Winterville Senior Admissions Representative Elizabeth Nunez said students gathered and interacted with their friends and were able to find their lockers.
“Most of them were smiling and laughing after trying over and over again,” she said. “We provided a cheat sheet for them to take home or place in their agendas for the first couple of days.”
After ensuring they could get into their lockers, students started the important task of decorating. Many brought their own accoutrements like mirrors, posters, dry-erase boards, and pictures, while the school provided pencil holders, magnetic note holders, and stickers (to be used only on paper).
“I loved the family pics, and I did see a lot of affirmation stickers and magnets,” she said. “It was so nice for them to see each other again and meet other incoming students. They were sharing family pictures and decorating.”
This type of event adds to the culture of the school, which has outperformed the local district for the past four years. It is also important for both students and staff to have time to meet and interact outside of their normal classroom interactions, Nunez said.
“Our goal is for students to feel safe and be happy coming to school,” she said. “Our events play a big part in helping them make friends before the school year starts. Students can get familiar with their teachers and also our parents get to mingle and meet other parents too.”
Great work preparing for the school year, Winterville!
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About Winterville Charter Academy:
Winterville Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Winterville, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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