Students, parents, faculty and stakeholders, White Knoll High School has risen above unprecedented challenges and weathered the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020 as #Onepack. We adapted our instructional plans, design, and what we “know” for innovative and creative learning structures to support the continuity of learning for each student. The school family navigated eLearning together via Google Meets, Zoom classrooms, phone conferences, and even socially distanced home visits. The content brought us together, but the virtual time maintained the Timberwolf family as a unit. James Cash Penny is quoted as saying “Growth is never by mere chance, it is the result of forces working together.” The Spring of 2020 united many forces that challenged our normal practices but grew us academically, socially, and emotionally through a digital platform. Our success is shared by ALL stakeholders involved in supporting students and teachers through the process, and a sincere appreciation goes to everyone involved.
Our district’s vision - “Empower each child to design the future” weighed heavily on our teachers to provide the standard of a high quality and cutting edge education during a period of uncertainty and separation. In spite of these challenges, our courageous teacher leaders redesigned units of study around essential learning. As a result, teacher leaders developed lessons that elevated student choice, student voice, and relevant learning experiences. Students demonstrated their learning through project-based activities, inquiry learning, Flip-Grids, blogs, Breakout Boxes, virtual labs, and discussion boards. Students were able to express and “design” their learning through a variety of mediums that revealed understanding and highlighted talents. As we move forward, we are committed to continuing to personalize learning experiences that empower and leverage students’ voice and choice.
At WKHS, our school work plan focuses on Student Engagement, Equity, and Social Emotional Learning. Throughout the school year, teachers focused on an area of personal growth that was aligned with one of these targeted areas. Content area teams such as Biology, Algebra, and English focused heavily on the Student Engagement Model to increase student engagement through inquiry-based learning and a workshop model. These student centered activities increased student work time as they built resiliency and depth in reading, writing, and processing with on-going teacher feedback. Equity teams continued their work using strategies from Baruti Kafele’s book Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success to address disproportionality of subjective infractions. As a result, teachers were intentional with asset based thinking approaches when making instructional and management decisions within the classroom. Teachers also studied Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension by Sara Ahmed. Teachers focused on how to talk to students regarding social issues as well as what skills are needed to support understanding. Teachers in the Equity teams acquired tools to grow their understanding of students and to help equip students to understand themselves and others. The Social Emotional Learning teams dug into the five Social Emotional Learning competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, Relationship Skills, Social Awareness) and the impact on students of trauma and risks for dropping out of school. Student support teams identified the needs of the students to connect them with resources, agencies, and community of support for individualized assistance. The intentional work of teachers spoke to our District’s System Commitment that “ALL students, regardless of circumstances advance on time, prepared to graduate and ready to enter college, the military or industry with certification.”
As we look back on this historic school year, there are many successes achieved by students, faculty, and the school as a whole. First and foremost, White Knoll High School graduated 460 students on a beautiful Friday morning of June 5th, socially distanced in our very own stadium in front of family and friends while LiveStreamed for all to see. The 2020 graduating class had some impressive numbers. They earned $30,497,884 in scholarship money, had 24 Palmetto Fellows and 291 Life/Hope Scholarships, 336 graduates are head to college, 5 graduates joined the military, there were 9 sets of twins, and 2 students had perfect attendance for all 12 years of school. As a school, WKHS certified eight nurse assistants and had two State Fair winners. The Fine Arts department earned 4A State Marching Band Silver Medal while 12 Chamber Choir and 2 Orchestra students qualified for All-State. The Archery team was the 2020 State Champion and Wrestling team was the Lower State Champion. WKHS received the SC Special Olympics Unified Grant, National Beta School of Merit and School of Distinction Award, 2019-2020 Student Council Coalition Student Government of the Year Award, and SC Green Steps School. Multiple teachers earned state and national awards, and Julie Painter was named Assistant Principal of the Year. These accomplishments signify our WKHS motto, “Believe, Achieve, Succeed.”
It is truly hard to express and capture the impact of the global pandemic of COVID-19 on education, our students, our community and our society. It is our collective experiences that are likely to change the future of our educational system as we know it. While the health and safety of our school family is paramount, we are also challenged by societal struggles with racial relations and social injustice. We recognize that we must remove boundaries and obstacles that impede “Empowering each child to design the future.” This commitment is the same whether we learn virtually or in person. We are better together; we call the WKHS family to stand in unity as #Onepack to make a difference for education and our next generation of leaders and global citizens.
Edward Daughtrey