Wilmington – The Roger Bacon Academy honored the teachers and staff with this year’s celebratory Gala at the new downtown Convention Center. The formal Gala was attended by over 300 employees and their spouses and guests according to Ms. Kelly Bowden, Event Coordinator at the Academy.

“Teachers and staff were honored for delivering superb and effective education to every one of the 2,200 students in our family of four tuition-free charter schools. They deserve our utmost gratitude for making their schools the top-scoring schools in their areas,” said Roger Bacon founder Baker Mitchell.

“Having the top-scoring schools in their counties is not an accident. This success comes from the dedication and attention to details in delivering our classical curriculum to each child at their level,” said Ms. Laurie Benton, Headmaster of the 950-student Charter Day School in Leland. “One of the ways the Academy says ‘Thank you’ to the staff is by sponsoring this event,” Benton emphasized.

 After the social hour, a full plated dinner was served. Due to the excellent meals at the last Gala, the staff asked for the same delicious menu choices which they enjoyed last time. “But this year the Convention Center added a number of local craft beverages to the drink selections as well as adding a vegan selection to the dinner menu,” Bowden said.
Drawings were held throughout the evening for door prizes which ranged from barbecue grill sets to backpacks to $250 gift certificates at Lowes and Home Depot.

After the meal was concluded by a ‘Mud Mountain’ desert, teachers were honored for their mentor training of new teachers and for their years of service. Teachers with fifteen years of service received a jacket embroidered with their name, the Academy logo, and a large ‘15’ patch. Teachers that achieved exceedingly high growth for their students were recognized and honored with marble engraved plaques.

 

In addition to current staff, several retirees were present, as were all the members of the Board of Trustees of Charter Day School, Inc. This non-profit organization holds the charters from the state controlling the operation of the schools, and Chairman of the Board Robert Spencer praised the teachers for their care in constantly seeking to have every student achieve at their highest potential.

Following the awards, the DJ cranked up the volume for dancing with many packing the photo booth to record their antics for the evening. The Gala was concluded by each attendee receiving their own 20-ounce insulated beverage container. “These party favors will always remind us of this great evening,” exclaimed Jean LaFave, Dean of Electives and Resources.
Newly retired ELA Coach Nila Wojton urged anyone interesting in joining the RBA school family to visit www.TeachRBA.com. Parents interested in the schools’ effective classical curriculum should enroll their child at www.enrollRBA.com. Catching up is difficult, so I strongly encourage parents to not wait and to enroll in Kindergarten where the foundation for a successful education is set,” she urged.

The Roger Bacon Academy, founded in 1999 by education pioneer Baker Mitchell, manages four charter schools in Southeast North Carolina. The schools include Charter Day School in Leland, Douglass Academy in Wilmington, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, and South Brunswick Charter School in Southport with a combined enrollment of over 2,200 students in K-8. All four are tuition-free charter schools that welcome all students, regardless of income, ability, or address. To learn more about their classical curriculum or to enroll online, please visit EnrollRBA.com.