The 2022-2023 school year has been an exciting one for Sunset Park Center for Accelerated Studies. We opened our doors with 500 students following a district realignment with new and returning students to Sunset Park. We were notified in October that our school received a “Good” on the state school report card. This rating came after the decommissioning of three schools and welcoming 600 students, 359 of the students being new to Sunset Park during the 2021-2022 school year.
After much consideration, our school decided to undergo the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Award process. This process was vital for our school and how we could continue to grow and improve the teaching and learning of our students and staff and the school environment for students, teachers/staff, and parents. The process entailed the completion of surveys by students, teachers, and parents. In addition, focus groups were held with students, teachers/staff, and parents and a two day site visit was completed to speak with individuals and observe our school. We were notified on February 22, 2023 that we were named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Beacon School. What a proud moment for our school and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our school family and community! We celebrated this accomplishment on March 30 with a Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Parade that we all enjoyed.
Our community partnerships blossomed over the past year and were a major support to our school. We received $20,000 in grants from Clinton College. We formed a partnership with First Baptist Church of Rock Hill, along with Mount Olivet AME Zion Church. Additionally, Moolah wireless, supported our school by providing free tablets to all students who had a parent register for them. Our students and staff were supported by local businesses, sororities, and other organizations that helped us to have a successful year. Our Reading Buddies program was restarted following COVID protocols that caused us to pause the program for a few years. We had key individuals such as Eric and Riley Johnson, Al Leonard, Cheryl McCullough, and others find opportunities for our school which placed us in the position to provide different experiences for our students and staff.
This year, Sunset Park also held its first large scale musical production The Book Fairies vs. The Electronics led by our music teacher and one of our special education teachers. This was a great event to highlight and showcase the talents of our students. Students in grades 4k - 5th grades had the opportunity to participate in the production. We had a sell-out crowd of parents, families, and community members. The production added another layer to our belief that all students have their unique gifts and talents and we were able to capitalize on these to hold an amazing event.
We were fortunate to have NFL player Hayden Hurst visit our school and speak to our students about the importance of a good education, working hard in school, having determination, and handling challenges. The Hayden Hurst Foundation, funds the Infocus curriculum and ABii robots our school uses for social-emotional learning. This was a great way to end the 2022-2023 school year hearing how we represent our school with our actions and our words to Be Great!
Lastly, the staff at Sunset Park CAS is dedicated and committed to the belief that “All Students Can Learn at High Levels!” We have worked hard to ensure that all of our students engage with our acceleration materials whether they are identified as gifted and talented or not. We strive to offer our students the best educational opportunities through our four core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, and Determination. It is our belief that we are UNSTOPPABLE.!
