Work is Nearing Completion on School Opening for 2011-12
May 3, 2011 - Work is nearing completion on Walnut Creek Elementary, our newest Wake County school. The school will open in August.Clint Council is the WCPSS Planning/Construction Project Manager at Walnut Creek Elementary. Council says this is the third use of the three-story elementary design.
“This is a prototype of Lake Myra and Mills Park elementary schools,” said Council. “This is our standard elementary school. It has 51 teaching spaces, playgrounds and an outdoor classroom area.”
The Board of Education has named Corey Moore as the first principal of Walnut Creek Elementary.
Walnut Creek Elementary |
| Click here for the video Walnut Creek Elementary and walk with Principal Corey Moore around the construction site. |
 Principal Corey Moore visits the Walnut Creek Elementary construction site in mid-April. |
Audio Podcast Listen to Principal Corey Moore talk about the new Walnut Creek Elementary 7 minute mp3 file |
 This is an aerial view of the school construction site in March 2011. |
“For me, it’s a dream come true,” said Moore. “I have always dreamed of opening a school and to be able to build a school from the ground up with a culture of high expectations for all students, the instructional program, and being able to hand pick those teachers who come and make a difference in the lives of our children. We’re looking to do great things for the students and the community here at Walnut Creek Elementary.”
Principal Moore came on board in time to give input on the kinds of furniture and materials needed in teaching spaces.
“The kindergarten and first-grade classrooms along with all the specials like art and music are located on the first floor,” said Moore. “They are equipped with a water fountain in the classroom and also a bathroom in the classroom. We have ports for our technology and internet access. There will be a flat screen TV and a Smart board mounted for teachers to use for instructional purposes.”
The school has 51 teaching spaces, an administration area, student services area, cafeteria and a multipurpose gym/auditorium area. The school is located at the intersection of Rock Quarry and Sunnybrook roads, across the street from the Quarry Pointe Subdivision.
“Many of the children that live in this neighborhood – the Riverbrook neighborhood, the Sunnybrook neighborhood – around and where our school is located, I have interacted with them and have educated them in my role as assistant principal at Middle Creek High School,” said Moore. “I know that we are getting fine families that are going to be a part of our school and I am looking forward to partnering with them, with their younger children and helping them be successful.”
More time for learning
The school will operate on a unique schedule from 8:30 in the morning to 3:45 in the afternoon.
“That means that our students will have more instructional time built into their school day,” said Moore. “And what I plan to do with that instructional time is build in what we call an enrichment period. And the enrichment time will be time for students to be remediated if they have not mastered grade level competencies or it will be time for students to be accelerated if they have to make sure that our students continue to be challenged and engaged in instruction.”
Building a faculty
As the school facility was being built, Moore was building the school faculty – one teacher at a time.
“I’m looking for a very special person. And I’m looking for about 50 of them,” said Moore. “The profile of a teacher at Walnut Creek is one that understands the time commitment and the amount of work that will go into making the boys and girls at Walnut Creek Elementary successful. It’s one that doesn’t mind rolling up their sleeves, getting down and dirty and hands-on with our boys and girls, and helping them be successful. Ones that don’t mind that at 3:45, we roll out the snacks and then at 4 o’clock we begin some tutorials, some remediation, and even on selected Saturdays having some teachers in the building working with students helping the students to be successful. Success is our goal for all children at Walnut Creek Elementary.”
From his work as Middle Creek High assistant principal, Moore knows many Walnut Creek families.
“I want my students to know that Walnut Creek Elementary is going to be a very, very exciting, fun place with the latest technology and a state-of-the-art facility,” said Moore. “Their teachers are going to be waiting on them day number one to begin molding their minds and equipping them with the tools that are necessary for them to be productive citizens in the 21st century community.”
Construction crews are in the final stages of work on the school facility and Principal Corey Moore is hard at work building the team of educators that will lead the new Walnut Creek Elementary. The first students will arrive for their first day of school at our newest school on August 25.
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