Pinehurst Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. We help provide such an environment through the implementation of our school-wide shared vision: We will develop adults and educate students with high-level coaching and instruction, elevate and empower all as we equip our students to be successful in life. We demonstrate this vision by challenging our students with high-quality standards-based instruction.
Collaboration among staff and students is a key component to our success. Teachers are supported by our reading and math coaches, working together each week to implement best instructional practices in the classroom, analyze data to ensure student success, and plan high-quality standards-based instruction. Weekly Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings provide collaboration opportunities for our teachers to plan a rigorous and engaging learning environment for our students. At Pinehurst, we continue to maintain a strong emphasis on building the culture and climate of our school, teaching curriculum with fidelity, and extending the learning outside of the general education classroom into the Multilingual Learner (ML) classrooms.
Pinehurst Elementary is dedicated to ensuring daily attendance for our Multilingual Learners to foster essential interactions with teachers and classmates. These interactions boost students' eagerness to attend school, which in turn accelerates their acquisition and development of literacy skills. This approach is designed to help students speak, read, and write in English as quickly and proficiently as possible. Our Early Childhood (1st-3rd grade) and Special Education teachers are actively engaged in ongoing Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) Professional Development. This training, rooted in the science of reading, equips students with the necessary skills to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction. We consistently use small group instruction to differentiate learning for all students, ensuring personalized and effective teaching occurs daily. We have intentionally designed our master schedule to keep all students in the classroom during core instruction. During flexible, differentiated times, students receive additional small-group instruction tailored to ML, Special Education, and intervention needs. This strategic approach ensures that the diverse needs of our learners are met. Pinehurst Elementary is fully committed to supporting Charleston County School District's goal of having all students read on grade level by the end of 5th grade by 2027.
Pinehurst Elementary continues to implement the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program along with the Second Step social-emotional curriculum to foster a positive school climate. These frameworks are crucial for helping our learners develop the positive relationships necessary for a successful educational experience. By emphasizing positive behaviors, our staff naturally cultivates an environment based on trust and focused on achieving desired outcomes. Teachers and students collaborate to create matrices that outline expectations throughout the building, including in hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, playgrounds, and buses. This collaborative effort extends to the development of a classroom Code of Cooperation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring consistency in everyday classroom and school procedures.
Pinehurst Elementary School supports our unique and diverse student population in their progression into future South Carolina graduates and leaders!
Paul Pallagi, Principal
Ana Duron Canela, School Improvement Council Chairperson
