Sims Middle School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing various rich learning opportunities designed to stretch our students socially, academically, creatively, and emotionally. As students returned to a more typical year, we were presented with opportunities to rebrand and refocus our school community and partner with outside organizations such as Milliken, Standard Textile, Lockhart Power, Union County Rotary Club, Union County Lions Club, Urban League, ReGenesis Mental Health, Innovations Mental Health, Clemson Extension Program, and many other local organizations.
The culture of Sims Middle School is committed and vibrant, focusing on moving students to ensure the highest academic achievement for each student. The mission of Sims Middle School is to provide all students with opportunities to learn and become active members of the community. The vision of SMS is to foster a school atmosphere and environment that will meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of the diverse school community. The mission of SMS is to “Be the one!” to educate all students and prepare them for future successes. It is the belief of SMS that all students matter and can learn, can be self-reflective, and have a stake in their learning process. Some strategies used by our incredible teachers include small group reading and math instruction, structured literacy components, inquiry-based learning, relevant hands-on learning in science, and technology integration in all content areas. Our students are also offered honors courses, computer-digital literacy, Project Lead the Way, Art, Band, Chorus, and various extra-curricular athletic programs such as football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, track, etc.
Our teachers participated in ongoing staff development during common subject-area planning using a weekly collaborative PLC. Teachers in ELA and Math created common formative assessments based on key standards and used the data to inform their instructional choices to utilize best practices. This allowed them to collaborate with learning coaches and colleagues about teaching strategies while raising student achievement.
The initiatives we have adopted this school year have provided a great deal of valuable professional learning for our teachers and staff members. During the academic school year, teachers and staff members attended local, state, and national professional developments on school counseling, PBIS, English Language Arts, social studies, mathematics, computer science, science, and professional learning communities. Sims Middle School takes pride in the lifelong learners that make up our faculty and staff.
There was a great focus on improving student behavior through the utilization of the Sims Middle School ROAR (Respectful, Organized, Accountable, and Responsible) matrix, which provided students with expectations in all aspects of the school (bus/carline, classrooms, hallways, courtyards, media center, cafeteria, restrooms) and during classroom instruction (whole group, small group, independent, assessments, transitions, and with the use of technology.) There were quarterly, semester, and yearly PBIS celebrations, including pep rallies and partnering with local businesses like Kona Ice. Students are also provided enrichment opportunities throughout the year. These opportunities include EMERGE, camps, Battle of the Books, free book giveaways, band, and honors choir. Sims Middle School students also participated in a wide variety of clubs where students were able to select a club based on their personal interests. The clubs included archery, cheerleading, cooking, gardening, and many more.
During the 2023-2024 school year, Sims Middle School hosted a variety of parent engagement events. Some of these events, A Night on the Gridiron, The Night Before, Take me out to the ball game!, and Poetry Night focused on research, writing, and STEAM.
The faculty and staff of Sims Middle School will continue to monitor and seek feedback from all stakeholders to ensure we are providing and implementing the best programs and practices that will assist our students in receiving a world-class education. With the continued support of our parents, district office personnel, the school board, parents/guardians, the SMS School Improvement Council, and all stakeholders involved, we will continue to provide our students with opportunities to be successful participants in today’s global society.
Brook Anderson, SIC Chair
Andrew Cartee, Principal
