Mt. Zion Elementary School is helping all students develop the world-class skills of the South Carolina Graduate profile by implementing strategies and programs that build our students' creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.
Our mission, working in partnership with students, staff, parents, and the community, is to ensure that all students are provided a high-quality education through a curriculum that utilizes content advancement, the analysis of abstract themes and concepts, the development of complex thinking processes, and the transformation of learning into creative products.
We have partnered with Kiawah Cares to develop a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) initiative at Mt. Zion, with multiple teachers now trained in Project Lead the Way Launch; and a dedicated STEAM teacher utilizing the PLTW Launch curriculum for kindergarten - 5th grade students. We also continue to implement other STEM/STEAM challenges and learning opportunities. Our math teachers and administrators have been trained in Ongoing Assessment Practices (OGAP) to support building students’ conceptual understanding in mathematics.
Our faculty members have continued to develop students’ ability to read and write creatively and critically while building deep background knowledge through the implementation of the literacy curriculum and related field trips. Beginning in the Fall of 2022, our kindergarten through third grade teachers, and our special education teachers, embarked on the two-year Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training, which has deepened our collective knowledge of best practices in the science of reading.
This year we continued to welcome volunteers into the building for Reading Partners as well as through two “Reading Role Models” events, where diverse stakeholders came into our classrooms to read engaging books. We also worked with Communities in Schools and other partners to host our second annual Reading Carnival, a fun-filled event focused on literacy. We have continued to work with multiple community partners to increase wraparound support and services for our students in light of the particular needs of our school community.
We believe this combination of curriculum and wraparound strategies for students, partnered with professional development and support for our staff members, allows us to prepare each student to reach their full potential and to read on grade level or above by fifth grade in 2027.
Anna Mims, Principal
Michelle Faust, SIC Chair
