River Bluff High School staff created conditions to help all students develop the World-Class Skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by designing and facilitating rigorous learning experiences within an innovative schedule and relational approach in modalities such as in person instruction, partially virtual instruction and fully remote instruction. RBHS’s motto — “Work hard. Get smart. Do good.” — was on display more than ever this school year as teachers, staff and leaders created conditions for students to thrive surrounded by uncertain times of a global pandemic. In every decision made, our staff engaged first with addressing the social and emotional needs of our students, then engaging them in learning experiences regardless of their circumstance.
Partnered with caring teachers and administrators, RBHS, an EL Education Credentialed School in the fall of 2020, has changed the paradigm by placing students as leaders of their own learning, personalizing both a curriculum and a schedule to meet the needs of the 21st-century graduate. Serving more than 2,000 students in grades 9 through 12, the established school culture, “Gator Style,” took on a new shape this year as our previous flexible modular schedule was modified to a block schedule to support students. Our students, however, did not lose their passion for leadership and service as they bonded together in CREW to support one another. In heterogeneously grouped, grade-level CREWs, students find their individual place, and develop an attitude of scholarship and citizenship within both RBHS and the community of Lexington seeking to become effective learners and ethical people who make contributions to a better world.
This past year, more than 100 needy children in our community were provided gifts during Christmas through the Ella Stuff a Stocking schoolwide service project. Life and career characteristics are developed within RBHS’s five Habits of Success and each student challenged themselves to serve others through empathy and compassion.
Despite our 2020 school year ending abruptly last spring, our students succeeded through these local, national and global circumstances. They eagerly awaited the opportunity to return to school in the fall of 2020 and welcomed safety measures to keep their in-person learning experiences active. We are incredibly grateful to our community and school-wide staff who supported our students in returning to school and learning with a dynamically changing situation. Our school counseling and advisement team and CREW leaders readily met the needs of all students and supported their growth and development as we all became accustomed to new safety and learning procedures. Staff quickly organized the curriculum into a virtual environment while focusing on compassion over content. Teachers invested significant time in supporting students’ social and emotional development while identifying essential learning experiences to cover in person and remotely. Leaders and students also mobilized opportunities to serve the community in distribution of meals and resources. Above all, empathy of circumstances was prioritized and while actions adjusted to the current circumstances, our goal to see seniors celebrated in a face-to-face graduation was realized. Listening and being accessible to our stakeholders was a top priority and our outcomes matched our expectations.
RBHS thanks its community of learners, faculty, staff and parents for their support through this unprecedented time. While we certainly missed seeing our fully online learning students in person each day, success happened comprehensively throughout the year. Succeeding in arts, athletics and academics, RBHS boasted one team state championship within SCHSL for 5A in men’s basketball and 51% of our students in the senior class graduated as honor graduates (4.0 GPA or higher).
With a growth mindset and persevering through a year of such challenge and uncertainty, we are incredibly hopeful for the class of 2021 and beyond as we cast a desire to continually improve. Through analysis of student academic and social data, the decision-making processes to support increased student achievement in three dimensions: mastery of content and skills; character; and high-quality student work is realized through collaboration and teamwork. A comprehensive professional learning work plan designed with a commitment to engage parents and the community will assist RBHS in creating a family atmosphere that sets a culture of high expectations and engagement for all students.
Luke Clamp, Ed.D., Principal
Kim Jeffcoat, SIC Chair
