COLUMBIA - One hundred and three award-winning Palmetto Gold and Palmetto Silver schools are sharing their success stories with others through the South Carolina Department of Education’s 2008-09 Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards Showcase.

These schools received their awards earlier.  Initiated five years ago, the showcase is part of the Palmetto Gold and Silver Program created by the Education Accountability Act to recognize and reward academic achievement.

About one-fourth of the state’s 1,100 schools receive either a Gold or Silver award each year.  Awards criteria are set by the Education Oversight Committee and are based on absolute and improvement ratings on the school report card.

Schools featured in the showcase provide one-page summaries describing programs or topics that they believe directly impact student achievement. Their summaries offer good tips and practical ideas on various issues ranging from instructional practices that increase student learning to innovative community involvement strategies.

“The showcase provides an excellent way for educators to learn about best practices in neighboring schools, creating learning communities among all schools across the state,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex.  “There are thousands of success stories that are worth sharing.”  

Effective Community and Parental Involvement Programs at Fox Creek High

Fox Creek High School has numerous enrichment programs that ensure the successful advancement for our students and parents alike.

At Fox Creek, we strive to provide a stable learning environment that will produce effective and ambitious young adults, while also involving the opinions and leadership of the parents. The students that graduate from our school embody the image of our community as a whole. During our graduates’ senior year, they are required to participate in one of two community service programs that are selected by our faculty and board of directors.

The two programs are selected based on their community involvement and wholesome family environment. In addition, our faculty members remained involved in the extracurricular activities that take place at Fox Creek, as well as with the parents of those students participating in the activities themselves.

When the daughter of a local middle school assistant principal was experiencing an extremely life threatening illness, Fox Creek’s faculty and families came together through our school Interact Club to raise almost $3,000 in medical financial assistance.

Our goal was to provide as much assistance as possible to a family in need of a helping hand from the community. Our school PTA helps to keep our parents informed of the happenings at Fox Creek. The parents receive a newsletter that informs them of events taking place, as well as the possible future activities that are in the works.

We feel that parental involvement is fundamental to student success and as such attempt to incorporate as much informational material to the parents as possible.

This mission statement has proven success time and time again based on our local, state, and national ratings when compared to similar charter schools.

The statistics speak for themselves; Fox Creek has proven its worth through its community and parent involvement, national averages, and overall approval of the students, parents, and other members of the community.

Through the continued support of such individuals, Fox Creek hopes to become a new standard in higher education. This will all be made possible through the passion and drive behind our closest friends, the community.