Student academy helps keep students on track toward graduation

GREENVILLE, Pitt County - Everyone remembers how nervous they were when they were moving from elementary to middle school.

Going to middle school can be nerve-wracking, especially when you hear you'll have to learn new things like Algebra. On the last day at the Student Success Academy in Greenville, we found that some of the graduates are feeling much better about taking the big move.

"Their work is difficult," said Kamien Little-Burgess, one of the students. "It's like real hard to do. You got the letters and stuff and it's hard"

For the past five weeks, fifth graders have had the chance to practice things they might not see this school year. Now many of them feel confident and ready to tackle middle school.

"The math is like the sixth grade work, so when I get into the sixth grade, it's gonna help me more," Little-Burgess said.

In the Student Success Academy, the students work on subjects like math, reading and English. The program's goal is to increase graduation rates and help them meet state and local standards in core subjects.

"It kind of prepares the kids for rising into sixth grade and they don't lose any of the materials they learned the year before," said Doug Warren, a Student Success Academy Teacher.

"These kids show leadership skills. These kids are good kids. They come and they work hard, sometimes they need an extra push here and there."

The Student Success Academy is organized by United Way of Pitt County and Pitt County Schools. The students were officially scheduled to graduate in a ceremony Thursday night.