by Lee Pierre and S. Rotan Hale
Roanoke City Public Schools hosted media on the first day of the school allowing them to view the high-quality instruction that takes place. Superintendent Verletta White lead the tour at Roanoke Academy of Mathematics and Science located in the northwest where Toni Belton is principal.
White spoke of the energy and excitement happening stating: “This is a Happy New Year!”
She informed the group in attendance that her focus was to make sure the students were off to a great start and that this school year the daily focus in each classroom would be reading, writing, and discussing relevant material.
The first day was also reserved for more personal interactions as the group visited classrooms where the superintendent flexed her skills as a compassionate educator engaging several wide-eyed kids in a brief and uplifting Q&A. “Are you more important than the president,” asked one inquisitive fourth-grader after another asked her how hard it was to be the superintendent of schools.
White’s message to the children insured them that “learning and growing are what makes teaching special,” she said. “We are going to do our part and you are going to do your part.”
During the informational segment ahead of the tour White gracefully spoke with confidence and deliberate focus as she explained “It’s about building those relationships, making sure we know our students by name and by need.”
In order to meet the needs of students, staff members worked hard preparing the curriculum and instruction as well as preparing safety measures, transportation, and food services. Success arrives when everyone works together to make sure schools are fully prepared before students arrive. White feels that her staff members are on track to start their year off in a positive and energized way.
Bus driver shortage was a problem last year and continues to be one this year, causing some drivers to double up on runs. White has received support from families who are affected by transportation situations, and most are working on getting their students to school until drivers can be hired.
Another issue of concern is school safety. The Roanoke City School Board at its July 12th meeting unanimously approved more than $4 million in additional safety measures for the 2022-2023 School Year, including hiring more school resource officers, implementing a 24/7 safety tip line, hiring additional staff, and more. Superintendent White and RCPS leaders created a recommended package and additional “a la carte options” based on feedback and information from many sources, including focus groups, research, and feedback solicited by the division from families, staff, and the community.
“Our students are coming back to a safer environment. We listened to our community, staff members, and our
students to make enhancements to an
already comprehensive plan. So, we believe we are safer now than we were before. We are going to continue to improve, continue to listen, and continue to make those adjustments to do everything we can to make sure students and staff members are safe. I want to assure the community this will be an ongoing conversation,” Superintendent White said.
Both White and Belton were visibly excited about the first day of school along with the arrival of students, parents, and staff members.
“I’m excited to hear voices back in the building today,” Principal Belton said.
She spoke of how some students had attended summer school, so their summer was shortened however they were just as excited about the first day as the students who had the entire summer off.
“Everything is going smoothly. We have students from age 2 to fifth grade so usually, there is some anxiety from the younger ones. I haven’t heard a peep today other than chatter from children who are ready to be back,” she said proudly.
Belton is eager for this year to get started. Last year’s reading scores showed improvement and she is seeking to do the same for this year.
“I am excited about the growth we made in our scores and academics, especially in reading. We have some great things in place for reading so I’m excited to see how they are going to play out. We started last year with “Wit and Wisdom” and coming in again with that knowing more, having more training in it, I’m just excited from seeing the gains we made with it last year,” she added.
Belton said that her staff will be working to give students that sense of belonging, get acclimated, and achieve a sense of unity and belonging in the classroom since all students will be in a new classroom with a new teacher.
All students will start the day off with a daily affirmation based on the school’s theme “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” thereby reminding students how valuable they are. The key is to keep the children focused on education, and their own self-worth and instill a desire to come to school.
