Our school is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by striving for levels of excellence in learning and providing opportunities to nurture the development of informed global citizens. Through the Profile of the SC Graduate and the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, Mid-Carolina Middle School is designated as one of nearly 400 schools around the nation to facilitate optimal learning for all students to enable them to lead fulfilling lives in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex society.
MCMS promotes World Class Knowledge by offering Carnegie Units for English I and Algebra I while maintaining a 100% passage rate on the EOC tests. We continued to maintain high levels of literacy in all classes to include reading, writing, and speaking. A school-wide OBOS (One Book, One School) initiative bound the entire campus to literacy in the fall and spring semesters. As a PLTW participant, MCMS offered through our Gateway to Technology Classes: Introduction to Design and Modeling, Medical Detectives, and Robotics. Student opportunities in the arts afford students in band, chorus, and art the possibility to compete locally, regionally, statewide and nationally. Our band program received an excellent rating, chorus received superior and several Beta Club students received invitations to nationals. Academic Team won a state championship and received an invitation to nationals.
World Class Skills are promoted through numerous educational and social avenues. Experiential opportunities were presented to each grade level. Grade 6 participated in a CSI on-campus trip and the Roper Mountain Science Center. Grade 7 visited Saluda Shoals for a science experience. Grade 8 students traveled to Washington, DC and the Roper Mountain Science Center. MCMS values the key practices of the Making Middle Grades Work initiatives as well as the Literacy Design Collaborative and Math Design Collaborative. All students were again provided the opportunity to join a club this year raising school-wide participation to 100%. Students were assigned to core teams to encourage collaboration and teamwork in and out of the classroom. The Rebelution enrichment period further fostered collaboration, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in an advisor-advisee atmosphere. During this period, the 7 Mindsets curriculum instilled the skills and characteristics needed for the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Students lead our WMCMS morning news show. MCMS continues to collaborate with the district to increase the availability and use of technology in the classroom. Eight additional laptop carts were purchased. IPads continued to be used in station activities and class projects. All students were issued student email accounts via Office 365. All classes continued to implement the station concept to promote creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration.
Students are afforded many opportunities to develop Life and Career Characteristics throughout the school year. All students produced projects and lead the annual Academic Night for parents and the community. Four Parent Institutes were conducted as part of the school’s Read to Succeed Plan. A global perspective is provided through community service and Live to Give Projects like: Relay for Life, United Way, March of Dimes, Ronald McDonald House, SC Walk to School Day, Hurricane Flood Relief, Angel Tree, Veteran’s Day, Community Program of Recognition, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Pennies for Patients, Chron's Disease, local student body needs and the local Pomaria Canned Food Drive. MCMS expanded opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills and leadership through FCA, Leading Ladies’ Club, Male Call, Archery Team, Student Advisory Council, Rebelettes, and the Rebel Ambassador Program. READY Time (offered in the morning before school), Catch-up Café (offered at lunch), the READ 180 class, and after-school tutoring motivated students to persevere and establish a positive work ethic. Career Day, job shadowing, and community readers inspired student understanding of the global workforce. Community speakers were invited to share life experiences from various areas including SLED, DNR, medical professionals, law enforcement, law related professions, and more. Programs or activities for Veterans Day, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month were presented.
Deedee S. Westwood, Principal, and Fran Gray, SIC Chair