Our school is helping all students develop the World Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics of the Profile of the Graduate by providing dynamic learning with quality arts experiences as an essential component of the curriculum to optimize student achievement and develop creative lifelong learners. Howe Hall Arts Infused Magnet School (AIMS) is a nationally recognized elementary school serving Berkeley County. Opened in 2002, Howe Hall AIMS consistently offers children unparalleled instruction that addresses multiple intelligences by creating lessons that merge South Carolina arts and academic standards. The continued belief that success is obtainable by every student forces innovation and creativity in the introduction and reinforcement of South Carolina elementary standards. Howe Hall AIMS consistently scores higher than district and state averages on SC READY. Students at Howe Hall AIMS attend weekly classes for visual arts, music, theatre, dance, and physical education. In addition, the fine arts and classroom teachers create and present arts-infused lessons with a team-teaching approach. This unique feature is one of the many aspects that make Howe Hall AIMS such a dynamic learning institution. Another distinctive feature of Howe Hall AIMS is the exploratory classes that students in grades 3-5 attend weekly to explore other arts areas. These classes include cartooning, musical theatre, film production, book trailer creation, video production, steel drums, ballet, chorus, clay, tap, watercolor, hip hop, puppetry, costume design, digital media, and more. The campus curriculum is also supplemented by regular visits from artists-in-residence and performance groups that range from storytellers and opera singers to poets and puppeteers. Attending Howe Hall AIMS offers opportunities for students to experience the thrill of performing for live audiences throughout the year. The school has four major performances each year with most of them being original productions created based on the infusion lessons happening inside the classrooms weekly. Participation in various community art shows, contests, and charitable organizations where students’ artwork and civic responsibilities are featured is a tradition at Howe Hall AIMS. Howe Hall AIMS collaborated with the American Legion Post 166 this year to create a mural for the front of their building. Students in the after-school Art Chameleons brought this idea to life. The entire student body also participated in an artist-in-residence to create a chameleon structure for the front of the school. Over the years, Howe Hall AIMS has received many prestigious awards, including the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award in 2015, the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the United States Department of Education in 2010, and the State and National Kennedy Center Creative Ticket School of Excellence Award in 2007. Howe Hall AIMS will continue to provide students with the opportunity to explore the arts and academics.
Ashley McAlister, Principal
Carrie Casson, SIC Chairperson
