At Hodges Elementary School, we ensure all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by fulfilling our mission to prepare all students to respect, appreciate, and learn from the world around them. As a School of Inquiry, we engage learners through questioning and investigative processes in all subject areas. Inquiry and leadership are the guiding principles by which we provide a robust standards based curriculum that nurtures the whole child.
We believe that a common language of inquiry is essential as students are encouraged to become independent thinkers and confident communicators from the first day of kindergarten. Question stems posted in each classroom emphasize self monitoring and serve as a scaffold for reasoning skills and academic conversation in Tier 1 instruction. The progression of inquiry based language at each grade level allows students to become confident in expressing ideas in multiple forms. It is not out of the ordinary to walk into a classroom at Hodges Elementary and hear a student using phrases such as “to build upon this idea..” and “I’d like to add..”. Each day, our classrooms participate in a school wide independent reading block called B.E.E. Time. Books Engage Everyone is a time where students choose what they read, building stamina and critical thinking skills through the lens of inquiry.
Students at Hodges are able to practice leadership and design solutions by setting learning goals with plenty of adult encouragement and support along the way. Each student shares his or her contributions to learning in a quarterly Contribution Day assembly to which all stakeholders are invited. Monday Gatherings and Friday Celebrations are school-wide meetings in which each class has the opportunity to teach the rest of our school what they have learned through a self crafted presentation. During these sessions, students engage with diverse learning sources to gain knowledge, and present through digital or oral presentations, as well as songs, and skits.
Our staff make a priority of providing students with opportunities to develop networks and engage as citizens. Each student has a classroom and/or school wide job through which they lead and serve our school community. These jobs range from classroom inventory controller, to safety manager, to botanist. Students also design and participate in community service projects in support of local charities. Our students are treated as leaders who possess unique gifts and talents. They are taught that with their special skills and a strong academic foundation, they are able to change the world.
Hodges Elementary is truly a place where the whole child is considered in all aspects of what we do. We celebrate our student growth through the Kiwanis Club Terrific Kid Awards, Character Student of the Month Awards, Citizenship Awards, Student Contribution Days, SC Science Academy Awards, and Inquiry Awards as well as whole school learning celebrations for reaching our goals. At Hodges Elementary, students and teachers thrive in a school full of wonder and inquiry with the goal of being lifelong leaders and learners as we exemplify the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.
