Diggs-Latham Magnet News: February 2020

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

All-County Chorus 2020

On February 4, 2020, students from elementary, middle and high schools all over Winston-Salem/Forsyth County came together at Reynolds Auditorium to perform in this year's All-County Chorus.

Students participated in approximately 8 hours of clinical rehearsals to prepare for a final performance. Elementary school students learned "Proverbs" by Tom Shelton, "Two Poems of Emily Dickinson" by Neil Ginsberg, "This World is Full of Beauty" by Tom Shelton, and "Sisi Ni Moja" by Jacob Narverud. Their elementary choir director was Tom T Shelton, Jr.

The annual All-County Chorus event invites the top choral performers from each school to join the group for workshops, rehearsals and a final evening performance for parents and the community. For 2020, orchestra teacher, Mrs. Lisa Morris, prepared 5th graders, Hannah Contreras and Sarah Warrington to perform in the chorus. Congratulations to Mrs. Morris and these students for a job well done.

Drama Residency

Diggs-Latham Elementary A+ Magnet School for Arts Integration and Performance recently had the privilege of participating in a Drama Residency for our second grade students. Drama students from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts created and carried out integrative lessons in 6 sessions in collaboration with the Arts Team. Sessions were workshops on Poetry Theatre, integrating drama and English Language Arts: character, setting, problem, and resolution. To kickoff the residency, the UNCSA performed "The Lost Boys." On the last day of the residency, each second grade class took the stage for an “informance” performance to share their poems through creative movement, gestures and expression to show other classes what they had learned. The UNCSA Drama Students also performed a poem for the second graders. The residency was made possible through the UNCSA ArtistCorp program by a Wells Fargo Arts-Education grant from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Read the full story on the WSFCS News Blog at: https://bit.ly/2udMSR6

Photos of the Lost Boys Performance https://photos.app.goo.gl/mNw4AbksjZhxwH6g6

Photos of the Drama Residency in Action https://photos.app.goo.gl/PwJfUKvQ6UrqbyeS7

Informance Day Photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/twbyKu9CxtPyybxH9

Counselors Week

The first week of February, we celebrated Mrs. Barbara Sexton, our school counselor, for all that she does for our school.

Mrs. Sexton has been a counselor for 28 years, 23 of those years in a school setting. This is her 2nd year at our school. She has been in WSFCS since 2003. Prior to that she was a middle school counselor and has also worked on the mental health unit at a max security prison and in Juvenile Court.

Mrs. Sexton attended UNC Charlotte for undergrad and graduate school at Lenior-Rhyne. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Agency Counseling with School Licensure.

Mrs. Sexton is married. Her oldest daughter graduated from Harvard in 2018 and now attends Elon Law school. Her youngest daughter will graduate from Dartmouth this June. Her husband writes for the W-S Journal. Her step-son works and lives in Charlotte, and her stepdaughter lives in Orlando and works at Disney. Everyone in the family has a pet dog.

In her free time, Mrs. Sexton is active. She enjoys cycling and walking, but will try any outdoor activity.

When asked what made her want to become a counselor, Mrs. Sexton said: "I love children and love helping. I see a need and feel like I have something to contribute."

Mrs. Sexton's favorite things are spending time with people she cares about, sunrises, and anything around the water.

Thank you, Mrs. Sexton, for being a member of the Tigerland Family, and for your continued support for students and teachers.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Winter Reflections Art Exhibit

The Winter Reflections Art Exhibit was held on Thursday, January 30 at the Salem College Fine Arts Center for Elementary Students from all schools in the district. Three of our students had art work in this show and were recognized during the reception and ceremony. Congratulations Lynnleigh, Brooklyn and Juniper. Thank you students, parents and families for attending the recognition ceremony and opening reception.

Click HERE to see photos from the event.

Fox8 News Teacher of the Week

For the first week of February, one of our first grade teachers who also is our 2020 Teacher of the Year, was nominated as the Fox8 Teacher of the Week.

Fox8 visited Mrs. Cooke's classroom, presented her with a crystal apple, interviewed her and videoed some footage of the students in action.

Check it out at:

https://myfox8.com/educator-of-the-week/educator-of-the-week-cymbre-cooke/

2020 Classified Employee of the Year

Mrs. Maria Alvarez is our 2020 Classified Employee of the Year for Diggs-Latham Elementary A+ Magnet School.

Mrs. Alvarez is currently a Teacher’s Assistant in our Developmentally Bilingual Kindergarten Class and in her second year working in education. Last year, she worked as an assistant in Pre-Kindergarten.

Mrs. Alvarez attended South University in High Point, North Carolina and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health. Mrs. Alvarez grew up in Winston-Salem with two brothers and two sisters. Her father is from the United States, and her mother was born in Guatemala. Mrs. Alvarez is married; her husband works in landscaping. She also has two sons who are in 2^nd and 5^th grades at our school. Outside of school, Mrs. Alvarez spends her time working on her hobbies, including crafts, particularly painting. She also collects elephants.

Mrs. Alvarez said her best strengths as an assistant include the fact that she is bilingual and a multitasker. Her colleagues say she is a positive person who is kind and polite. She is willing to get involved and help with projects and events. She is supportive of her sons who are involved in our Art Club, Orchestra Program, Safety Patrol, and Recycling Team. Mrs. Alvarez’s friends describe her as loyal; they can count on her to be there in good times and bad times.

Congratulations Mrs. Maria Alvarez, our 2020 Classified Employee of the Year for Diggs-Latham Elementary A+ Magnet School for Arts Integration and Performance.

2020 Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Mrs. Cymbre White Cooke, our 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Cooke is in her 6^th year of teaching; she has taught kindergarten and is currently a first grade teacher. Mrs. Cooke is very active in our school; she is grade level chair for her First Grade team and the School Improvement Team Representative as well. She is the chair of the PAWS Committee and serves on the Climate and Culture Committee. When asked what makes her unique as a teacher, Mrs. Cooke said she has a heart for kids. She aims to teach the whole child, helping meet their core needs and foster social and emotional learning along with academics. She wants her students to be good people overall. She sets a standard in her classroom that expects students to use their manners such as apologizing when they make mistakes in order to help them become good citizens. Mrs. Cooke is a supporter of our ArtistCorp program from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; she is known for integrating in her classroom and working with the ArtistCorp Integration Team. She has an active classroom Twitter account for posting photos of her activities and projects.

Mrs. Cooke attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She is originally from Trinity, North Carolina, which is the home of Duke University; in fact, her middle school campus was the original campus of Duke University, formerly known as Trinity College. Mrs. Cooke is married and has one cat, Clementine. She enjoys spending time with her husband, who plays electric bass in a band, and with her brother, sister, niece and nephew. Outside of teaching and spending time with her family, Mrs. Cooke enjoys watercolor painting, particularly painting pet portraits for friends, family and customers. She also creates wedding invitations.

Colleagues said: Mrs. Cooke is an asset to our school. She has excellent classroom management; her students love and respect her. She opens her day with yoga to set the tone for the class and help students wake up their brains. Her classroom is organized well with centers for learning during workshop time. Students love her reading tent, low table with pillows in the technology center, and other alternative seating areas. Mrs. Cooke is also known for her Math Olympic Unit.

Congratulations Mrs. Cymbre White Cooke for being selected as the 2020 Teacher of the Year for Diggs-Latham Elementary A+ Magnet School for Arts Integration and Performance.

Throwback to the Holidays: The Holiday Store

We are fortunate to have Home Moravian Church in the Old Salem Community as one of our community partners. Home Moravian supports our school in many ways including volunteering in classrooms, serving as proctors for testing, holding fundraiser dinners, and coordinating an annual Holiday Store.

Each classroom and student has the opportunity to shop at the Holiday Store. They may choose one gift that is either new or gently used, and the gift will be given to a parent, guardian, or significant adult in their lives. Volunteers with Home Moravian help students wrap and package the gifts and prepare them to take home.

Thank you Home Moravian for your continued support.

Click HERE to see more photos of the Holiday Store.