Education News: Sunday, June 3, 2018

Central Carolina Technical College

Path to Provide scholarship opportunities

Path to Provide is a partnership with the South Carolina Technical College System and affiliated colleges and the South Carolina Hospital Association and member hospitals. The scholarship program allows students pursuing an associate degree in nursing to attend classes fulltime and work parttime at a sponsoring hospital. The sponsoring hospital provides financial assistance toward the student's tuition and cost of attendance each year while the student is enrolled full-time in an academic program. Interested in applying? Applications should be submitted via the website at www.SCPathToProvide.com.

Thomas Sumter Academy

Lower School 4th Quarter Awards announced

Head of School (average of 95 or higher in all subjects)

- first grade - Stella Lindler, Autumn Crockett, Alannah Schrank, Liam Smith and Bella Stephenson;

- second grade - Skylar Spilker, Juli Tupper and Riley Carnes; and

- fifth grade - Trenton Spilker.

Faculty Honors (87 or higher)

- first grade - John Amick, Janvi Patel, Julian Wooten, Audrey Allen, Landon McLellan, Sebastian O'Connor, Lela Reilly and Grayson Sosbee;

- second grade - Abby Hodge, Riya Patel, Sara Claire Reid, Emily Arnold, Kira Davis, Sam Isler, Shawn Lasica, Colby O'Connell and Peyton Triplett;

- third grade - Luke Cato, Paisley Hill, Boone Hitch, Emma Jackson, Emily Lindler, Jack McGary, Sophia Miranda, Madison Morrow, Amy Spivey and Taelor Stevens;

- fourth grade - Anna Bell, Annabelle Broman, Sadie Cox, Ben Kessinger, Will Morris, Mikayla Razor, Ronia Sanders, Sydnie Shaffer and Payton Sosbee; and

- fifth grade - Reese Distelzweig, Reed Dollard, Piper Hitch, Jared Lynch, Taryn McBrayer, Brynna Nedderman, Diya Patel, Christian Razor and Molleigh Ross.

Citizenship

- first grade - Logan Finan and Alannah Schrank;

- second grade - Riya Patel and Peyton Triplett;

- third grade - Amy Spive and Luke Cato;

- fourth grade - Brayden Finan and Abigail Rocheleau; and

- fifth grade - Reese Distelzweig and Sylvia Burrows.

End of the year - Head of School

- first grade - Stella Lindler, Autumn Crockett, Landon McLellan, Sebastian O'Connor, Lela Reilly, Alannah Schrank, Liam Smith and Bella Stephenson;

- second grade - Skylar Spilker and Juli Tupper;

- fourth grade - Annabelle Broman and Benjamin Kessinger; and

- fifth grade - Diya Patel and Trenton Spilker.

Morris College

Criminal Justice program recognized

The Morris College Criminal Justice program has been named No. 8 on the Top 10 Law Enforcement Degree Programs 2017-18 by Schools.com. Ranked with the likes of CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Columbia College and fellow South Carolina institution, Citadel Military College, Morris College earned its No. 8 spot in the rankings based on its admissions policy, low 15:1 student-faculty ratio, and total number of law enforcement degrees conferred to students in 2015. Also in 2015, Morris College's Criminal Justice program was named No. 2 on the CorrectionalOfficer.org list of Top Schools Supporting Careers in Criminal Justice and Corrections.

Dr. Jacob Butler, interim academic dean, explained in 2015: "This rating by a national agency confirms the efforts that we, at Morris College, have made to create and maintain academic programs that can stand toe to toe with anybody else in terms of quality."

The new national ranking on Schools.com further supports Morris College's efforts. Morris College has consistently had senior students in criminal justice score above the national average on the national Major Field Achievement Test and go on to obtain gainful employment in the criminal justice field. The institution is dedicated not only to employing faculty experienced in the field, but also bringing in guest lecturers ranging from coroners to state troopers, solicitors and forensic scientists to further enhance the education of criminal justice students.

Most recently, Morris College established a partnership with the Greenville Police Department to prepare students for a career in law enforcement. - Anika Cobb

Sumter School District

Ben Carson Reading Room opens at Manchester Elementary

Thanks to the generosity of the Thompson Construction Group, the Carson Scholars Fund announced the opening of a Ben Carson Reading Room at Manchester Elementary School where they held a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Tuesday.

The Ben Carson Reading Project founded by retired world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon and New York Times bestselling authors Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy, is an initiative of the Carson Scholars Fund. The purpose of the Ben Carson Reading Project is to create a literacy-enriched environment for children to enhance their reading skills. The reading project is dedicated to promoting reading as a key to unlocking a child's full potential.

The theme of the Manchester Elementary School reading room was inspired by the children's book "Giant Steps to Change the World." The book's featured influential and inspiring individuals will demonstrate to the scholars that everyone has the ability to be a hero.

This is the fourth Ben Carson Reading Room to be established in South Carolina and the second to be sponsored by Thompson Construction Group.

"What an amazing honor to be a recipient of a Ben Carson Reading Room," said Dr. Joan Tye, principal of Manchester Elementary School. "Everyone associated with Manchester Elementary School is absolutely thrilled to partner with the Carson Scholars Fund to encourage students to be lifelong learners and big thinkers through reading. We want to thank Thompson Construction Group for their generous donation which made this room possible. For years to come, students will enter this room to read and reflect so they too may take their next big steps."

To date, 189 reading rooms have been established serving students in 23 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Carson Scholars Fund visit www.carsonscholars.org.

Graduation schedules

Graduation ceremonies will be held this weekend in Sumter School District for the Class of 2018. Crestwood and Lakewood high schools' ceremonies will be held on Friday at Sumter County Civic Center. Lakewood High School's ceremony begins at 3 p.m., and Crestwood High School's graduation begins at 7 p.m.

The doors will open one hour prior to each graduation. Admission is by ticket only; graduating seniors each have a limited number. No balloons or flowers are allowed in the center.

The graduation for Sumter High School will be held on Saturday at 9 a.m. at Memorial Stadium. The gates will open at 8 a.m. All in attendance must have a ticket, including small children. Each graduate has a limited number of tickets.

Graduation announcements from students are not the same as tickets. Persons without a ticket will not be admitted to the ceremonies due to the capacity of each facility.

Bates Middle wraps up Intergenerational program

Timeless wisdom and enthusiastic youth blended two generations where the quote, "In order to be old and wise, I had to be young and foolish" was most relevant.

Bates Middle School has been the host of the Intergenerational Program since 2015. Community members and students meet monthly at the school to engage in rich discussions that center on key life issues that everyone faces.

At their last meeting, the students traveled to Downtown Sumter where they met the adult members of the program at the newest attraction in Sumter, the Hyatt Place. General Manager Cheryl Baker and her most meticulous staff greeted the invitees as they were welcomed with a wholesome and hearty breakfast.

Baker is also a member of the Intergenerational group. She and Dr. Ayesha Hunter collaborated with the culminating event that profiled the South Carolina graduate. The South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards were demonstrated in soft skills and activities that included teamwork, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, job interviewing, conflict resolution and other skills that will prepare students for the real world. - Shelly Galloway

Lee County School District

LOWER LEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Lower Lee Elementary School family would like to congratulate Mrs. Beauty Veney for being selected as their school's 2018-19 Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Veney has 15 years of teaching experience and served at Lower Lee Elementary School for her entire professional career. She taught first grade for eight years and kindergarten for seven years. During her tenure, she has served as a mentor for first-year teachers, grade level chairwoman and textbook coordinator. She has also been a cooperating teacher for a student teacher from Morris College. Mrs. Veney serves as a 5K teacher, and she continues to spearhead several events at Lower Lee Elementary School such as the Fall Festival, Literacy Night and the Father-Daughter Dance Social. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Francis Marion University and a Master in Literacy Education from Cambridge College.

Lower Lee Elementary School's students demonstrated that they understand the importance of creating a healthy, sustainable environment during their recent Earth Day celebration. Students from each grade level worked as a team and planted a total of eight crape myrtle bushes on the school's campus. To commence the event, the students recited an Earth Day poem and to conclude the event, the students held hands, formed a circle around the bush and sang a song titled, "Take Care of the Earth."

Math stations have been a big hit for first-grade students at Lower Lee Elementary School. After a math strategy or skill is taught, students practice the skill or strategy in teacher-created math stations. The students visit one station/center daily and complete a full rotation once each week. During this time, the teacher plays the role of facilitator and also works with small groups that may need additional support. Recently, stations focused on 2D and 3D shapes. One of the students' favorite center was creating 2D and 3D structures using toothpicks and marshmallows. Math class has become one of the favorite parts of the day for the first-grade students.

Lower Lee Elementary School recently celebrated April and May birthdays. During the celebration, students enjoyed cake, ice cream and received a birthday pencil.

It has been an incredible year of learning for fifth-grade students at Lower Lee. The students recently took the SCPASS and SC Ready state exams and anticipate exceptional results this year. To prepare for the state exams, the students participated in educational games such as Quizlet Live and Jeopardy. They also focused on test-taking strategies.

The students enjoyed the three-day field trip to Washington, D.C., that began May 23. They would like to thank everyone who participated in the doughnut fundraiser. The field experience is an excellent way to end the school year.

The fifth-grade promotion ceremony was held May 3. Hats off to the fifth-grade students and teachers for a job well done.

Students enjoyed a field day on May 29. During physical education class prior to the big day, the students practiced the bean bag race, piggy back ride and two-legged race.

LEE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

On May 16, more than 2,000 graduating seniors were publicly recognized by state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman for their future commitment to the U.S. military or military academy. These students were presented with a red, white and blue honor cord to wear to their high school graduation. All of these students were once a JROTC cadet at their high schools in South Carolina. Lee Central High School had five cadets that attended the ceremony and plan to enter in the military: Coresha Brunson (Army), Danielle Fulks (National Guard), Tyra Capehart (National Guard), Hadiya Boone (National Guard) and Deangelo McQuillar (National Guard). These students are scheduled to go to basic training this summer after graduation. This is the first time that Lee Central High School's JROTC program has had five cadets/students to represent our school for this event. This is a major accomplishment for these students as they are about to join the military family and support our country. Also, this is an accomplishment for Lee Central High School and Lee County School District, as this shows growth in numbers at these events and that the JROTC program is developing effective leaders who are worthy to be honored. - Shawnta McKenzie

COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

CONWAY - The following local students were among the approximately 1,183 students eligible to walk in Coastal Carolina University's graduation exercises held on campus at the HTC Student Recreation Center and Convocation Center in three separate ceremonies May 4-5: Brianna Brock from Bishopville, Bachelor of Arts in Education in Early Childhood Education; Antigua Clyburn from Sumter, Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence & National Security Studies; Breanna Gadson from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Psychology; Kevin Gist from Manning, Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science; Jade Graves from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Public Health; Thomas Hart from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Marine Science; Tiana James from Manning, Bachelor of Science in Biology; Darryl Keith from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Sport Management; Caleb McCalla from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Biology; David McInnis from Sumter, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts; Haley Netchaeff from Sumter, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing; Grace Surette from Manning, Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies; Brandon Vaughn from Sumter, Bachelor of Arts in Music; Shaquelah Walters from Summerton, Bachelor of Science in Psychology; and Jasmine Yarbrough from Sumter, Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Eighty-one Coastal Carolina University students are graduating from the institution's Honors Program, including Asiah Thompson from Sumter, a public health major.

Each academic department at Coastal Carolina University within the five colleges selects one student to win the departmental award each year, and that student is recognized at Honors Convocation, this year held on May 3. Among those students recognized was David Laws of Sumter, a biochemistry major.

Belmont University

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Katherine McGregor and Victoria Smith, both of Sumter, achieved the Dean's List at Belmont University for the spring 2018 semester. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade-point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.

Newberry College

NEWBERRY - Devin Blackwell of Manning completed an internship in Social and Behavioral Science at the Newberry College Student Affairs Office under the supervision of Michael Smith.

The following local students were named to the spring 2018 dean's list:

Devin Blackwell of Manning; David Bridges of Sumter; Travis Christmas of Sumter; and Kinard Lisbon of Bishopville.

Students who achieve Dean's List honors must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale during the semester for which the honor is being given.