St. Andrews Middle School is designed to help all students develop the World-Class Skills outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. The faculty and staff work to incorporate research-proven strategies in the classroom, as well as interventions and extracurricular activities, all of which promote critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. We believe all stakeholders share the responsibility for advancing our mission of transforming lives through education and empowering all students to achieve their potential and dreams. We continue to follow the initiatives of the District Strategic Plan and the School Renewal Plan to increase student achievement.
Our ultimate goal is to improve the academic and personal success of all students. A school-wide focus on John Hattie’s Visible Learning instructional strategies: learning intention and success criteria took place this school year. Teachers attended monthly professional development sessions led by Dr. Cathy Lassiter, which enabled them to focus on creating student-friendly standards and assessing students’ success. Instructional decisions are made based on the needs of students identified through various forms of data. With the integration of technology, teachers design lessons to create educational opportunities for students to learn at higher levels. Students must use critical thinking skills and work collaboratively to solve problems. To monitor student progress, teachers collaborate to plan and administer Common Formative Assessments (CFAs) that inform their instructional practices.
The Comprehensive Remediation program, as well as the Saturday Academy, continues to provide excellent learning opportunities through hands-on activities. Students also enhance their creativity, communication, and collaboration skills by participating in clubs such as Chess, Crochet, Yoga, Yearbook, and Culinary Arts. Our students also visited the Charleston Aquarium and the International African American History Museum. Performing Arts awards received by our students include District Honors Orchestra and Regional Orchestra. Additionally, a student’s artwork was selected for the Richland One Permanent Art Collection. An eighth grader was recognized as a Junior Scholar, and we have several Richland One Middle School Scholars. Our 6th-grade track students achieved third in the district championship. We offer a comprehensive athletic program that includes volleyball, football, basketball, track, soccer, softball, and cheerleading. AVID elective students toured Columbia College, Winthrop, and Benedict College as well as completed service-learning projects with our Beta Club and Student Council members. Our Junior Beta Club was awarded the School of Distinction award.
Parents, business partners, and community members provide continuous support for our students. The University of South Carolina partnership sponsors guidance interns, student teachers, and the USC Talent Search program. We are also fortunate to have a partnership with Communities in Schools, which provides tutors, mentors, and numerous services to our students and their families.
We appreciate the continued support provided by our parents, business and community partners, and all stakeholders as we strive to educate the leaders of tomorrow.
Jametta Hodges-Stewart, Principal
Tevelyn Gaither, SIC Chairperson
