Pleasant Hill Elementary School is helping all students develop the World-Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing opportunities for students to create and innovate, think critically and solve problems, communicate and use technology and know-how to learn. As PHES implemented the first year of the Lexington One Strategic Plan, we connected the world-class skills with our district’s four system commitments.
In order to ensure that “all students, regardless of circumstances, advance on time, prepared to graduate and ready to enter college, the military or industry with certification,” we provided a core curriculum that differentiated instruction for all learners through the workshop model. Our teachers continued the Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study — Reading and Writing, and our kindergarten and first grade teachers added the Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study in Phonics. Employing the workshop model in content areas provided opportunities for active student engagement and collaboration.
Students receiving Response to Intervention services strengthened their ability to think critically while being challenged to actively engage in problem-solving strategies on a daily basis. In the area of reading, 79% of all students in RtI met the end-of-the-year text-level expectations for their grade level. In addition, 91% of all students in RtI met end-of-year text-level expectations or made a year’s growth. Reading Recovery has become the bedrock of our early literacy program. This past year, 88% of the first graders receiving Reading Recovery met grade-level expectations in reading and writing. Reading Recovery’s impact solidifies PHES’ commitment to ensuring that all students advance on time.
PHES received an Innovation Grant from the Lexington County School District One Educational Foundation to purchase STEAM bins. These steam bins are housed in the Learning Commons and may be checked out by classroom teachers. Students use these engineering manipulatives on a daily basis to design, create, problem solve and collaborate.
Another system commitment is “teaching and learning to develop power skills in all students.” To support children’s development as effective learners and ethical people, we provided ways for students to articulate, assess and communicate Power Skills. We developed a schoolwide program in which we defined the power skills, produced a visual of the power skills, and emphasized the importance of incorporating power skills in lessons and morning meetings. Students provided examples of ways they use power skills in a variety of situations throughout the school year.
The third system commitment is “Our schools are service-oriented centers of learning, committed to family and community partnerships.” During the past school year, our families enjoyed events at the school such as “Bike to School Night,” “Merry and Bright Curriculum Night,” PTA Pizza/Bingo Night, STEAM Night, Hero Night and Family Yoga sessions. Parenting opportunities were provided during Love and Logic sessions (morning or evening for six weeks each semester), and through workshops such as Internet Safety. Strong parent groups such as the PTA, School Improvement Council, Spanish Immersion Parent Advisory Team and School Counseling Board provide much support and assistance. Parents who serve as WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), volunteers and mentors also play a vital role in our school.
We actively involved students in making positive impacts on our community. In doing so, students use the power skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. In November our students held a coat drive and collected 75 winter coats for students in a neighboring district in need of winter coats. In December fourth and fifth graders made holiday cards for children at Prisma Children’s Hospital, and first, second and third graders donated pajamas, socks and linens. PHES students also participated in “Fight Hunger Games” and collected 1,052 pounds of food, making them the district winner of this competition! In our annual Smile Train Mini-marathon, students raised $16,000 to provide cleft repair surgery for children all over the world.
Professional learning opportunities were provided throughout the school year so that “Every adult will be equipped with the skills and resources necessary to advocate for and ensure the success of all students.” Teams of teachers went to Teachers College to learn from Lucy Calkins and another team of teachers attended the Lexington District One Homegrown Institute. Our math coach provided a professional learning workshop on math, led a book study on Math in Practice and took teachers to visit model math classrooms. Our literacy coach provided professional learning sessions on conferring and small-group instruction, organized a literacy lab site for second and third grade teachers, and took teachers to visit model literacy classrooms. All staff read the book The Wild Card and used the knowledge gained to focus on ensuring the success of all students.
The PHES Family embraced the school’s newly revised vision which is to “empower each child to design the future.” Our theme in 2018–19, “Building the Future,” helped us focus on making sure every child has the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century.
Margaret B. Mitchum, Principal
Missy Moore, SIC Chair