SHARES www.gwd50.org Your Source For District News Volume 3 October 2015 Message from the Superintendent Welcome to a brand new edition of 50 Shares! As we continue another successful year in our district, we will remain committed to providing our students with high quality educational services. Our district is excited about receiving AdvancED accreditation for the next five years! Our Early Childhood Center and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program also received AdvancED certification. The STEMS program was recognized as the only middle school magnet program in In This Issue AdvancED Palmetto Gold & Silver Doodle 4 Google Rotary Teachers of the Year Childs Visits Springfield Mark Your Calendar Picture Perfect Month
The district was awarded accreditation by the team the nation to earn AdvancED accreditation! These outstanding achievements are a testament to the hard work of our administrators, teachers, parents and students. AdvancED accreditation was truly a total team effort. Our accreditation is further evidence of our school district and community working together to provide the best education possible for all students. Working together, we will continue empowering our students for tomorrow's opportunities and make a difference in the lives of our students and entire community...and THEN SOME! Greenwood Lions Club Spring Sports Report Picture Perfect Below are the top pictures from February! D50 Receives AdvancED Accreditation As part of its commitment to continue its district-wide accreditation and improvement, Greenwood School District 50 hosted an AdvancED Review Team from February 21st-24th. On February 24th at a Called Board Meeting, AdvancED Review Team Chair, Mike Ledeco, reported that District 50 met the necessary requirements to receive a five year accreditation. Along with the positive report on the district, AdvancED assessments were also conducted on the Early Childhood Center and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics School (STEMS) Magnet Program. The Early Childhood Center received a five year accreditation and STEMS became the first middle school magnet program in the nation to receive certification from AdvancED!
based on the Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score that was on level with the AdvancED network average. District 50 is proud of this honor and will continue empowering students for tomorrow's opportunities! District 50 Superintendent Darrell Johnson, said "I'm very pleased that the hard work and dedication of employees in our district was confirmed through the AdvancED External Review process. We will take the information gathered through this process to continue to improve the education of all students!" Four D50 Schools Recognized as Palmetto Gold & Silver Award Winners On Tuesday, February 23rd, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the 2014-2015 Palmetto Gold and Silver winners. Four District 50 schools were recognized as award winning schools. Lakeview Elementary and Pinecrest Elementary received Palmetto Gold Awards in the category of General Performance. Pinecrest also received a Silver Award for Closing the Achievement Month
Gap. Springfield Elementary received Silver Awards in both categories, while Merrywood Elementary received a Silver Award for Closing the Achievement Gap. Annually, the South Carolina Department of Education recognizes schools and career centers for general performance, closing the achievement gap, or qualifying in both categories. EHS Student Khalil Lake Wins Doodle 4 Google State Competition Merrywood GATAS Teacher Carolyn Fennell was recognized as D50's Month at the February Board of Trustees Meeting! Fennell has made a positive impact in the lives of students for over 30 years in the district! Click here to watch a special superhero video on Mrs. Fennell! Lions Club Volunteer Recognized as Month Emerald High School student Khalil Lake received the surprise of a lifetime on February 5th at a school assembly. Google representatives officially announced Khalil as the South Carolina winner for the Doodle 4 Google competition! EHS students, faculty and staff, school district officials, elected officials, family, and friends were in attendance to celebrate Khalil's special moment. Khalil's design was created on a tablet and submitted into the Doodle 4 Google competition. Annually, the Doodle 4 Google competition invites students in the United States to use their artistic talents to redesign Google's homepage logo for millions to see. This year, Google asked students to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, "What makes me...me." Lions Club volunteer Phyllis Zuehlke was recognized as another February Superhero of the Month at the February Board meeting! Zuehlke has partnered with Greenwood County schools to provide over 15,000 eye screenings to children in our community!
Out of the millions of submissions received, Khalil was selected as the one state winner! During the month of February, Khalil's drawing was displayed on the Doodle 4 Google website for an online vote. People from all around the country were allowed to vote on state winner's drawings. The winner of the national competition will be notified by no later than March 21st. Congratulations to Khalil and Good Luck! Click here to watch a special video on the partnership Mrs. Zuehlke formed between D50 and the Greenwood Lions Club! Spring Sports Report Greenwood Rotary Club Recognizes Area Teachers at Educator Appreciation Day On Tuesday, February 9th, nine Greenwood County teachers were recognized for their excellence in education at Greenwood Rotary Club's Educator Appreciation Day. Teachers from Greenwood County School Districts 50, 51, and 52 were presented awards and accolades for demonstrating the Rotary International's mission in providing service to others, promoting high ethical standards, and striving for the advancement of world understanding. Three teachers from District 50 were recognized at the event. The winners included: Windy Willis 3rd Grade Teacher at Springfield Elementary School Athletics is in full swing at both of our high schools as the Eagles and Vikings prepare to begin their Spring Sports season! The Eagles and Vikings are gearing up for Baseball, Softball, Soccer, and Track and Field seasons that will hopefully lead to region and state titles. Be sure to click on the links below to view the schedules at both schools for all spring sports. Now is the time to make your way over to each school to witness all of our outstanding studentathletes in action! Go Eagles! Click here to view GHS Schedule
Amaris Reeder Resource Teacher at Northside Middle School Go Vikings! Click here to view EHS Schedule Katie Walton English Teacher at Emerald High School Congratulations to the 2016 Rotary Educator Appreciation Day winners! Councilwoman Edith Childs Gets Springfield Students Fired Up & Ready to Go! On February 19th, Springfield students received a special treat from a local elected official. Greenwood County Councilwoman Edith Childs visited Springfield to share words of wisdom, books, and special hats with students. Councilwoman Childs gave students a history lesson on her humble beginnings in Greenwood County and how she rose to prominence on the Greenwood County Council. Councilwoman Childs also provided students with the opportunity to see some of the famous hats she is known for wearing on special occasions. Students were
amazed by the number of hats she owned and the variety of shapes and colors. Springfield students and staff would like to thank Mrs. Childs for her continued support of their school and the children of Greenwood County! Mark Your Calendar 3/1: District 50 Conversations 3/2: Read Across America Day 3/9: Early Release Day 3/10: Choral Clinic Concert 3/21: School Board of Trustees Meeting 3/22: School Board Learning Over Lunch (Woodfields Elementary School) 3/24: In-service Day (No School for Students) 3/25-4/1: Spring Break (Schools and Offices Closed) Greenwood School District 50 1855 Calhoun Rd. Greenwood SC 29649 (864) 941-5400 Stay Connected Got a story for 50 Shares? Click here to let us know! Copyright 2015. All Rights Reserved.