PSRC Monthly Newsletter

"Thompson says career has come 'full circle'"

"Educator seeks to empower students, prepare them for the workforce"

"Steele seeks to serve, support educators"

UCES to pilot virtual reality career exploration program

Some Union Chapel Elementary School sixth graders participated recently in virtual reality simulation demonstrations in automotive, welding and customer service.

The demonstrations from the Transfr company were part of a project supported by Robeson County Commissioner Judy Sampson and her recently formed Simulation Knowledge in Learning Task Force, which seeks to give all students an opportunity to explore career paths. Members of the task force include Sherry Watson, Scottie Locklear, Jeanette Chavis and Judy Sampson.

The school will pilot the software including a set of virtual reality goggles for the remainder of the school year.

Read more in The Robesonian by clicking here.

PSRC welcomes new 3-5 Curriculum Supervisor

The Public Schools of Robeson County recently welcomed Dr. Debra Dowless as the district’s 3-5 Curriculum supervisor.

Dowless brings with her 27 years of experience in the field of Education.

Dowless holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in School Administration and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

She previously served as superintendent and as assistant superintendent of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction for Hoke County Schools. Prior to her work at the district level, Dowless served as a principal, assistant principal and elementary educator in Hoke County.

“I believe that all students deserve a high-quality education because it has the power to transform lives and change a student’s life trajectory,” Dowless said. “Understanding the influence I have on a child’s life and future opportunities serves as a daily reminder of the urgency of my work and practices.”

Read more here.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt cuts ribbon for Southside-Ashpole Elementary's STEM Lab

The ribbon was cut recently by State Superintendent Catherine Truitt to unveil an innovative new learning lab at Southside-Ashpole Elementary School.

Read more in The Robesonian by clicking here.

Principal Amanda Graham selected to serve in Leverage Leadership Institute Fellowship

St. Pauls Elementary Principal Amanda Graham has been selected to join the 2023-2024 cohort of the Leverage Leadership Institute Fellowship.

“The LLI Fellowship is a selective opportunity for great leaders to become extraordinary by joining a diverse community of principals and principal supervisors to drive impact in schools of all types across the country and the world,” said Kathleen Sullivan, Leverage Leadership Institute Senior Partner.

The fellowship program, which targets “high-performing principals and principal managers,” will span one year, according to the Relay Graduate School of Education’s website.

Read more in The Robesonian by clicking here.

Beasley Media Group’s “Driven 2 Excel” program, sponsored by Lumberton Honda and Piedmont Natural Gas, is a community enhancement campaign designed to reward high school seniors in Robeson County who achieve high levels of academic achievement and exemplary attendance records throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

In conjunction with the Public Schools of Robeson County and other community partners, Beasley Media Group has joined with local dealerships and businesses to reward qualifying students with fantastic incentives for scholastic performance.

If you’re a Robeson County Schools student, reach out to your guidance counselor for more information on how you can qualify to win a 2022 Honda Civic, just by having great grades and attendance!

Click here for the official Driven 2 Excel Robeson County rules.

PSRC is working to add outdoor classrooms to various schools

The Public Schools of Robeson County is placing outdoor classrooms at multiple schools across the district.

The outdoor classrooms consist of a large canopy and multiple tables situated on a cement foundation.

“This project allows our students to take learning outdoors and to enjoy the fresh air. We envision these spaces as areas perfect for collaborative, creative and hands-on learning activities for our students,” said Bobby Locklear, assistant superintendent of Auxiliary Services at PSRC.

The $875,000 project is funded by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and should be completed by the end of this school year.

The project is underway and some schools have already used the outdoor learning spaces placed on school campuses.

Read more in The Robesonian by clicking here.

Students from every PSRC high school participated recently in the Public Schools of Robeson County’s inaugural High School Robotics Expo.

Read more here.

Each year, students leave millions of dollars of financial aid unclaimed, which could have been used to help them pay for college tuition as they embarked on a journey to their careers. PSRC urges students to take advantage of financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid now.

As of April 7, only 45% of high school seniors within the Public Schools of Robeson County had completed the FAFSA, according to the College Foundation of North Carolina’s FAFSA Tracker.

The federal deadline for the completion of FAFSA is 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on June 30, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website.

“Completing the FAFSA is a critical step in the process of going to college, especially for students who need financial aid, including the Pell Grant or NC Assist Loan to pay for college,” said Jessica Swencki, deputy director of myFutureNC.

“We encourage our students to take advantage of the opportunities that scholarships and grant monies can give them. These funds can help alleviate and remove financial burdens from the shoulders of parents, guardians and students as they prepare students to enter college classrooms,” said PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson.

“Our students deserve opportunities to excel and we encourage them to take the next step in that process if they decide to pursue a college degree. That next step starts with completing the FAFSA,” Williamson said.

In order to complete the FAFSA, students should visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. For additional help in completing the form, students should contact their school counselor.

Read more here.

The day was filled with fun, engaging, and creative hands-on activities!

The PSRC Multilingual Learner Program of PSRC received a donation of Make-Do Kangaroos, Koalas, and Australian Wombats Kits from KIOSC (Knox Innovation, Opportunity, and Sustainability Centre) in Victoria Australia to support our blended STEAM station La Casa, A Prototype of Community Wellbeing which was held at the School of Education of UNCP on Saturday, April 22 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

We were overjoyed to bring the global perspective of STEAM to our county and we would like to thank Dr. Kulari Lokuge, KIOSC Director and Mrs. Leanne Caira, KIOSC Project Leader for providing a well-structured lesson plan and the presentations for this unforgettable experience for our local multilingual learners.

Click here for more photos of the event.

PSRC CTE Battle of Careers was a success

PSRC CTE students participated in recent competitions that showcased lessons learned in a variety of CTE courses offered by Public Schools of Robeson County CTE during the Battle of Careers event!

Students used lessons learned to present their skills in website design, culinary arts and more!

We are very proud of our students!

“All kids are not going to be competitive in sports but they can be competitive in an area that they are passionate about. This gives them an opportunity to do that,” said PSRC CTE Director Herman Locklear.

For the full story, click here.

To view more photos, click here.

PSRC Online Summer Registration is now open!

Applications are posted on middle and high school websites!

The deadline for applications to be submitted is June 2, 2023!

For more information, please contact your school counselor or email terry.langley@robeson.k12.nc.us!

Please fill out the Out-of-School Digital Device Access Parent Survey posted in the link below on our website and Facebook page.

The Parent Survey will close by Friday, May 19, 2023, at 4 p.m. This Out-of-School Digital Device Access Parent Survey is required from DPI to see what devices are used and purchased from the home. You must complete one survey per child enrolled in PSRC schools.

Please click here to fill out the survey.

Congrats, PSRC AEOP Scholarship Winners!

Congrats to the 2023 United Tribes of N.C. Distinguished American Indian High School Student!

Lumberton High School student selected to serve on State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council

Chloe Hammonds has been selected to serve as a 2022-2023 SSAC Junior Member for the Region 4 Sandhills area.

Hammonds is the daughter of Adrian and Cynthia Hammonds.

“The two-year appointment to the SSAC provides student advisors the opportunity to meet twice per month to discuss education issues affecting students, advocate on behalf of their peers and ultimately advise decision makers in state public education,” according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s website.

Read more here.