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September 25, 2009
‘Miss Governor’ Beverly Perdue visits Ocracoke School
By SUNDAE HORN
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Purdue made an
informal visit to Ocracoke School where she met teachers and students
and took a tour of the school facilities.
The governor was on the island a few days prior to her son Emmett
Perdue’s Sept. 26 wedding at Ocracoke United Methodist Church.
Perdue met with principal George Ortman, guidance counselor Gill
Williams, and David Tolson, Ocracoke's representative on the Hybe
County Board of Education, and then toured several classrooms and the
gym. The entire high school student body -- all 24 of them -- was on a
morning break in the school commons area when she arrived.
Perdue asked them about their school and their studies and wanted to
know if they liked going to such a small school, which they all said
they did. She then talked about the importance of a good education and
mentioned that she was a former teacher. She encouraged the kids to
work hard and challenge themselves because they are the future of North
Carolina.
Purdue visited the pre-kindergarten, first, third and fifth grade
classroom and the middle school social studies class and was happy to
answer students’ questions.
She
was delighted to be called “Miss Governor” by the third
graders. She got down on the floor to listen to the pre-k students tell
her about colors and numbers and expressed concern with the first
graders when they told her about Ocracoke’s lack of a soccer
field. The first graders had made cards for the governor thanking her
for her work. She said she would hang them in the Capitol so they could
see them when they visit. 
The
fifth graders were working on a postcard exchange with students from
other states and Canada, and Gov. Perdue was happy to receive her own
Ocracoke postcard to take back to Raleigh. She was pleased to hear the
students say they love math and science and reading. She asked many of
the teachers if new technology was changing the way they taught and was
impressed to see the middle school students using the Smart Board
during class.
Perdue
was impressed that Ocracoke students leave their backpacks and personal
belongings in unlocked cubbies in the hall, and she loved hearing the
students say that everyone knows everyone else on Ocracoke. She told
every group of students to thank their teachers who work so hard for
them.
During
her tour of the gym, Perdue agreed that the facility was too small for
any North Carolina high school, and that Ocracoke students deserve the
same opportunities as other students in the state. She also was
surprised to learn that Ocracoke doesn’t have a school cafeteria,
or even a dedicated lunchroom. When Ortman told her they’d like
to add a lunchroom onto the gym-expansion project, she voiced her
support and said she would see if there could be economic stimulus
money available to help.
When
the governor left the school she thanked Ortman and Williams and said
she was so impressed with what a wonderful school the island has.
“This wasn’t just a regular school visit,” she said. “I really enjoyed coming here.”
“It was an honor for her to visit our school and a great
opportunity for the students to get to speak with her,” said
Ortman. “Gov. Perdue was friendly and down-to-earth, and we were
very pleased with her visit.”
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