Annie Burnside Elementary is an innovative school eager to transform and further develop students into college career-ready and life-long learners. We are committed to sharpening our student's World Class Skills in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by incorporating creativity and modernization through research-based practices. Burnside's administration, faculty, and staff promote all students' academic, emotional, physical, and social wellness to reach their optimal potential. Through targeted attention and review of student achievement data, teacher quality, and school climate, we can continually monitor and adjust our school initiatives to grow as a school constantly. Burnside resides in the capital of Columbia, SC, in a mid-size city setting with just over 10 acres of land that harvests the brick-and-mortar sounding board of Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5.
During the 2023-2024 school year, we maintained a family-friendly, positive, and school-spirited environment to enhance our revolutionary outlook on encouraging our students to think critically and analytically and solve problems. Our students aim to shine in strengthening their organizational, inquiry, and collaboration skills while purposely being exposed to a vast amount of colleges and careers for the finest vision of what it means to be successful.
Burnside is persistently utilizing best instructional practices and research-based standards to provide students with valuable and pointed student-centered learning. Our balanced instructional framework for literacy and math guides us with a tiered approach model to normalize our methodology for improving student outcomes. Our devotion to supporting this framework influences us to utilize three learner dispositions to affect how students relate to the learning process. Our three habits are resilience, perseverance, and a growth mindset. When you enter this school, you will see, hear, and feel these dispositions while immersed in the lessons and perspectives of how we reinforce education. We are also a loyal Visible Learning School, pledging to use researched and proven high-effect-sized strategies that positively affect student learning. We are enthusiastic about our administrators and staff deepening their knowledge of culturally relevant and equity pedagogies focusing on teaching that centers students typically disenfranchised from teaching and curriculum because they are racially, socioeconomically, linguistically, and culturally marginalized. Points of focus include the education and instruction of multilingual strengths and broadening curriculum toward more culturally, racially, and linguistically balanced teaching for the educational benefit of all students.
Families are provided many opportunities to participate in school programs and become a valuable part of the Burnside lineage to grow our students further. School Improvement Council (SIC), PTO, National Network of Partnership Schools, and engaging virtual reading, math, and technology night activities are some of the opportunities that our parents have to indulge in our environment to witness how we care for our students and offer immense support for targeted initiatives. Several grants awarded have deepened our students' responsiveness to cultivate further their intellect, such as the Fruit and Vegetable Grant and a Vegetable Garden Grant. The vegetable garden grant allows our students to venture into our outdoor garden to learn how to plant and produce various vegetables they partake of monthly. Our students can develop and enhance their understanding of citizenship via participation in many clubs, including Burnside Ambassador, Student Council, Bee Patrol, Girl Stem Club, 4th-grade Recorders Club, Chorus, Kings Gentlemen Club, and GEMS Girl Club.
Burnside maintains several community partnerships with businesses and churches surrounding the school's hub, such as Chick-fil-A, Slim Chicken, McDonald's, and Walmart. One of our partners supports and maintains our outdoor classroom, which is an enriched environment for our students to have another residence to engage in learning. The beneficial evolution of our school family relationship with our community of stakeholders is a direct outcome of our efforts.
We remain committed to our vision that we are to be "Intentional with Every Child, Every Day," working together with parents, staff, and stakeholders to provide a culturally responsive atmosphere while being responsible for our students' academic learning, safety, and emotional growth. Our motto is, "Burnside Bees is Destined to Achieve, Watch Me," where we are steadfastly capable of growing our students to fly in this world and SOAR! We will continue using more student-centered instruction to increase student achievement. Parents, students, staff, and community members are proud of our progress! Along with the teachers, staff, parents, and stakeholders, we will work vigorously to continue the legacy of success established by Burnside, provide academic experiences that are rigorous and relevant to our students, and help them build relationships while making real-world connections. Our progress toward greatness will persist as we engage in collaborative efforts.
Dr. Janet Campbell, Principal
Jessica Vann, SIC Chairman
