At Loris Middle School, we are helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by working diligently each year to challenge all students to meet high academic standards and to personalize instruction through a blended learning model. Our school-wide theme is “Rise Up!” which encourages our students to pursue opportunities, which will lead to a successful future.
Loris Middle School students are challenged daily in the four academic classes, which are based on rigorous standards that promote world-class knowledge. Students may earn high school credits by demonstrating mastery in Algebra 1, Geometry, English 1, Fundamentals of Computing I, and Fundamentals of Computing II. Through our school district’s digital initiative, teachers and students are provided with an Chromebook to promote deeper learning in the disciplines, personalize learning, and better meet each student’s academic needs. Using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and iReady, our teachers analyzed achievement data to strategically plan instruction and attended professional development to better enhance instruction that leads to continuous improvement for students. We believe the performance data shared below reflects effective data analysis, instructional planning, and implementation of high-yield strategies at Loris Middle School.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Fine Arts Department continued to provide opportunities for our students to participate in district and state competitions. We are pleased to announce we had 5 All-County Band students, 2 All-County Orchestra students, and 11 All-County Chorus students. Several eighth-grade band students performed with the Loris High School Marching Band during football season and the LMS 7th/8th grade chorus participated in the Rotary Club’s Waves of the Future virtual production. In regards to academic recognitions, students also received additional recognitions with students competing at the state level for South Carolina National History Day and two group projects competing at the national level. Three students were recognized for the HCS Soil and Water Essay contest, with LMS having the district’s overall middle school winner. Additionally, our archery team competed at the state, national, and world levels virtually in its fourth year as a team. Other evidence includes 8 students as SC Junior Scholars and a large number of students being inducted into the Junior Beta Club. Through activities such as these, students are allowed to develop world-class skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Our students, parents, teachers, and administration faced unprecedented challenges this school year as we embraced a “new normal,” developed and implemented innovative methods for providing effective instruction in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic. While this report includes information about student performance, numbers alone do not speak to the energy and creative efforts that contribute to that performance. Our students, parents, teachers, and administration came together in extraordinary measures to ensure Loris Middle School students had access to effective instruction in a new hybrid learning environment. Even in the midst of a pandemic, LMS remains committed to looking continuously for ways to improve the educational experience, and we celebrate the many accomplishments and achievements that validate the talents of our students, as well as the professional commitment of our staff. We also believe that strong partnerships between family, community, and school are imperative to the success of students.
Shelley Todd, Principal
Kevin Gause, School Improvement Chair
