Senior Spotlight: Autumn Gardner, Gaston Virtual Academy
Autumn Gardner moved to Gaston County Schools Virtual Academy in November 2020 after attending Victory Christian Academy, where she played volleyball and was a cheerleader.
Gardner will be among the first graduates of the school, which opened in 2017, slated to cross the stage Wednesday, May 26.
Who has been your greatest influence and why?
GARDNER: There have been many people that have influenced me into who I am today but my mother without a doubt has been my greatest influence. My mom is the type of person that when she sets her mind to something, not only will she do it but she’ll go above and beyond to accomplish it. I am greatly inspired by her to work diligently toward my own goals, even through hardships that I may face. She always praises me when I do well, motivating me to do my very best, however she also will correct me when I do poorly, so I can make improvement and be the best version of
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Gaston County Schools’ high school seniors will graduate together this May.
Gaston County’s nine traditional high schools – Ashbrook, Bessemer City, Cherryville, East Gaston, Forestview, Hunter Huss, North Gaston, South Point and Stuart W. Cramer – will each hold two ceremonies on Friday, May 28, at their respective football stadiums.
Highland School of Technology will use a different stadium on May 28 due to the small size of its stadium, as the ceremonies will adhere to 6-feet social distancing, according to the school system.
Families of graduating seniors who currently attend school Monday and Tuesday will attend the first ceremony, currently slated for 5:30 p.m.
Gaston County Schools’ youngest students will return to school four days a week starting March 1.
In a 7-2 vote Monday, Gaston County school board members moved to send the county’s public elementary students back to school for in-person instruction four days a week.
Rather than one group of students coming to school for in-person learning Monday and Tuesday and the other group on Thursday and Friday, both groups of students will come to school all four days.
While teachers were already conducting in-person instruction four days a week, in March, the number of students in each classroom will be increased to about the size of a class prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 600 students and employees at Gaston County Schools tested positive for COVID-19 during the first semester of the 2020-21 school year.
As of the week of Dec. 14, 2020, 650 students and employees contracted the virus at some point during the semester, according to charts provided by the school district.
That total includes 21 COVID-19 cases at the school district central office and seven cases among those in Gaston Virtual Academy.
Aside from the occasional dip, case totals per week within the school district has steadily increased since school began in August.
Gaston County Schools reported a massive jump, from 65 cases the week of Nov. 30 to 119 cases the following week.