Florence 1 Schools

Florence 1 Schools is fortunate to have the finest leadership and administration guiding our students and staff every day. As we celebrate 🥳🥳 Principals Month, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank each of our amazing principals for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence. Your leadership makes a difference, and we appreciate all you do for our schools and community. Thank you, and Happy Principals Month!

Florence 1 Schools staff and students recently participated in the Showcase of School-Based Enterprises (SBE) at the 2024 South Carolina Interagency Transition Conference. Six student interns from Florence 1’s Project SEARCH program, as well as instructors Jamie Magee, Darlene Butler, and Alician Timmons-Perdue, participated. During the showcase, students demonstrated pre-employment skills, such as marketing and sales using the products available from their "Fantastic Custom Creations" SBE led by Ms. Alician Timmons-Perdue. This SBE holds several pop-up shops each school year to sell a variety of handmade products. The interns had a great time showing off the skills they have been learning and they received a certificate for their participation. A major highlight for the students was being able to meet Tanner Smith, a graduate of the Clemson LIFE program.

On Tuesday afternoon, three members of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission visited Advantage Academy to learn about our Aviation program. Ms. Carpenter and instructor Mr. Gatlin gave the history of the program, explained the rigorous student coursework, and had a student demonstrate how the Redbird Flight Simulations work. Ms. Carpenter shared that the Advantage Academy Aviation Program has produced 12 licensed pilots so far. “I felt like it was almost an impossible task to start an aviation program for high school kids from the ground up as an educator with no aviation background,” Carpenter said. “I had to find a licensed pilot who would be willing to teach, a licensed pilot who would be willing to go through the direct certification process through the state and then finance a program that, at the time, was not state-approved. This program was the one I thought would be the hardest to get going and it has turned out to be one of the easiest and the most gratifying programs.” We were so proud to host the Commission and appreciate their interest in our program! #CTEEducation #AdvantageAcademyAviation #TheF1SAdvantage

Over the last several years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rolled out in many sectors across the United States, including education. During the September Board of Trustees meeting, a new policy was presented that will help create a framework for how AI can be used in Florence 1 Schools, the first district in the state to introduce such a policy. Deputy Superintendent Kyle Jones said that Florence 1 wants to be proactive now, showing students how to use AI technology responsibly, rather than reactive later. “AI can have many positive uses,” Jones said. “As a district, we already try to teach our students about responsible digital citizenship and the adoption of this AI policy is in line with that. Artificial Intelligence is not going to go away so it is imperative that our students learn the right way to use it. If our students aren’t adapting and learning to use AI they will be left behind their peers on the national level.” Read more: https://bit.ly/4dtAPi9

Wilson High School has the distinct honor of hosting the South Carolina Band Directors Association Traditional/High-Step State Marching Band Championship on October 19, at Tiger Stadium. For the first time in over a decade, we will host 12 participating bands of our style and compete for a state championship and the Outstanding Performance Award. 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄! You won’t want to miss this! Learn more and purchase tickets at https://lnkd.in/emZrB74K #StudentsFirst #WeAreOne #knowledgeskillscharacter

Clemson University's Grow Your Own grant program is looking for interested applicants for the program's second cohort. If you have a bachelor's degree and are interested in becoming a teacher, this program may allow you to do so quickly and at no cost! Teacher candidates must meet the requirements for admission into the MAT program and must meet requirements for student teaching clearance. Visit clemson.edu/education to get more information about content areas and required courses.

The new landscaping at Carver Elementary School is finished and we think it is a great complement to the beautiful new windows installed at the school! #StudentsFirst #F1SBuilds #F1SRenovations

We are continuing our renovation projects around the district, updating schools as well as improving our athletic facilities. Fall Intersession will be here soon but that doesn't mean the temperatures have dropped! New air conditioning units have been installed at Sneed Middle School, South Florence High School, SF Freshman Academy, and Advantage Academy. Students at Wilson High School are receiving a new tennis center while the Lady Bruins Softball Team at South Florence High School have a new locker room next to their field. #StudentsFirst #F1SBuilds

☁️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁?💦 This is exactly why we love it when our students participate in Chartwells School Dining Services K12 Mood Boosts. Mood Boosts allow students to connect what they eat with how they feel.  🍎 🍐 🍊 🍌 🍇 🍓 🍒 🍑 🍍 Our North Vista Elementary students sampled blueberries known to contain anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid, that helps improve mood while boosting cognitive function, reducing inflammation, and lowering blood pressure. Wow! What a huge impact! Meanwhile, Brockington Elementary students were cool as cucumbers snacking on cucumbers and carrots. Did you know that cucumbers are about 95% water which can help you feel hydrated and prevent headaches? They also contain fiber and protein helping you feel full for longer. But perhaps our favorite benefit is that they contain carbohydrates and B vitamins providing a longer-lasting energy boost than soda and coffee. And Timrod Elementary students tried a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables served up from our Food Truck! #StudentsFirst #ServingUpHappyandHealthy

Congratulations to all of our students selected for the 2024 SC Region V Orchestra! They will perform November 8-9 at Myrtle Beach High School. 🐅Williams Middle School Mr. John Roe, Director Liyang Ye Gavin Li Abigail Huang Jay Freeman Shawn Ding 🦁Moore Middle School Mr. Mark Jackson, Director Kate Freeman Kathryn Huang Vivian Jao 🐻Southside Middle School Ms. Ruth Gray, Director Lena Foxworth 🐻South Florence High School Dr. Nicolas Arguello, Director Quentin Ellerbe ♘West Florence High School Mr. Troy Murray, Director Emmalyn Lyttle Kamille Davis #F1SFineArts #F1SFineArtsExcellence #StudentsFirst