South Charlotte Middle School Schools to Watch 2004   South Charlotte Middle School 8040 Strawberry Lane Charlotte, NC 28277 (980) 343-3670 (980) 343-3725 FAX   Principal: Christine Waggoner   Website: http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/allschools/southcharlotte/   Introduction: South Charlotte Middle School is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the NC Piedmont, and near the border between North and South Carolina.Student assignment in Charlotte-Mecklenburg changes yearly. In 2001-2002, South Charlotte Middle School's enrollment was over 1600 students with 44 mobile units. As the result of a new middle school opening in the area, the 2002-2003 enrollment dropped to 814 with all classes conducted within the school facility. This year a new elementary feeder school opened and boundaries were changed yet again. Currently, the school serves 960 students with five mobile units. Through all of these enrollment changes total school demographic changes have been less than one percentage point in each area.   Here are some of the things that make South Charlotte Middle School a School to Watch.   Evidence of Academic Excellence The school participates in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Project Acceleration. This program places all students performing at or above grade level on end-of-grade tests in reading and math in "Scholars" or "Accelerated" classes. Level II students are placed in accelerated classes with additional remediation provided through tutoring, mentoring, and the 9th period classes. AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) classes serve students in the 7th and 8th grades to give additional support to the on-grade level average student who has potential to go to college. Students are moved in and out of classes where needed with C-M quarterly assessments. The 9th period is a very strong component of South Charlotte. Each 7th and 8th grade student is assigned a class varying from remediation, clubs, academic competitions, and acceleration classes.   Teachers were very "hands-on" with many varied instructional activities in their classrooms. We saw evidence of rubric scoring, lab experiments, History Alive, Socratic seminars, many projects, and PowerPoint presentations. It was apparent that rigorous academic standards are a top priority at South Charlotte. One student said, "In this school, it is okay to be smart. In my other school it wasn't'." The 9th period is a very strong component of South Charlotte. Each 7th and 8th grade student is assigned a class varying from remediation, clubs, academic competitions, and acceleration classes.   Evidence of Meeting Students' Needs Students at South Charlotte were very friendly and personable. They repeatedly told us "they felt like they belonged." The use of varied instructional strategies was in abundance. We saw evidence of addressing the different learning styles, centers in science and social studies, group work, use of cameras for broadcasts and reports, and many other strategies mentioned earlier. Their character education program was integrated into the entire curriculum. An abundance of activities were available to all students: fine arts wheel in grade 6, Odyssey of the Mind, Battle of the Books, Math Counts, and Science Olympiad to name a few. Another strength of South Charlotte was the relationship with the school family as well as the community. The principal sends a newsletter to parents, emails parents, has "Conservations with Christine," and through the use and check of the phone system, homework is constantly updated for parents. Students, through the use of in house broadcasting, provide news and reports on events happening in the school. There are many PTA volunteers in the school doing various tasks from changing the marquee to opening and running the school store. The school has established partnerships with various businesses in the community. There are "Monday nights at Restaurants" using different restaurants with the school getting a percent of the money from the meals purchased.   Evidence of Social Equity Every student who scored at a level 2 on the EOG or made a D or E on their report card was provided a mentor/tutor. Multiple intelligence needs were being addressed in classrooms. The use of the 9th period provided additional opportunities for all students to be successful. Students were carefully "placed" in these classes are moved in and out as needed. The use of the 9th period provided a challenge to all students and accelerated all learning. These classes also filled in gaps that might otherwise have existed giving students the opportunity to engage in enrichment activities without penalizing a student by taking away an elective. Another strong component of South Charlotte was their looping of the grade level guidance counselors as well as their grade level assistant principals. Students, as well as the staff, really got to know students in their grade level by having them for their three years in the middle school.   Evidence of Organizational Structures & Processes The School Improvement Plan is truly a living document. Everyone is involved and knows what is included in the plan. Christine Waggoner is an exceptionally strong principal. One student said, "She will do whatever she needs to do to get us where we need to be." Another said," Our principal wants us to be successful." She has established a strong line of communication within the school as well as with parents. The school has established many partnerships within the community--Wachovia and Harris Teeter to name two. The school regularly invites guest speakers from the community to participate in the school through the Leadership Class or in the classrooms. The use of professional books, research, and outside reading was also evident. The entire school engages in data driven decision-making to include the three counselors. No child falls through the cracks.   Closing Comments At South Charlotte one gets a sense that the administration, staff, parents, and PTA will not allow anyone to fall through the cracks either academically or due to lack of funds. The team saw many evidences of a strong academic program through the use of excellent teaching, tutors, volunteers, and administrative staff. This is a high-performing school where 97 % of their students score at a level 3 or 4. Schools are always seeking ways to increase growth with their level 3 and 4 s tudents. The team believes South Charlotte offers ideas and programs that would benefit other schools in achieving growth with level 3 and 4 students. There is strong on-going professional development program in place as teachers meet weekly as grade levels. The use of the 9th period shows an excellent example of how to remediate and enrich within the school day and not have to give up an elective class. The Leadership Class is also outstanding and would be an asset to any school. Even though academics are very important at South Charlotte, the students love the school, feel their teachers are "there for them," and appreciate the efforts of the principal to provide them with an outstanding school to attend. E-Mail Home | About NCMSA | Conferences | Membership | Schools to Watch | Regions | Publications Last Updated March 3, 2007 © 1999-2007 North Carolina Middle School Association National Forum logo, graphics, and criteria used with permission.