Our school is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by engaging in a rigorous curriculum fostered by high expectations among our school community. Powdersville Elementary School is committed to developing creative, critical thinkers who demonstrate teamwork, knowledge, and good citizenship. This mission reflects our intense belief that we are preparing students for college and career. Our school is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by engaging in a rigorous curriculum fostered by high expectations among our school community. This year marked the fifth year of our 1:1 iPad implementation for all students. Students and teachers showed innovation on a daily basis in the ways in which they use the technology in the classroom to support their research and presentation of material to communicate their learning effectively. Students and teachers have also explored ways in which to differentiate and expand their learning through programs such as Dreambox, Reflex, Rosetta Stone, and NewsELA. In an effort to understand, support, and teach the whole child, the staff at Powdersville Elementary worked hard this year to teach skills to students that extend beyond the academic curriculum and connect the students with our community. We invited men from around the community to read to our students during our “Real Men Read” event. Students also worked on cards for our nearby nursing home. In an effort to prevent and educate our students about bullying, Powdersville has worked with students on OLWEUS, an anti-bullying program that promotes student education on the topic and ways in which to prevent it in the classroom and community. Powdersville has also implemented the House System across all grade levels to create a sense of belonging for each student. Houses were created based off of our P.R.I.D.E. acronym which stands for Purposeful, Respectful, Innovative, Determination, and Excellence. Administration, teachers, students, and other staff members each randomly selected one of our five houses to belong to. Each month the students and staff gathered at their meeting place with their house members to discuss qualities that promote good citizenship. Teachers of each homeroom then recognized students who were demonstrating these qualities in our P.R.I.D.E. practice ceremonies. To support and grow our teachers, Powdersville worked to provide professional development that was meaningful to the needs of our building. Throughout the year, teachers and other support staff  had the opportunity to visit places such as the Ron Clark Academy, Furman Consortium, and New York to learn more about Lucy Calkins’ reading and writing implementation. Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, were one of the ways in which teachers worked to review standards, engage in meaningful conversation about student data and assessments, and create an action plan for how to address students’ needs. Teachers met weekly to review their results and engage in discussion that led to future adjustments in the classroom. They also worked to make learning engaging and meaningful by doing room and school transformations such as Mario Math World, an operating room for grammar, and a school-wide pizzeria for fractions. Our PTSO has supported our teachers and school in many ways by raising money through partnerships with community businesses and hosting events for our students and parents all throughout the year. This has created opportunities for our students to excel. Students were able to show their Powdersville PRIDE in our district Battle of the Books competition and fourth grade Cardboard Regatta STEM competition in which they brought home first place in both events. Powdersville students, staff, and teachers are constantly looking to push themselves and take learning and community relations to the next level.