new Elon Park Elementary School

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new Elon Park Elementary School

• Pursuing Personal and Collective Excellence
• Meet the Principal
• February 15, 2007

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About Me

• Steven E. Drye Steve
• Native Charlottean (one of the few)
• Attended CMS as a student 1st 12th grades
• Villa Heights
• Windsor Park
• Eastway Junior High
• Garinger (Class of 1986)
• I married into a family of educators.
• My wife Kelli taught 4th and 6th grade before
  becoming a TD Teacher. She is currently a
  Literacy Facilitator.
• My mother-in-law was a CMS teacher for 28 years.
• My sister-in-law is an Assistant Principal.
• My brother-in-law is a High School English
  Teacher.

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My Family
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My Kids
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My Life as an Educator

• Grew up loving all subjects in school
• Thought I wanted to be a doctor
• Graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a BS in Biology
• Attended UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law (very
  briefly)
• Moment of decision
• Q What do I want to do with the rest of my life?
• A Something that will matter long after Im
  gone.

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My Life as an Educator

• Worked as a Summer Camp Counselor for 1st graders
  at Harris YMCA prior to Carolina and loved it
• Earned my K-6 certification from UNC-Charlotte
• Student taught at Hickory Grove Elementary
• Taught 4th grade at Bain Elementary
• Taught 3rd grade at Hickory Grove Elementary
• North Carolina Principal Fellows Program
• Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Masters in
  School Administration from UNC-Charlotte
• AP at Legette Blythe and Mallard Creek Elementary
• Principal at Steele Creek 4 years

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Principals Vision The Opportunity to Build
Something Special

• Provide a comprehensive instructional program
  with high expectations of students, staff, and
  parents
• Hire only the best and brightest teachers who are
  committed and dedicated, and will make learning
  meaningful and engaging
• Create an environment that gets kids excited
  about coming to school and learning new things
  magical
• Rigor, Relevance, Results, Recognition
• Honor School of Excellence with High Growth

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Principals Vision The Opportunity to Build
Something Special

• Create new traditions and a warm, inviting, and
  caring school climate and culture that has a
  family feel
• Develop numerous opportunities for parents and
  community members to be involved in the school
• Provide a safe and orderly environment where
  children develop a love for learning
• Establish business and corporate partnerships

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Facility and Staffing

• We will move into a new building twice
• Flat Branch Elementary 2007-08 Tom Short Road
• New Elon Park Elementary 2008-09 Audrey Kell
  Road
• Entire staff and student body will relocate to an
  identical building
• Capacity 850 without mobiles

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Facility and Staffing

• The architects who designed the "Flat Branch"
  facility are also designing the Elon Park
  school. They have indicated that the buildings
  will be identical.
• As a school, we will take our adopted name,
  school colors, mascot, and everything else  that
  we have developed during our year together with
  us. 
• As much as possible, staff will be located in the
  corresponding room / space when we make the move
  into the "Elon Park" facility.  
• The daily operation of the school will be
  identical to the 2007-08 year (with
  allowances for any unique / different site
  factors inherent to the "Elon Park" property) but
  simply in a new physical location that is
  hopefully closer to your home. 

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Facility and Staffing

• Once Elon Parks staff and students leave the
  "Flat Branch" Elementary site, a principal for
  that school will be chosen.
• S/he will go through the new school process, name
  that school, and hire an all new staff. 
• Flat Branch Elementary will then be assigned as
  the home school for some of the students that
  currently attend other nearby schools in the area
  such as McKee Road and McAlpine. 
• A complete informational packet on the proposed
  boundaries can be located on our homepage at
• http//pages.cms.k12.nc.us/elonpark/
• Please note that the original proposal called for
  us to spend 2 years at the "Flat Branch" site
  before moving to "Elon Park" in 2009-10.   This
  has been moved up a year. 

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Timeline

• February March 2007 Process for naming the
  school
• February March 2007 Solicit candidates for PTA
  Board and School Leadership Team
• April 10, 2007 Present recommendations to the
  Board of Education for the name of the school
• April 2007 PTA / PTO formed
• April 26, 2007 Beginners Day at Hawk Ridge for
  rising kindergarten students
• February April 2007 Staffing for internal
  candidates
• April May 2007 Staffing for external
  candidates
• May 2007 Choose School Mascot and Colors
• June 2007 School released for occupancy
• June 2007 School Leadership Team formed
• August 2007 Open House
• August 27, 2007 First Day of School
• Pursuing Personal and Collective Excellence

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Naming the School

• Establish a Naming The School Committee
• We need 10-15 members including some students.
• Gather community input and suggestions
• Conduct research and consult with key community
  members for historical and cultural significance
  of the names
• Meet up to three times between February 22nd and
  March 8th to discuss names
• Bring 3 names to the school family to discuss by
  March 15
• Parents and students will vote on names
• Students will vote on March 28-29
• Parents will cast votes at (steven.drye_at_cms.k12.nc
  .us) by Thursday, March 29, 2007 _at_ 500 pm.
• Presentation to the Board of Education on April
  10, 2007
• All are invited. Please sign up. Ill be in
  touch with a few days to schedule the first
  meeting.

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Naming the School

• If you have a suggestion for the school name,
  please e-mail the name along with your rationale
  for it being chosen to
• steven.drye_at_cms.k12.nc.us
• A complete outline of the process, along with the
  guiding CMS BOE Policies is available at the
  sign-up table for the Naming Committee or online
  at
• http//pages.cms.k12.nc.us/elonpark/

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Other Opportunities to Be Involved

• Please sign up if you are interested in be
  considered for election to
• The PTA Board
• School Leadership Team
• I will be in touch once we are ready to proceed
  with establishing these groups.

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Be looking for

• Floor / site plans and rendering on display
• Information about upcoming events to be posted on
  our website at
• http//pages.cms.k12.nc.us/elonpark/
• Visit the CMS Homepage or enter the address above
  in your browser window.
• Pick up a contact card by either entrance

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Questions

• Elon Park and Flat Branch
• Clubs
• 5th grader perks
• Instructional Grouping
• Staffing Hawk Ridge Staff / Qualified Teachers
• Projections
• School hours
• BSEP / ASEP
• Mobiles
• Biggest challenge of opening school
• Other questions

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Thank you for coming out tonight!

• Welcome to the beginning of a great adventure!