Input Sought for Arts in Education Initiative, North Charleston to host Engaging Creative Minds Public Forum

The Charleston County School District, the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston, and the College of Charleston have convened a community planning process, titled Engaging Creative Minds, to determine how the cities, schools and arts & cultural resources can collectively serve area youth more equitably and with higher impact in the classroom.

The community will have an opportunity to learn more about this initiative and offer input at a public forum at North Charleston City Hall on Thursday, January 12, from 6:45-8:00pm.

Dallas-based non-profit, Big Thought, has been asked to facilitate this six-month process, in coordination with a community task force made up of local stakeholders. Big Thought made its first site visit to Charleston on November 9 and 10 in order to begin a planning timeline that will ultimately result in a set of recommended outcomes, program design, and a governance structure for the initiative.

In an effort to garner community input and support for this project, there will be two public forums held, the first of which will take place in North Charleston. Educators, artists, arts organizations, and the general public are invited to participate in these forums. For more information, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854 or visit www.bigthought.org.

What: Engaging Creative Minds Public Forum
Who: Charleston County School District, the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston, the College of Charleston, and Dallas-based non-profit, Big Thought
Where: Montague Conference Room, 2nd Floor, North Charleston City Hall, 2500 City Hall Lane North Charleston, SC 29406
When: Thursday, January 12, 2012, 6:45-8:00pm

Charleston County School District makes ratings leap

According to district report cards released by the South Carolina Department of Education today, CCSD’s growth rating jumped from “Below Average” to “Excellent,” and its Absolute rating increased from “Average” to “Good.”  The district’s graduation rate rose from 67% last year to 72% this year.

CCSD SCHOOLS 2010	CCSD SCHOOLS 2011
26  Excellent	30  Excellent (+4)
5    Good	6    Good (+1)
27  Average	25  Average (-2)
14  Below Average	12  Below  Average (-2)
12   At Risk	12 At Risk

“Our district’s ‘Excellent’ growth rating and ‘Good’ absolute rating show that when we focus on literacy and teacher effectiveness—two hallmarks of Charleston Achieving Excellence—it really pays off for students,” said Dr. McGinley.  “This continued progress is a testament to our teachers’ hard work, our principals’ leadership, and our parents and community members’ commitment to public schools and the students they serve.”  

CCSD’s jump in its growth rating was attributed specifically to the substantial improvement of historically underachieving groups of students.  CCSD schools showed progress across multiple categories, including Gifted and Talented education, Advanced Placement, and the graduation rate.  This year, the state’s graduation calculation was changed to better reflect the true four-year graduation rate. “We’re very encouraged by these results, and at the same time, we’re not content so long as there are achievement gaps and our absolute rating is ‘good’,” said Dr. McGinley.  “The next phase of our strategic plan—Vision 2016—is all about accelerating our progress, setting bold goals, focusing our resources on proven strategies, and building an accountability system driven by what’s best for students and the entire community.”

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary School accepting applications

Application for Enrollment

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary (NCCAE) offers high-quality teaching that exceeds the state standards and the district’s core curriculum, while integrating the arts and creative disciplines across all subject areas. The curriculum includes visual arts, music, and drama instruction that applies and reinforces traditional elementary subjects. Hands-on activities allow students to thrive as facilitators and leaders in a child-centered educational environment. Through a variety of partnerships with local businesses, non-profits, and governmental agencies, NCCAE offers students countless opportunities-including field trips and lessons taught by arts professionals-designed to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

As a partial magnet school, NCCAE has an attendance zone. Seats are also available for applicants who live outside of this zone, but reside in District 4 (including the city of North Charleston) and Charleston County. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the school will have Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classes. It will eventually expand to the fifth grade.

Applying for the 2012-2013 School Year

• Completed applications (Parts A & B) should be submitted to NCCAE by Friday, December 2, 2011. All mailed applications should be postmarked by this date.
• Please keep this page for your records.
• Application materials may be hand delivered, faxed to (843) 577-1680, or mailed to 1600 Saranac St., North Charleston, SC 29405.
• CCSD will provide transportation for students who live in District 4. Please call (843) 720-2967 or visit www.CCSDSchools.com for more information.
• If contact or student information changes after the application is submitted, parents are responsible for calling (843) 720-2967 and making those changes.

The School is located at 1600 Saranac St, North Charleston, SC 29405.

Target unveils new library, food pantry at Burns Elementary

Students, families and staff from Edmund A. Burns Elementary School along with Target Corp., volunteers and The Heart of America Foundation celebrated the unveiling of the school’s newly renovated library. As a result of the makeover process, the library at Edmund A. Burns Elementary School now features 2,000 new books, eco-friendly design elements, a complete technology upgrade, as well as new furniture, carpet and shelves. As part of the unveiling festivities, each student will receive 7 new books to add to their own at-home collections.

In addition to the remodeled library, the Edmund A. Burns Elementary School community will receive a Target Meals for Minds school-based food pantry, which was incorporated as part of the renovation process. The pantry will allow all students and their families to choose from a variety of staple foods and fresh produce to take home.

Each student will take home 22lbs of food each month.

If a families has 3 students attending Burns Elementary, then that family will receive 66lbs of food a month.

As part of the 2011 Target School Library Makeover season, Target will renovate a total of 42 school libraries nationwide. The Target School Library Makeover program is part of Target’s commitment to help more U.S. children read proficiently by the end of third grade. As a result of programs like this one, Target is on track to give $1 billion for education, with a focus on reading, by the end of 2015.

More photos:
Charleston County School District Superintendent Dr. Nancy McGinley addresses the students and attendees.
A volunteer from Target paints new artwork in the hallway of Burns Elementary School.

Charleston County sponsoring creative recycling art contest

Flickr user kfisto

Entry deadline is Friday, Nov. 4- prizes awarded to winners in all categories

Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department is seeking participants for the 2011 Creative Recycling Art Contest. The art contest is being held to celebrate America Recycles Day 2011 in Charleston County.

America Recycles Day is recognized annually on November 15 to celebrate the successes of recycling while providing an educational platform to raise awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling – every day throughout the year. America Recycles Day is a national initiative of nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB).

“Reusing materials and using them as supplies to make artwork helps to close the recycling loop – reduce, reuse, recycle and buy recycled. The purpose of this contest is to encourage people to think creatively about our recyclables,” said Bronwyn Santos, Recycling Educator for Charleston County Environmental Management.

This year marks the 14th anniversary of the County’s Creative Recycling Art Contest. An awards reception will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, at the Charleston County Main Library (68 Calhoun Street, Charleston).

There are two categories to enter:

• Students, grades 7-12
• Adults (18 years and older)

Students in grades 7-12 and adults may enter artwork that is created with a minimum of 70 percent recycled materials. First place winners in each category will receive a $300 gift card.

The deadline to submit artwork is 5 p.m. on Friday, November 4.

Detailed Criteria for Grades 7-12 and Adults (18 years and older) Categories:

• At least 70 percent of the materials used in the creation of your entry must be material diverted from disposal and reused. Art supplies such as glue, paint, markers, nails and staples are allowed.
• Art entries can be in any medium and take any visual form, including but not limited to sculpture, weaving, fashion, mosaics, ceramics, painting, etc.
• The size of art entries must not exceed 24 inches in height x 24 inches in width x 24 inches in diameter.
• Only one entry per person.
• All art entries must be labeled so that each entry can be easily identified. Labels must be securely attached with name, address, phone number, school name, grade, art teacher, name of entry and medium description.

Prizes:

• First place student, grades 7-12: $300 gift card.
• First place in the adult (18 years and older) category: $300 gift card.
• Runner-up and Honorable Mention awards will be named in each category.

This art contest supports Charleston County’s recycling partnership with the Charleston County School District. Recently announced, this partnership will foster environmental sustainability within the school system and across the community. In addition to collecting recyclable materials, Charleston County will be conducting waste assessments and providing a comprehensive education and outreach program for teachers and students through a school recycling representative. These actions in conjunction with CCSD Sustainable Schools Initiative will ultimately lead to a reduction in the amount of garbage generated and support County Council’s goal of a 40% recycling rate.

For more information on the Charleston County Creative Recycling Art Contest or to submit your contest entry, contact Bronwyn Santos, Charleston County Recycling,13 Romney Street, Charleston, SC 29403 or call (843) 720-7112

For more information on America Recycles Day, visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

For more information on Charleston County Government, visit recycle.charlestoncounty.org.