Pinehurst Elementary School is committed to helping all students develop the World Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We achieve this by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. This environment is grounded in our school-wide shared vision: We will develop adults and educate students with high-level coaching and instruction, elevate and empower all as we equip our students to be successful in life. We bring this vision to life by delivering high-quality, standards-based instruction that challenges and supports all learners.
Collaboration is a cornerstone of our success. Our teachers work closely with dedicated reading and math coaches, meeting weekly to implement best instructional practices, analyze student data, and plan rigorous lessons aligned to grade-level standards. Weekly Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings serve as critical spaces for instructional planning and reflective dialogue, ensuring our classrooms are engaging and effective learning environments.
To strengthen instructional quality and teacher expertise, grades 2–5 at Pinehurst follow a departmentalized model. This allows teachers to become masters of their assigned content areas and further refine their instructional craft. By focusing deeply on specific subjects, teachers can deliver more intentional, data-driven instruction that accelerates student achievement.
We are proud to continue our collaborative partnership with Clemson University through the Clemson Residency Project. This initiative has brought co-teaching into nine classrooms across the building, supporting students through a dual-teacher model that enhances differentiation, student engagement, and instructional quality. Co-teaching has also expanded into our Multilingual Learner (ML) classrooms and our intervention programs in both math and English Language Arts, allowing us to meet diverse student needs with even greater precision.
Pinehurst places a strong emphasis on inclusive practices, ensuring all students, particularly our large ML population, have access to meaningful instruction during core content times. Our master schedule is intentionally designed to keep students in their classrooms for Tier 1 instruction, with flexible blocks dedicated to differentiated small-group support tailored to ML, Special Education, and intervention needs. We are especially focused on ensuring daily attendance for our Multilingual Learners to maximize essential interactions with teachers and peers—interactions that build language, boost confidence, and foster school belonging.
In grades 1–3, our Early Childhood and Special Education teams are participating in ongoing LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development. Rooted in the science of reading, LETRS equips teachers with the skills to deliver foundational literacy instruction with fidelity. Small-group instruction is a daily practice at Pinehurst, ensuring personalized learning for every child.
Pinehurst Elementary also promotes a nurturing school climate through the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and the Second Step social-emotional learning curriculum. These systems support the development of positive student-teacher relationships and reinforce a consistent culture of respect, responsibility, and readiness. Teachers and students collaboratively create behavior expectation matrices and classroom Codes of Cooperation, as well as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which foster clarity and consistency throughout the school.
Pinehurst Elementary School is proud to support Charleston County School District’s goal of ensuring all students read on grade level by the end of 5th grade by 2027. Through high-quality instruction, strategic collaboration, and a deep commitment to equity and excellence, we are preparing our diverse student population to become future South Carolina graduates and leaders.
Paul Pallagi-Principal
Johana Herrera Acevedo-SIC Chair
