J.D. Lever Elementary is a community centered, family-friendly school with a focus on helping all students develop world class skills for life and career characteristics as outlined in the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate. Our mission is to build the foundation for our students to reach their full potential by providing rigorous, personalized learning opportunities. We are committed to delivering highly effective instruction through nurturing and service driven professionals who support the academic, social and physical development of each student.
As a pilot school, we are one of the first schools in the state to become certified in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). This has brought statewide attention to J.D. Lever and we could not be more proud. LETRS professional development for our teachers has helped our teachers grow in their craft of teaching our students how to read.
Within the school, we have initiated specific protocols to ensure that we are helping students acquire the skills needed to perform in the 21st century. We have weekly professional learning community meetings where teachers and administrators constantly monitor and discuss the next steps forward for groups or individual students. Academic rigor and critical thinking are highlights during these discussions and how to improve student learning while also focusing on collaboration with other stakeholders and communicating ways we all can work to help students grow.
J.D. Lever Elementary seeks to build and strengthen relationships with students and families while developing mutually beneficial collaborations within our community. A major goal was to improve the communication between school and home. We accomplished this goal by increasing our output through multiple avenues such as newsletters, automated phone calls, our website, and the most utilized, Facebook. The communication improvements have set the stage for increased parent involvement with student activities and their knowledge of curriculum initiatives. This initiative has also brought more parents in for nights to help with literacy, bullying, and feedback surveys to not only help improve their understanding of these items, but also to guide us into what next steps we need to take as a school.
Our school maintains a very active School Improvement Council and Parent/Teacher Organization, who help guide and provide feedback on school and district initiatives. These groups have worked to improve student achievement by examining the safety of the school environment and addressing any areas of concern.
Throughout the year, we encourage parent and community involvement by sponsoring activities such as Open House, Literacy Week and night, STEM/Math Night, Bingo Night and school dances. Our school volunteer program, sponsored through the guidance department, seeks parent and community volunteers to assist throughout the school and mentor in classrooms.
We strive to provide an excellent education for all of our students in an innovative and nurturing environment. We are proud of our programs and attribute our success to working cooperatively with students, parents and the community.
Kippy Kelly, Principal
Kristina Cota, SIC Chair
