At Lake Murray Elementary School, we provide all students with opportunities to develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by creating an innovative learning environment that focuses on leadership and self-directed learners. The campus exemplifies student learning and growth by emphasizing collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. Our vision is to help develop self-directed, global citizens who lead and learn with excellence. Through this culture, the LMES faculty aspires to provide the highest level of teaching by making decisions based on what is best for each individual child. We invest in relationships and provide support while celebrating the success of all students.
Throughout the year, we continued our concentration in the areas of reading and writing proficiency, with increased emphasis on small-group instruction and goal-setting. In addition to our school-based professional development, the PTA provided on-site coaching from a literacy consultant. Because the consultant was working with LMES students as she modeled instructional practices, it was very powerful for our staff. This resulted in our teachers growing deeper in their expertise of strategy groups, conferring with students, and analyzing the text demands to assist students with reading fluency and comprehension at each level. Our PTA also supported this process by purchasing texts for teachers to check out specifically for small-group instruction and independent reading. Furthermore, our PTA supported efforts in ensuring our fifth grade students were one-to-one with Chromebooks.
In regards to our Read to Succeed Literacy Plan, we have continued to focus on early intervention. Through our school-based literacy coach, Reading Recovery Program and Response to Intervention team, we have provided specialized instruction to support students as they progress along the reading continuum. This year, teachers chose an area of focus for professional learning that was led by a teacher leader. The level of conversation regarding student work and instructional strategies was amazing. Every month teachers would meet with their teacher leader to share ideas and foster improvement. The teachers in each group would take back new information to their grade-level teams to ensure all learning was shared. Additionally, each group presented at faculty meetings. Vertical planning, which focused on using the writing progressions from the Units of Study by Lucy Calkins, proved to be a key factor in looking at how to grow writers and increase writing stamina.
The mentor program at LMES has continued to grow due to community partnerships. We are very fortunate to those who are able to give up their time weekly to support a child on campus. It is just as rewarding for the mentor as it is the mentee. In terms of service to others, our students participated in a canned food drive for Mission Lexington, donated coats, raised money for Special Olympics through the Lake Murray Polar Plunge, supported the American Heart Association through Jump Rope For Heart, contributed money for Relay For Life and our school-based LMES Fund Run, and collected items for the Palmetto Children’s Hospital.
In developing and strengthening leadership traits, this year we integrated the FISH! Philosophy which contains four major pillars: Be There; Make Their Day; Play; and Choose Your Attitude. Furthermore, students applied for leadership teams such as the LMES News Show, Mariner Book Buddies, Media Leaders and the Morning Announcement Team. In addition to these school-based opportunities, all students had leadership roles within their classroom.
We are extremely fortunate to be surrounded by a strong community who supports the school in any way possible. Due to the collaborative culture that exists among all of our stakeholders, we are equipped to provide the best learning experiences and opportunities for all of our children.
Jennifer Stanley, Principal
Tina Price, SIC Chair