Fork Shoals School is helping all students develop the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, caring, and academically challenging learning environment.  We provide such an environment through implementation of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) and by exemplifying our school tagline: “a rich heritage of cultivating world-class learners.”  Student inquiry is the core of our philosophy where the children take hold of their learning to gain knowledge.  Our School Improvement Council, Parent Teacher Association, and Fork Shoals faculty continually strive to provide academic rigor, while also cultivating our children toward becoming responsible citizens.  

Our teachers are always seeking to learn new and effective strategies to use in the classroom. We continued with our focus on Balanced Literacy using our district trained Literacy Mentors to train other teachers.    Teachers also continued to learn more to implement guided math in their instruction.  A team of teachers became our personalized learning leaders and continued professional development for our staff through learning labs as we became one to one with chromebooks in first through fifth grades.  Our students learned how to use various digital tools to enhance their learning.  

At Fork Shoals School, we also have various programs outside the academic world to focus on the development of the whole child.  School-wide, we have focused on embedding the Learner Profile and IB attitudes across the curriculum and various settings.  Students are recognized for displaying these characteristics at our quarterly IB lunches.  Our guidance program also uses the 7 Habits as part of  monthly guidance lessons.  We continued to use the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program.  This program rewards our students for displaying positive behaviors.   Fork Shoals School partnered with the American Heart Association through our PE classes and Jump Rope for Heart to raise funds.  The Backpack Blessings program provides food over the weekend for numerous needy students.   

Fork Shoals is unique, combining high academic expectations with problem solving skills while also developing more culturally aware, educationally-empowered students.  The school is constantly progressing and will continue to strive toward providing our students with a world-class education. 

Jenn Lehman, Chair of the School Improvement Council

Kim Reid, Principal