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Randolph County School System

Amy Kidd of Providence Grove High School

Area teacher benefits from national academy

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Amy Kidd, a teacher at Providence Gove, took part in last month’s National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Academy in Tulsa, Okla. (Courtesy photo)

Providence Grove’s Kidd participates in agricultural education program

CLIMAX — Amy Kidd says the most important part of her role as an agricultural teacher at Providence Grove is tending to the welfare of students’ education and development.

After taking part in a national program this summer, Kidd’s influence will extend to assisting teachers as well.

“I’m excited about sharing it with other teachers,” Kidd said.

She was one of 23 teachers from across the country selected to participate in last month’s National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Academy in Tulsa, Okla. She was the only representative from North Carolina.

“This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Kidd said. 

She applied for a spot in the academy, which is organized by the National Association of Agricultural Educators, in 2020, but that event was nixed before the selection stage because of the pandemic.

The weeklong academy was what Kidd described as inquiry-based and hands-on.

“We learned how to turn every lesson pretty much to be student-centered instead of teacher-led,” she said.

Amy Kidd of Providence Grove took part in a national academy this summer in Tulsa. Okla. (Courtesy photo)

Based on the academy, Kidd will make a presentation at the national Future Farmers of America convention in October in Indianapolis. In late November/early December, she goes to Las Vegas for a presentation at the NAAE convention.

At Providence Grove, Kidd works alongside agriculture teacher Morgan Johnson, who’s an alum of the school. Kidd said her summer experience should be a boost to how students are taught here as well.

A native of New York’s Long Island, Kidd received a degree in animal science at North Carolina State. She began her teaching career with two years at Franklinton before beginning a nine-year stretch in 1999 at Eastern Randolph. When Providence Grove opened in 2008, she became a part of the first faculty at the new school.

“It has been an amazing career,” she said. “I can’t tell you how blessed I am.”

Kidd, who lives in Franklinville, holds a 12-month position at Providence Grove, where she started the FFA chapter.

“It just took off,” she said of the interest.

She said she’s particularly proud that 15 of her former students have gone on to teach agriculture.

“My students come first,” Kidd said. “This is why I teach. I’m always trying to find ways to keep them engaged. The kids make it amazing. I’m very, very grateful.”

This fall, she’ll take a group of Providence Grove students to the FFA convention. Eight students will be involved in two separate competitions.

Lighthouse Award photo

Lighthouse Award adds to Eastern Randolph’s pride

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School leaders gathered last winter when Eastern Randolph High School received the Lighthouse Award. Pictured, left to right, are Cecil Mock, former assistant principal; Cathy Waddell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction with the Randolph County School System; principal Susan Chappell; RCSS superintendent Stephen Gainey; math teacher Ashley Inman; and retired JROTC advisor Lt. Col. Mike Williams. (Courtesy photo)

School’s deep staff of alums helps define culture

RAMSEUR – As principal Susan Chappell of Eastern Randolph High School reflected on the school receiving a major award on a statewide level during the past school year, one thing stood out.

That’s because many people responsible for the school’s success have roots within the district.

Eastern Randolph was one of two schools statewide to receive the 2021-22 Lighthouse School Award, which was presented by the North Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Almost half of the school’s 78 staff members are Eastern Randolph alums.

In the nomination from the Randolph County School System, the memo pointed out that the school motto of “We are … ER” is so appropriate.

Among those with ties to the school is Chappell, a 1991 graduate.

“This is my home,” she said. “I grew up here.”

Chappell said that often data is used to promote accomplishments for a school, but she chose a different tactic.

“What I chose to focus on was our school culture and how we were able to navigate the pandemic,” Chappell said. “We wanted to show what makes our school special.”

The Lighthouse Award is presented to schools that have furthered student achievement in innovative and creative ways and nurtured a positive and supportive school and community climate.

Eastern Randolph has about 600 students in the high school, making it the smallest RCSS high school.

“I was pleased that people recognized there are various ways to demonstrate success,” Chappell said.

Chappell became an assistant principal at the school in 2015. For the past 2 ½ years, she has been the principal. A few months after moving to the new role, the pandemic hit.

That’s when she said Eastern Randolph was able to stand tall.

“We problem-solved and we got through it and we’re better for it,” Chappell said.

That involved taking care of staff and students.

Staff members delivered food and study materials to students. They helped establish internet hot spots in the community, particularly because of the many rural areas within the district.

But the impact extended beyond those types of services.

“Making sure we were meeting their social and emotional needs,” Chappell said. “That need is still out there. It opened our eyes to some of the things our students are dealing with.”

Through receiving the Lighthouse Award, Chappell said she hopes that school pride has flourished and that what was achieved the past couple of years can be expanded.

“ ‘We are … ER’ may be a simple motto, but its meaning has roots that run deep,” the RCSS nomination read. “Those roots will ensure the success and fulfillment of generations of Wildcats to come.”

The other Lighthouse Award recipient for the past school year was Cedar Ridge Elementary School of the Surry County Schools.

Stephen_gainey

Superintendent Gainey proud of how RCSS pulled together

ASHEBORO — Superintendent Stephen Gainey of the Randolph County School System said it was a satisfying school year in many respects for his district.

“We stayed open,” he said earlier this month. “Just about back to normal as far as what we knew.”

RCSS was among the most aggressive districts in the state in the 2020-21 school year in terms of moving toward in-person instruction. That approach remained in place for 2021-22.

Gainey said there was across-the-board support for RCSS and its determination to run operations in a manner that made students and staff comfortable and engaged. 

“We navigated it because everyone pitched in and helped,” Gainey said. “Great effort from everybody.”

Gainey said parents deserve much of the credit for keeping the district’s schools going in the right direction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he added that parents’ willingness to self-report issues involving their children’s health allowed RCSS to stay on top of the situation.

There were three times when schools were put in quarantine or switched to temporary remote learning, but those were isolated, Gainey said.

By the midway point of the past school year, RCSS reinstated most of the programs it once took for granted. Field trips were reintroduced to the schedule, assemblies were held, cafeterias were fully opened, and access to schools for approved visitors was generally granted.

In September, the RCSS board of education extended Gainey’s contract through June 2025.

In early June on consecutive days, Gainey represented the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to hand out championship medals at a couple of state championships. That was particularly rewarding.

He was there for Wheatmore’s girls’ soccer title in Class 2-A in Cary and Randleman’s repeat state crown in Class 2-A baseball in Burlington the next day. Those results gave RCSS three team state championships during the school year after Southwestern Randolph’s Class 2-A volleyball title.

A few days before the spring championships, Gainey had another notable encounter when he met members of the Class of 2034 at Seagrove Elementary School.

In many ways, that brought things full circle because Gainey said he saw the impact of the district’s newest class members enjoying their time in school.

Those moments are special after two challenging school years.

“These 22 months kind of blur together,” he said. 

Graduation

Asheboro celebrates new graduates

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Graduates attend the Asheboro High School commencement ceremony at Lee J Stone Stadium. (PJ Ward-Brown/ Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – There were 245 graduates in Asheboro High School’s Class of 2022, with the commencement ceremony taking place last Thursday night at Lee J. Stone Stadium.

The school had the largest graduating class of any of the high schools in Randolph County.

Unlike schools in the Randolph County School System that were forced indoors a night earlier because of story weather, the Asheboro event took place outdoors. It was one of the few major events held on campus recently because of an ongoing construction project.

PG Class of 2022 rock

Commencement ceremonies move inside for RCSS; Almost 900 receive diplomas

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Here was the message on graduation night outside Providence Grove High School, where members of the Class of 2022 received diplomas. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)

There was one last set of hurdles for members of the Class of 2022 in the Randolph County School System.

That was adjustments for commencement ceremonies Wednesday night. All of those activities were moved indoors as storms battered the area.

Nearly 900 graduates received from the six high schools holding events.

While RCSS officials attended various commencements, superintendent Stephen Gainey naturally was present at Southwestern Randolph. His daughter, Kaitlyn Gainey, was one of the graduates – and he handed his daughter the diploma during the ceremony.

Randleman welcomed 168 graduates, with the gym packed with guests and dozens of others viewing the ceremony on screens set up in the cafeteria and theater.

Gary Goss, a deputy with Randolph County Sherriff’s Department, said this was his first commencement assignment, but he said he could relate to what the graduates were going through. For his 1989 commencement when he graduated from Eastern Randolph, inclement weather forced that ceremony indoors as well.

At Providence Grove, where 143 were expected to receive diplomas, the word was delivered slightly after noon that the 8 p.m. ceremony would move inside.

Still, that didn’t prevent some wet attendees as a storm dumped plenty of rain on school grounds as spectators made their way toward the gym. Parking areas in front of the school were filled, with many choosing to park on grassy areas as well.

Art teacher Stephanie Soper has been at the school since it opened in 2008. She attended the first Providence Grove commencement in June 2009 and has been on hand for every version since then except for the rescheduled 2020 event during the height of the COVID pandemic.

“There has been a lot through the years that have moved indoors,” Soper said. “Sometimes it has been excruciatingly hot (outside for the ceremony).”

Each Providence Grove senior was given five tickets to distribute for the commencement in the gym. Many supporters watched a video stream in the nearby auditorium.

Eastern Randolph had 119 graduates, with the indoor event deemed a success by principal Susan Chappell.

“We set up both for outdoor and indoor,” Chappell said. “I didn’t want to risk anybody’s safety and to have everybody scrambling at the last minute. When we made the decision, everybody pitched in to help.”

The spectator overflow area was in the cafeteria, while others could view the live stream from home. Chappell said the indoor ceremonies offer the benefit of closer viewing and often better acoustics.

“We’re glad that we did make the move because at right about the time of the ceremony it was lightning like crazy,” said Jamie Smith, school secretary at Eastern Randolph. “That was a good decision by administrators.”

Trinity had 132 graduates for its indoor ceremony. Nearby Wheatmore had 155 graduates.

There was particular attention to the awarding of one of the Wheatmore diplomas. It went to the family of Brianna Robinson, who died in April.

“She met all the requirements,” principal Eric Johnson said.

A cap and gown were placed in her chair. Another student brother flowers for the setting.

It was a smaller-than-normal class for Wheatmore. Johnson said usually there are 180-190 graduates, but factors such as the impact from COVID-19 caused some students to not get back into the groove.

The indoor set-up worked well.

“Families seemed to appreciate the dry, cool, non-humid conditions,” Johnson said.

The Southwestern Randolph ceremony was clocked at a brisk 61 minutes. There were 172 graduates, marking a smaller senior class than several of those in recent years.

Here’s all that was left to the staging area at Randleman’s football stadium as commencement ceremonies were going on in the nearby high school gym. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)

First sergeant Kenneth Diaz, the instructor for Randleman’s JROTC program, received word shortly before 5 p.m. that the ceremony, which was set to begin at 7 p.m., would be shifted inside. That created a bit of a scramble for his eight students who were overseeing traffic control.

Instead of the festivities taking place in the football stadium, they were held in the high school gym.

“This is as orderly as we could get it,” Diaz said of the parking and traffic. “They made the move and our kids were ready. I’m definitely pleased with the outcome. This definitely could have been a lot worse.”

After a heavy rain, the sun came out for about the hour prior to the Randleman ceremony. Then at just about the time the commencement began, thunder rumbled and that was followed by more downpours, validating the decision to relocate the event.