Homewood Elementary School is helping all students develop the world class skills and life career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing a safe, nurturing, and challenging learning environment. Our school-wide theme, All IN, reflects our commitment to working as a team to meet the academic and social needs of our diverse student population. We prepare our students for a vastly changing society with best instructional practices and with continuous professional development for our teachers. Our school-wide focus has been on using effective instructional strategies to teach reading with more rigor. Throughout the year, our teachers have participated in professional development that include: deconstructing the standards and looking at the level of questioning we were asking our students with consultant, John Antonetti of Colleagues on Call. The teachers worked on text-dependent analysis; consistent review of digital content data to monitor students’ progress; and using data to differentiate instruction through DIBELS, MAP, ALEKS, and ACHIEVE 3000. In an effort to enhance our students’ engagement, we have participated in Kagan Cooperative Learning training as a staff. We have used our Professional Learning Communities to enhance our work with students. Our Digital Learning Specialist worked with the teachers in creating task cards that matched our standards to promote collaboration and inquiry through use of technology.
Many of our students participate in extra-curricular activities that include chorus, school-wide Service Learning projects, the Eagle League, K-Kids, our school band, Art Club, technology team, and our Rubik’s Cube competition team. Our fifth grade students interviewed many of our local businessmen and women in the fields of education, medicine, technology, media, business, law, film, and athletics. Several professional staff from our local hospital provided all our students with surgical scrubs and masks during this hands-on career day event. Our School Improvement Council and our fifth grade teachers spearhead this event. Our team plans fun-filled and creative events for our students and parents that include: The Reading Rodeo, Hispanic Day Luncheon, Super Hero Day, Grits with Grandma and Grandpa, Muffins for Moms and Doughnuts for Dads, a Fine Arts Festival, Field and Beach Blast days, Family Fitness Nights, Black History Month Program, Butterfly Kisses Dance, and our first Science Fair Event. We were excited to have Reggie Jones, former New Orleans Saints football player to work with our student body on making positive choices.
At Homewood Elementary, we recognize and understand that we are willing to work hard to do all that we can to support our students and parents. We know that with the right attitude, we will continue to soar high. We thank all of our stakeholders for their continued support in the development of our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!
Ms. Bettye Moore, Chair of the School Improvement Council (SIC)
Mrs. Penny Foye, Principal
