Minnie Hughes Elementary School, located in the rural community of Hollywood, SC, is “ALL IN” in helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Our school has accomplished this goal by incorporating research-based and proven instructional strategies in the classroom. We provided individualized and small group interventions based on data driven decision-making. We are building leaders at Minnie Hughes Elementary School that will go into the community and contribute in positive ways. Students are learning and practicing techniques to understand their learning by conducting student-led conferences, which we believe helps students take ownership of their learning. We established a rigorous Student Ambassador Program, where students applied and endured an interview process. Students were upheld to a higher standard as a leader, but also rewarded, thus learning the experiences of a college/career oriented graduate. We ensured that each child had access to virtual resources by incorporating the latest technology in all of our classrooms. The school provided free MIFI devices for qualified families, issued by the South Carolina State Department of Education.
Our teachers are “ALL IN” and are engaged in ongoing professional learning communities to accelerate student performance and focus on targeted school wide areas for continuous instructional improvement. This year we focused on targeted instruction through personalized learning. Teachers also began LETRS training to build the foundation for literacy as we prepare for the new EL curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year.
During this year of continued unprecedented circumstances, we incorporated the latest science on safe school operations during COVID-19. The school enforced updated guidelines provided by the Center of Disease Control and the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control to minimize the impact of the pandemic on student learning. The Charleston County School District’s safety protocols were in place to guide safe physical distances, mask requirements, and proper hygiene protocols. To support our students emotionally, we utilized our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) team to proactively identify and address the varied social and emotional needs of all students. We also utilized outside resources to help with social emotional learning for our male students such as the “Young Men Rise” program. We established a girl’s group book study that was led by one of our district’s climate coaches and we were able to bring Art Therapy to a small girls group and a small boys group once a week.
Minnie Hughes Elementary School has established mutually beneficial relationships with community partnerships, such as the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission, St. Paul’s Hollywood Public Library, Trident Technical College, and local churches. We are proud to add local restaurants to that partnership list as well such as Station17, Stoners Pizza, and Pooka’s Kitchen. Our close-knit community embraced our efforts to educate and provide transformative learning experiences to create engaging, hands-on classroom environments and empower students to develop the in-demand knowledge and skills they need to thrive.
We continued to provide Talent Development and Personalized Learning opportunities for our students. The school received numerous grant awards, such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW). PLTW introduces pathways into computer science, engineering, and curricular modules to engage students in hands-on activities, projects, and problem solving. PLTW empowers students to solve real-world challenges and inspires them to reimagine how they see themselves. Other awards include the Bosch Eco & STEM Grant, the Volvo Community Education Grant, and the Education Innovation Research Grant - Cultural Competency & Responsive Instruction. We also received recognition as 2nd place winners of the South Atlantic Region Colgate Bright Smiles Kid’s Award.
Our school community values our stakeholders being “ALL IN” at Minnie Hughes Elementary School and we know that, together, we can advance student learning, equity, and the success of all of our students.
Mrs. Ashland Temoney, Principal
Mrs. Marsha Aleem, School Improvement Council Chairperson
