Blythe Academy of Languages 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, rigorous, and academically challenging learning environment. Our language immersion and FLES programs ensure that all students receive instruction in either French or Spanish and reach their full potential as world class learners both in English and their chosen target language. Approximately 84% of our students participate in our French and Spanish immersion programs, receiving content instruction in math, science, and health in the target languages. Other content areas are taught in English. The remaining 16% of our students participate in the Spanish FLES program, receiving 30 minutes of Spanish instruction daily from a certified Spanish teacher. The success of our programs is recognized by strong performance on statewide student achievement testing, and student performance on the AAPPL language proficiency test. Eighty-seven to one hundred percent of our Spanish and French immersion students leave Blythe performing at or above the district goal of mid-novice to low intermediate level. Many students are scoring at or above the intermediate I and II levels.
Our teachers are dedicated to professional growth and the use of research-based instructional best practices. These include Balanced Literacy, Guided Math, Number Talks, Interactive Notebooking, RtI and ERI, Learning Focused, and hands-on science kits..
We also have programs at Blythe that focus on and support the development of the whole child. We implemented The Seven Habits into our guidance program several years ago and continue to embed those habits and principles in classroom guidance lessons, the daily news show, and our school-wide PBIS program. We believe it is important for our students to learn effective leadership traits and be given opportunities to practice those skills. Student leadership opportunities include Safety Patrol, Communications Team, Library Helpers, and School Yearbook. Additional opportunities for students include band, chorus, garden clubs, green team, and math club (although these could not be offered this past year due to safety profocols related to Covid-19).
This year, we focused largely on Social-Emotional Learning supports for students and staff. We offered several workshops for teachers, shared professional reading, and offered tips on the daily staff messages. One on-site Greenville Mental Health Counselor and 1.5 school counselors provide additional student supports. Social-emotional learning and supports will continue to be a school wide professional development focus during the 2021-2022 school year.
We continue to use components of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program to reward students for displaying positive behaviors. A strong PTA sponsored tutoring program and a Greenville Mentor partnership program provided additional support for students struggling with both academic and personal issues in past years. We look forward to reinstating these offerings to our students once Covid safety protocls are relaxed. Business partnerships helped to recognize student achievement and provide continued support of mentoring programs for the 2020-2021 school year.
At Blythe Academy, we believe strongly in our mission to work together with stakeholders to teach our students the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to become productive and responsible citizens in an ever-changing global society through instruction that includes language immersion education in French and Spanish. We believe that our program is strongly aligned with our district's Graduation Plus initiative to ensure that all students are career and college ready. We know that proficiency in a second language is a college and career readiness skill that will provide life-long benefits. We are honored to work together with our families and community members to develop future South Carolina graduates and world class learners.
Millie Thomasson, SIC Chairperson
Sandra E. Griffin, Ph.D., Principal
