POLK COUNTY SCHOOLS

Doing What’s Right For Students

Polk County Board of Education

Relationships: Polk County’s teachers work diligently to develop meaningful relationships with their students. These strong relationships allow teachers to know, understand and meet the needs of the students they serve.

Academic success: Polk County Schools is consistently ranked among the highest-performing school districts in North Carolina. The Polk County Board of Education and hundreds of educators strive to provide high-quality educational experiences for young people, affording them the tools they need for future success.

Community: Polk County Schools receives substantial support from the Polk County community. Families, local government, businesses, and philanthropic organizations partner with our staff and schools to ensure students are afforded opportunities to learn and grow in the classroom and beyond.

What Makes Polk County Unique

Polk County Schools is often asked, “What are your teachers doing that allows your students to perform so well year after year?” Other school systems want to know what magic we have that they can replicate in their schools. Unfortunately for the other school systems, the answer isn’t an easy one. If they want their students to perform like students in Polk County, all they need to do is replicate the strong community support our students receive.

For students in Polk County, a supportive community comes in many different forms. We have strong and consistent leadership from our School Board and Superintendent. These leaders can focus on providing the best learning opportunities for our students because our parents and other community members trust them to make the best decisions possible for our students. Polk County’s Board of Commissioners also understands that additional funding is necessary to support a vibrant and innovative school system where students have opportunities well beyond the classroom.

With this framework in place, our schools can focus on the needs of their students. The staff of Polk County Schools understands our singular focus, “Doing What’s Right For Students.” When new teachers and principals come to Polk County, they sometimes take a while to fully understand how different our schools truly are from our neighbors. Every school system talks about focusing on students, but the schools in Polk County fully integrate this idea into everything we do. We explain to new employees that we hired them because they were the best person we could find to enrich the lives of our students. It is each teacher’s responsibility to form a meaningful relationship with their students to help each student reach his/her potential. Polk County Schools understands that the best instructional decisions are made in the classroom in the hands of caring and experienced professionals.

Summer AIG Seminars - funded by PCCF

Polk County Community Foundation funds week-long AIG Summer Seminars for academically and/or intellectually gifted students. These seminars are a great opportunity for students to be challenged by teachers from different schools and academic areas. Students are engaged in hands-on projects in a variety of locations throughout the county. The following seminars were offered this past summer:

• Robotics & Engineering - Students work with small robots; are introduced to the basics of coding; create & test structures; and employ the design process in unique engineering challenges.

• Plant Alchemy - Students take a deep dive into the mysteries of plants; make soap, plant dyes for fabric, herbal tea blends, and art projects; and explore the trails and outdoor spaces at FENCE.

• Farm-to-Table Cooking Challenges - Students tour and purchase supplies from Colfax Creek Farm; learn to budget for healthy eating using local produce; and create meals using the contents of a daily challenge box.

• Access to Nature - Students participate in activities at Harmon Field focused on nature, such as water quality, plant & insect identification; nature journaling; ecosystems, and environmental interactions.

• Design, Build & Race a CO2 Dragster - At Tryon Arts & Crafts School, students learn design elements and physics of force-propelled drag cars; design & build a custom dragster from wood; and then test & race cars in the Harmon Field outdoor gym. This seminar integrates science, physics, aerodynamics, hand skills, tool use, and safety practices.

• Robotics & Engineering with LEGOS - Working with new technology from LEGO, students code robots to move, speak and play games. The group designs a maze and robots are constructed to follow commands and tasks inside the maze.

Polk County Community Foundation

The support of our students goes beyond the schools. The Polk County Community Foundation is a major partner in many things our students and teachers do each day. Generous funding from the Foundation is focused on two areas: programs for students and opportunities to train teachers. For students, the Foundation pays 100 percent of the student fees for participating in the Polk County High School Band and funds the AIG Summer Seminars. For teachers, the Foundation recently sponsored sending school counselors to the NC School Counselors Conference; allowed school nurses to attend the National School Nurse Virtual Conference; provided Slater funding for educational travel opportunities for teachers; and awarded Adults Going Back to School scholarships to Polk County Schools employees pursuing advanced degrees.

Preschool Program

Polk County Schools operates a preschool program at each of its four elementary schools, offering students in our community the opportunity to attend a high-quality early childhood program. The program targets the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of the children to ready them for school. Services are available through funding from Head Start, NC-PreK, Exceptional Children, Title I, and support from Polk County’s Commissioners.

After School Program

With 21st Century Grant Funding and assistance from the Polk County Board of Commissioners, Polk County Schools is pleased to be able to offer the PEAK After School program. PEAK After School serves students in PK-12th grade in all four elementary schools, Polk County Middle School and Polk County High School, running daily from 3-6 p.m. During After School, students have opportunities to receive help with school work and homework; participate in STEM, literacy, and social-emotional enrichment opportunities; and enjoy fun games and activities.

Career & Technical Education

Along with the strong academic course load available to students at Polk County High School, the school also provides a strong Career & Technical Education program. The students can participate in career training in fields such as Agriculture, Health Science, Construction, Business & Marketing, Hospitality, and Family & Consumer Science. When students complete a focused study in one or more of the career areas, they are successfully passing industry certification exams in Health Care, Construction, Office productivity, and Food Service. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Polk County High provide students with the skills needed to obtain jobs right out of high school while providing other students with the practical skills needed to continue their postsecondary education.

PCHS students in career training classes regularly compete and win regional and state competitions. Due to their success at regional and state competitions, students in PCHS agriculture classes have attended national poultry judging, land judging, tractor driving, and Future Farmers of America (FFA) competitions. Students in PCHS construction classes have improved school campuses by building sidewalks, picnic shelters, and outdoor classrooms. These same students have completed three houses that will be used as supportive housing for Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry clients. This is an example of Polk County High School students giving back to the community that has supported them throughout their school careers.

Isothermal Community College Partnership

Polk County Schools partners with Isothermal Community College to offer college-level courses to high school students. Through the “dual enrollment” process, high school students can engage in college coursework while also receiving credits towards their high school diploma. Students taking advantage of this opportunity can graduate from high school in our school system with as many as 30 or more college credit hours that are immediately transferable to a traditional fouryear university of their choice.

This partnership is not just beneficial for students seeking to go to four-year universities, but also to students seeking certifications or associate degrees for entry into trade fields.

Community College courses in high-demand fields like welding are immediately accessible to our high school students and many have gone on to take advantage of apprenticeship programs in various trades as a result of their studies.

Athletic Accomplishments

Polk County Middle School and Polk County High Schools sponsor male and female athletic teams for students in grades 6-12. Through these sports, students learn about the importance of committing the time and effort necessary to reach personal goals. As a part of a team, athletes learn to work together and rely on input from everyone to reach team goals.