Wadesboro Primary School was filled with smiling faces, welcoming the students to meet their new teachers at its open house Aug. 24.

Principal Fred Davis and the “Welcome Staff” greeted the children and the parents by name as they entered the building. Each parent was given the necessary information, and guided to their child’s class.

There was face painting for the children in the auditorium. They served hot dogs, beverages, and treats in the cafeteria, which included balloons with famous cartoon characters — from Paw Patrol, Frozen and Spider-Man — to make the kids more comfortable. The students were excited to be back at the school.

“Kids like cartoon characters,” Davis said.

The welcoming staff wore purple shirts with the saying, “Wadesboro Bearcats: Strength, Courage, Confidence.”

Even though it was only open house, the staff instilled confidence into every child that entered the doors.

The entire staff was present for the event, including bus drivers to show their support for the school and the children. Felicia Burch-Williams has been driving buses for WPS since January 2017.

“The best part about being part of the WPS family is knowing that we all share the same goal…which is the children’s education, and having their best interest at heart,” she said.

The banners throughout the school included the character-building words “fairness,” “respect,” “kindness,” “responsibility,” “citizenship” and “honesty.”

“This is a family affair,” Davis said. “We all share one common goal to educate our children and to support them in all areas necessary.”

Davis became principal on July 1, 2017, and said that he has many plans for WPS, setting goals for the school, staff, and the students. For the school, the goal is “to continue to improve academically.” The goal for the staff is “to deliver rigorous instruction to all WPS students,” and the goal for the students is “to come to school prepared and ready to learn each day.”

Davis said that he has already taken steps to ensure that these goals are met.

“I developed the master schedule to ensure that students receive the maximum amount of time in the classroom,” Davis said. “Furthermore, teachers will have a common planning time for collaborative conversations about data and what we need to do to drive instruction.”

Davis added that the community can help WPS achieve their goals as well.

“We need parent support to make sure kids are completing their homework,” he said. “Parents should be attending PTA meetings and parent/teacher conferences. The community can help us achieve our goals by becoming more involved in the daily operations of WPS by volunteering or mentoring our students.”

Lastly, Davis is working on plans and projects that can help students learn more than just at school.

“We are developing a community outreach where we are going to take education outside our school into the community,” he said.

Reach Natalie Davis at 704-994-5471.

Natalie Davis | Anson Record A welcoming committee greets students and parents during Wadesboro Primary School’s open house Aug. 24.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_anson_openhouse.jpgNatalie Davis | Anson Record A welcoming committee greets students and parents during Wadesboro Primary School’s open house Aug. 24.
Students greeted at WPS open house

By Natalie Davis

ndavis@s24519.p831.sites.pressdns.com