Strom Thurmond High School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by developing a safe, energetic, and rigorous learning environment that will engage, empower, and enrich all students. To reach these goals, our administration and staff continue to work on making the subtle shift toward a more personalized approach to teaching and learning. Programs and initiatives are now becoming more focused upon the individual student. For example, Strom Thurmond’s Rebel Recon class has evolved to provide enrichment opportunities and educational support based upon student interest and need. In one week, students spend three days during this 50-minute period in an enrichment class of their choice, one day is spent seeking extra help in a chosen subject , and one day in High School 101.
High School 101 is designed to help students with academic advisement, career/ college guidance sessions, and skill/knowledge development. HS101 is also used as a platform to hold school wide assemblies and presentations, such as our Black History Month Program and Prom Promise Mock Crash. Videos of these programs, that were created by our students, can be found by following links on our school website. Along with HS101, students are also placed into Homeroom classes which meet periodically throughout the school year for non-instructional activities (club and class meetings) to improve our school culture without sacrificing instructional time.
We will continue our systematic approach to gain an accurate picture of our school community’s strengths and weaknesses. This information will be used to improve student achievement and meet challenging academic standards in our state. Administrators and teachers will continue to use the AdvancED process that collects and examines information about school wide issues. We will then utilize our data to determine priority goals, to develop a plan, and to allocate funds and resources. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members will be asked to participate in the data collection process through surveys and program studies.
We are continuing to research emerging trends that will help us improve our school. STHS maintains a clear focus by giving students rigorous opportunities to succeed and preparing them for postsecondary training, careers, and citizenship in the 21st Century. We will continue to utilize a professional development model that provides ongoing opportunities for our teachers to incorporate best practices in the classroom. From the comprehensive instructional and extracurricular programs to the high standards for teaching and learning, STHS strives to provide opportunities that parallel our values and beliefs. We believe these opportunities will improve the quality of instruction, teacher-student interactions, school climate, and safety. We plan to continue studying and utilizing the Profile of the South Carolina and the Edgefield County Graduate to ensure our students are prepared with college and workforce readiness skills. At Strom Thurmond High, we work daily to fulfill our mission, purpose, and direction.