Welcome to Poe

Welcome to Poe GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School, a 2024 TOP National Magnet School of Excellence and 2025 National Magnet School of Excellence! We are thrilled to begin the 2025-26 school year! Please know that providing a healthy and safe learning environment is our number one priority and we have taken measures to ensure our school is ready for students’ return. A safe and healthy learning environment allows students to develop academically, physically, socially, emotionally and artistically.

Please ensure that your current phone numbers and email addresses are on file so that we may keep you connected to your child’s classroom and our school community through Talking Points, School Messenger, and the Poe website at www.wcpss.net/poees. We look forward to working with you this year to help all students Grow at Poe!

Parents as Partners
At Poe, we work to make families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success. We strive for excellence in family engagement by adopting the National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Home and school must work together for all children to succeed. Please engage with the school by asking questions and responding in a timely manner to communications. We commit to keeping you informed so you may serve as a respected partner in your child’s education. Regular school attendance is imperative for academic growth and achievement. Please make sure you are signed up for School Messenger to receive school messages from the principal and Talking Points messages from your child's teacher and other school staff. 

Volunteering at Poe
As a Poe parent, there are many ways to be involved. First, join the PTA! The PTA is a key partner for school improvement. This time-tested organization connects you to a network of supportive parents and gives you a voice in school decisions. Furthermore, the PTA offers numerous resources to help parents advocate for their child’s educational success.

All volunteers MUST register on the WCPSS Volunteer Registration site. You must be at a school or WCPSS worksite to complete your annual volunteer registration. All parents and guardians who wish to volunteer on school campus or serve as a chaperone on field trips MUST complete the online registration each year

History of Poe

SCHOOL MASCOT: Panda Bear

SCHOOL COLORS: Green, Black and White

SCHOOL SONG: “A Child of this World,” Teresa Jennings, 2005

I am a child of this world. My voice is a voice that matters.
I am a child of this world. And when I sing, my voice is heard.
Can you imagine if everyone in the world Sang together, together?
What a wonder that would be.
And can you imagine if while we were singing,
We all forgot to hate, forgot to fight?
What a wonder that would be?
They say that music touches everyone, It’s true.
Oh, I know that my voice is part of the music, too!
I am a child of this world. Oh yes, my voice is a voice that matters.
I am a child of this world. And when I sing, my voice is heard.
Yes, when I sing, my voice is heard!
My voice is heard!

Poe GT/AIG Basics Magnet School History
The 13 acres of land for Poe were purchased in 1952 for $19,000. Poe was constructed in 1955 as a public school and officially named Clarence Poe Elementary School. It was designated as an International Magnet school in 1982. In 1995, Poe became a Montessori Magnet, with the International/Technology Magnet program being slowly phased out. The school year began with four Primary (PK/K) classrooms with the remainder of the school (grades 1-5) continuing in the International/Technology Magnet. By 1998, Poe was exclusively a Montessori Magnet. In 2008-2009, the school was fully renovated, including updates to all classrooms. In 2013-2014, Poe became a GT/AIG Basics Magnet.

GT/AIG Basics
The Gifted and Talented (GT) program is rooted in the belief that every student has gifts and talents to be valued and nurtured. The GT Program offers an extensive elective menu for exploration, acceleration, and rich, in-depth study in all subject areas to enhance the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Parents and students select courses from a diverse menu of elective offerings each quarter. For example, a child who is gifted in math may be challenged in an academically gifted math elective, while a child who is passionate about the arts may choose to take dance or music electives. Expanded opportunities in visual arts, performing arts, and world languages are available. Students in the Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Basics Program are grouped with other AIG-identified students for daily instruction in language arts and/or math, according to their individual qualifications.