Stono Park Elementary is helping all students develop the world class skills, and life & career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by focusing on developing critical thinking and collaborative skills among other supporting goals.

At Stono Park we focus on and are committed to integrating creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, communicating information and technology, building strong work habits and a love for learning into our core program. We will continue to strive to implement the South Carolina State Standards with fidelity while ensuring that the characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate are fully embedded in the school culture.

We provide a school-wide Tier 1 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum.  Using the nationally recognized Second Step curriculum, all classrooms utilize intentional and meaningful lessons to engage students in developing.  The overall goal of the SEL program is to support students in self-regulation, teach skills for learning to include empathy, managing emotions, and problem solving skills to create a more successful learner. Children need a solid foundation of self-regulation skills to help them stay focused on their learning, get along with others and work independently and cooperatively in the classroom. The SEL program assists students in knowing and understanding how to learn as well as communicating with one another. Our team understands and values the relationships that fuel the soul for learning.

We place an emphasis on collaboration with the implementation of cooperative learning for students and adults, workshop models in the areas of Math and Reading, student directed activities, and wellness initiatives for the entire family.  We believe that instructional improvement resides with a team where teachers and teacher leaders collaborate and work in concert with one another.

Teachers collaborate intentionally by participating professional learning meetings, monthly grade level meetings, monthly faculty meetings, and professional development sessions. Teachers regularly observe their peers and are able to gain new strategies and insights to collaborate more thoughtfully for the purpose of improving practice. These collaborative opportunities allow teachers to learn and grow with each other. As a result, teachers are able to create experiences that students will be able to utilize in school and beyond.

At Stono Park, students are taught to think critically and embrace problem solving. The goal is to promote independent and confident scholars. Teachers utilize strategies such as think- pair -share, stop and jot, and Document-Based Questioning to allow children to demonstrate their critical thinking abilities. Teachers serve as facilitators in the classroom and students are able to confidently take risks, assess their own strengths and weaknesses and take ownership for their learning.

At Stono Park Elementary, we believe that it is our charge to develop students who are prepared to compete in a global society.  We will continue to equip our students with skills, behaviors, and dispositions that will ultimately prepare them for college and career readiness.

Kimberly Riggins, Principal

Julie Hord, SIC Chair