Leaphart Elementary STEAM Magnet is helping all students develop the world class skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by maintaining and achieving high academic standards, creating a school culture that supports and challenges our students by providing the foundational skills for student success. At Leaphart, we thrive with excitement while creating a world-class environment that values the opportunity for all students to be successful in school and in life. Leaphart students understand that the knowledge, skills and competencies students acquired now will be the foundation for future learning and creating citizens to compete in a global society.
We have a superior cadre of teachers who are dedicated to student success. Using the lens of STEAM to exceed state standards, students are given opportunities to solve authentic problems and express creativity. Our certified staff is trained to implement Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures to promote communication and collaboration in the classroom. These instructional strategies positively impact academic achievement, boost student engagement and self-esteem, and maximize interaction and cooperation for all learners.
Our literacy instruction and RTI model are centered around building proficient readers and writers. Through research-based and job-embedded professional development, our dedicated teachers are trained to provide high quality instruction matched to students’ needs. Utilizing a balanced literacy approach, we strive to implement high yield strategies to differentiate instruction and focus on the success of all students.
Through a guided math framework, Leaphart creates rich mathematical classroom communities and develops critical thinkers. Instruction is differentiated and meaningful academic interventions are provided to support the varied levels of students which includes hands-on exploration with manipulatives and math games. Our students engage in rigorous standards-based learning opportunities while teachers focus on specific, targeted skills and strategies to grow all learners.
District Five is committed to ensuring that our students can be successful in school and compete globally; particularly in the areas of science, engineering, technology, and math. We have utilized additional curriculum resources to foster creativity through LEGO Education, Picture Perfect Science, and FOSS science kits. Leaphart engineers continue to employ the 5-step STEAM Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) across each content area to enhance rigorous learning experiences that extend problem solving, creative thinking, and collaboration. Leaphart is committed to building this foundation so students are given multiple opportunities to develop the skills of creativity, innovation, problem solving, collaboration, and metacognition. Leaphart’s STEAM Makerspace takes a typical classroom and turns it into a space where students use their skills to invent, tinker, create and discover based on the academic content learned in the classroom setting. This experience allows students to grow in the areas of integrity, self-direction, perseverance, cooperation, and critical thinking. This work coupled with rigorous experiences for all students ensures that students consistently hone their practice with 21st Century Skills that lead to successful South Carolina Graduates.
As a school, we strive to build relationships with families to benefit our students academically and socially. We utilize partners in our community to promote positive social and emotional education, literacy, mathematics and STEAM. Such efforts of collaboration reinforce values, culture, and learning opportunities to significantly impact on the lives of our students. These rich experiences and programs of study promote the characteristics of self-direction, healthy lifestyles, and having a community perspective while inspiring dynamic citizens. Through the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, our learners are geared for success and celebrated for being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn in all areas of the curriculum. We know characteristics taught in school will carry-over to their college and career success. Students have discovered and are empowered knowing they can apply their knowledge and findings to positively influence their surrounding community.
Courtney Sims, Principal
Christina Smith-Galloway, SIC Chair
