John P. Thomas Elementary School is helping all students develop the world-class skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by its continued implementation of Spanish in grades K-5 and various technology devices (I-Pads, Dell laptops, Nook E-readers) at the elementary level. These practices encourage children to view learning with curiosity and joy. We believe in the necessity for a strong, balanced academic program with a practical component. The district-wide comprehensive curriculum aligns with the South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards.
Our fundamental academic curriculum includes the Anti-Bullying Curriculum, Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Inquiry-based Science, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education, Art, Spanish, Strings, and Music program. Qualified students also receive services in our Comprehensive Remediation Program, our Enrichment After-School Program, and the following clubs: Girls on the Run, Boys on the Move, Girl's Circle and Boys Council, Morning News Show Team, Girls in STEM, and Safety Patrol. John P. Thomas Elementary School has wireless internet capability throughout the campus, equipping us for 21st-century learning. We offer our students the opportunity to learn distance through video networking in our classrooms. We have expanded our commitment to ensuring our students are college and career-ready with the continued implementation of AVID in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.
During the school year, John P. Thomas Elementary School offers various activities to our students and parents, which add to the education process. Those that have taken place this past year are Parent Academies, which allows all parents to meet our staff with Back to School Orientation and become familiar with MS Teams, use of iPads and Dell Laptops, Parent Workshop series on testing and reading strategies, social-emotional learning as we navigated the school year with Spring Fling, Fine Arts Showcase, R.O.A.R. Rallies, ELA and Science Curriculum Nights, We Both Read events, Grandparents Day, Urban Farming Initiative, ALL KIDS BIKE initiative in kindergarten, Community Partnership Events and Collaborations with a focus on academics, social-emotional learning, and health and safety practices and Real Men Read. Each month, students are awarded Citizenship Awards by their teacher for making good decisions and demonstrating positive character traits. In addition to our character education and DARE programs, John P. Thomas Elementary School utilizes Capturing Kids' Heart training, Restorative Practices training, and affirmations with students and staff. We challenge all of our students to increase their independent reading time by completing their weekly required reading time, and logs are awarded monthly for accomplishing this goal.
John P. Thomas Elementary aspires to "empower all students to achieve their potential and dreams." We are committed to the belief that all children are learners and will take personal pride in accomplishments as we strive to Empower, Educate, and Engage each student. John P. Thomas Elementary School is still and always will be "A Place of Possibilities."
Selina Latimore, Principal
Dexter Ashford, SIC Chairperson
