Joseph R. Pye Elementary School is full #STEAM ahead and fully committed to helping all students develop world class academic and soft skills that support life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by focusing on being in the right place, at the right time, and doing the right thing. We are a progressive community of learners located in the heart of one of the fastest growing districts in South Carolina. Our highest enrollment this year was 835 students in 4K through 5th grade. We are fully staffed to meet the needs of our total school population with 115 professional and support staff members. JPES is highly decorated, being recognized for excellence as a model school as recipients of the South Carolina Palmetto’s Finest 2018 Award and the National Partners in 21st Century Learning Exemplar School 2017 Award. Additionally, our school and faculty have received numerous education grants and honors since our inception 12 years ago.
Our mission and vision remain steadfast and focused on keeping the needs of all children and their learning first. JPES strives to be recognized as a world class STEAM school that integrates the arts and sciences in a highly engaged learning environment. This vision propels us forward as we prepare today’s learners to be tomorrow’s leaders through exploration, discovery, learning and leading. Our School Improvement Goals are aligned with the Dorchester School District Two Guiding Tenets of Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance. We also employ a STEAM Coach, who assists teachers in planning engaging STEAM units and experiences that support our mission, vision, and instructional focus.
We begin with high-quality curriculum to develop world class knowledge. Our teachers drive instruction using the SC state standards to launch our STEAM approach. Teachers follow pacing guides to ensure the delivery of relevant instruction consistently across all classrooms and provide differentiated instruction for advancement and intervention strategies to close achievement gaps. We engage in high-quality planning and deliver high-quality instruction using an approach to teaching and learning that provides a highly engaged learning environment. Teachers are all trained to use explicit direct instruction (EDI) to maximize instructional time. We hire highly qualified teachers who use the four critical questions of a PLC to plan and assess the effectiveness of the instructional cycle: 1) What do we want students to learn? 2) How will we know they learned it? 3) What will we do for those who did not learn it? 4) What will we do for those who already know it? As a result, instruction is tiered for a more personalized learning experience.
We are most proud of our strong sense of community and our commitment to providing quality time for students. JPES appreciates the value of creating classrooms that address the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students and their families. Additionally, high expectations STEER (Safety, Teamwork, Eager to Learn, Expect the best, Responsibility leads to Respect) our students toward excellence in becoming kind and compassionate 21st Century learners who are prepared to successfully navigate the challenges of an evolving world.