SJM Report Card 2017-2018
Thank you to our students, parents, and community for a smooth transition to our becoming the St. James Middle School Sharks, a 7th and 8th grade middle school, after 28 years of enjoying many celebrations as a the St. James Middle School Eagles of grades 6 – 8.
Our school is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by ensuring their successes in multiple ways. “Inspiring a Generation” is our school-wide theme. We are pleased to inform our parents and community of an exceptional school year filled with school-wide achievements and accomplishments. Our school was honored to be re-designated by the National Forum and South Carolina as a national “Schools To Watch”® member. We continue to be honored by MMGW (Making Middle Grades Work) program for being recognized as a "Distinguished School" within South Carolina and consistently being on the cutting edge with high performing instructional strategies, interventions, and technology. Additionally, our students and staff accomplished the following:
- Social Studies teacher, Samantha House, received the “Outstanding Lesson or Unit: Engagement Through Technology Award presented by the S. C. Council of Social Studies.”
- Social Studies teacher, Stephanie Shirley, was awarded the Dr. Ron Ingle S. C. History Day Teacher’s Award at the National History Day competition
- One of our National History Day teams won first place in the NHD regional competition and then also earned first place in the National History Day State Competition for student performance. The team advanced to the national level of competition.
- Forty-four students earned South Carolina Junior Scholars and four students earned Duke TIP Scholars.
- Orchestra members received a 1st place rating of Superior and band received 2nd place rating of Excellent at Music in the Park at Carowinds. Chorus earned a 1st place rating of Superior for sight-reading.
- Eight students auditioned and earned All County Orchestra membership. Eight students auditioned and earned All County Band membership. Four students auditioned and earned membership in All Region Band. Twent-four students auditioned and earned All County Chorus membership.
- This year, we also had a new elective, Musical Theatre. The Musical Theater students performed “The Lion King” and “Polar Express”. The 7th and 8th grade chorus received a superior rating on site reading in the State Choral Performance Assessment.
- Our Environmental Club focuses on raising awareness about resources to help improve the environment. We are working on a school wide recycling increase, participation in beach sweeps and school ground clean-ups. Our goal is to help students and our community to be aware of the amount of paper and plastic products they use hoping to encourage the protection of our environment.
- Students on our archery team advanced to state competition.
- Spelling Bee and Geography Bee champions competed at the Region level. One Geography student advanced to State Competition.
- Our Multi-Cultural committee held its 18th annual celebration with a Multicultural Fair having staff and students along with their family set up a booth to represent a country or their own culture.
- Math-a-thon raised $500.00 for St. Jude’s Research Hospital
- $2,351 was raised by faculty, students and staff to support American Heart Association
- Our Robotics team and Rubik’s Cube Team competed in the Horry County Schools Technology Fair. The Rubik’s Cube team earned first place for the middle school division. The St. James Middle School Rubik’s Cube Team, “St. James Middle Sharks,” is ranked 1st in South Carolina among division 2 teams (grades 6-8) after solving 25 Rubik’s Cubes in 2:37 (two minutes, thirty-seven seconds) at the Horry County Tech Fair Rubik’s Cube Challenge. During the timed competition, teams of eight students worked collectively to solve 25 three-by-three Rubik's Cubes in the fastest time. The team is publicized in the You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube publication as Rubik’s Elite Cubers for 2017-2018.
- Students pledge their fight against drugs during Red Ribbon Week
- Students honor their Character Traits during Character Counts Week
- Our Math Counts team placed first in the regional competition as a team and competed at the State Competition. One 8th grader placed first in the individual Math Counts competition at the regional competition and competed at the state level.
- Our Student Council Association painted pumpkins and went Christmas caroling at a local nursing home. They also sponsored a canned food drive at Thanksgiving, hurricane relief drive for Puerto Rico victims, participated in Murrells Inlet Beach Sweep, sent thank you letters to veterans, participated in Kindness Week activities, and wrote letters to teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. They sold concessions for dances, basketball games and field day to finance their projects.
- Our Beta Club had 118 student members and provided numerous community projects including joining SCA for Christmas Caroling at a local assistance living facility and making Christmas cards.
- SIC helped sponsor a “Cluster Kindness Week” in which all of the schools in our St. James Cluster worked together to spread kindness. Students from our cheerleaders and, SCA students visited our cluster elementary schools to give out positive cards; special kindness was shared with our bus drivers, custodial staff and cafeteria staff. Teachers honored students showing kindness by placing their names on a shark emblem and placing it on our “Sea of Kindness Banner.” The SIC helped collected items to be given to Street Reach Homeless Shelter.
- The Parent Teacher Organization sponsors many projects which benefit the school. All parents are strongly encouraged to join. They also help sponsor Muffins for Moms, Doughnuts for Dads, Employee Appreciation Week, staff luncheons and incentives for students.
- The Art Club at SJM raised $1200 for the art club.
- Morning and after-school tutoring is offered to those students who need additional assistance with their academics after first quarter.
- Our Guidance Department held a 7th Grade Careers Day, provided by Murrells Inlet Rotary International Club and an 8th grade Careers Day provided by St. James High School. They also held a Coffee with Counselors to reach out to parents of our students.
- SJM reaches out to parents and community by holding Goodies for Grandparents, Muffins for Moms, Doughnuts for Dads, Multicultural Fairs, Quarterly Parent Workshops, Celebration of Success assemblies, Partners in Education, Veteran’s Day assemblies, and student-led conferences where our students showcase their collection of exemplar work and their reflections of learning. Parents are given the opportunity to visit classrooms and to have lunch with their students at our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and Holiday Luncheon.
We continue to focus on academics by implementing/adjusting our instructional strategies based on disaggregated data from the SC Ready, PASS, and MAP assessments, quarterly Benchmark assessments, and classroom assessments. Our administrative team continues to support teachers in their collaborative team planning meetings. Our personalized learning program continues to grow with blended learning strategies, research, digital learning programs and with each student receiving a Chromebook. Our local International Rotary Club rewards two students for most academically improved at our quarterly awards assembly. We have many local businesses who participate in our “Partners In Education” program. We are truly blessed to be able to work in a great county with a wonderful PTO, School Improvement Council, Advisory Board, District Office, and Board of Education who enables us to reach our goals and aspirations.
Mrs. Sue Nadeau, School Improvement Council Chairperson,
Ms. Olga G. Toggas, Principal
