Hillside class more than makes up for COVID lost time, looks ahead to field trip

At Durham's Hillside High, English teacher Jahara Davis is trying to make up for lost time with upperclassmen who began their high school careers trapped at home by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted 2/28/2024, 11:49:21 PM Updated 2/29/2024, 1:58:07 PM

APRIL AT THE ETHEL BARRYMORE

THEATER IN NEW YORK CITY.

FRESHMAN CLASS OF STUDENTS

MISSED OUT ON WHAT SHOULD HAVE

BEEN THEIR FIRST HIGH SCHOOL

EXPERIENCE. WE ALL REMEMBER THE

2020 COVID PANDEMIC FOR

STUDENTS TO LEARN FROM HOME

ONLINE. YEAH. AND AS WRAL FOUND

OUT.

>> ONE TEACHER SET OUT TO HELP

HER STUDENTS MAKE UP FOR LOST

TIME WITH A SPECIAL REWARD AT

THE U.S..

THIS IS CIRCLE TIME FOR

STUDENTS AT HILLSIDE. HIGH

ENGLISH TEACHER JAHAR DAVIS'S

VILLAGE UNIVERSITY. OFTENTIMES.

>> EVEN THOUGH YOU GUYS ARE

GENIUSES SENIORS, WE'VE COME

INTO CLASS. I CAN SEE HOW YOUR

SPIRIT IS. SHE UNDERSTANDS WHAT

THE SENIORS HAVE GONE THROUGH.

THESE STUDENTS CAME IN TO HEAL

SIDE. WE CAME IN AT THE SAME

TIME.

>> 3 YEARS AGO, RIGHT AFTER

THE PANDEMIC. JADEN, COURTNEY

REMEMBERS THE BOREDOM OF

AT-HOME LEARNING.

>> SO YOU JUST SITTING ON THE

COMPUTER STAND TO EXPLAIN THE

WHOLE TIME

TO HIGH SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY IN A

CLASS WITH PROFESSOR DAVIS.

SHE JUST MADE IT.

>> LOT BETTER. I THINK WHEN

WHEN THE WORLD SHUT DOWN, ALL

WE ALL ARE JUST TRYING TO BUILD

A PLANE AS WE WERE FLYING YOU

AS SCHOOLS REOPENED, DAVIS

FOCUSED ON HELPING STUDENTS

CATCH-UP. SHE CREATED A

COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT TO

CLASSROOM CULTURE. AND IT'S

IT'S THE BOND THAT WOULD CREATE

AMONGST EACH OTHER MAKES IT.

IT MAKES US FEEL LIKE FAMILY.

WE CONNECT ON A LEVEL THAT WE

ON SURFACE. SO WE GIVE EACH

OTHER. WE UNDERSTAND EACH

OTHER. WE BUILD CREATE BONDS

WITH EACH OTHER. DAVIS'S

CREATIVE APPROACH HELPED MORE

THAN 45 OF HER VILLAGE.

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS EXCEED

GROWTH FOR BOTH THE SCHOOL AND

THE DISTRICT. IT EARNED HER

DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TEACHER

OF THE YEAR AWARD. DAVIS

STARTED A GOFUNDME FUNDRAISER

TO REWARD THE HARD WORK DOES

PAY OFF AND I WANT TO SHOW THEM

THAT I'M GOING TO DC

WASHINGTON, D.C., THAT IS.

>> CAROL RICHARDSON APPARENT

SAYS THAT THE THIS TRIP, I

THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THEY CAN

SEE THAT SOMEBODY STILL

BELIEVES IN THEM, SOMEBODY THEY

CAN STILL HOLD ACCOUNTABLE.

>> AND DELIVER WHAT THEY

PROMISE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.

>> WITHIN A COOL THING THEY'VE

GOT GOING ON THERE RIGHT?

DURHAM? PUBLIC SCHOOLS DONATED

$2300 FOR THE STUDENTS. TRIPPIN

JAHAR DAVIS EXPECTS THEIR GO

FUND ME PAGE TO HELP THEM RAISE

$20,000 TO REACH THEIR GOAL FOR