Pinehurst Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. We help provide such an environment through the implementation of our school-wide shared vision: Students will work towards becoming life-long learners in a warm and inviting environment that promotes individualized learning and collaboration. Our school-wide emphasis on collaboration, communication, and problem solving ensures that every student is a productive member of our school family. We demonstrate this vision by challenging our students with blended learning utilizing 1:1 technology, which will help our students succeed in their future lives and chosen careers.
Pinehurst Elementary School is a part of the Charleston County School District’s journey in accelerating student learning and academic growth. Through our personalized, blended learning approach, students are not only able to access the content and standards, but also develop their learning and success with the grade appropriate standards through individual creativity. Personalized learning fosters a learning environment that encourages self-direction, innovation, and student ownership. Students are able to articulate what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how these skills prepare them for future endeavors. Students participate in both behavioral and academic goal setting while demonstrating mastery of the South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards (SCCCRS). The skills in these particular standards foster work ethic and self-motivation for our students.
At Pinehurst Elementary School, faculty and staff work every day to create an environment that is highly engaged and learner focused. Teachers use a variety of methods to engage learners and improve learning outcomes. We believe in using best practices to deliver high quality, content rich, engaging lessons that meet students on their individual levels. Teachers focus on providing our students with engaging, high quality instruction while teaching students to become critical thinkers, to explore topics independently, and to collaborate with each other. Our learners are immersed in opportunities that expose them to academic, social, and cultural experiences. The combination of rigor in the classroom and diverse, culturally rich experiences align directly with the Profile of The South Carolina Graduate and are aimed at maximizing learner outcomes.
With our large number of Multilingual Learners (MLs), it is imperative that our students attend in-person school. Daily interactions with teachers and classmates promote the acquisition and development of literacy skills, which enables our students to speak, read, and write English as quickly and proficiently as possible. Our Early Childhood (1st-3rd) and Special Education teachers are participating in ongoing LETRS Professional Development to gain essential skills rooted in the science of reading to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction. Small group instruction is consistently used to differentiate instruction for all students through our Literacy Acceleration Program (LAP). With an intentional and intense focus on literacy, Pinehurst Elementary is prepared to meet Charleston County School Districts’ goal of all students reading on grade level by the end of 5th grade in 2027.
We continue to use the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program and the Second Step social-emotional curriculum as frameworks for our school climate to ensure learners develop positive relationships that support their educational experiences. By focusing on positive behaviors, staff members naturally create an environment built on trust and focused on desired outcomes. Teachers create matrices, collaboratively with their students, describing what the expectations are throughout the building, including hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, playgrounds, buses, etc. Teachers and students also collaboratively develop a classroom Code of Cooperation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to help create consistency with everyday classroom and school procedures.
Pinehurst Elementary School supports our unique and diverse student population in their progression into future South Carolina graduates and leaders!
Dianne Benton, Principal
Donecia Stanford-Summers, School Improvement Council Chairperson