Midway Elementary School is helping all students to develop the World-Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by fostering a safe and nurturing environment for the development of each student through collaboration, best practices and high expectations. MES’s focus this year has been on the development of inquiry-based learning while continuing the growth and development of our reading, phonics, and writing curriculum. We also continued to embrace the 4 C's, physical activities, and aligned our Global Citizenship Skills with the district Power Skills.
Professional learning through the Center of Excellence for Research, Teaching and Learning continued to be utilized in supporting our teachers with inquiry-based learning through projects and problems. This meaningful learning focuses on real-life application while increasing student engagement.
Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study — Reading and Writing continued to guide our ELA instruction in grades 5K-5th. Lucy Calkins’ Phonics program supported our 5K-2nd grade learners. Teachers participated in coaching cycles and professional development hosted by our school and district. Midway developed model classrooms for ELA and SS, which are used to grow hands-on teacher learning within the school and across the district. Lab sites for ELA and Math were also hosted to extend teacher learning.
This was our fourth year for school wide student-led conferences. Students shared their data notebooks with parents and staff, including goals and reflections on the learning of which they were proud, as well as what they wanted to improve. This phenomenal event, however, was interrupted by the closure of schools due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Since beginning these conferences, this is the first time that 100% of our students were unable to present.
While we continued our focus on physical fitness through the Morning Walk/Run Club prior to the start of each school day, student led Tabata videos, and the afternoon running club, Run Hard, the Coronavirus thwarted our efforts as we were not able to host an all day Field Day or our gymnastics event, Rhythm of the Night.
This was a big year for our Partial French Immersion program for K-5th grades as we were proudly accredited as a Label FrancEducation School by the French government. We are one of five in the southeast and one of forty-three in the nation. This honor came as Midway celebrated our 25th year anniversary as an elementary school in our district!
The alignment of our Global Citizenship Skills and district Power Skills could not have had a better time to focus. This pandemic halted our service learning but we continued to pull together as a family as we embraced distanced learning, virtual collaboration, and snack pack and meal drop-offs to families. Packet pickup and drop-off for student work kept us bonded and visible with our children and families. Our wave parade and 5th Grade Farewell Parade generated a unique method to bring joy and closure for a very unusual year. Our Global Citizenship Skills and Power Skills were put to the test with adaptability taking the lead! We thank our students, parents, community, and staff for all that each did to bring success for all! Together we are strong!
As we had embraced the hash tag of #loveyourpeople at the beginning of this year, we just didn’t know how meaningful it would prove to be. The MES family worked diligently at “making a difference for every child” in this time of crisis.
Jan Fickling, Principal
Ryan Poles, SIC Chair