Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary is helping all students develop the World Class Skills and life career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing both academic and social experiences within a safe and nurturing environment. Our dedicated staff alongside our supportive families and community, work diligently to provide opportunities to enable our Mays Rays to achieve their fullest potential and prepare them for tomorrow’s world.
Our teachers are cultivating creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication for all students by developing the academic, social emotional, and behavior components through our Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the Leader In Me Program. This year we were able to celebrate the growth of our students on MAP testing and SC Ready. On our 22-23 school report card our school scored Excellent! This was a testimony to the hard work and dedication of our school community. Our Spring 23 scores showed that every grade level met and/or exceeded their Wildly Important Goal on MAP testing in reading and math. We continue to strengthen our understanding of the SC Curriculum Standards so we can ensure all of our students are on track for college and/or career. By emphasizing the 4 C’s of Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking our Mays Rays were able to experience firsthand the impact of bringing about positive change in a global society.
Our belief is it takes a village to raise a child. We collaborated with local agencies to provide a variety of experiences for our Mays Rays. Our school offers two afterschool programs to give parents the flexibility in the afternoons with their work schedules. The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwood and the Greenwood YMCA work with our afterschool students to provide tutoring, homework help, and enrichment services. This school year students, teachers, parents, and our Greenwood community participated in various events, which included: Covey Club Days, Costumes and Careers Trunk or Treat, One School One Book, Field Day, AR Celebrations, Mays Family Bash, Birthday Lunches, and our MAP celebrations. Our partnership with the Greenwood Kiwanis Club helped to recognized our Mays Rays who are showing their SHINE inside and outside of the classroom with the Terrific Kid program. We partnered with Piedmont Tech with providing mentorships for some of our Mays Rays in Grades 4th & 5th through the MODELS Academy. This year we hosted our first Leadership Day where our students led our families and community members through the Leader in Me program. The core principles of the 7 Habits and paradigms of leadership, have helped to shift our school from adult focused to more student focused. Student voice and choice in learning at their school has helped to give them more ownership of their learning at Mays.
This school year we had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with the Blues Musician Mac Arnold and Plate Full of Blues. In partnership with the Greenwood Fine Arts Center and the Self Foundation, we were able to provide master classes for students to receive a hands-on learning experience using a variety of blues instruments. Students were able to learn how to play the guitar, harmonica, drums, and the piano. It was a wonderful experience for all! This opportunity led the way for our Mays Rays to remember they can do anything!
Parent involvement is essential to the success of our students. Our PTO is heavily involved in volunteering in our classrooms, supporting our Book Fairs, hosting our Birthday Lunches, volunteering for Field Day, and being a supportive participant in any school improvement initiative. This was our first year of hosting a Family Bash and it was a night to remember. Our Family Nights also encourages the continuation of positive home-school connections.
Our Mays Rays have numerous opportunities to participate in service learning activities that teaches the importance of giving back to the community. Students collected canned goods for the Greenwood Food Bank and our Student Led Service Group Sunny Girls, also collected toiletries in the Fall and Spring for the Pathway House, a shelter for women and children in Greenwood.
We continue to provide professional development to broaden our understanding of our South Carolina Curriculum Standards, Leader In Me utilizing the 7 Habits, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) initiatives. Our Literacy Coach and MTSS team collaborate to support teachers in providing differentiated instruction to support our Mays Rays. By building common language and common expectations around our school, this has given students more opportunities to experience success and SHINE! These initiatives have allowed teachers to broaden their understanding of core principles for meeting students’ needs academically and emotionally as we grow toward meeting the expectations of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate at Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary.
Mrs. Tiara Watson, Principal
Mrs. Kim McLaughlin, Chair of the School Improvement Council
