Caughman Road Elementary School is helping all students develop World-Class Skills consistent with the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by engaging them in meaningful activities that promote creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration, and communication.
Our primary commitment this year has been establishing a robust educational foundation for every student. We are helping students develop the critical-thinking skills necessary for future learning. In mathematics, students develop numeracy skills through the fluent construction and deconstruction of numbers, building a strong conceptual understanding of mathematical relationships. This foundation enables students to learn multiplication, division, decimals, and fractions more efficiently and with a deeper level of understanding.
In reading, we expanded our back-to-basics approach by strengthening word study and phonemic awareness through the implementation of the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach in grades K–2. This explicit, systematic, and multisensory approach helps students build strong foundational literacy skills that support reading fluency and comprehension. Our students are learning to use critical-thinking skills to question and analyze what they read. They make connections among texts, current events, and their own experiences, allowing them to better understand authors' literary choices and purposes. When students think critically, they engage in meaningful learning.
Collaboration and communication skills form the cornerstone of our educational approach at Caughman Road Elementary. These skills are embedded in daily instruction and are integral to partner and group work. Our goal is to engage all students in collaborative activities that provide opportunities to strengthen communication skills and learn from one another by sharing thoughts, ideas, and problem-solving strategies. We believe students learn as much from one another as they do from their teachers. This collaborative approach is crucial to their academic, social, and emotional development.
Our commitment to Visible Learning has deepened throughout the school year as both students and teachers have embraced these research-based practices. Based on the work of John Hattie, Visible Learning encourages students to take a more active role in their education. By establishing clear Learning Intentions (what students are learning) and Success Criteria (how students will know they have learned it), students can measure their progress toward mastery of the standards. Students clearly understand what success looks like and can monitor their growth toward achieving it. As part of Visible Learning, teachers also create Learning Progressions that provide a clear instructional pathway to ensure students master every component of the South Carolina State Standards. This year, our students made significant strides as they tracked their personal growth and progress toward standards mastery.
At Caughman Road Elementary School, our mission centers on developing "soaring comet learners" who embody the qualities essential for lifelong success. These students are naturally inquisitive, persevere through challenges, collaborate effectively with their peers, and communicate clearly with peers, teachers, parents, and community members. We firmly believe in setting high expectations for all students, and we have seen that when those expectations are paired with intentional instruction in the World-Class Skills outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, our students rise to the occasion. We remain committed to the belief that every child can achieve success every day.
David Thorpe, Principal
Megan Green, SIC Chair
