This year Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) kicked off the school year with what was considered as Superintendent Dr. Verletta White’s “last first day,” media event – because of her plans to retire by next year.
Dr. White visited Wasena Elementary School Tuesday, Aug. 11 where she met with Marina Seal who has been principal at the school since 2021 and is a finalist for this year’s RCPS Principal of the Year award.
Dr. White and Principal Seal were joined by a sizable group of local reporters who dropped in on several classrooms of anxious and wide-eyed kids on their first day at school.
“This is a great “first day” and it is not just my last first day but it’s the first day for thousands of students attending Roanoke City Public Schools so today is really about them,” Dr. White said to reporters. “Everyone has first day jitters and that’s natural because we are all excited for the kids as we welcome them back to school.”
As a seasoned educator Dr. White rose through the ranks beginning as a teacher and over the years became an accomplished administrator. She came to Roanoke in 2020 as not only school superintendent but has since served as a public servant regarding several boards and other activities.
Her delicate and sensitive handling of the kids during the Wasena classroom sessions was exemplary of her style cultivated from years of experience in youth education. The moments were particularly precious when she read excerpts from a book she chose appropriately titled “The Day You Begin.” The kids (and the reporters) hung on her every word.
Speaking to reporters Dr. White mentioned some of the achievements since last year. “We’re here at Wasena Elementary because this school is an example of the wins we are experiencing and realizing in Roanoke City Public Schools. Last year the 5th graders here had a 100% pass rate on the math SOLs, teacher retention rate is 100% so all of the teachers came back and we’re seeing that throughout our school division.”
Touting other highs Dr. White said, “We’re making progress with reading, we’re making progress with discipline and we’re making progress when it comes to out of school suspensions and we’re proud of that performance data. It shows how our teachers and our principals are working together and moving forward staying focused on the things that really matter. We know what their academic, social and psychological needs and strengths are. So we’re just wrapping our arms around our babies and staying focused on providing those services as well as exceptional teaching and learning.”
Reflecting on this year’s theme of “Turning the Page Together” Dr. White said “We have the same mission but we’re turning the page making sure that we are moving forward and working together and knowing our students by name, need and strength. That is a focal point for us as every parent wants to know that we know their child and that their child matters.”
Although Wasena Elementary School is one of the smallest schools in the division it rates as one of the highest-performing elementary schools in the area.
Under Principal Seal’s leadership, the school has built a schoolwide discipline matrix that helped drive a 34.5% drop in referrals. Academically, Wasena’s 5th graders posted a 97% pass rate on the science SOL last year, with more than half scoring pass-advanced in science. Students, 4th and 5th grade, grew in both reading and math compared to the prior year, and 3rd graders’ scores jumped 50 percentage points between the fall benchmark and the SOL test.
Principal Seal’s career in education started when she came to Roanoke in 2010. She first worked as a tutor and later a substitute middle school math teacher at James Madison for nine years. Her first administrative position was assistant principal at Monterey Elementary in northwest and has led Wasena Elementary for 5 years to great heights.
“I absolutely enjoy the diversity that’s brought to our division and the strength of our small knit community. It really shows how the students, our staff and everyone adds to the growth and performance of this unique force,” said Principal Seal proudly (yet comfortably) speaking through her own jitters during the “first day” media event. For more up-to-date information on the RCPS “first day” visit rcps.info.
