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 organizational structures and processes that promote the well-being of adolescent learners. Using meaningful practices, we encourage a culture 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 time for reflection. Our teachers create and use learning progressions to support all levels of student mastery. Teachers make learning meaningful with daily learning intentions and student success criteria.
Another way we help our students reach their highest potential is through accelerated advanced core classes across all grade levels. In addition, students identified as Gifted and Talented receive specialized instruction in Language Arts and math. We also offer English I, Spanish I, and Geometry as accelerated classes that allow students to earn high school credit.
Another area in which Castle Heights is working to help our students reach their highest potential is Related Arts. 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 circle opportunities based on Project Lit books, author visits tied to One Book-One Author-One School, and teacher book clubs to support 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 expand 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. 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. Our student ambassadors and student lighthouse teams led school initiatives, including anti-bullying efforts, new-student orientations, and school beautification.
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 provides parents, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss school events and policies to enhance overall school performance. Parents and the Rock Hill Community are invited to our Heritage Festival, where we celebrate our diverse school culture with an evening of arts, speakers, games, information booths, and food trucks.
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 national and state award recognition as a School to Watch and received our 5th redesignation in 2026. 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
