Castle Heights Middle School is committed to helping all students develop World-Class Skills as defined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Castle Heights focuses on social equity, academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, and establishing organizational structures and processes that promote the well-being of adolescent learners. By utilizing meaningful practices, we encourage a culture and atmosphere where student needs come first. Our goal is to develop our students as lifelong learners.
At Castle Heights, we strive to create, design, and collaborate in a safe and secure learning environment where all students and staff reach their highest potential. One way we achieve this goal is through the workshop instructional model. This model assists our teachers in providing students with a quality mini lesson, followed by scaffolded independent work time and ending with a time for reflection. Another way in which we help our students reach their highest potential is through accelerated advanced core classes in all grade levels: English I, Algebra I, Spanish I, and Geometry. In addition, all students identified as Gifted and Talented receive specialized instruction in Language Arts and math classes.
Our teachers utilize Mastery Connect which provides data on student performance and mastery of essential learning standards. Teachers create trackers of student rosters and then develop assessments such as benchmarks, exit slips, and other formative and summative assessments. Mastery Connect provides teachers and students with immediate feedback on the student’s mastery of assessed standards.
Another area in which Castle Heights is working to help our students reach their highest potential is in Related Arts classes. In Theater Arts, students present first-class musicals and plays. Students oversee all aspects of producing a musical, including lighting, sound, and set design.
Our students report to Enrichment each morning for a 30-minute block of time. Teachers work with students on math and reading interventions/acceleration and SEL. This time is diverse and caters to the needs of the individual student. During this time, students also have an opportunity to participate in clubs once a week.
We strive to create a culture of reading in our school. Our librarian provides students with literature circles opportunities based on Project Lit books, author visits tied to One Book-One Author-One School, and teacher book clubs to facilitate our culture of reading. Our district also supports our reading culture by establishing a reading goal of 10 books per student. Students use a reading data dashboard to log the books they have read.
Castle Heights continues to increase student recognition programs by engaging all students. Students are recognized for academic excellence, good character, and citizenship. Quarterly assemblies are held to celebrate their success. Each grade selects Student of the Month. Students are also recognized at the school and district level for visual and performing arts, Duke Tip, Junior Scholars, and Perfect PASS and SCReady scores. Our school resource officer awards and recognizes students who demonstrate integrity and good morals.
Castle Heights focuses on building relationships within and outside of our school. Several community groups support Castle Heights. We have partnered with a neighboring church that has provided meals for families for evening events. We have a mentoring group for our male students, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Our Parent Support Committee and School Improvement Council offers parents, teachers, administration and other stakeholders the opportunity to discuss school events and policies that can enhance overall school performance. Parents and the Rock Hill Community were invited to our Heritage Festival. We celebrated our diverse school culture with an evening of arts, speakers, games, information booths, and food trucks.
As we continue to examine our instructional programs and support the development of the skills and knowledge our students will need to be successful, Castle Heights has maintained the national and state award recognition of a Schools to Watch and in 2023 received Re-designation IV. Castle Heights became a Leader in Me school in 2023.
Cynthia L. Robinson
Principal