22 minute read
Good Reads
by Darcy Connor
Preschool/Toddler Bobby Babinski's Bathtub Written by Judy Young Illustrated by Kevin Barry
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Bobby Babinski’s dad is determined to make bath time fun—and, boy, does he ever go all out. First, he cuts a hole in the roof and installs an enormous slide replete with several loopity-loops. Did that make Bobby happy for bath time? Well, for a few seconds. So Papa Babinski steps it up again. Enter the whale and dolphins and, well, you get the idea. Fun graphics make this a joy for you and your little one.
Picture Book Tomorrow I'll Be Kind Written & Illustrated by Jessica Hische
Following up on her book Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave, author Jessica Hische addresses the growth of personalities, positive behaviors and socialemotional skills needed to navigate school and life in Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind. “Tomorrow I’ll be everything, I strive to be each day. And even when it’s difficult, I’ll work to find a way.”
Both books are a great reminder for those kiddos getting ready for school on how to be a good friend and classmate, and how life is about trying new things.
Elementary School 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything) Vols. 1-3 Written by National Kids
The first 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything) came out in 2012, and while one of the facts was a prediction that by 2020 we’d be getting pizzas delivered by drone (getting closer but not there yet), these books are great for your information-hungry readers. Perfect for road trips, on the beach or just hanging out at home, your young reader will not want to put these books down. Although, fair warning, you may be inundated with “Did you know …?” questions. Like, did you know Abraham Lincoln was the first president to have a pet cat? Did you know an employee of Johnson & Johnson invented the modern BAND-AID in 1920 to help his wife who was always cutting herself in the kitchen? Or did you know your brain generates enough electricity to power a lightbulb? Did you know …?
Middle School Reckless, Glorious Girl By Ellen Hagan
Written in verse form, this novel by Ellen Hagan is a unique story about growing up as a middle school girl. The story follows Beatrice Miller during her summer before seventh grade. As Bea navigates the ups and downs of friendship, puberty and identity, she confronts the looming questions we all grapple with: Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do I get there?
Hagan tackles the roller coaster ride that is life as a middle school girl, and her writing can ping from one issue to the next just like the mind of her subject. While the story veers into clichéd territory at times, cliches are based on truths that every pubescent teen must face.
Adult The Midnight Library By Matt Haig
“It is not difficult to see yourself through the lens of other people, and to wish you were all the different kaleidoscopic versions of you they wanted you to be. It is easy to regret, and keep regretting, ad infinitum, until our time runs out.
“But it is not lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself. It’s the regret that makes us shrivel and wither and feel like our own and other people’s worst enemy.
“We can’t tell if any of those other versions would of been better or worse. Those lives are happening, it is true, but you are happening as well, and that is the happening we have to focus on.”
Matt Haig’s newest novel The Midnight Library asks the question most of us have contemplated at some point: If you had the choice, what would you do differently in your life? What if there was a library that could help you do just that? Would you take a look? Haig’s protagonist Nora Seed must make that decision as she searches to understand what makes a truly fulfilling life.
Battle of the Books 2021–22
Elementary School At the Bottom of the World
Bill Nye and Gregory Mone
Ban This Book
Alan Gratz
Blood on the River
Elisa Carbone
Found
Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Fourteenth Goldfish
Jennifer L. Holm
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Janae Marks
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Meg Medina
The Old Willis Place
Mary Downing Hahn
The Parker Inheritance
Varian Johnson
Rain Reign
Ann M. Martin
Runaway Twin
Peg Kehret
Save Me a Seat
Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Shouting at the Rain
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
A Snicker of Magic
Natalie Lloyd
Stella by Starlight
Sharon M. Draper
Middle School The Crossover
Kwame Alexander
I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives
Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
Etiquette & Espionage
Gail Carriger
Maybe He Just Likes You
Barbara Dee
Ashes to Asheville
Sarah Dooley
Paper Things
Jennifer Jacobson
Roller Girl
Victoria Jamieson
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition
William Kamkwamba
Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America
Teri Kanefield
Song for a Whale
Lynne Kelly
Under the Mesquite
Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Cinder
Marissa Meyer
Bloom
Kenneth Oppel
All of the Above: A Novel
Shelley Pearsall
A Good Kind of Trouble
Lisa Moore Ramée
Ghost
Jason Reynolds
Between Shades of Gray
Ruta Sepetys
Undefeated: Astonishing Rise of Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian Football Team
Steve Sheinkin
Counting By 7s
Holly Goldberg Sloan
The Screaming Staircase
Jonathan Stroud
The Bridge Home
Padma Venkatraman
Deathwatch
Robb White
Beyond the Bright Sea
Lauren Wolk
A County in Transition
Story by Amanda Oden Photos by Amanda Jakl & courtesy of Sandhills PRIDE
Someone who has firsthand experience investing in our community and working to make our school system more inclusive is Adam Faw. He has been an educator here in the Sandhills for 18 years and considers himself an ally for his LGBTQ+ students.
“It is certainly a tough environment all around the country right now for transgender students and their families,” he says. “There are many students I engage with who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and I think it’s important that as teachers and parents, we have the language and understanding that is necessary when addressing their needs.”
In the two decades that Faw has been a resident of Moore County he has definitely noticed a shift in a direction toward progressiveness. “I have seen Moore County as a whole become more inclusive in the last 20 years but, that’s not to say we are where we need to be. The community tends to be more conservative, so we do things to move the needle. There’s no one thing or act that’s going to change everything.”
There is a myriad of issues at the national, state and local levels getting media attention currently that directly affect Trans students and their families. So-called “bathroom bills,” many modeled directly after North Carolina’s own controversial House Bill 2 (which required students to use a bathroom or locker room based on the sex listed on their birth certificate), have been popping up regularly since 2016. There are currently 28 state legislatures weighing measures that would ban transgender youth from participating in sports. And Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina recently introduced a measure that would criminalize the provision of gender-affirming treatments including surgery, hormone treatments or hormone blockers for anyone under the age of 21, putting doctors at risk of losing their medical license and being fined.
State Senate Bill 514 would also require state employees (including teachers) to immediately notify a parent or guardian in writing if a child displays a “gender nonconformity” or expresses a desire to be addressed in way that contradicts the gender they were assigned at birth. LGBTQ+ advocates fear this measure will out people under the age of 21 that tell state workers they may be transgender. Even closer to home, some members of the Moore County School Board recently presented anti-trans policy wishing to include a localized version of the since repealed “bathroom bill” to the existing Title IX policy. These same School Board members have routinely made anti-trans statements on various forms of media, both personal and public.
Those are a just some of the of issues weighing heavily on the minds of Trans youth and their families before they even walk into class. It’s why in this environment Faw has been working on initiatives educators can do to help improve the school experience for Trans students and
Above, ready for the parade. Right, educator Adam Faw.
children in other marginalized groups.
“The first thing I suggest is to create an intentionally inclusive and welcoming experience within the classroom,” he says. “Most teachers begin the first day of school by offering and asking for general information. On day one, introduce yourself using your pronouns. That shows that we as educators respect what that means and understand the importance of it to these kids. It also becomes a teachable moment for a student who has never heard of using pronouns in an introduction.”
Faw adds: “I also like to ask right off the bat, ‘Is there another name you may want me to call you that I don’t have on my roster?’ I use the example of a kid named Robert choosing to be called Robby, or someone opting to use their middle name instead of their first. Maybe they have a nickname they prefer? We accept name changes all the time in society and don’t usually think anything of it. Why should it become an issue because a student is Trans?”
Faw’s last suggestion for teachers trying to make their classrooms safe and inclusive for all students is simply to be respectful and be mindful of how language is used in the classroom, not just by the teacher, but by the students as well.
“We need to respect the choices of other folks, whether we agree with them or understand them. We know that language is important and we are all aware that even if it is unintentional, language can hurt feelings. We also need to be aware that language changes as culture evolves. So, things that may have been considered socially acceptable say 10 years ago may now be offensive and are no longer appropriate.”
Ultimately, Faw’s hope is that his students and their families find the support and resources needed to feel welcome as members of our community. A great place to start is the Sandhill’s Pride website (sandhillspride.org) that has links to LGBTQ+ inclusive businesses and medical providers. For local families looking for fellowship, The Congregational Church of Pinehurst, Emmanuel Episcopal Church and The Sandhills Jewish Congregation all consider themselves to be LGBTQ+ inclusive. Also, many of the local schools (both public and private) offer resource centers or have a Spectrum/Gay Straight Alliance available to students.
“These students have always been here,” says Faw. “There have always been Trans students and members of the LGBTQ+ community in Moore County. It’s important for these students and their families to know they are not alone. While they all have varying degrees of comfort when it comes to talking about it, they need to know there are open and affirming organizations here to support them. We want to help all of our students feel included and safe. That's not a political statement, that's a decency statement.”
BEING TRANS
Faw’s comment that there have always been Trans members
– Kat
of the Sandhills community is echoed by Kat. Kat (who has requested that we not print their last name for privacy reasons) has lived in Moore County for the majority of their life.
Kat is an academic working in the private sector who lectures and creates workshops for universities on subjects such as Gender and Queer theory. Their workshops have been featured at Washington State University, Texas A&M and Florida State University.
An ardent educator, Kat is especially impassioned when it comes to discussing Trans issues. The reason for their interest is simple. Kat transitioned from male to female and is a Trans woman.
“As a child, I didn’t have the ability to access information the way kids today do. The internet existed but wasn’t widely used in the mainstream. I knew I liked to wear girls' clothes but I didn’t know why. It wasn’t until I got to the tail end of university that I was able to identify some of the feelings I had been experiencing. I kind of completely changed course after transitioning. I wanted to know myself better and found a huge segment of resources I never really knew existed. It’s been a fun trip!”
Being a Trans person working in academia, Kat is paying close attention to a lot of the current news stories regarding Trans youth and education.
“It’s sad that these kids are having to deal with so much discrimination and such misinformation being spread about them. Humans are so complex. We realize that every individual is unique and we have reached a point in society where we have to recognize words as a physical act. A classmate calling someone something derogatory or a teacher refusing to address a student by their chosen name or gender identity, those things cause immeasurable pain. Lack of acceptance by power structures directly impacts suicide rates. We know this. It costs the teachers nothing to allow the student to choose their pronouns. And it lets the students know they are willing to put in the time to make sure humans are treated as people. Taking it one step further, someone that doesn’t necessarily agree with Trans people can simply use neutral pronouns such as They/Them.”
While misgendering and hate speech are bad, there is a worse fear for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and especially Trans people as of late. Globally, there were 350 Trans people reported as murdered in 2020 alone. Forty-four of those murders were in the U.S. In April of 2021, there were two Trans women murdered in Charlotte, bringing the threat of violence closer and closer to residents here in the Sandhills.
“I personally have experienced very little discrimination while in Moore County but I know it’s here. Violence against Trans people is a constant concern,” says Kat. “That’s why I mind my p’s and q’s. I have what is known as passing privilege (because I have had enough constructive surgeries to present as female with little question) but I’m constantly worried that some mouthbreathing troglodyte is going to see me enter a women’s restroom and want to rough me up. But you can’t be paralyzed by fear. I still have to pump gas and get groceries. As a parent, I’m just not ready to have a conversation about that type of fear and violence to my child, so you live your life as best you can. People forget that what happened to Matthew Shepard was only 20 years ago. We don’t talk enough about the very real threat that people in marginalized groups face daily.”
While the current local politics make them feel uneasy at times, Kat has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
“I love it here. It’s beautiful. My family grew up here. Home is home. Moore County is like this right now, but I know it can be better. So, let’s make it better. The option to leave comes from such a place of privilege when you think about it. Not everyone has that choice. It takes money to leave. When you leave a place like Moore County for somewhere more progressive, you are taking your money, your voice and your votes somewhere else. I’d rather invest in the community and help make it more inclusive.”
ADVOCATE
Helping to make our community better by working directly with and on behalf of Trans and LGBTQ+ students is Michael Bleggi. Bleggi is the Executive Director of Sandhills PRIDE, which is a non-profit Sandhills
Michael Bleggi, executive director, Sandhills PRIDE
based LGBTQ+ support network and educational advocacy group. He graduated as Valedictorian of Pinecrest High School in 2013 and is a Duke University alumnus. Bleggi took on the role of Director of Sandhills PRIDE in 2019 and is excited to be able to work for a cause he is so passionate about, in the community he grew up in.
“Based on the work we have been doing as a non-profit, it really feels like our community is ready to change for the better. There has been some backlash recently that sometimes makes us feel like we’re taking a step back instead of progressing, but it’s important to remember that, sometimes it can be a good thing. Often in history when progress toward equality is being made, there is a retaliation. But we have a lot of allies on the ground here working to make sure we keep moving forward.”
As a former student in Moore County and now a community advocate, Bleggi has some ideas that schools can use to make their learning environments more inclusive.
“One of the most important things I suggest schools do is have an actively inclusive anti-harassment policy that specifically provides protections for LGBTQ+ students,” he says. “The research has shown that schools with these types of anti-harassment policies reduce suicide rates, not only for LGBTQ+ students, but they reduce suicide rates for straight males as well. Also, students need more resources than are currently being made available to them. Mental health resources, especially. And that’s not always the fault of the school, it's more of a fault in our society. Funds just aren’t being made available for these types of programs and budgets are spread thin.” Like Kat and Faw, Bleggi has suggestions for small things teachers can do in their classrooms that can have a big impact on their students. For example, Bleggi suggests incorporating LGBTQ+ people into lesson plans.
“Show that there are successful scientists, politicians, mathematicians, people of all walks of life that are thriving members of society that also happen to be on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. One thing that made me laugh growing up, is in history class they would be teaching about someone and they would say, ‘So-and-so lived alone but had a caretaker or dear friend looking after them for many years’ and I’d be like, come on, you can just say they were a couple! It’s a simple adjustment to a lesson that shows people as they actually were. Representation is so important.”
Sandhills PRIDE has a number of resources for educators and community members, one of which is the program aptly called Safe Zone. Safe Zone is a program where teachers, administrators and school staff undergo volunteer training to become identifiable and informed LGBTQ+ allies in the schools and/or their places of work. The goal of these trainings, says Bleggi, is to guide adults who are present in our community through a training that helps them become more aware of the specific issues confronting LGBTQ+ kids, families, and coworkers, and the resources available to them. Sandhills PRIDE offers the program free of charge and have conducted training at Pinecrest High School, The O'Neal School and for the League of Women Voters.
Other programs aim to engage and support members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families directly. “We have a Trans and Nonbinary discussion group that is currently held via Zoom and is led by Trans and Nonbinary community members,” shares Bleggi. “There’s Pride Parents, which is a support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children. And we also have Pride Fridays which we host at the Teen Center of the Boys and Girls Club.
Acceptance, of course, must go beyond the classroom to include the entire community, and Bleggi has some suggestions there as well.
“One thing to do at home is basic research. Look up what the definitions of gender and sex actually are. Study the history of PRIDE. Take a few moments routinely and educate yourself. The second is when in public, vocalize that you are an ally. Make it known that you won’t tolerate discrimination. Visible allyship is the most important form of allyship. Think of it this way: If you aren’t LGBTQ+ and you see a little rainbow sticker in the window of a restaurant, it probably won’t really matter to you. But if you are a member of that community, seeing that sticker can mean the world. Everyone can be a hero and being a visible ally can save a life.” SP
For more information on ways to be an ally or to receive support, go to: GLSEN.org Thetrevorproject.org Welcomingschools.org PFLAG.org
DANTE POOLE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Aberdeen Elementary School
Principal of the Year Dante Poole of Aberdeen Elementary wasn’t looking to become a principal, but his background gave him a unique perspective to leading a school. Poole started his career in Moore County as a mental health therapist, a position that took him into many of the local schools. When a position for a school counselor opened up, the principal at Cameron Elementary asked him to consider it. He discussed it with his wife and even though it was a significant pay cut, he took the job. “It was the right thing to do,” he says.
Soon after he was encouraged to attend the yearlong Principal Preparation Program at the Sandhills Leadership Academy. He attended with many other recipients of the Principal of the Year awards, including Jenny Purvis and Shaun Krencicki.
Poole says this award isn’t only because of his dedication. “Every day I get to do something that could change the trajectory of another person's life towards something amazing—kids, parents and staff. This award is affirmation of all the hard work my team has put into continuously improving the life outcomes for our students. We did something incredible this year by bringing two schools together and opening a brand-new school building in a pandemic! I am grateful for the respect and admiration of my colleagues.”
Poole is a New Jersey native and earned a Biology degree and a graduate degree in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the College of New Jersey. Father to four sons and husband to Anisa for the last 25 years, Poole is a dedicated family man who moved to North Carolina in 2006 to support his mother-in-law.
Now entering his sixth year as principal of Aberdeen Elementary, Poole wouldn’t have it any other way. “When you find a school and you say those are my people. I feel like that with Aberdeen. These are my people.”
He adds: “Life is full of possibilities and as educators we have the opportunity and privilege to provide students with environments, relationships and resources that make schools the gateway to turning those possibilities into realities for our children. Education is a sacred trust that requires a sense of urgency about investing in the instruction of all students. Together we can inspire and empower students to engage in the pursuit of learning so that they may be equipped to live a life that matters to them and benefits our communities.”
Teacher of the Year Leah Bartram has always been an educator, even if it wasn’t in an official capacity. In high school she tutored younger students; as an adult she was a Girl Scout, Cub and Boy Scout leader, religious education teacher and a teacher’s assistant in her children’s classes.
It was her husband’s health scare that put her on the path to “official” teaching. Her 37-year-old husband had to have open heart surgery for a heart valve issue and the idea that she might have to be the main financial support for a family of six pushed her into action. “While my husband was recovering, I applied for college and started on my long-held dream of becoming a teacher. Although I was terrified at being the ‘old lady’ in classes, I found out that I was still a very good student and more importantly, that I absolutely loved learning. On the day of my graduation, I looked at my parents who attended the ceremony and said with great fervor, ‘I am a teacher.’ My mother told me, ‘You always were. Now it’s just official.’”
Bartram has been at New Century Middle School for eight years as the Special Education Inclusion Teacher/EC Facilitator. She says the most satisfying part of being a teacher is what she calls the lightbulb moment. “This is the look of understanding and the smile that comes to a student when he or she masters a concept that was challenging for him/her. For some students, especially those with disabilities, the ‘lightbulb moment’ can be life changing. The student gains selfconfidence in his or her abilities that expands to other areas in his or her life and it is so exciting to watch.”
But teaching isn’t without its challenges, specifically the school/home life balance. “Like most every teacher, I do a lot of my paperwork, planning and responding to parent emails after regular school hours and on the weekends. Finding the balance of spending an appropriate amount of time on school work versus family and personal time can be difficult. I’ve found that setting ‘office hours’ for myself, when home, has allowed me to spend the time I need on school work while giving myself plenty of family and personal time.”
Having been chosen as Teacher of the Year, she feels like she’s in good company. “It was very exciting to be recognized as the New Century Teacher of the Year by my colleagues and I never expected to be chosen. It has been both a bit overwhelming and somewhat unbelievable. All of the teachers chosen as TOY by their individual schools are excellent, caring teachers who all deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication.”
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LEAH BARTRAM TEACHER OF THE YEAR
New Century Middle School
