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After months of waiting, five middle
school principals across South Caroli-
na finally received the much antici-
pated phone call they were hoping to
receive. It was early winter when five
South Carolina middle schools were
honored with the 2014 School To
Watch award.
Campobello-Gramling School in Spar-
tanburg District One was named
South Carolina’s newest School to
Watch in the National Forum to Ac-
celerate Middle Grades Reform Na-
Inside this issue:
STW Announcements 1/3
In the Middle of the Core 1
Letter From the Editor 2
Conference FAQs 4
Session Info 5
Member News 5
SCASA News 6
SCPoMLE News 6
Book Store Wish List 7/8
What’s New Reminders 9
Pre-Conference Sessions 10
Conference Sponsors 11
Region News 12/13
Region Map 14
February 10, 2014
Volume 19, Number 3
FOCUS A Publication of the South Carolina Middle School Association
SC Names Five 2014
National Schools To Watch
In the Middle of the Core Sure to Energize and Excite!
tional
Schools
to Watch
Program
which
recogniz-
es mid-
dle
schools
continuously moving forward in the
areas of academic excellence, de-
velopmental responsiveness, so-
cial equity and organizational
structures. Campobello-Gramling is
a K-8 grade school whose academ-
ic program has an emphasis on (continued on page 3)
If you have not yet made your plans
to attend the 2014 SCMSA Annual
Conference, don’t let time slip away!
The conference this year brings the
most up-to-date information on best
practices in the middle and com-
mon core strategies. This year
holds many new features such as
table top discussions, common core
lunch sessions, and an
“unconference”. These, along with
the inspiring messages of Dedra
Stafford, will surely provide you a
rejuvenation and spark of energy to
bring back to your school.
Check out FAQs, book store in-
formation, sponsors, vendors,
and much more information on
the conference inside!
Did you know? - Love is in the air, so
use it to help your stu-
dents learn. The emo-
tional brain, the limbic
system, has the power
to open or close access
to learning. Emotions
are highly connected to
what we learn and re-
tain. Harness some of
your students’ feelings
and you might be able
to help them hold on to
some of the knowledge
you want them to re-
member later in life.
- AMLE has designat-ed March as the Mid-dle Level Education Month. Visit AMLE.org to find ideas and infor-mation on celebrating this month all that it means being an ado-lescent.
As middle school educators, we’ve all been there. We’ve all had the
same conversation. We’ve all seen that face people give us once we tell
them what we do for a living. “Middle school?” they say, “Bless your
heart!” Then they give you that face with raised eyebrows and twisted
mouth.
It is not necessarily a pity face, as much as it is a scared face. And I admit
it, middle school is scary. The day-to-day change in mood...the fluctuation
in hormone levels...the uncertainty of what they’ll do next? It can be over-
whelming to ordinary civilians. But we are not ordinary civilians. We have
special powers that enable us to thrive where we have landed– in the
middle.
We are middle level educators. We have a bag of tricks as deep as the
teen-made well in every student’s Minecraft kingdom and as numerous
as our students have Tweets! We can spot teenage drama from across a crowded cafeteria and open a
cantankerous lock in under 8 seconds flat!
The coming month of March, Middle Level Education Month, is devoted to us– the superheroes of
teaching. Take some time this month to really celebrate the age of adolescence and all that comes
with it. One way to hone in on your powers and really develop your skills is to attend the South Carolina
Middle School Association annual conference. This year is unlike any in the past and is certain to bring
new and innovative ideas to even the most experienced teacher. I hope to see as many of you that can
possibly attend!
Until then, show off your strengths as you help develop the mind, body, and souls of our young people.
And as always, remember to use your powers for good!
Sincerely,
Carie Y. Hucks
FOCUS Editor
SCMSA Newsletter
Using Our Powers For Good...
Page 2
Volume 19, Number 3
Have a great idea for a spot in Focus? Want
to see some information on a certain middle
level topic? Give us some feedback by visit-
ing the link below and providing us with your
thoughts.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HGWRVRT
Don’t forget that your voice can
be heard. If you have a question
or comment, contact our execu-
tive director.
Mrs. Linda Allen [email protected] P.O. Box 6980 Myrtle Beach, SC 29572 Phone: (843) 839-5025
Page 3
Volume 19, Number 3
standards driven curriculum taught through a variety of strategies, including learning centers, small
group instruction and technology. Administrators and teachers meet frequently to analyze data and
monitor student progress, and the entire staff holds itself accountable for the success of the students.
Four middle schools were redesignated as SC Schools to Watch after successfully completing a re-
assessment and review of their programs. Blythewood Middle School in Richland School District Two
and Palmetto Middle School in Anderson School District One were originally designated in 2008 and re-
designated in 2011. Castle Heights Middle School in York District Three and T.E. Mabry Middle School
in Spartanburg School District One were originally designated in 2011.
Blythewood Middle School is a school organized for success where there is a sense of ownership by
staff and the community in the school’s mission and purpose. The school staff uses data to review past
performance and make changes to increase student success on a regular and consistent basis. Re-
spect is modeled by students and staff, and the environment is warm, friendly and caring.
Castle Heights Middle School teachers embrace the collaborative planning process. Classrooms are
inviting and student-friendly, and all faculty and staff members care about each student which is evi-
dent in the way they interact with them. The administration and faculty have embraced This We Believe
and are united in their passion for growth and development towards excellence.
The motto of Palmetto Middle School, One School, One Vision; Our Success, is embraced by the school
family. Students are held to high academic standards and are provided a variety of ways to meet them.
The school is student-centered as well as family-centered, and parents state that teachers treat stu-
dents as if they were their own children.
At T.E. Mabry Middle School there is a strong sense of family and community. The theme, Do the Right
Thing for Every Child, Each and Every Day, is shared by the entire school family. The faculty has em-
braced Schools To Watch and Making Middle Grades Work criteria, including analyzing data regularly
and using it to make curriculum and professional development decisions.
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers,
national associations and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving
education in the middle grades. Its website—www.schoolstowatch.org—features online tours of schools
and detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. South Carolina's
STW program is sponsored by the South Carolina Middle School Association, South Carolina Association
of School Administrators-Middle Level Princi-
pals, and the Middle Grades Initiative.
Congratulations to our new and re-designated
Schools To Watch schools. Join us in recog-
nizing them at the conference!
Schools To Watch (continued)
Must I wear my name tag to all sessions? Yes, name badges are the “ticket in the door” for all ses-
sions including the exhibit hall.
Where do I pick up my registration materials? If you are a presenter, exhibitor, or facilitator, registra-
tion information is picked up at a specially marked table. All other attendees pick up registration ma-
terials at the general registration desk. The registration materials are alphabetized by school name.
May I have a friend pick up my registration materials? Each participant must pick up his/her own reg-
istration materials.
Are there tickets for meals? Saturday lunch and Sunday breakfast are provided with registration and
tickets are in the registration materials. We suggest the tickets be kept in the name badge holder.
Are electronic devices permitted to be used? Electronic devices are encouraged, however, please
make certain that cell phones are in silent mode and that the speakers on other devices are muted.
Do the sessions earn CEUs? CEU numbers are listed with each session for your convenience. It is the
participant’s responsibility to turn in the information to his/her respective district.
How do I fit lunch into all the incredible sessions? This year we are offering repeated sessions during
the time lunch is open. Session IIA is from 12:00-12:45 and Session IIB is from 1:00 – 1:45. At-
tendees will choose to attend a Common Core session during either IIA or IIB. During the time at-
tendees are not attending a Common Core presentation, they will eat lunch and visit the Exhibit Hall.
Is breakfast available on Saturday morning? Breakfast on Saturday morning is not provided. Howev-
er, there are three available venues for breakfast at the Convention Center/Sheraton Hotel. Vidalia’s
is a full-service restaurant located on the 2nd floor of the hotel. Also on the second floor of the hotel is
a Starbucks® that sells pastries and other quick breakfast items. On the main floor of the Convention
Center is a free-standing traveling cart that has beverages and breakfast items.
What if there is a change in the program? Changes/additions/deletions in the program/sessions are
posted in the hallway on easels.
What about those of us that tweet? Type #scmsa2014 into your tweets and everyone will be able to
follow along. Simply click search on your twitter feed, type in #scmsa2014 and tweet away!
We are not staying at the Sheraton. Where do we park and is there a charge? There is a large park-
ing lot behind the convention center. There is a $3.00 charge for parking. We suggest groups carpool
to the conference.
I have heard there are some really great door prizes. How do I know if I have won anything? Winners
are announced in the exhibit hall and a table is set up in the exhibit hall with a poster that lists the
names of all the door prize winners.
Does the SCMSA Bookstore accept purchase orders? Yes. Books can be purchased with a purchase
order, credit card, check, or cash.
Conference FAQs
Page 4
Volume 19, Number 3
Page 5
Volume 19, Number 3
There’s Something For Everyone In the Middle!
Want to know how to be "On the Road to Awesomeville," learn why "It Takes Two to
Tango... in a Middle Level Co-Teaching Classroom", or determine "How Full is Your
Bucket?" Maybe you want to learn more about "The Adolescent Brain," "How Google
Can Help Your Classroom...FOR FREE," or how to "Be in the Know...with Informational
Texts?" Be sure to make your way to the 2014 SCMSA Annual Conference to find
these and over 90 other topics. This year's conference promises to be the best one yet!
We are so excited about integrating new approaches to
the conference's professional development with the addi-
tions of table top presentations, CCSS sessions and an
"unconference" session to Saturday's staple concurrent
sessions. Our presenters come to us from across our
great state and nation. The presenters bring a wide varie-
ty of background experiences from pre-service teachers
and current classroom teachers to administrators and
university professors to state department of education
specialists and consultants to share a wealth of
knowledge about middle level learners and best practic-
es. We feel certain every attendee will find something to suit his/her personal style of
professional development this year as we meet "In the Middle of the Core."
Opportunities at the Conference for
SC Middle School Association Members
All SCMSA members will receive a Member ribbon to display on the name
badge.
A table for members will be manned on Friday evening and Saturday to pro-
vide information and answers to questions.
A “Members Only” session is scheduled in Ballroom E at 5:00 Saturday im-
mediately following Session V. Information will be shared about proposed
amendments, realignment of regions, and SCMSA committees. SCMSA
members will have the opportunity to volunteer and sign up for committees.
SCMSA members will have the opportunity to vote on proposed changes to
the Constitution/Bylaws at the annual business meeting on Sunday morn-
ing.
SCASA – Middle Level Administrators
Friday, February 28, 2014
10:00 am – 12:00pm, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm – Room 208
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Room 101
Do You Want Better PASS Test Scores? Four Tools to Help Your Teachers Make it Hap-
pen!!! presented by Bill McKenzie, Danielle Ives and JT Schexnayder 10:00-12:00 CEU#: 402
If you are looking for Higher PASS Scores, More Duke TIP Scholars, More South Carolina Junior Scholars, and More students going to college – free, then attend this session to learn about the Four Tools to help you accomplish these goals: Vocabulator; Slow Down to Speed Up; Get off the Fence; and Math Lexicon. Come learn from Bill how to help your students become better standardized test takers.
Middle Level Administrators’ Information and Ideas Sharing Session 2:00-4:30 CEU#: 408
Come and spend some time with your fellow administrators. Does the implementation of Common Core have you scratching your head? Are special education issues confounding you? Do you need more information about the Read to Succeed Bill? Do you want to hear the latest from the South Carolina High School League about eligibility requirements, residency, and school choice options? Do you have a great program at your school that needs to be shared? This session is geared at giv-ing time to receive information, ask questions, share ideas, and connect with middle level building leaders.
Middle School Administrators’ Mix and Mingle 7:00-8:00 Room 101
Middle school principals, assistant principals, and district administrators are invited to attend a re-ception to hear more about the SC Middle School Association and the SC Association of School Ad-ministrators-Middle Level. Take advantage of this opportunity to network with other administrators across the state and learn about how you and your school can be involved in both organizations. Refreshments will be provided.
Page 6
Volume 19, Number 3
The South Carolina Professors of Middle Level Education (SCPoMLE) will have its annual meeting
on 2/28/14 during the SCMSA Conference in Myrtle
Beach. The meeting will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. and will feature a number of presentations on
topics important to middle level teacher educa-
tors.
ELA Leadership
Enriching Comprehension with Visualiza-tion Strategies (Wilhelm)
36.99
The Mentor’s Field Guide: Answers You Need to Help Kids Succeed (Manza & Pat-rick)
$16.95
Energize Reading and Writing (Lehman) 24.99
Failure is NOT An Option: 6 Principles that Advance Student Achievement in Highly Effective Schools (Blankstein)
39.95
Ignite: Language Arts (Schurr & LaMorte)
19.99
Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed (Silver)
42.99
Everyday English: Getting to Grips with the Basics of the Language (Finlay)
$14.95
Coaching Classroom Instruction (Marzano & Simms)
39.95
The School Leader’s Guide to English Learners (Fisher & Frey)
24.95
Leadership That Makes a Difference: Revi-talizing Middle Schools (Clark & Clark)
22.99
Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School (Culham)
41.99
Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division (Muhammad)
24.99
Teaching Nonfiction Writing: A Practical Guide (Robb)
41.99
Developing Teacher Leaders: The Princi-pal’s Role (Thompson)
9.99
Writing Workshop in Middle School (Pryle)
26.99
Differentiating Professional Development: The Principal’s Role (Pedigo)
9.99
Differentiating Reading Instruction (Robb)
37.99
Taming of the Team: How Great Teams Work Together (Berckemeyer)
24.99
Voices of Teens: Writers Matter (Galbraith & Vogel)
39.99
Teaming and Advisory: Perfect Partners (Rottier, Woulf, Bonetti, Meyer)
19.99
Workshop Help Desk: Reviving Disen-gaged Writers (Lehman)
9.99
The Complete Guide to Service Learning (Kaye)
49.99
Fearless Voices: Engaging a New Gener-ation of African American Adolescent Male Writers (Tatum)
27.99
Creative Scheduling for Diverse Popula-tions (Merenbloom & Kalina)
48.99
The Reading Zone (Atwell) 21.99
The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck (Clark)
14.99
Math
Ignite: Mathematics (Schurr & LaMorte) 19.99
Doing Simple Math in Your Head (Howard)
$14.95
The Little Book of Number Chains (Moore)
$5.95
Understanding Mathematics (Gregson) $40.00
Math Games & Activities from Around the World (Zaslavsky)
$16.95
Math Games for middle School (Salvadori & Wright)
$16.95
Math to Build On: A Book for Those Who Build (Hamilton & Hamilton)
$29.95
Math
The Hidden Mathematics of Sport (Eastaway & Haigh)
$15.95
Puzzles, Brainteasers & Mathematical Diversions (Brechers)
$12.95
Mathematics (Goldie) $6.95
Daily Math Practice – 6th Grade (Norris, Grayson, Bullock)
$14.99
Daily Math Practice – 7th Grade (Norris, Grayson, Bullock)
$14.99
Daily Math Practice – 8th Grade (Norris, Grayson, Bullock)
$14.99
Daily Algebra Practice (Linton, Frank, Bullock)
$14.99
Conference Book Store List
Use the table below to help you create your wish list before you get to the conference. Don’t forget the
bookstore takes cash, credit, purchase orders, or checks!
Science Ignite: Science (Schurr & LaMorte) 19.99
Ignite: Mini Science Investigations (Schurr & LaMorte)
18.99
Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (Pohlen)
$16.95
Isaac Newton & Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (Hollihan)
$16.95
The Flying Machine Book: Build and Launch 35 Rockets, Gliders, Helicopters, Boomer-angs, and More (Mercer)
$14.95
Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself (Rehwoldt)
$15.95
Mapping and Navigation: Explore the History and Science of Finding Your Way with 25 Pro-jects (Brown & Hetland)
$16.95
Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of En-gineering with 25 Projects (Latham & Vaughn)
$15.95
Successful k-12 STEM Education (National Research Council)
17.95
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Introducing Cells (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Classifying Cells (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Parts of a Cell (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Properties of Matter (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Mysteries of the Earth (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Dr. Birdley Teaches Science: Elements, Com-pounds, & Mixtures (Norris & Katz)
$12.99
Insectigations: 40 Hands-On Activities to Ex-plore the Insect World (Blobaum)
$14.95
Reptiles & Amphibians (Kavanagh) $5.95
Bugs & Slugs (Kavanagh) $5.95
Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects (Reilly & Casteel)
$15.95
Social Studies Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself (Van Vleet)
$15.95
Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Your-self (Bordessa)
$15.95
Ignite: Social Studies (Schurr & LaMorte) 19.99
Instruction
RTI with Differentiated Instruction (O’Meara) 46.99
Research-Based Strategies: Narrowing the Achievement Gap for Under-Resourced Stu-dents (Payne)
31.99
Teacher Under Construction: Things I Wish I’d Known (Parks)
16.99
Diversity and Young Adolescents: More Than Color (Dore)
14.99
From Understanding Poverty to Developing Human Capacity (Payne)
18.99
Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation (Marshall)
31.99
Test Success!: How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused on Any Test (Bernstein)
$19.95
Test Success: Test-Taking and Study Strategies for All Students (Grossberg)
$21.95
Cybertraps for the Young (Lane) $24.99
Differentiating Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (Bender)
44.99
Differentiated Instruction for the Middle School Math Teacher (D’Amico & Gallaway)
37.99
Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching (Wilson & Conyers)
36.99
Secrets From the Middle: Making Who You Are Work for You (Scott)
9.99
Teach Like a Pirate (Burgess) 31.99
Teaching to the Top: Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Gifted Middle Schoolers (Rakow)
12.99
Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learn-ing for the 21st Century (Cash)
49.99
Ten Differentiation Strategies for Building Common Core Literacy (Spencer)
24.99
Assessments for Differentiating Instruction (Robb)
31.99
Minds and Motion: Active Learning for the Cre-ative Classrooms (Stockton)
12.99
Building Prior Knowledge (Spencer) 24.99
Well Spoken: Teaching Speaking to All Stu-dents (Palmer)
19.99
Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement (Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman)
33.99
Volume 19, Number 3
Page 9
College/University Exhibits
A new component is being added to the Exhibit Hall at the 2014 SCMSA Conference! IHEs are invited to secure an exhibit booth to highlight graduate programs. The conference attracts teachers from South Carolina with a variety of years of experience and various degrees. Many of the attendees are interested in an advanced degree.
Join your colleagues from around the state to showcase to the 1000 middle level teachers, adminis-trators, and teacher candidates the possibilities for graduate studies.
School District Job Fair
We realize that many districts are looking early for candidates to fill middle grades positions, and the Job Fair provides a good opportunity for you to meet and possibly interview prospective teachers for your district. In addition to current teachers who might be looking to relocate, conference attendees include students from several South Carolina colleges/universities with Middle Level Education pro-grams.
IHEs and school districts are invited to set up a booth in our exhibit area. The booths are 10 feet by 10 feet and have a table and chair. The cost for each space is $220. If you are interested in partici-pating in the College/University Exhibits or the Job Fair, please return the completed application. The application is available on the SCMSA website – www.scmsa.org. Space for the College/University Exhibits and the Job Fair is limited.
What’s New at the Conference?
You spoke, we listened! As the state of South Carolina shifts focus to Common Core, our conference attendees requested more information on Common Core and how to implement it in our middle level classrooms. Additionally, conference attendees requested more time for lunch and Exhibit Hall visits. As a result, the format for the middle of the day on Saturday has been changed a little to respond to both requests.
During the middle of the day, we will be offering two identical back-to-back sessions, so attendees can attend a session and eat lunch/visit the Exhibit Hall. The focus during these sessions is on Common Core in the content areas and we are pleased that we have the following excellent presenters:
ELA Common Core – Jean Burden Science Common Core – S
2Tem Centers SC
Social Studies Common Core – Andy Posey Math Common Core - Bernard Frost Related Arts Common Core – Chris Burras Each presenter will provide a general overview of Common Core…specifically that teachers are pre-paring students who can take information and synthesize, analyze, and apply it. Presenters will em-phasize the importance of writing; give examples of argumentative writing in your content area; help teachers understand the concept and the rubric that is used to grade a larger piece of writing such as an essay; and help teachers understand the criteria for grading writing related to research. Present-ers will also provide teachers with examples of various strategies that can cross grade levels with an explanation how the strategies would be used in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Page 10
Friday, February 28, 2014 Pre-Conference Sessions
Once again SCMSA will offer Friday pre-conference sessions at no additional charge. Special sessions have been planned for administrators as well as teachers.
Friday, February 28, 2014—10:00-12:00 Do You Want Better PASS Test Scores? Administrators’ session—described on page 6
Friday, February 28, 2014 – 2:00-4:00 Literature in Math Class
What if we read in math class? Want to put a new spin on a difficult concept like surface area? Having trouble linking literature with learning activities in math class? Need an interesting way to create box plots? Join the fun and learn how to incorporate popular children’s literature into your math class and address CCSS and CCR. Lesson plans, book list, foldables, rubrics, door prizes, laughter, and more! Come giggle with us!
Close Reading Of Media Texts: A Critical Common Core Skill All Students Need Smarter Balanced Assessments now include videos that students must view and comprehend. Thus, critical viewing skills become more important than ever. Media educator Frank Baker uses both popular culture and youth media as the hooks to both engaging students while meeting CCSS at the same time. Topics covered include: visual literacy, advertising and moving images.
Do You Want To Dramatically Improve Your Students’ Standardized Test Scores?
Who should attend? : (1) Teachers who want to see their students earn the distinction of being designated as South Carolina Junior Scholars. (2)Teachers who want their students to qualify for lottery scholarship money and go to college for free. (3)Teachers who want to learn how to use the four tools that have dramatically increased the standardized test scores of thousands of middle and high school students – “Vocabulator”, “Slow Down to Speed Up”, “Get off the Fence” and “Math Lexicon.” (4) Teachers who want to learn the basic structure and format of all standardized tests.
How to Meet the Demands of the Common Core Literacy in Your Classroom SREB/MMGW Session
You know about the Common Core State Standards for Literacy, but do you have a plan for implementing them in your classroom? Come to this session to learn about the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC), a framework designed to help teachers in all subject areas meet the more rigorous expectations of the CCSS Literacy Standards. The presenter will provide an overview of LDC, share perceptions from teachers who have implemented the model and present results that show the implementation makes a difference in student learning.
Reading and Writing Workshop in the Age of Common Core During reading workshop, we will explore how the close reading of informational text allows students to see the layers of meaning in a text and think more deeply about a text. During writing workshop, we will use that text as a mentor text for our own writing. We will debrief the workshop using the Common Core ELA/Literacy Standards.
Volume 19, Number 3
Page 11
Sponsors Balfour
Encore Technology Group
Medieval Times
School Specialty Featuring Premier
Exhibitors All That Glitters
BeadforLife
Belk @ Myrtle Beach Mall
Burke Educational Travel
CERRA @ Winthrop University
Classworks
Country Meats/AFT
East Educational Services
Embroidery by Karen
ExploreLearning
Frank Theatre-The Frank Companies
Gunnells Publishing, LLC
Heinemann and Benchmark Education
Horace Mann
JAM Publishing
Making Middle Grades Work
Mountain Trail Outdoor School
National Geographic Learning by Dodge
Palmetto State Teachers Association
Pearson
PlanetHS
Project Lead the Way
Sadlier
SC Bar Law Related Education Division
SC Economics
SC ETV
SC Geographic Alliance
Son Tours, Inc.
Sundance & Newbridge Publishing
The SC Education Association
Thirty-One Gifts - Bags by Beth
T.L. Harper/Mary Kay
Walden University
WonderWorks
Zaner-Bloser
School Districts Aiken County Public Schools
Cherokee County School District
Darlington County School District
Fairfield County School District
Florence One
Greenville County Schools
Kershaw County School District
Orangeburg Consolidated School District Four
Richland County School District 1
School District 5 of Lexington/Richland Counties
Colleges Charleston Southern
Coastal Carolina University
Francis Marion University
USC-College of Education
Volume 19, Number 3
Thank you to all of our 2014 conference sponsors and exhibitors.
We could not have done it without your support!
Thanks to our SCMSA 2014 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE for all your hard work! Conference Chair: Sarah Gullick Program: Richard Ball
On-site Coordinator/Signage: Sammy Grant Web Page: Robin Gerzema
Program: Richard Ball Bookstore: Sherri Alston, David McDonald
Registration: John Fudge Door Prizes: Oley Lewis, Carlene Carlson-Cassem
Registration Desk: Region Directors Entertainment: Vanessa Rhodes
SCMSA MLP: Ingrid Dukes Facilitators: Region Directors
Vendors: Audrey and Tommy Lancaster Photography: Susan Wines
Presentations: Kelly Kane, Becky Strickland Sponsorship: Dixon Brooks
Keynote Speakers: Linda Allen
Page 12
Volume 19, Number 3
Region News (continued)
Piedmont
Lower Coastal Congratulations to Melissa Martin for being named SC Outstanding Orchestra Teacher of the Year. Ms. Mar-tin, violist and violinist, is currently teaching orchestra at Moultrie Middle School, James B Edwards Elemen-tary, Mount Pleasant Academy and Sullivan’s Island Elementary in Mount Pleasant. Prior to teaching in Charleston County Schools, she taught 18 years at Lexington Middle School in Lexington.
Congratulations to Melody McCoy, 6th Grade Math Teacher at Belton
Middle School of Anderson School District 2 on being honored with the
STAR Award 2014. The STAR program was created to provide teach-
ers with opportunities to discuss interesting education-related topics
and techniques with other outstanding colleagues and leading experts.
Through grants and contributions from businesses, the Foundation for
Professional Development pays all expenses (accommodations, travel,
and substitute pay) for the weeklong seminar held at the St. Christo-
pher Conference Center on Seabrook Island, SC. The STAR program is the only one of its kind
in South Carolina. The ultimate beneficiaries are the students whose lives these teachers
touch. It is difficult to determine the ripple effect one teacher has. There is no way to count
how many lives have been positively impacted by the STAR recipients. We are very proud of
Melody!
SOUTHWOOD ACADEMY TOPS IN S.C. STOCK
MARKET COMPETITION Students from Southwood Academy of the Arts in An-
derson School District Five took top honors in the
South Carolina Stock Market Game sponsored by S.C.
Economics. The Stock Market Game is a 10-week com-
petition in which students in grades 4-12 are given a
hypothetical $100,000 to invest in stocks and mutual
funds on the U.S. stock exchange. The students research companies, learn what it means to
buy on margin and do all the trading on-line. There are two 10-week competitions, one in the
fall semester and one in the spring semester. A team from Jennifer Nelson’s class at South-
wood Academy of the Arts won first place in the middle school division of the fall competition
with a portfolio totaling $123,791.70. The team recognized the largest gains from shares in Ap-
ple, Amazon, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Tiffany and Company. Team members included Destiny
Donald, Amber Gilliam and Madison Hudgens. Also, students from Southwood Academy will
be mentored by Congressman Jeff Duncan to compete in the national competition.
Page 13
Volume 19, Number 3
Region News
Lower Midlands
Upper Coastal
- Congratulations to Forestbrook Middle School
(Horry County). FBMS has
been named a Finalist for
the Palmetto's Finest
Award
- Horry County Schools has
launched a PDL
(Personalized Digital
Learning) initiative that
has placed an ipad in the
hands of every middle
school student.
- Mark Porter has been
named Principal at North
Myrtle Beach Middle
School starting July
2014. Virginia Horton is
retiring.
- Whittemore Park Middle
School in Conway has
been named a Pilot Site
for TransformSC, a state
initiative to foster innova-
tion in public schools.
Upper Midlands
The Upper Midlands had a lot of excitement going on this winter! Congratulations to all of our middle schools and their accomplishments! - Congratulations to Michael Waiksnis, principal of Sullivan Middle School in Rock Hill, named SCASA South Carolina middle level principal of the year! - Blythewood Middle School and Castle Heights Middle School were both recognized as a National Beta Club School of Distinction. - Castle Heights Middle School participated in the NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 camp at the Carolina Pan-thers Bank of America stadium this year to promote students being active and healthy. - Congratulations to Officer Tonya Jones of CHMS who was named the upstate region SRO of the year. - Congratulations to Norris Williams, principal of Dutchman Creek Middle School, on his selection by
the S. C. Music Educators Association as an Honor Administrator of the Year for actively supporting the arts, especially music. Two principals statewide were selected for this prestigious honor.
(continued from front page)
SCMSA BOARD MEMBERS
Piedmont
Lower Midlands
Lower Coastal
Upper Coastal
Upper Midlands
Upper Midlands
Chester Lancaster
Clarendon Lee
Fairfield Richland
Kershaw Sumter
York
Upper Coastal
Chesterfield Darlington
Dillon Florence
Georgetown Horry
Marion Marlboro
Williamsburg
Lower Coastal
Beaufort Berkeley
Charleston Colleton
Dorchester Hampton
Jasper
Piedmont Lower Midlands
Abbeville Anderson Aiken Lexington
Cherokee Greenville Allendale Edgefield
Greenwood Laurens Bamberg Newberry
McCormick Oconee Barnwell Orangeburg
Pickens Spartanburg Calhoun Saluda
Union
Page 14
Volume 19, Number 3
Name Position E-Mail Address
Melissa Mitchum – Joe Pye Elementary President [email protected]
Rita Mantooth - Ralph Chandler Middle Past-President [email protected]
Megan Carrero - Fulmer Middle Secretary [email protected]
David McDonald-Northwest Middle Treasurer/SCASA ML Rep [email protected]
Jess Hutchinson-CrossRoads Middle Lower Midlands Director [email protected]
Deitre Helvy-Greenville County Piedmont Director [email protected]
Rhonda Britton-Rosemary Middle Upper Coastal Director [email protected]
Richard Ball-Castle Heights Middle Upper Midlands Director [email protected]
Anna Dassing - Moultrie Middle Lower Coastal Co-Director [email protected]
Bill Coon - Meadow Glen Middle Lower Midlands Co-Director [email protected]
Margaret Peach -McCracken Middle Piedmont Co- Director [email protected]
Judy Beard - Whittemore Park Middle Upper Coastal Co-Director [email protected]
Fred Splittgerber-USC Retired College Representative [email protected]
Sarah Gullick-Ralph Chandler Middle Conference Chair [email protected]
Lillie Lewis-Southern Wesleyan University Historian [email protected]
Michelle Vanderburg-USC Aiken Journal Editor [email protected]
Phyllis Pendarvis-MLTEI Legislative Liaison [email protected]
Carie Hucks-Castle Heights Middle Newsletter Editor [email protected]
Kelly Kane - Castle Heights Middle Professional Developent Co-Chair [email protected]
Rebecca Strickland - Castle Heights Middle Professional Development Co-Chair [email protected]
Gary Senn - USC-Aiken SCPoMLE Representative [email protected]
Tina W. Jamison - SC STW STW Co-Chair [email protected]
Robin Gerzema - Busbee Creative Arts Webmaster [email protected]
Dixon Brooks - Airport HS Sponsorship Chair [email protected]
Linda Allen-SCMSA Executive Director [email protected]
