STUDENTS FIST January 2019 Volume 1, Issue 5 A Florence One Schools Newsletter Moore Intermediate students investigate scientific process, engineering at STEM Fair and showcase Students at Moore Intermediate were given an opportunity to show off their STEM skills by completing a STEM Fair Project. All students worked in groups to complete STEM Fair projects that explored a topic of their choice within the five categories of Biological, Consumer, Health and Behavior, Physical Sciences or the Engineering Design. Both the scientific process and the engineering process projects had rubrics for students to use to self-evaluate throughout the process. The same rubric was used for the final judging of their inquiry. The students also maintained written documentation of learning throughout the process with journal entries in required notebooks. The STEM Fair provided a way for students to self-direct their learning. Students were able to investigate a scientific process or solve an engineering design problem that was of interest to them. Students also had choice in how they communicated and presented their findings, some choosing to create display boards, others opting to create a digital presentation. Students communicated their knowledge through class presentations throughout the learning process. On the morning of the STEM Fair, students’ projects were judged using a scoring rubric. The judges, composed of community members from businesses and colleges in Florence, included Stephen Cullen, Mike Cullen, Scott Baldwin, Charissa Canfield, Dr. Lisa Pike, Mike Winstead, Curt Nellis, Dr. Rob Bridger, and Susan Rhodes. The judges spent 2 hours judging 400 projects by 5th and 6th graders. Moore held its first STEM Fair showcase in the gym that evening which allowed students to once again explain their learning process and knowledge gained working on their project over the 3rd quarter. Students used digital tools such as Padlet, Google applications and Discovery Education to conduct research and collaborate. The 21st century skills of collaboration and inquiry were communicated through oral discussions and participation in the scientific and engineering processes. The students were able to explain their findings by acquiring knowledge from research through many literary texts, math processes, scientific topics, and how they related to real world experiences. The integration of subject areas and 21st century collaboration and communication skills allowed our students to show their growth in analysis of the project's topic. Google Apps were used to allow students and teachers to collaborate during school and outside of school. Fifteen award ribbons were handed out to students. The award ribbons and prizes were funded by donations from Honda and Connor Tax Services.
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 5 Dewey L. Carter Elementary School is excited to launch its new Reading Role Models program this month! This program pairs teacher-selected students with an older student, parent volunteer, or community member to read with and discuss the importance of education, making smart choices, and being a good citizen. Our hope is that the Reading Role Models program will enable our students to be successful both in and out of the classroom. Research proves that reading with children improves their imagination and understanding of the world around them. Students also learn important social-emotional skills through reading. By pairing our students with Reading Role Models, we are providing students with the opportunity to learn from an adult who can influence them in a positive way. Our Reading Role Models read with the same students each time they volunteer in order to build a trusting relationship between the two. This program also gives our students one-on-one interaction while reading to increase their confidence. One of Dewey L. Carter’s goals this year is to promote a love of reading school-wide. Reading Role Models helps to accomplish this goal because students are able to interact with volunteers who stress the importance of reading and share their own love of reading with them. “My children at home have always loved to read and I want to help spread that joy to other students at the school. There’s something magical about books, they can take you anywhere you want to go! I want the students I read with to see that,” said one volunteer. “Reading is a lifelong skill that we need to foster in young children as early as possible,” said Wendy Frazier, Principal of Dewey L. Carter Elementary School. “Once students become avid readers, we hope they will maintain their love for reading for their entire lives. We hope to continue this program in the coming years as we strive to continuously meet the needs of our students.”
Page 4 Students First Delmae Heights Elementary School is very fortunate to have many community partners who support our students, teachers, families and our school. When it comes to literacy, our students are so very lucky to have community partners who understand that it takes a village to educate a child and that students need to see that reading and writing are important to everyone! Delmae students participate in many enriching literacy activities that could not have been possible without the emotional and financial support from our partners. For Kindergarten these activities include, but are not limited to, Kindergarten Sit and Sob event (parents write letters to their child on the first day of school to be shared with the child), Stories and Cookies with Santa (an interactive holiday read aloud) and the RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) Event sponsored by the Golden K Kiwanis Club. The club donates brand new books for students to take home. Several of our first grade classes receive weekly classroom visits from “PAWS for Reading” dogs and volunteers (the students take turns reading to therapy dogs). These students along with second grade students also have guest readers (athletes) from the West Florence High School, otherwise known as the “Friday Readers”! Our Third Graders receive free personal dictionaries donated by the Florence Rotary Club each year. During this event, students are challenged to navigate their new resource with speed and accuracy. The students write thank you notes after the event. Fourth graders and their teachers have developed a close partnership with Zaxby’s and Harris Pest Control and both companies have sent representatives to give motivational speeches to students. They have also financially contributed to purchase class novel sets. Delmae students (K-4) have multiple opportunities throughout the year to interact with members of the community and share the wonderful things that they are learning in reading and writing. Some of those connections include Francis Marion University/ Ruiz Foods (funded BINGO for a BOOK), The K24 Foundation (provided paper, pencils and backpacks to Delmae students), USC Athletics/The Carolina Havoc Indoor Arena Football Team (partnered for a reading challenge), and of course our Read for a Bead partners. One of the BIGGEST strategically planned community literacy events of the year for Delmae students is our Read for a Bead event! After reading a book, the student records the title and a sentence about the book on his/her “Read for a Bead” reading log. The student then visits a business partner to receive a bead and share a little about the book. A business partner representative at each location signs the log and presents the student with their bead. Students need to collect 5 beads, one of each color.
Page 5 Students First Students at McLaurin use coding skills to take part in DASH Christmas Tree Challenge Students in Mrs. Moore’s class at McLaurin Elementary used their coding and problem solving skills as they participated in the DASH Christmas Tree Challenge. Students were asked to design a Christmas tree and used the Blockly app to code the instructions for DASH to draw their creations. Students collaborated and applied measurement and geometry skills as they planned their designs. They also worked on problem solving skills and perseverance as they tested and made adjustments to their code to complete their Christmas trees. The students enjoyed sharing their unique designs and the challenges they faced in this fun STEM activity.
Page 6 Students First Every quarter parents visit students in their classrooms at Briggs Elementary School. The point of the visit is to attend a student-led conference. These conferences are a unique characteristic of a Leader in Me school. They are an integral part of the program. Briggs is in year two of the Leader in Me program, which focuses on helping all students find their own special leadership skills by using Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits for Successful People. Students lead their own academic and goal oriented conference. The conferences provide an opportunity for students have ownership of their learning process and academic growth. Parents sit down with their student for the conference, during which the student presents their data notebook. Within the data notebook, the student shows visitors their progress for the school year thus far in their core subject areas, Accelerated Reader, mastery of math facts, and the Farm to School Sustainability Initiative. The students discuss their progress in these areas from the last nine weeks conference, as well as new goals for the coming quarters. The students enjoy taking ownership of the data, goals, and conferencing with their parents/guardians. Sixth grade student Alyssa said, “Students get to show their parents what they have been working on. I like showing my parents my goals and steps that I have been using in order to reach my AR goal.” The parents love seeing their student engaged in their progress and being able to discuss what they have learned and their goals for the following quarter. Jennifer, a parent to a 4th and a 5th grader at Briggs, said, “I love that the students take ownership of their own performance. I like how they are able to communicate how they are growing. For my two girls, they like having the one-on-one time with me to take the lead in the conversation about their education.” Student-led conferences enable students at Briggs the opportunity to lead with the adult in their life.
Page 7 Students First Many children play with toy robots at home. Sneed Middle School students in Mrs. Martien’s STEM class are stepping in the shoes of an engineer and actually building a working robot. They are learning that robots when programmed correctly can perform tasks. They are also learning through hands-on applications on how to solve problems. When their robots do not perform the tasks correctly, they must work to figure out why, a life-skill that will lead to their success. Students spend several weeks working in teams designing, completing the wiring diagram, building the motor and sensor setup and programming the robots to do multiples tasks. Since students have to work in teams, they are also learning valuable communication skills. Not only must they be able to explain and discuss their ideas, they must be able to translate their ideas into code that the robots understand.
Page 8 Students First Carver’s GEM Club introduces girls to STEM Carver GEMS, Girls Exploring Math and Science, is a Carver club designed to increase STEM awareness and engineering principles among young girls. According to the research composed by Microsoft and Dr. Shalini Kesar, Associate Professor of Southern Utah University, there is a huge gender disparity within STEM career fields. In the research article, Closing the STEM Gap, “girls and young women have a hard time picturing themselves in STEM roles.” The article further articulates “how girls who participate in STEM clubs and activities outside of school are more likely to say they will pursue STEM subjects later in their education.” It is essential for girls to gain exposure to experiments and experiences that can provide insight to enhance STEM instruction. The exposure allows young girls to see the potential for careers in STEM and to be creative with a positive impact on the world. Under the leadership of Carver’s STEAM Coach, Calandra Brisbone, the Carver GEMS club offers girls learning opportunities through engineering and coding activities. Girls are given practical and real life problems to develop solutions. The club is comprised of girls from 3rd and 4th grade. Currently, Carver GEMS are working to design and code a digital story to engage young learners in grades Kindergarten through 2nd to read more books. Each year Carver GEMS partner with the young ladies of the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Math (SCGSSM) located in Hartsville, South Carolina. The GEMS’ first interaction with these 11th and 12th grade ladies of SCGSSM is as pen pals. The ladies of SCGSSM act as young mentors for the young GEMS mentees offering advice about STEM curriculum and future endeavors with colleges and careers. After several weeks of receiving and responding to pen pal letters Carver GEMS are given the opportunity to visit the campus of SCGSSM. During their visit, GEMS are given a campus tour and the opportunity to engage in conversations regarding STEM during science and math classes. The Carver GEMS fosters a “growth mindset” among female students while introducing young girls to female role models in STEM. Principal Josie Little is excited to have the GEMS program at Carver. “Our girls are being exposed to many opportunities that will change their lives forever,” Little said. “It is our hope that these girls will remember these experiences and consider exploring STEM careers in the near future.”
Students First Page 9 Developing a lasting love for reading is at the heart of Greenwood’s Curriculum. Reading is essential for success. It’s benefits include knowledge acquisition, vocabulary expansion, stress reduction, and improved writing skills, memory, focus and concentration to name a few. The development of literacy skills leads to a love for reading and is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Using the Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention System (LLI), Greenwood students in kindergarten through fourth grade who are reading below grade level expectations receive intensive support to achieve grade-level competencies and develop a love and appreciation of reading. The LLI system is a short-term intervention, providing daily, intensive, small group instruction, as a supplement to a strong classroom literacy program. Lead by Greenwood’s Intervention Lead Teacher, a team of four certified teachers received intensive specialized training in the implementation of LLI. The interventionists in collaboration with classroom teachers utilize data generated from a variety of literacy assessments to identify and level students for instruction. Based on their strengths and challenges, students are placed in groups of 3 or 4 and matched with an interventionists. Groups meet each day for a minimum of 30 minutes. Throughout the course of a week, lessons include interactive read alouds, reading mini lessons, shared reading, phonics, spelling, word study, and independent reading. A wide variety of engaging, carefully written books designed to engage students reading below grade-level are at the center of each lesson. Essential to a strong literacy program is a system of regular assessment and data analysis to inform instruction. Daily anecdotal notes and biweekly reading records are taken for each student as well as periodic administrations of the Developmental Reading Assessment to discern literacy level and monitor progress. Interventionists and classroom teachers meet regularly to confer and align classroom and LLI instruction. Currently, thirty-eight students are served with LLI at Greenwood.
Page 10 Students First In our nation’s suburbs, urban areas, and rural towns over 13 million children from low-income families go to school hungry, according to 2017 research by No Kid Hungry. For over seven years, Southside Middle School has operated a school food bank to support students in need. Staff members became aware of the growing number of students living in homeless shelters, homes without electricity, or lacking enough food at home. Many of these students, without the breakfast and lunch being provided by the school, would go without daily meals. Our food bank supports their needs during school breaks and over the weekend. Southside’s food bank fills the gap that exists in our school community through this option. Weekly food bags sent home with students contain essential food items that do not require cooking. Special bookbags are used to discreetly distribute food to our students in need; students are not openly identified. When a teacher or staff member determines a student in need of assistance, a guidance counselor is notified. Permission is granted from the parents prior to sending items home. Boxes of food are also given or delivered to families that are in need of support. Our school guidance counselors coordinate additional service as needed. Donations come from the staff and community members, as well as outside agencies including the Naomi Project and Help 4 Kids. Exceptional Education students organize items, stocking shelves as well as checking cans for expiration dates. These tasks assist them in acquiring important life skills. If you would like to make a donation, please do not hesitate to contact JoAnn Warr, an exceptional education teacher, at JWarr@fsd1.org or Wanda Smith, the Director of Guidance, at wanda.smith@fsd1.org. Additionally, donations can be delivered to the main office during regular school hours.
Students First Page 11 Each quarter, Lester Elementary conducts parent workshops and invite parents into the school to learn the strategies that teachers use in classrooms so that parents can reinforce those same strategies at home. Lester’s second quarter workshop focused on technology and hands-on learning. Teachers conducted minilessons, modeling the skills used in the classroom, then parents were released to go to various areas and/or stations in the classroom to practice those strategies with their children. Parents who participate in such quarterly workshops express their love of the opportunity to learn to build upon what is taking place in school. In addition to participating in facilitating hands-on learning with their children, parents also learn how to access online tutorial programs that target their children’s individual needs. Students whose parents participate in Lester’s quarterly parent workshops see continual academic gains. now begun to volunteer to bring STEM to their children’s classes. It only takes a spark to get a fire going and Principal Janette Williams has high hopes that as students begin to share The workshop also allows parents and teachers to connect on a personal, yet professional, level that lends to open and honest conversations about student needs! Such relationships between school and home is key to continued student progress. As a result of building such relationships, Lester parents have begun to volunteer their talents and have scheduled times to come into classrooms and share what they do on their jobs so that students cans see firsthand the school to work connection. Such an experience is different from the typical career day that Theodore Lester students have become accustomed to. Presently, Lester does not have a separate STEM program in which students attend weekly STEM classes as part of their Related Arts curriculum but parents have about parents coming and taking an active role in classroom activities, that more parents will begin to participate. Stay tuned for our next article when Lester features a simple robot, made by students, with the help of a parent volunteer.
Page 12 Students First The WF Sports Medicine program, directed by Dave Heim, is designed to provide students with a learning experience that will guide them on an educational journey toward a career in healthcare. It is part of Career and Technology Education (CATE) and consists of 3 levels. Students begin with an introduction to the healthcare careers associated with Sports Medicine as well as basic anatomy, injury identification, injury prevention, and can become CPR and First Aid certified. As students move through the program, they learn and demonstrate important skills used by many Sports Medicine professionals. These skills include injury assessment, assessing vital signs, documentation, emergency care, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercise, taping, wrapping, and splinting skills. Along with learning in the classroom and lab, students are provided an opportunity to observe sports medicine professionals during assigned clinical rotations. They are also able to observe surgeries. The F1S CATE sports medicine program has a long history, beginning at West Florence. Charlie Nelson, the first athletic trainer for the school district starting back in the 1970’s, was also the first sports medicine instructor at West Florence. His vision was to be able to have athletic training services for all three high schools, as well as provide all high school students in the district with the opportunity to learn about the field of Sports Medicine. Today each high school has its own athletic trainer through McLeod Sports Medicine, as well as a Sports Medicine program. West Florence Principal Matt Dowdell said that he looks forward to the continued success of the program and the opportunities it provides for students. “It is my honor as principal of WFHS to have this program continue to thrive at West Florence,” Dowdell said. “We look forward to continued success preparing our students for careers in Sports Medicine.”
Page 13 Students First ¿Hablas español? (Do you speak Spanish?) ¡Lo hacemos en Lucy T. Davis! (We do at Lucy T. Davis!) Students at Lucy T. Davis Elementary attend Spanish as a Related Arts course. In preparing students to live and compete in a global society, speaking more than one language and understanding other cultures is a 21st century skill set. No matter what career students choose, they must be proficient communicators, as they will be interacting with others locally and globally. Students will graduate high school and be in an interconnected world, making it essential for foreign language instruction to be available throughout their academic experience. Research shows students who speak a foreign language excel academically. Language education is critical for the workforce of the future and being bilingual can broaden career options. Research released by Harvard University confirms that students who learn a foreign language show increased critical thinking skills, creativity, flexibility, and problem solving abilities. By offering Spanish as a related arts class, students benefit by learning to read and write in a foreign language and being prepared to thrive in a global society.
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