Spotlight ONE
2020 SPECIAL EDITION
A Publication of Richland County School District One
Superintendent’s Message When the 2020 calendar year began, no one would have anticipated that schools would be shut down two months later and remain closed for the rest of the school year. In Richland One, the COVID-19 pandemic caused us to have to navigate through uncharted waters and make adjustments and decisions that we’ve never had to make as educators, while working to ensure that teaching and learning did not stop. 2020 was indeed filled with many uncertainties, anxieties and challenges due to the pandemic. It was a year that we won’t soon forget, but what I will remember most is the amazing way in which the Richland One team responded, going above and beyond to attend to the needs of our students and families. I also want to extend my appreciation to the members of our Board of School Commissioners for their leadership, support and advocacy during these unprecedented times. In this special edition of Spotlight ONE, we reflect on 2020 and we celebrate some of the numerous achievements that were made in the district during the year, including our highest-ever graduation rate (82.9 percent); the completion of our stadium and athletics fields projects; the first state football championship won in the district in 50 years; and several other prestigious honors, awards and distinctions earned by our students, staff, schools and departments. Our goal is to get all of our students back in school with their teachers and classmates five days a week when it is safe to do so. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, so for that to happen, we need everyone in the community to do the things that our public health officials have been emphasizing from the beginning to reduce the spread of the virus – practicing social distancing, washing our hands frequently and wearing a mask/face covering. As the calendar flips to the new year, we look ahead to 2021 with hope and optimism, reassured that the strength and resilience that took us through 2020 have not weakened. We are Richland One Strong! Sincerely,
NATIONAL DISTINCTIONS •
Richland One and all Richland One schools were accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED) for the 2019-2020 school year. The nationally recognized accreditation reflects that the district has demonstrated and sustained its commitment to continuous improvement and better learner outcomes.
•
Every Richland One school was named to the 2020 list of America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for promoting quality nutrition, regular physical activity and strong wellness policies. Richland One is the second school district in South Carolina and the largest in the state to achieve 100%.
•
Dreher High School and A.C. Flora High School were ranked among the top 12 high schools in South Carolina in U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools Recognition Program.
•
Lower Richland High School’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program was recertified for five years, making it the third school in the country to receive Cognia recertification.
•
Crayton Middle School was redesignated as a National School to Watch by the National Association to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, one of only 20 South Carolina schools with that distinction.
•
Meadowfield Elementary School was one of five schools in the nation to be accredited this year as a Paideia School for Creative Thinking.
•
The Air Force JROTC units at C.A. Johnson High School and Columbia High School earned the U.S. Air Force’s Distinguished Unit Award, representing the best of the 890 JROTC units worldwide.
•
Four articles from Richland One educators highlighting the success of district literacy, health, meal and parent partnership programs were featured in Promising Partnership Practices, a journal published by the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.
•
Richland One has earned national awards for financial reporting excellence from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) for 31 consecutive years.
Craig Witherspoon, Ed.D. Superintendent ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION Spotlight ONE is published by the Richland One Office of Communications. It is mailed to Richland One residents and posted online at www.richlandone.org. Note: Some pictures included in this publication were taken prior to mask requirements.
Board of School Commissioners
Commissioner Aaron Bishop Chairman Election District 1
2
Commissioner Cheryl Harris Vice Chairwoman Election District 4
Commissioner Angela Clyburn Secretary-Treasurer At-Large Member
Commissioner Jamie L. Devine Election District 2
Commissioner Beatrice King Election District 3
Commissioner Yolanda Anderson At-Large Member
Commissioner Tamika Myers At-Large Member
Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
Richland One Class of 2020
82.9%
Highest graduation rate in the district’s history and higher than the state average for the second consecutive year
$61.5
MILLION+
Monetary value of scholarships and other financial aid collectively earned by 2020 graduates (including 9 National Merit Scholarship recipients; 13 students were among the less than 1% of U.S. seniors named semifinalists)
48
Seniors were awarded International Baccalaureate Diplomas after completing an academically rigorous and globally recognized program of study
229
Seniors were named Richland One Academic All-Stars and High School Scholars – the district’s highest student honors for academic achievement
429
Students completed career and technical education (CTE) programs of study, including health science, engineering, sports medicine, culinary arts and cosmetology Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
Taylor Davenport
A.C. Flora High School Class of 2020 Freshman, Temple University
3
To say that 2020 was an historic, unprecedented and unforgettable year would be a major understatement, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday life, including school operations. It was a year when social distancing and PPE (personal protective equipment) became part of our language. While our schools were shut down for nearly three months and after some face-to-face instruction resumed, the members of Team Richland One rallied into action to ensure not only that teaching and learning continued, but also that the needs of our students and families were met. From pivoting from face-to-face to virtual instruction to distributing nearly half a million meals for our students while buildings were closed, despite the challenges that 2020 presented, we remained Richland One Strong!
4
MARCH 15, 2020
4
MARCH 24, 2020
4
APRIL 22, 2020
4
JUNE 2-5, 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Henry McMaster orders all South Carolina schools to close through March 31. Richland One Nutrition Services staff begin distributing food for students to parents the following day. Richland One teachers and students pivot to remote teaching and learning. Governor McMaster and State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announce that all schools will remain closed until April 30. Governor McMaster announces that all schools statewide will remain closed until the end of the 2019-2020 school year, with students continuing online learning. For the first time, Richland One holds its high school graduation ceremonies at the district’s new and renovated stadiums, with limited guest attendance; masks, social distancing and other safety measures are enforced.
4 JULY 8, 2020 Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon unveils the district’s Restart Strong Reopening of Schools Plan, with two models for parents to choose from for their children: Phase-In Model (Phase 1 – eLearning, Phase 2 – hybrid, and Phase 3 – traditional face-to-face instruction) or the Richland One Virtual School Program (a yearlong model). 4
AUGUST 31, 2020
4
WEEK OF OCTOBER 26, 2020
4
OCTOBER 19, 2020
4
First day of the 2020-2021 school year: Richland One begins Phase 1 (eLearning) of the district’s three-phase Phase-In Model and the Richland One Virtual School Program for students enrolled in that model. Following a staggered start schedule, Richland One students begin returning to school for two days of face-to-face instruction as the district transitions to Phase 2 (hybrid), beginning with pre-kindergarten through second-grade students and followed the next week by students in grades 3-12. Students, divided into Cohort A and Cohort B, attend school on their two designated days each week and learn from home the other three days of the week. Students and staff are required to wear masks at school and on the bus. Richland One launches an online COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard providing daily updates on the number of active COVID-19 cases in schools and administrative sites and other data.
Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
5
t #R1STRONG t Several Richland One schools, students and staff received honors and awards during 2020 for their outstanding achievements. For a full list of our Points of Pride, go to www.richlandone.org. Also, see a list of some of our many National Distinctions on page 2.
2020 SC-SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL HONOR ROLL Pine Grove Elementary’s School Improvement Council (SIC) 2020-2021 SC TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST Shawn Norris of Satchel Ford Elementary School 2019-2020 Richland One Teacher of the Year 2020 SC LAW-RELATED EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR (SC BAR) Lekena Ackerman of Southeast Middle School Ms. Ackerman also was featured on NBC’s Today show.
SC FINANCIAL LITERACY MASTER TEACHER Shannon Rister of W.A. Perry Middle School Honor announced by SC Treasurer Curtis Loftis DONALD H. GRAVES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE TEACHING OF WRITING Mukkaramah Smith of Lewis Greenview Elementary School Award presented by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
CONGRESS OF FUTURE MEDICAL LEADERS DELEGATE Aniyah Hodges of W.J. Keenan High School Program sponsored by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists
2020 CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPION SWIMMERS Jane Koch of Dreher High School (50-yard freestyle) A.C. Flora High School swimmers Tanner Edwards, Darden Tate, Benjamin Tanner and Hill Teas (200-yard medley relay); Tanner Edwards (100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke – new state records); and Darden Tate (100-yard breastroke)
2020 GATORADE SC BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Tyler Graves of Lower Richland High School Awarded the title for the second consecutive year
CIVIL RIGHTS/CIVIL LIBERTIES EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD Laura Gisler of Meadowfield Elementary School Award presented by the SC Council for the Social Studies
FAMILY CAREER AND COMMUNITY LEADERS OF AMERICA (FCCLA) MASTER ADVISER Melanie Williams of Eau Claire High School One of only 26 teachers in the nation awarded the Master Adviser distinction
RICHLAND COUNTY CONSERVATION TEACHER OF THE YEAR Dr. Jamison Browder of Meadowfield Elementary School Award presented by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District
2020 CLASS 3A STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS W.J. Keenan High School Boys and Girls Basketball Teams First SC school since 2007 to win boys and girls state titles in the same year RICHLAND LIBRARY KIDS IN PRINT YOUTH LITERARY MAGAZINE Alice Dunlap, A.C. Flora High; Lily Moftakhar, Crayton Middle; Zara Shah-Fuente, Meadowfield Elementary; Audrey Stuart, Rosewood Elementary; and Sadee Broughton, W.G. Sanders Middle Features poetry, stories, short plays, essays, drawings and photographs by 40 Midlands children
6
2020 MIDLANDS REGION CAREER SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR Cynthia Flemming-Tyler of Lower Richland High School Award presented by the Midlands Education and Business Alliance (MEBA) 2020 CLASS 4A GIRLS GOLF STATE CHAMPION Gracie McCoy of A.C. Flora High School A.C. Flora’s first girls golf team member to win a state championship 2020-2021 RICHLAND ONE TEACHER OF THE YEAR Richelle Sinkler, music teacher at Lewis Greenview Elementary School 2020-2021 RICHLAND ONE CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Carena Jones, school social worker at Eau Claire High School 2020 CLASS 4A STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS A.C. Flora High School First state football championship in the school’s history and the first in Richland One in 50 years (last was Lower Richland in 1970)
Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
BUILDING for the FUTURE 1
Richland One made several improvements, upgrades and additions to district facilities during 2020, providing more modern spaces to support and enhance student learning and wellness.
1. New Athletics Field at Dreher High School The completion of the athletics field at Dreher High School marks the last of the district’s eight stadium and athletics field projects. The vision for the projects came from a discussion the Richland One Board of School Commissioners had in 2014 about the need to upgrade the district’s athletics facilities, many of which had not undergone major improvements in 40 or more years. The facility improvements at Dreher include a new synthetic turf field, a new canteen and restroom facility, new bleachers and sports lighting, as well as new tennis courts.
2. New Culinary Arts Facility at Heyward Career and Technology Center Heyward Career and Technology Center’s new culinary arts facility received prestigious design awards from the Columbia and state chapters of the American Institute of Architects. The facility includes a culinary arts lab, a culinary arts classroom, a serving station, an indoor dining area and a courtyard/outdoor dining area. It also features state-of-the-art equipment rivaling that of professional restaurants and food service venues. Culinary arts students will be able to learn all aspects of hosting an event, from planning the menu to serving the customers.
2
3. New Media Center at Rosewood Elementary School Rosewood Elementary School’s new, state-of-the-art media center is designed to serve students’ educational needs. The old media center, which has been converted to new classroom spaces, was undersized and outdated. The new facility features an open space with movable shelving and flexible furniture to allow for collaboration or individual student activities.
4 4. New Playgrounds
3 Spotlight One · 2020 Special Edition
E.E. Taylor (pictured), Burton-Pack and Watkins-Nance elementary schools have new playgrounds with equipment designed to promote students’ upper body development, fitness, balance, and decisionmaking skills. The age-appropriate equipment is in compliance with the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and was installed by IPEMA-certified installers. Each of the three schools previously had a small, single piece of outdated playground equipment. The district typically selects two to three sites each year for playground upgrades. All playgrounds now include swing sets, which are very popular with students.
7
Non-Profit Org. US Postage
PAID
1616 Richland Street Columbia, SC 29201
Columbia, SC Permit 611
Local Postal Customer
Stay Connected! Notice of Non-Discrimination Richland County School District One does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age or other protected characteristic in its programs and activities.
OUR MISSION We are Richland One, a leader in transforming lives through education, empowering all students to achieve their potential and dreams.