New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School (NEMS) is an AdvancED STEM accredited institution that is devoted to helping its students develop the world-class skills, life and career characteristics as outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. Our students are challenged to excel in a global society with the support of parents, highly qualified professional educators, support staff, and the community.
We are dedicated to building and maintaining a culture of high expectations by challenging our students with instructional best practices to reach their full potential and through continuous professional development of our teachers. Our teachers are always seeking to utilize effective, research-based programs and strategies to support student learning and classroom instruction such as STEAM, Advisor/Advisee Program, Acceleration Program, Reading Counts, Reading Inventory, Math Inventory, and small group instruction. To ensure quality instruction is a part of our culture of learning, our teachers work closely together. All teachers work collaboratively in weekly Professional Learning Communities for STEAM interdisciplinary planning, address students’ academic needs, discuss behavioral concerns, review grade-level technology guarantees, examine best instructional practices, evaluate student and teacher successes, and plan needed professional development to address instructional or pedagogical concerns. Teachers also collaborate to create school-wide STEAM projects and project-based learning lessons. Furthermore, our students have multiple opportunities to work collaboratively in groups in a flexibly scheduled environment that enables them to engage in student-led learning experiences with their peers in different classes.
At New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School, we are proud of the hard work, effort, and dedication put forth by our faculty and staff members. We have a talented and dedicated staff. One hundred percent of our faculty is highly qualified. Teachers have secured several grants and Donor's Choose Projects to enhance the instructional program. Our English I instructor continues to have passing rates of 100%; and our Algebra I instructor’s passing rate is 96% on the state End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP). In addition to having a highly qualified staff, our students have also excelled in academic and extracurricular opportunities. Our students have participated in the Aiken County Academic Team Competitions, MathCounts Competition, Future City Competition, Spelling Bee, Junior Scholar Program, and the University of South Carolina-Aiken Concert Festival.
NEMS rises to the challenges of a small community school by developing and maintaining a strong connection with our parents, community organizations, and businesses to help our students reach their goals and achieve at high levels. Our school partnered with community agencies, area businesses and local churches to provide on-site tutoring during the school day for our students, college, career and technology exploration opportunities, and character building. In order to effectively meet the needs of our students, we continuously strive to offer an educationally sound experience and foster positive relationships with our students. Thank you for investing in our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!
Shunte Dugar, Principal
Brooke Garrett, School Improvement Council Chairperson