Barnwell School District 45 is committed to preparing students for lifelong success by promoting individualized learning experiences. The core values that drive us each day are Innovation, Integrity, Investment, and Community. As a district, we value continuous improvement and we believe that education is a shared responsibility of the student, the school, the home, and the community. Barnwell School District 45 views the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as a shared vision of the knowledge, skills, and characteristics needed for our students to be successful in their future pathways, whether that be college or career.
To our families and community members, we could not be more grateful for their continued support and commitment to Barnwell School District 45. We strive to provide our students with many varied opportunities to enhance their academic achievement, personal development, real world experiences, and good citizenship as we prepare our students to enter the real world equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge they need to be successful. This is evident in the many STE(A)M opportunities available to our students, from PreK through 12th grade. Our Project Lead the Way Engineering program offers a complete pathway and has expanded throughout the years to provide our students with greater opportunities to enhance their knowledge, as well as participate in apprenticeships with local industries. During the 2018-2019 school year, we expanded our after-school programs in a partnership with DIGS (Dreams, Imagination, and Gifts) to provide STEM after school programs for our primary, elementary, and middle school students. Our district’s arts programs continue to display the great talent amongst our students, whether it be one of many chorus or band concerts or a seasonal dramatic performance. They continue to serve as exceptional displays of the hard work of so many dedicated leaders, students, and families. These are few examples of many great opportunities in Barnwell School District 45, and we are fortunate to have such an amazing community and supportive group of stakeholders.
Each school works to not only enhance the STEM and Arts opportunities each year, but also to expand upon family engagement practices, community outreach, and support programs for our students. We have Reading Buddies in place for students at our primary and elementary schools, as well as mentor programs to provide additional support throughout the school year. We have expanded our family nights to go into the community and host family events throughout the year, ranging from Fitness Night at the local YMCA to a Literacy Fair at one of our local housing authorities. In working closely with the community’s leaders and organizations, we strive to provide greater support for not only our student’s academic goals, but also their social, emotional, and physical health.
Some Key Accomplishments from the 2018-2019 school year include:
- The district successfully completed the first full year of our 1:1 Initiative, putting a device in the hands of every student, PreK through 12th grade. The district also upgraded Promethean boards, laptops, and document cameras in all schools across the district.
- The 2019 graduating class of 148 seniors earned over $3.9 million in scholarship awards, including 10 Palmetto Fellows and 86 Life Scholarships.
- For the fourth consecutive year, our high school partnered with our primary school to have a Graduation Walk to both inspire and motivate our younger learners to work hard and be successful.
- Two students at Guinyard-Butler Middle School qualified as Junior Scholars.
- Guinyard-Butler Middle School, in a partnership with EdVenture, implemented the Future Leaders Program during their afterschool program.
- The Dreams, Imagination, and Gifts (DIG) organization partnered with the district to run three afterschool programs for 1st through 8th grade students.
- A new afterschool program, The Be Great Academy, was implemented at the elementary school in partnership with The Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands.
- Three students attended the Governor's School for Science and Mathematics and Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities. One additional student was accepted to attend the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics during the 2019-2020 school year.
- Our middle school hosted their 8th Annual STEAM Fest. Over twenty-two representatives of businesses, universities, and professional societies were present to provide hands on STEAM learning opportunities for our middle school students. During the regional CSRA Science Fair, 31 students were chosen to represent the district and 13 won regional or state awards for their projects, the most of any participating school.
- The district partnered with the University of South Carolina Aiken to be a professional development school which hosts undergraduate students completing a preservice early childhood or elementary program. The professors travel to our primary school to teach the courses, and students work with our classroom teachers to completion observations and internships.
- Our local businesses continue to partner with the district to provide opportunities for assisting with the district’s continuous improvement efforts. A local Spirit Pump was built at our local gas station with part of the proceeds from gas purchases coming to Barnwell School District 45 to support the Arts. Our local SRP Credit Union promotes and offers a Barnwell Warhorse debit card, and a portion of every purchase is donated to our high school.
- The district received a $4.8 million FEMA grant to build a safe house which will have a dual purpose as a new high school gymnasium. It is the first FEMA-funded project of this type on the east coast.
As a district, we continue to thank our stakeholders and Barnwell 45 Family for their continued support of our schools. We feel our people are our greatest resources, and this includes not only our students but also our staff, our families, and our community members. We are grateful to live in a community that wraps their arms around our schools and partners with us to help our students be successful and grow academically, emotionally, and socially. We feel our district is special, and we will continue to seek opportunities to show that around our community and to have a positive presence throughout the community we serve.
Our district takes very seriously our responsibility to prepare our students for their future, and we continually seek ways to provide increased opportunities for the students in Barnwell School District 45. Working together with our stakeholders, our community, and our families, we take great pride in assisting our students as they grow and develop into our future South Carolina graduates and leaders. We firmly believe Barnwell School District 45 is a family and a place where hearts are big and opportunities are great.