Crowders Creek Elementary has committed to this school mission to “Embrace Change and SOAR together”. Now over 1,100 Pre-K to 5th Graders, we worked together this year to welcome families in for schoolwide events, took students on trips to enhance their learning beyond the classroom, and continued to encourage learners to Seek smart solutions, be Onboard with learning, Act responsibly, and Respect others. We are committed to providing all of our students with a safe, friendly, child-centered, inclusive environment that strives to address the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of everyone. We worked tirelessly with our children, families, staff, teachers, and administration to persevere, keeping the mission in place—to promote college and career readiness and support healthy living across our entire school community.
Certified counselor-led programming (e.g., Monthly Character Trait Highlights) expanded with the Second Step curriculum teaching about good character, citizenship, mindset, and goal setting. Teachers and counselors collaborate to align Second Step lessons during SOAR time, guidance lessons, and by sharing the SOAR pledge daily. The school library provides read-alouds to all grade levels and our media specialist collaborates with the PTO to host book fairs twice a year. Proceeds from the book fair will be used to promote literacy throughout our school and get more books in the hands of each child.
Our commitment to technology integration remains steadfast because the world demands us to be agile and accessible. Utilizing an array of applications and e-mail and e-newsletters, our school community is committed to extensive communication, transparency, and accessibility. The use of specific applications has become more targeted. For instance, Seesaw for PreK through 1st Grade and Canvas for 2nd through 5th Grades. Others include: Class Dojo, the CSD Parent Portal, Blackboard, Peachjar, Remind, the CSD mobile app, CCE website, and social media sites (e.g., Facebook and Instagram).
This extensive network of communication has extended to outreach among our community partners, including, but not limited to local churches, small and large businesses, civic groups, community members, and volunteers who have traditionally provided support through donations and mentorship. We had an incredible response to the Annual Giving Tree (a holiday assistance program organized by the Clover Jaycees) by our families and local churches along with an outpouring of support to provide non-perishable food items to our Backpack Program and the local Clover Area Assistance program. Existing connections with groups like the Catawba and Thrive Counselors are pertinent to our efforts in supporting our children and families in their time of need for a host of different services, such as mental healthcare needs or food sharing.
Our rising 6th Graders were invited to visit Oakridge Middle School to aid in their transition out of CCE. A 5th Grade Celebration Dance is planned for the end-of-year activity to celebrate their departure along with the annual Grad Walk. The Annual Boosterthon fundraiser was a huge success. The Morning News Show is still one of our school-wide favorites and we are proud of its continuation. We were also able to reintroduce the school Safety team, The Bible Release program, and the chorus. Students were also able to participate in Girls on the run, the district Spelling Bee, and The Battle of the Books competition. Teacher Cadets returned for both the fall and spring semester. We hosted an in person Veterans Day program in which students were able to honor the men and women of our military. It is because of the dedication and talents of our entire school community—our teachers, administration, staff, nurses, parents, and very active Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)—that we have been able to thrive and execute creative and meaningful programs.
Our efforts to engage our teachers and administrators in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are consistent and on-going so that we can tailor student learning with the vast array of data we receive. Instructional assistants have been pivotal in complementing teacher efforts and activities. Our district and State afford our teachers and staff with multiple opportunities throughout the year for us to remain abreast of educational trends, best practices, student engagement strategies, and hybrid learning models. We continue to refine our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) procedures and protocols to ensure that instruction is customized to each individual student. Accountability for teaching and learning is measured through district, state, and federal assessments. All results are published annually by the SC Department of Education. Testing for all students continued this year, including iReady (tri-annual testing) for all of our students, grades K through 5; Pre-K students are assessed with a Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening (PALS) biannually in alignment with SC Early Learning Standards; and our 3rd through 5th Graders participated in SC READY assessments while our 4th Graders were also assessed through the SC PASS. Our student data generated from these and other sources continue to inform our instructional decisions and foster an environment that promotes student learning and growth.
