Carolina Springs Middle School (CSMS) is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by creating an exemplary learning experience for young adolescents. In the 2019–2020 school year, CSMS further developed our tenets of Character, Scholarship, Memories, and Service for our students and families in this community. We embraced differences and empowered self-directed learning, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. We nurtured healthy relationships through the arts, athletics, and academics. We fostered a personal investment in our learning environment and the larger community.
We missed our students when schools closed unexpectedly in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, our staff was prepared. One of our professional development goals for SY 2019-2020 was to provide evidence of our ability to implement digital workflow in our classrooms by becoming Google Certified Educators. At the time school closed, nearly 50% of CSMS personnel were Level 1 or Level 2 certified. Since the closure, nearly 80% of our certified staff members have become certified. Our teachers were able to continue seamless communication with their students and facilitate effective collaboration. Throughout the closure, our teachers were able to stay connected with their students and challenge them to think critically and respond creatively. Our staff continued to pull together to provide a rich learning experience for our scholars.
Parents, guardians and other stakeholders in our community were supportive from the beginning to the end of the school year and deserve our gratitude. We were a food pick-up site during the closure and our cafeteria professionals and bus drivers were amazing. They also deserve our gratitude and respect.
We honored our eighth-grade students with a drive-thru celebration that signified the end of middle school for the Class of 2024. The emotion from teachers, students, and families during this event exemplified how much we missed each other during the school closing.
Despite the closure, SY 2019-2020 was an excellent year at CSMS. Five students were named Junior Scholars, 320 students earned Honor Roll, 109 students earned all “A’s,” eight students advanced to the state-level National History Day competition, and two students advanced to the national level of the National History Day competition.
This year CSMS implemented AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination to provide our teachers with a toolbox of instructional strategies to develop writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading skills in all content areas. AVID raises the rigor for our children and supports them in becoming prepared for and achieving their post-secondary goals. In addition, for the second consecutive year, CSMS was designated a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase school, underscoring our commitment to putting relationships first.
The CSMS Archery team won the 2020 SCDNR NASP Middle School Bullseye Archery State Championship and the CSMS Girls Basketball team were undefeated and won the Lex10 Conference Championship. We are proud of our eighth-grade orchestra students who earned a Superior rating at SCMEA Concert Performance Assessment and our competitive dance team who earned first place at three separate dance competitions!
In SY 2019-2020, three teachers and one of our school counselors earned NationalBoard Certification. One of our Assistant Principals, Leah Sarantopoulos, was named South Carolina’s Assistant Principal of the Year and the CSMS Counseling & Advisement team earned RAMP designation (Recognized ASCA Model Program).
While our school year was short, our accomplishments were many. We welcome the opportunities that await us in the year ahead and are grateful for the partnership and support of our school community.
Brice Cockfield, Ed.D., Principal
Kim Cash, SIC Chair