WINSTON-SALEM — Within a week of schools shifting to online learning in March, St. Leo School’s remote teaching protocols were up and running, and Principal Gary Callus said that smooth transition was due in large part to one of its teachers: Callie Moore.
“Ms. Moore is very adept with technology and had used Zoom for video calls before,” Callus said. “She worked with the middle school staff on how to use the digital platforms and set up schedules. She was in constant contact with parents as well.”
Moore, who teaches sixth through eighth grade history and sixth-grade language arts, is being honored as the school’s teacher of the year for 2019-2020.
Moore is completing her sixth year teaching, the last five of which have been at St. Leo School.
“Ms. Moore is a great teacher,” Callus said. “During this pandemic, her leadership skills have shown. She didn’t have to be asked. She stepped up and took the lead to help a lot of teachers and even the parents who were not as knowledgeable with the technology.
“She spearheaded the initiative online – that kind of leadership is invaluable.”
Moore said her teaching strengths are technology and creativity. Most of her lessons were already Google-based prior to the changes put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was easy to switch to virtual classwork, she said. And she added ways to make the lessons more interactive at home.
“The digital world comes easy for me,” Moore said. “I’m glad I could help make the other teachers’ lives a little bit easier.”
Callus said all of the teachers do a tremendous job at St. Leo School.
“We had great feedback from our parents on how the teachers adapted and how the students continued learning when schools were closed (to in-person classes),” he noted.
Students relate well to Moore, Callus said.
“Students love Ms. Moore,” he said. “She’s as adept as many of the students are with technology. She has a very good bond with both the students who enjoy technology and those who need more help with the technology.”
Students adapted quickly to learning at home, Moore said, discovering “to communicate with each other in a whole different way.”
But even with all the technology, Moore echoed the sentiments of every teacher in saying that she missed interacting with her students in the classroom and hearing their stories.
— Kimberly Bender, Online reporter
HENDERSONVILLE — This summer Immaculata School is getting a makeover, including important updates to critical technology and safety systems.
The $900,000 remodeling project is made possible thanks to an Immaculate Conception Parish capital campaign and a grant from the Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign.
Updates to the 94-year-old school include a new security vestibule and visitor check-in system, upgrades to the school’s technology infrastructure and the addition of an intercom system. Restrooms are also being remodeled, and the front sidewalk is being refurbished with the addition of a Marian blue canopy.
“Making things more efficient and structured will help the day-to-day running of the school easier,” said Principal Margaret Beale, adding that the intercom system and keycard access will add security and convenience for teachers, families and office staff.
Beale noted that the school is used by groups from Immaculate Conception Church and the community, so “it will be good to monitor, even remotely, people coming in and using the facility.”
With the technology overhaul, she added, “we are laying the foundation of future expansion and future projects. We have Chromebooks and smartboards already, but we are building the structure for future technology.”
Father Christian Cook, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, is pleased with the shared fundraising efforts that are making this project possible.
The money for the school improvements is coming from the parish’s successful $2.3 million capital campaign, which included $475,000 from the diocese’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign.
The parish is using $900,000 from its capital campaign to fund the school project. The remaining $1.4 million from the campaign was used to pay for an office building.
“This has been a parish and a diocesan partnership to upgrade the school,” Father Cook said. “We want to give the parish more pride in the school because the school is not just a business, but a mission of the parish.”
“We are the stewards of the school since the 1920s. We must modernize to prepare our students academically and spiritually,” he added.
The work is scheduled to start June 8.
“Right after instruction is done, we are relocating the school office to underneath the church to use as a temporary office,” Beale said. “We are hoping to have everything done by the beginning of August so teachers can come back in to prepare for the new academic year.”
Cely Construction of Greenville, S.C., is the general contractor on the project.
“We liked them (Cely) because they had worked with churches and schools,” Father Cook explained. “We have great confidence that they know how to work with school calendars and how to work with students on campus should the timeframe be extended.”
The hope is to have everything completed by the first day of school, Aug. 19.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter