Richland One Connects - Spring 2012

Richland One

Spring 2012

A Publication of Richland County School District One

What’s Inside Spotlight: National Blue Ribbon School Page 2 Academic Achievements Page 3 SC Teacher of Year Finalist Page 4 State Champions Page 5 2012 Graduation Schedule Page 7 … and more!

Richland One enrolling students in new Health Sciences Magnet Soon it won’t be unusual to see students at C.A. Johnson High walking through the halls of the school wearing white lab coats or observing a surgical procedure at a nearby hospital.

Richland One will launch the new Health Sciences Magnet at C.A. Johnson in August 2012. The Health Sciences Magnet will prepare students for post-secondary education and provide them with opportunities to pursue careers in the health sciences field. Students will do internships and research with local hospitals, colleges and universities, clinics and laboratories.

Health Sciences Magnet partners include: Allen University, Benedict College, Columbia College, Leevy’s Funeral Home, Midlands Technical College, Palmetto Health, Providence Hospitals, United Way of the Midlands, University of Phoenix and the University of South Carolina.

The Health Sciences Magnet is open to students zoned for C.A. Johnson and to students who live in other attendance zones within the district, as space permits. Students zoned for C.A. Johnson are guaranteed enrollment. Other students may apply for a programmatic transfer through the Richland One Registrar’s Office. The deadline to apply for an in-district transfer is May 1, 2012.

For more information, contact the Registrar’s Office at 231-6944.

For additional information about the C.A. Johnson High School Health Sciences Magnet, contact Dr. Yasha Jones at 253-7092 or at yjones@richlandone.org.

Alive at

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Richland One student drivers will be required to take a safety course to park on high school campuses beginning in 2012-2013.

See Page 6

Spotlight

Gadsden Elementary School: A 2011 National Blue Ribbon School

The National Blue Ribbon School Award is a prestigious honor that few schools are nominated for and even fewer receive. To be named a Blue Ribbon School is to join an elite group. Of more than 138,000 schools in the United States, just over 6,000 of America’s schools have received this honor in the past 28 years.

In recognition of the school’s successes in raising student achievement, Gadsden Elementary was named a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, one of only three South Carolina schools – and the only Midlands school – chosen for the coveted award.

Gadsden Elementary has undergone an academic transformation that began 10 years ago when the school was put in “school improvement” status because of low academic performance. By 2003, the school’s absolute performance rating rose from Below Average to Excellent. The school’s other accomplishments include being named South Carolina’s 2011 Distinguished Title I School for Overall Achievement. Additionally, for six consecutive years, Gadsden Elementary has received Palmetto Gold and Palmetto Silver Awards for high student achievement and for closing achievement gaps between groups of students.

“National Blue Ribbon Schools are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in announcing the 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

“Their success is an example for others to follow.”

A contingent from Gadsden Elementary went to Washington, D.C. to accept the National Blue Ribbon honors in November 2011. In January 2012, South Kilbourne Elementary School was announced as one of five South Carolina schools that have been nominated for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon School Award. South Kilbourne’s academic goals have surpassed expectations. The school has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for nine consecutive years, a feat few schools have accomplished. This year’s National Blue Ribbon Schools will be announced in the fall.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools like Gadsden and South Kilbourne whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students. Both schools have staffs and communities with an unwavering commitment to student success.

Shown at the National Blue Ribbon Award ceremony in Washington, D.C. are (from left) former Gadsden Elementary Principal Dr. Charles DeLaughter, now principal at Mill Creek Elementary; Gadsden Principal Karis Mazyck; Aba Kumi, National Blue Ribbon Schools director, U.S. Department of Education; Gadsden Teacher of the Year Tyderah Bradley; and Shanise Brown, Gadsden curriculum resource teacher.

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION Richland One Connects is produced by the Richland One Office of Communications for distribution to students, parents and community members. Additional copies are available at district schools and administrative buildings and at the Office of Communications, 1616 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201. For more information, call (803) 231-7504.

Board of School Commissioners Dwayne Smiling, Chairman Aaron Bishop, Vice Chairman Susie Dibble, Secretary-Treasurer Rob Tyson, Parliamentarian Vince Ford Jamie Devine Barbara A. Scott

Superintendent Dr. Percy Mack

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Debra A. Brathwaite

Richland One is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national

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origin, handicap or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and services.

Academic Achievements – By The Numbers

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Number of subject areas (writing, English language arts, science and social studies) in which the percentage of students district-wide in grades 3-8 scoring “Met” and “Exemplary” on the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) increased in 2011.

71

Percentage of Richland One 10th-graders who passed the High School Assessment (HSAP) Exit Exam on the first attempt in 2011 - South Carolina students must pass the test to obtain a high school diploma.

93.9

Number of categories by which the growth rate on Richland One’s district report card went up in 2011 - Richland One received an “Excellent” growth rating and had the largest number of schools making year-to-year gains compared with other Midlands schools.

37 Total number of Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards earned by Richland One elementary, middle, and high schools for 2011 - The awards are the state’s highest for academic achievement and student improvement.

Percentage of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) performance objectives met by Richland One in 2011 - The district met 31 of 33 AYP objectives, up from 29 of 31 in 2010.

1275 Number of Advanced Placement exams taken by Richland One students in 2011, 67 more than in the previous year - Richland One’s AP exam passage rate also increased by 5.7%.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

National Merit and National Achievement Semifinalists Sixteen academically gifted Richland One high-school seniors were named semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit and National Achievement scholarship competitions for 2012. Eleven students were chosen as National Merit semifinalists, an honor for which only 1 percent of high school seniors in the United States qualify. Semifinalists are chosen based on their high PSAT scores and they go on to compete for more than $34 million in scholarships. Five students were named National Achievement semifinalists based on their abilities, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Achievement Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding African-American students. Semifinalists compete for more than $2.4 million in scholarships.

National Merit Semifinalists:

Hardie Cate, Markus Johnson, Porter Rivers and Elliot Rose, all of A.C. Flora High; and Alexa Breeland, Devon Kilgore, Christian Kloot, Mitchell Rainsford, Jad Sheehi, Noah Trump and Samuel Trump, all of Dreher High

National Achievement Semifinalists:

Blake Thrower, Columbia High; David Brice, Rickey Griddine and Devon Kilgore, all of Dreher High; and David Bupe, A.C. Flora High

Heading to college in the fall?

As a reminder to Richland highschool seniors and their parents, online FAFSA applications (www. fafsa.ed.gov) must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight Time on June 30, 2012. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight Time on September 15, 2012. Check with the colleges you’re interested in attending for more information and for deadlines for loan and grant applications. It’s also important to monitor the processing of your FAFSA application with those institutions.

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Top Teachers

Richland One teacher competing for 2012-13 SC Teacher of the Year title Richland One Teacher of the Year Patricia Swinton, who has taught human anatomy and physiology at A.C. Flora High School for the past 18 years, is one of five finalists for 2012-2013 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

The announcement of South Carolina’s new Teacher of the Year will be made at the Teacher of the Year celebration on May 1 in Columbia. During the next school year, the new Teacher of the Year will participate in a one-year residency program at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) and serve as a statewide ambassador for the profession.

“I feel so honored but also humbled and blessed for being named a finalist,” said Swinton, a National Board-certified teacher with more than 31 years of teaching experience. “But this is not about me. It is about celebrating education, celebrating teachers and most of all celebrating our children. This is such an honor to be a representative of all the wonderful things we do in education in South Carolina.”

South Carolina’s new Teacher of the Year will receive a $25,000 cash award and a BMW to use for a year. The four remaining finalists, or Honor Roll teachers, will receive $10,000 each, and the district Teachers of the Year will receive $1,000 each.

Did You Know …?

Richland One has 304 National Board-certified teachers. National Board certification, awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is the highest credential available in the teaching profession. Twenty-two Richland One teachers achieved National Board certification during the 20112012 school year.

Richland One teacher goes to the White House Evet Hammett Jefferson, a National Board-certified special education teacher at C.A. Johnson High School, was the only South Carolina teacher invited to the White House to attend a forum on effective teaching on December 7, 2011. The forum was hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Ms. Jefferson, who is also a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard, was among 100 teachers from the across the country who were selected to participate. Although she wasn’t able to meet President Barack Obama, Ms. Jefferson did meet U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

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Visit our website at www.richlandone.org!

State Champions

Dreher High Girls Basketball Team: 2012 Class 3A State Champions Richland One student-athletes showed their prowess on the basketball court this year as 13 of the district’s 14 girls and boys varsity basketball teams made it to the S.C. High School League playoffs.

Five teams – the Dreher, Columbia and Keenan girls and the Lower Richland girls and boys – made it to the semifinals. The Dreher High and Columbia High girls teams went on to compete for state championship titles at the Colonial Life Arena on March 3.

By an impressive score of 82-50, the Dreher girls defeated Greenville’s Wade Hampton High School to win the 2012 Class 3A state championship. The Columbia High girls took home the Class 2A runnerup trophy after losing to Charleston’s Bishop England High School by only two points (43-41).

Dreher Lady Blue Devils • Jade Nathaniel • Jordan Starr • Makayla Johnson • Jazmine Robinson • Shaniqwa Hopkins • Johneisha Myers • Danielle Pierce

• Christa Canty • Jhileiya Dunlap • Kaydra Duckett • Racquel Brown • Alexis McNeal • Teresa Jones, Head Coach • Katrina Sims, Assistant Coach

• Dominique Padgett, Assistant Coach • Aubrianna Shaw and Sequoia Sims, Managers • K’Tia James and Zoe Jacobs, Film Technicians • Kelly Brooks, Bookkeeper • Kiera James and Lauren Dreher, Statisticians

Quick Fact:

Swim Champion

A.C. Flora High senior Andy Campbell won the Class 3A 50-meter and 100-meter individual freestyle swim state championships.

Cross-Country Champion

Eau Claire High junior Omar Sharif won the Class 2A cross-country state championship, becoming Eau Claire’s first state cross-country champion and the first male winner from Richland One in 31 years.

Wrestling Champion

Columbia High senior Nate Harper won the Class 2A-1A state wrestling championship in the 145-pound weight class.

Our student-athletes excel inside and outside the classroom. Richland One is one of only a few school districts in South Carolina with a requirement that students have at least a “C” average to participate in athletics and other competitive co-curricular activities.

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F.Y.I. Richland One Hall of Fame The 8th annual Richland One Hall of Fame Induction Gala Dinner and Dance was held on February 4, 2012 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The black-tie event honored the six newest members of the Richland One Hall of Fame: (from left) Stonewall M. Richburg, King B.L. Jeffcoat, Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes, Doris Glymph Greene, Dr. James L. Solomon, Jr. and Nathaniel Spells, Sr.

Nominations open for 2012 Hall of Fame induction class

Established in 2004, the Richland One Hall of Fame honors persons living or deceased who have made significant contributions to the district, their communities, their professions or society as a whole. New members are inducted annually.

Nominations are open for the 2012 Richland One Hall of Fame induction class. Nominees may be alumni of Richland One schools or persons who did not attend Richland One schools.

Current district employees, current school board members and other current elected officials are not eligible for nomination;

however, former district employees, former school board members and other former elected officials may be nominated.

Eligibility criteria and nomination forms may be downloaded from the district’s website at www.richlandone.org; click on the Hall of Fame link. Nominations must be submitted to the Richland One Office of Communications by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, June 28, 2012. For more information about the Richland One Hall of Fame, contact Karen York in the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7504.

Richland One student drivers must take course to obtain parking permits Car accidents are the number one cause of death of drivers between the ages of 15 and 24. Texting while driving, speeding, inexperience and distractions can lead to serious consequences for teenage drivers and heartache for their parents.

In an effort to help students practice safe driving, Richland One is partnering with the S.C. National Safety Council and local law enforcement agencies to offer Alive at 25, a four-hour survival course that teaches young drivers about the attitudes, behaviors and risks they face every time they get behind the wheel.

The Alive at 25 course will be mandatory for all student drivers who want a 2012-2013 parking permit for a Richland One high school. Students must complete the course before August 16, 2012 and they only have to take the course once. Alive at 25 classes will be offered in the spring and summer at locations throughout the district. The instructors will be trained law enforcement officers.

While driver’s education courses focus on the mechanics of driving (i.e. parking, turning and stopping), Alive at 25 specifically addresses the behaviors of driving and the consequences from making poor decisions behind the wheel, such as impaired driving, underage drinking, peer pressure, cell phone usage, texting, fatigue and not wearing a seatbelt. Since the program began in 2007, deaths by young drivers in South Carolina have dropped by 38%.

“Student safety is our main goal and Alive at 25 will equip our students with life-saving information to help them be safe and conscientious drivers,” said Richland One Superintendent Dr. Percy Mack. “One life lost is one too many.”

Parents of Richland One high school students will be sent a letter explaining how to register, as well as the dates, times and locations of the classes. The course costs $35, but the fee can be waived for anyone who applies for a scholarship from the S.C. National Safety Council. Call 732-6778 for more information about financial assistance. For more information about the implementation of Alive at 25 in Richland One, contact Felicia Brown at 231-6909 or at fbrown@richlandone.org.

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ALIVE AT

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F.Y.I.

Visit our website at www.richlandone.org!

PASS testing reminder

All South Carolina students in grades 3-8 will take the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) May 8-11. Students will be tested in the areas of English language arts, math, science and social studies.

Parents are asked to help make sure that their children get a good night’s sleep so they are rested and ready to do their very best on the tests each day.

In-district school transfers

May 1, 2012 is the deadline for Richland One students to apply for a transfer to attend another Richland One school in the 2012-2013 school year. Transfer application forms are posted on the district’s website or parents can pick up forms from the Registrar’s Office at 1310 Lyon Street. For more information, call (803) 231-6944.

New pre-K registration deadline

The deadline for parents to register their children for Richland One’s pre-kindergarten program has changed. Parents now have until June 1 to enroll their 4-year-olds for the program. In the past, children could be registered up until the start of the school year in August. Parents can register their children at the school serving the attendance zone in which they live. You must bring your child’s birth certificate (long form required) and immunization record, as well as two utility bills as proof of residence. Children eligible for the program must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2012 and family income must meet federal guidelines for free and reduced lunch. For more information, call the Office of Early Childhood Education at (803) 231-6882 or 231-6709.

Child Find screenings

Parents, if there appears to be a delay in any area of your children’s development, you may seek assistance from Child Find. Even if they are not old enough yet to go to school, they may benefit from screening and evaluation. All necessary screenings and evaluations are free of charge. For information about screenings for children from birth to 3 years old, contact the BabyNet Central Office, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control at 1-800-868-0404. For screenings for children ages 3-21, contact the Richland One Special Education Department at (803) 231-6778.

Adult Education courses

Richland One Adult Education strives to provide quality education and training to adults to increase their marketability and aid them in becoming lifelong learners and productive citizens in society. The district’s award-winning adult education program is the third-largest in South Carolina. Richland One Adult Education offers a variety of courses for students ages 17 and up, including English as a Second Language (ESL), GED preparation and computer readiness/WorkKeys preparation. For more information, visit the Adult Education page on the district’s website or call (803) 343-2935.

2012 Graduation Schedule High Schools All high school graduation ceremonies will be held at the Carolina Coliseum.

May 24 • Eau Claire High School – 8:00 a.m.

• W.J. Keenan High School – 10:30 a.m.

• C.A. Johnson High School – 1:00 p.m.

• A.C. Flora High School – 3:30 p.m.

May 25 • Dreher High School – 8:00 a.m.

• Columbia High School – 10:30 a.m.

• Lower Richland High School – 1:00 p.m.

Special Schools • Richland One Middle College – May 20, 3:00 p.m., Koger Center for the Arts • Richland One Evening High School – May 21, 4:30 p.m., Freddie E. Grace, Jr. Theatre at W.G. Sanders Middle School • Richland One Adult Education – May 21, 7:00 p.m.

C.A. Johnson High School Auditorium • Pendergrass Fairwold School – May 23, 10:00 a.m., Pendergrass Fairwold cafeteria

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Richland County School District One Stevenson Administration Building 1616 Richland Street Columbia, SC 29201

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2012-13 Calendar KEY DATES August 20:

First day of school for students

November 21-23: Thanksgiving break

December 20-January 1: Winter break

April 1-5: Spring break

May 30:

Last day of school for students (half-day)

February 18, March 29 and May 31: Student make-up days (if needed)

www.twitter.com/richlandone

To view the full calendar, go to www.richlandone.org and click on District Calendars.