Bryson Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a challenging and safe environment, while integrating rigorous learning opportunities that create synergy and increased engagement in our classrooms.  We are also providing a digital platform, so our students will be equipped with 21st Century skills.  In doing so, we honor our school motto, Building for Tomorrow Today!  At BES, we want all of our students to Believe, Excel, and Succeed in every aspect of their lives.  Every day is an opportunity for our children to reach their fullest potential.  We are proud of the strong support received from our stakeholders, who also share in this vision.

At Bryson Elementary School, we believe our students will continue to make educational gains both with student achievement and social and emotional learning opportunities.  In order to attain this goal, it is essential for our teachers and staff to grow professionally and provide engaging, customized, student-centered Tier I instruction.  Our guidance counselors support students with lessons in leadership during small group and individual counseling sessions.  We also have a full-time mental health counselor on the premises to support some of our students and their families.  Our school’s academic focus this year has included the following:

• Personalized Learning Initiative:  All students in kindergarten through fifth grade were supported with the use of 1:1 Chromebook devices to enhance their educational experiences.  Teachers used the SAMR Model to integrate technology across the curriculum.  Our Discovery Education partnership and Digital Leadership Team have played an integral role in staff professional development by hosting learning labs.  This has helped to infuse critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among students during classroom lessons.  

• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs):  Our team worked to strengthen professional learning communities this school year. Teachers continue to develop and implement common formative and summative assessments, and analyze benchmark data to make instructional decisions to meet the needs of their students.  Teachers also collaborated with the Instructional Leadership Team weekly to build engaging unit plans, long-range plans, and project-based culminating activities.  

• Tier I Instruction:  Our goal is for our teachers to continue to deliver high-quality instruction.  Our team analyzed data from Learning Walks and Instructional Rounds to design our annual Theory of Action, which focused on accountable talk, engagement, and academic discourse.

  • In reading, our team continued to build foundational reading skills by focusing on targeted and differentiated strategy and skill groups.  Several collaborative, school-wide professional development sessions were provided, along with multiple coaching cycles in these areas.  Our Kindergarten and First Grade Teams worked with a Reading Consultant and District Reading Specialist to integrate Community Writing across the curriculum.  We were proud of the gains and independence our students showcased.  The Reading Horizons Program was also infused into the reading block for our kindergarten and first grade students to strengthen foundational skills in phonics and phonemic awareness. The team also received additional coaching in this area. 
  • In math, our team focused on improving student-centered learning and differentiated instruction. It was beneficial to have the support of our District Math Specialist, who also assisted in leading quarterly coaching sessions, Learning Walks, and providing valuable feedback to our teams during PLCs.  Students engaged in guided math flexible teams, which benefited them due to the interdependence of this model.  Several teacher leaders hosted learning labs to share best practices.  A school-wide fact fluency program built a strong foundation for basic math skills.  Additionally, materials and manipulatives were purchased for our professional library for teachers to integrate into classroom stations and instruction. These approaches encouraged our students to have more mathematical conversations about the Learning Targets and the processes used to showcase their understanding of the content. 

At Bryson Elementary School, we also believe it is vital to provide programs and opportunities for students to develop into responsible global citizens.  Students participate in clubs and events, while also collaborating with our community.  For the second year in a row, Bryson Elementary School was named as a National PTA School of Excellence, and we could not be more proud!  Our business partners and parent supporters are vital and valued by our team. Below are some activities and events that are offered annually for our students.  

Student Clubs and Events:  WBES Morning News Show, Hour of Code, Honors Choir, Chorus Club, Steel Drums Club, Bucket Drumming Club, Art Club, Lego Club, Safety Patrol, Student Council, SCOIS Career Assessments, Jump Rope for Heart, Peer Tutoring, Transportation Day, Read Across America Day, Run Hard Club, Covey’s Seven Habits of Happy Kids Classroom Guidance Lessons, Small Group Counseling Lessons, Field Trips, PBIS Quarterly Team Incentives, Quarterly Awards Celebrations, After School Program, and Reflections Contest winners

Community and Parent Events:  Family STEAM Night, Family Literacy Night, PTA Spirit Events, Terrific Kids Celebrations, Good News Club, PTA, SIC, Veterans Day Luncheon, Thanksgiving Luncheon, Grandparents’ Day Luncheon, Reading with Rams Scholar Athlete Partnership with Hillcrest High School, Teacher Cadet Partnership with Hillcrest High School, Bryson Middle School Winter Music Assembly, Semi-Annual Bear Breakfast learning labs for parents and community members, Rick Floyd Digital Internet Safety Presentations for parents and students, Piedmont Mental Health partnership, Girl Scouts of America, Boy Scouts of America, PTA Bear Fair, PTA Winter Dances, annual PTA Volunteer Breakfast and Luncheon, United Way Campaign, Quarterly Awards Ceremonies, Booster Fun Run, Special Olympics, Annual Graduation Honor Walks for former Bryson Bears, Mentor Programs, and the annual Peace Center Spring Sing Concert

Bryson Elementary School is an exceptional place for children, families, and community partners to collaborate and grow together.  We look forward to our continued partnerships and the efforts put forth in helping to prepare our students to successfully lead the way in building bright futures. 

Andreya C. Boggs, Principal