Saxe Gotha Elementary School helps all students develop the World-Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by embracing our vision of empowering everyone to be leaders, thinkers and creators of tomorrow.

During the 2020–21 school year, COVID-19 impacted the normal day-to-day routines, events and procedures of SGE. Our students, staff, families and the community worked together, however, to grow, adjust and have a successful year.

The use of technology became an essential part of instruction during the first semester for students, parents and teachers, and this continued to grow throughout the year. All involved experienced a learning curve as instructional modalities changed. Teachers began attending professional development sessions that were provided during the summer of 2020 and continued throughout the school year. SGE has at least one teacher at each grade level who taught students at home through LOOLA while other teachers taught students face to face in the school building.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade became 1:1 with either an iPad or Chromebook. Hotspots were provided for those with little or no internet access. Our parent liaison, teachers and administrators assisted parents with technology tutoring sessions when requested so parents could follow up with their child’s activity and instruction on Google Classroom.

Parent and community members were encouraged to participate in monthly Title I and School Improvement Council meetings using Zoom. Participation in these meetings increased drastically this year. Feedback shared with administrators says council members would like to continue using this venue for the 2021–22 school year.

Our related arts team schedule was adjusted so students were able to spend one week with the same teacher to allow them to complete a week-long study or project. This allowed both teachers and students to experience deeper and meaningful study.

Social-emotional learning became an area of focus to ensure students and families were provided with support needed during this difficult time or referred to outside agencies such as Lexington County Mental Health and LifeChanges. SGE continues to have an on-site counselor from Lexington County Mental Health to assist families with transportation and work schedule difficulties. Families from SGE were able to virtually participate in the 14-week Strengthening Families Program at Red Bank Elementary this year, which provides activities to build a stronger family unit.

Weekly Snack Packs provided by a local church continued with safety in mind. All SGE students received breakfast and lunch free of charge this year, and both meals were served daily in the classroom. Virtual students were also provided meals weekly at a meal pick-up location within the district.

Special Olympics and Unified Partners are important parts of SGE. This year, Innovation Grants funds awarded through the South Carolina Special Olympics were used to create an “Equity Garden.” On the equality side, plants received equal access to light, fertilizer and water each week. On the equality side, plants received just the right amount of fertilizer, sunlight and weather they needed to grow. By the end of the school year, the garden had a powerful visual that demonstrated the importance of meeting the individual needs of each student.

As we prepared for the summer, our literacy coach and parent liaison provided each student with books on his or her current reading level using Title I funding. Students in multiple grade levels were asked to attend summer programs offered through the district to assist in decreasing the academic slide resulting from being away from school due to COVID-19.

We appreciate the support and patience of our families as we have made several transitions this year with learning models due to the pandemic. Perseverance, collaboration and teamwork have certainly made everyone stronger. We look forward to cultivating a caring community during the 2021–22 school year at SGE where ALL learners are extraordinary communicators, collaborators, creators and critical thinkers. We will continue fostering a school environment that welcomes and engages all students and their families.

Elizabeth Houck, Principal

Chanta Zeigler, SIC President