Port Royal Elementary supports all students in developing the world-class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing engaging, South Carolina standards-based instruction that focuses on continuous growth and development. Educators provide differentiated instruction and appropriate intervention and enrichment strategies to meet each child’s needs. Our mission is to educate, empower, and engage students through cooperation, communication, community involvement, challenging and innovative curriculum, social-emotional development, and a safe and inclusive environment.
During the 2022-2023 school year, our focus was to track the progress of South Carolina Math and ELA standards through formative and summative assessments and analyze current data to make instructional decisions. With support through the MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Support), students persevered to strive toward academic goals. Additionally, PRES 2.0, an afterschool tutoring program, was offered to students in grades 1 to 5 to support students in meeting academic growth targets.
We incorporated our Project Lead the Way units and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) lab to encourage students to strengthen their skills in problem-solving and critical thinking by solving challenges using the engineering design process and project-based units of study. Additionally, these STEM experiences provided students with opportunities to work collaboratively, foster creativity, and strengthen communication skills.
We continued our path to excellence through a professional study on how to create ideal foundational experiences for our youngest learners in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Purposeful Play-based Kindergarten strategies were incorporated to strengthen students' executive functioning skills through a variety of hands-on, play-based activities throughout the day.
We believe that building social-emotional competencies are equally as important as building academic competencies in developing world-class citizens. We strive to build a positive school culture through our ‘crew’ initiatives and we continue to focus on integrating character traits that build a foundation for life and work. Students practiced the character traits in their daily routines and were recognized at our monthly Crew Rally for outstanding efforts. Students learned the attributes of integrity, respect, perseverance, compassion, acceptance, courage, self-control, responsibility, cooperation, forgiveness, and kindness. During this exceptional year, we innovated ways to connect families with the school through three family night events focusing on STEM and Literacy.
Our staff continued its commitment to continuous professional learning to best meet the needs of students. In addition to regular professional learning community sessions, staff members completed professional work in understanding and teaching math and computer science standards that were funded through a Department of Defense federal grant designed to support students of military families (ReMICS).
At Port Royal Elementary School we continue to focus on our final destination… excellence! Our goal is to continue to move forward; becoming stronger each day than the one before.
Vicki Goude, Principal
Kassie Nicknadarvich, School Improvement Council Chair
