Windsor Elementary is helping all students develop World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, nurturing, caring, and academically enriched learning environment, where EVERY child is valued, safe and able to reach their fullest potential.Through AVID our students are developing agency of their learning through expanding their organizational skills. Our schools’ focus aligns with our district’s core values of Belonging, Learning, Continuous Improvement, and Joy.
Windsor’s classrooms are designed in a Community of Learning Model. The purpose of the Community of Learning Model is to meet the academic and social needs of each student by providing a rich and rigorous learning environment. The goals of the Community of Learning Model are to promote an inclusive atmosphere that fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance for all students, to build learning communities of Pre-K through 5th grade students and teachers that focus on individual academic needs in the classroom, and to develop compassion and leadership skills for ALL students.
Through the focus on the 21st Century Skills of Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, students are provided an opportunity to showcase their personal talents and demonstrate leadership in planning, designing, and implementation of learning projects. Students are engaged in a rigorous learning environment that grows their world class skills and demonstrates the characteristics of the “Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.”
Character development is key and is an ongoing focus among our student leadership organizations. P.A.W.S. Up, Windsor's character education program, provides the foundation for our students to develop the necessary skills to be productive members of our society. The program promotes ethical decision-making to ensure students have respect for themselves and others. The acronym P.A.W.S. represents our school-wide behavioral expectations. PERSISTENT in achieving our goals, ACCOUNTABLE for our words, actions, and success WELL-BALANCED academically, emotionally, and socially, and SAFE by following all school wide expectations.
Teachers engage in an ongoing cycle of learning, always striving to improve instructional practices to best support teaching and learning. They are reflective of their instructional decisions driven by the in-depth review of data. Through this cycle of data informed decision-making from a variety of assessment sources, teachers adapt their instruction to improve student achievement outcomes. Windsor teachers are adept at inquiry based learning, Response to Intervention, and strategies for differentiation in the Tier One (classroom) setting. Our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support allow us to meet the needs of all students. Programs like Response to Intervention (RTI) provide students with the support needed to become successful learners. Through student screenings at the beginning of the school year with Easycbm, appropriate reading and math levels are determined. With the use of Mastery Connect, extended planning and quarterly data conferences, teachers are able to accurately address all student needs and accelerate learning. Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) are incorporated to determine if students met growth goals in reading and/or math.
Our students and faculty are actively involved in the community and we believe those partnerships are essential in developing 21st Century learners. We have ongoing opportunities throughout the year to engage families and the community in rich experiences at Windsor Elementary. At the beginning of the year, Open House is scheduled for students and teachers to meet and community organizations including the Richland County Sheriff Department, Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, and STEM for Kids to share information with our families. Throughout the year, Windsor hosts a variety of other events to include curriculum nights where families are given information on the South Carolina Curriculum Standards, WE Fest, and Windsor’s Winter Ball. These events are held yearly to engage families and bring the community together. We also host a yearly Black History Program, Veteran’s Day Program, We Pink We Can Cancer Walk, Cultural Arts Day and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. We are committed to service to our community through planning culturally rich and diverse learning experiences for students and families that will have a positive impact on our community.
Our school focus, P.A.W.S. Up, encompasses the school's character education focus at Windsor. Our belief is that when we practice persistence, accountability, are well-balanced, and safe then we will show growth and make progress. In all we do, we celebrate our successes and share joy. Teachers and staff members are given a platform to celebrate successes and students are a part of the learning team when they are recognized for academic and behavioral success that is personalized for each student. P.A.W.S. Up is a part of the Windsor culture where students are being developed as future leaders and scholars for tomorrow. Authentic and meaningful educational experiences are a part of the Windsor learning culture. Through these endeavors, we will best prepare our students to be life and career ready. We value our stakeholders’ ongoing support in growing better together!
DeAnna Savage, Principal
Tara Graham, School Improvement Council Chair
