best time to reach children socially and emotionally. You can be a deter- mining factor in their lives.” To help prepare students for aca- demic success, the school offers high school classes in subjects including Spanish, algebra and pre-engineering. Each student completes an entrance assessment in math and English, “to see where they need assistance and where they need to be challenged,” according to Bragg, a 2011 finalist in the statewide Middle School Princi- pal of the Year competition. Academic excellence is only part of the story. Te school’s band, or- chestra, chorus and Art Department all have claimed statewide honors. Bragg attributes much of the
school’s success to his staff of 72 dedicated teachers and a heavy dose of parent involvement. Cario moms and dads work the front desk, make copies, help monitor the lunch- room, serve as volunteer athletic
coaches and participate in fundrais- ing activities. In August 2011, they will start helping with an after- school tutoring program. Te business community also plays a role in preparing Cario stu- dents for the future. More than 50 companies took part in the school’s career day, and some students shad- owed local entrepreneurs at their businesses. Local leaders also are involved with forming a foundation to raise funds for staff, supplies and maintenance at Cario and the other two schools in the Park West com- munity – Pinckney Elementary and Laurel Hill Primary School. With 1,400 students, Cario is the
third largest school in Charleston County, trailing only Wando High School and West Ashley High School. Bragg’s goal, though, has more to do with quality than quantity. “We want to be the best middle school in the state,” he said.
Light Bulbs from the Beginning
WHITESIDES ELEMENTARY
Pounder was at the helm of a new fa- cility that dwarfs the school’s former home both in size and technology. A key aspect of the Whitesides’ success, however, transferred seamlessly from the old building to the new: a family atmosphere nurtured by involved parents and caring teachers.
A Back to SCHOOL
Pounder, who came to Whitesides continued on page 63
S THE SCHOOL year opened in Au- gust 2010, Mamie P. Whitesides Elemen- tary Principal Lona
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