Eagle News

Ninth graders in Kristee McCusker’s world history course recently finished a World War II unit of study. Students had an assignment to take a stance on either Germany, Italy, France, the United States, or Great Britain and design a propaganda poster regarding World War II. Several of the best projects are below.

“I expect a lot from my students as far as creativity, ingenuity and ideas. They got a rubric as well as an outline regarding what I expected and had one week to complete this poster,” explained Ms. McCusker.

Kristian Robleto chose to focus on the French idea and ideology of world war.

Dorian Mackelsky’s poster depicts the United States stabbing out the snake (Germany) during World War II.

Koreigh Waddell created an anime version of women in the workforce during World War II.

Reagan Sloan incorporated three dimensional properties (pearls and sparkle stars) for added effect in portraying a woman in the American workforce.

Leading up to the end of the school year for students on Thursday, May 14, there will be end-of-year state testing. The schedule is below.

Middle School End-of-Grade (EOG) Schedule

Friday, May 1 – EOG specific special settings

Monday, May 4 – 8th Grade Science EOG

Tuesday, May 5 – Grades 6-8 Reading EOG

Wednesday, May 6 – Grades 6-8 Math EOG

Thursday, May 7 – EOG makeup testing, remediation

High School End-of-Course (EOC) Schedule

Friday, May 8 – High school Math 1, Math 3, English II

Monday, May 11 – Biology, Grade 8 Math 1, makeups

Tuesday, May 12 – High school makeup, EOC retest, EOG retest

Wednesday, May 13 – High school makeup, EOC retest, EOG retest

Thursday, May 14 (last day of school) High school makeup, EOC retest, EOG retest if necessary

In this feature, two middle school social studies teachers share particularly outstanding lessons or topics they have taught their students this school year.

From Teacher Leah Stone

In Mrs. Stone’s social studies class, students didn’t just read about ancient Mesopotamia; they stepped into the dusty shoes of a scribe. Their hands-on exploration of cuneiform writing gave them a firsthand look at the tedious, intricate, and often frustrating process of communicating with clay and stylus.

Students discovered quickly that writing was far from simple. They learned how to hold the stylus and how to impress symbols into playdough to simulate the wet clay tablets used by the Mesopotamians. Unlike modern paper and pen, making a mistake was costly; they had to either smooth the clay or start over. The goal was to show that each symbol required intense focus and physical effort. As they pressed, smoothed, and pressed again, students gained a deep appreciation for the dedication required to master this complex system. They came to understand that cuneiform was not a simple one-to-one translation of the English alphabet, but a sophisticated system of pictographs and symbols where a single symbol could mean a word, a sound, or a grammatical element. This realization sparked conversations about the vast difference between their world and the specialized world of a scribe. Students walked away not only understanding the mechanics of writing but also with a greater appreciation for the profound impact this first system of writing had on the world.

From Teacher Sarah Shearer

Both sixth and seventh grade students have participated in multiple simulations this school year to better understand the difficult decisions people faced throughout history. In these activities, students take on roles as historical figures, leaders, or everyday citizens and are asked to respond to real-world challenges from the past. By making choices based on limited information, pressure, and competing interests, students begin to see how complex historical events were and why different decisions were made.

When studying the Punic Wars during the Ancient Rome unit, sixth grade students were divided into teams and assigned a country. They then worked together to decide the next moves they would make. Would they build up an army? Would they move forward and attack their enemy first? After losing battles, would they revise their strategy?

In another assignment seventh grade participated in a simulation to introduce Imperialism. Each group was assigned a country. The country they represented influenced the number of tasks that had to be completed before students could “claim territory” around the classroom. They learned why some countries automatically had the upper hand and why certain places were so highly desired. The room was covered in Post-it notes as students claimed valuable items, from the Promethean board to the microwave.

These simulations help students move beyond memorizing facts and instead develop empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of cause and effect. By stepping into the shoes of people from the past, students gain a more meaningful and lasting connection to history.

Middle and high school Spanish students are learning how to communicate with others in Spanish while exploring Hispanic culture. They are developing all modes of language learning—listening, reading, speaking, and writing—at their specified proficiency levels with their teacher, Eurice Aragon.

One of the students’ favorite units was learning how to describe themselves and others in the target language (Spanish). They organized a fashion show in which students presented a classmate on the runway, describing their physical characteristics, personality traits, likes, and dislikes. At the same time, students described what each classmate was wearing and the colors of their clothes. Students practiced their listening, reading, and speaking skills in Spanish while having fun.

Spanish 2 students completed a project titled Bienvenido a mi casa (Welcome to my home). In this project, some students created a video about their houses, describing the rooms as well as their functions and items in them. They also described the location of objects in their homes. Through this project, students practiced verb conjugations, prepositions, vocabulary, and comparatives in Spanish. Students enjoyed showing their homes and sharing their daily activities.

Students have explored different traditions and customs in Hispanic culture through the celebration of Day of the Dead, Christmas, and the Three Wise Kings. For example, students created alebrijes (spirit creatures) and Catrinas. They made piñatas and Christmas cards. Students learned how children in other countries celebrate Christmas and discovered that, in many places, children celebrate on January 6th. The tradition is that children receive presents on that day. In many Latin American countries, children write letters to the Three Wise Kings asking for the presents they wish to receive. Then they place their letters in their shoes. The CCA students wrote letters to the Three Wise Kings, and, on January 6th, they received a reply from the Kings along with a small gift.

Middle school students completed a final project titled Una Visita al Doctor (A Visit to the Doctor). In this project, students pretended to visit a doctor and explained what was hurting. The doctor gave a diagnosis and provided recommendations and a prescription to the patient. Each group member participated in the project. One student acted as the receptionist, another as the nurse, and another as the patient. Students practiced their reading, listening, and speaking skills in Spanish. For example, the receptionist asked basic questions such as name, address, and phone number, and the patient responded with the appropriate information. Students also practiced body parts vocabulary, the verb doler (to hurt), and greetings and farewells. Students enjoyed acting and dressing up as medical staff.

High school science teacher Darlene McDowell looks for grants, experts to visit her classes, and other resources to enrich and expand her curriculum. For instance, as part of a NC Sea Grant, Ms. McDowell invited Dr. Erica Young to come and work with students on February 24th.

On March 13th students had a unique lesson that involved edible insects. Ms. McDowell created a gallery walk of questions to go along with other resources that led up to an option (with parent permission) for students to try the edible insects at the end of class.  

Kristin Holloman-Noe from the Fort Fisher Aquarium was a guest speaker in the marine science class on March 17th. Her presentation, Fantastic Fish, included an engaging discussion with the students about characteristics of fish, habitats, misnomers, and fossils. Later in the week, on March 19, the class added another layer of knowledge by delving into a collection of fossils, including shark teeth, a crab claw, sea urchins, fossilized coral, and shells thanks to the Aurora Fossil Museum.

There is more to look forward to later in the semester as well. In April, Mrs. McDowell has planned a field trip to the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the Jordan Lake Educational Forest.

Ms. McDowell’s extra efforts were recently recognized at the national level when she was chosen as a 2026 Bob Thompson Excellence in Energy Education Awardee. Named for a science and energy education advocate and teacher, it is presented annually to educators who embody his childlike wonder and enthusiasm for science and energy education. The award is sponsored by the National Energy Education Development (NEED). It includes a $1,000 check for recipients and a full sponsorship with registration and travel cost to attend NEED’s annual National Energy Conference for Educators, taking place this July 12–16 in Nashville, TN.

Language arts students in Britney Canter’s eighth grade classes have a combination of traditional coursework during class time and a book of personal interest for a quarterly project. One of the requirements of the project is that each book be within the student’s individual reading level. For Ms. Canter, allowing students to choose books in genres they are drawn to encourages them to explore a love of reading. Some of the topics have included true crime, historical fiction, romantic drama, anime and comics.

During the third quarter of the school year, students were tasked with creating t-shirts that featured the book choice with the title, their rating of the book, hashtags, illustrations, and a content summary. The students could either give a class presentation or wear their shirt to showcase the project. Sharing with classmates promoted public speaking skills and allowed fellow students to be introduced to new books they may be interested in reading as well.

Middle and high school art students are in the midst of an Indigenous unit of study that taps into Indigenous cultures from various parts of the world. The projects are equally diverse, allowing the artists to delve into cultures while expressing a creative vision of their unique works using multiple techniques and media.

Sixth graders have completed a totem pole project after discussing six types of ceremonial totem poles representing different aspects of life (family, house, welcome, memorial, shame, and mortuary). The CCA projects were from the family category. The artists chose subjects they found connections with after studying animals of the northwest Pacific Northwest coast of North America.

High school artists explored an Indigenous Australian art form called Aboriginal dot art that evolved in the 1970s from ancient traditions of body and ground painting.

Part of art teacher Janice Ailerson’s inspiration for the Indigenous unit was to incorporate the celebration of Black History Month by highlighting some of its strongest roots. For instance, famous 21st century artists Faith Ringgold, Jacob Lawrence, and Romare Bearden gained traction by incorporating Indigenous culture into their works. Mrs. Ailerson used them as examples during the study.

Middle school students imitated Ghana fabric in projects they created using yarn and fabric. Kente cloth is a prestigious, hand-woven textile made of interwoven silk and cotton strips. The cloth features vibrant colors and geometric patterns. Originally worn by royalty in toga-like fashion, it symbolizes West African history, philosophy, and social status.

In a mask assignment, high school students chose an African country and constructed designs specific to that nation using cardboard, plaster, and acrylic paint. The works are large, some up to three feet in height, and have taken approximately two weeks to complete.

Another mask project involved 16 different types of folded paper.

“Celebrating Black History month through the lens of Indigenous artwork is a powerful way to honor the African-Indigenous experience. Students learned techniques and concepts in art. We highlighted the resilience of people, land, and the cultural preservation of making historic connections,” Ms. Ailerson.

High school students have also studied cave art, the earliest form of visual storytelling and symbolic expression, dating back at least 65,000 years. Found on every continent except Antarctica, these prehistoric works transitioned from abstract markings to sophisticated figurative scenes that capture the daily lives and spiritual beliefs of ancient hominins. The CCA artists modeled their projects after cave art in France.

As the final phase of the Indigenous unit, the middle and high school students will use bars of soap to carve animals such as bears and seals who are significant in the Inuit culture.

Success is a continual process. The middle and high school years have limitless opportunities for students to mature and acquire tools for success that can be impactful for the rest of their lives. The many aspects of the school experience include academics, athletics, clubs and organizations, and other opportunities where students can enhance their leadership, communication, and social skills. Below are a few tips that support success.

• Have a growth mindset. Each day is a new opportunity to learn and be better.

• Develop strong time management, organizational, and communication skills.

•  Use your resources. Ask questions and seek the advice of your teachers. They want you to be successful!

• Learn your strengths and how to use them to propel you forward.

• Set specific goals for improving.

• Learn from failures and develop resilience.

• Have a good attendance record and make up assignments quickly after being absent.

• Make time for activities you enjoy.