As we proudly celebrate our 22nd year of operation, Round Top Elementary continues its mission to help all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a rigorous, engaging, and inclusive academic environment. Rooted in our school vision that “All Who Enter Learn to SOAR,” our learning community cultivates excellence through trusting relationships, critical thinking, collaboration, meaningful feedback, and arts integration.

We are proud to serve 585 PreK through 5th grade students in a richly diverse and evolving student community that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. We are proud to be recognized as a South Carolina State Department of Education Collective Leadership Initiative school, a certified AVID Elementary Showcase site, an Arts in the Basic Curriculum school, a 7 Mindsets campus, and a Purple Star School. These designations are more than titles—they are frameworks that drive purposeful action and intentional learning for students and staff. Our core values—Growth Mindset, Knowledge, Achievement, Integrity, and Service—serve as a compass for how we teach, lead, and grow.

We believe that student success is built upon the model provided by adults. Therefore, we remain committed to teaching and modeling:

• Growth Mindset: Embracing challenges as opportunities to grow and improve.

• Knowledge: Cultivating lifelong learning through equitable experiences and exposure.

• Achievement: Encouraging personal effort and responsibility as a pathway to success.

• Integrity: Building trust by treating others with respect and compassion.

• Service: Promoting acts of kindness that contribute to a better community.

We believe that rigorous student learning is a direct reflection of rigorous adult learning. Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, professional learning at RTE focused on building collective teacher efficacy, fostering collaborative professional dialogue, and strengthening teacher agency to build our collective capacity to meet the learning needs of each student. As a result:

• Nine students who excel in fine arts auditioned and earned placement in the Tri-District Arts Consortium - the most of all elementary schools between the three hosting Midlands school districts.

• Two faculty members earned their master’s degrees, further strengthening the expertise and instructional leadership.

• Three faculty members earned their National Board Certification, having completed a rigorous, voluntary process that recognizes accomplished teachers who meet high standards for teaching excellence and student learning.

• Twenty-eight faculty members successfully met the Year 1 requirements for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) Training.

• RTE re-certified as an Arts in the Basic Curriculum site, securing continued grant funding for fine arts integration led by our visual and performing arts faculty.

• RTE hosted our 8th AVID Elementary Showcase, welcoming educators from across the region to observe our faculty's effective use of AVID strategies to foster student ownership of learning.

• Two employees have been promoted into school administration roles where they will positively impact other school communities.

We believe the success of our school is sustained through the strong support of our families and community partners. This year:

• The School Improvement Council aligned its efforts to support RTE’s School Renewal Plan goal to improve home-school communication and enhance the effectiveness of family engagement by redesigning the parent-teacher conference experience.  Their work has included: creating a parent feedback survey provided to 100% of parents, participating in the development of a uniform parent-teacher conference agenda, and identifying tools and resources for home support that will be included in the Aviator Launch Pad resource hub.

• Our Parent Teacher Organization raised over $30,000 to support teacher grants, fund arts integration, and enhance the learning environment. Community-building events such as Boosterthon, Spring Fling, and the WingMen 5K brought together students, families, and staff to celebrate the spirit of Round Top.

• Our partners at the U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership located at Fort Jackson have provided over 100 service hours on our campus facilitating: classroom Read Ins, monthly Aviator of the Month celebrations, kids' Physical Training Bootcamp, pep rallies, and more!

As we reflect on this year of growth, innovation, and partnership, we remain focused on our core mission: to ensure that every Aviator has the skills, mindset, and confidence to soar—today, tomorrow, and beyond. We are proud of our long-standing tradition of excellence and remain committed to creating a legacy of Knowledge, Achievement, Growth Mindset, Integrity, and Service for generations to come.

Clarissa V. Bennett, Principal

Michelle Gundlach, SIC Chairperson