Admin. Updates - January

On January 4, 2024, the school’s board of directors had its first meeting of the new year. All members of the board were present as well as NECP’s principal, Mr. Fate Franks, and Vice Principal, Mr. Wayne Miller. Coach Mike Mabry, the physical education and health teacher for the k-7 building, was also in attendance. Once board chairman, Anne Mann, called for the approval of the agenda the meeting started. First on the list was recognizing the employee of the month, Coach Mabry. Having been recognized for his work ethic and consistency in morning car duty, Mabry was given a gift and thanks from NECP’s executive director, Dr. Cockrell. Next was the consent agenda which covered the budget for November 2023 and the meeting minutes for November and December 2023. The board was happy to confirm that we are doing well financially. After approving the consent agenda, Dr. Cockrell gave gifts to the board in the spirit of school board appreciation month, which is the month of January. Then, Dr. Cockrell started giving updates on the barn project(details can be found in the “Dr. Cockrell’s Updates” article). He also informed the board that starting next week, conference calls about the construction of a new cafeteria, soccer, and track fields will be starting. A Title 1 audit will be taking place on campus on January 26, 2024, and report cards will be distributed on January 11. Finally, the meeting was adjourned. 

By: Diana Lopez

In this interview, one of the topics discussed was the barn. Now that the barn is complete, the only thing left to add is the greenhouse. Thanks to the Tobacco Trust Fund, the greenhouse is going to be bigger than expected. It is expected to be finished in March. Then, we discussed the cafeteria, track field, and soccer complex. Plans for the cafeteria are finished, and the school plans to start building it in June. A wrestling area and locker rooms are also going to be added. The soccer and track field will also start construction in June. The last topic that was discussed was the plans for the school safety grant. The administration plans to add more cameras, access pads to replace keys, and new doors on the front of the middle school building. 

Dr. Cockrell mentioned how fast this year has gone. He said the scores this year are very promising. "We hope to have a focused and calm spring" - Dr. Cockrell.

 By: Addison Cantrell

During January, NECP had several events. I spoke with Mr.Franks about the events of January and upcoming events for February. First, the Kindergarteners visited the Police Department. Teachers also got certified as first responders for administering naloxone. This is a medical substance that helps people if they overdose on drugs. However, the best cure for an overdose is to only use drugs as prescribed by a doctor.

 Upcoming events for February are as follows. We will have a pep rally on Friday, February 9th to introduce the winter athletes. That Saturday, February 10th, the 7th-10th graders will have a Valentine’s Dance in the upper school gym from 7 pm-10 pm. Admission will be $10 in advance and $15 at the door. A PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20th. Parents will come and see how literacy is taught to their Pre-K through 12th-grade students. This will be shown through a living museum. It will take place from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm. The next week, Tuesday, February 27th, the juniors will take the ACT starting at 8:00 am. 

By Pizgah Wadsworth

Recently, The Husky Howlers interviewed our new NECP Vice Principal, Mr. Miller. During our interview, we asked him about his past work experience, his vision for the school, and his motivation. Even though Mr. Miller may have been at NECP for a while, he has previously worked as a principal for all three stages of education in Durham, Halifax, and Rocky Mount. Due to his knowledge of the educational system and noticing the need for a role model for the students, he decided to apply to be NECP’s new high school vice principal. Since being the vice principal, he has noticed some things around the school he’s hoping he will help in due time. Such as academic excellence, a better learning environment, and improvements to our school's gym and cafeteria. Seeing the school improve and students progressively learn is the very thing that motivates Mr. Miller every day. When interviewing Mr. Miller he told us something that has stuck with us, “Always have a goal.” 

By: Monica Kaiser, Amir Carr, and Caitlyn Bradshaw

During this interview with Mr. Jemal Boone, Da’ Nylia Knight and I asked him a series of questions about his background and what made him want to become the K-7 Assistant Principal. While talking to him, we understood how important his role is in the school system and how he helps NECP grow. He prepares elementary and middle school students for their journeys through high school and beyond. His main priority is making sure that they understand the seriousness of coming to school and doing their schoolwork. We asked him, what advice he would give his students who are moving forward to the high school building. He advises to “Prepare for your futures and never decline an opportunity to help your post-high school careers, which includes college and more. This also includes finding and knowing yourself and knowing who has your best interest at heart.” Throughout this entire interview, we saw his determination to this school and how he has our students’ best interests at heart. One of the final questions we asked him was: If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be? He answered this question thoughtfully, saying, “Exposing students across grade levels to various opportunities, You all should be going to summer camp a few days away from your moms and dads and exposing yourselves to more opportunities. More college tours and getting the full experience of college life.” He emphasized the importance of making his students have a name for themselves in their futures, and for them to achieve anything they want to in the world. 

By: Kelanni Shaw