Hannah-Pamplico High School (HPHS) is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by creating a culture of excellence in academics, career technology education, athletics, and the arts. Located in the rural town of Pamplico, Hannah-Pamplico High School is the only high school in Florence County School District Two.
HPHS supports all students in developing the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate through our motto of Pursuing Excellence with Personal Responsibility In Daily Efforts (PRIDE). Like Aristotle stated, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Our goal is to help students develop the habit of excellence and help them to display excellence in all that they do, each and every day. Using the 16 Habits of Mind as a foundation for supporting student and adult learning and leading, the school has achieved some notable academic results. End-of-Course scores improved in English and US History. Seniors graduating college and/or career-ready increased over last year, as did the graduation rate. Last year was the inaugural year for the National Beta Club and National Technical Honor Society, and both organizations inducted more students this year.
In our pursuit of excellence, we are actively seeking ways to ensure that our students are college- and/or career-ready. One of the ways that we are pursuing this goal is through our partnership with The Continuum. The Continuum, a learning center situated in Lake City, continues to provide opportunities for students to participate in dual-credit courses through Florence-Darlington Technical College and Francis Marion University. The Continuum also provides technical training certifications and opportunities, such as welding, industrial maintenance technology, and HVAC. The Continuum, through the vision and funding of Darla Moore, continues to allow opportunities for students in the lower part of Florence County to have access to the same opportunities as students who have technical colleges and universities within minutes of their school. Taking advantage of this collaboration, over 56% of the class of 2025 earned six (6) or more college credits during their school years.
We are very proud of our extensive course catalog and were excited to be able to offer such diversity in our curriculum and extracurriculars for a school our size. HPHS added Teacher Cadets as a dual-credit course option this year, and one Cadet was awarded a Teaching Fellows Scholarship. As a comprehensive high school that offers academic and workforce training, our CTE programs rank among some of the best in the state and we had students who were completers in a number of programs. Students were able to choose courses in business, building and construction, health science, electricity, and computer repair. Two (2) students earned their FAA Remote Pilot certificates, and eleven (11) students earned their Certified Nurse Assistant certifications. One student was named the Pee Dee Region Technology Champion and six (6) students earned Harbor Freight Fellowships. In addition, for the third year in a row, Florence School District 2 has met ALL Perkins V Performance Indicators at 90% or higher! Perkins V is a federal law that supports career and technical education (CTE) programs, helping students gain the skills needed for college and careers. These indicators measure academic achievement, technical skills, graduation rates, and career readiness. In addition, Hannah-Pamplico High was awarded a grant extension in connection with the Pee Dee Workforce and WIOA that offered paid internships to students during the school year. Student membership and accomplishments in SkillsUSA and HOSA organizations at the local, state, and national levels demonstrated strong career-readiness. The SkillsUSA chapter was recognized as a Chapter of Distinction, one of only five in the state. One student served as a national officer, and that student and another student were appointed as state officers. SkillsUSA members also had twenty-two (22) students earn medals, with seven (7) first place winners who will go on to compete at the national level in Atlanta, GA. In HOSA, twenty-two (22) students competed at the state level, and one (1) will represent HPHS and South Carolina at the 2025 HOSA International Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN this summer.
Extracurricular activities in the areas of athletics, culture, and the arts offered students additional opportunities for leadership. Throughout the year, individuals and teams qualified for SCHSL playoffs in girls tennis, cross country, football, baseball, softball, and track with the golf team placing 2nd in the state. Multiple players in multiple sports were named all-state players. The starting pitcher for the softball team exceeded 500 strike-outs this season. Two ESports teams competed in Spring and Fall HSEL Playoffs. Culturally, the Spanish Club organized a Hispanic Heritage Festival. HPHS sponsored field trips to Global Day, Arts Fields, Florence Museum. The band competed at the state level. Also, the school published another edition of Raider Writes, its literary magazine.
Through work with the School Improvement Council, we have been able to improve two-way communication with parents, which has positively influenced school and community relations. We have invited community members and leaders into our school by way of advisory meetings to help us organize curriculum and have a better understanding of what skills students now need in the workforce.
We continue to sustain our 1:1 technology initiative that puts devices into the hands of all of our students. Teachers attended professional development to assist them in maximizing teaching time, technology, and best practices. We have continued to expand our understanding and implementation of Making Schools Work. As a result, Hannah-Pamplico class of 2025 had the highest graduation rate in seven (7) years. Over 83% of them earned the status of career-ready. Our graduating Class of 2025 earned over $1,248,350 in college scholarships. This included two (2) Palmetto Fellow Scholars, twenty-two (22) Life Scholars, and thirty-nine (39) Hope Scholars. Seniors participated in College Application Day, and 64 of 85 seniors applied to at least one institution of higher learning. These are just some of the results of Pursuing Excellence with Raider PRIDE!!!
Carol C. Hill, Ed.D.
Principal
