This Week

Pictured above, front row left to right Katherine Putnam, Addison Pernell, Emma Salyer, Rafaela Macias Munoz. On the second row, left to right are Edgerrin King, Pablo Almaraz, Cohen Springs, Giovanni Brown, and Layton Welch.

Pictured above left to right are Kaleb Burroughs, Peyton Ivey, Addison Ivey, Taylor Gibson, Rylie Hughes, Addison Erxleben, Skylar Grace Shealy, John Lee, Mae Siegal and Michael James.

Pictured above on the front row are Kenyun Myers, Andrea Elya, Aria Lewis, and Esmeralda Manilla-Martinez. Pictured on the second row are Robert Bridges, John Carey, Zion Black, Cameron Muldrow, and Grady Chapman.

Layton Welch, the South Florence High School salutatorian, is the son of Amy and Steve Welch, and he will be attending Clemson University and studying Chemical Engineering.

The West Florence High salutatorian is Abigail Odom. She is the daughter of Lynn and Matthew Odom, and she will be attending the University of South Carolina (Beaufort Honors Program), where she plans to major in Marine Biology with a minor in Psychology.

Maria Evans is the Wilson High School salutatorian. Her parents are Shea and Rosario Evans. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of South Carolina to study Political Science with aspirations to enroll in law school.

Florence 1 Schools announces that commencement exercises for all three high schools will be held at the Florence Center. The South Florence High School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 10:00 a.m., and here is the link for streaming the event: https://youtube.com/live/vgFha6qJeoE?feature=share

The West Florence High School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 4:00 p.m. Use this link to stream the West Florence High ceremony: https://youtube.com/live/Vd9Psc-otrs?feature=share

The Adult Education Commencement Ceremony will be held Friday, May 30th at 10:00 a.m. Here is the link for the ceremony: https://youtube.com/live/umBD3wt_Za8?feature=share

The Wilson High School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 30th at 4:00 p.m. Here is the link for streaming the Wilson ceremony: https://youtube.com/live/o3efFYt2grI?feature=share

Avery Thompson is the South Florence High School valedictorian. Her parents are Amy and Jason Thompson. Avery will be attending Clemson University and studying Civil Engineering.

Aidan McCown is the West Florence High School valedictorian. He is the son of Dr. Heather McCown and Mr. Samuel McCown, and he will be attending Clemson University and majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Andrea Elya is the Wilson High School valedictorian. Her parents are Dr. Marwan Elya and Dr. Claudine Rayess. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of South Carolina

and major in Biology on the pre-med track with aspirations to go to medical school.

Pictured above are (front row, left to right) Jamashia McKithen, Allison Cribb, Patrice Foster, Julia Peterson, Maddox Huggins; Back row: Raphael Jiminez, Talasia Newton, Matthew Causey, Ja'hi Woods.

Thirteen students from South Florence, West Florence, and Wilson High participated in a symposium celebration marking the conclusion of the McLeod Health Careers Course. This high school seniors’ honors course is a partnership between McLeod Health and Florence 1 Schools and is designed for those students interested in the pursuit and development of a career in the medical field.

Students spent ten weeks completing rotations through various departments at McLeod Regional Medical Center for experiential learning. Working together in groups, students were challenged to develop a research project for potential hospital improvement, meeting with hospital team members and leaders to help implement their processes and phases. The students presented the group project results at the symposium along with personal reflections on their program experiences and how it impacted their decisions to continue in the study of healthcare.

Florence One Vocal Star is an annual district-wide vocal competition for all students and staff. From over 100 participants, nine contestants from the first round were invited to the finals where they performed for judges who assessed their stage presence, tone, and artistry.

--The elementary winner this year is Maurice Sanders, II, of Carver Elementary;

--The middle school winner this year is Mylah Michael of John W. Moore Middle School;

--and the high school winner this year is Ashlyn Cady of South Florence High School;

Pictured above left to right are Mylah Michael, Ashlyn Cady and Maurice Sanders, II.

This year, 25 schools across Florence 1 prioritized wellness for their students and staff by participating in the MUSC BCCW’s School-based Wellness Initiative. This statewide initiative targets improved nutrition, increased physical activity, and enhanced social-emotional wellness for both students and staff.

As the grand prize winner, Wallace-Gregg earned $2,000 to support and expand its health and wellness efforts. In total, $26,000 was distributed among 25 schools in the district for the 2024–2025 school year.

“Nurse Wearne has been instrumental in transforming our wellness community,” Leibman said. “From telehealth to our first family 2K, she has been a cheerleader for our community and its access to exceptional health.”

Learn more about the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness at musckids.org/boeingcenter or email boeingcenter@musc.edu.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded Florence One Adult Education a $10,000 grant to support family literacy.

According to Lisa Justice, Director of Adult Education for Florence 1 Schools, funds will be used to provide instruction and innovative technology support for adult learners who are seeking a high school diploma or GED as well as career-readiness credentials, integrated education and training, and other workforce development activities. Participants will also receive positive parenting training and developmentally appropriate learning activities for their children.

“We are delighted to partner with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to engage our students who are also parents or caregivers of young children in our Building Family Literacy through Career Pathways initiative,” said Dr. Lisa Justice, Director of Florence One Adult Education. “If you ever wonder about that extra $1 or $2 they ask you about in the store check-out line, well, it helps our community right here in Florence.” adds Justice.

For the first time, a team from Florence 1 Schools competed in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) High School National Championship, recently held in Atlanta from May 23 to May 25.

Over three days of intense competition, the Wilson team gave it their all, facing off against 336 of the strongest teams in the country competing inn 10 preliminary rounds all while representing Wilson, Florence 1 Schools and South Carolina with pride.

Although they did not advance to the championship bracket, Wilson’s top scorer, Hugh Granger, (pictured fourth from left) ranked in the top 17% of individual competitors nationwide—an outstanding achievement.

A partnership between Florence 1 Schools and The Citadel will offer an opportunity for future graduate students. Through this partnership, eligible educators can earn up to 25% off a graduate degree in Education Administration, Counselor Education, or Literacy Education at The Citadel.

This initiative is designed to support Florence 1 educators in advancing their leadership skills and career opportunities while making high-quality graduate education more accessible and affordable.

We invite you to join an interest meeting on June 4th and June 9th at 9:00am to learn more about program details, eligibility requirements, and how this opportunity can benefit you.

If you are interested in attending, please complete this interest form.

Each school has an employee who has volunteered to serve as the location's Blue Zones Ambassador for the 2025-26 School Year. Ambassadors will work as local experts in the Blue Zones Initiative with a role to encourage employee participation in the upcoming Walking Moai Challenge, Purpose Workshops, and Volunteer opportunities.

Your Blue Zones Ambassadors will also provide education and motivation each month at staff meetings to help make health and well-being a priority by adopting behaviors from Power 9 (shared traits of the longest-lived people from the five Blue Zones around the world) and they will have incentives to encourage along the way. Show me the ambassadors.

Come to the City Center Market - Saturday, June 7th

Employees of Florence 1 Schools are encouraged to visit the Florence City Center Farmers Market any Saturday, but especially Saturday, June 7th, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Jeff Murrie from The Farm at Florence 1 Schools and Cathy Lee from the Florence 1 Schools Blue Zones Initiative will be there with education about healthy eating. Florence 1 employees who present their ID badges will be entered into the Florence 1 Schools employee drawing for free Blue Zones prizes.

Summer camps offer a variety of benefits for children, including fostering social and emotional development, promoting physical activity, encouraging mental stimulation, and providing opportunities for personal growth and exploration. They also help children develop crucial skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and confidence. Where are summer camps offered in Florence?

Show me more.

Above and below South Florence Naval JROTC Instructor Michael Bethea, along with the members of the South Florence High School Naval JROTC program, participated in a Memorial Day Observance in Florence this week.

Enjoy your well-earned summer break.