ASK THE SUPT TAKES ON NEW LOOK, NEW FORMAT WITH STUDENTS AT THE HELM

Journalism students from Nash-Rocky Mount Early College High manned cameras, ran the stopwatch and hosted the first of four episodes of NRMPS-TVs newly revamped Ask The Supt.  The current format is a question and answer talk show with the students generating the questions and then writing the script.  For the pilot episode, Dr. Anthony Jackson, Superintendent NRMPS was the guest and eagerly answered the students' questions.
When asked what they thought about being a part of the inaugural episode, the students agreed it was an interesting experience. "I really enjoyed it! I love pointing cameras at people and making something other people will enjoy," said 11th grader Fallon Kehoe.  Super Senior Ian Duke, the Floor Director for the episode, thought "it was interesting and fun learning the signals and getting to meet him (Dr. Jackson)."
Currently the hosting/camera/floor duties rotate monthly between two schools, NRM ECHS and Red Oak Middle School.  In October ROMS will film their first episode with Dr. Eric Cunningham, Associate Superintendent of Facilities and Operations.
Don't miss it! 

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BUSES WIRED WITH NEW TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

The 153 Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools buses that transport over 10,200 students to and from school every day, will soon be equipped with a new two-way radio system designed to improve communication and bus safety. The installation of the new Motorola Moto Turbo system on each bus is expected to be complete by mid-October.
Associate Superintendent of Facilities and Operations Dr. Eric Cunningham said the two-way radio system will serve as a model for other systems that the school district plans to install later down the road. “We are really impressed with this system and the capabilities it provides.” Cunningham said. “Use of this system on our buses is foundational, but it can be expanded for additional layers of communication based on our needs. While we can’t predict what all of our future needs will be, this system is a proactive measure and it will not be impacted by outside factors.”
Using the two-way radio system, the NRMPS Transportation department can communicate directly with the 153 total buses in the fleet. Director of Transportation Binford Sloan said this system will make it easier to keep track of where buses are and what they need at all times. “Prior to this system, we were communicating with bus drivers using cell phones,” Sloan said. “Now we have a way to communicate between buses, from the bus garage to particular buses, or zones of buses, or to the entire fleet at one time. It’s a safer way of reaching our bus drivers and is another layer of protection for students.”
Sloan said that nearly two-thirds of school districts across the state are using similar systems. Earlier this year the school district’s bus communication infrastructure was transferred from the Nextel network to the Sprint network, and that transition provided the perfect opportunity to begin planning for the installation.
The systems will also be used to help bus drivers communicate directly with first responders in the event of an emergency situation. Bus drivers received initial training on the system during their annual in-service event, but training will be ongoing. 
Cunningham is confident that as the system successfully meets the needs of the transportation department, that opportunities to expand will become reality, as funding becomes available. “We are already exploring how we can take this system to fully encompass communication at the schools,” said Cunningham. “As funding becomes available, we could expand our channels so that principals could use the system throughout their school campuses and near the perimeters. From the district-level, we could use the system on a single frequency to communicate with all schools simultaneously.”
The school system is also utilizing real-time GPS systems on all buses, so buses can be easily tracked at all times. These systems have been in place for nearly 10 years, and since 2012, have been linked to an online transportation portal for parents.
At the opening of this school year, the Transportation department used the online portal to encourage parents to check their bus routes prior to the start of school. “The transportation portal reflects the information from our GPS system, so this year we set a deadline for students to request transportation,” said Sloan. “Bus routes were constantly changing, prior to the opening of school, so we planned for a 48-hour window for processing. In most cases, we were able to process the requests in less time than that. The system helped make for an overall smooth opening.”
Using the new GPS system, the NRMPS Transportation department has been able to stretch fuel dollars, by examining and eliminating unnecessary bus stops to maximize efficiency.
“We have roughly the same number of students being transported now as we did four or five years ago,” said Cunningham. “We are thinking differently in the operations department and we capitalize on every opportunity to maximize our efficiencies. Mr. Sloan and his staff have been the trendsetters for this, and other school districts across the state are following our lead.”
The GPS technology has allowed NRMPS to cut the bus fleet by nearly 50 buses over the past three years. Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools received the Trailblazer Award from the North Carolina Pupil Transportation Association for the GPS Systems.
Cunningham said that the GPS and two-way radios are just the beginning of the Operations team’s commitment to efficiency. “As the operations team, we play a critical role in removing as many managerial responsibilities as possible, in an effective manner, so that our principals and educators can focus on instruction and preparing our students for the future.”

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TWO NRMPS SCHOOL RECOGNIZED AS TITLE 1 REWARD SCHOOLS

Two Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools are among only 174 schools in the state that were recently named Title I Reward Schools by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Cedar Grove Elementary School and Nashville Elementary School were recognized on September 9 by the Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education.
A Reward School is a Title I school that, based on the most recent data available, has been identified as being among the highest 10 percent of all Title I schools in one of two categories:

      • Highest-performing school: The school has the highest absolute performance over a number of years for all subgroups, including the all students group, on statewide assessments; or 
     • High-progress school: The school has made the most progress in improving the performance of the all students group over a number of years on the statewide assessments. 

Both Cedar Grove Elementary and Nashville Elementary were recognized with the designation of highest-performing schools. Cedar Grove Principal Brad Jones and teacher Brenda Tuten accepted the award on the school’s behalf. Nashville Elementary Principal Sharon Huneycutt and teacher Angela Joyner accepted the award on behalf of their school.
Assessment data from the 2011-12 school year and the two previous years was used to determine which Title I schools were among the top 10 percent. 
“It is truly rewarding to build upon Cedar Grove’s foundation of high student achievement and motivates the entire learning community to embrace our theme to ‘BELIEVE in The Grove!’ this year and beyond," said Jones.
“I feel proud to serve as principal for a staff that has worked so hard to ensure academic achievement for all students.” said Honeycutt. “As we move forward, we will continue to focus on driving instruction through rigorous and relevant classroom activities.”
All Reward Schools are invited to submit portfolios that identify the best practices that contributed to the school's success. Members of the Title I Distinguished Schools Advisory Council will review the portfolios and, along with on-site visits, determine one school for each category to represent North Carolina in the national Title I Distinguished Schools Program.

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DISTRICT OFFICE PERSONNEL PITCH IN DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Hectic is probably one of the first words that come to mind at the NRMPS District Office, especially in regards to the first week of school. Parents, students and teachers alike called in with questions and it was Mrs. Lynda Wilson and a phone bank manned by a rotating group of administrative personnel who had the answers. Armed with a list of Frequently Asked Questions and a helpful attitude, they assisted our stakeholders during one of the busiest times of the year and made the week a little less stressful for others.

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NRMPS 'ROLLS ON' WITH iCONNECT ROLL-OUT - DEVICES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

More and more Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools students are receiving their devices and NRMPS officials are now optimistic that the distribution may be completed earlier than originally expected. Fifteen schools are completed as of this writing. 
 “We continue to be pleased with the iConnect deployment for the schools that are completed,” said Dr. Anthony Jackson, Superintendent of Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools. “Our Technology department, administrators and school staff have worked together to ensure that everyone receives their device in an efficient manner. We are taking great care to make this transition seamless, and we are excited to report that we have now moved ahead of our schedule.”
Baskerville Elementary, Coopers Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Spring Hope Elementary, Edwards Middle, Nash Central Middle, Red Oak Middle, Rocky Mount Middle, Nash Central High, Northern Nash High, Southern Nash High, Rocky Mount High and Nash Rocky Mount Early College High are among the schools that are finished with the deployment as of the end of the day September 18.
“As we complete more schools, we are able to streamline our processes,” said Jane Finch, Chief Technology Officer. “Issuing this number of devices was completely new for us this year, but we gain more experience with each deployment. At this point, we are much more efficient and comfortable with our routine.”
The deployment process for each school is now averaging less than a day, depending on the number of students at the school. Principals at each school have received a copy of the tentative schedule, which is adjusted daily, as needed, since some deployments may take shorter or longer than others.
Parents, students and educators are asked to remain patient as the technology and instructional teams work through the process to ensure every student receives his or her device in a timely, but precise manner.

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NRMPS STUDENTS RECEIVE GOLDEN LEAF SCHOLARSHIP

Seven NRMPS students recently received the Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship.  The $3,000 scholarship was awarded for up to four years of study at a participating North Carolina public university or private non-profit college or university. Selection criteria included review of school and community service activities, goals and expressed intent to contribute to rural communities upon graduation from college.
The following students received the scholarship:
Lillie Culpepper - NCHS
Makayla Butler - NRMS ECHS
Emily Drake - RMHS
Jeremy Johnson - RMHS
Ashley Silber - RMHS
Selena McKoy - SNHS>
Virginia Melton - SNHS

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TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS TALK ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Students aren't the only ones who look with anticipation on the first day of school. Teachers and principals alike are excited to get back into the classrooms.
Amy Quigley, a teacher at Englewood Elementary school said, "The first day of school is always so exciting!! I love getting back in the classroom, laying the foundation for the relationships I will build with my students, and facilitating rigorous and relevant instruction! The possibilities for this school year are endless thanks to NRMS providing our students with one to one technology! I look forward to having technology at our finger tips and opening my students' realizations of new and broader horizons in learning." Quigley's thoughts are echoed by many in NRMPS.
Shelia Wallace, Principal at Hubbard Elementary, spoke to overcoming challenges and the school system's iConnect digital learning intiative, "As Hubbard's staff embark on a new school year we are committed to the district's motto, 'No limits...possibilities 2.0'. In lieu of the budgetary reductions, our staff is dedicated to our school's vision and ensuring that ALL of our students will receive a rigorous and relevant education. The opening day for the staff began with team building activities aligned to the strategic plans for NRMS. I am most excited about the technology initiatives and the endless opportunities it will provide for our 21st Century learners. Hubbard Hornets are prepared to accept the unforeseen challenges that this year may bring as an undivided force. WE=POWER!!!"
For the teachers and principals of NRMPS no challenge is to great and this will be the best year yet!

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