At Carolina Springs Elementary School, we are committed to helping all students develop the World Class Knowledge and Skills outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. By emphasizing the four C’s — critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication — we proudly embrace the Lexington One Graduate Profile.

At Carolina Springs Elementary, we believe education extends beyond reading, writing and state academic standards to include the development of the whole child. Through our Responsive Classroom approach, every day begins with a morning meeting and ends with a closing circle, creating intentional opportunities for students to connect, share experiences, celebrate successes and reflect on their growth. These daily routines foster strong relationships between students and teachers, provide social-emotional support, strengthen communication skills and promote a positive, inclusive school culture where every child feels valued and supported.

Building on the tremendous success of our PBIS program and in alignment with the Profile of the Lexington One Graduate, our students continued to demonstrate our schoolwide expectations of being respectful, responsible, trustworthy and taking pride in all they do. Through positive interactions with classmates, teachers and peers across all grade levels, students earned Blaze Bucks by exemplifying these core values. These meaningful moments of recognition served as powerful motivation and reinforced the behaviors that contribute to a positive school culture. Once each month, students were able to redeem their Blaze Bucks to participate in exciting reward experiences such as dance parties, carnival games, popsicle parties and many other engaging activities.

We also continued our beloved tradition of hosting pep rallies during each collaborative planning day. These high-energy celebrations brought joy to both students and staff while recognizing achievements in academics, behavior, attendance and personal growth. By celebrating these accomplishments throughout the year, we reinforced the importance of perseverance, responsibility and school pride while creating memorable experiences that strengthened our school community. In addition to honoring students, teachers and support staff were recognized through the "Heart of a Husky" award, an honor bestowed by fellow colleagues. This special recognition fostered stronger connections among our exceptional faculty and staff and reflected our belief that the greatest impact on students and families occurs when educators work together as one united team.

As a proud Title I school in our district, we served more than 450 students during the 2025-26 school year. Our staff recognizes the challenges many families may face, and we are committed to exploring every avenue to enhance our students’ learning environment.

Thanks to Title I funding, we were again able to provide every student with school supplies and host a “Sponsored Book Fair,” where each child selected two books of their choosing — completely free of charge. The smiles on their faces as they carefully picked out books they had been hoping for were truly priceless. This beloved event is one we plan to continue for as long as possible.

Additionally, we offer Knee High Huskies, a 14-week program led by Dawn York, designed for 3- and 4-year-old children and their families who are not currently enrolled in a Lexington One preschool. This program is offered twice a year at no cost to families, further demonstrating our commitment to supporting early learning in our community.

Carolina Springs offers a variety of after-school activities that allow students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and build meaningful connections beyond the classroom. Through opportunities in athletics, the arts and extracurricular enrichment, students continue to strengthen communication, collaboration, creativity, leadership and perseverance long after the school day ends.

One of our most popular programs is Run Hard, led by Fourth-Grade Teacher Kimmy Miller and a team of dedicated staff members. Open to students in grades two through five, Run Hard prepares participants to complete a 5K race while emphasizing character development, perseverance, leadership and teamwork. Through training and encouragement, students learn the value of setting goals and working together to achieve them.

Since the 2021–22 school year, Carolina Springs has also proudly maintained a successful archery program. Under the direction of Third-Grade Teacher. Jennifer Johnson and several dedicated volunteers, fourth- and fifth-grade students compete in both Bullseye and IBO tournaments. The program continues to grow each year, and this season several individual archers advanced to compete at the national level.

Students also have the opportunity to showcase their talents through the beloved CSES Variety Show. Participants spend weeks rehearsing after school before taking the stage in front of a live audience of family, friends and staff. Filled with music, dance, athletic performances, comedy and unique talents, the Variety Show celebrates the creativity, confidence and individuality of our students while bringing our school community together for an evening of entertainment and school pride.

At Carolina Springs, our SIC and PTO continue to prioritize family engagement, placing it at the heart of everything they do. This year marked one of our most successful yet, with record-breaking attendance at events such as Student-Led Conferences, Fall Festival, and STEM Night.

Our annual Fall Festival was a standout event, complete with face painting, a petting zoo, carnival games, food trucks and more. It provided students with the opportunity to connect not only with their families, but also with the many teachers and staff who generously volunteered their time. 

In addition to family engagement, the PTO has led several impactful fundraising efforts aimed at enhancing our school and campus. In the fall, students participated in our annual Fun Run, and for the second year in a row, fourth and fifth graders had the chance to take part in an exciting Color Run — quickly becoming a favorite tradition. Our fundraising season wrapped up in the spring with a highly successful Read-a-Thon. Over the course of one week, our students logged more than 20,000 minutes of reading, earning a chance to win incredible prizes generously donated by community sponsors.

At Carolina Springs Elementary, we are deeply grateful for the wonderful families and supportive community who have been part of our school for so many years. This year, we’ve embraced the benefits of being a smaller learning community and have truly enjoyed the opportunity to continue to Build our Learning Community, the Husky Way with each and every one of our students.

While it’s bittersweet to watch our fifth graders move on to middle school, we are excited to welcome a new group of 4K and 5K students next year. As we look ahead to the 2026–27 school year, we remain committed to celebrating our 20th year as an amazing school as we bring back our original theme with a twist,  Blazing Brighter Trails!

Todd C. Brown

CSES Principal

Brittany Herring

CSES SIC Chair

Ashley Teague 

CSES SIC Member