Eastside Elementary School purses an environment in which all students develop the characteristics of a highly effective student as outlined in Leader In Me. Furthermore, students engage with experiences that foster world-class skills and life and career characteristics as detailed in the Profile of the Graduate. Eastside Elementary does this by providing high quality educational discussions, building capacity for teamwork and installing grit. Our district mission guides our school in efforts to advocate for all students and prepare all students for future learning while creating a culture that is driven by being proactive, putting first things first, synergizing, and beginning with the end in mind.
Local businesses and industries indicate that ‘soft skills’ are imperative for our future graduates. These skills are needed to obtain and retain jobs. In classrooms across our campus students are engaged in opportunities to understand, express and discover social emotional learning. Through the use of technology, read alouds, focused discussions, and role playing scenarios students in grades K-5 are able to think through situations and determine the appropriate way to respond. With the increase in social emotional learning and awareness, the school has seen a decrease in student discipline, a slight increase in school attendance, and an increase in students taking ownership of their learning and actions.
In an effort to improve students’ world class knowledge, we continued to use best practice learning strategies with AVID. Eastside Elementary is completing its sixth year as an AVID Elementary School. This means we are using AVID components in our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms. AVID instructional practices support all areas of the world class skills South Carolina students need to succeed: creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, communication, information, media and technology, and knowing how to learn. Additionally, we expanded our partnership with Clinton High School and Presbyterian College to allow our students to collaborate.. Furthermore, to solidify for students that their future begins now our fifth grade students visited several local college campuses.
Eastside Elementary continued its implementation of PBIS ( Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) for the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers and staff worked to help students refine current strategies for being safe, organized, accountable, and respectful. Students were recognized for displaying positive behavior and leadership skills.
To further our journey with MTSS, we increased the number of students we served for targeted Tier II interventions. This year students were served who needed additional support in reading, math, and behavior. We increased the quality of our TIER 2 meetings by improvement of our documentation system, progress monitoring tools, and parent communication.
In keeping with the vision of Laurens County School District 56, we strive to provide a learning environment where students become ethical and productive citizens by achieving excellence, embracing innovation, and forging new traditions.
Tanya Wilson, Principal
Andrew Petterson, SIC Chairperson