Parkland High School recently hosted the International Baccalaureate’s Festival of Hope, an annual celebration of the power hope has to create a better world. Parkland student hosted eighth graders from Flat Rock Middle School as they wrote holiday cards for local nursing homes, collected food and toys to support families in need over the holidays, and discussed comprehensive strategies for positively affecting civic change. The IB magnet program focuses on critical thinking skills, project management, and looking at problems with a global mindset, and the Festival of Hope is an opportunity for students to practice those skills in the present so they can create a better future.
"I am inspired by how the Festival of Hope empowers students to showcase not just their academic abilities, but their abilities to lead, uplift, show compassion, and serve others that ultimately will have a tremendous impact on our community," said Rhonda Higgins, the IB Middle Years Program Coordinator for Parkland.
Learn more about applying to a magnet school with an IB theme at https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/page/magnet-schools.
#wsfcs #ThisIsWhyWeMagnet
You can make a difference—donate new, unwrapped toys at Flat Rock Middle School by December 11.
Let’s spread joy and make sure every child has a gift this year! ❤️
#FlyerNation #ToysForTots
🎁 Reminder: Toys for Tots donations start TOMORROW!
Help us spread holiday cheer and live out the IB value of service. Drop off new, unwrapped toys in the main office and help us show what caring and principled looks like! 💫 #FlyerNation #IBLearnerProfile #ToysforTots
🎁 We’re officially a Toys for Tots drop-off site starting Nov 10! As an IB candidate school, we’re all about being caring & principled. Students, staff & families—bring new, unwrapped toys to the office and help spread some holiday joy! 💫 #FlyerNation #ToysforTots
WinstonNet and AT&T teamed up to donate 120 Chromebooks and backpacks to Flat Rock Middle School on Monday morning. Just in time for National Digital Inclusion Week, this project will allow dozens of Flat Rock students who lack internet-enabled productivity devices at home to work and learn with help from modern technology. Working in online spaces has become increasingly important to students' long-term success, and Flat Rock staff and families are grateful to the community partners who stepped up to help their students close the digital divide.
"Having a computer at home is not as common as you would think. For much of our population here, internet access comes mostly through phones, which doesn't always serve a greater purpose," said Dr. Jamal Crawford, principal of Flat Rock Middle School. "It's good to know that for these students, life is going to be a little bit easier."
#wsfcs #ThisIsWhyWeMagnet
Artists from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ ArtistCorps program kicked off their partnership with Flat Rock Middle School on Tuesday morning. Flat Rock eighth graders will spend the next few weeks working with these artists to learn every aspect of putting on a stage production, from acting to writing to music to prop design. ArtistCorps places artists in schools all over the county to help students develop a lifelong love of the arts, but this will be the first program of its kind in a WS/FCS middle school, and the instructors are looking forward to showing students how rewarding practicing performing arts can be.
"I hope that they'll keep an open mind and be willing to try new things," said Salomé Ayers Sánchez from ArtistCorps. "I hope we can help them find a lifelong passion for the performing arts."
#wsfcs #ThisIsWhyWeMagnet
Thanks to generous financial support from Outride, Flat Rock Middle School was able to surprise students on Thursday with 28 bikes that they'll get to use in their PE classes. Outride's Riding for Focus curriculum leads students in a multi-week bike riding unit that promotes physical wellness, emotional regulation, and improved academic performance through cycling. Riding bikes has become less common among young people over the years, so staff are looking forward to introducing students to the joys of cycling.
"Many of our students know how to ride a bike, but many of them don't," said Dr. Jamal Crawford, the principal of Flat Rock Middle School. "Especially in middle school, the more and more varied opportunities for physical activity they have, the better."
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