Inside Schools
A quick news break for employees
Recent KCSD Honors
The November edition of Camden High's Palmetto Leaf student newspaper was selected to be featured on JS Printing's website as one of its Deserving Design publications. Amy Goodwin is the paper's sponsor.
Stover Middle's Brenda Gary has been selected as the KCSD Golden Apron Award Winner for the Month for January. The Golden Apron Award is coordinated by the Nutrition Services Booster Committee. The monthly award is a way of showing appreciation to employees who go the extra mile. Each award winner receives a Golden Apron with his/her name embroidered on it and a certificate.
A Good Deed
Bethune Elementary Junior Beta Club members participated in a food drive to benefit K.A.R.E.
Gingerbread Houses
Lugoff Elementary first graders spent a magical evening making gingerbread houses with their parents. Gingerbread Night is an annual holiday event for the first grade students and their families.
PJ Day
Wateree Elementary kindergarten students celebrated Pajama Day recently.
Golden Apple Award honorees for November and December:
The Kershaw County Teacher Forum’s Golden Apple program honors employees who are doing outstanding jobs.
Golden Apple Award honorees for Nov. & Dec. 2014:
Baron DeKalb Elementary: Fair Ariail & Corrine Gilford / Anna Croxton & Ida Rwirangira
Bethune Elementary: Jana Vincent & Tom Ritchie / Latoya Hubbard & Roy Miller
Blaney Elementary: Estelle Benson & Gloria McKay
Camden Elementary: Jackie Norton & Marnie Melton
Camden High: Sherri Drew & Rebecca South
Camden Middle: Lisa McCaskill & Margaret Myers / Lydia MacKenzie & Donna Thompkins
Continuous Learning Center: Tonya Johnson & Misty Mathis
Doby’s Mill Elementary: Ginger Catoe & Susan Caviller / Steve Sanders & Holly Kirkland
Jackson: Terdell Mealing & Harriet Boykin-Garity / Gayle Bennett & Jessica Baipho
Lugoff Elementary: Meg Smith & Beth Kirincich / Kathy Keith & Kathy Cruel
Lugoff-Elgin High: Carl Spoto & Trish Edwards / Melissa Rabon & Lawrence Harris
Lugoff-Elgin Middle: Phil Davis & Sylvia Blackwell / Tammie Johnson & Arthur Holmes
Midway Elementary: Judy King & Sheila Price / Susan Yelenic & Nicole Ritchie
Mt. Pisgah Elementary: Amanda Williams & Johnny King / April Mangum & Wanda Moseley
North Central High: Renee Mitchell & Wanda Fowler
North Central Middle: David Pollock & Jennifer Gibson / Rebecca Greenway & Donna Gaskins
Pine Tree Hill Elementary: Laci Tobens & Dot Hayes / Shawna Mooneyhan & Sharon Baytes
Stover Middle: Danielle Randoph & Terri Boone
Wateree Elementary: Christie Turbyfill & Christi Wadford / Gladys Thompson & Cindy Gordon
Marnie Melton (Camden Elementary) and David Pollock (North Central Middle) were the winners of the district drawing to receive $20 gift certificates from Fatz Café.
Q and A with Dr. Morgan and Staff
Questions for this column are questions of general interest submitted each month in Superintendent's Cabinet meetings.
Is there anything we can do about students withdrawing from our school district who still owe money for textbooks, library books, cafeteria meals, etc.? Unfortunately, there is not. We continue to try to receive the money for these items throughout the school year and subsequent school years, but once a student leaves our district, we do not have any recourse to do so. If the student reenrolls in our district, he/she would still be responsible for this outstanding debt. A KCSD student who has outstanding debt cannot participate in graduation ceremonies.
On the district calendar there are days marked as teacher workdays, but some schools are doing professional development. Is this left up to the principal at each school? The 2014-15 calendar uses the term “teacher workday” or TW to designate both professional development and records days as a way to communicate to the general public and parents when students do not need to attend school. The purpose of each TW is then communicated to staff so they will know if it is a professional development day or a records day. (By state law, we must have five professional development days.) The decision as to the purpose of the day is made at the district level to have consistency across the schools. As to professional development days, sometimes the activities are determined at the district level and other times those are made at the school level.
What percentage of teachers are National Board Certified in KCSD? What is the current stipend for national board at the district level? KCSD currently has 118 national board certified teachers, comprising 17 percent of our teaching staff. The current local stipend is $1,500 per year.
When there is a 2 hour delay and teachers and staff need to report, what do we do with our personal children who may need to go to other schools? In this situation, since employees are reporting on time and are there to supervise, any student can also still arrive on time.
Kershaw County School District
Nestled in the heart of the Palmetto State, KCSD is home to over 10,300 students and more than 1,200 employees.
Email: maryanne.byrd@kcsdschools.net
Website: www.kershaw.k12.sc.us
Location: 2029 W Dekalb St, Camden, SC
Phone: (803) 432-8416
Facebook: facebook.com/KershawCountySchoolDistrict
Twitter: @kcsdschools