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District
Happenings...
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SC Jr. Duck Stamp Winners- Several students were selected as winners again this year after participating and placing in the 14th annual SC Jr. Duck Stamp Contest. Saluda High School winners are Lauren Jones (2nd place), Randi Rice and Zontavius Johnson (3rd place), Holly Able, Sasha Hernandez, Miguel Olvera and Daniel Powell (Honorable Mention). Their teacher is Barbara Rosenberg. Attending the SCDNR mentoring program in Green Pond, SC at the Donnelly Wildlife Management Area will be Randi Rice and Zontavius Johnson. Saluda Middle School winners are Jack Nichols, Kristen Cordero
,Diana Jaramillia, Emily Hallman and Jack Nichols. Their teacher is
Wayne Bell. Saluda Primary School Gets a New Look
Construction is Complete!! Our school Looks Great! ______________________________________________________________________________________-- SALUDA FFA TOOL IDENTIFICATION TEAM TAKES TOP HONORS COLUMBIA, SC….The Saluda High School FFA Tool Identification Team took first place honors in the Mid-State Regional Agricultural Engineering-related event held in Chester recently, accordin g to John W. Parris, state director of public affairs with the SC FFA organization.Team members Gabe Cecil, Curt Berry and Clay Shealy were coached by Amanda Nichols, Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor at Saluda High. Gabe Cecil was the third high individual scorer in the competition. "Participation in the FFA-sponsored event is limited to first year Agricultural Education students who are in the ninth or tenth grades," Parris said. The mission of the FFA is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through Agricultural Education. …………………………………………………………………………………………… Note to Editor For additional information contact John W. Parris at 803-771-0520.
Saluda County
Schools Ranked #1 in Improvement in the State In the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee’s “At a Glance” article on the 2007 School and District ratings, Saluda County Schools was used as an example of making dramatic gains in student achievement over the last five years despite a very diverse population and challenges associated with staffing rural schools. Saluda County Schools have made considerable progress in the last five years. In 2006 the State Newspaper was the first to report that through a computer analysis of performance by some 50,000 students, it revealed that Saluda County was the leader in producing improved performance during a six year period. Dan Yow, director of communications for the Education Oversight Committee recently stated to the Index Journal, “we really just take a look at where we see significant improvements, and Saluda County has always been a county we’ve been interested in because the improvements are dramatic. The population is changing and there are so many challenges in that district, yet they continuously make progress despite the diverse population and the changing face of the population. Saluda Schools have made reading a very big focus, and that’s an area that the education committee has identified as an area of critical need.” A South Carolina company, Measuring Education Gains, recently reported that Saluda County School district ranked first in overall improvement on the PACT in 2007 with an average gain of 3.5 percent. With a focus on reading, writing, and mathematics, the district has made exceptional progress in closing the achievement gap among minority students. In seventh grade mathematics on the PACT, 90 percent of all students scored basic and above, while the gap between the white and African American students narrowed to about a point and a half. Superintendent Pete Stone contributes this success to the implementation of Academy Time, where every child works just on what they need, regardless of grade level. By adjusting the school day to meet the individual needs of every student, students can become more successful. Superintendent Stone said that the credit for the improvement goes to students, administrators and teachers for accepting programs and making them work. Our goal six years ago was to improve not just academics but our buildings and our administrators and staff. Our students and teachers and principals here have worked really hard on the curriculum and streamlined things. We are proud to say that because of the progress shown, representatives from 10 school systems have visited Saluda schools this year to view our programs up close." The District looks forward to more successes to come.
____________________________________________________________________________ Kathy Coleman re-elected to SCSBA Board of Directors
COLUMBIA – Saluda County School Board member Dr. Kathy Coleman was re-elected to the South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) board of directors as the Region 11 Director during the association’s annual business meeting Saturday, December 1 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Hilton Head Island. As the Region 11 Director, Coleman will serve a four-year term representing school boards in Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick and Saluda counties. Coleman has been a member of the Saluda County board for nine years and currently serves as vice chairperson. She has served for the past three years on the SCSBA board representing Region 11 and regularly attends SCSBA conferences. Coleman is a lobbyist for Clemson University. She is active in various community and state organization including the American Legion Auxiliary, Palmetto Girls State Committee, HOST mentor at Saluda Middle School, Saluda County Extension Advisory Committee, and the Lt. Governor’s Writing Award Committee. More than 350 school board members from across the state attended the meeting, which was held during the association’s annual Legislative Advocacy Conference, to elect new officers and set the association’s 2007 legislation platform conference. The conference provided information on upcoming legislative issues impacting public schools, board members’ roles in advocacy, and featured several statewide leaders and legislators. SCSBA is the statewide professional organization for the state’s 85 local school boards. _____________________________________________________________________________________________
State Superintendent Jim Rex Brings Message of Education Reform to Saluda County Schools The first day of school for teachers, administrators, and staff of Saluda County Schools was especially filled with excitement and encouragement as they received a special welcome back to school message from State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. Dr. Rex began by congratulating the teachers, administrators, staff, and students of Saluda County Schools on their test scores stating, “you (the district) have test scores to be proud of” and encouraged the faculty to continue to advocate for children and have the courage to bring about change. Last week, Superintendent Rex announced a comprehensive plan for reforming South Carolina’s schools that will be a package of proposed legislation, regulations and modified policies designed to help the State Department of Education and local schools. Dr. Rex’s comprehensive plan for reform is based on creating a new system of fiscal accountability for South Carolina’s schools to include equitable funding for public schools, school choice within public schools, and adjusting accountability to increase formative testing, thus reducing the amount of time spent on end of year testing. His plan for reform will also focus on elevating the teaching profession with fair compensation, including a pay increase, and improving the physical environments of all schools. Since becoming our State Superintendent, Dr. Rex has been taking his message of reform to school districts across the state seeking support, reform, and improvement to our public schools. In his words, “four years in the life of a child can make or break a childhood.”
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