Nestled in a small neighborhood in North Charleston lies Hunley Park Elementary School, a community school filled with teachers and staff committed to developing world-class skills expected of a South Carolina graduate, every day, every minute for every child. As we welcomed our young scholars back to school after several months away due to COVID, we wanted to focus on academics, create a positive school environment and address their social and emotional well-being.
Our desire was to create excellent scholars who have the skills needed to regulate their emotions and feelings, persevere and bloom where they were planted, problem solve, think critically, communicate effectively and collaborate with one another to grow up to be successful adults.
At Hunley Park, we use the Second Step curriculum to address the social emotional learning of all scholars. With this curriculum, students are taught how to develop a growth mindset, manage their emotions, have empathy, show kindness and problem solve.
To maintain a safe learning environment and promote positive behaviors for all of our scholars, we implement the Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) framework. Using this framework, we teach our scholars expected behaviors in terms of academics, safety and behavior. When scholars demonstrate these positive behaviors, teachers and staff celebrate by awarding Bee Bucks, which allow scholars to purchase items at our school store or attend designated PBIS activities. We also use research-based practices to intervene and provide student support academically and behaviorally with the use of small-group instruction, after-school tutoring, reading intervention, lunch groups, and counseling lessons.
This year in our professional learning communities, teachers utilized that time to plan lessons and deepen their understanding of teaching practices. For professional development this year, teachers attended math and reading professional development and used a variety of instructional curriculum and discussion strategies to get our scholars engaged in learning. Many of our teachers used Google classrooms to share lessons and allow students to collaborate virtually on assignments. Modified cooperative learning strategies were used to enhance discussions. Scholars responded using Post-It Notes and shared their responses with classmates.
Scholars were asked to think critically in all subject areas. Scholars answered daily math word problems that related to real-world applications. After reading texts, scholars referenced the texts to cite their evidence, defend their arguments and explain their thinking. Virtual partnerships and activities with Boeing and the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) introduced scholars to science, technology, engineering and math as well as the engineering design process, which made scholars problem solve and think critically. They participated in hands-on maker space activities in our partnership with the Charleston County Public Library.
This year was a challenge for everyone in the school, yet we realized that our scholars needed us more than ever before. Every adult on campus believed that despite our circumstances, learning had to continue, and there was a concerted effort to equip all scholars with the skills needed to compete globally, be prepared for a career or college and make a difference in the community in which they live.
Katchia Gethers, Ed.D., Principal
Kathleen Gallagher, SIC
