Cordelia Jenkins Principal

Ruffin Middle School 155 Patriot Lane Ruffin, South Carolina 29475 Telephone FAX 843-782-0018 (new phone #) 843-562-8028 October 2010

Michael Thomas Assistant Principal

Ms. Cordelia Jenkins, principal at both Bells Elementary and Ruffin Middle Schools, is a native of Walterboro who graduated from Ruffin High School. She was graduated from the College of Charleston as well as The Citadel. She is currently studying to obtain another Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Ms. Jenkins is active at Lovely Hill Baptist Church. She wants all of our students to be successful throughout their educational experiences at RMS. She is proud that both Bells and Ruffin met AYP, and she is supporting the teachers and staff so that we can meet the state expectations again this year. Our students and staff have proven to be successful and demonstrated the ability to get results. Ms. Jenkins’ door is open to everyone this year. We are glad to have Ms. Jenkins here at Ruffin Middle School for another great year! Mr. Michael Thomas is our assistant principal. Originally from Louisiana, Mr. Thomas retired from the navy in 1989. He is presently working on his Doctorate in Education Leadership. He has already earned his Master’s degree in Information Systems, a MBA in Business Administration, and a BA in Business Administration from Charleston Southern University. Mr. Thomas is married and has two grown children and one grandson. He enjoys fishing, reading, and exercise walking, an activity that has helped him lose more than 30 pounds in the past 3 months.

Mr. Thomas is extremely excited to be here with our Ruffin family. He enjoys working with the students and community to continue to improve our students’ achievement, culture, and climate. He is presently working with CATCH, a new county grant that emphasizes and addresses obesity in Colleton County that teaches healthy lifestyle habits such as good eating and fitness. Mr. Thomas has also been instrumental in creating the Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) that encourage students to behave in a positive manner in the school environment so that they can prepare for the future. He has an open door policy for teachers, students, and parents. We Met AYP! For the second year in a row, Ruffin Middle School met or exceeded the state’s requirements for Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). Our middle school is the only middle school in Colleton County that met these requirements. Because the tests will be more challenging this coming spring, our emphasis will be on further improving our test scores this year. Our students will need to study diligently in math and social studies so that we can succeed again. We appreciate your encouraging your child to do his/her best. Uniforms If you have any questions about the uniform code, please visit http://www.colleton.k12.sc.us/ SchoolUniformsExamples.pdf .

Mrs. Gloreybel Obero-Abelita is our new self-contained special education teacher. She grew up in the Philippines. Mrs. Abelita has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in English as well as a Master’s of Education in special education with a major in Exceptional Children. She is married with 3 children. Her hobbies include surfing the internet, cooking, listening to music, and movie editing. She wants the students to know that in addition to teaching the core subjects, she can also teach and incorporate technology in her classroom. She may not be a perfect teacher, but she has the most perfect dreams and aspirations for each of her students. Mrs. Abelita believes in each student’s capacity to achieve something, no matter how big or small. She believes in dreams, and dreams do come true if we work for it, coupled with faith and perseverance. Mrs. Audrey Algere is our English I and 8^th grade English Language Arts teacher. Mr. Greg Aument is our new physical education teacher. Mrs. Sharon Bailey, our 7^th grade mathematics teacher, was born in Winchester, VA, and moved to South Carolina in 1973. Mrs. Bailey was graduated from Charleston Southern University in 1991 with a BS in Elementary Education. She is married, and they have a blended family with 6 children and 8 grandchildren. Her hobbies are playing Fantasy football, going to NASCAR races, camping, reading, and watching NFL football, especially the Carolina Panthers. She has high expectations for her students - they can be successful, and some will have to work harder than others. She does not accept, “I don’t know how!” She expects her students to ask questions when concepts are not quite clear. Once inside the classroom, she expects each student to display a learning attitude. Together, Mrs. Bailey and her students can be the best 7^th grade math class in Colleton County School District! Mrs. Marina Barrett teaches 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade art appreciation. She grew up in Queens, NY, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. She is married with 1 son

and 2 dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with her family, walking in the park with her family and dogs, and creating art. Mrs. Barrett’s instructions will help her students create better projects in their other classes, thus resulting in getting better grades, and will give them the opportunity to express themselves through visual art. Mrs. Michelle Bell is our new Algebra I teacher. Mrs. Mebane Connelly is teaching 6^th grade Social Studies this year. She was born in Virginia, but she graduated from Hilton Head High School. She already has her BA in History, and is working on her Master’s of Arts in Instruction and Curriculum. Her hobbies include reading, auction picking, and spending time with her family. She is married and has a young daughter. Ms. Kimberly Fee will be teaching 6^th grade Science this year. She grew up in Walterboro and still lives here with her two daughters. She earned her BA degree in Elementary Education. Her hobbies are cooking, reading, swimming, and boating. Mr. Tom Finigan will be teaching 6^th through 8^th grade band in addition to being the Directors of Bands at Colleton County High School with the Band of Blue. He has two degrees, a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from USC and a Master’s degree in Secondary and Elementary Administration from the Citadel. He and his wife, the assistant principal at Forest Hills Elementary, have two sons; his oldest son is in the Band of Blue at the high school. He enjoys music, computers, web design, and the Band of Blue’s Drum Corps. Mr. Finigan loves teaching band. Mrs. Dimita Franklin teaches math to our 8th grade students. Mrs. Elaine Freeman is our 7^th grade science teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Her hobby is reading. Mr. Michael Green is teaching English Language Arts and Reading to our students. Ms. Felicia Harley is our Keyboarding teacher to all of our students. Mr. Wilmont Hayes is our Career Counselor.

Ms. Melanie Henderson teaches 6^th grade English Language Arts classes. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from USC-Aiken. She is single and has no children, but she claims to have adopted several throughout the years. Ms. Henderson enjoys reading, cooking, and playing board games. She also loves spending time with her nieces and nephews. Any student who has ever had contact with Ms. Henderson knows that she loves them. She will do anything in her power to make sure that they receive the best education possible. Ms. Henderson will do her part, and the students know that they have to do theirs. She tries to make learning fun and exciting, and she expects nothing but the best from her students. Ms. Marrissa Jones is our new guidance counselor. A native of Walterboro, she was graduated from USC with a degree in Psychology and earned her Master’s degree from the Citadel in Guidance. She enjoys reading and travel. Ms. Denise S. Jones is our mental health therapist who offers individual, family, and group therapy. She grew up in Charleston, and has an Associate’s degree in Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Mental Health and Counseling. She is single, but she claims to be the proud parent of a shiatsu named Bojangles. Mrs. Marilyn Lambright will be teaching 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade Resource this year. She grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved her from New York City. She is married with four sons, all of whom are married, and has eight grandchildren. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies, her Master’s in Visually Impaired, and her Master’s plus 30 hours of continued studies. She enjoys exercise, playing the piano, gardening, and reading. Mrs. Lambright loves teaching and the students at Ruffin Middle School. Ms. Deborah Manigo is our 6^th grade math teacher. She grew up in Branchville, S.C., and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She has 2 children and 1 grandson. Her hobby is reading. Ms. Shannon Meadows teaches 7^th grade Social Studies. She grew up in Roosevelt, new

York, and received her BA in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University. She also has a Master’s of Education in School Counseling from South Carolina State University. She has 2 children. Ms. Meadows enjoys surfing the web, shopping, reading, and roller skating. She looks forward to a wonderful year at RMS! Mr. David Nay teaches 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade music. He was raised in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and has his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. His 2 dogs are named Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. He is looking forward to a great year! Ms. Angela Nichols will be teaching 8^th grade Social Studies. Her hobbies include reading and taking care of her farm. Mr. Shane Peek, our new 8^th grade science teacher, grew up in Kentucky and earned his BS degree in Biology and Philosophy with a minor in Chemistry. He also has his MA in Teaching – Science grades 5-9. Mr. Peek recently married, and they have a dog. Mr. Peek enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, reading science books, and exercising. His favorite food is Swiss Cakes Rolls followed closely by Dairy Queen’s Blizzards. Mrs. Celeste Stone, our library media specialist, grew up in Marion, S.C. She was graduated from Clemson with her B.A. in Secondary Education-English. She earned her M.A. in Secondary Education – English as well as a MLIS and National Certification in Library and Information Science at USC. She is married with two grown children and two granddaughters. She enjoys reading, traveling, and singing second soprano, alto, and tenor in both a traditional choir and in a praise team. Ms. Nicole Leigh Wise will be our 7^th grade and 8^th grade Advanced English Language Arts teacher. She was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. She was graduated Cum Laude from Youngstown State University with a B.A. in Secondary Education – Integrated Language Arts. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, and going to the beach. Ms. Sonya Williams attended elementary through high school at Ruffin High/Middle. She has her BA in Social work, Associate of Liberal Arts, and Associate of Business Administration from Limestone College. She

is finishing her Master’s in Human Resource, Psychology, and Community Counseling at Springfield College of Charleston. Ms. Williams has 2 grown children, four granddaughters, and another grandchild due in November. In addition, she has been blessed to keep a baby girl. She loves attending church and traveling. Her hobby is helping people. As Parent Facilitator, Ms. Williams is available to help students and parents make the transition smoothly back into school. Ms. Gwen Young teaches students in the math lab. PTO We want to thank everyone for the large turnout for the Sept. BES/RMS PTO meeting when our School Board candidates spoke. Thank you for your wise questions. You now have an opportunity on Nov. 2 to decide who will be representing our area. PTO will be crowning a homecoming queen at the Oct. 19^th football game at RMS. Each homeroom has selected a candidate, and one lucky girl will be crowned if her homeroom raises the most funds. Also, PTO will give that homeroom treats for their participation. FALL INTO LEARNING FESTIVAL Our school will host a “Fall into Learning Festival” on Friday, Oct. 29^th. Students will have the opportunity to participate in booths that have fun, educational games. Parent volunteers are needed all day to help with the booths, the prizes, and the concession stand. If you can volunteer to help, please contact Dawn Bryan at 599-0134 for further information. Attached please find a volunteer form that you must return to the school by Friday, Oct. 8. A background check is now mandatory for all volunteers to ensure the safety of our students. DISCUS If your child needs to do research, the State Department of Education offers DISCUS to all S.C. residents. Go to scdiscus.org., and search under DISCUS Kids. The username is discus11 (eleven), and the password is findit.

SPORTS Coach Jay Davis is very proud that the football team is 1 – 1 thus far. He has a lot of young players, but the older and more experienced players are helping the team to transition to a winning year. Coach Davis is pleased with all of his players’ progress this year. October Football Schedule 5 – RMS vs. Forest Circle at Colleton Prep Academy at 7:30 p.m. 9 – RMS vs. Colleton Middle at Old High School Stadium at 11:00 a.m. 12 – RMS vs. Forest Circle at Ruffin Middle School at 7:30 p.m. 19 – RMS vs. Colleton Middle at Ruffin Middle School (Parent/Homecoming Night) 26 – RMS vs. Forest Circle at Ruffin Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Admissions - $3 Adults, $1 Children, Children 3 and Under Free October Volleyball Schedule 4 – Tri Match between Colleton Middle School/Forest Circle Middle School + RMS + North District Middle School at RMS at 5:00 p.m. 10 – Tournament: Tri Match between Colleton Middle School/Forest Circle Middle School + RMS + North District Middle School at North District at 5:00 p.m. OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS 7 – RMS Open House 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 14 – Picture Day School Improvement Council (SIC) at 5:00 and PTO at 5:30 at BES 18 – No School 19 – School Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Board Room at Adult Education Building 20 – Report Cards 25 – 29 Red Ribbon Week 29 – Fall into Learning Festival 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.