SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: Poe Gifted and Talented AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School

Located at the corner of Poole and Peyton Streets, near downtown Raleigh, Poe Gifted and Talented‐Academically and Intellectually Gifted Basics Magnet Elementary School is an award‐winning magnet school focused on developing students' gifts and talents. Poe Magnet Elementary is a nationally recognized magnet school by Magnet Schools of America and has earned the prestigious honor of serving as a Magnet Schools of America Certified Demonstration School. Over the past three years, Poe has earned repeated national School of Excellence awards. Poe Magnet Elementary has been under the leadership of Christy Story since 2020. In that time, Poe's magnet student population grew substantially, with magnet students making up the majority. Academic achievement has steadily improved, reflected in an overall increase in student proficiency of 14%. These results are due to dedicated hiring practices that ensure certified, highly qualified teachers teach every student.

Poe, the only elementary Gifted and Talented/Academically and Intellectually Gifted school open to all students in Wake County, serves approximately three hundred students from across the district. This sought‐after, small learning community attracts families seeking opportunities for their children to hone their gifts and talents and receive academic enrichment from kindergarten through fifth grade. Beginning in kindergarten, students begin to explore their gifts and talents, preparing them to enter middle school with a deep sense of responsibility and an appreciation for learning.

Starting in kindergarten, students choose from multi‐grade electives and dive into a rotating menu of over 100 multidisciplinary electives spanning the performing arts, physical education, STEM, and academic enrichment. By the time students reach fifth grade, they will have chosen 45 different elective experiences across a variety of subjects and will be ready to take their learning to the next level.

While all schools are required to serve students identified as Academically Intellectually Gifted once a week, Poe offers Academically Intellectually Gifted instruction daily to those who qualify. Second through fifth graders with Academically Intellectually Gifted identification receive instruction from certified Academically Intellectually Gifted teachers for core subjects and elective courses. Kindergarten, first, and second‐grade students attend enrichment lessons with a K‐2 Enrichment teacher for accelerated learning experiences.

Most families share that Poe's size is one reason for the strong "family feel" among students, families, and staff. As the parent of a first grader shared, "What impresses me most is how well the teachers and staff know the students—not just those in their own classrooms, but throughout the school. That level of connection speaks volumes about the culture at Poe."

At Poe Magnet Elementary, parents are vital partners in the educational journey, with abundant opportunities for involvement. Families can support the school community by volunteering for annual traditions like the Fun Run, Field Day, and Artscape, or by participating more directly in the classroom through projects and field trip chaperoning. Beyond these events, the school fosters a true partnership by actively seeking and listening to parental feedback, ensuring that families have a meaningful voice in their children's education. This collaborative spirit is anchored by a welcoming atmosphere in which staff members make a concerted effort to know every student, fostering a palpable sense of belonging for all Poe families.

Partnerships are important to our school community as well. Poe Magnet Elementary hosts student teaching interns from NC State and Meredith College. Poe partners with First Tee of the Triangle and Wake Ed "Partners Read" program. Poe was also selected as a pilot school for the Stop Hunger and Restore Earth program, a food recovery program by Toward Zero Waste in collaboration with the Wake County Public School System to capture wholesome leftovers from Child Nutrition Services and feed students, rather than landfills. Community‐building within the school is also essential to the school leadership, parents, teachers, and staff. One way this is accomplished is by placing the students in their own red, green, yellow, or blue houses. The house groups build a sense of community through school‐wide competitions, spirit days, and other activities.

Choosing Poe is more than choosing an elementary school; it is selecting a Magnet Pathway. Graduates have priority access to Moore Square Magnet Middle School and Enloe Magnet High School, where they cultivate their unique gifts through graduation.

Learn more about Poe Gifted and Talented/Academically and Intellectually Gifted Basics Magnet Elementary School by visiting wcpss.net/poees.