The mission statement of Laurens Middle School is “empowering and inspiring all to be educated and informed.” Our faculty, staff, and community worked hard this school year to create an environment for our students to prepare them for high school and beyond. Students must learn essential skills to be successful in today’s world, and our faculty and staff took to heart the necessity of meeting every student on their learning level and helping them grow.
Our teachers participated this year in professional learning communities to investigate student data in order to provide more personalized learning and hone in on skills that supported the teaching and learning of 21st-century skill outcomes and share best practices. Using MAP and benchmark data, in addition to ongoing, formative student data, teachers collaborated with each other and their students to integrate technology into their lessons, remediate and extend lessons, and allow equitable access to quality learning tools. Our district continued to participate in our “30 for 30” reading initiative to collaborate between home and school to read for 30 minutes during each school day and to encourage families to read at least 30 minutes at home each day. Through collaboration during PLCs, teachers were able to articulate, instruct, and motivate students with a school-wide writing framework, which helped students better articulate their thoughts and ideas. In addition, all content teachers participated in a nonfiction book study to improve students reading of nonfiction. Through these examples of collaboration, our students not only increased their love of reading, but their growth measure on spring MAP improved as well, which we were able to celebrate school-wide.
Laurens Middle School sought to provide opportunities for student collaboration, communication, initiative, and self-direction. Our Multi-Cultural Club celebrated many students who were bilingual and showed growth and progress in their goals. Through athletics and many student organizations including Lego Robotics, National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, our students had multiple opportunities to participate in extra-curricular areas of interest. The students at LMS worked together during the year on multiple community fundraisers and outreach, and we welcomed successful business members from a variety of jobs into our school who offered “Lunch and Learn” opportunities for our students. Our students also participated in school-based learning opportunities. Our PTSA, SIC, and faculty and staff continually work to better communicate and welcome all of our families.
As we look forward, Laurens Middle School is committed to fulfilling our mission of empowerment for students. Our goal will be to learn from this school year and to sharpen our skills to provide an even more effective learning environment and experience for our students in the 2022-2023 school year.
Lewis Compton, Principal
Lisa Crisp, SIC Chair
