New Heights Middle School is committed to assisting students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by enhancing critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. We help our students to this end by living our school vision: Excellence at Everything! This is also fostered in our school mission: To provide an academically engaging and relationship building environment that, in three years, produces students who are ready for high school which leads to our motto of “Hawks SOAR with PRIDE.” Our highly qualified faculty creates engaging lessons and relative assessments that are aligned to South Carolina Standards, and instruction is guided by relevant student-centered lessons that seek to engage students and keep them active in the learning process. Teachers regularly use data to create classroom environments conducive to learning. Through test-item analysis, MAP testing, and formative assessments, teachers are able to monitor student achievement and adjust instructional strategies accordingly. Likewise, teachers are provided with professional development opportunities and district support for Benchmark and Standards alignment. At New Heights Middle School, we have various programs and organizations with the purpose of providing our students with the exposure they need to develop both socially and academically. These include, but are not limited to: Student Council, Beta Club, Step Team, Junior Scholars, Sports teams, ALPHA Art and Music, Gifted and Talented, Drama Club, Hawk News Team, Yearbook Staff, Hawks Have Heart Charity Club, Personal and Character Development Programs, Hawk P.R.I.D.E. Incentive Program, Together Against Bullying (TAB) Club, Response to Intervention (RTI), and a School Ambassadors program. As a literacy rich school, students have access to leveled texts in all classrooms and a time set aside each day for silent, sustained reading. Our Arts program includes High School Marching Band and Color Guard, Art, Chorus, and Drama Club. Our Hawk News/Broadcasting Team continues to provide students with service learning credit and real world experiences by publishing a quarterly full-page publication on the school’s website. Our service learning programs include student elections, food drives, scholarship programs, Relay for Life, Pennies for Patients, March of Dimes, and St. Jude Math-A-Thon. Our Career Day, Black History Month, Talent Show, Cultural Day Experience, and Veterans’ Day programs featured guest speakers from our community. Keeping in sync with our community provided the opportunity for our students, faculty and parents to be involved in a variety of community based activities. Our PTSA Family Literacy Nights and Parent Academies were well attended. Some of the topics covered in the Title I/Family Night meetings included Guidance and Career Planning, Internet Safety, College and Career Readiness, Parent/Student Literacy, Anti-Bullying Program, and Navigating Parent Portal. At New Heights Middle School, we believe that the education of our students requires a concerted effort on behalf of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community. We each play an important role in ensuring that we are developing our young people into successful citizens.
Erin Caldwell, SIC Chairperson
Dr. Jason McGuire, Principal
