rson is one of CCSD's rural schools. During the 23-24 school year, Frierson had 162 students of mixed demographics and a poverty level of 64.6 percent. We are proud to be District 9’s only Montessori School and CCSD’s 6th and newest Montessori program. During this school year, we transitioned into a full Montessori School. Currently, we have three (3) Primary Montessori Classrooms, three (3) Lower Elementary Classrooms, and two (2) Upper Elementary classrooms. Next year, we will add another Primary Montessori Classroom.
Teachers in the eight (8) Montessori classrooms will continue to be a part of training in the Montessori Methodology. This training will be provided by Lander University for our newest staff and specified training for all staff through funding from our Title I resources in addition to the commitment of our school district. Each year we plan to phase in one additional grade level as we grow to a primary through adolescent Montessori School.
We consistently evaluated the achievement and growth of the students at Edith L. Frierson. This year our goal was to focus on the implementation of the EL Curriculum Modules 1-3, continue the 2nd year of LETRS training for all our K-5th grade teachers, and use Bridges Workplaces along with the OGAP Framework to focus on the Learning Continuum and skills that needed to be improved to increase student success in Math.
It is important to note that 98% of students in grades K to 6th made progress toward their Annual Growth by year’s end in Reading according to the iReady assessment results. We are very proud of the work of our teacher who taught EL to our 3rd graders who made 126% Annual progress towards their Typical Growth, our teacher of 4th graders who made 104%, our 5th-grade teacher whose students made 142% of their annual typical growth and our 6th-grade teacher whose students made 174% of their annual typical growth. The median percent progress towards Typical Growth in Math was 114% with K and 3rd grade students performing at the highest levels. We look forward to the official results of our work to improve the instruction of our students. In our daily work, our school continued to focus on helping all students.
To help increase growth and achievement in both Reading and Math, we will continue to use research-based instructional strategies that have been proven effective in elevating the learning experiences of students at Frierson. We will continue to be able to support our students academically with assistance from Literacy/Numeracy Interventionists who will work with students who need the greatest amount of academic support. Teachers will continue to meet once a week for 90 minutes in Professional Learning Communities with both instructional coaches, principal, and assistant principal as we implement the best reading curriculum, continue LETRS training, and grow in the art and science of reading instruction. Teachers will continue to implement the Heggerty Phonics program in Primary Montessori, UFLI, and the Waseca Phonics program in Primary and Lower Elementary Montessori classrooms. Teachers in all grades will continue their work by following the CCSD instructional units for reading created by the Curriculum and Instruction office. Additionally, we will continue to review formative data and will use data protocols to establish the next steps for students at all instructional levels. In math, teachers in all grades will implement the Bridges Core curriculum as well as Bridges-Number Corner for all students. As we continue to support growth in both Math and Reading we will use multiple settings throughout the day and use a daily 40-minute flex period for targeted intervention using iReady Adapted Digital Technology. The Montessori curriculum will continue to be our core curriculum, with these supports, we expect to see gains in literacy, numeracy, and science.
For the 24-25 school year, our Guidance Counselor and Parent Educator will focus on the social and emotional growth and well-being of all our students. They will also educate parents on the needs of children and how to grow the whole child. Working together with various departments we will use the Restorative Practices strategies to strengthen our school climate, build greater relationships between individuals, as well as teach children the impact of building social connections within our school in order to create a safe and peaceful learning environment.
We continue to be proud of the growth and implementation of our Montessori Program. Working with our district, the community, The Department of Natural Resources, our families, teachers, and staff have brought a light into the school that transfers to student growth.
Finally, we thank our PTA and SIC members, community partners, Kiawah Cares, Kiawah Foundation, The Friends of Frierson, and our many families and community members for your continued support and trust in knowing that we are committed to doing our very best to provide a great learning environment for all our children.
Latrice Jones- Smalls, Principal
Mrs. Kristina Harvey, SIC Chair
