Ignite
Issue #16 | March 3, 2023
Winds of March we welcome you
There is much work to do
Work and play and blow all day
Blow the winter cold away
From Dr. Cave
Welcome to March
“Let each become all that he was created capable of being.” Thomas Carlyle
“Our strength, creativity, and growth as a society depend upon our capacity to develop the talents and potentialities of our people.” John Gardner
Good morning to all and Welcome to March. As we approach the Fourth Quarter we must remember it like a coach and strategize for the end of the game. The Coach remembers the focus. It is important to remind ourselves that we are in the business of success. Our core business is to ensure the success of all students who enter through our portals each day. Of course, one cannot ensure the success of others without being a person of success oneself. The single greatest factor that contributes to the success of Colleton County School District is the fact that we are staffed by eminently successful employees. Not a day passes without me quietly and thankfully reflecting on my good fortune in working in a school district filled with such successful adults, outstanding students and wonderful families.
As we begin the new month of March, Spring is in the Air and the Fourth Quarter is approaching. we must remember what successful people do…….
· Accept life as it is, with all its difficulties and challenges. They adapt to it, rather than complain about it. They accept responsibility for their own lives instead of blaming or making excuses.
· Develop and maintain a positive attitude toward life. They look for good in others and in the world, and usually seem to find it.
· Build good relationships. They are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. They have a way of bringing out the best in other people.
· Have a sense of direction and purpose. They set goals, accomplish them, and then set new goals. They accept and enjoy challenges.
· Have a strong desire to learn. They see learning as a joy, not a duty. They continually enrich their lives by learning new things and improving themselves.
· Are action oriented. They get things done because they are not afraid of hard work, and they don’t waste time.
· Maintain high standards in their personal conduct. They know that honesty is one of the main ingredients in the character of a good person.
· Understand the difference between existing and living and always choose the latter. They get the most out of life because they put the most into it; they enjoy life to the fullest.
Thank you for consistently exuding success in your personal and professional lives. Thank you, also, for passing these traits of success on to our students. Our children need you to keep pushing them to success. They need you to be the difference maker in their life. OUR CHILDREN ARE DEPENDING ON YOU!!!
Progress Forever.... Backwards Never...
Enjoy your day and know that I am here to support you!!
Vallerie
Robotics Champions
Colleton County High School robotics team, ACE Basin Roboticists won the Motivate Award at the South Carolina FTC State Championship.
At the South Carolina FTC State Championship, Alexandria Stephens, currently a junior at Colleton County High School, was nominated as the Dean's Lists Finalists in the state of South Carolina. Alexandria will be participating in the luncheon at FTC World Championship event in Houston, Texas. FIRST SC is covering Alexandria and her parent’s flights and hotel expenses. At Worlds, we will find out if she has been chosen as one of the ten Dean's List Winners from among the Finalists in every state and from teams across the world.
Colleton County School District
Email: pwysong@colleton.k12.sc.us
Website: www.colleton.k12.sc.us
Location: 500 Forest Circle, Walterboro, SC, USA
Phone: (843)782-4510
Facebook: facebook.com/ColletonCountySchools
Twitter: @ColletonSchools
Read Across America
The week of February 27 - March 3, 2023 is designated as "Read Across America Week". Our Colleton County School District elementary schools held many events this week to celebrate their love of books!
NGPF Distinguished Educator Award
NGPF, Next Gen Personal Finance, is a teacher-led personal finance curriculum for middle and high school students. Our very own, William Smyly, CCHS Business Ed teacher, has earned the NGPF Distinguished Educator Award. It is one of the ways that NGPF recognizes outstanding commitment to professional development. It is earned by completing 6 or more 10-hour Certification Courses.
Congratulations, Mr. Smyly!!
CCHS Wrestling Champion
Amaya LaPresta made history for the CCHS Cougars at the 1st ever SCHSL Girls State Championship Tournament. She left it all out on the mats representing the Colleton County Cougars Wrestling team. Her bracket was filled with 23 other girls fighting for 1st place and she came in the top 5 of those 23.
It takes a lot of heart to go out and put your mind, body, and spirit on the line the way wrestlers do. Amaya is paving the way for the future female wrestlers at Colleton County High. She is an inspiration to the young ladies following in her footsteps.
Great job, Amaya! Way to represent!
"I couldn’t be any prouder of this one, she has been doing everything I asked all year— came to states with everyone putting their faith in her. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but she definitely put our team on the map." -Coach Jaques Glover
CCMS Student Visits Hall's Chophouse Nexton
Colleton County Middle School student, Caleb, had the opportunity to shadow Chef Jacob at Hall's Chophouse Nexton in February. Caleb is an aspiring chef who followed the Executive Sous Chef and his team in the Hall's kitchen learning what they do best. Great job, Caleb!
Terrific Kids Everywhere
Bells Elementary School February Terrific Kids
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Plant the Moon Challenge
Ms. Bhonsle’s and Ms. Tucker’s science students are participating in the Plant the Moon
Challenge and joined a global science experiment and research challenge to examine how
vegetable crops can grow in lunar soil. Each team received real soil simulant from the University of Central Florida’s CLASS Exolith Lab. Students are designing and conducting a set of experiments using this simulant to grow crops for a future long-duration mission.
Teams are using the Project Guide to help define their own experimental parameters, such as the structure of the plant growth setup, amount of water used, and nutrients or fertilizer added to the simulant to support plant growth. After 8-weeks growing period, teams will submit final project reports and join the global network of researchers helping to expand the space exploration capabilities. Students are a part of NASA’s efforts to return humans to the Moon to stay by joining a teacher-led student global science experiment, learning activity and inspirational project-based learning challenge to see who can grow the best crops using lunar regolith simulant.
At the core of this challenge is the scientific method and design process. These steps can be
summarized into the four parts of conducting a PTMC experiment: Research, Design, Plant &
Monitor, and Analyze & Present. Within each phase, students will encounter check point tasks
that will step them through the process of completing their experiment. These will be
supplemented with live events from which they can gain additional support and networking
opportunities. The project is sponsored by the NASA Space Grant
HES Black History Inventors Gallery Walk
Hendersonville Elementary School students researched a Black History Inventor and recreated their invention. Let's take a look at some of these presentations!
Principal Leadership Development
African American Authors of the Lowcountry
The Colleton County Memorial Library hosted an African American Authors of the Lowcountry program on Saturday, February 25th. There were several authors from CCSD:
*CCHS student, Niobia Yates is the author of two books
*Chelsey Edwards, a former student and daughter of Forest Hills Elementary School Assistant Principal, Florrie Edwards is the author of several books
CCMS math teach, Magdeline Monroe co-authored a book with Ms. Sheila Keaise, Children's Librarian
Band of Blue
Our music programs at Colleton County High School and Colleton County Middle School have a busy month of March, with a number of performances planned.
- 3/2 Big Blue Jazz Band Al Fresco at CCHS Noon to 1:30
- 3/4 Big Blue Jazz Band performs at the SCBDA Jazz Performance Assessment at Newberry College
- 3/6 CCHS Chorus prepares for "Addams Family" Musical in May
- 3/9 CCHS Chorus travels to Gatlinburg and studies Appalachia Music
- 3/11 Band of Blue Winter Guard and Winter Percussion at River Bluff for CWEA Regional
- 3/16 Band of Blue Concert/Symphonic Band at SCBDA Concert Performance Assessment
- 3/18 Band of Blue Winter Guard and Winter Percussion at Byrnes for CWEA Regional
- 3/21 CCMS Band at SCBDA Concert Performance Assessment
- 3/26 Band of Blue, CCMS Band, Winter Ensembles and Big Blue Jazz Band at Spring Concert at CCHS
Thank you for your support of our music students.
CCSD Athletics
Cougar Athletics Weekly Calendar
Week of March 6 - 10, 2023
Monday (3/06)
(JV/V) Softball @ Woodland 5:00/7:00 PM
(JV) Baseball @ Hilton Head Christian Academy 6:00 PM
Tuesday (3/07)
(V) Soccer (Girls and Boys) @ North Charleston 6:00/7:30 PM
(V) Softball @ Timberland 6:30 PM
(V) Golf @ Eagles Point (Bluffton) 4:00 PM
(V) Baseball (H) vs. Hilton Head Prep 5:00 PM
(MS) Baseball (H) (REC) vs. Whale Branch 6:00 PM
Wednesday (3/08)
(V) Track @ James Island 5:00 PM
(V) Baseball (H) vs,. Cane Bay 6:00 PM
(MS) Girls and Boys Soccer (H) (CCHS) vs. Bridges Prep 6:00 PM
Thursday (3/09)
(V) Tennis vs. Hilton Head (H) 5:00 PM
(V) Golf @ Pinecrest (Bluffton) 4:00 PM
(JV) Baseball @ Lucy Beckham 6:00 PM
(MS) Baseball/Softball @ Bridges Prep 6:00 PM
Friday (3/10)
(V) Soccer (Girls and Boys) @ Philip Simmons 6:00/7:30 PM
(JV/V) Softball (H) vs. Branchville 5:00/7:00 PM
(V) Baseball (H) vs Stratford 6:00 PM
Saturday (3/11)
(V) Track @ Summerville 8:00 AM
Please follow us on Facebook, facebeeok.com/ColletonCountySchools, Twitter, @ColletonSchools and our website, www.colleton.k12.sc.us.
Thank you for your continued support of the Colleton County School District.