Peek of the Week
Beech Hill Elementary School
Theme: Still Blue for a Reason
- July 29, 2020 Edition
- Mission Statement: Beech Hill will lead the way to lifelong learning through excellence, leadership and empowerment.
- Vision Statement: All students will meet or exceed academic standards as measured by grade level benchmarks.
Points of Beacon Pride
- #1 in Best Public Elementary Schools in Charleston ~ Niche
- 2019 Ranked 24th of 637 South Carolina Elementary Schools ~ Schooldigger.com
- 2018 National Blue Ribbon School ~ U.S. Department of Education
- 2012 Palmetto's Finest ~ South Carolina Association of School Administrators
Beech Hill Core Values
Because children come first,
Excellence, leadership and empowerment are standard.
All of us are nurtured, guided and supported to become our best.
Creativity, collaboration, passion and purpose drive our direction.
Ownership, scholarship and citizenship chart our course.
Nothing is too difficult, costly or taxing to keep us from reaching our destination.
Sailing with the winds of a growth mindset at our backs, Beacons change the world.
New Schoolwide Student Behavior Expectations
Beginning in 2020-2021, all Beacons will observe one system for behavior expectations. This will give us a seamless, consistent set of norms for Beacons throughout their school experience and give us a common language when establishing norms and expectations. These expectations will be appropriate in all school settings: traditional (brick and mortar); remote (distance learning) or a hybrid (blended learning) format. Please share these expectations with your children and discuss what these expectations might look like in various settings.
BE BEACON ABOUT IT!
Be brave, kind and fair.
Empower and equip yourself for learning.
Act responsibly with accountability.
Concentrate, collaborate and celebrate.
Own your mistakes and learn from them.
Nurture our planet, community and each other.
"Bridge Over Troubled Waters"
I often look at Beech Hill, marvel at its beauty, and consider my role. To the naked eye or at first blush, it would be easy to see Beech Hill’s peel of paint, its weathered walls, or battered bricks. The school is over 25 years old, and on most days, it shows it. But never-the-less for me, looking at Beech Hill is like looking at a beautiful newborn. Amid the signs of character, I see the history and an adventurous march to excellence. Teachers adorn the halls with student work and evidence of learning. When I think about the magnitude of my role here, it is humbling and overwhelming. Less than four generations ago, the notion a person of color would be serving at the helm would have been unthinkable. We don’t talk about diversity much; we should.
That is why John Lewis’s death and funeral services have been so piercing and poignant. We are in such a chaotic season, and people are so close to the edge. In a weird exchange of paradoxes, the series of events honoring his life and tracing his monumental moments has been inspirational and motivational. I am not alone. Countless television specials, periodic articles, and vintage footage has surfaced and taken center stage on the screen and airways. Teachers have joined the march as well. In a professional magazine, Alaina Love of Purpose Linked Consulting urged leaders to do so like John. Development and demonstration of these pillars of leadership would serve anyone well.
Principles are timeless. My mother would often say to me, “Right is right, even if the whole world is wrong.” I am sure she was quoting someone, but I am not sure who. The important thing was that choosing the right (even when it is not accessible or easy) should always be the best option. Right now, we face more questions than answers, and the right choices seem impossible to know. But if your answers lead you to a dark and lonely place, they are probably wrong.
Dare to disrupt. Speaking up is often hard and uncomfortable. To operate in such a way you must be confident and so focused in your thinking, that those around you are as influential as watching paint dry. During his lifetime, Lewis was arrested nearly 50 times, yet his position and post remained the same. He was steadfast in his belief and convictions. I’ve been to Selma. It is a small out-of-the-way hamlet where little happens that would merit much attention. Now, in the context of Lewis and his courageous walk, it reminds me that the small acts of bravery can produce enormous changes. Your disruption doesn't have to be big, just intentional and productive.
Align with others who inspire you. Hitch your wagon to a star. In any group, there will be dynamics. We must learn to appreciate those differences, support those who are in need of more help, and seek to emulate those who are more skilled than we are. There is no place for judgment or ridicule, no haven for jealously or envy. Regardless of where we are, we must celebrate our position, our path, and our purpose. Runners know the secret. They seek other athletes with similar patterns to ensure that the runner not only does not slow their pace, but accelerates it.
Legacy matters. As a kindergarten kid I was walking distance from a neighborhood school, yet I was unable to attend that school. I rode past that school (for what seemed like) years expecting that when I went to school, it would be that one. Years later, even after my mother sat me down and conveyed a brutally honest truth, it still seemed foreign and confusing. Now I serve as the leader of a school with a very diverse population. Many of the previous experiences that I thought were silly, painful, and even crazy at the time are tools which now help me in my role. The greatest ones being those where my gender and race were the main focus of the discussion.
I marvel at the opportunity to lead this place. The fact that I am African-American is becoming less and less significant. Many times adults in the building will say. I don’t see color, or you’re not a black principal; you’re just my child’s principal. I would say to them, to not see me and my skin color would be like not seeing that I am short, or chubby. I want to embrace every unique feature about my being, but please, don’t assign negatively where there is none. There-in lies the lesson. The fact that I am fat and even lower to the ground should not and probably doesn’t inhibit my cognitive ability, my love for our Beacons, or my desire to lead. And so it is with the melanin in my skin.