Drayton Hall Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by ensuring that all staff members are committed to excellence. This is achieved through a rigorous curriculum, setting high expectations for all students, and utilizing a one-to-one learning environment that integrates iPads into daily instruction. Our school culture emphasizes creativity and a collaborative environment. The utilization of South Carolina College and Career Readiness Standards ensures that all students receive a detailed, individualized education that meets their learning needs. Enrichment opportunities are provided through co-planning, co-teaching, and itinerant teachers to meet the needs of all students.
We are recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for our commitment to innovation and technology integration in education. Students collaborate, communicate, and problem solve using the iPad as one tool to demonstrate their learning. Drayton Hall students in grades 3-5 take home iPads to work on homework and other projects.
Drayton Hall Elementary piloted the social/emotional Second Steps program this year. The program helped reduce the number of behavior referrals to the office and allowed for a better level of collaboration among students. Using the Second Steps curriculum, the guidance counselor and teachers taught specific skills to support student collaboration, conversation skills, and problem solving to our students. Our academic focus over the 2017-2018 school year was math. CCSD provided additional adaptive digital content to support math for Kindergarten to 5th grade. The focus on math and improved collaboration skills among our students led to improvements on our Math MAP scores this past spring.
Our PTO is involved in school planning by providing materials to support instruction and rewarding students for achievement. The staff and students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities throughout the year to promote a healthy lifestyle, including: tennis, basketball, band, strings, student council, safety patrol, and our student-produced Morning News. The Kaleidoscope program at Drayton Hall offers interactive before and after school care.
A rigorous curriculum, collegiality, strong leadership, and clear goals define our successes. At Drayton Hall Elementary School, we believe that educating the students in our attendance area makes our families’ community stronger. We are part of building a better Charleston.
Brian Agnew, Principal
JP Bianchi, SIC Chair
