NARRATIVE 2024-2025
Varnville Elementary School remains committed to ensuring that our students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Our goals include keeping our children safe, providing a quality educational program, and assuring the needs of all learners are met. We chose “TEAM SOARR! Safety, Organization, Accountability, Respect, Responsibility” as our 2024-2025 school-wide theme. The students heard it daily and were instructed in what it means to be truly integrating these characteristics into their daily lives. Our goal is to be student-focused on our planning, developing, and assessing of instruction to reach our vision of each child making at least one year's growth in math and reading based on iREADY and DIBELS assessment results. We embed other content areas, art, and technology into the CORE subjects to provide students with skills that will prepare them for future career paths.
During weekly PLC meetings, our teachers collaborate and use research-based, effective strategies in the classroom. Some of these include Authentic Reading and Writing experiences, small instructional grouping, We have adopted Open Court as our reading series and are learning its components. Full implementation within two years is our goal. Phonics study, Progress Monitoring, LETRS, Calendar Math, science kits, STEM, Math and Reading Intervention, Reading Recovery, and cyclical reviews will continue. Ten teachers have achieved the reading endorsement. We have increased our teacher knowledge and improved teacher practices, as a whole.
Varnville Elementary is proud that most of the teachers and staff have also been trained to use Conscious Discipline. It is a comprehensive classroom management program and a social-emotional curriculum. Conscious Discipline is based on current brain research, child development information, and developmentally appropriate practices. It is an adult-first model that teachers have embraced At Varnville Elementary, we also have various programs outside the academic world to focus on the development of the whole child. Community projects are an essential part of helping us teach our students about life. We participated in Relay for Life. Our students participate in the Arbor Day celebration in the Town of Varnville. They sing songs and help plant trees during this event. We have won the wellness award for eating and nutrition education through the Medical University of South Carolina. Five teachers were awarded Bright Ideas Grants to improve instruction and add much-needed supplies to their classrooms. Three educators were fully funded in their Donors Choose requests. We partnered with a local church to watch Polar Express in a theatre. One of the church workers served as the train conductor and punched the children's tickets. It was a really good experience.
At Varnville Elementary, we believe the school, family, and community must share the educational responsibility for our youth. Through our BEARBOOK agenda, we communicate daily with our parents. We also utilize the district’s Bright Arrows to inform parents of emergencies and events. The administrator uses Smore to create eye-catching newsletters, teachers send weekly newsletters, ParentSquare and the school website are used to post up-to-date information for parents and the community. Each grade level takes our scholars on field experiences Summer Learning Experience for 3 of the elementary schools in partnership with the SC Department of Education’s Community Partnership Grant. We were also awarded a Fruits and Vegetables grant to expose our learners to healthy food choices. The school partners with the Hampton County Sheriff’s Department through its School Resource Officer program and the Drug Awareness Program. The Yemassee Police Department partners with us to show that police are Kool with their Police and Popsicles Program. We received support from the Parker Law Firm, Dr. Kela Sells/ ReMax Realty, Creative Cakes by RaFayele and other community members. These groups enabled us to provide treats, meals, a hydration station, and other incentives. We appreciate all the support we receive in helping develop our future South Carolina graduates and world leaders!
Dontalayshia Bowman, Chair of the School Improvement Council
Peggy Bing-O'Banner, Principal
