Chandler Creek Elementary School is helping all students develop world class skills for the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. Our school community is focused on meeting the needs of each individual student with goals for academic excellence, social and emotional growth, and model citizenship. We seek to have a champion attitude with respect, responsibility, and readiness to learn every day.
The 2017-2018 school year brought growth academically as we used an authentic benchmarking system to guide our learning. Intervention occurred using tiered data to remediate, instruct students in small group, and to enrich. In efforts to reteach and strengthen basic skills, students met with math coaches, reading coaches, and technology integrationist. Learning was extended with an enrichment program launched with first grade students and extended to all grades for weekly enrichment lessons allowing differentiation for students performing above grade level. Students benefited from related arts that include choral and instrumental opportunities, clubs for art extension, drama productions, leadership clubs, and service projects such as food drives, and visits to local nursing homes. Students continued to shine in our community with standards based performance opportunities and family events such as the Champion Talent Show, Black History Bowl, Battle of the Books, and semester awards programs. In addition, Chandler Creek recognized students from local high schools with a graduation clap out and a model for our youngest students to set future goals. The year was culminated with the burial of a time capsule to be excavated in the year 2025 when our current fifth grade students return for their senior clap out ceremony.
We were awarded grants through a variety of sources that have provided book libraries, technology, and supplies for hands-on project-based learning and flexible seating in our classrooms. We extended our mentor programs and added the G.E.M. program for girls to encourage and motivate female students to achieve success. This aligned with our W.I.P. club for male students to promote problem solving and essential skills to become gentlemen in our community. We ignited “Kindness” with our Rockstar Club and our daily kindness card positive parent phone calls. We installed Buddy Benches on our playgrounds and updated our early childhood playground with ADA equipment to create an inclusive setting for students with physical disabilities.
Our home libraries were enriched with our partnership with Public Education Partners. We also ignited a student love of reading with projects such as our “8 books in 8 weeks” challenge where students set personal goals for reading. Finally, we strengthened our Chandler Creek Block Parties as part of our School Improvement Efforts to reach beyond the walls of school with school picnics, clothing drives, health and wellness information, and outreach into both early childhood and senior members of our school community.
Our school tagline states: “We are Chandler Creek Elementary - Building a Community of Champions”. We support the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by bringing practical and real life experiences to our students. We seek to find connections between feeder schools, neighborhoods, and local businesses with a common vision that fosters student success.
Jane Mills, Principal
Leigh Ryan and Mandi White, SIC Co- Chairs