"The weather is getting warmer which lets us know that the first day of spring is right around the corner. Make sure you take time to get outside and get some fresh air as you take breaks from school, work, and other important priorities in your life. Also, be mindful of the calendar so you can plan accordingly as we approach spring break, faculty and staff inservice, and other holidays."
"We can't believe there's only a few more months left in the school year! We do offer the extended school year, through July 12th if you need more time to finish your current courses. The next upcoming break is April 1st which is a Teacher In-service Day and Spring Break is from April 11-17th. Be sure to look at your course map and plan ahead as you will not be able to submit work during the holiday/learning break."
Course Announcement!
Celebrating Black Writers
NCTE, in partnership with The Center for Black Literature (CBL) at Medgar Evers
College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, invites high school and
college students of all ages to participate in a writing contest titled Celebrating Black
Writers: Voices Calling for Activism and Social Justice. Submissions in the genres of
fiction, prose, and essay are welcome. Learn more about the submission guidelines.
The writing contest celebrates the Center for Black Literature’s 20th Anniversary
Jubilee: Honoring Our Legacy and Celebrating the Black Literary Arts and the
National Council of Teachers of English’s annual National Day on Writing.
All students currently enrolled in secondary/high school or college, including community
college, are encouraged to participate by writing and submitting their own essays, prose,
or fiction.
Students have the opportunity to receive the following:
● High school students (includes juniors and seniors): first place $3,000; second
place $1,500
● College students (includes community, comprehensive, and senior colleges):
first place $4,000; second place $2,000
The application deadline is Monday, May 23, 2022. Please contact
NCTEAwards@ncte.org with any questions.
Call Me MiSTER
Call Me MiSTER (CMM) program is a leadership development opportunity for qualified students that comes with great professional and personal development opportunities as well as financial scholarship support. Learn more about Call Me MiSTER at Columbia College on March 11-12, 2022. https://bit.ly/SCWSCMM
Paula Hurley, Graduation Coach
What do you like to do in your spare time?
When I am not working, I am usually hanging out with family and friends playing games, reading, and riding my bike. I also enjoy going for walks with my dogs.
Tell a little bit about your background.
I graduated from Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts, and counseled families and students in reaching their goals. I continued my education and earned my Masters degree in School Counseling from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduation, I worked as a School Counselor. This is my third year at SCWS as a Graduation Coach.
What do you do at SCWS and what do you enjoy most about your role?
What I enjoy most about being a graduation coach is helping students reach their goals.
What do you want the students to know about you?
You are not alone. I am here to help. You can do this!
My name is Ms.L’Etoile. I am the school’s Student Resource Coordinator. I am excited to be working with you all this upcoming year!
Experience: I am originally from Massachusetts, and made South Carolina my home in 2017. I received my masters degree in educational counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston. I previously worked as a graduation coach, school counselor, social worker, case coordinator, crisis counselor, and therapist. I am honored to be able to serve the state of South Carolina in providing social support services to our students and their families. I am here for YOU!
As your Student Resource Coordinator, I will be working alongside students, parents, teachers, administration, school counselors, and other supportive staff to deliver individualized social support services.
Some of the services I provide include:
• Assessing your student’s overall well being, including any potential mental health needs.
• Communication and consultation with you and your family, your student’s teachers, and other supportive services for monitoring your student’s progress.
• Identifying barriers that may be hindering your student’s education and/or connecting you and your family with community resources to ensure basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing are being met.
• Providing trauma informed individual and group counseling services.
• Providing monthly life skills groups.
• Psycho-education for parents and teachers.
Contact: CLETOILE@scwhitmoreschool.org (803) 216-1721 (call or text) CLICK HERE FOR REFERRAL FORM!
Resources: COMMUNITY RESOURCES FIND A COUNSELOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCIES
Upcoming Events:
3/8/22: Discovering Your Student’s Pathway Workshop
4/12/22: Student Self Advocacy Workshop
Click here to watch a video from Ms. L’Etoile.
How to Access the New SCWS Library!
Attention, students! We are proud to announce the launch of the brand new SCWS library! This library is completely free and completely virtual and offers hundreds of e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and texts in Spanish.
See this flyer for information on how to download the Sora app and access the SCWS library titles. See also Dr. White's video on how to use the app once it's downloaded.
Please contact Dr. White at jwhite@scwhitmoreschool.org with any questions or concerns. Happy reading!