Carver-Edisto Middle School is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We worked diligently to provide a safe and engaging learning environment that fostered continual growth in our students. Continued implementation of new programs has targeted world class skills such as creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and problem solving. Excellent Instruction has been an area of continuing focus of our faculty, and this focus continued throughout the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers participated in district and school level professional learning in order to provide continued “Excellent” instruction within their classrooms. The use of iReady provided us with data that was used for individualized instruction during our newly implemented Targeted Tuesday sessions. Additionally, teachers and students participate in data talks throughout the school year.
High academic achievement continues to be at the forefront of our goals for Carver-Edisto Middle School students. We understand that for our students to be well-rounded they need to experience a wide array of extracurricular activities, character education, and community service. Carver-Edisto was honored by a visit from the new South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver. Mrs. Weaver observed several classrooms on campus and toured the school while stopping to converse with many of the faculty and staff. Our school counselors provided small group and individual counseling and organized a girls’ circle to focus on specific areas of need for females in our school. Our behavior management coach worked with students with behavior challenges throughout the school year. This year we were able to employ a parent liaison to help bridge the gap between our school and the community.
The counseling department and Career Specialist sponsored our school-wide Red Ribbon Week celebration. During this week students pledged to be drug-free. Counselors and Career Specialist, in conjunction with our School Resource Officer, worked to hold an on-site Career Fair so students could have the opportunity to talk face-to-face with people working in a variety of different job fields. The counseling department also organized a Holidays Around the World event that allowed students opportunities to experience holiday traditions of other cultures. During Read Across America week, our media center staff hosted a week of reading activities to include a read-alouds and prize giveaways. We were also able to help increase our students’ at home libraries by providing them with seven books of their choice to keep. The Carver-Edisto Middle School Student Government Association (SGA) was restarted and was actively involved in several community events. SGA representatives participated in the Orangeburg County Christmas parade and collected blankets to take to a local nursing home. The visit to the nursing home included SGA representatives interacting with residents and playing games. SGA representatives were afforded the privilege of witnessing a Supreme Court case being tried.
Fortunately, our students were able to get back into the swing of things and participate in a variety of athletic programs including cheerleading, football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, cross country, and wrestling. Those students who were interested in technology were afforded the opportunity to take Fundamentals of Computing parts 1 and 2 for high school credit, and eighth grade students with an interest in a foreign language were able to take Spanish 1 for high school credit. Drama and band students were able to host a Related Arts Showcase Night to highlight many of their accomplishments throughout the year. The CEMS players were back on the big stage with the production of The Nutcracker Prince.
Collectively, these programs and events added to a flourishing academic program and offered rigorous learning opportunities for all students.
Karen James, Principal
