Petersburg Primary School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by living our school's mission of providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging environment where all students can succeed. Our motto, "Together We Can," fuels this mission daily. Our commitment to continuous improvement is paramount! Petersburg Primary School has 28 certified staff members; two National Board-Certified Teachers, eight Reading Recovery trained teachers and fourteen teachers who are Read to Succeed Literacy Teacher endorsed. Our highly-effective teachers serve students in grades PK-2nd.
Petersburg Primary School partnership with Winthrop University’s NetSERVE Teacher Residency Grant has brought us a Teacher in Residence. In addition, teachers participated in many hours of professional learning opportunities, goal setting, and analyzing data to learn best practices for teaching and learning that helped to increase student achievement. Currently, teachers are expanding their knowledge on the complexity of the reading and writing processes with LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), teachers continued their education by going through Reading Recovery training offered by Clemson University and some participated in different Math and Science PD offered by the SCDE.
Students from our CERDEP participated in the Waterford Upstart Program again this year. Upstart is a free, in-home, kindergarten-readiness computer-based program that gives preschool-aged children individualized reading, math, and science instruction, with a focus on reading. Qualifying students participated in Response to Intervention pullout, Reading Recovery, or Kindergarten Connections to enhance reading achievement. This year we incorporated RISE (Reading Inspires Students to Excel), a reading intervention program, for qualifying first and second graders. All K-2nd grade students use Imagine Learning’s Language and Literacy, Imagine Math Facts and Imagine Math to provide a personalized learning experience. Each student was able to use their own Chromebook within their classrooms due to our 1:1 initiative.
At Petersburg Primary School, we also provide programs that reach beyond academics to focus on life and career skills. We stress what it means to show the following character traits: Kindness, Responsibility, Respect, Self-Discipline, Perseverance, Courage, Integrity, and Good Judgment. This year we continued our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative as well as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). These programs enhanced our character education focus at Petersburg Primary School. Our students are recognized not only for high levels of achievement but more importantly, for growth and reaching personal goals. We feel that this encourages perseverance, work ethic, and self-direction. Our equitable commitment to continuous improvement is paramount. Building culture, community, and teaching life and career skills help us to make all children feel safe. Our efforts to teach these skills will impact students in the future.
Our school partnered with First Steps and various local churches to provide backpacks of food for the weekends for many of our students. Other community partners assisted our efforts by providing resources such as clothing, shoes, coats, books, book bags, and school supplies that are given to children and families as needed. We believe that each and every day we have with our students is an opportunity to help change what is possible for them as they grow and become adults and responsible citizens.
By working together with continued dedication to our mission, and with the ongoing support of our families and the community, we know we will help light the way for the rest of each student's journey.
Dr. Shanika Harrington-David, Principal
Mrs. Brittany Jordan, SIC Chairperson
