Castle Heights Middle School is committed to helping all students develop World-Class Skills as defined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Castle Heights focuses on social equity, academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, and establishing organizational structures and processes that promote the well-being of adolescent learners. By utilizing meaningful practices, we encourage a culture and atmosphere where students come first. Our goal is to develop our students as lifelong learners.
At Castle Heights, we strive to create, design, and collaborate in a safe and secure learning environment where all students and staff reach their highest potential. One way we achieve this goal is through the workshop instructional model. This model assists our teachers in providing students with a quality mini-lesson, followed by scaffolded independent work time, an opportunity to work with small groups, and ending with time for reflection. Another way in which we help our students reach their highest potential is through accelerated advanced core classes in all grade levels. In addition, students who are identified as Gifted and Talented receive specialized instruction in Language Arts and math classes. We offer English I, Algebra I, Spanish I, and Geometry as accelerated classes where students can receive high school credit.
Our teachers utilize Mastery Connect, which provides data on student performance and mastery of essential learning standards. Teachers create trackers of student rosters and then develop assessments such as benchmarks, exit slips, and other formative and summative assessments. Mastery Connect provides teachers and students with immediate feedback on the student’s mastery of assessed standards. Our teachers create and utilize learning progressions to support all levels of student mastery
Another area in which Castle Heights is working to help our students reach their highest potential is in Related Arts classes. In Theater Arts, students present first-class musicals and plays. Students oversee all aspects of producing a musical, including lighting, sound, and set design. Our art students placed first, second, and third in various divisions in our Arts Council of York County Teacher’s Choice Youth Art Exhibit. Our concert band received a Superior with Distinction rating at the South Carolina Concert Performance Assessment.
We strive to create a culture of reading in our school. Our librarian provides students with literature circles opportunities based on Project Lit books, author visits tied to One Book-One Author-One School, and teacher book clubs to facilitate our culture of reading. Our district also supports our reading culture by establishing a reading goal of 10 books per student. Students use a reading data dashboard to log the books they have read.
Castle Heights continues to increase student recognition programs by engaging all students. Students are recognized for academic excellence, positive behavior, and citizenship. Quarterly assemblies are held to celebrate their success. Each grade selects Student of the Month. Students are also recognized at the school and district level for visual and performing arts, Duke Tip, Junior Scholars, and Perfect PASS and SCReady scores. Our school resource officer awards and recognizes students who demonstrate integrity and good morals. Students also have an opportunity to participate in clubs once a month.
Castle Heights focuses on building relationships within and outside of our school. Several community groups support Castle Heights. We partner with a neighboring church that has provided meals for families for evening events. We have a mentoring group for our male students, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Our School Improvement Council offers parents, teachers, administration, and other stakeholders the opportunity to discuss school events and policies that will enhance overall school performance. Parents and the Rock Hill Community were invited to our Heritage Festival. We celebrated our diverse school culture with an evening of arts, speakers, games, information booths, and food trucks. We had the opportunity to host the esteemed Anne Frank: A History for Today, traveling exhibit. This powerful exhibit has traveled to 80 countries. Our 8th-grade students were trained as docents as we hosted over 700 students and community members.
As we continue to examine our instructional programs and support the development of the skills and knowledge our students will need to be successful, Castle Heights has maintained the national and state award recognition of a Schools to Watch. Castle Heights became a Leader in Me school in 2023. The Leader in Me habits are equipping our students with self-confidence, leadership skills, and self-reflection.
Cynthia L. Robinson
Principal
