Jackson Creek Elementary is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing learning opportunities designed to help students achieve creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, collaboration and teamwork, communication, information, media, and technology, and knowing how to learn through curriculum, character development, and an instructional framework focused on student learning.
These skills have never been more apparent than they have been this school year as students continue to adapt to face-to-face learning. At Jackson Creek Elementary, we have worked collaboratively and innovatively to ensure our students receive quality education both academically and emotionally/socially. It was important to recognize the social and emotional aspects of the pandemic and the effect that virtual learning had on some of our students. For example, students in 3rd grade were in kindergarten the last time they were all face-to-face. This required working collaboratively as a school family to ensure that our school counselor, social worker, school nurse as well as classroom teachers, and administrators all worked together. We were fortunate to have Resilient Midlands (formerly Richland) again this year, provided through a grant from United Way. Resilient Midlands provided JCE with an additional social worker who was able to focus on our 3rd graders (this is the final year as they followed students and their families since kindergarten).
Working in tandem, our reading coaches and technology learning coach have helped our teachers create hands-on lessons for students to explore and develop their individual creativity and innovation. Students had access to one-to-one devices that allowed them to work both at home and at school. In many ways, our former eLearning experiences exemplified the importance of 21st-century learning skills as the need to communicate and collaborate brought about creative engagements and opportunities that drew on technology in new ways.
Our technology learning coach and media instructor collaborate with teachers throughout the building to create lessons for our students that allow them to interact with technology and media. The students collaborate in their research for problem-solving and project design on topic-based learning throughout the school. Our technology learning coach and media specialist are available to work with all grade level teachers and/or students and can work with classes beyond assisting with utilizing our one-to-one devices, but also model ways to use new technology provided by the district and how to create projects and presentations in new and creative ways to further engage the students.
As part of our character development at Jackson Creek Elementary, we utilize the 7Mindsets curriculum which reinforces communication, teamwork, and problem-solving beyond the areas of academics. We understand these skills are critical outside of the classroom for our students to develop World Class Skills as a South Carolina Graduate. This model looks at the whole child and develops his/her/their profile as a critical thinker and problem solver, collaborator, and communicator in and outside of the classroom. In these ways, we are helping to develop our students as South Carolina Graduates at Jackson Creek Elementary School.
In addition to the opportunities throughout the school day this year, our school was able to offer opportunities beyond the school day through our 21st Century program, SOAR Summer Program, as well as events that provide our students and families opportunities to learn more about each other and the curriculum - building both relational capacity as well as a better understanding of the ways in which we are teaching and learning at Jackson Creek. Some of those events included. Open House, Virtual Literacy Night, ventured out into the communities of our Spanish-speaking families bringing information regarding flu vaccines, literacy development, and technology use, and Creekfest where students and families gathered together at JCE on a Saturday for Food and Fun- all proceeds went to our school store for incentives for our scholars. Scholars earn Creek Cash for demonstrating the 7 Mindsets and following the Jackson Creek Way (Be responsible for your learning, Respect all People and Property, Behave appropriately at all times and in all places, and Solve Problems Peacefully).
We have built strong relationships with our community as evidenced by our partnership with the University of South Carolina and the Urban Cohort student teachers who are placed at our school. Additionally, USC professors teach courses on the Jackson Creek campus, allowing one-to-one opportunities for both college students and Jackson Creek students. This reciprocity allows us to impact the future of teaching as well as provide additional educational support to our students through college reading and writing buddies. Community members volunteer or visited Jackson Creek as readers through events such as our African American Read-In, Women Read-In, and college and career day events. We are fortunate to be supported by our faith community as both Shandon Baptist Church and Trenholm Road Baptist Church support both our students and teachers throughout the year.
Jackson Creek Elementary was featured in a University of South Carolina online article on our work with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). As a CRP school, Jackson Creek is committed to ensuring that students are prepared to lead and excel in a global society. We do this in three ways as core tenets to CRP- developing critical consciousness, developing cultural competence, and holding high expectations and standards for student learning. Teachers participate in sustained year-long professional development in CRP and anti-racist teaching and translate this into their daily practice by providing meaningful learning engagements that honor students' lived experiences and help them navigate the academic and social world. Several of our Jackson Creek Elementary teachers have been featured in many publications - books and articles- and have presented both locally and nationally sharing their work and success with students.
We believe our students are college and career-bound and employ an AVID - Advancement Via Individual Determination- framework to provide the necessary structures to ensure our students' academic achievement. Through the use of WICORized lessons (writing to learn, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading to learn) our teachers provide students with systematic instruction on how to engage in an academic setting using 21st-century skills. All teachers are provided with AVID training.
Our school is clearly making its mark by providing a world-class education for our students. Our mission is to connect hearts and minds in an effort to reach the highest level of student achievement. Everything we do is designed to ensure that students develop socially, emotionally, as well as academically, and we recognize the importance of all our stakeholders in that effort.
We extend an open invitation to all who would like to visit or volunteer at Jackson Creek Elementary- Home of the Investigators! We are #oneschoolonefamilyonemission
We are Jackson Creek Elementary!
Sabina Mosso-Taylor, Principal
Felisha Trezevant, SIC Chair
