News
Due to expected high winds, flooding, and the risk of tornadoes, Durham Public Schools are now scheduled to release students early on Tuesday, Jan. 9. * Elementary schools: 10:45 a.m. * Middle schools: 11:50 a.m. * High schools: 12:45 p.m. All afterschool programs, including athletics, are canceled.
![[JUNCTION 54] Swerving From My Lane](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/wordpress/2024/01/wesplatt.jpg)
Columns
Junction 54, an occasional podcast/column by Southpoint Access Editor and Publisher Wes Platt, is available to Dear Reader-level subscribers:Text of the Audio File:More than 30 years ago, I sat at my desk on the third floor of Cooper Hall at the University of South Florida, pretty openly
News
If you’re getting ready for the Durham magnet lottery (like me), we’re down to the final hours before the application period kicks off at 12 a.m. on Jan. 8. And if, like me, you’ve done this process for a few years, be aware: the application portal
News
The Dream Big Book Drive, hosted by Book Harvest, returns with a community celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event is planned for 1 to 4 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Durham’s Golden Belt Campus downtown. The 13th annual event honors the legacy of Dr. King
Features
Students in Durham Public Schools (including mine) are gearing up to return to the classroom after the winter break. So what are some things teachers can do as children come back from a few weeks away from structured learning? I did some digging and came up with five possibilities. 1.
News
Since 2020, Jovonia Lewis has served on the Board of Education for Durham Public Schools. Now, she’s one of 11 candidates vying for five seats on the Durham County Commission. Lewis, 48, is a North Carolina native who founded Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) to promote equity in public
Features
Susan Colquitt lives more than 1,800 miles from South Durham in Las Cruces, New Mexico. But the retired educator managed to brighten the holiday season for every student at Lyons Farm Elementary School this week. The school held “Scarf Day” on Dec. 12, distributing 505 hand-crocheted scarves, letters celebrating
News
Asia Cunningham, principal of Pearsontown Elementary School, received a 2023 North Carolina Milken Award and $25,000 – a first for an educator in Durham Public Schools. The Milken Educator Awards have been given out since 1987, rewarding and inspiring excellence in the world of education by honoring top educators with
News
Our 5-year-old daughter, Athena, is currently a kindergartener at year-round Pearsontown Elementary School. Her brother, John Michael, is in fifth grade at Pearsontown. Next year, he’s off to year-round Rogers-Herr Middle School. Without that sibling connection, Athena won’t be eligible to attend first grade at Pearsontown in 2024-2025.