Bethune-Bowman Elementary is a school that is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing them with a challenging curriculum that develops high level thinking skills. We are ensuring that our students are college and career ready by infusing researched best practices, skills, and strategies.  Bethune-Bowman Elementary School, located in rural Orangeburg County, is a PreK-5th grade school in Orangeburg County School District that serves 291 students.  The 2022-2023 school year has been innovative, productive, and creative for the faculty, staff, and students.  Bethune-Bowman Elementary has a united team of students, faculty, staff, parents, community, and stakeholders. More emphasis has been placed on using data to drive the instruction of our students.  The school has put in place instructional non-negotiables such as intervention to assist with student mastery of standards. Thus, all teachers taught the standards and constantly checked for understanding.  During the 2022-2023 school year, content-specific strategies were implemented in all classrooms to prepare students for SC Ready and SC PASS.  Other initiatives that contributed to our progress included:  virtual content parent  nights,  Literacy/Read to Succeed Nights,  common assessments, IXL, i-Ready web based programs and yearlong data analysis to drive instruction.  The School Improvement Council and PTSA continue to work together to increase parent and community involvement. The school strives to keep parents and the community informed through parent newsletters, weekly parent contacts, PowerSchool Parent Portal, ClassDoJo and our phone call-out system.   As we look forward to the new school year, Bethune-Bowman Elementary School students need the support of parents, staff, and community in making the transition to middle/high school and the real world.  

Lakekia J. Lewis, Principal

Samarrow B. Pelzer, School Improvement Council Chairperson