Gloria WoodsWeeks toma el timon

La directora más nueva de Riverside se compromete a aumentar el rendimiento de los estudiantes, crear una comunidad acogedora, y enforzar la seguridad.

Por EdEn richman

• PHOTO BY ISAAC JANIAK STEIN Principal Gloria Woods-Weeks greets students in the morning. Woods-Weeks brings 27 years of experience in education to Riverside.

Gloria Woods-Weeks takes the helm

Riverside’s newest principal vows to increase student achievement, create a welcoming community, and enforce safety.

By EdEn Richman

Each morning, Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks cheerily greets students as they march into the building with waves and elbow bumps.

This is part of Riverside’s newest principal’s plan to create a welcoming environment in the wake of former principal Leslie Kinard’s resignation eight weeks into the school year.

She was appointed principal by DPS superintendent Pascal Mubenga on October 28. She moves to Riverside from J.D. Clement Early College High School, where she served as principal for ten years. Under her leadership, Early College earned a National Blue Ribbon Award for academic excellence by the US Department of Education.

“Riverside High School has been through a period of leadership transition, and it is time for stability,” said Mubenga in an announcement sent out to DPS families on October 22. “[Dr. Woods-Weeks] is an experienced principal who understands Durham, a strong community builder and communicator, and an advocate for equity.”

Woods-Weeks believes the first step in building a great school is creating a culture that is inviting and fosters a sense of belonging.

“I want to ensure a welcoming, safe school environment,” she said.

Above all else, student achievement is her primary concern.

“Every decision I make is what is in the best interest of students,” she said. “I want all students to reach their full potential.”

Woods-Weeks has served in education for 27 years as both a teacher and an administrator. She’s worked in small schools, traditional schools, charter schools, and career and technology schools.

“I’m a public servant, and I can’t imagine doing anything as rewarding as what I do now,” she said. “I love the work that I do. Why? Because I truly believe that every student can succeed at the highest level. I want to be the person that makes a difference in your lives. I am a first generation college completer, and I can remember all of my teachers from kindergarten to twelfth grade.”

A Durham native, she graduated from Northern High School.

“High school is a phase of life we all go through, and it is my duty to help the kids in the same community that I grew up in,” she said. “This is my home town, so I don’t live too far away, and the commute won’t be an issue.”

Woods-Weeks said that she is committed to Riverside long-term, and she will break the cycle of frequent principal turnover.

“I do not intend to go anywhere until I decide I want to retire,” she said. “When I heard about the instability at Riverside, my heart just went out. No one deserves that kind of instability. All students deserve great faculty. I want to make a difference.”

Woods-Weeks is determined to keep communication lines open with students and faculty.

“I believe in visibility,” she explained. “My first week [Nov. 1-5] felt like a marathon. I like to be a presence on campus, so I’ve been in class with students, and meeting individually with as many people as possible.”

After things settle down, Woods-Weeks hopes that students and faculty alike will feel comfortable approaching her with their concerns.

“My door is open to suggestions,” she said. “As I always say, ‘an unvoiced concern is an unheard concern.’ We are a family, and families resolve issues together.”

Cada mañana, la Dr. Gloria Woods-Weeks saluda alegremente a los estudiantes mientras marchan hacia el edificio.

Esto es parte del plan de la directora más nueva de Riverside en crear un ambiente acogedor después de la renuncia de la ex directora Leslie Kinard ocho semanas después del inicio del año escolar. Fue nombrada directora por el superintendente de DPS, Pascal Mubenga, el 28 de octubre. Ella se muda a Riverside desde la escuela secundaria J.D. Clement Early College, donde estuvo como directora por diez años. Bajo su liderazgo, Early College obtuvo un Premio Nacional de Cinta Azul por excelencia académica de parte del Departamento de Educación de EE.UU.

“La escuela secundaria Riverside ha pasado por un periodo de transición de liderazgo y es hora de estabilidad,” dijo el superintendente Pascal Mubenga en un anuncio enviado a las familias de DPS el veintidós de octubre. “[La Dra. Woods-Weeks] es una directora con experiencia que comprende a Durham, una fuerte constructora de comunidades y comunicadora, y defensora de la equidad.”

Woods-Weeks cree que el primer paso para construir una gran escuela es crear una cultura que sea acogedora y fomente un sentido de pertenencia.

“Quiero asegurar un ambiente escolar acogedor y seguro,” dijo ella.

Por encima de todo, el rendimiento de los estudiantes es su principal preocupación.

“Cada decisión que tomo es lo que es mejor para los estudiantes”, dijo. "Quiero que todos los estudiantes alcancen su máximo potencial".

Woods-Weeks se ha desempeñado en educación durante 27 años como maestra

Cont. en p. 4 thepirateshook.com

Pirates' Hookok

Compeneros bilniguales ayudan a los recien legados

Por Dulce Flores, Jackie larios Dominguez anD Donna Diaz

En el primer día de clases , Jayro Armas Núñez de 16 años estaba muy ansiosa. Todos en su clases de orquesta estaban hablando en inglés menos él. El no pudo entender nada.

En el otro lado de la escuela , Carlos Serrano es un estudiante de primer año de secundaria.

Carlos estaba acostumbrándose a sus clases de inglés. Carlos estaba traduciendo todo lo que dijo un maestro para un compañero sentado cerca a él.

Jayro y Carlos son dos de los muchos estudiantes que navegan por las barreras de idioma en la secundaria de riverside .Este problema no es nuevo, pero ni la secundaria de riverside ni la escuelas públicas del condado de durham han resuelto aún el problema.

Jayro nació en la ciudad de durham carolina del norte pero , se mudo a el país de sus padres , que era méxico a una temprana edad.jayro vivió en méxico hasta que el tuvo 15 años. Luego se mudo de regreso a los Estados Unidos , lo que significa que básicamente ha hablado espinal toda su vida. ”A mi familia le ha costado mucho aprender inglés “dice Jayro. “Siempre que salimos a las tiendas o vamos a comer en restaurantes es duro comunicarnos con los trabajadores” dice Jayro.

Cuando escucho a todos en su clases en su clases en el primer dia de clases le preocupaba sentirse excluido. Pero los compañeros de clase se apresuraron a ayudar.

“Mis amigos me ayudan mucho con el inglés”dice jayro

Hay miembros que lo apoyan ,armas núñez es uno de los 368 estudiantes de riverside que son nuevos a los Estados Unidos este año. El programa ESL, también conocido como inglés como segundo idioma . Es un programa donde los estudiantes van a mejorar el inglés.

Farkas es una de los 6 maestros de ESL de Riverside. Su departamento apoya a los estudiantes como jayro con apoyo con el idioma e información escolar.

Cuando la gente piensa en los estudiantes del programa ESL lo primero que piensan son en las personas que hablan en español. Muchos de los estudiantes del programa ESL son de diferentes países y hablan diferentes idiomas.

“Nadie aquí habla en su lenguaje nativo, entonces ellos no entienden lo que está pasando.” dijo Farkas. “Muchos de los estudiantes aquí son de otros países, ellos jamás han atendido una escuela como esta. Ellos no entienden el sentido de los timbres, como funcionan las clases. Hay tantos estudiantes y maestros.” En adición a la tarea, los estudiantes tienen que aprender cómo opera todo la escuela. Los maestros de ESL ayudan con todo a las escuelas a encontrar sus clases académicas. Lo más importante es ayudarlos graduarse de la secundaria. ¨Me esfuerzo mucho al principio para asegurarse de que todos los estudiantes del el programa ESL recién llegados tengan apoyo¨dijo Farkas. idealmente desde el primer dia de clases estarán en clases con alguien como yo para traducir, para enseñarles algunas palabras en inglés para que sepan como llegar al baño. Les explicamos su horarios y también explicamos cosas básicas para que se sientan listos y no perdidos ni agobiados .

Pero con tantos estudiantes y tan pocos maestros, termina brindando apoyo informal.

“Algunas veces siento que me tengo que esforzar para ellos porque si yo no lo hago, ¿quién lo va hacer?” dijo Farkas.

Tres semanas dentro del segundo trimestre de la secundaria, Amas Nunez todavía atiende la clase de orquesta.

“Yo estoy comprendiendo el inglés mejor ahora gracias a todos mis amigos,” el dijo. “Todavía me cuesta hablar el inglés pero yo sé que lo voy a mejorar poquito a poquito.”

El campanero serrano-coria estaba interpretando para un compañero de clases que cambió su horario a el programa de ESL.̈ están recibiendo más ayuda que antes ̈ él dijo. Podrían unirse para aprender más cosas como el inglés.

GRAPIC BY: TATIANA ROBINSON

"I am understanding English much better now thanks to all my friends. It's still hard to talk the language but I know I'll get there little by little."

"Estoy entendiendo el ingles mejor ahora gracias a todo mis amigos. todavia es un poco duro hablar el ingles pero se que llegare poco a poco." Bilingual classmates help newcomers learn

By Dulce Flores, Jackie larios Dominguez anD Donna Diaz

On the first day of school, 16-year-old Jayro Armas Nunez was anxious. Everyone in his orchestra class was speaking English, and he couldn’t understand anything.

On the other side of the school, freshman Carlos Serrano-Coria was busy getting used to his English I class while also translating everything the teacher said to Spanish for a classmate sitting next to him.

Armas Nunez and Serrano-Coria are two of many students navigating language barriers at Riverside. This challenge isn’t new, but neither Riverside nor Durham Public Schools have not yet solved this problem.

Armas Nunez was born in North Carolina but moved back to his parents' country, which is Mexico, at a young age. Nunez lived in Mexico until he was 15, then he moved back to the USA. He has basically spoken Spanish his whole life.

“It has cost my family a lot to learn to speak English,” Armas Nunez said. “Whenever we go to stores or go buy food outside it’s hard for us to communicate.”

When he heard everyone around him speaking English on the first day of school he worried he get left out. But classmates were quick to help.

“My friends help me out a lot with English,” he said.

There are faculty members supporting him, too. Armas Nunez is one of 362 Riverside students who are new to the US. The school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program helps students who are learning English get through the school year.

“It is extremely important at the beginning of the school year to help the students who are just coming in,” said ESL department chair Julie Farkas.

Farkas is one of six Riverside ESL teachers. Her department supports students like Armas Nunez by providing language support as well as school information.

When people think about ESL students, the first thing that they think is Spanish speaking individuals but that's not the only case, many ESL students are from many other different countries and speak different languages. Often a misconception about ESL students that they all speak Spanish.

“No one speaks their language. They don't understand what is going on, Farkas said. “A lot of the students who come here from other countries, they've never seen a school that's like this one. They don't understand how the bells work, how the classes work...it's just so many students and so many teachers.

In addition to classwork, students also need to learn how the school operates. ESL teachers help with everything from school work to finding where their classes are and, most importantly, getting them to graduate high school.

“I try very hard in the very beginning of the school year to make sure that all of the newcomer ESL students have ESL support as soon as possible,” Farkas said. “Ideally, from day one, they'll be in a class with someone like me to translate, to say ‘Hello,’ teach them some English words so that they know how to go to the bathroom. We explain their schedule to them...basic things so that they get started and they're not as frightened or overwhelmed.”

But with so many students and so few teachers, kids like Serrano-Coria end up providing informal support.

“Sometimes I feel like I need to do it for them because I don’t, who’s actually going to help them?” he said.

Three weeks into the second quarter, Armas Nunez is still in orchestra class. ´I am understanding English much better now thanks to all my friends,” he said. “It's still hard to talk the language but I know I´ll get there little by little.”

The classmate Serrano-Coria was interpreting for moved from his English I to a sheltered ESL class a few weeks into the school year. “I think they are getting more help now than they were before,” he said. “They can join into learning more things…[including] English”.

Sophomore Xavier McQueen dunks the ball. The men's basketball team opens its season at home against New Hanover High School on Tuesday.

• PHOTO BY ETHAN HAINE

Winter Sports Take Off

The Three Biggest Questions About The Upcoming Season Will Ryan Weaver get more state championship rings?

As a Sophomore, Ryan Weaver won a state championship is the 50-yard freestyle, and finished second in the 100-yard backstroke. This year he is looking to win championships in both events, and help Riverside win the conference tournament. "I've been perfecting everything I need to do to win those events again," said Weaver. Weaver is going to NC state to swim in college, and his goal is to win a national championship there. Will the basketball teams return to their winning ways?

Last year the men's basketball team went 5-8, but in 2019 the team had a solid 20-9 record. The team will compete this season in a new conference, but the team has a lot of returning players, who bring experience to the team. "We're playing for a state championship," said Head coach Brian Strickland. The women's basketball team was 0-10, and the year before that they were 2-19, and they will be trying to return to their winning records in the years before, like their 18-9 record in 2017-18.

Will The Wrestling Team Get Back On the Podium?

Riverside's wrestling team has always been successful, but it's been a while since they have had a standout season. Their first state championships came back to back in '94-'95, then had three-peat from '02-'04. This year they have a full roster with lots of potential, including junior standout Isaac Ramirez. Head coach Brandon Palmer (a former RHS state champion himself) hopes the team will make the playoffs this year.