Administrators from Spartanburg School District One will take the lead at the 2016 South Carolina Association of School Administrators Innovative Ideas Institute.

Three teams of Spartanburg School District One administrators will be presenting at the annual SCASA professional development conference for school administrators next week. In addition, Mrs. Erika Center will be honored as a 2016 Palmetto’s Finest principal of Holly Springs-Motlow Elementary School.

As a “Google” district, District One will present how they are using Google applications and how it has made work easier for administrators, staff, and teachers. The team will show how using Google features makes them more collaborative, saves time and expands their resources. Participants will have the opportunity to use their personal devices to explore the exciting Google features District One loves to use. From Google classrooms to Google surveys, they will show participants why they want to “Google that.”

A team from New Prospect Elementary School will describe how they are leading the way in art literacy by bridging reading and the arts. This process has lead to many award-winning programs such as the National Blue Ribbon award, Exemplary Reading award, and the Arts in the Basic Curriculum grant. Various art media are all additional forms of literacy to engage, teach, and assess students to maximize students’ depth of knowledge.

The systematic approaches of reading strategies coupled with creative movement, art, media and performance allow students to receive best practices that embed artistic skills to students’ achievement and love of reading. Participants will walk away with samples of lessons, observation instruments, strategic plans, and schedules to integrate visual and performing arts.

The hard work of the administrators, teachers, and students of Holly Springs-Motlow Elementary will be recognized, as principal Erika Center is honored as one of the 2016 Palmetto’s Finest Principals.

Mrs. Center said, “It is an honor to be named a Palmetto’s Finest School. We have worked very hard and this award is well deserved. I am excited about all of the wonderful things going on at Holly Springs-Motlow, and I am very fortunate to be a part of it.  Go Bulldogs!”

Mrs. Center will join fellow Palmetto’s Finest Elementary School Winners in presenting best practices that led them to become a Palmetto’s Finest school.

– article submitted
by Sandra Williams