Jesse Wharton Elementary School was founded in 1926 with a staff of five teachers and one principal who served six classes. The school was named after Jesse Rankin Wharton, superintendent of the first graded school in North Carolina. Our school mascot is the giraffe, and our school colors are red and white. Jesse Wharton is located in the northwest quadrant of Greensboro. We are a very diverse community of learners, representing many nationalities. Serving our students are: 33 regular classrooms, 2 self-contained EC classrooms, 3 full-time resource teachers, 2 ESL teachers, 2 speech/language specialists, 2 counselors, 7 specialist teachers, as well as other support personnel such as a school nurse.
A very intricate part of our school family is our parents and community involvement. Parents work diligently to not only help their child (ren) develop, but they also take ownership in assuring that the needs of all children are being met.
Our dedicated teachers continue to be a major strength of the school. The staff communicates the importance of academics to every parent, while respecting the various cultural perspectives represented in our community. Teachers continue to participate in professional development that focuses on differentiated instruction, curriculum mapping, learning communities and diversity. Instruction is tailored to meet individual learning styles. The majority of the staff is comprised of teachers with ten or more years of experience. We also have several teachers with advanced degrees and National Board Certification. Our staff is committed to becoming a true professional learning community. Through these efforts, we are actively engaged in Fullan training (STARS), differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and graphic organizers.
We strive to make Jesse Wharton a school that reaches out to its families and communities, and we implement several initiatives that accomplish this goal:
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Clothing Exchange
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Christina Smiles Dental Clinic
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Movie Night
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Saturday Academy
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Extended Learning Tutorial Program
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Bingo Fun Night
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CiCi's Pizza Night
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Skate Night
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Terrific Kids
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Relief Efforts
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Perfect Attendance Incentives
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PTA Care Fair
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Science Fair
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Book Fair
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Open House/Back-to-School Night
Our Strengths:
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Strong and effective leadership
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Highly qualified staff
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High teacher and student attendance
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Active and dedicated PTA
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Increasing number of activities for parent involvement
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High number of volunteers
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Professional Development School (Partnering with UNCG)
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Large number of staff trained in QTL (Quality Teaching and Learning)
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Accelerated Reader and Book-It Programs
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Paraprofessionals who are high qualified
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Emphasis on Character Education
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Weekly Morning Show
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ACES program
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Covey Training
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Professional Learning Community
