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Nature’s classroom:
Educators realize pencils and notebooks aren’t the only tools students
need to learn. Along the Lowcountry Wildlife Trail in Brookgreen Gardens,
children can observe native animals in their natural habitats.
This wildlife sanctuary - 50 acres open to the public - is protected by South
Carolina laws. Here, birdwatchers can get an eyeful of Snowy Egrets, Night
Herons, White Ibis and Woodducks.
Photo courtesy of Brookgreen Gardens |
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You’re never too young
to appreciate original art. That’s the motto at the Columbia
Museum of Art, where the “Just For Kids” program introduces
children in grades 1-8 to visual art. After an interactive gallery tour,
participants work on activities in the studio with a professional instructor.
Photo courtesy of
Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, S.C |
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When Laurie Cannon first drove up to Lake Carolina Elementary School, she was amazed to see all of the bikes and scooters in the racks at the front of the school. “I hadn’t seen anything like that since I was in elementary school,” she says. Laurie and Frank Cannon had done the research to find a great school for their daughters, Blakelee, now in the fourth grade, and Katelynn, a first grader. She discovered that the school had the academics, but in addition, the entire atmosphere is something special.
“When you walk in the door, students will come up to you, look you in the eye, shake your hand and say ‘Good morning.’ And that’s just one visible sign of the culture.
“Dr. James Ann Lynch is the principal and she’s ‘topnotch,’” says Mrs. Cannon. “The teachers are the same and the entire school has a camaraderie that shows its team effort.” There are 17 foreign languages spoken at the school, in part because families from all over the world have done the same research and chosen to live in Lake Carolina. “This school is preparing my children academically, as well as to function in society by developing self-confidence, and learning respect for others.” The school recently took top honors in the 30th annual Palmetto’s Finest Schools competition.
Rick and Laura Williams moved to Heritage Community in the town of Wake Forest, N.C., after much research on schools and the community in which they wanted to raise their three children, Claire, seven, Lizzie, six, and Ned, four.
For them, living in Wake Forest, which is near Raleigh, gives them the same type of living option that they had living in a small town about 25 miles from Boston. They have found the move to be an excellent one for the entire family. “We have built the strongest friendships living in this community,” he explains. He owns Connect2 Communications, a marketing and public relations company. His wife owns Ink Spot, a stationery business. “We were attracted to the year- round school system here,” he says, noting that it fits their family’s needs. “With family property in the mountains as well as at the beach, it is very attractive to take the kids to the mountains in the fall and spend a week at the beach at other times.”
The children started in year-round school, so there was no adjustment when they were enrolled into Heritage Elementary School. There are three public schools in the area and he pronounces them all “good options.”
“They’ve had great teachers, the children are thriving, with lots of friends and performing very well. We couldn’t be happier.”
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A+ 48 NC schools have been recognized as “super safe,” a designation that identifies schools which make exemplary efforts to ensure the safety of students. Find a list of them at: www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2007-08/20080211-02
A+ Spartanburg High School’s summer reading program is flourishing, with 100% participation by students. Educators worldwide are studying the innovative approach to literacy that is lighting a fire about books in the hearts of these high school students.
A+ North Carolina accounts for the highest number by state of the nation’s National Board Certified teachers – 14,200. Wake County Public Schools leads the national district list with 1,259. South Carolina ranks third in the nation for its number of nationally certified teachers.
A+ Recently, Education Trust, an education research organization, ranked SC, Maine and Massachusetts as #1 in the nation for setting the country’s highest academic standards.
A+ Kernersville Middle (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools), Rogers-Herr Middle (Durham Public Schools) and West Pine Middle (Moore County Schools) have been named Schools to Watch as part of a national recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. Their selection brings the total number of Schools to Watch in North Carolina to 29. These middle schools were named because of their academic excellence, responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and their commitment to help all students achieve at high levels. In South Carolina, Blythewood Middle School in Richland District Two, and Palmetto Middle School in Anderson District One earned the same honors.
A+ South Carolina is a national leader in service-learning programs, which enable students to develop community service projects linked to academic studies. Each year, more than 100,000 South Carolina students volunteer one million-plus hours of community service through service-learning programs.
A+ Students in Hertford County High School will be on the cutting edge of educational technology, thanks to a special grant by the AT&T Foundation that is providing $25,000 to fund an e-book pilot project to deliver instruction to students in the school.
A+ One hundred
and twenty-eight
award-winning Palmetto
Gold and Palmetto Silver
schools are sharing
their success stories
with others through the
SC Department of
Education’s 2007
Palmetto Gold and Silver
Awards Showcase.
Read more at: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/offices/cso/goldandsilver/PGSshowcase.html
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Cooperation between public and private sectors has made the Carolinas nationally recognized in education technology.
The region’s Educational Technology Plan, completed with help from educators, business leaders and telecommunications experts, supplies information and technical advice that allow districts to push school technology with cost-effectiveness and academic benefit.
Students in the Carolinas can benefit from the opportunities at a number of public and private colleges and universities, in addition to a superb technical college system that offers specialized industry and technology training.
Research programs and varied curricula keep technology upfront, while strong liberal arts programs help foster well-rounded adults who are capable of workplace innovation and communication.
Teachers work hard to keep parents involved and the partnership is fertile ground for keeping young people excited about learning.
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There are more choices in the public school system, including public charter schools, magnet schools, and more. Educational choices include Montessori schools, special curriculums or innovative scheduling. New programs are finding that single gender classrooms offer great promise to keep young minds challenged. A number of private and military schools in the Carolinas offer more options to parents seeking specialized education for their children.
For some families, home schooling is the best choice. Approximately 1,300 home-schooling families represent an enrollment of more than 2,000 students within the
S.C. Association of Independent Home Schools
at 803.454.0427. Contact them at:
www.scaihs.org.
The N.C. Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) is authorized to monitor home schools in that state. Contact them at 919.733.4276 or www.ncdnpe.org
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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