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Omuteko
Gwamaziima students study the following subjects on
an interdisciplinary basis:
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Mathematics
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Language
Arts/ Reading
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Science
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Social
Studies
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Technology
(videography and computer skills)
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Art/Creativity
(Kuumba)
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Health/
Physical Education
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Gardening
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Students
are evaluated at the beginning of the academic year
in order to set achievement goals and establish a basis
for measuring their progress. Students
are then evaluated by their teachers throughout
the year. Additionally,
we administer all state-mandated
tests, including end-of-grade tests.
While our
curriculum incorporates the North Carolina Standard
Course of Study, it is taught from an African-centered
perspective. For example, in teaching Language
Arts, we emphasize books with African and African American
protagonists. We also incorporate basic
ki-Swahili
vocabulary into our classes.
African-centered
education is taught using the cultural and intellectual
traditions and processes of Africans and African Americans.
In our educational setting at Omuteko Gwamaziima, the
African American child’s own culture is placed at the
center of the learning process. For the first time,
the children see all people, cultures, and traditions
from the context of their own reality, thus making education
relevant to them from the perspective of their experiences.
As a result, school becomes more interesting as they see
how the concepts they are taught relate more immediately
to their lives.
Most
importantly, we seek to maintain a staff of teachers
and administrators who believe in the ability of our
students to excel and therefore challenge them to reach
their fullest potential. The success of our efforts
is reflected in a 56% increase in the performance of
our students on state-mandated End-of-Grade and End-of-Course
tests in a short three-year period from 99-00 to 01-02.
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