Pinehurst Elementary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment. We help provide such an environment through the implementation of our school-wide shared vision: Students will work towards becoming life-long learners in a warm and inviting environment that promotes individualized learning and collaboration. Our school-wide emphasis on collaboration, communication, and problem solving ensures that every student is a productive member of our school family. We demonstrate this vision by challenging our students with blended learning utilizing 1:1 technology, which will help our students succeed in their chosen career and life.
Pinehurst Elementary School is a part of the Charleston County School District’s journey in accelerating student learning and academic growth. Through our personalized, blended learning approach, students are not only able to access the content and standards, but also develop their learning and success with the grade appropriate standards through individual creativity. Personalized learning fosters a learning environment that encourages self-direction, innovation, and student ownership. Students are able to articulate what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how these skills prepare them for future endeavors. Students participate in both behavioral and academic goal setting while demonstrating mastery of the South Carolina College and Career-Ready Standards (SCCCRS). The skills in these particular standards foster work ethic and self-motivation for our students.
At Pinehurst Elementary School, faculty and staff work every day to create an environment that is highly engaged and learner focused. Teachers use a variety of methods to engage learners and improve learning outcomes. We believe in using best practices to deliver high quality, content rich, engaging lessons that meet students on their individual levels. Small group instruction is consistently used to differentiate instruction for all students through our Literacy Acceleration Program (LAP). We create hands-on learning opportunities and promote student growth. One way to offer engaging, high quality instruction is by teaching students to become critical thinkers, explore topics independently, and collaborate with each other. Our learners are immersed in opportunities that expose them to academic, social, and cultural experiences. The combination of rigor in the classroom and diverse, culturally rich experiences align directly with the Profile of The South Carolina Graduate and are aimed at maximizing learner outcomes.
We continue to use the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program and the Second Step social-emotional curriculum as frameworks for our school climate to ensure learners develop positive relationships that support their educational experiences. By focusing on positive behaviors, staff members naturally create an environment built on trust and focused on desired outcomes. Teachers create matrices, collaboratively with their students, describing what the expectations are throughout the building, including hallways, classrooms, the cafeteria, playgrounds, buses, etc. Teachers and students also collaboratively develop a classroom Code of Cooperation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to help create consistency with everyday classroom and school procedures.
To help minimize student learning disruptions this school year, Pinehurst Elementary developed systems and protocols to ensure that our students and teachers could safely attend school in-person during a world-wide pandemic. The school-wide safety protocols implemented included: social distancing, face masks, vigorous hand washing, continual sanitizing, Plexiglass dividers, limited visitors, virtual meetings, etc. Systematically, the beginning of school was delayed until September 2020 and students learning virtually returned in waves through February 2022. All virtual learners were provided with electronic devices, charging cords, and in some cases WiFi.
With our large number of English Language Learners (ELLs), it was imperative that our students return to the in-person school environment as quickly as possible while stringently following school, district, and state guidelines. Our ELLs needed interactions with teachers and classmates to continue the development of their language skills, which enables our students to speak English as quickly and proficiently as possible. The return of the majority of students was accomplished by providing lower class sizes for more individualized instruction, as well as safety protocols.
Pinehurst Elementary School supports our unique and diverse student population in their progression into future South Carolina graduates and leaders!
Dianne Benton, Principal
Marisa Valentin, School Improvement Council Chairperson