Catawba Trail Elementary School is proud of its growth and accomplishments after the completion of its seventh school year. Our students, families, faculty and community worked together to continue our school mission of “Many Paths to the Future.” Key to our success has been the invested parent leadership of our School Improvement Council (SIC) and our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Our school is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing students ownership of their learning and opportunities for student voice and choice in our design of student work.
Our technology-rich environment includes One-to-One computing in grades three, four and five, with each student assigned a Chromebook for in-school use. In grades kindergarten, one, and two, there are five Chromebooks in each classroom. Every classroom school-wide is equipped with an interactive SMARTBOARD, a hover-cam, and I-Pads. Students have access to Microsoft laptops to assist with robotics and Apple Macbooks to explore digital imagery and movie-making. Coding software is our most recent addition. Students are actively engaged with technology as a tool to enhance their learning and seamless integration by our faculty makes the content meaningful. Technology tools allow for differentiated learning, tap into student creativity, and provide a fun, engaging medium for a student to showcase learning.
Participation in coding and new technology-based instruction in our CT3 class allowed students to design innovative, real-world projects. This work allows the seamless application of the following World Class Skills: creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, and communication, information, media and technology skills practice. We continued to expand arts opportunities with grade level performances in kindergarten through fourth grade, choir performances and Steel Pan performances.
Increased opportunities for student fitness allowed the incorporation of archery and a rock climbing wall to our physical education program. In addition, our fifth year of school-wide clubs continued to enhance students’ attainment of Life and Career Characteristics, such as Integrity, Self-direction, Global perspective, Perseverance, Work ethic, and Interpersonal skills.
Our newest initiative involved incorporation of a school-wide character education program delivered through First Tee. This imbeds the Life and Career Characteristics of integrity, self-direction, and interpersonal skills. By receiving instruction in golf, each child learns 9 health habits and 9 character/life habits. Catawba Trail is focused on designing meaningful and engaging work to advance the learning of the individual student. Our beliefs for our children are shared in the Principal's Vision below:
As we embrace the most important work we'll ever do, our eyes look to the future. Our world is shrinking and our children know this best of any of us. Technology creates a learning environment with no boundaries. Essential skills focus on thinking....Thinking creatively, thinking critically.....sustaining thinking over time and through challenges. Our diversity is our strength and results in a more thoughtful and flexible learning environment. No longer is there just one right answer or one right way to design an elegant solution to a real world problem. We celebrate our children, our future, and we dedicate Catawba Trail to their education, their dreams, their aspirations, and their present and future success. Catawba Trail.....Many Paths to the Future.
Mrs. Anya Martin, School Improvement Council Chairman
Mrs. Denise Barth, Principal
