Thornwell Charter School (TCS) is helping all students develop the World-Class skills of the South Carolina Graduate by providing students with the appropriate tools to learn and develop in a rigorous, personalized academic environment that fosters a love for learning, in an individualized health and wellness program that promotes lifelong health, and in the Teaching Family Model that helps children develop life skills which will enable them to succeed in higher education, in their careers and to be productive members of their communities. Thornwell Charter School serves a diverse population of 206 students, grades kindergarten through eight, in Clinton, SC of Laurens County. TCS Faculty strives for educational excellence through our rigorous personalized learning methods and strategies, student engagement, and passionate and creative school culture. Building student/teacher relationships is also a cornerstone of our school.
TCS utilizes Personalized Learning methods and strategies which tailor every aspect of students’ academic skills to meet them where they are. In order to develop a strong ownership in learning, together every student creates a personalized learning plan and profile. These personalized learning plans include teacher created and student created learning goals. The use of personalized learning helps motivate teachers and students to learn and strengthen student/teacher relationships in the classroom.
TCS teachers integrate technology throughout the day and in every lesson by offering 1:1 devices. An important piece to TCS’s personalized learning implementation is formative and summative assessments. Assessments are used to gain a better understanding of where students are academically. All of the assessments used inside of the classroom go back to understanding the students better and furthering student achievement. TCS implements balanced literacy through the Units of Study in Reading Workshop and the Units of Study in Writing Workshop and Fountas and Pinnell Level Literacy Intervention and uses Big Ideas Math and Guided Math in each classroom.
Student engagement and building a strong school culture has been a major goal for all teachers and administrators this year. TCS has adopted many of the beliefs and passions of the Ron Clark Academy. Through the use of the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) House System, students at TCS learn respect for one another as well as what it means to be a family. The RCA House system consists of 4 houses. Students earn points for academic excellence, school spirit, outstanding performance, good character, and effort. The use of this system not only motivates our students, it helps build a united school culture. Another component of our school culture is the Teaching Family Model that we use as our Behavioral Care Component. We are currently working toward Teaching Family Accreditation through the Teaching Family Association.
TCS is built on family values and believes that ALL of our students can be successful, achieve, and accomplish their educational goals through dedication, motivation and determination.
