Our school is helping all students develop the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by engaging in a rigorous curriculum fostered by high expectations among our school community. Powdersville Elementary School is committed to developing learners and empowering leaders. This mission reflects our intense belief that all students can learn at high levels and each student has leadership skills and potential. This year marked the ninth year of our 1:1 iPad implementation for all students. Students and teachers showed innovation on a daily basis in the ways in which they use the technology in the classroom to support their research and presentation of material to communicate their learning effectively. Students and teachers have also explored ways in which to differentiate and expand their learning through programs such as Dreambox, Freckle Reflex, Edulastic, Seesaw, and more. In an effort to understand, support, and teach the whole child, the staff at Powdersville Elementary worked hard this year to teach skills to students that extend beyond the academic curriculum and connect the students with our community. We enjoyed hosting a Literacy Night to encourage families to read at home and to stress the importance of literacy. We invited men from around the community to read to our students during our “Real Men Read” event. Powdersville has also implemented the House System across all grade levels to create a sense of belonging for each student. Houses were created based on our P.R.I.D.E. acronym which stands for Purposeful, Respectful, Innovative, Determination, and Excellence. Administration, teachers, students, and other staff members each randomly selected one of our five houses to belong to. Teachers of each homeroom then recognized students who were demonstrating these qualities in our P.R.I.D.E. practice ceremonies. Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, were one of the ways in which teachers ensure that all students learn at high levels. Powdersville Elementary School became a Model PLC School this year. As a part of the PLC process, teachers worked collaboratively to review essential standards, engage in meaningful conversations about student data and assessments, and create an action plan for how to address students’ needs. Teachers met weekly to review student data and engage in discussions that led to future adjustments with intervention and enrichment in the classroom. During this collaborative time for teachers, students enjoyed an extra related arts experience in which they engaged in various opportunities such as foreign language, guidance lessons, leadership 101, social emotions learning, and financial literacy lessons as part of our “Team Time” program. Students at Powdersville Elementary School participate in Physical Education, Music, Art, STEM, and Computer Lab. The school provided a variety of after-school clubs and opportunities for students including archery, chorus, robotics, and Girls on the Run. Our Robotics team made it to the Worlds Competition in their first year. Our PTSO has supported our teachers and school in many ways by raising money through partnerships with community businesses and hosting events for our students and parents all throughout the year. This has created opportunities for our students to excel. This year our PTSO helped with providing outdoor spaces for our parents and students to eat as well as classrooms to visit during the school day.  Our School Improvement Council (SIC) remains active and supports improvement efforts in multiple areas. Students were able to show their Powdersville PRIDE in our district Olympics competition in which they brought home awards in several events. Powdersville students, staff, and teachers are pursuing excellence by constantly looking to push themselves and take learning and community relations to the next level while embracing the many challenges that lie ahead. #pvespride