Red Bank Elementary School is helping all students develop the World-Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by empowering them with the skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. The learning environment at RBE provides quality instruction in reading, writing and math through a workshop model. RBE has a diverse group of highly qualified staff who work diligently to meet the needs of our student population. We strive to meet every child at his or her academic level.
The South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards are explicitly translated and unpacked for the students so that they become adept at goal-setting in order to become proficient in their learning. We advocate for transparency of the learning expectations for our students, and support the use of innovation and technology. By increasing transparency, communication and relationships are strengthened, and all stakeholders feel as though they are an integral part of the learning community.
At RBE, we continue to implement a personalized, competency-based learning model. Because we recognize that every child learns in different ways and at different rates, all children are supported to reach levels of proficiency before moving on to additional learning that is based upon other foundational skills.
As a faculty and staff, we work to meet students exactly where they are in their learning through the use of formative student data. Teachers and teaching interventionists work together to track student progress, with the support of instructional coaches, in order to provide appropriate instructional strategies that promote student growth. Reflection is an integral component of the learning process at RBE. As a result, students are able to set goals surrounding what should be learned next, to identify strategies they will use to work toward the goals and to track the strategies that lead to success. Tracking their learning through a data notebook or a digital platform makes students knowledgeable of the learning progressions and allows them to celebrate their growth. Being intentional in providing personalized learning opportunities contributed to an overall rating of “Excellent” on the 2019 School Report Card, indicating that our school performance substantially exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.
Student engagement is supported through the implementation of daily morning meetings, student voice and choice, and personal goal-setting. Additionally, our teachers work to establish a classroom culture where students develop a sense of belonging and maintain a classroom culture where positive relationships thrive while student achievement is promoted.
Over the years, RBE has hosted visits from multiple schools throughout the state who were seeking to learn more about personalized, competency-based learning. The S.C. Department of Education has hosted Inquiry Labs at RBE attended by educators interested in knowing more about personalized, competency-based learning. An Inquiry Lab was held in the spring of 2023, attended by more than 35 educators. RBE also welcomed administrators and coaches from Kalispell School District in Kalispell, Montana, to observe the model. We were selected as a host school for the TransformSC Bus Tour for the 2019–2020 school year where business leaders, educators, students, parents and policymakers to visit schools that are transforming public education.
Student agency and leadership remain central to the work we do at RBE. Action research is used to develop tools and strategies to increase student agency in multiple ways. Learner profiles and pathways have been developed to support flexible learning environments which allow our students to be partners in their learning. Standards-based reporting has allowed RBE to provide authentic feedback in meaningful ways. Our school emphasizes equity for all students. Because our students come from a variety of diverse backgrounds and experiences, we recognize the importance of ensuring that ALL students are learning at high levels.
Lexington County School District One has identified eight power skills through our current strategic plan that are integral to the way we work and learn together at RBE. These skills enable our students to learn the characteristics that will support them now and throughout their lives. The Power Skills are: accountability, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, interpersonal skills, integrity, perseverance and a willingness to take risks. The inclusive culture at RBE demonstrates a sense of collaboration and respect for all. Our students continually strive to be their best selves and help others to do the same. At RBE, our schoolwide Code of Cooperation reads: “We encourage each other. We learn every day. We never give up. We are strong leaders. We are Red Bank.”
Our students are encouraged to apply for leadership roles in their classrooms and throughout the entire school each year. Through the application of the district’s power skills, students learn the characteristics that will support them now and throughout their lives. These power skills are integral to the way we work and learn together.
RBE continues to benefit from the support of business partners and our local faith community. Relationships and community are an important part of our school culture. We were fortunate enough to receive several grants this school year, including a Farm Bureau Classroom Grant, the Helping Hands Grant, a Radius Church Financial Education Award, South Carolina Arts Commission Grant and Unified Games Funding. We were named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School in 2019 and presented our renewal banner in the spring of 2023. Through a grant funded by Children’s Trust of South Carolina, we completed one 14-week cycle of the Strengthening Families Program which provided a meal and evening instruction for local families. The program provides learning activities to build a stronger, more effective family unit. While this program is typically delivered in a face-to-face model, we chose to continue its implementation in a virtual setting for this final cycle.
As a Title I school, we used school data to determine where our funding would have the greatest impact on student learning. A variety of professional learning has been funded for continued teacher growth to impact classroom instruction. Funds are also allocated to provide additional salaries for interventionists to support our high-needs population.
While in the field of public education, we often face adversity and trials. Our successes, perseverance, teamwork and collaboration are what we value most at RBE. This will make us stronger as we move forward into the next school year. As always, we will continue to strive to lead, to learn, to love and to pass it on at RBE. Every child is worth our best every day!
Janet B. Ricard, Principal
Jennifer Bonilla, SIC Chair
