Buist Academy for Advanced Studies is helping all students develop the world-class skills expected of the South Carolina graduate by nurturing an environment that encourages collaboration and effective communication. Collaboration and communication contribute to student and organizational success. The faculty and staff at Buist Academy model collaboration and communication through our daily practices. We collaborate frequently through a variety of learning communities within the school. These smaller communities are defined as academic departments, grade-level teams, committees, and house advisors. Teachers meet once a week with the IB Coordinator to plan units, review standards and reflect on teaching and learning. The master schedule provides time for teachers to have common planning within their grade levels and some subject areas. Working Wednesdays were established after school hours to allow collaboration between departments that do not have common planning during the day.
Buist Academy does not limit collaboration and communication to just teachers. Our students find opportunities to collaborate and communicate in the classroom by working with partners and in groups. Grade levels with common standards work together to reinforce and support particular skills or concepts. Student collaboration and communication are supported through competitive academic competitions such as Mock Trial, Quiz Bowl, and Science Fairs. The school also created a math competition. Due to COVID-19, careful planning took place to ensure the safety of all students. Many competitions took place virtually.
In order to minimize the impact of learning loss due to COVID-19 school closures, Buist Academy offered a variety of instructional support groups during the school day. We also offered before and after-school tutoring services. We also started a virtual Saturday Academy, which includes foreign language support.
As an International Baccalaureate school, we strive to provide our students with the knowledge, attributes, and skills to work together. IB communicators express themselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many other ways. They also collaborate effectively and listen carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. IB projects such as the Primary Years Programme (PYP) exhibition and Middle Years Programme (MYP) community service project allow students the opportunity to work in groups. In the final year of the PYP, students carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project known as the PYP exhibition. At the end of eighth grade, the MYP community service project provides an important opportunity for students to collaborate and pursue service learning. Students are able to successfully communicate the outcomes of their projects to parents, teachers, students, and community members.
By modeling collaborative practices and providing our students with a variety of opportunities for collaboration, we are preparing them with skills to be successful in the future. With the support of faculty, staff, administration, parents, and the community, we will continue to excel academically and provide students with multiple opportunities to establish the world-class skills expected of a South Carolina graduate.
Shawntay White, Principal
Jill Chandler, SIC Chair