
About Wentworth
Welcome to the "Home of the Soaring Eagles!" "A Great Place to Teach and Learn"
Wentworth Elementary is a traditional Pre-Kindergarten to Fifth Grade school with a population of 490 students. Wentworth became a Title I school in the 2023-2024 School Year.
Wentworth Elementary School
8806 NC Hwy 87
Reidsville, North Carolina 27320
Wentworth, North Carolina 27375
(336) 634-3250 FAX (336) 342-9380
Office Hours: 7am-4:30
Student Hours: 7:30-2:30
All visitors are asked to sign in at the office upon arrival at school.
If you are signing your child out early, please make sure to sign them out at the office. The office staff will then have your child released from their classroom.
Grades Served: Pre K-5
Mascot: Soaring Eagles
Colors: Blue and White
Administrative Staff
Principal - Dr. Jennifer Hardin
Assistant Principal - Dennis Paschal
512
Students
75%
White
13%
African-American
7%
Hispanic
6%
Other
Mission and Belief Statement
“Wentworth Elementary School: Laying the Foundation for 21st Century Learning through Academics and Technology”
Wentworth Elementary School, in partnership with home and community, will provide a safe and nurturing environment in which high quality learning opportunities are provided. All students will achieve their individual potential and will be prepared to become responsible citizens of the 21st century.
We Believe
-
Students must be provided with a safe, nurturing learning environment.
-
The staff members of Wentworth Elementary are concerned with the welfare of all students.
-
Students and staff should be respected as individuals and appreciated for their cultural diversity.
-
Parent involvement is a critical link in student learning.
-
We must hold high expectations for all students.
-
All children can learn and when inspired will reach their full potential.
-
It is our responsibility to develop independent learners who are equipped with skills needed for the 21st century.
-
Technology is an integral tool for 21st century learners.
-
Team planning and collaboration lead to student learning through quality instruction.
-
Shared vision and goals lead to student achievement.
Welcome!
Dr. Jennifer Hardin, Principal
I am honored to be your Principal at Wentworth Elementary. I look forward to continuing to support the strong tradition that you already have established for education and partnering with your community to provide the very best for each of our students. It is our goal to provide the best education possible for all of our students by providing resources, being supportive, collaborating with our stakeholders, and building on the excellence that our school has already established. Thank you for partnering with us on this mission.
After graduating from UNC Greensboro as a NC Teaching Fellow, I began my career in middle and elementary education as a teacher and administrator. In the last 15 years as an educator, I have also continued my own learning at High Point University and UNC Greensboro's graduate school programs. I recently completed my Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UNC Greensboro. As a National Board Certified Teacher and a licensed administrator, it is my vision to instill in students, teachers, and families the same passion for lifelong learning.
I believe that all children can learn and all children learn in different ways. Literacy is the foundation of a child’s education and I want our students to develop a love for reading and a thirst for learning. Teachers, students, parents, and principals should have high expectations of themselves and others because high expectations will produce desired results. We must be a child centered community.
My husband Josh and I have a son named Ben and a daughter named Grace. We value family time and have a lot of fun watching Auburn football games, walking our two dogs, playing outside and visiting our family in Mississippi and Alabama. We love the time that we get to spend together.
As you know, we have outstanding teachers here at Wentworth Elementary. Please contact them first if you have any concerns or questions about the classroom. It is my mission to be accessible and visible to teachers, parents, and students. I think that effective communication is important. All phone calls and e-mails will be returned either on the same day or within 24 hours. Please e-mail or call me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas. You can reach me at jhardin@rock.k12.nc.us or by phone at (336) 634-3250. Thank you for being an important part of our school community!
Dennis Paschal, Assistant Principal
I am honored to be named the assistant principal of Wentworth Elementary. I am a former Eagle, having attended the old K-8 school, so it is exciting and humbling to “come home” to where it all began.
After graduation from Rockingham County High School, I went on to Appalachian State University (Go Mountaineers!) to complete my Bachelor’s degree. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2018 with a Master of School Administration as a participant in UNCG's Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural Schools (PPEERS) program. Before coming to Wentworth, I was an administrator at the middle school level for four years. Before that, I taught high school Social Studies. My entire career in education has been in Rockingham County Schools.
I believe that our students are the problem solvers of tomorrow. I believe every student can learn and that each one of them has something unique to offer the world. With this in mind, I look forward to working with all Wentworth Elementary stakeholders to help our students achieve their utmost potential and be successful in their own way.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I believe communication is essential and will return all phone calls and emails on the same day or within 24 hours.
Administration
History of our School
For the past 99 years, Wentworth Elementary School has symbolized education and unity to the citizens of the Wentworth Community and surrounding areas. Wentworth Elementary which was built in 1923 became the largest and oldest K-8 school in North Carolina. Generations of Wentworth students have shared the bonds of camaraderie, educational excellence, community pride, and the values that were established for them through this solid educational institution.Wentworth Elementary dates back to the year 1881 when female students attended a private school called Wentworth Female Seminary. Later, a public school entitled Wentworth Male Academy opened for males. In the rural, agriculturally based community of Wentworth, the school year originally lasted about four months, but in time, the public school year was lengthened to six months. Academic emphasis in these schools were placed on memory work, mental arithmetic, penmanship, and music.
Eventually, under the leadership of Mr. L. N. Hickerson, Superintendent of Rockingham County Schools, plans were made for the small country public schools to be consolidated. Mr. Hickerson searched for just the right spot to build his dream school, a three story brick building, which would house all students in the Wentworth community. Local residents, as well as the local news media, scoffed at the idea that there would ever be enough students to fill such a school. Undaunted, Mr. Hickerson proceeded with plans to implement his vision. Construction of the "Hickerson's Folly" as the new school was mockingly called, began in the fall of 1921, when mule drawn covered wagons began to haul in supplies to the chosen site. When the school was not yet ready to open in the fall of 1923, as was proposed, students were temporarily housed in various locations. Two Wentworth churches housed "primary" and "grammar grade" children, while Gunn's Store was opened to "high schoolers".
Finally, a little over two years and $100,000 later, classes were gathered from the various locations and moved into the spacious new building in the spring of 1924. That spring, the first prom was held in the new cafeteria and eight graduating seniors marched across the stage of the new auditorium. One of the first schools in North Carolina to consolidate, the new school was herald by the New York Times as one of the most progressive schools of the time. In time more facilities were required, progress continued as the new building added a gymnasium and a vocational classroom, as well as other classrooms. In 1955, when grades 1-12 students had completely outgrown the existing facility, a new elementary building was built on the same campus, housing grades 1-4, while the main building continued to house 5-12. The two buildings at Wentworth continued as a grade 1-12 school until a new high school was build approximately 1 mile east on Highway 87. Wentworth remained home for grades 1-8.
One change that had a considerable impact on the enrollment figures of Wentworth occurred when the state mandated the addition of a Kindergarten class in 1974. Then in 1983, the state required schools to implement into the daily schedule a planning time for teachers, when meant additional personnel had to be added to the staff to enrich the curriculum for students while their regular classroom teachers planned. Teachers were added in the areas of art, music, Spanish, physical education and guidance. Change continued as Wentworth began to implement programs designed specifically for students with special needs. These programs included areas such as BEH, EMH, AG, etc. for a time, due to a high percentage of students who qualified for a federally funded lunch program, Wentworth also had a Chapter 1 reading program. One of the first major changes to affect the number of students and staff at Wentworth was the county's decision to begin a preschool program in 1997. All the previously mentioned changes helped raise enrollment to 884 students by 1998/1999 which was Wentworth's last year as a Pre-K through eighth grade school.
Our Facilities
Construction on the present Wentworth Elementary School began in the fall of 1998. The site chosen for the present facility was approximately 1 mile northeast of the previous facility, one fourth mile northeast of Wentworth Township. It is one of 17 traditional calendar schools in the consolidated Rockingham County School System. Students are bussed to the school from surrounding neighborhoods within the Wentworth School District. Although the majority of school population resides in the immediate area surrounding the school, some students voluntarily transfer from neighboring school districts in the county.
The new state of the art 77,300 square foot facility opened in the fall of 1999. It boasts special features such as : flexible grade house pods, teacher centers for planning and collaboration, integrated technology and media retrieval systems, and a multipurpose room which can accommodate all types of school and community events. It also had another very important feature that many schools take for granted, this is the first Wentworth Elementary School building to be fully centrally heated and cooled. Behind and to the side of the building, students have two large paved play areas as well as a 2 athletic fields.
Our Facilities
Wentworth PTA
Wentworth Elementary School has a very active PTA. They are very supportive to students, parents and staff members. Without the PTA support, Wentworth Elementary School would not be able to provide the many extras, from basic classroom supplies to mulch, that our students and staff need and deserve.
Please support Wentworth PTA as much as you can--as all help no matter how small is greatly appreciated.
PTA Mission:
The mission of the PTA is threefold:
-
To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; and
-
To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; and
-
To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.
2
Contact PTA anytime via e-mail wentworthptamc@gmail.com
School Improvement Plan
Our School Improvement Plan is located in Indistar. This is a web-based tool that guides our school tool in charting our improvement and managing the continuous improvement process.
Link to Indistar
Username: GuestS17193
Password: GuestS17193
Click HERE to give feedback, ask questions, or make suggestions for improvement.