THE GALLOPING GAZETTE
MES Weekly School Newsletter
Jan Fickling, Principal; LaQuana Aldridge, Assistant Principal
Chris Bussell, Assistant Principal;
Phone (803) 821-0300 Fax (803) 821-0303
180 Midway Road
Lexington, SC 29072
Midway Elementary School Website
Office Hours: Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
MIDWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VISION
Empower each child to design the future
MIDWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MISSION
ALL learners are extraordinary communicators, collaborators, creators and critical thinkers.
#mesHEART #allmeansALL
Thursday, October 10
Hello, Mustangs!
Many thanks to those of you who have already conferenced with your child's teacher and many thanks to those who will participate in a conference by Friday!! I know that our teachers are not able to conference with all parents in just a few days so your conference is coming. Thank YOU! Together we will bring success to your child! Please remember that each child's success looks different just as their work and strategies for success look different.
It is hard to believe that next week is the end of the first nine weeks! Time flies when you love what you do!! Thank you all for making this an AWESOME Mustang family! We teach and learn with #mesHEART!
Please mark your calendars for Friday, Oct. 18, as it is PAC Night for a Parents Night Out opportunity! Remember...NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 11, due to Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Have a great 3-day weekend!!! Read a great book and get outside with your child or children!!
Yours truly,
Jan Fickling
Principal, Midway Elementary
Midway Elementary awarded The Palmetto Silver Award for 2018-2019 school year!
Over 200 Schools Recognized as Palmetto Gold and Silver Award Winners
Columbia, S.C. – Today, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education announced that 249 schools across South Carolina have received the recently revised Palmetto Gold and Silver awards for their performance during the 2018-2019 school year.
"The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards demonstrate a school's commitment to excellence and ensuring every student meets the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate," said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. "This achievement is testament to the hard work of the students, teachers, and principals in each school community."
The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards program was established by the Education Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 “to recognize and reward schools for academic achievement and for closing the achievement gap.” The State Board of Education, working with the S.C. Department of Education and S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) set the revised criteria for the awards program on May 14, 2019. The criteria, which identify the general performance of schools, were based upon an analysis of the 2018 annual school report cards and upon feedback from a task force of principals, coordinated by the EOC in 2019. Additional criteria will be added in the future to recognize schools that have closed the achievement gap.
For elementary and middle schools, the criteria focus on two report card indicators: Academic Achievement and Student Progress. To be eligible to receive a Palmetto Gold or Silver designation, an elementary or middle school must receive a rating for the indicators of Academic Achievement and Student Progress as defined below:
Palmetto Gold:
1) Excellent Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress, or
2) Excellent Academic Achievement and Good Student Progress, or
3) Good Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress.
Palmetto Silver:
1) Average Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress, or
2) Good Academic Achievement and Good Student Progress, or
3) Excellent Academic Achievement and Average Student Progress.
For high schools, the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards Program focuses on the following four report card indicators: Academic Achievement, Preparing for Success, Graduation Rate, and College/Career Readiness.
Palmetto Gold:
High schools that have an Excellent rating on 3 out of the 4 indicators and a minimum of Good on the fourth indicator are eligible for the Palmetto Gold Award. A high school must also have an overall report card rating of Excellent or Good to earn a Palmetto Gold.
Palmetto Silver:
High schools that have a minimum rating of Good on 3 out of the 4 indicators and no rating lower than Average on the fourth indicator are eligible for a Palmetto Silver Award. A high school must also have an overall report card rating of Average or above to meet the criteria.
In addition to the above grade level criteria, to be eligible to receive a Palmetto Gold or Silver designation, a school must not be designated as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school or an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) school.
The full list of 2018-2019 Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners can be found here.
The full list of 2017-2018 Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners can be found here.
Calendar of Events
Thursday, October 10 -Parent /Teacher Conferences3-6:00 pm
Friday, October 11 -NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Parent/Teacher Conferences 7:30-12:00 pm
Monday, October 14 -Columbus Day
National School Lunch Week
Tuesday, October 15 -School Board Meeting 7:00 pm
Friday, October 18- PTO PAC Parent Night Out
Monday, October 21 -National School Bus Safety Week
Tuesday, October 22 -PTO Board Meeting 9:15 am
Wednesday, October 23-Thursday, October 31 National Red Ribbon Week
Friday, October 25 -Report Cards Issued
MES Spirit Day and PTO Chick-fi-A biscuit morning sales ($3 each)
Saturday, October 26 -FIC Crepes & Croissants Restaurant Day
Wednesday, October 30-Collaborative Planning Day Students dismiss at 11:40 am
PTO Restaurant Night at UNO's
Thursday, October 31 -Halloween
Teacher of the Year Finalists for 2019-2020
MES Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Charlotte Gray
MES Music Teacher, Ms. Courtney Trent
MES Third Grade Teacher, Mrs.Erin Waring
MES Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs. Melissa Livingston
MES CC1 Teacher, Ms. Kelley Maupin
MES Fourth Grade Teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Turbeville
Congratulations to MES Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Melissa Livingston!
Mrs. Hammond's Third Grade Starbooks Cafe Writing Celebration
October Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month
Our newly selected artists for the month
of October are as follows:
§ Grade K: McKenna Hooker
§ Grade 1: Evangelia Crocker
§ Grade 2: Tanner Forrest
§ Grade 3: Tinsley Askew
§ Grade 4: Arwene Qiao
§ Grade 5: Brewer Godfrey
Congratulations to these wonderful artists!
Hope you will get a chance to check out the artwork in the front display case.
Congratulations MES State Fair Art Ribbon Winners
Art Newsletter
SC STATE FAIR
We have a total of 10 Ribbon Winners this year. The following students won a ribbon in the Fair:
Honorable Mentions:
Kera Brown
Jackson Long
Madeline Skeen
Patrick Lyle
Connor Gill
Harper Paull
Kimaya Sandrapaty
Lila Willie
Madelyn Brown: 1st place 3-D Art- Summer Art Teacher: Mrs. Villobos
Kaylin Mixon: 3rd place 3-D Art
The following students have art on display:
Nathan Rooks
Delaney Wilson
Bella Rowley
Bailey Swain
Lizzy Winegardner
Rick Peddycord
Aryaman Raj
Ella Barbare
Connor Gill
Macey King
Noah Smothers
Arwene Qiao
Elizabeth Winegardner
Grace Morgan
Jolie Bermas
Claire Brown- Summer Art Teacher: Mrs. Villobos
Art will be on display in the Cantey Building, from October 9th – 20th.
We hope you will get a chance to view the show.
Art teachers will pick up the art on the 22nd and return to students at a later date. Some pieces may be held for other exhibits.
Way to go MES Artists!
Madelyn Brown: 1st place 3-D Art- Summer Art Teacher: Mrs. Villobos
Kaylin Mixon: 3rd place 3-D Art
National School Lunch Week: October 14th - 18th
Mark your calendar for National School Lunch Week!
MES School Counseling
MENTORS NEEDED:
The Midway School Counselors are seeking mentors to serve some of our students. A Midway Mentor serves as a special friend to one student throughout the year. They meet with this student once to twice a week for about 30 minutes. Midway Mentors serve as a special friend or support person to help some of our students who need additional love and encouragement. If you are interested in obtaining additional information please get in touch with Chan Gray or one of our other school counselors.
803-821-0309
Midway Runhard earn their 5k race shirts!
PRE-ORDER YOUR 2019 WINTER MERCHANDISE NOW!
MIDWAY SIC NOMINATIONS
The Midway Elementary School Improvement Council serves as an advisory committee to our administration and faculty members. School Improvement Council (SIC) members are asked to commit to serving a two year term.
If interested in serving on the Midway SIC or if you would like to nominate someone to serve on the SIC, please contact Midway's SIC Chair, Ryan Poles at ryan.m.poles@gmail.com
Duties of a Parent Representative for Midway School Improvement Council are as follows:
· Work on behalf of all MES parents to recommend improvements and advocate for positive changes
· Assist the school administration and staff in ensuring Midway meets the learning needs of all students
· Actively encourage families and community members to be strong partners in our students learning
· Support Midway’s Learning Environment
· Attend SIC meetings on the 3rd Thursday of every school attendance month at 4:30 p.m.
SoleMates Shoe Recycling
Way to go, Midway! Last year, the school-wide service project led by fifth grade raised $183 for CampMates, a summer day camp for children and teens ages 4-21 that is provided by the Autism Academy of SC. The camp program is designed for children with social skills deficits, Asperger’s, Autism, ADHD, social anxiety and learning disabilities.
Lexington County School District One is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all students, parents/legal guardians, staff, visitors, personnel and community members who participate or seek to participate in its programs or activities. Therefore, the district does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical conditions), color, disability, age, genetic information, national origin, or any other applicable status protected by local, state, or federal law. The district will use the grievance procedures set forth in policy to process complaints based on alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act of 1963; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The district designates specific individuals to handle inquiries or complaints. To find out who to contact and how to contact them, please go to our website at http://www.lexington1.net/contact-us.