The mission of Kenneth Gardner Elementary School (KGES) is to develop leaders - one child at a time. It is our goal to inspire greatness in all of our students by teaching and living the habits as conveyed in Stephen Covey’s, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. As a Leader in Me Lighthouse School, KGES staff continues to participate in leadership training to ensure students are taught the skills that will allow them to be college and career ready as well as good citizens. KGES continues to maintain an environment which supports the individual needs of all students with the belief that every child has genius and everyone can be a leader. Through the implementation of the Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at school and at home, we are helping to create young leaders who have the skills of self-reliance, self-discipline, and self-confidence. Each year, the leadership team leads the staff in selecting initiatives that will strengthen the academic progress of students. To assist us in meeting the learning needs of students, an instructional coach was employed to work with students in small groups. In addition, our after-school program provides opportunities for students to receive individual and small group instruction in identified area. A multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) was implemented to provide assistance to struggling students and to decrease behavioral issues. A stem’s lab was implemented to provide a more hands on approach to teaching science. Students utilized computer labs to enhance their learning. Each child was assigned and utilized a laptop to extend the learning in the classroom. Students participated in extracurricular activities such as oratorical contests, spelling bee, battle of the books, clubs, gardening, art and music through dance and strings class. Assigned classroom and school roles allowed students to showcase their leadership skills. Leadership notebooks were kept by students to document academic and leadership achievements. Progress from weekly reading logs, USA test prep, Study Island, Renaissance Learning, and MAP benchmark were graphed weekly to document growth and decline in achievement. The honors and awards for our school include: Recognized as a Lighthouse Leader in Me School, recipient of the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Grant Program, Charleston Low Country Food Bank Grant, and the Santee Electric Co-op Bright Ideas Grant. We were able to host several Parent / Family Nights focused on areas such as literacy, leadership, STEM, and sustainability in the home that will ultimately benefit our students.
We believe in positive interactions among students, staff, parents and community members and have worked to create a climate that supports that belief. Students are recognized for positive choices, attendance, improved grades, outstanding grades and display of positive character. The faculty and staff worked diligently to sustain quality teaching and nurtured the transformations that occurred within the school through Professional Learning Communities on varied topics that impacted the needs of our learners. It is through the efforts of our stakeholders that we shape our students centered on principles that will enable them to be successful and productive citizens in the 21st century. We look forward to greater accomplishments in years to come.
Dr. Jennifer G. Sabb, Principal
Ms. April Williams, SIC Chair
