Our school maintains a focus on helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing rigorous and Arts-infused educational programs for students at Hilton Head Island Elementary School for the Creative Arts (HHIESCA), and for its annexed multi-age Daufuskie Island Elementary (DIES) satellite school. A collaborative relationship among teachers, an active PTO and School Improvement Council, and diverse community shareholders drives the implementation of the five-year strategic plan, supporting the whole child and the three-tiered South Carolina graduate profile-development of world-class knowledge, world-class skills and life and career characteristics.
World Class Knowledge is demonstrated at both school sites through the rigorous standards-based viable curriculum in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Integration of Arts-infused curriculum in collaboration with community shareholders provides evidence of authentic and meaningful learning across content. Specific partnerships include those held with the Arts in the Basic Curriculum Institute, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, The Port Royal Sound Foundation, Hilton Head Island Symphony Orchestra and the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Plantation. Through these opportunities, teachers and children are immersed in academic learning and cultural experiences provided by experts and artisans from the community. Students receive world-class knowledge that will enable them to enhance skills of problem-solving and critical thinking while also applying characteristics of teamwork and interpersonal relationships. Professional development and implementation of inquiry-based learning and our commitment as a staff to facilitate a strong Arts-focused learning environment further supports evidence of achievement in the area of World Class Knowledge.
We are dedicated to leading our students down the path of developing strong world class skills. As a certified Arts in the Basic Curriculum (ABC) School, our vision includes rigorous Arts lessons taught by instructors certified in Art, Music, Dance, and Drama/Theater. We nurture a partnership with the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina to facilitate opportunities in which all classrooms may work with an Artist in Residence on a unit of study directly correlating with the academic content standards taught at each level, and experience academic field trips to enhance student learning. Teachers receive training regarding best practices in Arts-infusion within the curriculum. Our experiences in the Arts support the research that student engagement through the Arts facilitates self-expression, collaboration, teamwork, and skills of creativity.
We continue to facilitate robust extra-curricular offerings to students in the areas of instrumental and vocal music; theater; visual art, and dance. Our school hosted Chorus concerts in Winter and Spring of 2025-26, in which more than 100 students performed for parents and the school. Additionally, the Drama teacher facilitated an afterschool Drama club in Fall and Spring semesters whereby students performed a "Dessert Theatre" and "The Magic Treehouse" respectively for the school community. The Dance teacher facilitated an SCA Dance! club, in which students engage in Dance routines during schoolwide and district events. In May of 2026, the school held our annual BRAVO Celebration of the Arts event, in which teachers and students proudly displayed Arts-integrated work completed throughout the school year using the process board methodology for sharing the process behind their learning journey. The theme of the event centered around the 250th birthday of America and directly tied to many grade level standards of learning.
As a school within a district that holds a 1:1 technology plan, students benefit from a technology-rich program. All students of grades K-5 at both sites are provided the opportunity to explore learning through use of technology, via iPads at grades PreK through one, and laptops at grades two through five. HHIESCA fully implemented Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Science curriculum in school year 2025-26, lending to engaging and rigorous lessons, often with an Arts-integrated component. Examples of projects completed using PLTW include habitat studies and model showcases, design of a prosthetic limb for a chosen animal, data charting of plant growth under different conditions, and the study of forces and motions using games and data gathering techniques. In addition to our Arts-centered clubs, students participated in academic enrichment opportunities such as the Pickleball Club, Painting club, Garden club and after school tutoring in Math, Reading, and Writing.
The third tier of the Profile of the SC Graduate is the development of Life and Career Characteristics. In the2025-26 year, HHIESCA teachers continued a commitment toward facilitating Single School Culture practices throughout the campus. This best practice in education is centered around the continual improvement of climate and culture through a streamlined approach of norming operational and instructional procedures across the school. Teachers, administration and staff work collaboratively to reach consensus regarding agreed-upon norms for management of daily operations within all classrooms and common areas of the school.
The HHIESCA Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) supports the school in recognizing students for academic achievement, by providing engaging opportunities to extend learning to the home and rewards for successes achieved. An example of this is the Read-A-Thon book challenge fundraiser hosted by PTO in Spring 2026, as well as their support surrounding schoolwide Vocabulary Day in October, and Read Across America Week in March. This year, the PTO hosted an author visit by Troy Cummings, the author of the popular Notebook of Doom series. All students participated in a guest speaker event with the author. Additional workshops and a bookmark contest were held during this fun and learning-centered activity.
We continue to incorporate the character education program in effect throughout Beaufort County School District through our Guidance program. Student representatives of all grade levels are recognized monthly for exemplifying the trait of the month.
We celebrate our continued progress within our Arts-infused school of choice and are committed to the mission of providing a safe, nurturing, rigorous, and Arts-infused environment that will promote strong creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills for all students, in turn preparing them for a successful future following graduation.
Pamela Lucas-Principal, Seth Tilton-SIC Chair-HHIESCA, Samantha Brown and Caitlyn Blount- Co-PTO Presidents, HHIESCA
