Students from Walkertown High School learn how to make potato fritters dur
ing a stay in Old Salem's Hidden Town on Friday, May 4. Twenty-two students
and 10 chaperones spent the night where enslaved and freed African-Moravian
people lived in Salem.
Martha Harley, Old Salem Inc. director of research and outreach, shows stu
dents how to harvest vegetables on Friday, May 4.
A night in Hidden Town
BYTEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE__
Last week, students from Walkertown High School
ditched their smart phones, laptops, iPads, and other high
tech devices, and spent a night in Old Salem’s Hidden
Town, an initiative created to research and reveal the “hid
den” community of enslaved and freed African-Moravian
people of Salem.
In a three-part series last summer, The Chronicle
unveiled the findings of Old Salem Inc. centered on the
Hidden Town Project and the untold narratives of Africans
in Salem. In the early stages of research, the committee
found out that Old Salem’s Hidden Town Project might be
one of the most important archeological sites of the urban
enslaved in the country.
During their stay in Hidden Town, through hands-on
and immersive activities, the Walkertown students learned
what life was like for the African people of Salem.
The day in Hidden Town for the 22 students and 10
chaperones began at St. Phillips Moravian African
American Church with a brief introduction.
After a tour of a few interesting spots along the way
including the Doctor’s House, and Christian David’s
house, it was time to prep for dinner. Students, parents and
teachers harvested herbs and vegetables in the gardens
while others made potato fritters inside.
After that, the group walked to the Tarvem for an out
door fireside conversation led by Joseph McGill, founder
of the Slave Dwelling Project, and representatives from
Old Salem Inc.
Old Salem Museums and Garden’s Hidden Town
Project is an initiative created to research and reveal the
history of the “hidden” community of enslaved and free
Africans and African-Americans who once lived in
Salem, North Carolina. The Hidden Town Project will
track the effects and legacy of enslaved people from the
inception of Salem itself through the Jim Crow Era and
into the 21st century
• The Slave Dwelling Project’s mission is to identify
and assist property owners, government agencies, and
organizations to preserve extant slave dwellings. Its goal
is to bring historians, students, faculty, writers, legislators,
corporations, artists, and the general public together to
educate, collaborate, and organize resources to save the
important collectibles of our American history.
Building on progress at Cook
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE__
Looking to build on the progress made
in year one under a new instructional
model, Cook Literacy Model School is
adopting a new initiative that will extend
teachers' reach on more classrooms.
According to principal and executive
director Dr. Paula Wilkins, the initiative
coined Reach to Excellence, is a rebrand
ing of what it means to be a teacher leader
at Cook.
The initiative will consist of four new
roles and nine positions with various
responsibilities and expectations for
each. For example, Multi-Classroom
Teachers (MCL), one of the four new
roles, will be responsible for coaching
teachers, writing lesson plans and working
with students in multiple
classrooms. MCL's will also be held
accountable for student outcomes.
Wilkins said MCL's will serve as an
intermediary between the teacher and the
principal.
"They are considered kind of like a
lead teacher," continued Wilkins. "When
we get to a place where there are questions
about results and accountability they’re
held accountable for the results in that
classroom even though they're not always
delivering the day-to-day instruction."
The second new role, Expanded
Impact Teachers (ETC), will take on
responsibilities with more students with
help from the third new role known as
Reach Associates. Similar to a teacher’s
assistant, the ETC will also serve as a
coach or mentor for the Reach Associate.
The Cook Family will also look to add
two additional positions for specialization
teachers in reading and science.
While discussing the new initiative and
teacher leadership roles, Dr. Wilkins said
she wants the community to know that this
is not another restart model. She said, "The
increased roles are related to increase in
responsibility, accountability, and expecta
tions."
Wilkins, who took the reins of Cook in
the summer of 2016 after the school was
H
flagged as
one of the
lowest per
forming in
the state,
noted a lot of
"pre-work"
was done
before the
decision was
made to
implement
the changes.
Although no
other school
in the local district has adopted the initia
tive Cook has launched, Wilkins said she
and a team of teachers visited several
schools in Charlotte that have been using
the model for more than five years.
"I visited several schools. I talked with
instructional superintendents about their
implementation. I talked to principals and
we had a team of teachers make recom
mendations," Wilkins continued. "... And
the model recommendation they made was
Wilkins
the model we went with."
When asked why she thinks the new
initiative will work at Cook, Wilkins said
she has always been a believer in strong
teachers and their ability to turn a school
around. She said her goal is to create an
environment that supports teacher and stu
dents success, and creates a continuum of
teacher leaders.
She said," If teachers don't get the
proper training, coaching, and feedback
they need this cannot work.
"One of the things that will be a huge
part of this model is coaching and feed
back. Not only for the teachers on a day-to
day basis in the classroom but for the addi
tional teacher leaders."
"I can't coach everybody in my build
ing but vicariously through coaching other
people I can."
For more information on the Reach to
Excellence initiative, a full description of
the new roles launched at Cook Literacy
Model School is available on the school's
official web page.
Corrections
The Chronicle apologizes for an error made in the print edition on May 3. In the page A2
story with the headline “Social Services has new director,” the size of the Forsyth
County Department of Social Services' budget was incorrect. The department has a
budget of $45 million to $50 million.
The Chronicle regrets any misunderstanding that may have resulted from this error. The
Editor
Also, The Chronicle apologizes for another error made in the print edition on May 3. In
the page A1 article with the headline “Board: Replace Ashley HVAC units” a cost for
roof improvements was incorrect. In fact, the cost included for improvements was
$200,000. The sentence should read, “An additional $200,000 was including in the total
cost for improvements to the roof.”
The Chronicle regrets any misunderstanding that may have resulted from this error. The
Editor
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