Laing Middle School of Science & Technology is transforming the way children learn by helping them become “STEM Thinkers.” The profile of the South Carolina graduate expects that all children should have world-class knowledge, skills, and exposure to life and career characteristics. Laing’s Whole School STEM initiative is designed for students to utilize the tools of science, technology, engineering, and math to solve a variety of real-world problems. We are empowering our students with the skills they need to become responsible and prosperous 21st-century citizens. During the past three years, Laing has been recognized by various organizations such as the Future of Education Conference and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). Laing was named the #1 STEM middle school in the nation and honored as a Program Excellence Award winner! These are some of the highest honors given to technology and engineering education programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. These award-winning programs serve as a standard for comparison and models for the development of other programs. We are proud of this recognition as it is a credit to the work of our outstanding students and teachers.
Our STEM initiative is based on the use of a three-pronged approach to educating our students. All teachers use the Engineering Design Process (EDP) in their classes as a method for solving problems. We also incorporate nationally-recognized standards for developing technologically literate students. Lastly, by providing hands-on experiences for our students' cross-curricular units of study are prepared by our teachers. This curriculum approach allows our students to see relevance and connections between what is taught in the classroom and what surrounds them in the world.
Laing is also committed to excelling in the arts and athletics. Laing students are involved in a variety of extra-curricular programs including Award-winning Orchestra, Band, and Chorus programs. Our athletic programs (Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis, Golf) were consistently among the top teams in the area.
The Laing staff has high expectations, develops a rigorous curriculum, and creates a safe and supportive learning environment. The faculty, parents, community members, and local businesses work together to help develop our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!
James Whitehair, Principal
Shari Sebuck, SIC Chair
