October 2018 Volume 1, Issue 2 STUDENTS FIRST A Florence One Schools Newsletter Career Center students explore the arts, prepare for future jobs in Digital Art & Design Graphic design is everywhere. It is impossible to go through a day without seeing countless combinations of words and images in magazines and books, on billboards and online. The Digital Art & Design course is designed for students who are interested in expressing themselves visually. “Mrs. Iseman puts her heart and soul into this class and it comes out in her students,” said Ms. Carpenter, Director of the Florence Career Center. “It is a fun and interesting class.” In this class students learn about graphic design principles, page layout, photography principles and image manipulation through both print and multimedia based assignments. Adobe Creative Suite will be used Welcome! In each edition of our monthly Students First newsletter, we will highlight programs within our schools, hearing from teachers, principals and students. Inside this issue: North Vista 2 Early Childhoood 4 Henry Timrod Alfred Rush 6 8 for all class projects. Photoshop- The world’s best imaging and design app is at the core of almost every creative project. Work across desktop and mobile devices to create and enhance your photographs, web and mobile app designs, 3D artwork, videos, and more. Illustrator- The industrystandard vector graphics app lets students create logos, icons, sketches, typography, and complex illustrations for print, web, interactive, video, and mobile. InDesign- The industryleading page design and layout toolset lets students work across desktop and mobile devices to create, preflight, and publish everything from printed books and brochures to digital magazines, eBooks, and interactive online documents. After Effects- The industry-standard animation and creative compositing app lets students design and deliver professional motion graphics and visual effects for film, TV, video, and web. Character AnimatorStudents will create 2D characters in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and bring them to life in Character Animator (Beta). Character Animator tracks your facial expressions and motions in real time, so when you smile, your character does too. Premier Pro- With the industry-leading video editing software, students can edit virtually any type of media in its native format and create professional productions for film, TV and web. To be a completer in Digital Art & Design you must take Digital Art & Design 1 & 2. Once they are a completer, students will have 9 hours of college credit at Horry Georgetown Technical College who has developed transfer agreements with four-year institutions, including Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern and Francis Marion. Career Outlook Graduates of the A.A.S. in Digital Arts program possess the technical skills for a wide range of career opportunities in visual communications-related professions such as advertising, public relations, graphic design, website design and photography.
Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 2 North Vista Elementary students learn about different cultures At North Vista Elementary, students benefit from access to at least one different language, and as a result, benefit from learning about different cultures and perspectives. In all PYP schools, students have the opportunity to learn a second language from at least the age of seven. At North Vista, students in grades 2-6 take a Spanish class. Fifth grader Desmond Williams, II, explains that Spanish is his favorite part of being in PYP at North Vista. “I’m excited to be learning Spanish and just about different cultures,” says Desmond. “It’s challenging, but also a lot of fun.” He, as well as other North Vista students, love the various activities and songs they learn in Spanish. Spanish teacher Sandra Salcedo moved here with her family from the country of Columbia. Mrs. Salcedo is excited about this opportunity to work with young learners who are eager to lean a new language. Students go to Spanish class as a pull out period (45 minutes a week). Most grade levels are starting with the basics of language. However, many of her 5th and 6th grade students are retaining language skills quickly and will be having conversations in Spanish soon. “We are so lucky to have Mrs. Salcedo,” said North Vista Principal Sharon Dixon. “Our students are able to experience the world and understand that there’s more out there than our community here in Florence.” Mrs. Salcedo describes how she includes much song and dance in her instruction, as that is how students learn language best. “I’m happy because they seem to really like learning Spanish.” She taught in Columbia, and often tells her students about what it’s like for students there to learn English. She tells her students at North Vista that learning another language gives you many more opportunities to travel and helps when you are getting a job. Learning a new language encourages our students to be openminded and global citizens. The PYP Language Scope and Sequence explains that “effective language teaching and learning are social acts, dependent on relationships with others, with context, with the environment, with the world, and with the self.” Mrs. Salcedo describes how excited her students are to return to class with news that they taught their families how to say something in Spanish. And she laughs as she tells of parents who ask her what different phrases mean, as they want to learn what their child is learning. She explains that we are teaching students how to express themselves when we teach a new language. Mrs. Salcedo believes that this language instruction is helping all of her students in grades 2-6 build social and academic confidence. When students learn how to express something in Spanish, they are also practicing correct semantics in their first language, English. Students will say a sentence correctly in English, then in Spanish. At North Vista, we are thrilled to offer this new language program. When exposed to languages, with all the richness and diversity, students become more inquisitive about the world around them. As an IB Candidate School, North Vista uses language acquisition as a vehicle for “I’m excited to be learning Spanish and just about different cultures. It’s challenging but also a lot of fun.” —Desmond Williams, North Vista 5th grade learners to engage with the world, and to be a part of the mission of the IB program to “help create a better and more peaceful world.”
Page 3 Students First Royall’s Bright Minds Club expands in its third year The Bright Minds Club has begun its 3rd year at Royall! This technology club is designed to foster collaboration, creativity, problemsolving, and technology skills in our students. Some components to be featured this year include: 3D printing, coding, the design process, Breakout Box, robotics, MakerSpace, LEGO Genius, and our zSpace Lab. Our 6th grade students also participate in a unique learning experience with a former Royall parent and GE Engineer, John Shurman. During this special unit of study, students delve deeper into the design process by designing a rubber-band car with the use of the program TinkerCad. They learn how to assess their design, determine flaws and rework the issues that they are having. Finally, using 3D printers, Royall students print the parts to their car, assemble them and test their build. They assess the function of the car by adjusting force, velocity and by measuring speed. Here is what our students said about why they like being a member of the club: 4th grader Kendall said: “I worked on OSMO last week and I realized that sometimes you make mistakes and it’s ok. I really want to be a Biomedical Engineer so I know I will make lots of mistakes so that I can help people and animals.” 5th grade student Owen said, “I like Bright Minds because we are doing work but it doesn’t really seem like work. I get to work with my friends on tasks every week. ” 6th grade students Jude and Keyshawn were surprised to learn that they would be working with a real engineer from GE. Jude said, “We are still in the blueprint stage of making the cars.” Keyshawn said, “ Mr. Shurman showed us how all of the parts of our design will fit together at the end and now we are starting to sketch our creations.” When the Principal of Royall Elementary School, Julie Smith, was asked about the impact of Bright Minds she said, “The only difference between 'I'm techie' and 'I'm not techie' is the willingness to click on things and see what happens. The Bright Minds Club at Royall offers our students numerous opportunities to click and take chances. When we foster these types of opportunities, our students become active and engaged participants in real-world learning. I have observed the most reluctant learners become persistent and excited about learning during Bright Minds”. Royall’s Bright Minds meets each Monday from 2-3 in 6 week rotations. Due to the overwhelming student interest, we are offering 3 sessions this year for grades 4-6 and 2 sessions for our Junior Bright Minds students in grades 2-3 which begins in the Spring. We are also adding an in-school experience for our kindergarten and first grade students this school year: Bright Minds in Training!
Page 4 Students First Florence 1 fosters love of learning in Early Childhood Programs Preschool is great! Preschool is a time for children to learn to love school. Playing indoors and outside, eating meals, napping, learning new skills in small groups and learning new songs and stories is the way preschool children learn. Our motto is, “Preschool: Where Play Becomes Learning”. Many of us remember the ABC Song or the Itsy Bitsy Spider Song from childhood. It is the same for the preschool children in Florence One Schools. We provide a traditional preschool program that nourishes children muscles and their brains. Parents can enroll their children in preschool beginning in January of each year. Parents can apply at the Woods Road Child Development Center from 8 AM – 4 PM each school day and during the summer. For more information, call Eleanor Ford at 843-673-1129. Home Visits connect families and school! Home visits are a way to connect 1, 2 and 3year-old children and their parents with school. Having a “teacher” come by, share a fun toy, some interesting information, and share the parent’s frustrations and celebrations creates a cozy and comfortable beginning to the outside world of school. Children learn the most from their parents in the first three years of life. In the arms of caring parents, children feel secure. This security leads to a comfortable learning environment. Parents are the role model for their children. Young children with explosive brain growth observe and pick up everything the parents are doing. Sometimes parents need a helping hand. This is the role of the home visitor. To apply, please call Melanie McMillan at 843-758-6871. Start 2 Read Quality children’s books introduce reading to children under four years of age. Access to books can make the difference. Having an experienced reading teacher meet parents at the workplace, give them a quality children’s book and explain how to use the book with children is the goal of this program. Florence One Schools has given thousands of books for children to parents at the workplace on breaks and before and after work. Pediatricians have also assisted in book deliveries. Parents report to Florence One that having good books and a little knowledge has made a major difference in how they read to their children. Parent/Infant Classes Parents staying at home with their young child look for opportunities to meet other parents and provide opportunities for their children to learn. Once a week, parents bring their children to the Parent/Infant group to socialize and watch their children grow and develop. Expert advice is available to parents seeking to know more about their child. Fun play, a snack, lively conversation and building relationships are the heart of these experiences. Children cry when it is time to leave and parents linger asking questions and spending time with others. These classes are open to children ages 6 weeks – 3 years and their parents. Call Susan Knight at 843-758-6872 for more information.
Page 5 Students First Wallace Gregg students practice sensory regulation through support intervention program Our new school counselor, Jamie Matthews, is implementing a new Check In procedure for our students here at Wallace Gregg. This system teaches students how to express their emotions/feelings. The Check Your Engine school-wide check-in is based off of the Alert Program, an empiricallysupported sensory regulation support intervention used all over the nation. The idea is that students will learn how to name their feelings, in terms of their imaginary engine speeds (thoughts, feelings, and actions). Students are given opportunities to identify how their engines are running throughout the day with the prompt, “How’s your engine running?” Students in grades K-6 can then check in silently using only a thumb gesture. From there, students, teachers, the school counselor, and administrators can clearly see which students are regulated and ready to learn, and which students might require some intervention to get ready for the classroom. How is your engine running today? Green (Thumbs up): happy, calm, focused and ready to learn Blue (Thumbs down): feeling sad, sick, tired or bored; moving slowly. Yellow (Sideways thumb): frustrated worried, excited, loss of control Green zone is the ideal engine speed for school: happy, calm, focused, ready to learn. *Thumbs up* Blue zone is classified as running low, feelings: sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly. *Thumbs down* Yellow zone includes restless energy: frustrated, worried, silly, excited, loss of some control. *Thumb sideways* During classroom guidance, students and teachers are taught different interventions and regulation strategies to either increase or decrease energy depending on the individual students’ needs. Some students might require more stimulation to move from Blue zone (low) to Green (just right). Others might require a calm down or movement break to get from Yellow (high) to Green (just right). 30 minutes of sensory regulation provides up to 4 hours of uninterrupted learning time! “This program is good because we are allowing students the opportunity to express their emotions. When I am in the hallways, cafeteria or throughout the building, I just “Check In” and the students will start displaying their thumb signals,” said Principal Debbie Donnelly. “This quiet approach helps us understand where our students are for the day. We can do check in throughout the day and the students are eager to explained what it means. This is great information that we can share with parents during a parent-teacher conference.”
Page 6 Students First Timrod Elementary School uses blended learning classroom model Timrod Elementary has implemented Blended Learning schoolwide in ELA and Mathematics. Blended Learning is a combination of traditional teaching methods, such as face-to-face lecture, with web-based content and instruction. Moving to this model allows for differentiated instruction with students. Our blended learning model consists of rotational workstations for students on their academic levels. Each classroom has a collaboration, independent, technology and teacher-directed station. The classroom teacher begins her lesson as a whole class and presents a mini lesson for students on the targeted standard. Students are organized in groups and are assigned to different workstations for that block of instructional time. Blended learning environments create better opportunities for teacher collaboration, enable differentiated staffing and boost meaningful professional development opportunities. Looking at and analyzing assessments, teachers have a flood of expanded and enhanced student data at their fingertips. This improves efficiency and decreases time spent with routine tasks and record keeping. Time saved from the thoughtful implementation of technology can be reinvested in working with students and collaborating with other teachers. Timrod has found several advantages for implementing blended learning. This innovative way of learning is studentcentered instead of teacher-driven. Learning is personalized and students are taught to be accountable for their own learning. This model meets the needs of ALL students. Implementation of technology is leveraged and purposeful for learning. Instruction is truly data driven by utilizing previous assessments. Modalities of learning are interconnected. Students feel successful every day and are engaged with learning. An essential component of blended learning is the teacher-directed instruction. The teacher creates lessons based upon the ability level of students and works with students in a small group. During this station, the teacher models for students the standard that is being addressed in the lesson. The student is also given guided and independent practice. Before moving to the next rotation, student review the standard and the classroom teacher provides a closure to the lesson. Students have an opportunity to engage in online activities during ELA and Math. They visit websites such as Moby Max, Read Works, Achieve 3000, and Smarty Ants to practice engaging activities that correlate to South Carolina State Standards. Classroom management is necessary for blended learning to be effective for students. Students engage in a rotation model during this practice. Instruction is given in each station for fifteen to twenty minutes and students are given a directive to change to another station. This gives students a chance to be mobile in the classroom. “Blended Learning has changed our school culture for teachers and students,” said Timrod Principal Michelle McBride. “Students are actively engaged in learning during this model of teaching. I have been extremely impressed with students’ knowledge to explain what they are learning and they light up speaking about their experiences with blended learning.”
Page 7 South Florence students support Help 4 Kids with annual food drive On October 26th, South Florence will host West Florence in what's sure to be the biggest football game of the season for both schools. This rivalry between the two schools goes back further than any of the current players or students can even remember. In addition to the game, there is a bigger and more important competition that goes on at the same time. Two years ago, the students decided to turn this rivalry between the schools into something bigger than the game of football and bragging rights. In addition to the “big game” and the other antics that go along with this rivalry, senior football players will be sponsoring a Vienna sausage drive as a part of the competition. Started by Charles Spears, a former South Florence student and varsity football player, this is an annual event in which students compete with West Florence High school students to see which school can collect the most nonperishable food items. While this is a competition between the two schools, South Florence’s 1st period classes will also be competing against each other to see which class can collect the most cans for a chance at donuts for the winning class. During the weeks leading up to this rivalry, each school’s student population will bring in cans of Vienna sausages to 1st period class to be donated to Help 4 Kids, a Florence non-profit organization. According to the organization’s website, after the weekend, many students return to school on Monday morning hungry, ill-tempered and not prepared for the school day because they had no food over the weekend while they were home. Each Friday, students who may not get fed during the weekend, receive backpacks filled with food items for Saturday and Sunday through Help 4 Kids. The organization says its goal is to make sure that these students return to school each week rested, fed, and prepared to learn. South Florence’s senior leader, Michael Mason, hopes to earn bragging rights this year, since West Florence won the competition last year. He also notes that this is a great opportunity to help those in need in the Florence community, while taking part in a friendly rivalry with another school. South Florence’s principal, Mrs. Kimberly Mack, is thrilled at how the students have paired the South Vs West rivalry with this very important outreach. “‘The big game’ and the food-drive is a ‘winwin’ for our students, the organization and community they serve,” Mack said. “We look forward to this event in the years to come.”
Page 8 Students First Alfred Rush Academy promotes culturally responsible education Alfred Rush Academy is an alternative school designed to meet the needs of students that have not been successful in the traditional classroom setting and are at risk of failure. Many of the students are referred to Alfred Rush Academy due to poor behavior, disciplinary, and safety concerns. Other students, mainly high school juniors and seniors, voluntarily choose the alternative school as an avenue to fulfill graduation requirements that would otherwise be impossible at the traditional school using an online curriculum. With either of these options, it is the school’s goal to provide these students with the tools necessary for successful outcomes. "It's our goal to cultivate the will to work, the character to hope, and the endurance to finish,” said Alfred Rush Academy Director Cedrick Kennedy. For many of these alternative students, college does not seem like a reality. Influences such as family background, environment, and socioeconomic status often play a major role in and impact their decision on attending college. Here at Alfred Rush Academy, we strive to make our students’ dreams and goals a reality and create a pathway for the future. One of the goals of Alfred Rush Academy this year is to create Culturally Responsible Education. With this goal we want to create an environment here that encourages and promotes higher education. This month we have had the opportunity to expose our students to many of the great colleges and universities in this area. First, a representative from Florence Darlington Technical College came to Alfred Rush Academy for College Application Day. The representative spoke to students about their educational interest and the many different programs that Florence-Darlington Technical College has to offer. Some of the students were interested in general studies that would prepare them with transfer credits for a four -year degree. Other students were interested in some of the trades that Florence-Darlington Technical College has to offer such as cosmetology, truck driving, dentistry and electrical engineering. The students of Alfred Rush Academy also had a chance to attend the College Fair Day at Francis Marion University. Some of the colleges that attended included Florence-Darlington Technical College, Francis Marion University, Coker College, University of South Carolina, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University and Shaw University. The students spoke with representatives of the many different colleges about the programs that they had to offer and college life on their campus. The students had the opportunity to hear from the different college reps to determine what sets each college apart from each other.
Page 9 Early College Program lets students graduate with diploma, two-year degree The 2018-19 school year will be the fourth successful cohort of the Wilson High School Early College Program. The program allows students to graduate with a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts Degree from FlorenceDarlington Technical College. Students take classes at FlorenceDarlington Tech campus along with some courses at Wilson High School to complete the program. The program began in the 2015-2016 school year with one student earning enough credits to receive an Associate’s degree. From there, students from across Florence 1 were identified to begin the application process. Students were accepted into the program based upon grades, placement test scores, and teacher recommendations. This year, we have 15 students on track to graduate in May 2019 with an Associate’s degree. Current senior Janiya Plowden said the program has given her a head start on college coursework. “This program has given me the opportunity to earn 64 college credits while in high school, with little to no cost,” Plowden said. “I have been able to take my college general education courses while in high school.” Current Chemistry 101 instructor, Dr. Fasauldeen, said “I am excited about teaching in the program because it allows me to teach students at an advanced level and it prepares them for college.” The Early College Program allows students to earn college credit with a very minimal price to parents and reduces the amount of time required to graduate from a fouryear college program. Students that have graduated from the program attend such colleges as Northwestern University, Clemson, and Winthrop. If you are interested in finding out more about the Wilson High School Early College Program, please contact the School Counseling Department at Wilson High School.
Page 10 Students First Students Code to the Future at Savannah Grove Elementary Across the country, there is a push to include more computer science courses into the general education of students. Research indicates that by the year 2020, there will exist a one million person gap in the field of computer sciences. The recent scores for state standardized testing indicate a deficit in the knowledge base of our students in the areas of inquiry, mathematical data, and nonfiction text. By incorporating computer science coding classes into our curriculum, and providing the necessary materials for the students to engage in inquiry, data collection, and researching/ analyzing data, we are giving the students first-hand experience that cannot be gained in a traditional setting, and are generally not afforded. “I am extremely excited about this opportunity for our students,” said Principal David Copeland. “This program is a powerful agent that makes our students more marketable for the real world and our students deserve to be at the forefront of this revolutionary change taking place in society.” The students have an opportunity to design technical solutions to problems in content areas, allowing them to become innovators. Having this opportunity to engage in 21century skills in such a direct manner allows a unique opportunity for these students to develop skills they might not otherwise be privy to. As evidenced by the data collected, having an opportunity to engage in revolutionary methods of ascertaining information is a critical need for our students. Another added benefit of the coding program is collaboration and creativity. These projects and materials promote cooperative learning and incorporate good character skills as one must develop patience, respect for others, persevere through difficult challenges, increase responsibility load, and cooperate with leaders, teammates, and professionals. Students of this generation need added motivation and there is no bigger motivating factor for students than to allow them to explore, create, present, and engage with technology.
Williams Middle School builds robotics program Page 11 Williams Middle School formed a FIRST Technology Challenge (FTC) team in 2016 as the beneficiary of a program grant from FIRST. FIRST is an organization that has developed robotics education programs for students in grades 3 through 12, based on a sports model of competitions between teams. FTC is the program designed for middle school students and requires students to analyze a game and then design, build, and operate a robotics platform to compete against other programs. This provides an opportunity for students to use STEM skills to solve problems, but also to learn to work as part of a team while under the stress of completing a project. Competition is the key making these programs effective. In 2017, the Williams Middle team members met on a weekly basis and held a scrimmage at school. When done correctly, FTC challenges students’ thought, inquiry, and effort. In return, students have the opportunity to develop and test new skills in STEM, team building, and management.
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