Carver-Edisto Middle School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. This school year has been a year like none other because of COVID-19; however, we continued to provide a safe and engaging learning environment that fostered continual growth in our students. Continued implementation of new programs has targeted world class skills such as creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and problem solving. Beginning in August of 2019, our faculty focused on Excellent Instruction, and this focus has continued throughout the 2020-2021 school term. Teachers created a design for how their classrooms would look. These ideas were revisited throughout the year during collaborative meeting times. Teachers participated in Canvas and Teams professional learning in order to provide “Excellent” virtual instruction throughout this school year.
The primary goal for all students at Carver-Edisto Middle School is high academic achievement, but we also strive to afford a rich array of extra-curricular activities, community service, and character education. Our school counselors continued to advise our students through virtual platforms, and they also provided weekly Social Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities. Students were able to meet with their Edgenuity teacher each Friday for their SEL lessons.
The counseling department, along with our newly hired full-time Career Specialist, sponsored our school-wide virtual Red Ribbon Week celebration. During this week, students pledged to be drug free. We also saw instituted our first Mr. and Ms. CEMS Pageant. The pageant participants were able to assist with our end-of-year drive- through celebrations. During Read Across America week, our media center staff hosted a week of reading activities to include a gallery walk, read-alouds, and prize giveaways. The Cougar Connections Newsletter was used to keep parents in the know as well as to shout out the excellent work of our students.
Typically, many of our students participated in a variety of athletic programs including cheerleading, football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, cross country, and wrestling. This year, we were able to complete our volleyball season, and students interested in softball and baseball played with the JV teams at Edisto High School. Those students who are interested in technology were afforded the opportunity to take Fundamentals of Computing parts 1 and 2 for high school credit. Drama, choral, and band students would normally team up twice this year, once for Evening Showcases, but the showcases were not able to be held this school term. Instead, our visual arts students participated in a virtual arts showcase sponsored by the Orangeburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and our CEMS players produced their first ever virtual play entitled “Stick and Stones.” The inaugural class of Classy by Choice girls were all promoted to high school, which is a testament to the success of this mentoring program. During this school term, we also witnessed the inception of a new male mentoring group that serviced 12 young men, both virtually and face to face.
Collectively, all of these programs and events added to an abounding academic program and offered rigorous learning opportunities for all students.
Karen James, Principal
