In addition to Mr. Hain, we have one more staff member who has been with LCS since the beginning. In this month’s installment, Mr. Hain chats with Ms. Hargrove about those early days. 

Thank you for all of the positive responses regarding the history shared here.  I've truly enjoyed talking with all of you who have posed further questions about the history of our LCS community!

In keeping with the true HISTORY of our school, I would be remiss if I didn't feature the other LCS Staff Lifer, as in since our inception in 1998, Mrs. Margaret Hargrove. I posed some questions to Mrs. Hargrove and she was gracious enough to give us her perspective on those formative years at Lincoln Charter. Enjoy another trip down memory lane from Margaret's perspective!

Hain: Can you give us a brief background about yourself?

Hargrove: Oh you know me— I've been married to a great guy for almost 47 years. I have 4 children and 13 grandchildren all over the world. I stayed home to raise my young children, and when they were in school, I came to work for the new charter school in our county.

Hain: When were you hired at LCS, and what positions have you held?

Hargrove: [You] and I actually met during our very first interview in the summer of 1998. We met in the basement of our principal's house where we interviewed several board members. I started my career as a first grade teacher assistant/music teacher. We had one grade each of K-5, and we met in the basement of a church in Stanley. Property had been purchased at our current Lincolnton location, but it took a while for our new building to be put up. After one complete semester in Stanley, we had one weekend to move everything from Stanley to our new building. Many families helped pack up our things and get us to our first real home. Since that humble beginning with about 125 students, I have taught 1st grade, third grade, and now second grade. In the years I have been here, I have taught approximately 600 Lincoln Charter School Eagles!

Hain: Can you describe some projects you led in the earlier years?

Hargrove: One project that I began in the early years of Lincoln Charter School was called Treats for Troops. Every student donated individually wrapped treats, wrote an encouraging letter, and brought in a dollar to send treats to soldiers, airmen, and sailors stationed all over the world. The first year we decorated the bags, packed the bags into boxes, and then sent them all to my son who was stationed in Qatar at the Iraqi border. He handed them out to transport crews as they drove up the highway to Baghdad. We heard back from several of these folks saying that it was the only Christmas gift they got that year and they were truly thankful that students in Lincolnton, NC were thinking of them. It is humbling and gratifying to get thank you notes from Japan, Afghanistan, Iraq, England, and many other places around the world when service members simply feel remembered. The last year we sent Treats for Troops, we sent a bag for every soldier/airman stationed in Bagram, Afghanistan, and about 400 more were delivered to the USO in Charlotte Airport.

Another project I started was the Monarch Waystation Garden, now meadow, at the Lincolnton Campus. My first grade class and I were studying animal life cycles when I began to learn about these amazing little creatures that fly from Canada to Mexico and back. I could hardly believe it. I wrote a grant to get the materials to begin our garden around the one tree that was planted on our property at the time. We have been nurturing our monarch butterflies, caterpillars, and chrysalises to send these delicate creatures on their incredible journey ever since. This is year 20 for our Monarch Waystation.

Hain: Any memorable stories from your first experiences at LCS?

Hargrove: I remember the first year of Lincoln Charter School—every student had worked hard on our music program for "Christmas Around the World." Each class had a particular country to represent. They dressed in the costumes, had props, spoke of the tradition, and then sang a Christmas song in the language of the country they represented. We practiced and practiced in the little gym at the church, but we didn't really have an auditorium that we could use for the presentation. At the last minute, someone was able to get permission to use the auditorium at First Baptist Church in Lincolnton. We only had two hours. We brought all of our props, costumes, children, parents, and other guests to the church, set it all up, had the dress rehearsal/opening day presentation, broke it all down, cleaned up, and vacated the premises all within our two-hour limit! It was great. I wish someone had a copy of the VHS tape that it was recorded on! Haha!