Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and an academically challenging learning environment. Our school vision strives for a school culture that students and staff “learn today to lead tomorrow.” We demonstrate this vision by establishing an environment where our staff, students, parents, and community members work together to cultivate an atmosphere that promotes leadership, world class skills, and life and career characteristics to be college and/or career ready.
PGE began our Energy Bus for Schools Leadership Journey in 2017 and that “ride” continues today. The Energy Bus for Schools Leadership Journey is a multi-year approach to creating and sustaining a positive school culture through shared leadership. Shared leadership takes into account that every person in the school community is a leader, even students as young as 4 and 5 years of age. We define leadership as the ability to take personal responsibility for your actions and stopping to think about outcomes prior to reacting to challenging situations. We believe that engaging our students in these valuable principles early in life will support their social, emotional, and academic goals.
As an Energy Bus School, students and staff will embrace and practice 7 common principles that will provide them with the tools to problem solve, collaborate, communicate, and innovate – all the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century.
Below are the 7 principles along with a brief description:
Principle 1: You’re the Driver – reinforces taking personal responsibility for your actions, not blaming or complaining, but feeling empowered to take risk and make the necessary changes to get the results you desire.
Principle 2: Create a positive vision- teaches students to set positive personal and academic goals as they become active participants in the learning process.
Principle 3: Drive with purpose –students discover their unique talents and how they can use these gifts to determine their purpose.
Principle 4: Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy- reveals ways to become a more positive person while learning how your behavior can impact everyone in the learning community.
Principal 5: Transform negativity – look at ways to turn challenges into great opportunities for learning and growth.
Principle 6: LOVE your passengers – seeing the true gift in every person we meet as we find ways to serve our school and our community.
Principle 7: Enjoy the Ride! – reinforces the importance of living a happy and healthy life.
Our PGE teachers continue to seek ways to collaborate and grow professionally. The faculty participated in many professional development activities this year including Energy Bus Leadership Training, Read to Succeed courses, content area workshops, TESOL conference, STEAM training, content area PLO’s offered by the State Department of Education, Research to Practice Institute, SCIRA Workshops, technology training sessions, and the South Carolina Early Childhood Conference. Eleven faculty members at Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School are National Board Certified teachers. Nineteen teachers have earned Masters’ Degrees or higher.
Students at PGE experienced many learning opportunities this year to include guest speakers, field trips, family literacy night with a focus on STEM, Science Quiz Bowl competition, author visits, partnering with Newberry County 4H for hands on student lessons, and many other school-based learning opportunities. These opportunities have promoted critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity amongst our students. Third grade students served as Library Helpers, assisting the media specialist in shelving books after school. Fourth grade students continued to maintain the PGE postal system and delivered mail to students, faculty, and staff. Fifth grades students, under the guidance of our school media specialist, produced a daily morning news show. Fifth grade students also were selected to serve as our morning STAR Patrol and Peer Tutors. STAR Patrol assisted in school morning duties and modeled character skills for our younger students. PGE also provided leadership opportunities for our students through a student council who met monthly to plan philanthropy events, celebrate successes, and collaborate with administration on important issues.
Our school and students had many accomplishments this year. Our students were recognized at the end of the year awards ceremony to celebrate academic achievements. Parents and members of the community attended to support our students and their achievements. Our students set individual and class reading goals this year which were celebrated each semester. Seventeen of our students had writing pieces published in the district writing anthology and were recognized at a District Writer’s Celebration. Ten student’s art pieces were selected for the Newberry County District Art Show. Our school archery team competed at district and state level tournaments. Our Running Club members practiced weekly and participated in a 5K. Our Musical Theatre club presented a school musical to our community and student body. Fourteen students graduated from speech and received diplomas.
Parents and community members actively support our school. Communication with our stakeholders is a top priority. PGE is proud that 98% of our parents participated in parent-teacher conferences during this school year. Our PTO and School Improvement Council were very instrumental in providing input and supporting fundraising efforts that help to provide materials and supplies for our school. Parent volunteers, community members, churches, and civic organizations were also very supportive in providing for the needs of our students. Thirty-five PGE students took home food sacks every Friday as a part of our back-pack program supported by local churches. Additionally, several Pomaria churches also funded a summer school tutoring program taught by certified teachers and provided those students transportation. Our community attended our annual Career Day to present and speak to our students about potential career options and interests. The local Boy Scout Troup 76 had three troup members complete Eagle Scout projects that benefited our school. One Scout built and installed 5 Little Lending Libraries that have been placed around our community, another raised money and purchased 60 book bags that were stocked with school supplies for students in need, and the third Boy Scout raised money and donated two picnic tables with umbrellas for shade on our Kindergarten playground.
Pomaria-Garmany Elementary School is thankful for the level of community and parental support. With their help, the faculty and staff are providing our students with the academic knowledge and skills, and the character traits necessary to increase student readiness and meet the demands of the 21st century.
Mrs. Melanie Thrower, SIC Chair
Mrs. Lindsey Folk, Principal