Norfolk middle school turns new page

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - After testing irregularities and lost accreditation, new changes are underway at Lafayette-Winona Middle School.

A group of Lafayette-Winona history teachers sat huddled in a circle flipping through Standards Of Learning objectives on Wednesday.

"This is the puzzle for reconstruction and I've put it in the shared folder," said longtime teacher Laura Hulings as she passed a paper to the rest of the group.

A think-tank of teaching methods is not a new concept but the team has new faces. Same-subject teachers across all grade levels now sit together.

"We're able to really work together, bounce ideas off each other, and brain storm what's the best way to approach different things," said Hulings.

The team finds some teaching methods that work with 8th grade students may also work with 7th grade students like Daiya Crowe. "She had put up on the board flies, paper flies and the answer was up there and she gave us a question and we answered it and got to swat the fly," said the 14-year-old.

Crowe is part of a small group of students getting extra history help. The class is called an academic success block and its purpose helps students struggling in a particular subject, find their place.

"When I was in my other class I wasn't doing as good but when I came here I started to do my work cause I had this stuff to help me," said Rashane Griffiths.

New principal Tracey Flemings brought the award-winning techniques. She is the former principal at Rosemont Middle School which was fully accredited and met federal standards for Adequate Yearly Progress under her watch.

She told WAVY.com she's embracing the challenges at Lafayette-Winona. Mostly importantly, turning the failing history scores around.

"We've got to make some strides this year and really meet marks - strongly prioritizing because we might have greater goals. You have to take it in chunks, you can't accomplish everything in one year," said Flemings.

She has accomplished one challenging task and that is turning the parents around.

"I really didn't want her to come here to be real honest with you. However, since she's been here we've made a 100 percent turnaround. She's very happy being here and I'm happy for her," said LaBarbara Mack.

The neat thing about history? You can put it in your past.

"What do you want to be when you grow up? A nurse and a hair stylist," said Crowe.

"I want to be a lawyer like my mom," said Griffiths.