CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An educator in Charlotte is trying to boost school spirit and morale during an unusual year.
Like many educators across North Carolina, Jacob Bishop Cummings says most of his classes have been held virtually. He is an exceptional children assistant at Starmont Elementary School of Excellence in Charlotte. He helps students with their reading and math skills.
“Teachers and students have been dealing with the way school is now, it’s tough,” Cummings says.
In August, Cummings was working with Starmount Elementary principal Troy Moore to create a school spirit rock. Moore says they were just going to paint the rock, but Cummings wanted to take it a step farther.
“He came up with the great idea to actually carve the mascot into the rock so that it would always be there and it would never go away,” Moore says. “We thought that was fascinating and he went right to work.”
Cummings says he spent four afternoons carving the rock to perfection.
“It was done a lot with a rotary tool and a lot of chisels,” Cummings says.
Cummings says he has carved on wood, but never stone.
“The whole thing was a little bit of trial and error,” Cummings says.
Most who walked by and saw the carving say they couldn’t believe it was his first time carving on stone.
“It’s unbelievable,” neighbor Jennifer Belk says. “He just wanted to do something that was good, something worthwhile. I think, for the community and the school, it is a great thing.”
Cummings says his wife is a teacher and his kids attend Starmount Elementary School, so he was happy they all got to enjoy it as well.
“It meant a lot to her and my kids like it a lot,” Cummings says.