school was clean and neat however. Freshly mowed grass and the bushes trimmed. It was ready for the start of the new school year. Appearances are not really what truly make a school . Yes, they are a first impression, but it is not what will help your child succeed or fail. With that in mind we wanted to know more.
We met with Principal Hopper, Assistant Principal Dr. White and eight teachers. I was told that the teachers were all part of the PLC from last year. I also heard about PBS and other acronyms. To me, PBS was the public television station so I had to get an education myself. PBS stands for Positive Behavior System. PLC stands for Professional Learning Community. This committee evaluates and reports on the overall progress of the school and tries to identify where it can improve. Looking at what can be done to better utilize the resources on hand and what new resources need to be brought in. As the staff talked about the committee and it's success the approval was evident with the progress they have made and the enthusiastic conversation.
Our meeting took place in a kindergarten room. Even the classroom surprised me. There were 11 computers. That's right, 11 computers in a kindergarten class. Laptops and PC's. I learned about the ELMO (I don't know exactly what this acronym stands for) that is basically a very high tech overhead projector. There are also smart boards and other technology I can not explain. All of this is being used to educate YOUR child. The school may have been built in the 1950's but the technology being used inside the aging buildings is future not past.
One of the most important things I observed was the positive attitude of the staff. I gave them every opportunity to complain about the school board, the county funding, parents or anything else they could have used as an excuse. Not one complaint. The closest thing I heard to a complaint was that they knew that the economy was tough and everyone was doing the best with what they had. Talk about staying positive. Shannon Beltakis, a kindergarten teacher who has been at Rhyne for 7 years, summed it up best when she said, "there is a good consistency with the staff, we don't have the turn over every two years like we used too. There is really good team work here." There was definitely something good going on.
There was so much to take in. State and Federal testing guidelines and expectations, funding, rankings, technology, staffing, volunteers, and so much more. I don't know how educators keep it all straight. We did want to know about the testing because so much media attention is given to test scores and school rankings. Rhyne had huge improvements in test scores. Reading scores were up 21.2%, math was up 19.9% and science was up 60.3%. These are dramatic improvements and a testament to the commitment of the Rhyne staff for the the students. The staff expressed a genuine willingness to keep the momentum going and to sustain the leadership they have in place.
There are still challenges ahead for Rhyne. Perception and reputation among them. Many of the students come from economically challenged families. A majority receive free lunch and about 90% rely on bus transportation. This is a very high number for an elementary school. The school works very diligently with parents and families to make sure the needs of the students are met not only at school but at home as well. Several outside groups help with these issues. The organization Keeping Families Intact and the nurses at Caromont Health were two groups discussed. Also, Peggy Ferguson and Third Street Presbyterian Church have been organizing resources to help mentor parents as well as the students. I was reminded of "it takes a village to raise a child" and at Rhyne Elementary that is put into practice. Hopefully, as these groups assist Rhyne and the school continues to post high test grades the perception will finally match the actual.
If you have a child a Rhyne Elementary you should feel lucky. The staff is obviously willing and capable of giving your child a first rate education. A 5th grade teacher at Rhyne, Thomas Plecnik, was recently named Teacher of the Year. Mr. Plecnik has also been working with the School System advising other schools and educators on what works in the classroom. For those of you that thought Rhyne was not up to par with other schools, you now have to ask yourself why are others schools looking to Rhyne for advice? The staff at Rhyne was eligible to receive a bonus this past year for the work they have done with state testing and the ABC program but unfortunately the money was cut from the state budget. The state testing measures the improvement with each child instead of the entire student body. Knowing that Rhyne is receiving high marks for individual student achievement and progress would make me want to enroll my child at Rhyne. Individual attention is not common place in todays schools and Rhyne seems to excel in this area.
We will be featuring at least one more article on the progress and success at Rhyne in the coming weeks. There is so much information we need to make everyone aware of. We are just beginning to understand the support and effort that has gone into making this school stand out and we want to know more. What we do know is that Rhyne looks like it will continue it's success. The building may have been built in the 50's but the staff and faculty have provided a modern foundation that is just as strong and guarantees the school will be standing proud for many years to come.
As I left, Principal Hopper said some things that I told him were definitely quotable. He said. "we don't think that parents are hiding good kids at home and sending us the bad ones. We know that the students we get are the best students those parents have. We are a public school and we don't control the students that come here but we are going to do our best to teach everyone of them." Hopper went on to say that if you don't expect anything from the students you won't get anything. He stated that his staff doesn't accept nothing and then move on when they get nothing, they expect results and the students respond. Take each student and make them the best they can possibly become. Principal Hopper is very quick to point out that he is not a teacher and without the terrific staff of teachers at Rhyne they wouldn't be accomplishing what they are. With an attitude like that it is very easy to see why Rhyne Elementary School continues to succeed and shine despite the adversity.
We would like to thank the following Rhyne Staff for meeting with us: Principal Joey Hopper, Assistant Principal Dr. White, Shannon Beltakis (K), Harmoni Tomlin (1st), Catherine Davis (2nd), Tiwan Williams (3rd), Lisa Wilson (3rd), Erica Joslin (4th) Thomas Plecnik (5th), and
Susan George (EC).
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