Orange Grove Charter School is helping all students develop world class skills that align with the Profile of the SC Graduate. The autonomy allowed with our charter status provides an instructional program that is rigorous and data driven, with a focus on standards and achievement. We are a National Blue Ribbon and Palmetto’s Finest School, serving the students of Charleston for fifty-five years first as a traditional public elementary school and for the last twelve years, as a conversion charter school. Becoming a charter school has allowed us to be fiscally conservative, thus giving us the ability to offer small class sizes, Spanish instruction, Academic Specialists at each grade level, independently owned bus transportation, and the latest technology throughout both of our buildings. Becoming a charter school has also allowed us the autonomy to make curriculum and financial decisions that directly benefit our students and ensure their success. In August of 2015, Orange Grove built upon its success with the addition of a 6th grade program on a separate campus and has continued to grow by one grade level each year, to now include grades CD-8.
On both the state standardized and the nationally normed MAP tests, our students are consistently surpassing grade level means, with many students scoring a full grade level above their peers nation-wide. More than fifty percent of our 3rd through 8th graders have been identified as academically gifted and talented. Nearly 75% of our teachers have advanced degrees, thirteen have National Board Certification, and all of our middle grade content teachers have Gifted and Talented endorsements or are nearing completion. We are proud to be recognized by the State of South Carolina each year for our Excellent ratings and Palmetto Gold Awards. We are also proud to have the most students in District 10 score perfect on the SC PASS and SC Ready test.
We have over twenty active business partners and a PTO that cannot be matched. Each year they help sponsor an Artist-in-Residence program that gives all of our students hands-on instruction in the visual and performing arts. Extracurricular activities available to the students include debate team, quiz bowl, QUEST, student council, Google club, boys and girls mentoring and leadership clubs, recycling club, science fair, WTMN news show, chorus, studio art, and musical theatre. For our athletes, we offer basketball, tennis, golf, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, sailing, cross-country, and football. Families enjoy participating in our Boosterthon Fun Run, Pancake Breakfast, Spring Fling, Family Bingo Night, Pro-Kids Show, Silent Auction, and Holiday Shop.
The Orange Grove community is truly something special. Throughout the year, our families work together to collect canned food items for local charities and pet food and supplies for the local animal shelters. Most rewarding is the fact that our students are part of the delivery of goods to these organizations. Our school also sponsors its own Backpack Buddies program for families in need. This program is independently sponsored by families within our school and by our business partners. Each week, students who are involved in this program pick up a backpack of food for them to have over the weekend and long holiday breaks. We have found this program to be an effective way for us to directly support our families in need.
Orange Grove Charter School is truly a place “Where Great Minds Grow.”
John H. Clendaniel, Principal
Justin Welch, OGCS Board of Directors Chair
