Carlisle-Foster’s Grove Elementary School’s (C-FG) instructional vision and focus provides the leverage for our students to develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, which enable them to be college, career, and citizenship ready. C-FG meets students where they are and encourages them to learn and grow at high levels, while creating a culture of student and teacher efficacy. Our teachers continually focus on improving learning and achievement through reflective and collaborative Teaching and Learning Teams.  An innovative, nurturing, creative and collaborative school, Carlisle- Foster’s Grove Elementary is a place where faculty, administrators, district personnel, students, and community work collaboratively to provide a safe learning environment where excellence and success are experienced. Carlisle-Foster’s Grove Elementary’s philosophy is grounded in one principle: children first.  This philosophy is what makes our culture the caring and nurturing environment that it is.  Children are at the core of all our planning and decision-making.  Our main goal is to ensure that students feel safe, comfortable, encouraged, supported, and challenged.  

 Our Teaching and Learning Teams (TLTs) have a great impact on student achievement as teachers participate in weekly focused, data-driven meetings using common formative assessments. Analysis of data plays a critical part in planning and differentiating instruction during our Teaching and Learning Teams. Our instruction is focused on differentiating and personalizing learning using vetted digital tools and adaptive software, coupled with sound pedagogy and practices such as guided instruction, RtI, and PBIS. Analyzing, reflecting, and providing a variety of assessments have been a big focus, as we continue to use the data to provide interventions through individual and small group instruction. Our use of the CFG digital data wall provides access to student data anytime and from any place. This is important as we create a place that values inviting ALL students to come and learn, to belong, and to invest in their learning. Our school continues to score an Excellent rating on the School Report Card and scored among the highest on the state report card of schools in Spartanburg County.

TLT High Impact planning is engaged in effective collaboration around the four guiding questions, to ensure high levels of learning and growth for all students. The four guiding questions of a TLTinclude, 

1. What do we expect students to learn?

2. How do we know they are learning it?

3. How do we respond when they don’t learn?

4. How do we respond when they’ve already learned?

All of our meeting agendas and collaborative tasks are based on at least one of the four guiding questions. Teams develop common assessments to measure student learning and growth. We analyze student work and assessment results to help drive our instruction. Our ultimate desire for our TLT is that it would be characterized by teams who believe that all students can learn at high levels, and that all students are our students. 

Technology is a natural part of our day-to-day instruction with the use of one-to-one devices for all students 5K- Fifth grade.  The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching is the framework we utilize to meet individual student needs. We strive to provide an environment of high expectations, a rigorous curriculum, personalized teaching strategies, and a multi-tiered system of support.

Collaboration shows students how to work together to achieve a common goal. This year, our Student Leadership Team and staff led our school in community outreach initiatives, including collecting food to donate to the Upstate Resource Center, Jump Rope for Heart, water day, field day, virtual award celebrations, collecting items for the local shelter, D2 Reads, and a color run for the entire school.

Our emphasis on the High Impact Teams model  has helped to ensure that we reach our goals. Critical thinking is all about solving problems. STEM activities and performance tasks help develop critical thinkers in our building. Writing continues to be a big focus for our CFG students. Our staff believes that students are taught to have confidence so that they want to take on challenges, develop respect for themselves and others and have sensitivity to collaborate with others in the pursuit of learning.

 We are proud of our faculty, staff, and community as we partner together to continue to provide exemplary learning experiences for students. Our ultimate goal is to help students see something they may not see in themselves and inspire a life-long love for learning.  

Cathy Garner, Principal

Chris Carter, SIC Chairperson