Florence School District 3 board hears mission statements

LAKE CITY — Florence School District 3’s board of trustees heard tentative mission, belief and vision statements for the district and its schools during its meeting Thursday.

Senior Director of Accountability Laura Hickson said in August that a group of teachers, high school students, school administrators, district-level administrators, community members and board members met to discuss what the mission of the district should be. At that meeting, Hickson said each school would work individually on its mission, vision and belief statements.

At Thursday’s board meeting, all of the district’s principals presented board members with their schools’ statements.

Superintendent Beth M. Wright said the next step is for the schools to present their mission, vision and belief statements to their school improvement councils for a vote. She said some schools have submitted their statements to their school improvement councils, while some schools are still “fine tuning” their statements.

In November, the board will vote on the mission, vision and belief statements.

Meanwhile, Hickson said, the district will look at the needs of students based on data, strategies, curriculum and instruction to ensure all of those areas are aligned with the mission statements of the district and the schools.

In other issues, Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction Barbara Woodbury gave an overview of professional development opportunities being provided within the district. According to a PowerPoint presentation at the meeting, some of those opportunities are mentor training, district test coordinator training, gifted and talented course, TAP (teacher advancement program) meetings and an Activities Integrating Math and Science course.

Woodbury said many of the sessions are at no cost to the district. Wright said the sessions are open to certified and classified staff members and that board members can attend if they wish.

Wright gave a review of the proposed instructional materials and textbooks that may be used in South Carolina schools. The materials that will be reviewed are in the subjects of algebra 1 and 2; geometry; and mathematics for the technologies 1, 2 and 3. Wright said the nearest sites with these materials available for viewing will be Francis Marion University, in Florence, and Coker College, in Hartsville.

The textbooks and instructional materials will be on display through Nov. 8 at 23 colleges and universities throughout the state, and people visiting Columbia or Charleston can view the materials at sites in those cities, Wright said.

Also during the superintendent’s report, Wright gave the surveillance results of the district’s pandemic plan. The district has been tracking the absences of staff and students and since Oct. 9 and has seen a decline in absences of teachers and students, she said.

Wright said everyone has worked extremely hard and is doing a good job. She added that parents also have been supportive.

Hickson told board members that the district has received a $100,000 federal Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2)/ARRA Round 9 Competitive Grant to hire a technology coach for the middle schools. Hickson said the district will continue to offer technology courses and will offer a technology “boot camp.”

During special recognition, Main Street Elementary School Media Specialist Ged Duvall presented the school’s project that won an honorable mention in the 2009 EdTech technology awards. After his presentation, Woodbury presented Duvall with items to enhance technology in Main Street Elementary’s library.