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Orchard Park and Westminster Elementary showcase after-school clubs and reading gains
Summary
Orchard Park highlighted two after-school clubs'Garden Gurus and Busy Bees'and Westminster outlined partnerships and rising SC Ready reading and math results, plus a family engagement partnership with the Carolina Family Engagement Center.
Principals and teachers from Orchard Park and Westminster Elementary used the school board meeting to present student programs and test-score trends to the Oconee County Board of Education.
Orchard Park's presentation
Carrie King, representing Orchard Park, introduced Josie Price, the school librarian, and Madison Lee, the STREAM teacher, who described two after-school programs: Garden Gurus and Busy Bees. Price said the Garden Gurus program operates in fall and spring cohorts and was started with Title I funds and a local grant; students grow vegetables in raised beds and sell plants from a greenhouse. Madison Lee said Orchard Park received a "Fur Kids Bee Cause" project grant to start the Busy Bees, a year-long group that studies hive care and bee health. Several students described activities in short remarks.
Westminster Elementary's presentation and partnership
Liza Smith introduced her administrative and counseling team and highlighted recent visits and academic progress. The school hosted South Carolina State Superintendent Ellen Weaver for classroom observations and has begun a partnership with the Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC). Dr. Lorelei Swanson, Upstate Family Engagement Liaison for CFEC, described a three-pillar, two-year approach to family engagement funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Every Student Succeeds Act. CFEC will work with school leadership teams, teacher partners and run an eight-week parent leadership program for participating schools.
Westminster staff also presented SC Ready trends: the district presenter cited a rise in the percentage of third-through-fifth graders meeting or exceeding standards in reading, from about 36.2% in 2019 to 61.9% in 2024 for the school's 3-5 cohort. School leaders credited implementation of the science of reading, PLC work and targeted interventions.
Ending
Board members thanked the schools for the presentations. No formal action was taken; the reports were part of the meeting's school highlights segment.
