A.P. Dillon – Moore County Edition

May

24

2024

Civil rights complaint filed against Moore Public Schools

NewsMoore County Board of Education, Moore County Schools

RALEIGH — Two activist groups have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights alleging discrimination over Moore County Schools' implementation of North Carolina's new Parents' Bill of Rights (PBR) law. That law was enacted by the General Assembly on August 16, 2023, after both legislative chambers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 49. After the PBR was enacted, the Moore County Board of Education adopted an amendment to its Comprehensive Health Education Program policy on November 6, 2023. The amendment included a prohibition on “instruction on sexual activity or sexuality” in Kindergarten through…

Jan

24

2024

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Schools ‘potential school shooting’ threat deemed not credible

NewsMoore County Schools

RALEIGH — On Jan. 18, Moore County Public Schools (MCPS) announced the district had received a threat to its schools which later was deemed to not be “credible” or “actionable.” “On Tuesday, at approximately 11:40 a.m., we received a notification from the Southern Pines Police Department regarding an anonymous threat call made to a local business, pertaining to a potential school shooting,” a MCPS update on the incident stated. “However, the call did not provide specific information about any particular time or school in Moore County.” The update said MCPS continued its typical operations but had initiated precautionary measures such…

Jan

18

2024

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County School Choice Expo returns for third year in a row

Newsschool choice

PINEHURST — The third annual Moore County School Choice Expo is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27, in Pinehurst, coinciding with the final day of this year’s National School Choice Week. The event will be at Sandhills Community College Campus with the aim of providing information to Moore County parents about various K-12 education options. "At our last two Expos, we realized that a growing number of local parents are eager to explore all the alternatives available to them where the education of their children is concerned,” said Caroline Kelly, one of the event's chief organizers. “Parents prefer to visit face-to-face…

Dec

20

2023

By A.P. Dillon

Carthage Elementary 3rd-grade teacher honored

News2024 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Teacher of the Year, Sandhills Region

CARTHAGE — Jennifer Blake, a third-grade teacher at Carthage Elementary School, has been named the 2024 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Teacher of the Year for the Sandhills Region The announcement, a surprise event in her classroom, celebrated Ms. Blake's outstanding contributions to education and her dedication to making a positive impact on her students' lives. “One must love teaching enough to survive it. You have to get excited when those little 'light bulb' moments happen,” Blake said. “You have to be reflective and willing, not only to make changes but also to embrace mistakes when they happen.” Inspired by influential teachers…

Dec

06

2023

By A.P. Dillon

Governor makes judicial appointments impacting Hoke, Moore, and Robeson Counties

Newsjudicial appointments

RALEIGH — On Dec. 1, Governor Roy Cooper announced his appointment of Judge Regina M. Joe to Superior Court District 19D which serves Hoke and Moore Counties, and attorney Krystle Melvin to District Court in District 16B, which serves Robeson County. “These appointees bring to the bench years of legal experience in the public and private sectors and have served North Carolina and their communities well,” Cooper said in a press release. “I appreciate their continued commitment to serving the people of our state.” Judge Joe has been a District Court Judge since 2007 and in the past was a…

Oct

11

2023

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Principal is first recipient of True Trailblazer Science of Reading Award

NewsTrue Trailblazer Science of Reading Award

RALEIGH — On Oct. 3, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) honored Principal Ashlee Ciccone as the first recipient of the True Trailblazer Science of Reading Award. Ciccone is the principal of Pinehurst Elementary School in Moore County Public Schools. NCDPI’s account on the social media platform X issued a post congratulating Ciccone as being “recognized for her exemplary efforts to guide the school through its shift to SoR [Science of Reading], positively impacting professional & student knowledge & collaboration.” According to the district, Ciccone had begun using LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional…

Sep

20

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Schools makes headway in returning to pre-pandemic learning levels

News

RALEIGH — Moore County Public Schools (MCS) appears to be making headway in returning to pre-pandemic student achievement and school performance ratings. MCS reported on the district’s testing and school grades for the 2022-23 school year following the Sept. 6 release of testing accountability and school performance data by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). According to MCS, the district outperformed the state of North Carolina in all 18 tested areas. Like most of the districts in the state, MCS proficiency levels increased across all testing subject areas with a few exceptions. “Prior to the pandemic, in 2018-2019,…

Sep

07

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

Report: Community college student’s program access blocked by COVID vaccination status

Newscolleges, vaccination

RALEIGH — A report of a student in a community college health education program having her access to clinical sites blocked due to her vaccination status recently surfaced on social media. In a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, Envisage Law firm attorney James Lawrence made the claims that a female student was denied access to the Sandhills Community College health program based on the fact she was unvaccinated. “Community colleges in NC are discriminating against students who want to be part of the health care profession because they declined a COVID-19 vaccine,” Lawrence wrote in the thread. “@SandhillsCC…

Jul

05

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

First ever homeschool prom in Moore County held

FeaturesEducation, high school prom, home school, Moore County, schools

WHISPERING PINES — On May 12, the first-ever Moore County Homeschool Prom was held for students in grades 9-12 in Whispering Pines, North Carolina. The prom was held at The Country Club of Whispering Pines from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets to attend were $75 and included a seated dinner, raffle ticket, mocktail celebration drink, and 4x6 commemorative photo. Chris and Betsy Miller, who are homeschool parents from Moore County, organized the event. “As parents who choose to homeschool, we know that our kids are missing out on certain things; that is WHY we homeschool,” the Millers said. “But…

May

31

2023

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By A.P. Dillon

336 K-12 schools receive Purple Star recognition

Newsawardees, N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Purple Star

RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Public Instruction announced 336 K-12 schools had received a Purple Star Award earlier this month. The Purple Star Award was established in 2019 and goes to schools recognized for demonstrating military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. This year, 336 K-12 public schools in 17 districts across the state were recognized for the award. Included in the list were nine public charter schools. “These Purple Star Awardees have gone beyond the standard call of duty to ensure their school and classroom environments accommodate military-connected students,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in…