Chapin Middle School 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, and by providing the foundational skills for student success. Chapin Middle School is an award-winning school and has been honored by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators as a Palmetto's Finest middle school. We also received national recognition as a Redesignation I School to Watch, and our SIC won the prestigious 2020 Dick and Tunky Riley Award for SIC Excellence. Focused on the four C's of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, we are committed to creating an educational environment that will ensure the success of our students in school and in life. We understand that the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired now will be the foundation for future learning.
Critical Thinking and Creativity – Chapin Middle School has a proud history of academic excellence. We recruit and retain professionals who are passionate, dedicated, and focused on the success of each student. We have established a rigorous and relevant curriculum that ensures our students have every opportunity to meet and exceed established standards. We offer a variety of classes that carry Carnegie Credit in areas such as English, math, STEM, and world languages. This year we added a Financial Literacy course to equip students with personal finance skills. Our performing and fine arts classes regularly receive superior ratings at competitions and festivals throughout the state and nation. This year, we celebrated the success of our students as Jr. Scholars, science fair winners, and geographic bee finalists, as well as the success of our athletic teams and civic and academic clubs. Our professional development goals for the year included student engagement, equity, social emotional learning, and cultural competency. Staff training included guest speakers each month as well as best practices for the social and emotional well-being of students and adults. These areas will continue to be a focus for our school as we challenge critical thinking skills and utilize research-based practices to engage all students as active, motivated participants partnering with teachers to help lead their own learning.
Communication – Over the last several years, District Five has implemented an aggressive one-to-one technology plan, and students at Chapin Middle School use their Chromebooks daily. The guiding principle for our initiative is to ensure students can be successful in school and compete globally. An important part of our school’s culture is supporting students to be their best and in the 2020 Making Middle Grades Work Survey, CMS scored 8.46 out of 10 for the Comprehensive Guidance students receive from adults. The average for all sites was 7.17 and the average for similar sites was 7.30. This category encompasses career coaching and goal setting - both important factors in determining readiness for a World Class Graduate and dependent on strong communication from a supportive adult. At Chapin Middle School, classes begin with a Focus of the Day based on standards and student interest and include strategies that foster collaboration, active learning, and clear communication. We also offer clubs such as Beta Club, Girls Empowered to Lead, Mock Trial, and Student Council that offer opportunities for leadership and enhance the World Class Skills of our students. We were unable to offer our annual International Night this year, but we look forward to continuing this important cultural event for our school and community in the years to come.
Collaboration – At Chapin Middle School we value providing our students with experiences and programs of study that will help make them good citizens. We know that characteristics taught in school will carry over to their college and career successes. Our school has received a perfect score on our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative for seven consecutive years. We recognize the integrity, work ethic, and interpersonal skills of our students through efforts such as PBIS, Student of the Month, Shout Outs and Spirit of the Eagle awards, and we highlight these recognitions through our School Improvement Council meetings, our newsletter, and social media. Although we were unable to offer Career Day this year in our regular format of parent and community volunteers showcasing their professions and collaborating with our students, we were able to partner with Junior Achievement for their JA Inspire Virtual Career Fair. Throughout the school year, we offer student choice in non-traditional classes such as Fantasy Football, Coding, Origami, Photography, Self-Defense, Yoga, and Zumba through our Academy program. Academies enhance relationships and expose our students to interests outside of the typical middle school curriculum that could potentially become a life-long hobby, skill, or career. This year we were thrilled to offer a school-wide social-emotional learning curriculum to our students during our RISE classes.
Our District motto is “Pursuing Excellence for Tomorrow’s Challenges.” We are very proud at Chapin Middle School to know that we are indeed preparing students for success in school, in the workplace, and in life.
Reggie Salazar, SIC Chair
Anna M. Miller, Principal
