WS Chronicle

Boston, Mass.-based BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) has honored an employee for leading a successful local summer program last year.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools contracted with BELL – which offers after school and summer programs designed to “transform the academic achievements, self-confidence and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced, urban communities” – to operate a summer program in 2012. Rita Moore, the manager for the program at Hall-Woodward Elementary School, was honored with one of BELL’s Robert B. Peterkin Educational Leadership Awards for the program’s success. The Hall-Woodward site served nearly 200 students in grades K-5. According to BELL, Moore demonstrated outstanding professionalism and was particularly accessible and supportive of the needs of the students, school and community.

“Rita at Hall-Woodward ran an excellent site … she did a great job speaking about BELL, and the other staff members raved about her,” parents and colleagues wrote about Moore. “She also had a very positive attitude and clearly cared deeply about the scholars. The staff at the site absolutely loved her and said she led by example.”

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education has unanimously approved a renewed partnership with BELL. This summer, up to 1,500 students (a more than 20 percent increase from last year) will take part in BELL programs.

According to BELL, the partnership’s success last summer boosted participating students’ performance on standardized tests by 6-7 percent in literacy and math.