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Contacts:
Angie Townsend (Raleigh)
(919) 836-2321
atownsend@scana.com
April 19, 2004 - Gastonia, N.C. - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons are pretty special for a select group of students at Rolesville Elementary School. When the final bell rings eighteen youngsters from third through fifth grade head eagerly to the school’s PSNC Energy Homework Center.
For two hours they receive individualized attention from the center’s staff, third grade teacher Katie Rudnick and Pre-K teacher’s aide Shannon Perkins, as they concentrate on completing daily homework assignments. Rudnick and Perkins continuously circle the room, stopping to check the progress of each student. “Show your work,” says Rudnick. “Support your answer.”
Heads are bowed, and the room is quiet except for the encouraging tones of the adult voices. “You’ve been working hard all day,” said Perkins as she checks another student’s work. “I knew you could do this math.” Once homework is done, students can read, practice multiplication tables or complete special work sheets provided to the center by the their regular classroom teachers.
“My favorite things about school are art and recess, and I kind of like homework,” explains third grader Courtney McGhee. “At homework center you can get snacks and do your homework.”
The benefit of extra help after school is paying off for Courtney and her classmates.
“I’m definitely seeing a difference in Courtney’s work,” says Courtney’s third grade teacher, Katie Melin. “She’s turning in finished assignments with fewer errors and is much more confident in her abilities.”
Courtney’s mom is equally pleased with the results she sees in Courtney at home. “Courtney’s self esteem has soared since she started going to the homework center,” said Fara McGhee. “On school mornings, she’s jumping into her clothes and is ready to go.”
Fellow third grader Wesley Bromley has also developed more positive feelings towards school since he joined the homework center. His mother is another homework center believer.
“I love it, love it, love it,” said Debbie Bromley. “Homework center has totally turned things around for Wesley. He’s getting most if not all of homework done, which makes evenings so much more enjoyable at our house.”
Third grade teacher Stacy Broughman has noticed solid improvement not only in Wesley’s performance but also in all of her students enrolled in the program. “Their quality of work and sense of responsibility is much better,” said Broughman. “Ms. Rudnick and Ms. Perkins are doing a tremendous job with the students.”
Rudnick and Perkins work closely with the school’s faculty to ensure that the homework program reinforces grade level educational objectives. Helping each child “stay on task” and “get” their homework concepts requires a firm but kind approach, and they deliver. Their mix of praise and prodding has created an inviting atmosphere that promotes self-learning and self-discipline.
As the school year winds down, these students remain enthusiastic about being part of a PSNC Energy Homework Center. Perhaps Wesley Bromley speaks for them all in his honest assessment, “I don’t like homework, but I like the homework center.”
PSNC Energy is in its fourth year sponsoring homework centers. The company adopted the award-winning program from its parent company, SCANA Corporation. SCANA operates homework centers in both South Carolina and Georgia.
PSNC Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCANA, is franchised to serve a 28-county service area in North Carolina and distributes natural gas to approximately 395,000 winter-peak customers in 96 cities and communities ranging from the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill areas in the north central part of the state; the Concord, Statesville and Gastonia area in the Piedmont; and the Asheville, Hendersonville and Brevard areas in the western part of the state.
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