Colleton County School District

#WeLoveTEAMColleton! Way to go, Ms. Griswold!!!

#WeLoveTEAMColleton! Way to go, Ms. Elliott!!!

Celebrating our awesome principals on Thursday, May 29, 2025 with breakfast. Superintendent Williams praised our school principals for all of their hard work during the 2024-2025 school year.

Colleton County School District celebrated our fantastic principals on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Congratulations, Colleton County High School Class of 2025. We are so proud of you. From the 2025 Valedictorian, Avery Jirel, to Jordan Russ, TCTC’s only triple completer, “Best wishes & Good luck with your next endeavors.”

CCSD will hold a virtual "Summer Learning Programs PARENT MEETING" on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, @ 2:00 p.m. Google Link: https://meet.google.com/kxk-fihx-ujc?authuser=0 Contact Janis Headden if you have any questions, 843-782-4510.

Colleton Pillars4Hope offers: Prevention Summer Enrichment Program. see the flyer for more details.

Colleton County Middle School Celebrates the Class of 2029 On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Colleton County Middle School proudly hosted its 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony, celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2029. The event began at 10:00 a.m. in the school gymnasium, where over 300 smiling students marched in to the classic strains of Pomp and Circumstance. Members of the Beta Club served as Marshals and ushers, helping to guide the ceremony with poise. Ms. Charlene Barnes-Williams acted as the Mistress of Ceremonies. Reginae Washington led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation delivered by Mylan Lane. CCSD Superintendent Jessica Williams offered words of congratulations and encouragement to the students for reaching this important milestone. Assistant Principal Ashley Bryan then delivered the opening remarks. Isabella Lundell captivated the audience with a heartfelt poem, and the CCMS Choir, directed by Mr. David Sharpe, inspired everyone with their performance of "I Believe I Can Fly." Malachi Kirkland presented the Charge to the Class of 2029, which was then eloquently repeated in Spanish by Katherine Nabarrete. The keynote speaker, Mr. Shon Johnson, delivered a powerful and motivating message tailored for the graduates as they prepare for high school and beyond. Following the presentation of certificates by the 8th-grade teachers, Principal Eddie Peeples offered closing remarks that reflected on the students’ growth and future potential. The ceremony concluded with a recessional that included a final walk down the hallways of CCMS, ending in a sweet celebration with cupcakes. Congratulations to the Colleton County Middle School Class of 2029! We wish you continued success on your journey ahead. https://youtu.be/CPidCgrWfLw?si=PyHAiI2Gx2lpiSa9

CCMS teacher Jake Jacobs and his students participated in the South Carolina Stock Market Game this year. The sixth-grade team earned an impressive second-place finish in the statewide fall competition. Team members Annalise Fitch, Patience Wright, and Noah Pye were recognized at the SC Stock Market Game Awards Luncheon, where they celebrated their achievement alongside other top performers from across the state.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Curriculum & Instruction Dept. celebrated Mrs. Tracy McDonald’s retirement! Mrs. McDonald has served Colleton County School District as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and as the Coordinator of Assessment & Accountability. We wish her well after all of her hard work & dedication to the district.

News Release: SPLASH INTO SAFETY SWIM PROGRAM KICKS OFF JUNE 16 Providing drowning prevention and water safety for children in rural areas across Dorchester and Colleton Counties Charleston, SC (May 5, 2025) – In 2023 seven organizations partnered together to launch the Splash into Safety swim program across Colleton and Dorchester Counties. Since starting the program 2 years ago, more than 500 children have been taught drowning prevention and water safety in rural areas across the two counties. We are excited to announce this year’s program will kick off on June 16th in Walterboro and July 7th in St. George. Parents and caregivers can register children ages 5 to 12 years old for the program, which includes daily lessons for 5 days at $5, only $1 per lesson. The partnership united the Summerville Family YMCA, Colleton County Parks & Recreation, Dorchester County Parks & Recreation, Summerville Medical Center, and Dorchester School District 4 with the critical mission to teach children drowning prevention and increase water safety education in our communities. The Splash into Safety program has received numerous awards and accolades, including: • 2024 SC House of Representatives resolution • 2024 Colleton County Council proclamation • 2024 Dorchester County Council proclamation • 2024 Town of Summerville proclamation • 2023 SC Parks & Recreation Association Award for Programming Excellence • 2023 Outstanding Safety Achievement Award from the South Carolina Association of Counties • 2023 SC Healthcare Heroes Award for Community Engagement • 2023 Carolinas Healthcare PR & Marketing Society Golden Tusk Award for Special Events “At the Summerville Family YMCA, we believe a child’s safety in and around water should never be left to chance,” commented Joe Debney, Summerville Family YMCA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Taking part in formal water safety classes reduces the risk of drowning among children and provides both education and awareness. We are proud to offer courses all year at the Summerville Family YMCA, from water safety to swim team skills.” The CDC ranks South Carolina as the 9th highest rate in the U.S. for pediatric drownings. Every year in the U.S. there are an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings and 8,000 nonfatal drownings. “This is a very serious concern for our community and we are committed to provide families with water safety education to help prevent future drownings,” said Adam Barouh, MD and Pediatric Emergency Department Medical Director at Summerville Medical Center. “Some of the factors include not being able to swim, but also missing or broken fences around water, lack of lifejackets, lack of close supervision, and even prior health problems.” The Splash into Safety program transports a 24 foot long and 3 feet deep portable pool holding 7,000+ gallons of water to the event locations for the duration of the program. Certified swim instructors from the Summerville Family YMCA teach water safety and drowning prevention techniques. Certified life guards monitor the pool at all times. “The Splash into Safety program has taken a combined effort from multiple agencies between Colleton and Dorchester County in order to be able to provide water safety instruction to the youth of both counties,” said Dr. Chris Myers with Colleton County Parks & Recreation. ”Without the cooperation of all involved, this program would not have had the success it had in 2023 or be feasible moving forward. The hope of the program in 2025 remains the same, that through quality water safety instruction we are taking a small step in the right direction to better prepare our youth for the dangers that are associated with water and water activities.” Splash into Safety swim program details Colleton County: • June 16 – 27, 2025 • Location: Colleton County Parks & Recreation, 280 Recreation Lane, Walterboro, SC 29488 • Registration: https://summervilleymca.org/splash-into-safety/ Dorchester County: • July 7 – 18, 2025 • Location: Davis-Bailey Park, 5190 E Jim Bilton Blvd, St George, SC 29477 • Registration: https://summervilleymca.org/splash-into-safety/

The practice of barbering is a path that not only builds master haircutting skills, but life skills also! This is the first school year, first semester of The Master Barber Program @ThunderboltCareerandTechnologyCenter! It’s only the beginning for the student barbers of TCTC! 💈 For more information about the program contact Ms. Bryan  @: rbryan@colleton.k12.sc.us.

The last day of school for Colleton County School District is Friday, May 23, 2025. The early dismissal schedule will be followed. BSECC will dismiss at 10:40 a.m. All elementary schools will dismiss at 11:00 a.m. CCMS will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. CCHS will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. The Colleton County High School Class of 2025 will graduate on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Cougar Stadium. You must present the actual ticket to enter the ceremony.

CCHS 2025 Graduation: The Colleton County High School 2025 Graduation Ceremony will be held Friday, May 23rd starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Cougar Stadium (150 Cougar Nation Drive, Walterboro, SC 29488). Guests may arrive as early as 5:30 p.m. The stadium will be open to the public at 6 p.m. Attendance and Tickets Please remember that a ticket is required for admittance to the ceremony. The actual ticket must be presented at the ticket booth. No screenshots or pictures will be accepted. Each graduating student will be issued 10 guest tickets. The ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube Live and a link to the livestream will be provided closer to the event date on the CCHS and school district webpages. If severe weather prevents graduation from being held outdoors, the ceremony will be moved to the gymnasium. Ticket holders with blue tickets will be allowed inside the gym. Ticket holders with lavender tickets will be allowed inside the designated overflow areas where they will view the ceremony via livestream. Need to Knows • Only clear bags and/or small clutches will be permitted. • Spectators will be required to go through metal detectors at ticket entry. • Attendees with blue tickets will enter through entry #1. Attendees with lavender tickets will enter through entry #2. • The following items are not allowed: umbrellas, tents, balloons, or any noise makers. • In accordance with SC Code of Law §§ 59-63-1110 and 59-63-1120, all individuals entering school premises are subject to reasonable searches of their person and belongings. This includes lockers, bags, purses, wallets, and vehicles, with or without probable cause. These laws will be strictly enforced during graduation for the safety of all attendees.

On Thursday, May 15,2025, this awesome group of CCSD staff held a Registration Day from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm @ the CCSD Board Room. These smiling faces worked diligently to assist parents to register their Pre-K, Kindergarten, or other children for the 2025-2026 school year.

Black Street Early Childhood Center celebrated Kindergarten students. Thank you< L. Johnson, for sharing these pictures.

From Ms. Sonya Stephens: I would like to take this time to thank Mr. Joshua Melton, for taking the lead with our young men at CCMS. Mr. Melton, has truly been a blessing to this great group of Young Boyz II Men. They have developed a great bonding relationship between themselves as a group as well as their advisers, Mr. David Sharpe and Mr. William Jones, who I will call CCMS teachers of the year. I would like to thank you all for taking the time to Inspire, Strengthen, Counsel and Pour life into our young men. You have done an amazing job, and from my understanding each one of these young men have passed their classes, their behavior has changed, and they are ready to embark upon a brand new school year and I am excited. Thank You, Sonya Stephens, GEAR UP Graduation Coach

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, district leadership toured the Dorchester Campus for Law Enforcement and Firefighting in Dorchester District Four. This visit was part of Colleton County School District's ongoing exploration of offering similar career and technical education programs at Thunderbolt Career & Technology Center. We extend our sincere thanks to James Ante and James McClellan for their time and for providing an informative and insightful tour.

From Mrs. Meagan McMillan (BES 4th Grade Teacher): I wanted to share some information with you about an upcoming event at Bells Elementary School that I think would be great to share with the public. In celebration of our current novel study on the Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, our fourth graders will be hosting their very own lemonade war at the Bells Elementary School bus ramp on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The boys and girls will be using the business strategies that they have learned in the novel to compete to see who can raise the most money selling lemonade. All proceeds will go to supporting a large project at our local animal shelter. We would love for you to come out either Tuesday, May 20th or Wednesday, May 21st to support this great cause and to share some positivity within our community regarding the great things that are happening within our school district. Students will be selling lemonade from 9:00 to 11:00 on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Have a great day!

Colleton County School District Highlights – May 13, 2025 On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the Colleton County School District School Board held its Committee of the Whole meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the District Office. A highlight of the evening was the recognition of outstanding staff and students, showcasing the excellence and dedication within our schools. The evening began with warm greetings from the BES Princess & Pearls and the Young Men's Club, who graciously served as greeters. Above & Beyond Staff Recognition – May Honorees We proudly recognized the following staff members for going above and beyond in their commitment to our students and community: Diamond Berry – BES Melanie Gonzalez – BSECC Joyce Ramirez – CES Merilyn Williams – FHE Jeanne Jarmon – NES Charlene Williams – CCMS Lydia Culler – CCHS Karen Jenkins – TCTC Brandon Williams – CAS/Impact Congratulations to these dedicated professionals for their hard work and positive impact! Celebrating Dual Graduates Superintendent Jessica Williams honored our Colleton County High School and USC-Salkehatchie Dual Enrollment graduates. We commend the following students for their exceptional academic achievement: Grace Lynn Breland Jada Christian MacKayla Lei Connelly Allen Johnathan-Pierce Herndon Nora Sarah Holmes Taylen Lilly Lyons Madison Ja’kell Elizabeth Murray Sean Josue Nunez Laynie Carolina Sanders Chace Montgomery Sherrod Islene Atzury Silva Gutierrez Shannon Nicole Smoak Willis Allen Stivender Your hard work and dedication inspire us all—congratulations! Culinary Excellence at the Rice Festival A special shout-out to Chef Williams and his talented students who participated in the Rice Festival’s Annual Rice Cook-Off. Seniors Rocco Vera and Hayden Chaplin took home first place with their delicious red rice recipe, earning a $500 cash prize and a trophy. Well done, chefs!