Marion County Education

Team takes top honors

CONTRIBUTED

The Mullins High School entrepreneurship team won first place at the South Carolina State University business plan competition on Dec. 13 in Orangeburg.

The competition was open to all high schools in South Carolina. The winning plan was for “Cookie Critter” a bakery and coffee shop with free wireless internet. The team was scored on its business plan and a seven-minute presentation, including a PowerPoint brief, marketing plan, financial plans, management concept, expansion plans and investment offering.

This is the second time Mullins has won the competition. They also won in 2005 with a plan for a digital photo shop. Creek Bridge entered for the first time this year and placed second. One of  the keys to success was the outstanding support received from the community. 

Bob Corley spoke to the class on various options for the legal structure of a business. Bi-Lo and Piggly Wiggly stores were most helpful in providing information on bakery operations.

Steven Weingartner, a marketing instructor from Florence Darlington Technical College, provided a useful critique of class business plans and gave the class needed insight on what investors are looking for in a business.

School District 2 reviews school reports

Elementary school to display artwork at state museum

By Naeem Mcfadden

Reporter

Director of Instruction Nancy Graham provided information items during the Dec. 6. Marion School District 2 meeting.

Graham’s report to the Board of trustees focused on the objectives met for Annual Yearly Progress within the district. No district made AYP in South Carolina, she said, adding that 12 of the 21 objectives met included attendance and the percentage of students tested.

Using several years of assessment, Graham presented data organized in yearly gaps. Statistics showed that students who paid full price for lunch, regardless of race, scored higher. However, full pay students and whites scored at the highest percentage at 45.7 in language arts, just shy of the 45.8 AYP score.

North Mullins Primary received an excellent grade on the district’s report card, while three of the five schools received unsatisfactory marks.

Mullins High School received a below average grade. Regarding MHS students taking the HSAP test, 89.8 percent passed the ELA section, which was above the 88.1 percent state average. Students passing the math section was just below the 79.6 state average with a percentage of 79.3.

“We’re really pleased with what we see on the HSAP,” says Graham, who mentioned that 76.4 percent of students taking the test pass on the first attempt. Superintendent Nathaniel Miller says making AYP is a moving target that increases every year, adding that next year 80 percent of schools won’t reach AYP.

“In the next three years all schools will basically be unsatisfactory,” he said.

South Carolina was said to have the third highest accountability standard in the nation, and by 2012 all schools must be above average. “It’s sad that the education of our children comes down to political influence,” Miller said of the need for change.

During the Superintendent’s comments, Miller commended MHS students for taking part in a senior citizens luncheon. Students have also been involved with the Manna House and Operation Rudolph. “When they excel we have to brag about them,” said Miller of the good news, adding that the JROTC program’s drill team received first place awards in one of the largest competitions in Conway recently. Auctioneer football player Seqwan McFarland was recognized as a member of the WPDE All-Zone team along with Marion’s D.J. Gause, Miller said. The only elementary school in the state selected to display artwork at the State Museum will be McCormick Elementary, he said. Art teacher Lou Bame’s students will have their art on display throughout the month of January.

In other business, Director of Communication and Technology, Daniel Williams provided an update. The department keeps an accurate record of all student data and maintains the district’s Web site. Some of the tools Williams mentioned during his presentation were the Integrade Pro, which imports and keeps track of grades. Saf-T-Net contact tool allows the district to be able to contact parents in case of emergency. A range of software is used for library, food service, special education, and diagnostic MAP testing, which Williams says is one of the best things technology has been used for in years. Projects ongoing for the tech department are wireless access in schools, and implementation of Star One Academy.

The Board of trustees approved the districts plans to move forward with the READ 180, reading program to improve student literacy. The Board also approved the appointment of two personnel staffing positions.

Retooling our schools and their focus

By Nathaniel Miller, Ph.D

Superintendent, MSD2

We continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities for our students; however, it is important to take stake in the changing face of education in South Carolina.

The State continues to provide job opportunities where the minimum education requirement is a two year technical degree. Many of our middle and high school only provide students with the required course work for college. Although college is a goal for all students, many students need alternate routes to career paths.

Here in Marion School District 2, I would like to propose that we continue to strive for excellence in all of our schools with more rigorous course work. We need more AP courses and more elective courses for our high school students. Also, we must give a strong push for more hands-on career experiences and courses for both the middle school students and the high school students.

In MSD2, we need to provide our middle school students with exposures in computer, media and digital imaging, public speaking, hospitality, debate and more of both visual and performing arts. Labs need to be established with introduction courses in engineering, entrepreneurship and public service. As we prepare our students for the future as a community,we must provide an array of opportunities for our students.

In our high school we need to provide additional trade opportunities in banking, health related courses, brick masonry, plumbing, electrical engineering and carpentry. We must have a course in tourism. These are courses that could be offered through a joint program of the high schools and the technical education center.

As we look toward the future in Marion School District Two and the county, a more aggressive offering of real life courses and opportunities must be developed in order to provide our students with twenty-first century courses. Let us continue to strive for excellence as we retool our school and their focus.

Honor rolls

Marion High School

9th Grade: A Honor Roll - Grace B. DeMarco and George F. Strickland

A-B Honor Roll - Cody W. Bullard, Yashne L. Davis, Brittany L. Drose, Alysa G. Favor, Octavia L. Hemingway, Tiffany C. King, Jo H. Maddox, Kayla D. Perkins, Elizabeth J. Pridgen, Ariel C. Smith, Travonte D. Smith, Amara M. Sturkey and Kaitlyn Thompkins

10th Grade: A Honor Roll - Anna C. Capps, Amanda M. Doughty, Ashley E. Humphrey and Melanie K. McGrath

A-B Honor Roll - Donovan J. Bridges, Sarah K. Fowler and Cassandra E. O’Hanon

11th Grade: A Honor Roll - Derrick D. Grant, Courtney C. Kelly, Dipanbhai C. Patel and Whitney I. Williams

A-B Honor Roll - Tavin T. Aflord, LaGloria Chisolm, Rekeya J. Elleby, Allen M. Gasque, Virginia E. Graves, Martina R. Green, Antwan M. Horne, George M. Jones, Johnthan C. Lee, Catherine R. Marcum, Jamie C. Moses, Hardeep K. Nagra, Laura R. Reeves, Damien K. Rowell, Shayna M. Rozier and Brian R. Trail

12th Grade: A Honor Roll - Benjamin T. DeMarco, Ranveer Nagra and Artiben B. Patel

A-B Honor Roll - Margaret W. Beck, Lee E. Davis, Kasey M. Dix, Alex R. Evans, Brittany N. Felton, Brittni D. Graves, Brandon D. Legette, Tiffany McGee, Thomas L. Ocean, Caleb Page, Fantasia D. Pee, Chasity P. Samuels, Mary L. Sease, Janeasha L. Stanley, Sydney L. Strickland, Delecia N. Williams and Rhonda S. Williams

Palmetto Middle School

6th Grade: A-B Honor Roll - Samantha Amaro, Alexandria Edwards, Jessica Elliott, Ian Fairbanks, Keeonu Foxworth, Stephen Goodyear, Teigi Hughes-Tyler, Shermain Johnson, Anderia Lewis, Cayla Morton, Jeremy Odom, Monica Rowell, Juwan Smith, Tayla Strickland

7th Grade: A Honor Roll - Kelly Elliott, Tyrell Grice, Mairssa Lauyans, Jackson McDonald

7th Grade: A-B Honor Roll -  Charles Brewton, Nicholas Brockington, Michael Brown, Kaitlynn Howes, Anna Jackson, Erica Lee, Darrius McClain, Brittany Rogers

8th Grade: A-B Honor Roll -  Cynthia Brown, Jared Jackson, Brooke Kirkland, Bonnie Luna, Justin Odom, Allyson Page, Portia Phillips

McCormick’s ‘meterologists’ check the weather

McCormick Elementary School in Mullins now has a weather station. Chris Campbell and her fourth grade students have constructed an outdoor weather station, with help from maintenance workers Rodney Hardy and Ronald Floyd. The class will use the station to check the weather. Using a temperature gauge for the current temperature and humidity percentage, a barometer for measuring air pressure in millibars, a pointer measuring wind direction and speed, and a flask that calculates precipitation, Olivar Ramirez and Kishan Patel gather information for the school weather report at 7:15 a.m. each morning. The weather station is one part of an entire fourth-grade unit of study about the weather.

Creek Bridge High School math team competes at FMU

Contributed

Several math team members, along with math coach Sheila Fry, traveled to Francis Marion University on Dec. 6 to compete in the 31st Pee-Dee Regional High School Mathematics Tournament.

Students took a written exam that consisted of 18 questions from Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-calculus standards. After the exam, the university had a guest speaker followed by a boxed lunch for all the participants. Individual schools also received medallions to present to students with the highest number of correct responses on the written exam.

Jaleel Reaves was the winner of the medallion for Creek Bridge High School. The math team worked hard to prepare for the competition and they are looking forward to more competitions in the spring.

The following math team members participated at the competition: Tiffany Davis, Chana Graves, Angelica Boatwright, Rashaunya Cooper, Shonda Blackwell, La'Torious Owens, Jay Hughes, Leroy Hemingway, Robert Dunkin, Shakira Johnson, Jacouri Graves, Erin Singleton, Terrell Hemingway, Kindra Bennett, Tieara Pee and Jaleel Reaves.

Students and parents jam with Jazzercise program

The Office of Safe Schools-Healthy Students Nurse Home Visitation Program sponsored a Jazzercise program for parents and children on Nov. 16. Sandra Johnson, RN, and Katherine Duguay, RN, home visitors with the Parents As Teachers program, wanted to demonstrate to parents how dance and exercise could be combined for a fun, healthy activity for parents and a fun, developmental exercise for children. A child plays a shoebox ‘guitar’ during jazzercise jam session. The nurses visit families with children ages 0-5. The Parents As Teachers curriculum is used to assist parents in becoming their child’s first and best teacher. For information on how you and your child can benefit from the program, call one of the nurses at the Palmetto Education Center (843) 464-3740.

A note from the Dillon-Marion homeschooling group highlights school year

CONTRIBUTED

The Dillon-Marion County Homeschooling group is proud to announce it had two graduates this past 2006-07 school year.

Ashley Alderman is attending Columbia International University in Columbia and Andy Willis is enrolled at North Greenville College. We said good-bye and good luck to 2005-06 graduate William Martinez, now a student at Francis Marion University.

To honor our graduates, we had a huge bash at “A Wing and a Prayer” café in Marion on Aug. 2. Our very own Altogether Band entertained us with a live set of uplifting Christian music.

The owners, Morris and Belle Ward, were gracious enough to let us reserve the café for the night and we packed the house.

Beginning a new school year is tough and challenging for homeschoolers, but let me tell you it is definitely fun. We had a great time at our annual “Meet You At the Pole” day on Sept. 26. This is a time we gather around the flag pole at Veteran’s Park in Latta and pray for our families, our communities, and our nation.

It so happened we discovered the park was the perfect place to take class pictures to put in our yearbook. Yes, we have a yearbook staff and they work hard each year to capture the moments in an annual that all the homeschoolers can keep for future posterity.

At another annual event, the “Around the World” party, our children researched countries and put together displays and gave oral presentations of what they learned about the country they chose to study.

Twelve countries were represented on Oct. 12 as 60 of us gathered at the Latta United Methodist Church.

Beth Green of Marion wrote the following in our monthly newsletter:

“The fellowship hall was filled with excitement as family and friends gathered to enjoy our ‘Around the World’ festival. We traveled to Portugal, Egypt, England, Brazil, Australia, Germany, China, Sweden, Canada, Honduras, Cambodia, and Kenya. Everyone listened intently as each family presented their respective country. Then we all feasted on international cuisine. We were so proud of our children. They did such a wonderful job!”

Recently, we visited the Florence Airport for a brief tour of the facilities. We spoke with airport security and listened to the history of the airport as told by our guide. A cold and windy day cut our outdoor tour short as dark clouds hovered overhead.

We are looking forward to making gingerbread houses at our upcoming Christmas party. This is a perfect time for our children to display their many talents as they sing, play instruments, read poems, read the Christmas story, and last but not least, eat pizza. We can all do that quite well!

Our home schooling group is made up of approximately 25 families at this time.

If you are home schooling or would like more information about our group, feel free to call Pam Branch at 841-0424 or Elizabeth Alderman at 752-2001.