Pleasant Hill Middle School is helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by focusing on an education that is centered on students’ academic, social and emotional growth. The students and teachers are challenged to be self-directed critical thinkers and deep learners who are collaboratively connected to each other and their community.
World-class knowledge: PHMS has a proud history of academic excellence. The teachers are dedicated and focused on the success of each student. They work to improve their instruction by attending weekly professional development sessions where they discuss methodologies, chart student data progress and participate in book studies. Teachers are organized into collaborative teams designed to support students and create a school-within-a-school environment.
This year, PHMS changed the name of the In School Suspension Room to the Character Development Center for the purpose of changing the culture and focus of the space. The intention of CDC is to provide students a place to learn, connect and repair the situation their choices created. Through restorative practice strategies, the staff person designated as a coach would help students reflect on their behaviors, and guide them in conversation to understanding, learning and applying behavior change. The goal for students when leaving CDC is to be ready to begin the restoration and repairing of the consequences that came along with their actions.
Teachers continued their work this year with disciplinary literacy, and the implementation of reading and writing curriculum improvements. A primary focus was the implementation of the Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study — Writing curriculum to help improve students’ overall performance on the standardized writing assessments. This curriculum incorporated the workshop model, which focused on increasing student writing stamina and improving students’ narrative, argumentative and informative writing skills.
In order to monitor student progress in reading and writing, the school implemented more online formative assessments to provide immediate feedback. These assessments are conducted on Schoology, Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizalize and other online platforms. Analyzing the data from these assessments will direct future instruction to ensure continual progress for all students.
World-class skills: PHMS focuses on helping students become skilled in the areas of critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. This is accomplished in several innovative classes such as Digital Literacy, STEM Academy, Adventure Education and iCivics where those skills are taught. The school also offers clubs such as Robotics, Math Counts, National Junior Honor Society and Student Council. Students continue to use their Independent Learning Time each morning for enrichment and conferences with teachers, as well as Schoology on their iPads to collaborate and communicate with peers and teachers.
Students are given multiple opportunities for personalized learning. While all students are required to be enrolled in math, science, ELA and Social Studies, PHMS students are given the opportunity to select their world language and related arts classes. This selection process allows students to identify which classes will contribute to developing their own talents. World languages offered at PHMS include Spanish, French, German and Latin. Students can then choose dance, drama, visual arts, chorus, orchestra, band, PE, Adventure Education, STEM, creative writing, Digital Literacy and/or iCivics/ProTeam for their exploratory and performing arts classes.
Life and career characteristics: PHMS has school structures and traditions in place that ensure every student, regardless of circumstance, advances on time, prepared to graduate and ready to enter college, the military or industry with certification. The school makes sure students’ contributions are celebrated through grade-level assemblies, and their leadership is nurtured in student organizations and athletic teams. The school’s Where Everybody Belongs program is a mentoring program that builds a relationship between eighth grade student leaders and sixth graders. The LEAD program, a middle school version of FranklinCovey’s The Leader in Me program, is designed to create a culture of student empowerment where every child can be a leader. The school continues to use its Arts in Basic Curriculum grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission to provide students with a multitude of professional artistic experiences with visiting performers and instructors. As an ABC Grant Award-winning school, the arts programs have flourished to expand arts incorporation in many core classes. The school offers unique classes in stage and set design, musical theater, creative writing, media arts and hip-hop dance.
Student interests have also led to the implementation of several programs such as Pro-Team and Adventure Education. Pro-Team is a middle school teacher cadet program sponsored by CERRA. Eighth grade students train and gain invaluable real-world experience working with elementary school students. The Adventure Education program fuses students’ love of the outdoors, physical activity and leadership skills. Students engage in team-building and problem-solving, as well as outdoor activities such as archery.
Starting in seventh grade, PHMS begins to foster career interests by offering the Career Interests assessment and holding a career fair with our local technology center. Then, as eighth graders, our students have the opportunity to begin planning their next steps as they enroll in high school classes. The Counseling Department assists parents and students during the Individual Graduation Plan process in the spring. Students have the ability to choose classes based on a career interest and/or Center of Advanced Study. These IGP meetings give students a voice and allow personalization for their learning.
At PHMS, we encourage our students to find and use their individual leadership potential. We believe that each of our students possesses leadership strengths. Student Council and other school clubs/organizations are a few ways our students can realize and execute their leadership abilities. Athletics and the arts are other ways our school offers opportunities for our students to grow socially and develop into leaders of their generation.
Students are regularly reminded to follow the three C’s of being a PHMS Cougar: Be Committed; Be Caring; and Be Courageous. We firmly believe that these ideals serve as the foundation for students’ success in school and their development as leaders of our future.
Dr. Thomas E. Rivers Jr., Principal
Todd Limehouse, SIC Chair