At Loris Middle School, our mission is to ensure that every student leaves our building thriving and fully prepared to be a successful contributor in a rapidly changing global society. We strive to close the achievement and opportunity gaps to encourage accelerated growth to prepare EVERY student not just for the careers and challenges of today but those that will evolve in our ever-changing society. We are working to increase parent and community involvement, teacher morale, and student engagement within school. Our school-wide theme is “Power in the Pride” because we know that our strength comes from our collective resolve to help our students be successful.
Loris Middle School students are challenged daily in the four academic classes, which are based on rigorous standards that promote world-class knowledge. Students may earn high school credits by demonstrating mastery in Algebra 1, Geometry, English 1, Fundamentals of Computing I, and Fundamentals of Computing II. Through our school district’s digital initiative, teachers and students are provided with a Dell Latitude to promote deeper learning in the disciplines, personalize learning, and better meet each student’s academic needs. Using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and iReady, our teachers analyzed achievement data to strategically plan instruction and attended professional development to better enhance instruction that leads to continuous improvement for students. We believe the performance data shared below reflects effective data analysis, instructional planning, and implementation of high-yield strategies at Loris Middle School.
Throughout the year, our Fine Arts Department provided opportunities for our students to participate in district and state competitions. We are pleased to announce we had several students make All-County Band, All-County Orchestra, All-County Chorus and Region orchestra and band. Several eighth-grade band students performed with the Loris High School Marching Band during football season. Our archery team competed at the state, national, and world levels in its seventh year as a team. Other evidence includes 7 students as SC Junior Scholars and a large number of students being inducted into the Junior Beta Club. Through activities such as these, students are allowed to develop world-class skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Our students, parents, teachers, and administration are adapting to our new “normal” post Covid-19. While this report includes information about student performance, numbers alone do not speak to the energy and creative efforts that contribute to that performance. Even though there were no quarantines, no plexiglass, and no hybrid instruction, we still had to battle the after effects of Covid-19 including delayed social skills, gaps in learning, and diminished academic stamina. LMS remains committed to looking continuously for ways to improve the educational experience, and we celebrate the many accomplishments and achievements that validate the talents of our students, as well as the professional commitment of our staff. We also believe that strong partnerships between family, community, and school are imperative to the success of students.
Kelly Shaw, Principal
Kevin Gause, School Improvement Chair