This Week in Florence 1 Schools

Florence 1 Schools will join school districts throughout the state and nation to celebrate School Board Recognition Month. Nearly 600 locally-elected and appointed school board members throughout the state will be recognized by schools and communities for their service and dedication to public education.

In Florence 1, school board members develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. They bear responsibility for an annual General Fund budget of $200,883,025 to support 16,081 students, 2,078 full-time employees, and 32 facilities.

Performing together for the first time in history will be Florence 1's three show choirs: the South Florence Choraliers, the West Florence Knight Edition, and Wilson's Tiger Production. This historical performance will take place on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Wilson High School. The event is free and open to the public.

The Nemec Abbott Foundation is seeking to award a full 4-year scholarship to one senior from each high school in the Florence One area. This will include tuition and on campus room/board. The foundation also plans award six full 2-year scholarships for seniors who want to pursue an associate degree at a technical college. All colleges selected must be in the state of South Carolina. Download the application: Nemec Abbott Scholarship Foundation Application.

For more information contact Keylier March, Chief Grants Coordinator (kmarch@nemecabbott.org) at 843-245-8148 or your local high school guidance counselor.

Applicants must attend a high school or community college within specific areas near:

• Dinuba/Tulare, California
• Denison/Frisco, Texas
• Florence, South Carolina

Applicants must be:

• A high school senior with a minimum overall 3.0 GPA if applying to attend a 4-year college/university, and 2.5 GPA if applying to attend a trade school or community college.
• Or a community college student with a minimum overall 3.0 GPA who is receiving their Associates Degree and applying to attend an accredited 4-year college/University
• Participate in extra-curricular activities (school, work experience and/or community related).

To learn more about these coaches visit the links: Chad Wilkes, West Florence High School and

Brian Wilson, Wilson High School.

Carver Elementary STEAM Magnet School - Students who have a high interest and aptitude in science and who have the ability and willingness to commit to a challenging academic program are encouraged to apply to attend Carver Elementary STEAM Magnet School. Contact the school at 843-664-8156 or visit the website: http://carver.f1s.org/steam. Application deadline is February 14, 2025.

STEM - The West Florence 2025 - 2026 STEM Magnet Application opened Friday, January 10, 2025, and it will close on Friday, March 7, 2025, at 4 pm. STEM Magnet info night will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 6:30 pm in the West Florence Auditorium during Knight of STEM. For more information visit westflorence.f1s.org/STEM or contact Rahsaan Perry: rperry@fsd1.org.

5K Spanish Language Immersion Program at Delmae - Through the dual language program, students are immersed in the Spanish language while following the same South Carolina standards and guidelines as all other students, giving students an opportunity to become bilingual citizens in our global community. Students spend 50% of their day learning grade level content in the area of ELA in English, and the other 50% learning grade level content in the areas of math, science, and social studies in Spanish.

Delmae is accepting applications for 5K students for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your child in the 5K Spanish Language Immersion Program at Delmae Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/4fUjqjY.

Please note that filling out this form does not guarantee your child a spot in the program and that students are enrolled on a first come, first served basis.

The Montessori Program at McLaurin Elementary - McLaurin is now accepting application for its Montessori Program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Montessori education is education for life by addressing the needs of the whole human being – spiritually, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. Physically, children move from concrete hands-on and sensory experiences to abstract levels of cognition. Mentally and emotionally through learning about physical and cultural geography and the fundamental needs of man, plants, and animals students discover the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life.

Apply for our Montessori program for the 2025-2026 school year: https://bit.ly/4jbiaeP

This application will close on February 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm. Please note that the Montessori application process is not a first-come, first-served application. Students are selected using a lottery system. This application is for next year's 3K-2nd grade students. If a student is selected for the Montessori program, parents must submit all required documents to McLaurin and complete district-level student registration for the 2025-2026 school year.

To register, for the 2025 Florence 1 Schools Teacher Recruitment Fair go to: https://bit.ly/F1STeacherRegistrationForm

On monthly basis, Florence 1 shares special info with its employees through a publication titled, For My Benefit. It includes policies, perks and privileges relative to F1S faculty and staff.

In case you missed this month's issue, visit For My Benefit (January 2025).

During the Florence 1 Schools Intersession, February 17-21, the Florence 1 Schools Extended Day Academy will host an Intersession Camp from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily.

The camp will be available at Carver Elementary School (for students in K-6th grade) and at the Woods Road Child Development Center (for three and four year old students). The cost is $80 per child for the week and includes breakfast and lunch.

Applications are available in the Extended Day Academy office (McClenaghan Building, 500 S Dargan St, Suite 100) and will be available online, but the application fee must be paid in the Extended Day Office. Applications and payments will be accepted Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. until 12 noon and on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information call 843-758-6046.

Empowerment University will sponsor a camp during the February Intersession (February 17-21). The camp will take place at 304 Kemper Street in Timmonsville. It is open to students in grades 1-12, and the hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Titus Echols (techols@fsd1.org). To learn more, click the Empowerment University Winter Intersession Camp button below.

Florence 1 Schools Board Chairman S. Porter Stewart (left) has received recognition for having served on the Board of Trustees for 30 years. He is pictured with Ervin J. Richardson, (right) Board Chairman of Florence School District 5 and a Regional representative with the South Carolina School Boards Association, who presented the award. At the January meeting, Board member Edward J. McIver received recognition for 15 years of service.

As part of Southside students Career Development eighth graders recently completed a Structured Field Study at The South Carolina Career Expo/Pathways to Possibilities 2025.

Students visited all 16 Career Clusters and exhibits from over a hundred different businesses located in the Pee Dee and Coastal Area of South Carolina. They also participated in STEM related activities and learned how these skills could be linked to a Career Goal. The main objective was for the students to receive first-hand experience with jobs from surrounding areas and to find out what interest they might have in those career fields. To view more photos, visit the link: Career Development: Southside Middle School. (Supplied by Michael Stokes, Global Career Development Facilitator, Southside Middle School)