Oakland Elementary School is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We make data-driven decisions that benefit instruction and work vigorously to ensure that all students receive a high quality, rigorous educational experience. All teachers, as a grade level, meet with our school based instructional support staff and administrators weekly. Teachers and support staff discuss and build upon effective instructional practices, address student needs, and create instructional calendars and common assessments. Students engage in partner activities and group projects. During these activities, students work collaboratively to solve problems and create projects with input from all group members. Programs such as student council and reading buddies provide our students with opportunities to develop essential communication and collaborative skills that they will need throughout their lifetime.

At Oakland collaboration is key to ensure that all students’ needs are being identified and met. A student success team (MTSS – Multi-Tier Systems of Support) meets weekly to address student needs. IReady reports, FastBridge reports, and a variety of other data are utilized to identify students that need assistance to reach their maximum potential. Interventions are incorporated into student schedules and we monitor student progress to ensure  the interventions are yielding desired results.

We provide intense, targeted intervention for students in grades one through five. Students are identified as candidates for intervention in Math and/or ELA through data reviews at weekly MTSS meetings as well as through teacher recommendations. To drive instruction, our interventionists focus on student needs in math and reading by using IReady data as well as teacher input. These intervention sessions provide targeted, small group or individualized instruction to support student needs and growth. In addition to using these targeted interventions to meet our district's goal of all students reading on grade level by 2027, our teachers are receiving Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training grounded in the science of reading and implementing the EL curriculum. These programs will provide teachers and students with meaningful, robust, and rigorous instruction in ELA.

Communication between our school and our families is very important to us. All students use agendas for daily homework assignments and home/school communication. Teachers conduct required first and third nine weeks conferences with parents of each student in their homeroom. School to home communication folders go home each Wednesday and our school newsletter, The Beacon, goes home monthly. The newsletter details relevant information and upcoming events. We use Blackboard to communicate important information as well as our school website and Facebook page.

All students have opportunities to receive awards. Students in grades K-5 may earn ribbons for IReady and FastBridge gains.  Recognition is also given at nine week award ceremonies in grades three through five (principal’s list, honor roll, most improved, and good citizenship awards). Also, a monthly Terrific Kids program recognizes a good citizen from each class in all child development through fifth grade homerooms. We are a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) school. Monthly celebrations encourage students to meet their PBIS behavior goals. We utilize these systems to create a structured, pleasant, and productive learning environment for all students.

At Oakland Elementary School we are very proud of our students and their success. Working together, our goals for excellence are achievable.

Elizabeth Nicodin, Principal

Latasha Singleton, Chairperson