On Friday, Jan. 21, the Polk County Middle School Eighth Grade Navigators West team held their annual Pirate Day. Students learned about North Carolina pirates and their legacy. Students learned about the colonial era, North Carolina’s most famous pirate, Blackbeard, as well as how to graph, plot and record ocean depths through sonar. The students also learned colonial dancing.

Above: Teachers Martha Newton, Dianne Holt, Jeanne Burgin and Eric Eaton get into character for Pirate Day.

Below: Students in Eric Eaton’s social studies class meet Blackbeard. From left: Caleb Byars, Lilndsay Pruette, Emily Kocher, Mr. Eaton, Alivia Livesay and Hunter Hilbig.

Below: Adam Buchanan, Brandon Hess, Josh Ponder and Jose Medina work together to graph, plot and record data. (submitted by Dianne Holt)