River Ridge Elementary School serves over 790 students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is our belief that we are all stakeholders in the educational lives of every student. River Ridge Elementary School is helping all students develop the world class skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. Our mission is to develop responsible lifelong learners by providing meaningful and positive educational experiences for students to reach their maximum potential in an ever-changing world. A dedicated and highly qualified staff is committed to ensuring each student’s success in school and in life and works to exemplify the district’s motto-Every Child…Every Day.
We are working to ensure that all students at River Ridge across all grade levels are developing the World Class Skills with emphasis on critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity as needed throughout life in future studies and careers. Instructional strategies such as differentiated instruction, guided reading, guided math and inquiry-based science and social studies encourage students to be engaged and accountable in learning. Student achievement is a priority as we use rigorous standards-based instruction aligned with the South Carolina College and Career Readiness Standards and evidenced through data analysis.
We believe that literacy is the foundation for all learning and is integral to success within the global community. We are working daily to meet all expectations of Read to Succeed (Act 284) through a focus on engaging, evidenced-based, and differentiated instructional practices and the use of student achievement data to drive instruction. Our goal is to ensure our students develop skills in communication and critical thinking through literacy to be successful in college, careers, and citizenship.
Technology has been integrated across all content areas to strengthen student achievement and collaboration. Our focus is to allow each student to be successful and compete globally. All classrooms have a Promethean board along with multiple devices such as iPads and laptops. Our third and fourth grade students are 1:1 with laptops. These devices are used by students as they become communicators, researchers, and critical thinkers.
The Life and Career Characteristics are exemplified through the opportunities for student leadership: Safety Patrol, Student Council, the Morning News Show Team, the Technology Team, School Store workers, and Science Fair (Grade 3/4). In grades one through four, programs available include: ESOL, Reading Intervention, Gifted/Talented (Academic/ Art), Character Education, Olweus, and Foreign Language. Students also serve the school community through service learning projects which include Pennies for Pasta (Leukemia), March of Dimes, and Relay for Life. Students learn interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, perseverance and self-direction.
All of these initiatives have benefitted River Ridge in our understanding and implementation of Multi-Systems of Support. (MTSS). Utilizing the State Systematic Improvement Plan, teacher and staff collect and analyze data daily in order to adjust instruction to provide each individual student with the instruction he/she needs to achieve. River Ridge continues its commitment to excellence in education by incorporating positive behavior and academic supports to every child. River Ridge Elementary School has been recognized for the following awards: Palmetto Gold Award, Palmetto Silver Award, Exemplary Writing School, Red Carpet School, Healthy Schools, Closing the Gap, and Schools of Promise. We are grateful for our continuing partnership with our PTO and numerous local businesses. We continue to work together to help in the development of our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!!
Bryan Huss, SIC Chair Glenda Bigby, Principal
