St. Andrew’s School of Math and Science (SASMS) is helping all students develop the World-Class Skills and Life and Career Characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate through shared decision making, a positive learning environment, and high expectations. With the addition of the partial magnet program, our vision, mission, and purpose realigned to not only support our science and math focus but it also aligned to the district’s focus of developing a South Carolina graduate who possesses world-class knowledge, skills, and life characteristics. Our vision supports the inclusiveness of the entire family. It’s our mission to help build the dual-capacity framework, and in doing so, develop a multi-faceted support system for students that includes guardians and school-based educators. Our Mission aligns very closely with the overall district focus, to “...prepare students to become confident, competent and responsible and self-motivated 21st Century learners by providing an environment where students think critically and creatively, communicate clearly, and respect individual differences, rights, and responsibilities.” Each day our students recite a Creed that serves as a daily reminder of our goals that we strive for: “As a student at St. Andrew’s I pledge to accept the opportunity to grow and learn all that I can today. I will be responsible for my words and my actions. I will respect the rights and feelings of others. I pledge to be kind and helpful to my classmates, friends and teachers. Today, I dedicate myself to becoming the best that I can be”
CCSD maintains a goal of having all students reading on grade level by 2027. All students receive Open Court Phonics instruction, and students in the primary grades also receive Heggerty based instruction. The school utilizes three literacy interventionists to help close achievement gaps, and numerous general education teachers have been, or are currently being trained in LETRs, and/or the Orton-Gillingham classroom educator level approach to reading. St. Andrew’s also has two Orton-Gillingham Associate Level practitioners, which provide additional resources to students across the building. We attain strong academic results through effective instruction from highly qualified teachers on a daily basis. Our teachers are always seeking to learn new and effective strategies to use data to guide instruction in the classroom. Small-group guided reading, cross-curricular lessons, and the workshop model drive our literacy initiative. We continue to focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) practices in our instruction to provide opportunities that promote collaboration and critical thinking. Students work together closely to design, construct, and revise products throughout many facets of their learning experiences. By integrating the Engineering Design Process throughout the student experience, students learn to see problems, develop potential solutions, and become comfortable with revising plans to better meet the needs of a given situation. Students also experience two STEM based related arts during the week. In our STEM Lab, students focus on project-based units of study, where they learn the scientific concepts behind a given situation or circumstance, and then develop solutions based on their new found knowledge. In our Maker Space, students work through Project Lead the Way modules. Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, students were introduced to Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering through the PLTW curriculum.
Like the vast majority of other schools in the district, we utilized the EL curriculum, which provides students with opportunities to engage with a variety of authentic, grade level texts, on a daily basis. In math, we continued to use the Bridges Math Program that supports critical thinking starting in Kindergarten. IPad/Chromebook class sets have proven to be another strategic tool that guides the development of our students. Our first through fifth-grade students who need intervention in reading and/or math receive additional instruction during the school day. Students involved in these interventions have demonstrated positive gains.
At SASMS our vision contains a strong bond between our students, teachers, and parents. Working together collaboratively, our School Improvement Council (SIC) and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) support our children, teachers, and staff. Both groups provide supplies, guidance, and opportunities to develop our future South Carolina Graduates.
Stephen Thomas, Principal
Michelle Leach, SIC Chair
