Cherokee Charter Academy is committed to excellence and equity as we help our students attain world class knowledge, world class skills, and life and career characteristics that will equip them for the future. At the core of that commitment are rigorous, researched-based curricular, such as Core Knowledge Language Arts and Eureka Math, that provide a strong foundation of shared enduring knowledge. Experiential learning activities that align with South Carolina College and Career Readiness Standards and deepen students understanding of core curricular concepts are provided through field trips and other activities beyond the classroom. Teachers are routinely engaged in professional development aimed at enhancing their expertise and enabling their professional growth. Modeling the importance of collaboration and teamwork, our teachers and instructional support staff work together to plan and implement instruction and to design and implement programs and policies that eliminate the educational barriers our students face. Teachers foster a sense of cooperation within their classes helping students strengthen their interpersonal skills and work ethic. A sense of teamwork extends to our Parent Forum as they play an important role in supporting students and teachers through community outreach, fundraising, and planning and assisting with special activities. We work to raise students’ appreciation of community and service to the community through events such as Veterans’ recognition and outreach to local nursing homes. Each day our students have a lesson based on the Core Virtues program. Important values and life characteristics such as integrity and self direction are explored. The use of technology is embedded into our students school day. Students have access to grade level Chromebook carts and a variety of standards-based programs that are utilized as tools for learning, communicating, creating, and conducting research. Teachers have individual laptops, document cameras, and other devices they used to make their lessons creative and responsive to the needs of their students as well as for remediation, enrichment and assessment. We have used a variety of funds to purchase materials for leveled reading resources to be used for Tier 2 and 3 intervention and are adding staff to our intervention team to serve our students needs. We encourage our students to share their creativity and their work can be seen in the classrooms and halls of our school. Some have participated in a variety of academic competitions beyond the school receiving recognition for their air efforts, such as Marie Ray, a fifth grader, who won 2nd place in the MUSC Septima Poetry Contest.  Our focus on the whole student, in and out of the classroom, continues to help all students develop their World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.