Hampton County High School Narrative
Hampton County High School is located in Varnville, South Carolina in rural Hampton County. This newly consolidated school in Hampton County School District is committed to preparing students with the World Class Skills they need to follow their self-determined career paths. Our school’s goal is to not only give our students a rigorous education but to also foster our students’ creativity, promote collaboration and teamwork, develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, and encourage a work ethic of perseverance and integrity as represented in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We set our school goals based on a growth mindset, striving to make more than a year’s worth of growth within our students. We know that with the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to improve in school as well as reach our own goals both personally and professionally.
Professionally, we are always seeking to learn and refine our practices. We have established a strong professional learning community here at Hampton County High School. Through evidence based initiatives our teachers experience ongoing embedded weekly professional development through clusters (PLCs) and collaborative meetings. Our teachers are life-long learners that are reflective of their own learning as well as their students and track that progress though reflective data driven student learning outcome notebooks (SLOs). In addition to the support of a leadership team and the instructional coach our staff members observe, coach, model, and team teach with their peers. The majority of our certified staff members have completed the SCDE Approved R2S Content Area Reading and Writing coursework in pursuit of the Read to Succeed Literacy Endorsement. We have also had one teacher complete her doctorate degree this school year.
Personally, we work on bettering ourselves and value not only academics but developing the “whole child”. The ultimate goal is to prepare our students for a successful career after high school. Hampton County High School provides students with options and opportunities to pursue their goals and dreams. We encourage our students to consider Advanced Placement courses, our various vocational programs, as well as our job internships. Our students have the opportunity to earn career-based certifications that provide direct entry into potential career paths. Through these certification courses, students develop the skills necessary to collaborate with others, assess their own strengths and weaknesses, and develop a strong foundation of how to learn about and function within a career.
In addition to the certifications, programs and course offerings on our campus, we encourage our students to partake in academic experiences beyond our walls. Through our partnerships with the Technical College of the Lowcountry and the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, students have the opportunity to earn dual credits and potentially finish high school with an Associate’s Degree.
We believe the school, family, and community must share the educational responsibility of our students. We value the support of our parents, faculty, and community partners as we work together to provide a safe, challenging environment where students are actively involved in developing skills needed in an
ever-changing world. Working together we can create an atmosphere that allows our teachers to teach and our students to eagerly learn. Continuous communication is essential. We know together, we can make a difference.
We are proud of the accomplishments we have made this school year as two school, once rivals, merged into one unit adopting the logo “Fear the Storm.” Two cultures came together and proved that we are better together. As this year closes, we are excited for the opportunity to continue educating and growing individuals who will go on to great things in their lives, the lives of their community members, and in the lives of those in this world.
Cassandra B. Williams, Principal and Synetria Singleton, SIC Chair
