Our school is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by continuing to center our improvement efforts on the four domains of the Schools To Watch Program (Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity, and Organizational Structures and Processes). Systemic approaches are in place for instruction, professional development, discipline, and community involvement and partnerships. In a school year like no other, we have had to be creative in providing opportunities for our students to be involved in athletics, afterschool programs/activities, and with the arts to ensure that we are meeting their needs both socially and academically.
A. R. Rucker Middle School’s 2020-2021 school theme has been “Champions of Change,” and together the faculty, students, and community have truly been champions in this ever changing year. Working as a cohesive unit, teachers and students have had to think outside of the box and to be innovative to build relationships, meet the needs of both virtual and hybrid learners, and foster a love for learning in new and different ways. The faculty and staff have worked to set goals for our students and ensured that systemic approaches were in place to foster academic growth in all classes. Teachers have participated in a variety of virtual professional development opportunities that have allowed them to better understand and use Google classroom as the platform for delivering and differentiating instruction, using the workshop model as the method for delivering instruction in the core content classes, and looking at a variety of technology-based resources to use in their classrooms to enhance student engagement. Teachers and departments have used Google Meet as their platform to meet and plan as teams, grade levels, and departments.
As champions, the students, the staff, the parents, and the community have united to help ensure that learning is taking place each day for all students. A.R.Rucker Middle School is a one to one technology based school and all students have a district issued chromebook that for the first time, has been allowed to travel between school and home. This has created new paths for how instruction is delivered and for completing and turning assignments. Virtual learning has been the focal point for the entire school community. Teachers have worked tirelessly to create engaging lessons that appeal to both the hybrid and virtual students and that challenge their thinking. The school’s media specialist and the technology coach have collaborated with teachers and pushed into classes for co-teaching opportunities to really move students into the digital world and really differentiate and customize instruction for all students. The School Improvement Council (SIC) and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meet to discuss where we are instructionally and what we can do to improve the overall atmosphere of the school.
The students of A.R. Rucker Middle School are provided with a variety of opportunities to participate in athletics, the fine arts, virtual enrichment programs, and academic challenge. Students have been provided time to really learn the fundamentals and history of music during their band and chorus classes, have been able to play football, volleyball, and basketball, cheer, and participate in academic challenge meets. The pandemic may have changed how this participation looks, but our students and staff have risen to the challenge to ensure that students have had these extra-curricular opportunities and have worked as a united group to foster good character and integrity both inside and outside of school.
The faculty and students of A.R.Rucker Middle School have truly been champions as they have navigated unchartered waters this year. We have continued to make gains in our efforts to reach academic excellence. As A.R.Rucker Rams, we Respect, Achieve, Motivate, and Serve in all that we do each day to ensure that our students are productive, life-long learners ready to take on learning in the 21st century!
Michelle Crosby, Principal
Kenneth Stinson, SIC Chair
