All stakeholders are committed to building an environment that supports high-quality education through the use of rigorous curricula, critical thinking skills, and creativity to produce global citizens.
Kingstree High School is located in the county seat of Williamsburg County, South Carolina. The enrollment is approximately 550 students. The grounds include two campuses, courtyards, and on-site parking for faculty members. In addition to the general education program, we offer courses in Special Education, Gifted and Talented (G&T), and an English as a Second Language interpreter (ESOL).
All curricula meet the standards set by the South Carolina State Department of Education. As part of the district and school curriculum framework, lessons are provided to include critical thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills that are supported by the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). Additional time is provided for an intervention block so teachers can work with small groups of students. Tier 1 provides whole group instruction at grade level to all students. During Tier 2, targeted instruction, students work in small groups with direct instruction from their teacher while other students work independently. Tier 3 instruction involves explicit and direct instruction with pull-outs from interventionists. All students have access to classroom book collections and other online library platforms with thousands of book titles, as well as science and math manipulatives. The students have an opportunity to participate in sporting activities, band, nursing, JROTC, and Teacher Cadet programs.
In all grades, multiple assessments are used to determine whether or not students have mastered grade-level skills. Our district is currently working on newly revised benchmark assessments for all subjects. The benchmark assessments are aligned to the South Carolina State standards. These assessments are administered three times during the school year. Students also take universal screeners, in reading and math, three times per school year to provide grade-level equivalency information for the teachers to use during instructional planning. Students are also required to complete End-of-Course assessments in select courses, as determined by the South Carolina State Department of Education.
Our teachers infuse technology in instruction to equip our students with 21st-century skills. Each room is equipped with an Interactive Smart Board, PC Laptop, and access to a document camera. All students are provided a laptop. Wireless technology is used throughout the school. The use of laptops is embedded into daily instruction.
The school provides professional development activities derived from the needs of our students. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are in place for our teachers to learn and work together to improve student achievement in all content areas. Teachers observe common planning time at the end of the school day, after staff meetings. During this time, they share their knowledge, focus on learning, and analyze data on student performance to improve instruction.
Kingstree High School encourages parents and families to be actively involved in their children's education. Student academic progress is shared with the parents during conferences and presentations. Families have opportunities to participate in our Family Literacy Workshop. Special topic workshops take place throughout the school year with an emphasis on family and child social-emotional growth and development as well as ways to enhance and support academic achievement. The Parenting Liaison collaborates with external stakeholders to develop activities and provides information and resources to the families. During the school year, information on upcoming events is posted on the school webpage, Facebook page, school marquee, and Blackboard announcements, as well as through the district communication system (School Messenger), personalized voice messages are sent to parents. The school has a welcoming, friendly environment for our parents and community.
Ms. Bonita Glover, Principal
