Legacy of former
NCAE president to
live on at school
Rodney Ellis
Literacy Dream
Center at Philo-Hill
BY TEVIN STLNSON
THE CHRONICLE
Although his return to
the classroom was cut
short, the legacy of Rodney
Ellis will live on at Philo
Hill Middle School forev
er.
After serving as presi
dent of the North Carolina
Association of Educators
(NCAE), Ellis returned to
the classroom this year to
teach reading skills at
Philo-Hill. Just a few
weeks into his return, Ellis
passed away following a
short illness, but that was
more than enough time for
him to leave his mark.
After working at the
school for only two weeks,
Ellis set the- wheels in
motion to start a book
room, expand the school's
food pantry, and start sev
eral mentoring programs at
the school. Last week that
vision became reality when
a ceremony was held at the
school to dedicate a newly
renovated multipurpose
learning space in honor of
Ellis.
During the ceremony
held inside the gymnasium.
Superintendent Dr. Beverly
Emory said the spirit of
Ellis was in the building.
"He knew what the
relationship between
school and community
could look like," said
Emory. "I think today is an
opportunity for us to
recommit to the possibili
ties that all of us can excel.
Rodney Ellis had the vision
to see that in people when
they couldn't see it in them
selves."
Even when he left the
classroom, Ellis' mission to
inspire students from low
income households
remained the same. Emory
said what impressed her
most about Ellis was his
willingness to return to the
classroom after serving as
NCAE president. She said
that says a lot about what
kind of person Ellis was.
Current Forsyth County
Association of Educators
(FCAE) President Rhonda
Mays said she couldn't
think of a better way to
carry on the legacy of her
friend. She said she is
proud of the work Ellis has
set forth.
Also carrying on the
Ellis legacy at Philo-Hill is
Rodney Ellis' daughter
Gabrielle Ellis. Shortly
after her father died,
Gabrielle Ellis not only
started teaching at the
school where her father
worked, but she also took
over his classroom. Ellis
said she is grateful for the
opportunity to step in for
her father. She said,
although she knows she has
some big shoes to Ell, the
Philo-Hill family has made
her feel at home.
As she stood before
hundreds of students,
teachers, educators and
family members, Ellis said
what she admired most
about her father was his
passion and willingness to
fight, two things she takes
with her every day she
walks in the classroom.
"My father was a go
hard or go home type of
person. There was nothing
you could do to dim his
fire," she said. "He was a
servant leader, and that's
something I inspire to be."
Philo-Hill Principal Dr.
Essie McCoy said the
classroom now known as
The Rodney Ellis Literacy
Dream Center is to make
sure every student has
access to the tools they
need to be successful in the
classroom and outside. She
mentioned the Junior
League has already donat
ed has over 1,000 books.
They will also be taking
donations the food pantry,
and ongoing clothing drive
for students.
Where to recycle your Christmas tree
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
The city will collect
Christmas trees and put
them to good use as mulch,
for its parks and roadsides.
Residents in single
family homes inside the
city limits can put their
Christmas trees at the curb
for pick-up during the reg
ular city brush collection.
All lights, decorations,
stands and nails must be
removed from trees. Be
aware that it may take sev
eral weeks to collect all the
trees.
People who live in
apartments, who live out
side the city limits or who
want to dispose of their
trees quickly can take them
to the following locations
for recycling through Jan.
31:
?Crawford Park, 4226
Oak Ridge Drive
?Hanes Hosiery
Recreation Center, 501
Reynolds Blvd.
?Hanes Park (tennis
court parking lot), 625
West End Blvd.
HB 2
from page A1
2," Rep. Hall concluded.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Democrat Rodney Moore
likened the GOP HB 2
repeal failure to the classic
con artist movie, "The
Sting."
"The GOP majority in
the House and Senate
played the House and
Senate Democrats and the
Charlotte City Council like
a master grifter," Moore
said. "After convincing the
Charlotte City Council to
totally repeal it's non-dis
crimination ordinance, then
they do the old soft shoe
for the better part of the day
and we adjourn the Special
Session that was called for
the extreme circumstance
of repealing the most dam
aging piece of legislation
of the year, with no repeal
cm- any substantive action
taken. Masterful."
Triad Democrat Rep.
Cecil Brockman (D
Greensboro) said, "I am
extremely disappointed by
the failure of General
Assembly Republicans to
follow through on their end
of the deal to fully repeal
HB 2. This harmful and
discriminatory law has
been a disaster for North
Carolina, damaging both
?Little Creek
Recreation Center, 610
Foxcroft Drive
?Old Town Recreation
Center (tennis court park
ing lot), 4550 Shattalon
Drive
?Parkland Park (tennis
courts), 1660 Brewer Road
?Polo Park (swimming
pool parking lot), 1850
Polo Road
?Salem Lake (at the
gate), 1001 Salem Lake
Road
?Sprague Street
Recreation Center, 1350 E.
Sprague St.
?Winston Lake Park,
3535 Winston Lake Road
In addition, city and
county residents may recy
cle one Christmas tree free
of charge at City/County
Utilities Division yard
waste facilities through
Jan. 15:
?Overdale Yard Waste
Facility, 4010 Milwaukee
Lane
?Forum 52 Yard waste '
Facility, 180 Northstar
Drive, Rural Hall
our economy and reputa
tion on the national stage.
Instead of showing that
North Carolina is open for
business. Republicans
decided to play games and
wasted our time and tax
payers' money."
Brockman continued,
"I will continue to speak
out against HJ3.2 and push
for statewide non-discrimi
nation protection for the
LGBT community. We
have North Carolinians
who are marginalized and
vulnerable; it is well past
time that we act to help
those most in need."
State Rep. Evelyn Terry
(D-Forsyth) insisted that
Gov.-elect Cooper and
Democrat lawmakers have
to stand strong together
against the kind of heavy
handed governance that
Republican leaders have all
but promised in the new
year.
"We just have to rally
our forces ... and we have
to work within our own
communities to restore the
faith in democracy, as well
as our responsibility as cit
izens to participate fully,"
Rep. Terry said. "In this
atmosphere, we can't do
anything but strengthen our
own forces." ? -
Free disposal at the
yard-waste facilities is for
households only.
Commercial loads and
commercial haulers will be
charged the regular rate of
$30 per ton.
For more information,
call CityLink 311.
Photo by Tevia Sthuoo
Gabrielle Ellis talks about carrying on the legacy of her father, Rodney Ellis,
during a dedication ceremony at Philo-Hill Magnet School last week. Ellis took
over her father's classroom earlier this year after he died.
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