Loris High School is working diligently to ensure all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by creating a culture that demands high expectations for students and working to ensure that all classes are taught with the utmost rigor, engagement, and opportunity for every student to become successful. LHS has developed numerous programs to assist students both in and out of the classroom. At Loris High School, we believe our students’ social and emotional health are as important as their academic progress.
All students are issued a technology device, currently a Dell Latitude, which enables them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In addition, digital content software is used to support learning as well as encourage student remediation. Teachers review data provided by the various digital software and develop lesson plans accordingly. Digital software allows students to progress at an individual pace and allows teachers to implement strong lessons with a focus on differentiated instruction, based on a student’s individual needs. Loris High School also offers an after-school tutoring program called Extended Options, which gives students a chance to receive academic support outside of the regular school day. Extended Options is held two days per week after school, and bus transportation is provided. The Upward Bound Program offered through Horry Georgetown Technical College also provides remediation to Loris High School students and helps them prepare to further their education beyond high school. Loris High School provides academic opportunities for students who wish to begin earning college credits while still in high school. In addition to the eight Advanced Placement courses offered on the school's campus, Horry County Schools partners with Horry Georgetown Technical College to offer dual credit courses. Students may also pursue credit for various courses through our Virtual Online Program, which is a partnership between South Carolina Virtual and Horry County Schools. The LHS Peer Mentor program allows students the chance to gain valuable leadership experience and provides struggling students with an assigned student mentor who serves as a role model, advocate, and encourager. LHS participates in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, giving students the opportunity to participate in faith-based fellowship.
Loris High School recognizes the importance of teachers using research-based instructional strategies. Additionally, the administration hosts monthly faculty meetings, department chair meetings, and individual department meetings. Our focus for the 2023-2024 school year will center around planning and implementing engaging, standards-based lessons and ensuring that all South Carolina standards are taught. Another area of focus is collaboration. Collaboration will occur within subject areas, with the instructional coaches and co-teaching teams. During the 2023-2024 master scheduling process, administration worked to ensure that as many teachers as possible in each discipline were given common planning blocks, which allows teachers the chance to work together on preparing lessons of the highest quality.
School data is consistently monitored and evaluated to ensure the curriculum is aligned and rigorous. Teachers who teach courses with End-of-Course exams meet regularly with the instructional coaches to analyze data from each common assessment, addressing areas of strength and growth. Loris High School is proud of its well-performing CTE Program which supplements the school’s mission to ensure that students are college and career ready before graduation. At Loris High School, students can explore various career pathways by taking courses in areas such as Agriculture, Computer Science, Forestry, Virtual Enterprise, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. Our school also offers a Medical Magnet Program which gives students the chance to explore various careers in the medical field. The Medical Magnet program shows promise to expand, as student interest is consistently growing. Job shadowing and internships have consistently been a popular aspect of the Medical Magnet Program, and we project student enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year will increase. During the 2021-2022 school year, LHS offered Bio-Medical and Engineering courses through Project Lead the Way, and LHS is planning to increase the number of PLTW courses offered, beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. These courses offer students the chance to explore careers in the fields of engineering, forensic investigation, and human anatomy.
To help our students become better global citizens, we encourage them to get involved in the many extracurricular activities offered on our campus. We are excited to report that several of our students were recognized on both the district and state levels for their participation in activities such as DECA, Future Farmers of America (FFA), and our Virtual Enterprise Program. Athletically, during the 2022-2023 school year, multiple LHS students received All-Region and All-State honors in various varsity sports, and multiple students signed letters of intent to play at the collegiate level. Students are also encouraged to participate in community service projects and activities such as Toys for Tots. Some of the other extracurricular activities offered to LHS students include Senior Beta Club, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, student government, yearbook club, chorus, band, and JROTC - all of which have received various honors and awards at the district, state, and national levels throughout their program histories. The Loris Lunatics student pep club worked to boost student morale and increase student participation at athletic events. LHS administration also planned various events to increase community involvement, including: a community pep rally to kick-off football season, a community tailgating party, coffee with the Principal, Pride Palooza (a large community festival with games, food, local vendors, and entertainment), and its 2nd Annual Alumni Ball, which also fed into the creation of the LHS Alumni Association. LHS recognizes that as a small school, it is driven by the community, and administration takes every opportunity to welcome the Loris community into Loris High School. In addition to having a close relationship with the Loris Blue Pride Club (our athletic booster organization), Loris High School also works to create strong relationships with local businesses and encourages them to participate in LHS’ Work-Based-Learning program, which allows students to complete work internships and gain networking opportunities, while simultaneously developing greater employability skills.
New for the 2023-2024 school year, LHS will be debuting a drama department which will perform various community and school productions. LHS partnered with the Loris Chamber of Commerce to pilot the Youth Leadership Loris program, which will give students the chance to learn more about local government and have hands-on opportunities to work with city leaders while planning and implementing various community projects and events. Another exciting venture for LHS in the upcoming school year is the completion of an new and improved tennis court.
Loris High School is grateful for the continued support from all our stakeholders, and we look forward to the continued success of our students.
Jimmy McCullough, Principal
Caitlyn Dean, SIC Vice-Chair
Jodi Cox, SIC Secretary
