North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary (NCCAE) is a partial magnet program that focuses on student preparation through an arts integrated approach. We envision ourselves to be the premiere setting for student acceleration through the incorporation of the fine and performing arts as primary pathways to engagement and rigor. We aim to foster student creativity, promote scholarly grit, requisite daily exposure to thinking and problem solving, and stimulate talent through authentic arts experiences.
For example(s), Dance: Exposes neophytes to a variety of styles like jazz, ballet, tap, modern, & African. The program embraces creative movement and looks to align with cross-curricular units studied in the core content areas. Piano: Meets learner needs based on their level of experience, from beginner through advanced. The program teaches how to read music, make the most of their practice time and hones performance based skills. Theater: Features a "black-box theatre-style" classroom with costumes, props, and lights. The program focuses on improving literacy skills through fun and engaging drama lessons and activities. General Music: The design of this program provides each student with a well-rounded music education, which includes singing, hands-on instruments, theory, cultural influences, connecting our past to our present, and performance opportunities to build student confidence and the love of music. Strings: Offers instructional learning in violin for Kindergarten through the 2nd grade. In grades 3 through 5 the Viola, Cello and Double Bass are added as string options. Visual Art: Focuses on instilling creativity and confidence in all students. Creative Writing: To launch in ’21-’22 will focus on a love of words and the written language. We believe that this program will help support literacy initiatives across the organization.
Moreover, this school year was unique and proposed the most significant challenge to education within the last 100 years. Nonetheless, we viewed it as an opportunity to be creative and pivot In order to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on school operability. We incorporated the following strategies to promote school safety under this medical crisis. In-Person COVID Capacity Max Numbers: We restricted the number of in-person learners to twenty students per one teacher ratio. This allowed for appropriate social distancing within the classroom. Social Distancing: All students and staff were encouraged to safely distance at 6ft apart. We even created a COVID song that served as a reminder to students to be compliant with CDC recommendations for safety during the pandemic. Mask Wearing: Every Adult and Scholar were expected to be masked at all times unless eating and/or during a distanced mask break. Alternate Travel Paths: To decrease the number of students in the halls during transitions we developed an alternate travel route that had some classes travel to their art majors via the outside of the building. This minimized the number of people in the hallways at any given time. Alternate Lunch Seating Arrangements: Students were seated two to a table that traditionally allotted for six to a table. This meant we had to create alternate schedules to balance which classes ate in the café on a rotational basis. Hand Washing Routine: Teachers scheduled routine handwashing breaks throughout the course of the day. Personnel Protective Gear: Teachers were equipped with masks and face guards to help reduce the risk of transmission within the classroom. Close Contact notification: Students and staff who were identified as potentially exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 were immediately quarantined and not permitted to return to campus until determined by the districts nursing services dept. Positive Notification: We were transparent with stakeholders in regards to identified positive cases so they were knowledgeable about our positive caseloads. Ultimately, these practices, along with diligent accountability resulted in one of the lowest positive caseloads among elementary schools within the district.
Ultimately, our targeted focus as an organization is to prepare our scholars to be College and Career ready by developing essential skills in a safe, supportive environment. The following initiatives were cultivated at NCCAE in the 2020-2021 school year to support that mission. We solicited and received brand new 1:1 Chromebooks for grades 2-5 and 1:1 new IPads for grades K-4 thru 1st. The creation of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Club, which seeks to teach leadership skills to 4th and 5th grade boys, was established. We incorporated the MVP quarterly awards to celebrate scholastic growth, student behavioral cooperation and attendance performance. We have given away three bikes, two American Dolls, 14 free photo shoots & a host of other prizes and gifts. The Saturday Academy allowed scholars to get remediation and/or acceleration in small group numbers… While University Scholars afforded our English Language Learner population tutoring services from a bi-lingual instructor two days per week. The Hootie Train was a school wide PBIS initiative focused on rewarding scholarly compliance with behavioral expectations. Additionally, The Creative Writing Program was initiated to foster the love of words and increase literacy performance across the organization. Lastly, The Institute of Arts Integration and Stem afforded teachers easy, comprehensive PD’s and standardized content lessons to enhance arts integration within the classroom.
NCCAE, is a place where “The Arts and Academics Meet”. A philosophy on “preparing today’s scholar for tomorrow’s world”.
Rob Grant, Principal
Calvin Logan, SIC Chair
