Principal Stephanie Stovall directs middle school students to their classes during passing passing period.

Gordon Parks welcomes students for the first time
The Wichita Public Schools’ Gordon Parks Academy opened its doors to students for the first time on August 14. The district's newest K-8 school is nearly complete and staff greeted students as they walked in the door.

“I am so excited for the kids to be here,” said principal Stephanie Stovall. "Things are going really well."

Stovall visited every classroom, introducing herself to the students and welcoming them to Gordon Parks Academy.

First-grade teacher Eboni Armstrong has her students practice how they enter her classroom every morning.

Students spent the day learning classroom rules, routines, expectations for the coming year and touring the building. Kindergarten students went on a gingerbread man hunt, looking for paper gingerbread men taped by places they need to learn where to go, including the office, cafeteria and music rooms.

Middle school students tried to learn the new building themselves, asking teachers where they needed to go for their next class.

But the students were all excited to be in their new school. The teachers were also excited to meet their new students and talk about what all they would learn this year. 

Charrica Osborne, social studies teacher, inspired her students by telling them "you can do much more than you think you can achieve."

The school is beginning the process to become a primary years and middle years International Baccalaureate program. The curriculum will be delivered to all students who attend the school. The school plans to send in their first application to be a candidate school in November, but the students are already learning the concepts.

Second-grade students in Janine Clayton's class do an assignment to get acquainted with their classmates.

Parents chose the school's mascot to be the Trailblazers. The children of the school's namesake requested that the mascot be a horse because their father loved horses. Principal Stephanie Stovall said Trailblazers was fitting because their school is starting on a new adventure, and it also described Parks' life and his work. East High School art teacher Casey Christofferson designed the Trailblazers logo. Scott Arpin, teacher at Heights, presented the school with a wood plaque with the Gordon Parks Academy logo for the office.

The school will have an official dedication in October, with members of Gordon Parks’ family in attendance.

August 18, 2008