Forest Hills Elementary School fosters an environment that will afford each and every student opportunities to successfully develop the world class skills as well as the life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by creating a safe environment where positive attitudes work together for success. We provide this environment through the implementation of our powerful school vision: "FHE is where PAWsome things happen". We demonstrate this each day by carrying out our collective commitments in collaboration with all stakeholders.
Our teachers are committed to meeting the individual needs of each student every day. Our teachers are active participants in our Professional Learning Community. Teachers plan for data-driven, targeted, small group instruction in reading and math. Teachers at Forest Hills Elementary collaborate to deliver differentiated instruction in all subject areas to engage students as well as increase the academic performance of our students. Edmentum, Accelerated Reader, MasteryConnect, focused writing prompts, ALEKS, Reflex, reading interventions, and the use of science kits are means used by our Forest Hills Professional Learning Community to meet the needs of all learners on a daily basis. There are several programs that we have that help meet the needs of our students such as our gifted and talented program (SPICE), interventions for our ESOL population, the Multi-Tiered Support Systems (MTSS) to help address academic and behavioral needs of students, and a reading interventionist in a literacy lab for all students in grades 1st-5th. Our teachers receive support through our instructional facilitator and our reading coach.
We have programs beyond academics to enhance in the development of the whole child. A keystone initiative at Forest Hills Elementary is The Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program. Through PBIS, our students are explicitly taught expectations. Students are then encouraged to meet expectations and recognized by earning points daily as well as by earning invitations to PBIS Celebrations. Officers with the Walterboro Police Department educated our fifth grade students through the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. Officers visited our fifth grade students each week for an entire quarter. At the end of the program, fifth grade students were recognized by receiving certificates of completion as well as t-shirts. The Friends of the Colleton County Animal Shelter (FOCCAS) taught and trained our fourth grade students on pet responsibilities. All of our fourth grade students completed this program and received their certificates to recognize their achievements. The Colleton County Library visited and encouraged all of our students to participate in the programs and activities that our County Library offers. Forest Hills Elementary also partnered with the March of Dimes Walk for Babies, Pennies for Patients, and the Angel Tree with our local Rotary Club.
The Forest Hills Elementary PTO goals and objectives for each academic school year includes assisting with fundraisers that will help with funding that will eventually assists with the cost of one field trip per student in each grade level. This gives teachers in each grade level the opportunity to plan an additional educational, meaningful field trip. Students visited the SC Aquarium in Charleston, SC, EdVenture in Columbia, SC, and more.
At Forest Hills Elementary, we have a dedicated staff, hardworking students, and Cougar Cub families that support us in our endeavor to nurture, inspire, and guide our PAWsome students so they are prepared to be successful in tomorrow’s world. We believe the students of Forest Hills Elementary are on the right path in becoming our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!
Wilsey Hamilton, Principal
Queenie Crawford, School Improvement Council Chair
