Merriwether Elementary School (MES) is helping all students develop Word Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate through engaging activities that promote critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration which will allow our students to be successful in an ever changing society.
At MES we realize that education evolves as society changes; and for that reason we monitor and adjust instructional strategies to ensure teachers are modeling best practices within the classroom. We take pride in being life-long learners in in the education profession and we try to promote the importance of being life-long learners to our students as well.
Professional development focuses on current student data, Emphasis was placed on creating common unit plans and common assessments. Teachers tracked data using formative and summative assessments. Our instructional and literacy coach assisted teachers in analyzing data during our professional learning communities (PLC). In all subject areas we wanted teachers to focus on student engagement and making sure assignments were rigorous. Our school leadership team analyzed and monitor student data throughout the year Our instructional and literacy coach modeled lessons, team taught, and planned with grade levels during the year
We have implemented inquiry classrooms, Read 180, and Lexia over the past three years and we have seen positive results due to the implementations. All students are exposed to STEM activities through our Discovery Place class. This class allow students to collaborate to solve real world problems by thinking critically and coming up with solutions. Typing Quest is an online resource for Elementary Keyboarding. It is an effective way to teach keyboarding skills while providing students opportunities to build confidence in their typing abilities. Services such as MTSS, Gifted and Talented, The program for exceptional children, S.H.A.R.E program, and mental health counseling provide academic, emotional, and social support for students in our school.
Extracurricular activities such as chorus and the running club promote social skills for our students. Battle of the books is a reading competition designed to improve reading and comprehension while building enthusiasm for reading. This is a fun competition that our students enjoy participating in each year.
Each year teachers at MES participate in two local grant writing contests sponsored by The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and The Foundation for Public Education. These monetary grants allow teachers to purchase materials for their classrooms and each year several teachers from MES are recipients of these grants.
Through community involvement we have partnerships with many local restaurants and businesses. These businesses donate prizes for our family events. We have a partnership with Security Federal Bank, which allow our students to join the Looney Tunes Saving Club. This program is designed to make saving fun and exciting for children. At our school we encourage students to be responsible and respectful inside and outside of school. Students are the focus at our school and we have a daily task of growing them into world class citizens by engaging, empowering, and enriching all learners.
Bruce Lee - Principal Victoria Bradock - SIC Chair
