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St. James High School
School Improvement Council
Meeting Minutes
Janurary 24, 2023

Meeting Participants:
Dr. Karen Utter, Associate Director, SC School Improvement Council
Shelli Jasper Thomas, SIC Chairman
Kim Frederick, SIC Vice Chairman
Caroline Ross, SJHS Director of Guidance

Suzanne Burch, SJHS Teacher
Dr. Jo Maggio, Community Member
Liza Branham, SJHS Student
Cole Neese, SJHS Student
Cade Neese, SJHS Student 

Shelli Thomas opened the meeting and welcomed everyone.  Mr. Poston, SJHS Principal, was in the building but unable to attend the meeting due to a student matter requiring his attention.  Ms. Thomas shared that Mr. Poston wanted us to proceed with the meeting.

Dr. Utter wanted the SIC meeting participants to further review and prioritize the data collected from our November meeting.  In regard to ‘School’ related concerns, the group identified the following:

ESOL student and family needs as this population has increased at SJHS.    

Space - both our county and school population are continuing to increase. 

Space for CTE classes as well as general classroom space needs to be reviewed. 

Car Rider Loop/Student Parking Lot

St. James High School
10800 Highway 707
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

School Improvement Council Meeting Minutes
October 25, 2022
6:00 p.m.

SJHS SIC Meeting attendees:
Ryan Poston, SJHS Principal
Natasha Best, SJHS Assistant Principal
Caroline Ross, SJHS Director of Guidance
Karen Utter, Associate Director, SC School Improvement Council, USC College of Education
Shelli Jasper Thomas, Parent
Kim Frederick, Parent
Angel Mack, Parent

Mr. Poston opened the meeting and welcomed everyone and asked that everyone introduce themselves.  Mr. Poston then welcomed Ms. Karen Utter, Associate Director for SC School Improvement Council, and thanked her for again coming to help guide and support our SIC.

Mr. Poston then shared that SJHS received the “Best of the Beach” Award, an “Excellent” on the School Report Card, and the Palmetto Silver Award.  Our score on the School Report Card was a 69 which places SJHS in the top 20% of high schools.  Only two schools in Horry County received an “Excellent” rating.  Those two schools are Aynor and St. James.

Shelli Thomas, SJHS SIC Chairman, then thanked everyone for coming.  She discussed some of the topics our SIC may want to consider addressing.  We discussed a school climate survey and how that may help identify issues that need to be addressed.

Karen Utter then spoke and gave ideas for recruiting additional members to the SJHS SIC.  Ms. Utter brought “SIC” buttons for us to wear to help parents and community members become more involved in SIC.  We also discussed an exercise that we can complete at our November meeting that will help identify topics for SIC.  Ms. Utter will provide a meeting facilitator guide and supplies for us to use.

Due to the Thanksgiving break, our November meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 6 pm.

Mr. Poston and Mrs. Thomas thanked everyone for their participation and the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 pm.

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St. James High School
10800 Highway 707
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

School Improvement Council Meeting Minutes
September 27, 2022
6:00 p.m.

SJHS SIC Meeting attendees:
Ryan Poston, SJHS Principal
Caroline Ross, SJHS Director of Guidance

Karen Utter, Associate Director, SC School Improvement Council, UofSC College of Education
Tonya Propst, Parent
Joel Propst, Parent
Shelli Jasper Thomas, Parent
Courtney Mitchell, Parent
Kim Frederick, Parent
Sofie Georgino, SJHS Student
Anna Bryant, SJHS Student

 Mr. Poston opened the meeting and welcomed everyone and asked that everyone introduce themselves.  Mr. Poston then welcomed Ms. Karen Utter, Associate Director for SC School Improvement Council.  Ms. Utter created and oversees SC-SIC’s Engagement for Outcomes Program and has accepted the request for SJHS’s SIC to participate in the Engagement for Outcomes program for the next 12 to 18 months.  As a participant, SJHS SIC will receive training and technical assistance in planning, implementing, and evaluating their work.  Ms. Utter explained that her role would be to help guide us as an organization.  She discussed the importance of recruiting and retaining SIC members, making sure SIC bylaws are current and followed, and maintaining measurable data.  Ms. Utter shared that it was important to decide what data our SIC wants to collect and measure and what our SIC measurable goals would be.  Next, Mr. Poston shared some information about his family and his career in education.  He then gave an overview of some of the current statistics regarding SJHS.  As of this date, SJHS has 1,851 students.  This number demonstrates the continued growth in our school population which coincides with the overall population growth of our community.  We have a growing level of students living at or below the poverty level.  Our minority population is approximately 20%.  Approximately 14% of SJHS students are served under IDEA and we have one of the highest G&T populations within the Horry County School District.

Mr. Poston stated that South Carolina would release school report card scores on October 15, 2022, and that we would review that information at the October SIC meeting.  He also shared a slide that described SJHS goals.  The areas of focus for SJHS goals included graduation rate, college and career readiness, EOC scores, teacher attendance, and multilingual learner progress. 

The next item on the SJHS SIC agenda was election of officers for the 2022-23 school year.  The results of the election are as follows:
Shelli Jasper Thomas – SJHS SIC Chairman
Kim Frederick – SJHS SIC Vice-Chairman
Tonya Propst – SJHS SIC Secretary

The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Poston thanked everyone for attending and the meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.

School Improvement Council Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Present:           Helene Gerald, Parent (Chair)

                        Kim Frederick, Parent (Secretary)

                        Caroline Ross, Community Member

                        Hank Wortly, Teacher

                        Ms. Lewis, Teacher

                        Jeanna Johnson, Teacher

                        Lori Murphy, Parent

                        Roger Dixon, Community Member

                        Janice Morreale, Community Member

                        Jen Matthews, Parent

                        Tonya Propst, Community Member

                        Michael Holmes, Parent

                        Lisa Holmes, Parent

                        Andrea Kirksey, Parent

                        Madeline Lawson, Parent

                        Vann Pennell – Principal, Ex-Officio Member

Welcome and Introductions – Ms. Helene Gerald

            The meeting was called to order by Helene Gerald.  Mrs. Gerald welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending the meeting.  The minutes from the September 17, 2019, meeting were read and approved.

Principal’s Report – Mr. Vann Pennell

            Mr. Pennell greeted everyone and thanked them for being in attendance.  He then introduced Mr. Wortley and Ms. Lewis who discussed the SJHS Disciplinary Process.  Mr. Wortley stated that the Disciplinary Team consists of Mr. Wortley, Ms. Fischer, Mr. Powell, Ms. Rice, and Mr. Capps.  He stated that 89.6% of SJHS students have never received a disciplinary referral.  The top 3 offenses are (1) tardiness, (2) dress code, and (3) cutting class.  Students do have the right to appeal a referral.  A detailed copy of the referral process is attached.

            Next, Mr. Pennell introduced Mr. Roger Dixon who is the HCS Athletic Director.  A SJHS parent had inquired about the status of the tennis courts as well as the running track which are both in need of improvements.  Mr. Pennell asked Mr. Dixon to give an update on those plans.  Many of the schools have facilities/courts that need repair.  Mr. Dixon explained that there had been an ongoing process with the HCS Facilities Committee.  Currently, there are three schools that have tennis courts that need to be totally renovated/totally rebuilt.  These three schools are (1) Conway HS, (2) Carolina Forest HS, and (3) Green Sea Floyds HS.  Four additional schools need resurfacing and drains placed under the tennis courts.  These four schools are (1) Aynor HS, (2) Loris HS,  (3) St. James HS, and (4) Socastee HS.

In addition to the tennis courts, many HCS running tracks need to be repaired.  The three that are in need of the most work are (1) Loris HS, (2) Carolina Forest HS, and (3) St. James HS.  Mr. Dixon shared that in some cases, road crews were used to make repairs and now those are having to be redone as they were not completed properly.  Mr. Dixon encouraged everyone to stay abreast of the plans of the HCS Facilities Committee and to also stay in touch with HCS Board Members regarding the status of improving our tennis courts and running tracks for the students.

            Mr. Pennell then went on to introduced Ms. Jeanna Johnson with the Career and Technology Education (CATE) program.  Ms. Johnson briefly spoke regarding some of the programs offered which include computer science, carpentry, graphic design, and an EMS program.  Ms. Johnson plans to attend a meeting in the future to provide more detailed descriptions of the work being done in the CATE program

            Next, Mr. Pennell introduced Mrs. Caroline Ross with the SJHS Guidance Department.  Mrs. Ross shared that an event with 60 colleges would be happening soon.  Additionally, 10^th and 11^th grade students will be taking the PSAT during the month of October.  Ce Ce Taylor, SJHS student, shared information about participating in PACE classes through Horry Georgetown Technical College. 

            In conclusion, Mr. Pennell shared that SJHS has an ‘Excellent’ rating on the SC School Report Card and that our AP scores are very high.   Mr. Pennell informed the group that the next SJHS SIC meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 5:30 in the media center and encouraged everyone to invite a friend to attend the meeting.

            Mrs. Helene Gerald thanked everyone for attending and adjourned the meeting.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Present:           Mr. Pennell – Principal

                        Janice Morreale – Horry County School Board

                        Caroline Ross – Guidance

                        Brett Mahaffey – Instructional Coach

                        Hank Wortley – Teacher

CeCe Taylor – Student Body President

Helene Gerald – parent/SIC

                        Tara Devers – parent/SIC

                        Kim Frederick – parent/SIC

Parents – please see the meeting sign-in sheet.

Welcome and Introductions – Ms. Helene Gerald

            The meeting was called to order by Helene Gerald.  Mrs. Gerald welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for attending the first SIC meeting of the 2019-20 school year. Next, everyone was asked to introduce themselves to the group. 

Principal Report – Mr. Van Pennell

            Mr. Pennell welcomed everyone.  He then introduced the SJHS Student Body President, CeCe Taylor.  CeCe announced that September 27, 2019 will be the Military Appreciation Football game.  The SJHS Homecoming game is October 25, 2019.  CeCe has a fill and flow box in the ladies restrooms which is a project she started last year.  CeCe announced that a Winter Formal is being considered and more information will be provided in the future.

            Mr. Pennell then introduced Mr. Hank Wortley, SJHS teacher.  Mr. Wortley presented information on Amazon wish lists for teachers.  Teachers can create a wish list of items needed for their classrooms.  Parents are encouraged to email the teachers and ask for their Amazon link.  Parents at the meeting were asked to share this information with others.  Mr. Wortley also explained about DonorsChoose.org.  This website allows teachers to post information about needs that they have in their classrooms for projects.  To find projects for St. James High School, please go to https://www.donorschoose.org/school/st-james-high-school/6438.

            Next, Mr. Pennell introduced Mr. Brett Mahaffey and Mrs. Caroline Ross.  Mr. Mahaffey shared that the nine base high schools in Horry County were approached in January 2019 about adding a STEM program to their curriculum.  Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the curriculum that was selected.  SJHS is offering computer science.  Currently, there are 40 students participating.  Mr. Williams is the teacher and Mr. Mahaffey described the course as being very interactive and reported that the students seem to be enjoying the class.  The St. James cluster is focusing on STEM programs in grades Kindergarten through 12^th grade.

            Mrs. Caroline Ross then gave a report from the guidance department.  Senior conferences have begun.  The PSAT will be offered in October for 10^th graders to have a practice test and 11^th graders competing for National Merit Scholarships.  Guidance will be meeting with students regarding scholarship information.  Mrs. Ross reported that the SJHS Guidance Department now has a Facebook page to help keep parents and students informed.  The Facebook page is ‘St. James High School Guidance’.  Everyone is asked to like the page and also share it with others. 

            Mr. Pennell thanked Mr. Wortley, Mr. Mahaffey, and Mrs. Ross for their presentations.  Mrs. Morreale said that she had received a call regarding parents parking in the parking lot instead of using the pickup line to pick up children in the afternoons when school is dismissed.  Mr. Pennell and Mr. Wortley reported that they are both outside after school and did not believe this was happening.  Mr. Wortley reported that he encouraged parents to move up in order to keep the line moving.  Mr. Pennell noted that SJHS has 4 National Merit Scholars.  The rest of the agenda will be continued to the next SIC meeting.  The topics to be addressed at the next meeting include Security, Vaping, Attendance, and the SJHS Carpentry Program.  The next SIC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, 2019.

            Mrs. Gerald again thanked everyone for attending and the meeting was adjourned.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Welcome and Introductions- Ms. Jean Young

• Young noted this was the last SIC meeting of the 2018-2019 school year
• Young made a motion requesting Nominations for SIC council for the 2019-2020 school year and the following appointments were accepted by those present:

Helene Gerrald- chairperson (hsgerrald@gmail.com)

Tara Devers- Vice –chairperson (2tdeverslwe@sccoast.net) Kim Frederick- secretary

• Freshman Orientation is scheduled for Friday, August 16. Tammy Herring has agreed to coordinate again this

What’s New at SJHS/Principal Report- Mr. Van Pennell

• There was a discussion of goals for the SIC for the next school year to include continued emphasis on drugs and human trafficking in our
• Suggestions to improve attendance at the meetings and scheduled events included a virtual Facebook event for those unable to attend in person and the possibility of including the meeting agenda and minutes on the SJHS Facebook page or a

dedicated SIC page. It was suggested that there is a difference in elementary and middle school SIC involvement in terms of time commitment and that this be emphasized to incoming freshman parents.

• The addition of a representative of the Vocational Department at SIC meetings was
• Riley Award participation was suggested and it was noted the write-up would be required to include events from the current school
• Pennell announced 4 students athletes recently signed for college scholarships- 1 Swimming, 1 Lacrosse and 2 Soccer. WBTW was present for the event
• 30 Teachers from SJHS participated in the recent SC State House Rally. Administration, Guidance and substitute teachers were able to cover all the absences due to advance
• There continues to be issues with students not crossing ONLY at the light on 707 as SCDOT has instructed
• 92 seniors recently enjoyed the Senior Trip to Disneyworld
• Senior Athletic Awards Banquet is scheduled for May 16
• Mandatory Graduation Practice is scheduled for June 4
• Graduation is June 6, 2019 at 2PM at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center
• Freshman Parent Night is scheduled for August 13, 2019
• Volunteers are needed to assist staff the first several days of school
• Pennell thanked Ms. Young and Ms. Mitchell for their years of service to SIC

Guidance Report-Ms. Caroline Ross

• AP testing is almost The offsite location has been very successful.
• Rising freshman from the middle school have participated in a 1 one hour program at SJHS and both Mr. Pennell and Ross additionally met  with these students in  small groups of 25 to discuss schedules and other pertinent topics

Adjournment- Ms. Jean Young

School Improvement Council Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Welcome and Introductions- Ms. Jean Young

• Minutes from the November meeting were approved

New STEM Program – Mr. Pennell, Ms. Ross, Mr. Mahaffey

• Pennell discussed the addition of” Project Lead the Way”, a nationally recognized STEM curriculum which offers various area of concentration.
• St James has elected to focus on a Computer Science
• St James will be the first” Computer Technology High School” in Horry
• A total of 4 classes will eventually be offered, starting with one next
• Completion of the 4 classes will allow an option of college credit via AP testing
• The importance of technology in Horry County and future employment options for all levels of computer programming skills was discussed

Principal Report- Mr. Pennell

• There is a plan for 6 additional portables next year at SJHS to address increased attendance
• In addition, 75 staff positions will be added; to include a full time school nurse, an additional guidance counselor, and positions in Behavioral Health, Social Studies, Spanish and Math.
• 70 teachers and Staff at SJHS have recently been certified in CPR and an additional class will be offered in the
• Grand Strand Young Life, a faith based organization, will be sending 2 students from Coastal Carolina University who will interact with SJHS students during lunch and will hold additional offsite
• Candy will be distributed to all students in the cafeteria on Valentine’s

Guidance Report- Caroline Ross

• 11th grade students will have an opportunity to take either the ACT on February 20 and the SAT in Test prep workshops are also being offered in the auditorium(Wednesday, Feb 13 for the ACT and Thursday, Feb 14 for the SAT)
• All 11th graders will also take the WIN career
• The guidance department is in the process of finishing IGPs and students will be given an opportunity to review their choices prior to final class
• AP testing dates are May 6-13 and will be held offsite at Surfside United Methodist Church.

Street Drug Awareness

• Pennell discussed the informational program presented by Mr. Costas for SJHS parents.
• JUUL continues to be found at SJHS and students receive ISS and are booked for possession which carries a $162
• Mahaffey presented several examples of JUUL devices that looked like a flash drive, can be charged in a USB port and are available in various flavors to familiarize parents with these items. These do contain nicotine and the signs of addiction were discussed.
• Various options to help address the issue were discussed including information sessions for students and parents as well as the possibility of obtaining

Adjournment- Ms. Jean Young

School Improvement Council Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Welcome and Introductions- Ms. Sheila Mitchell

Senior Projects – Mr. Sonny Williams, Media Specialist

• Williams presented an overview of the senior projects which started in 2004 at SJHS and are now known as Senior Digital Exploration.
• All seniors (except AP and PACE students) are required to
• Topics are selected based on student interest, with a focus on future career choices. The process also involves community service with a narrative/reflection on key learning points.
• Finally, two research papers are required as well as a presentation to community
• Williams highlighted past successes including Katie’s Project.
• Volunteers are need for the judging on December 13 from 4-7PM. More information to follow in the daily Shark
• Pennell emphasized what a great learning experience this was for all involved.
• Williams is also responsible for the Robotics team and is looking for additional volunteers to assist students.

Food Drive/Printing Press- Ms.Melson

• Melson, a teacher in the Special Education Department, discussed the Occupational Certificate Program which emphasizes” Learners at Work” and fostering job skills.
• The committee took a tour of SJHS’ Fins Up Shop which includes Fintastic stitches( embroidery), Fintastic signs( wooden hand painted signs) and Fintastic Designs( T-shirts) and were able to see first- hand the impressive accomplishments of these talented students.
• Items can be ordered by contacting Melson directly.(kmelson@horrycountyschools.net)

School Improvement

Meeting Minutes, Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Page 2

• SJHS food pantry is also housed in this area and the students inventory donations from several local food banks as well as contributions from the Ladies of the In addition, there is a Food Drive

being conducted during 2^nd Block. SJHS is sponsoring 14 families for Thanksgiving and 25 students for Christmas.

Guidance Report- Caroline Ross

• Underclassman IGPs have started
• 11^th Graders will have an opportunity to take a free SAT or ACT in Spring 2019
• Plans for next year include one new course entitled “Computer Forensics”. The number of AP classes will remain at

What’s New at SJHS

• The PowderPuff event will be rescheduled for Spring 2019 due to inclement
• Student council representatives are discussing tentative plans for a Winter Dates being considered are December 20, 2018 or February 15, 2019.
• A program to place feminine products in the girls’ bathrooms has been trialed with plans to expand based on positive

Principal Report - Mr. Van Pennell

• Hank Wortley, Science Department, was introduced at Teacher of the year at SJHS and will now compete at the HCS District level. Other nominees in the top 5 included: Ms. Denise Noll (Math), Ms. Elisha Revis (Computer Science), Ms. Sarah Crist (English) and Mr. Jacob Scheuer (Physical Education).
• Pennell highlighted the recent successful Homecoming, Fields of Faith and Veterans Day Celebration at SJHS.
• It was noted that the Cheerleading team recently won the 5A Regionals and will compete for the State Championship this Saturday in
• Girl’s Golf also experienced a successful season. Smith Knaffle and Adrian Anderson from SJHS participated in the recent North/ South All Star
• Pennell discussed some disciplinary concerns in reference to TARDIES as well as 27 recent

Tobacco write ups involving JUUL e-cigarettes with further discussion on this issue planned for next meeting.

• The State Accountability Model has been postponed until the end of Results to be presented at the February SIC meeting

Adjournment- Ms. Sheila Mitchell

School Improvement

Meeting Minutes, Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Page 3

School Improvement Council Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Welcome and Introductions- Ms. Jean Young

New Accountability Model – Mr. Brett Mahaffey, Instructional Coach SJHS (see attached PowerPoint Presentation)

• Overview of a new report ranking ALL 140+ SC high schools scheduled to be released by Nov 15
• Represents the first unified agreement on skills required for SC students and is mandated by the state legislature
• The profile of the South Carolina graduate includes WORLD CLASS KNOWLEDGE, WORLD CLASS SKILLS, and LIFE and CAREER
• Criteria will include weighted assessments of Academic Achievement (Eng1 and Alg1 EOC), Preparing for Success (Bio1 and US history EOC), English Language Acquisition and Proficiency, On-Time

Graduation Rate, College and Career Readiness, and Positive and Effective Learning Environment.

• Scores will be 0-100 and it was emphasized that only 10 % of the total schools will receive an Excellent designation and 65 % of the schools will be considered Good or

Hurricane Relief Sandbag Effort- Mr. Vann Pennell

• Pennell expressed his appreciation and recognized the effort of faculty, students and graduates, as well as several sand companies and the state for supplying and filling over 220,000 bags during a 3 day period to help local victims of the floods. He described it as an invaluable experience for all involved.

Guidance Report- Caroline Ross

• IGPs to start Nov 1
• PSAT scheduled for Oct 24 for Grades 10/11 at SJHS

School Improvement

Meeting Minutes, Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Page 2

• FREE SAT for Horry County students Saturday, Nov 3

What’s New at SJHS

• Student council discussed plans for Homecoming Friday, October The theme is” Music Genres” and each class will vote on a specific theme for their floats this week and construction can begin on Thursday, October 18.
• The Homecoming Courts for each class were
• SJHS’ first graduating class will celebrate their 10 YEAR Reunion. They are encouraged to attend and participate in
• Homecoming Week( Oct 22-26) events also include additional opportunities for student participation during Meme Monday, Too Tired Tuesday, Wayback Wednesday, Team Tuesday and Music Genres Friday.

Discussion

• The 7 required make-up days from Hurricane Florence were discussed. A decision on the remainder of the days missed and well as the 1 additional day due to Tropical Storm Michael are pending at this time.

Adjournment- Ms. Jean Young

Saint James High School School Improvement Council Minutes

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Attendance:

• Jean Young/SIC President and parent
• Michelle Collins/ SIC Vice Pres and parent
• Janice Morreale-School Board Member and parent
• Debbie Leonard/SIC Secretary and parent
• Helene Gerrald – Parent
• Donna Satterly – Parent
• Lucille Douglas – Parent
• Vann Pennell-Principal of Saint James High School
• Caroline Ross – Admin
• Amber Zajac – Student Body President
• Karie Fussaro – parent
• Brett Mahaffey – teacher
• Sheila Mitchell - parent
• Laura Burdick - teacher

Ms. Jean Young – Welcome and Freshman Orientation

• Freshman Orientation will be Tuesday, August 21st. SIC provides pizza and helps SIC seeks corporate donations of $100 each for T-Shirts. Karie Fussaro and Tammy Herring will be the SIC volunteers to coordinate this event with Kristen Crews, teacher.

 Principal’s Report – Mr. Vann Pennell

• Pennell with Amber Zajac discussed the students’ participation with the National Walk-Out to honor the victims of the school shooting in Parkland Florida. It was a 17 minute program with video, pledge of the allegiance, moment of silence, and the names of the 17 victims were read. Students were allowed to walk into the hallways of the school. Students were very respectful.
• Pennell discussed the Hawaiian themed teacher appreciation week, Senior projects, Senior trip, teacher vacancies, dress code monitoring, and issues with vaping at school. Mr. Pennell announced the required graduation practice on June 1st at 8 a.m. at CCU.

U.S. & World Report – Mr. Brett Mahaffey

• James High School has been included in the rankings for the third straight year. We are ranked 2,346 out of 20,548 schools and earned a silver medal. We are ranked 23rd in SC and Carolina Forest HS is the only Horry County school ranked higher than SJHS.
• SJHS has a very small gap between scores among underserved and non-underserved students.
• The takeaways from this award are that we need to strive to do better on EOC testing, graduation rates, expansion of the Advanced Placement courses, and prepare for success on the AP

Caroline Ross - Guidance:

• AP testing is almost
• They are still working on the master class schedule for 2018/2019.

Vann Pennell – SIC Elections – Mr. Pennell suggested that the officers for SIC for the 2018/2019 year should be Jean Young as Chair, Sheila Mitchell as Vice Chair, and Helene Gerrald as Secretary. All nominations were accepted and approved.

Ms. Jean Young:

• Young adjourned the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Debbie Leonard Secretary

Saint James High School School Improvement Council Minutes

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

• Michelle Collins/SIC Vice-President
• Jean Young/SIC President
• Mark Mitchell-Advisory/Parent
• Vann Pennell-Principal of Saint James High School
• Amber Zajac-Student Body President
• Jordan White – Student Council
• Janice Morreale-School Board Member
• Laura Burdick – Teacher
• Caroline Ross – Admin
• Lori Murphy – Parent
• Beth Jordan - Parent
• Ligia Murphy – Parent
• Helene Gerrald – Parent

Welcome and Introductions by Mrs. Jean Young:

• Young welcomed everyone and introduced our guest speaker, Mr. Kenny Generette, HCS District attorney

Random Student Drug Testing – Mr. Generette:

• Our district is in the exploration phase – just gathering info from other districts (Lexington I, Anderson 5, Beaufort County, etc.) who have implemented random student drug testing
• Why? As a deterrent; to promote good health; to possibly give students an “out” in a pressure situation; early intervention and awareness. Not looking to implement program as a
• Legal to do so if pool to be tested is a selection of students. Not entire population. Athletes and those who drive to school are being offered a privilege so this is not infringing upon a “right”.
• Selection is random by independent third party so no
• Parents can voluntarily place their students in test
• Financial component can be significant - $18-$30 a
• Test administered as mouth swab and tests for alcohol and different
• Middle school students who are student athletes at high school can be included.
• District is in early stages of this process and welcomes input from all stakeholders. If the decision is made to implement such program, the 2019- 2020 school year would be earliest opportunity due to many steps involved in implementing.

Guidance Report – Mrs. Caroline Ross:

• Open House for all SJHS Parents is next Tuesday, April 27, 4-7.
• 11th graders have upcoming ACT or SAT tests to be administered at school. ACT will be given next Tuesday, February
• The Work Keys testing will be replaced by WIN program this year. More info to follow.

 Principal’s Report – Mr. Vann Pennell

• Encouraged everyone to bring someone with them to the next
• Discussion about St James’ response to Florida High School shooting last week. “Shark Tank” teachers met to discuss our current safety measures. Increased importance placed on all doors being locked from outside during school hours (which includes no more propping doors open by students/teachers and opening back doors to let other students enter). Open dialogue with students about the importance of their role to be aware and report. Also, change in fire drill
• Entire student population was searched on Monday, February 19. This was a planned event and not in response to Florida shooting. Overall, the search went well and the only significant violation found involved one bottle of vodka with small amount in it. There have been several false rumors lately about guns, etc being seen / found at our school and each one has been investigated.
• SJHS has 7 open positions for next year and will have a job fair this
• EOC testing scores were discussed – Alg 2 scores increased. Biology was

“renormed” this year and, as expected, the scores were lower than desired – optimistic about spring semester scores. English I had 100% pass rate. US History scores discussed.

Ms. Young adjourned the meeting at 6:30 pm

School Improvement Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018

Mr. Pennell-Principal Elisha Revis-teacher

Amber Zajac-Student Body President Otez Myers-Senior Class President Matthew Fox-teacher

Karla Lopez-teacher Michelle Collins-parent/SIC Jeon Young-parent/ SIC Caroline Ross-Guidance Lucille Douglas-parent

• Kindness Week: The schools in our cluster will celebrate "Kindness Week" in which the schools in our cluster will participate in random acts of kindness throughout the week of Jan. 22-26. 2018. During the week there will different toiletry items collected each day from the students as well. After this week, volunteers will be needed to help bag  the supplies that will be donated to the
• What's New at SJHS

-Test scores will be discussed at the February meeting.

-Kurt Hughes-custodian-support staff winner for this school year.

-Jonah Buck was recognized for Perfect Attendance-he has never misses a day of school.

-Make up days for snow days-Jan. 16th and Feb. 19th , At this point we are not sure about the third day-waiting to hear if it will be excused.

-Next meeting we will be discussing/planning for the Transition Meeting in August. We will need volunteers for pizza, t-shirts, water, etc.

• Guidance Report:

-EOC testing is going on now.

-IGPs are in the process of getting started for 2"d semester due to testing and snow days.

-Report cards will be posted on January 26t h.

-Grades are due on Friday, January 12th

-Exams start Wed., Jan. 10t h

-Fri., Jan. 12th will be a half day

• Chick-fil-A Leader Academy:

-One of the students did a toy drive for MUSC to give to the children at the cancer center.

-April there is an Impact Project kickball with the focus on 1st responders.

-One group did a luncheon for custodians.

St. James High School School Improvement Council Meeting

September 08, 2015

Attendees:

Terri Larkin, Chairman                                    Sally Young, Co-Chair

Adam Scott, Student Council                         Kathy Heath, Secretary Caroline Ross, Guidance Director                                Vann Pennell, Principal Kimberli Stanton, Welcome Desk                                 Melanie Miller, Teacher

1. Mitchell, Advisory Shauna Schubiger, Instruct. Coach

Laura Burdick, Teacher                                  Margie Riedinger

Kelly Brink, Parent                                          Jean Young, Parent/Co Sec.

Jennifer Bayliff, Parent                                   Robyn Hays, Parent

Allison Hughes, Parent                                   Michelle Collins, Parent Janice Morreale, HCS School Board                         Junell Vazquez

Terri Larkin open the meeting at 5:30 p.m. and welcomed everyone. She asked everyone to take the opportunity to introduce himself or herself, as this is our first meeting of the year.

Agendas were distributed as well as a list of dates of all SIC meetings for the year. Terri Larkin covered some of the key points that the SIC committee is responsible for or undertakes during the year.

Minutes from the last meeting were read and approved.

 Principal’s Report -

Mr. Pennell thanked everyone for taking time to attend the SIC meeting. He said that he sees this group as the eyes and ears for the school. He encouraged everyone to let him know if they hear anything that he should be aware of, as he is always willing to listen. He said we are all here for one reason and that is for the kids.

He would love to have at least twice as many people attend the SIC meetings and he would like for everyone here to encourage other parents to come. It is a very informative meeting and he would like for all to be an active part of the SIC.

Introduction of his staff/students:

Ms. Burdick – teacher and DECA

Ms. Miller – new teacher and Mock Trial Ms. Best – Assistant Principal

Mr. Mahaffey – recently moved from curriculum coach to Assistant Principal Ms. Schubiger – new teacher, previously at St. Michael’s

Ms. Stanton – Welcome desk, voice of St. James

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Caroline Ross – New Guidance Director – previously a teacher here, moved to Guidance at St. James Middle School, now back at the high school.

Adam Scott – Student Body representative along with Savannah Fairchild and Francie Evans who could not be here tonight. They do a great job.

Jerry Moore – who is not here tonight but has done a fantastic job with the St. James Radio Station, 101 FM, with announcements and talk show. The radio station has a 1 mile radius around the school.

Mr. Pennell asked the group to stop him if they have any questions. He believes that this year they had the best opening of school since he has been here the last 6 years. They did not have PowerSchool and could not print schedules but he said Caroline did a great job in working through it. He said 99% of the schedules were correct. He appreciated all the help with Freshman Orientation.

We have fifteen new faculty members this year; he has hired some great people that really love the kids. He meets with the students 75 at a time. We have the least number of referrals ever and tardies are down. Ms. Miller, one of our new teachers, said that the accountability on the kids is amazing and refreshing to her and that comes from the Administration. She said “Thanks”, from a teacher.

Interims will be online this year; there will not be any paper handouts. (Interims are mid-terns for the first nine-week period).

Open House on October 29th is a walk-in – this is not Parent Teacher Conferences. It’s more like a meet-and-greet. There is also an NCAA meeting that will take place that evening.

We have a Robotics Team for the 3rd year and they will compete in January or February. Our team came in 22nd last year

Fall Sports is off and running and off to a great start.

Dress Code – “The way you dress is the way you act”. They are strict with dress code and have some problems with leggings.

The PDL’s rolled out last week. Through the Personalized Digital Learning (PDL) Initiative, the district is rolling out blended learning for personalization district-wide. One of our new parents said her student had pre-paid the insurance fee but did not receive hers. Mrs. Best, our assistant principal, spoke with the parent and will make sure this is taken care of.

Mr. Pennell promotes the book, Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews, and the teachers are reading the book. He encourages everyone to read the book; it’s about 7 Decisions that determine personal success.

The school is going through the accreditation process this year and a committee has been formed to work on this process

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Palmetto’s Finest – Last year we were 3rd in the state but we will be applying again this year. The S.C. Association of School Administrators presents the awards each year to schools that offer the best in innovative, effective educational programs. The Palmetto's Finest Award is one of the most coveted and respected awards among educators.

They are working to increase the school’s AP enrollment, graduation rate is up and SAT & ACT scores are up as well.

Goals are: 1) Collaboration 2) Engagement/Rigor 3) Closing to end of class, holding attention.

An ACT Workshop will be held here next Friday and the cost per student is $20. See Ms. Kelly Vargo to sign up. It is a great prep for anyone taking the test.

Generally speaking, the ACT assesses your knowledge of basic English, reading, science, and writing and intermediate math, whereas the SAT assesses your critical thinking, problem solving, and test taking skills along with your basic critical reading, math, and writing skills.

Students with free lunch will receive fee waivers.

Presentation by Ms. Miller –

She is starting the Mock Trial Program this year and has four students interested in participating. The first meeting is this coming Monday from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. They will take a field trip to Columbia on October 3rd. Cost is $20 per student and includes breakfast and lunch. They will be formally trained by the SC Bar. Competition will be held in February. Our new English teacher, Ms. Kinley will assist with Mock Trial. It is a great opportunity for students to learn the process and it is awesome for scholarships. Ms. Morreale informed us that there are some non-speaking parts too if there are students who would like to join but are afraid of speaking. Such would be the job for the bailiff or timer. Encourage your students to sign up for the Mock Trial team.

Caroline Ross –

She noted that there are lots of changes but they are here to help the students. Guidance is assigned alphabetically this year but anyone is available to help if you cannot get with your specific counselor for any reason.

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Mrs. Ross went through the upcoming calendar:

Thursday, Sept 10th – 11th and 12th grade students can visit CCU campus to take part in the Horry County College Fair at the HTC Center. Students will leave during 2nd and 3rd block and travel by bus to the HTC Center. They must have permission slips signed before going. There is also a night session from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. so that parents can go.

St. James has an Open House on September 29th and Guidance will have open house that night and welcomes everyone to come by at 5:00 p.m. They will also have an NCAA clearing house meeting that afternoon at 5:30 in the auditorium. Students will receive interim report cards on this date as well. Guidance will have a sign-up table to begin conducting IGP’s for each student. Parents should be sure to sign up.

The PSAT is offered for all 10th and 11th graders on October 14th.

October 28th is College Application Day for seniors. Many colleges waive their application fees on this day and they have counselors from the colleges here to answer questions or help the students with their online applications. Mrs. Ross also noted that when filling out applications, students should list the counselor that they have worked with because you want someone who knows the student very well.

New from Guidance – parents need to sign up to be on the email list with the guidance counselors. Also, Guidance will be publishing a newsletter, will update the website weekly with new scholarships as they become available.

Janice Morreale – The school and staff have done a great job working with the new traffic loop here at the school and making it work. She is concerned about finding a way to make the traffic move more quickly. The parent drop off in the morning (after 7:40 a.m.) is easy. We need to look into making double lanes to get around stopped cars. It was also noted that the awnings will be up in November and will help a lot when it is raining. Mrs. Morreale asked what kind of problems other people are having in the car lines and new traffic pattern. Mr. Mahaffey noted that at least now we could control where people walk and keep students from walking through traffic like it was up front. Mr. Pennell said that safety is first concern and that they will also be cutting some trees back for more area and visibility. Mrs. Morreale asked for feedback and for parents to come forth with any ideas they might have for improvements with the traffic loop.

As always, Mr. Pennell ended the meeting with some positive commentary. Last week we competed against Carolina Forest, not only on the football field but also in a social media spirit contest. The number of tweets or hashtags with #wpdespiritstjames were counted and the same for Carolina Forest. We didn’t win that social media blitz but we had lots of tweets and many former Shark graduates got in on the competition and said some very nice things about our school. Proud to be a Shark.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m.

Next Meeting -

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, October 13th at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center.

SJHS School Improvement Council

October 13, 2015 Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 5:30 by Sally Young.

Our guest “Principal for the Day” – Stella Mercado was introduced. Ms. Mercado is the owner of Mercom Corp, an IT company located in Pawleys Island. She spent the day shadowing Mr. Pennell and was very complimentary of our school and her experience meeting staff and students at SJHS.

Mr. Jerry Moore was introduced, and he presented SJHS’ Student Journalism and Media program. Mr. Moore began leading our program three years ago and has been very successful in improving many aspects of it. The program is no longer operating at a deficit, there are more products for students to be involved in, the products are more professional, and the costs for senior yearbook ads have actually decreased! Mr. Moore explained all of the various products for broadcast journalism, print journalism and yearbook journalism. There was discussion about the Forward Magazine – a PR type publication- which will be available soon and the radio program. Sally Young and Caroline Ross both complimented Mr. Moore on the program’s improvement. Ms. Mercado and Caroline Ross discussed the possibility of using Apps to make communication more efficient also.

Mr. Pennell presented SHARK DATA to the council. The data provides details about disciplinary actions, EOC test scores, AP/ACT/Workkeys scores, and graduation rates. Disciplinary actions (5 year comparison) data showed improvements such as level 2 and 3 offenses (more serious) decreasing. The majority of our discipline problems are related to traffic on 707 with construction and dress code violations. Our school disciplinary actions were lower than other schools in the county also. EOC test scores continue to show steady improvement over past five years. AP scores – SJHS overall mean test score was higher than others in the county, the state and even global. Last year, all 11^th graders were given the ACT and Workkeys Data tests. Mr. Pennell provided that scores with detailed feedback. He concluded with data regarding on-time graduation rates. This performance is very important for our school, including accounting for 33% of our school report card grade. From 2009/2010 to 2014/2015, SJHS rate improved from 74.6% to 83.3%.

Mr. Pennell mentioned the following:

1. Homecoming week – moved to next week. Lots of fun activities planned – pep rally at school, parade early, and senior night before the
2. Commander Cellucci (JROTC) was named “Commander of the World”
3. SJHS won the WPDE Spirit Award which will be awarded during Friday’s Homecoming Pep
4. Girls Golf having a lot of success and has good chance to win
5. Football had a huge win Saturday vs. Wilson

Meeting was adjourned at 6:27 pm. Next meeting – Nov 10 @ 5:30 pm.

St. James High School School Improvement Council Meeting

November 10, 2015

Attendees:

Terri Larkin, Chairman                                    Sally Young, Co-Chair

Denise. Lopes , Attendance                            Kathy Heath, Secretary Caroline Ross, Guidance Director                                Vann Pennell, Principal Kimberli Stanton, Welcome Desk                                 Jennifer Bayliff, Parent

1. Boyer, Parent Allison Hughes, Parent

Margie Riedinger, Parent                                Jean Young, Parent/Co Sec.

Kelly Brink, Parent                                          Melissa Poulin, Parent

Terri Larkin open the meeting at 5:30 p.m. and welcomed everyone.

Agendas and minutes from the last meeting were distributed. Minutes from the last meeting were read and approved.

Guidance Report - Caroline Ross –

There is a lot of testing going on now, including CogAt.

October 28th was College Application Day for seniors. Many colleges waive their application fees on this day and counselors from the colleges were here to answer questions or help the students with their online applications. CCU can waive the application fee. See guidance for more information. We received letters from five of the seven colleges who were participating here that day complimenting our students.

Terri Larkin suggested having a “Pre-Application” day so parents who have been through the college application process can provide pointers to others. It is recommended that you at least start applications before getting to the College App Day at school. This will allow students quality time with the college counselors while they are here to assist.

IGPS’s – still in process and some still need to sign up.

Marcus Lattimore Foundation Leadership Academy – Took place November 3rd at Coastal Carolina University and some of our students were able to attend, based on their GPA. This was a great learning experience for our students. It is one of four state-wide conferences organized to prepare student athletes for college, athletics and academics. It focuses on NCAA eligibility, professional etiquette, job interview techniques and finance. Two hundred students from three counties participated.

Attendance Report – Denise Lopes -

Mrs. Lopes reviewed the attendance policy in detail and distributed a handout with helpful information. (attached) She also explained to parents how to interpret the key on PowerSchool for absences: L=Tardy X=must have a doctor’s note A = unverified absence

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Students are only allowed four unexcused absences for the entire year. A parent note does not excuse an absence. Doctor’s notes do excuse an absence. Funerals may also be excused with proper documentation. When in doubt about any situation, please contact the attendance office so they may help.

Make-up classes have started – Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. and some Saturdays. The make-up classes will help to get credit for academic classes but it won’t help with truancy.

Vacation – Mr. Pennell can approve up to three days vacation for a student if it is educational. The student is required to write a one-page report. There is a form to complete prior to taking the vacation.

School related functions such as band, sports, and competitions are not counted as absences.

 Parent’s Cabinet Meeting Recap – Terri Larkin -

Make-up day due to October flooding – there will be a make-up day later in the year. School Lunches – the requirements have been relaxed.

New Intermediate School – next to Burgess Elementary and will have 5th & 6th grades. Middle school will have 7th & 8th grades.

Our school is on the list for portables next year. We have 5 floating teachers now.

The 2016 – 2017 School Calendar draft is out. Terri will email the packet to the all on the list. The next meeting will be the third week in January.

 Principal’s Report – Vann Pennell -

Mr. Pennell thanked everyone for taking time to attend the SIC meeting. He appreciates hearing everyone’s ideas and said it is the purpose of the meeting. Please continue to funnel your thoughts and ideas to him.

A review of fall activities:

Field of Dreams – sponsored by FCA – bleachers were full. A great event we hope to repeat next year.

Fill the Bus – we loaded a bus with supplies for flood victims and delivered it to Georgetown. It was great to be able to get all the support to make this happen.

Our own Col. Cellucci was selected as JROTC Instructor of the Year 2015 (worldwide out of 1700 instructors). It’s also the 3rd highest civilian award in the Army.

Veteran’s Day is tomorrow and there is a ceremony for our veteran’s in the auditorium. Football playoffs – we are in this year for the first time in school history. We are going to

Marlboro County, which is about 1 hour and 40 minutes away. The band is going and there is a bus going that can take 40 students.

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Volleyball – made the 2nd round of play-offs.

Girls Tennis – made the 2nd round play-offs for the first time in history. Girls Golf – they are State Champions !

Cross Country – Kelsey Glover made it to the state finals. Cheerleading - going to Lower States this weekend at River Bluff. Band – 13th in the State

Academic Team – in finals this Saturday Teacher of the Year – Raul Velasco

Test Scores – EOC are the highest combined in Horry County and a 91% passing rate. ACT – 3rd highest of all school in Horry County.

Discipline – lowest of any school in Horry County.

Cell Phone Apps – in the news recently about cell phone apps that kids are using. The apps are disguised as a legitimate use app but it is really a fake icon that hides info, nude pictures, etc. Everyone should be aware that this is in use and could show up on cell phones.

Progress Reports – now will be online. They will no longer be printed. Shark Bytes – new release each Friday.

Palmetto’s Finest – Last year we were 3rd in the state but we have applied again this year. The

S.C. Association of School Administrators presents the awards each year to schools that offer the best in innovative, effective educational programs. The Palmetto's Finest Award is one of the most coveted and respected awards among educators. We have a visit between November 30th – December 11th, date unknown, and they will arrive at 7:30 a.m. There will not be a student or parent panel to be interviewed this year. Ninety percent of their visit time will be in the classrooms.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Next Meeting - We will not have meetings in December of January. Please send meeting ideas to Terri Larkin.

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, February 9th at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center.

St. James High School Attendance Office

Helpfu l Inform ati on for Nin t h Grade and New Students

Attendance Clerk: Denise Lopes dlopes@horrycountyschools.net

Assistant Principal: Natasha Best Nbest@horrycountyschools.net

Welcome to St. James High School! The attendance office encourages all studentsto arrive to schoolon time everyday. Mrs. Lopes and Ms. Best are here to helpyour student attend school on a regular basis through counseling. student and or parent meetings at any time to ensure yourstudent is successful their first year here. Communication is key!I

Please contact Mrs. lopes at (843)650-1024 for any questions or concerns.

Attendance follows you throughout life.   Master punctuality and attendi g school every day now, forsuccess throughout your life beginning with high school, a part-time job, college and eventually a career.

A student is only allowed four unexcused absences for the entire year. Aparent's notedoesnot excuse an

absence.                                                                                                         '

• Absences are excused with a doctor's note, or judicial note

Funerals are excused with an obituary or a funeral program. A student receives three days for in state andfive days for an out of state funeral. Please notify the attendance your child willbe out.

Although you have notified the teachers of an extended absence, please notify the attendance office, also, when your student will be out longer than th ree days due to a situation. We might be able to helpwith the absences.

For an early dismissal from school, a student must havea parent note in order to leave. Please include the following information on the dismissal note.

1. Student's first and last name Include the middle initial if there is another student with the same firstand last
2. Time student is to be picked up.
3. Who student will be leaving witli if not a parent. This person should be on the pick-up list for your student; if not the case, a phone call with be made to
4. Parent's signature with working phone nu,:nber for

All pick-ups must be made before 3:00pm. dasses will not be interrupted afterthat time.

• Student's who drive will need a parent's note with the same information as above. All student drivers' noteswill be confirmed with a parent before student can be A student driver willnot be released via a phone call. Parent note, email or a fax (843) 650-1034 from the parent isthe only way.

Once a student reaches five unexcused absences , the parent will be notified through first through a phone call and ema il,second via lett er and third reminder phone call and email. Paren-t must attend to place the student on an (AIP) which stands foran Attendance Intervention plan to correct the student's pattern of absences.

I hopeyou find this helpful with your child's attendance, ensuring a positive successful school year!