Collaboration/Creativity/Communication - Engaged Parents and Community
At FMES, we understand the importance of the family unit and the community as a whole in the development of students. We have tried to maximize the opportunities for parents to spend time in engaging activities with their children. These events include an FMES STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Night where students and families engaged in a family STEAM challenge, a Publix Math Night where families had different challenges to compete at a local grocery store, a Literacy Night with different English Language Arts activities, and lastly a Peace, Love, and Pastries breakfast event promoting character building and cultural appreciation. Each of these events provided a different experience for parents and students while providing the school an opportunity to continue to build relationships with all of our families.
We also recognize the value in including the greater community in the growth of our school and our students. To foster community relationships we have continued to implement partnerships with First Baptist Church, Winthrop University, Fort Mill Middle School, and Fort Mill High School and Nation Ford High School. First Baptist Church is involved in grounds improvement and cleanup as well as church members spending time reading and working with individual students. Our partnership with Winthrop University allows us to host students who have chosen a career in the field of education. These students participate in a multitude of classroom observations, student teaching experiences and full year internship opportunities where they hold the status of “Junior Faculty Members”. The Fort Mill Middle School Beta Club also spends time reading and working with students while the two high schools send Teacher Cadet and Early Childhood Education students to observe and help teachers, as well as work with individual and small groups of students in specific classrooms. Each of these partnerships provides students with valuable one-on-one time with a mentor to continue to aid in each student’s growth and development.
Collaboration/Communication/Critical Thinking - Teacher Collaboration
Continuous teacher growth is a priority at FMES. During the past school year the theme for the year was Learning>Teaching. To foster this theme we have continued to move to a Professional Learning Community model which incorporates increased teacher collaboration. Grade level teams operate as a collaborative team and have dedicated times when they meet to discuss curriculum and planning, as well as to discuss student data. Also, we have implemented a collaborative time for grade levels in the morning to provide additional time for teachers to work with one another on a specific content area. During this time, classes are covered by related arts, administration, and support staff to provide teachers with uninterrupted time.
Teachers are also encouraged to share different things that they are passionate about or areas where they feel they have mastery. To enable teachers to continue to collaborate on these specific topics we have implemented staff-led Professional Development. During this time teachers have the opportunity to attend sessions that are taught by their colleagues and learn more about what is going on within the building where they teach. We also utilize STEAM leaders to continue to emphasize the importance of STEAM components in the classroom. STEAM leaders have been involved in learning labs which allow teachers to observe practices in their classroom, planning STEAM based lessons with other grade levels, as well as lead professional development sessions that focus on STEAM practices. Lastly, our reading coach and several of our teachers have been involved in a partnership with a neighboring elementary school, focused on Interactive Writing and Guided Reading learning labs. In these labs, teachers from each school shared their specific expertise in these areas while also providing lab experiences for teachers where these components could be seen in practice. Each of these processes provides teachers with valuable time to collaborate with colleagues, share their craft and expertise, and continue to build relationships.
