This year, our school experienced a successful year of growth and progress. We engaged students through meaningful learning opportunities and saw improvements in overall academic achievement. In addition to academic gains, we also made strides n student behavior, with more student making positive choices and meeting schoolwide expectations. These outcomes reflect the commitment of our staff, students, and families to fostering a supportive and high-achieving school environment.
York Middle School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate with a focus on world class knowledge, world class skills, and life and career characteristics. We are continuously seeking ways to improve and expand our instructional programs. Teachers use units of instruction developed through department and team collaborations to integrate the content areas, deliver quality instruction, and determine understanding through the evaluation of common assessment data. The curriculum and instruction focus for 2024-2025 school year was continuing to integrate small group instruction and conferencing in core instruction while implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The goal was to provide a broad system covering many areas including academics, student behavioral data, and attendance by intervening quickly to support our students with the needed academic and/or behavior strategies to prepare them to be successful when they leave York Middle School.
Data such as MAP, SC Ready and classroom assessments were used to determine if students needed more instruction or a short intervention to help them master grade level curriculum. We will continue to meet the needs of students by analyzing data and using the results to identify students and then crafting lessons that support the growth of each student. .
York Middle School is a 1:1 school where all students have a Chromebook to use for instructional purposes. Teachers integrate these devices into all realms of instruction, including during elective classes. In modern classrooms, technology has become an invaluable instrument for students. It supports the learning process by engaging students in interactive lessons that delve deep into content and require problem-solving skills. Departments and teams of teachers utilize the 1:1 technology to begin the process of creating mastery paths to learning where there is some individualization in learning and differentiation in the final product that represents learning. York Middle School is continuing to focus on Student Centered Learning where technology plays a role in individualized learning paths.
York Middle School continues to evaluate and make adjustments and decisions that support student achievement. We continued to utilize Read 180 for targeted instructional support for 7th and 8th grade students and we continued to have a Response to Intervention time embedded into the school schedule.
We continue to encourage and expect our students to ROAR by showing Respect, being Organized, Displaying a positive Attitude, and Being Responsible. We set high expectations for all students and staff and we modeled student behavior expectations to provide a strong foundation for the school year. We implemented a morning news show where students were reminded of expectations. Students were also recognized and given incentives for showing respect, being organized, having a positive attitude and being organized. Celebrations were held throughout the school year to recognize academic and behavioral growth.
Our Guidance Team developed targeted lessons to meet the specific needs of classes and grade levels. Students could participate in a Guidance and a Careers course to further develop their understanding of career options and college and career opportunities after school. Lunch with Leaders were held with students with individuals from various professions which helped to further expand students’ knowledge of college and career choices after high school.. Eight graders visited Floyd D. Johnson Technology Center to explore possible careers. Seventh grade students took part in a field trip experience that helped them to learn about careers, budgeting, taxes, and working within a community.
We look forward to continuing to grow as a community of learners and individuals, have an increased focus on student achievement and rigor, and provide quality arts and athletic experiences for our students.
Seberina Myles, Ed. S.
Interim Principal
York Middle School
