Colleton County High School (CCHS) and Thunderbolt Career and Technology Center (TCTC) are helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by continuing to provide opportunities to which students are educated through the implementation of a guaranteed viable curriculum, are able to explore that curriculum through application in solving real world challenges, and using what they have learned to be empowered to be agents of positive change within and beyond their communities.
This year our students launched the Cougar Early College program through our partnership with The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie campus. These students showed great success throughout this inaugural year and are on track to earning their Associate’s Degree upon graduating from high school. In addition to Cougar Early College, we had several students participate in the National Education Equity Lab for the first time. This organization brought college credit-bearing classes from the nation’s top colleges to high school students who are in historically underserved communities, at no cost to students or their families.
In our Career and Technical Education programs (TCTC), we launched a partnership with Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) and began the HVAC program with an instructor and materials from TCL. We will continue to provide the HVAC program with an in-house instructor to serve in an adjunct capacity. In addition, our Culinary Arts instructor received approval to serve as an adjunct instructor for the culinary program for students to receive high school credits as well as credits at TCL. We were also able to restore the programs of Building Construction and Auto Technology by filling teacher vacancies that had previously existed to ensure additional opportunities for students wishing to pursue those career pathways. For new courses, construction was begun on Barbering and Nail Technology classrooms in preparation for next school year.
Work-Based Learning is a key component of CTE programs in developing career readiness. In the past, we have had opportunities for our Health Science and Early Childhood Education students to gain experience “on the job” in a real work environment outside of the classroom. This year we were able to not only increase the number of those students who were able to gain that experience, but we were also able to place our Culinary Arts students and Veterinary Science students on job sites to utilize the skills that they learned in the classroom. We have used this model to pave the way and look forward to offering similar opportunities to students in our Welding and Auto Technology programs this upcoming school year.
Through our school counseling and career exploration experiences, our students participated in Overcoming Obstacles group and individual counseling sessions as well as classroom guidance. Our Career Development Facilitator, provided students with an opportunity to attend career and college fairs. Our students were also given several opportunities throughout the year to take the ASVAB assessment for military enlistment. This year, we are proud to announce that twelve students enlisted in various branches of the Armed Forces, and two military scholarships were awarded. Our senior class earned over $7 million in scholarships and more than 70% of our seniors were accepted to at least one college or university. Students enjoyed financial workshops, job interviews, held on campus and job placement. Students also received financial aid assistance, participated in dual enrollment and early college. We are very proud of our Super Tutors (students employed to provide academic tutoring), who were very influential in assisting seniors towards on-time graduation and underclassmen to promotion. This year we had our first Dean’s List Recipient for First Tech Challenge for the state of S.C. from our ACE Basin Robotics Team. This student also proceeded to the International stage for the Dean's List Competition held in Houston Texas. Through our counseling department, students participated in college and university field trips, and they also participated in all state academic scholarship programs.
Students in National Honor Society have volunteered over 4000 hours in the community. These events include helping at the elementary schools with fall festivals, community nights, and field days. Members also took part in a community clean up throughout Walterboro where they picked up 150 bags of trash. NHS also held a fundraiser for Colleton County Animal Shelter and were able to donate $500.
Student Council held several fundraisers throughout the year which included selling and delivering candy grams, selling hot chocolate at lunches, community movie night, and holding a class movie day. The fundraisers and events helped raise money for student activities, student athlete goodie bags, teacher incentives, and donations to In-His Name Colleton. Student Council also helped organize pep rallies for each season of sports.
We are proud of the accomplishments of our school community and the achievements of our students. Colleton County High School and Thunderbolt Career and Technology Center will continue to lead the way for opportunities for our students to excel and grow in becoming wonderful leaders of tomorrow.
Maurice D. Cannon, Principal
Anthony Kubik, Jr., CTE Director
Mrs. Patricia Simmons, Board Chairperson
