Charleston Charter School for Math and Science (CCSMS) completed our 10th year of operation during the 2017-2018 school year with a strong focus on growing our scholars to reflect the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. As a small school with 545 scholars in grades 6to 12, CCSMS’s faculty and staff members are able to support scholars’ individual developmental needs while building positive relationships.
Our scholars and their families live throughout Charleston County School District with some walking to school just a few blocks and others riding a bus for nearly an hour. CCSMS families are committed to the mission of the school, reflect the socio-economic diversity of Charleston County, and act as partners with staff when developing reasonable expectations for our scholars.
Opportunities to explore STEM careers and varied academic pathways to attain them are vital to scholars’ success at CCSMS. We make learning relevant. Scholars meet rigorous academic standards through hands-on instruction. Our scholars had paid apprenticeships with Boeing, Bosch, and the City of North Charleston. CCSMS scholars competed at the regional, state, and national level including our middle school Tech Fit team going to Purdue University and our high school Sea Perch Team competing in the national competition at the University of Massachusetts. CCSMS gained national recognition this year when as a Project Lead the Way School Middle School of Distinction and with a Silver Medal High School from the US News and World Report.
Professional development at CCSMS is aligned to growing our scholars and building the world class skills expected of South Carolina graduates. We launched the school year by hosting a regional training with The Partnership for 21st Century Skills with a focus on the 4 Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication. The Profile of the SC Graduate hangs in each classroom which we distributed during a training prior to the first day of school. CCSMS teachers revisited and reflected on these skills throughout the year in faculty meetings, department meetings, and professional development. The school year culminated with a training from the Paideia Institute on implementing Socratic seminars in the classroom to further our scholars’ abilities to communicate, collaborate, and to think critically.
Mary Carmichael, Executive Principal and CEO
David Wolf, Chairperson of the CCSMS Board of Directors
