Stone Academy is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by actively engaging them in a comprehensive, sequential, academic program interwoven with the arts and enriched with creative problem-solving experiences appropriate for all learning styles. Stone Academy is an inner-city arts magnet school of 632 students serving an assigned downtown neighborhood and students from across the county who apply to attend through Stone’s magnet program. Approximately 25% are magnet students, 26% of students qualify for free/reduced meals, and 35% of students in grades 3-5 qualify for Challenge.
During this school year, we continued addressing our 4 multi-year goals for continuous improvement that included: Improving reading and writing achievement of all students across grade levels; Improving math achievement of all students across grade levels; Enhancing technology skills of students, teachers and parents to improve overall achievement; Increase parent communication and involvement.
This year’s continued focus was on arts integration, data analysis, and Personalized Learning with the use of Chromebooks to differentiate math and reading instruction. Teachers participated in training that focused on integration of the arts, technology, reading, Project Based Learning, math instruction and writing. Our faculty also integrated South Carolina State Standards utilizing the arts to support them.
Stone maintained, for the eighteenth year, its status as an ABC (Arts in the Basic Curriculum) Advancement Site. The school-wide instructional theme was “In 100 years, there’s Only One You.” Many students participated in performing groups at school with 60 in Stone Singers, 17 in Dance Ensemble, 23 in Play Production, and 63 students in strings. Jumpstart News continued as a daily, live TV program with 5 crews of fourth and fifth grade students. Encore enrichment classes after school offered continued learning experiences in art, music, dance, drama, science and writing. We celebrated the arts monthly with special art presentations including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
The SIC supported the school wide goals by offering guidance and effort with parent involvement, technology, math and reading.
Brett DeLoach Vaughn, Principal
Josh Morris, SIC Chair
