Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools November 2013

Fifth-grade academy benefits students at River Gate Preparing students for transition to middle, high school KIDS’ TICKETS $10 Ages 2-12. Excludes Total Access, Front Row and Gold Circle seating. No double discounts. All tickets $2 more day of show. JAN. 10 Fri. 7:30 PM JAN. 11 Sat. 2:00 PM Sat. 7:30 PM TIME WARNER CABLE ARENA Buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Retail Locations, Time Warner Cable Arena Box Of?ce or call 1-800-745-3000 © 2013 Feld Motor Sports, Inc. Competitors shown are subject to change. 232715 Alice Lendos arrives at school, puts her things away and settles into her homeroom. When it’s time for science class, she gets up, grabs her binder and changes classes. For reading and writing, she moves to another classroom and switches again for math. A typical day for high school — but Alice is a fifth-grader, one of approximately 150 students in River Gate Elementary’s fifth-grade academy. “The idea for the academy began when we received feedback from former students. Some told us that they felt emotionally unprepared for middle school and others felt overwhelmed,” said Kimberly Odom, River Gate principal. In November 2012, River Gate teacher leaders visited the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, nationally recognized for its innovative practices. What impressed staff the most was the confidence of the fifth-graders. “The students were poised, polite, used good eye contact and could easily start a conversation,” said Cassandra Gettys, a River Gate fifth-grade teacher. “Those are important skills in school and in life.” The teachers met with Southwest Middle School principal Barry Blair after they came back to find out his expectations for incoming sixth-graders. Blair wanted students to be prepared, organized, ?????????????????????????+?q ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????t?????????????????????5?????!??????)%??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????M??????d??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????M??????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????????????M????????????)???????????]???????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????+?q$????????????????????????????????????%????e????????????)??????=??????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????)??????????M??????)????????q=?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????t)%???? ???????????????????????????????????????????????)??????!?????)?????????????)????????????)?????????)?????????????????)????????????????)?????????????????)??????????????????)??????????????????+?q??????????)?????????????)?????????????=??)?????????????????)??????????????)????????????)???????????????)??????????????)????????t????)=????()A????Q??????5????????9????????????????????((

Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools November 2013 | Page 9