• Five outstanding Richland One school bookkeepers were named recipients of the district’s Diane Harlin Bookkeepers Awards for the 2021-2022 fiscal year: Yvetta Bell of Carver-Lyon Elementary School; Debra Lomas of Caughman Road Elementary School; Natasha Dais of Bradley Elementary School; Pamela Knightner of Southeast Middle School; and Frances Burns of A.C. Flora High School.

• Cathleen Lacey, curriculum resource teacher (CRT) at Crayton Middle School, has been named a USA Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert for the 2022-2023 school year. Lacey is one of only six South Carolina educators to achieve that distinction this year. This is her third consecutive year as an MIE Expert. The MIE program recognizes visionaries in the field who are using technology to enhance the instruction of their colleagues for improved student outcomes.

• Five new members were inducted into the Richland One Hall of Fame. The 2021 induction class members were: Kay Spann Byrd, a 1971 graduate of C.A. Johnson High School; Dr. Tanya C. Dillihay, a 1975 graduate of Lower Richland High School; Alex English, a 1972 graduate of Dreher High School; Dr. Deborah D. Hazzard, a 1986 graduate of Lower Richland High School; and retired Richland One educator Henry C. Young, Sr.

• Crayton Middle School was named a National Banner Unified Champion School by the Special Olympics. Richland One is a Unified Champion School District, which means that all Richland One schools are engaged in activities with Special Olympics to support an inclusive and collaborative school climate. Unified Champion Schools, like Crayton, that demonstrate commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 standards of excellence receive national banner recognition. Crayton is one of only four South Carolina schools to be awarded the distinction this year.

• Richland One and Bible Way Church of Atlas Road announced a partnership that will expand services for families and the community through parent, community, adult, and career and technical education. The services will be provided at the C.R. Neal Dream Center on Atlas Road. In an effort to meet the cultural, language, and educational needs of the growing immigrant population in Richland County, the center also will become the hub for centralized services for multilingual families and help meet the employment demands of the community through expanded adult and community education.

• Richland One has been awarded a $14.9 million Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Only 19 school districts nationwide and only two in South Carolina were chosen to receive the grant awards through a competitive application process. Richland One will use the grant funds over a five-year period to implement BLAST (Building Lasting Aerospace and STEAM Trajectories) at three schools – a new school-within-a-school aerospace magnet program at Watkins-Nance Elementary School; a revised school-within-a-school aerospace magnet program at W.A. Perry Middle School; and a revised school-within-a-school national defense-themed magnet program with four academies (pre-engineering, biomedical, cybersecurity and aerospace) at Columbia High School. All students who live within the Richland One attendance zone will be eligible to apply to attend one of the BLAST magnet school programs. Bus transportation will be provided for accepted students. The programs will begin in August 2023. The online application system will open in December 2022.

• Thirty-three Richland One orchestra students earned a spot in the South Carolina Music Educators Association’s (SCMEA) Midlands Region Orchestra. Students had to perform a scale and two orchestra pieces. These students were eligible to audition for the South Carolina All-State Orchestra.

          Sponsoring Teachers

• • Constance Gee-St. Andrews Middle and Columbia High School
  • Brian McCants-Hand Middle School
  • Katherine Pollock-Crayton Middle School
  • Jarvernique Tinsley-A.C. Flora High School
  • Nathan Tucker-Dreher High School
  • Tyler Henderson, Eau Claire High School

• Twenty-nine Richland One art students received honors and awards in the 2022 South Carolina State Fair’s Art Competition. Richland One students competed in 2-D, 3-D and photography divisions. These students were among the more than 250 K-12 students from across the state who were recognized.

• Nine Richland One schools are among the 406 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2021-2022 school year. Richland One has more award winners than any other school district in South Carolina. The recognition, awarded by Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a leading children’s health organization, celebrates schools’ dedication to supporting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. This year, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation recognized schools in nine categories, including: 

• • Strengthening Social-Emotional Health and Learning, presented in collaboration with Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente
  • Cultivating Staff Well-Being, presented in collaboration with Harmony SEL at National University and Kaiser Permanente
  • Increasing Family and Community Engagement, presented in collaboration with Kohl’s

          All of Richland One’s America’s Healthiest Schools award winners were recognized in the Implementing Local School Wellness Policy category. Olympia Learning Center was recognized for Strengthening Social-Emotional Health and Learning as well.

Here are highlights of the schools’ programs and initiatives:

• • A.C. Flora focused on programs for staff members on physical activity/fitness. The school hosted different fitness challenges throughout the year.
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  • Brockman focused on activities that show gratitude for staff and build positive staff relationships. Each month members of the staff were invited to a healthy luncheon that was prepared by parent volunteers. Staff meetings would begin with mindfulness, yoga, and/or breathing activities.
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  • Crayton focused on Farm-to-School activities and School Collaboration to Support Nutrition and Food Access. The school applied and received a grant to purchase an indoor hydroponic garden, so students could learn how to use it to grow fresh vegetables. Crayton also maintains an outdoor garden and the school is creating an additional wall garden. The school is working with Nutrition Services to send home meals with students over weekends, holidays and summer vacation to ensure that they do not experience food insecurities.
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  • Dreher focused on promoting positive staff relationships. The school had a back-to-school gathering and an end-of-school gathering, a monthly staff luncheon and Secret Pal activities throughout the year.
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  • Gadsden focused on stress management programs for staff and school opportunities to offer staff gratitude. The school organized a moment in the day where everyone had to stop everything they were doing, close their eyes and practice mindfulness and/or breathing exercises (staff and students). The school also offered teacher appreciation incentives.
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  • Hyatt Park focused on building positive staff relationships promoted by the school. They had staff wellness days, and they had a Yoga instructor come to the school and give a lesson to the staff. They also had a comedian come to the school.
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  • Lower Richland focused on promoting positive staff relationships. The school had a Secret Pal program throughout the year, and they had a Teacher of the Month initiative where students nominated teachers for the recognition.
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  • Olympia focused on celebrating the staff. They had thankful e-mails, faculty celebrations and healthy luncheons. They also created a calming space for the students.
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  • Pine Grove focused on transitioning food fundraisers to meet USDA Smart Snack Standards. The school’s fundraiser was selling navel oranges.

• Three Richland One student-athletes outswam their competition to win individual state championship titles at the South Carolina High School League’s state swimming championships. A.C. Flora High School senior Darden Tate won Class 4A boys state championship titles in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke. A.C. Flora senior Hannah Montgomery won the Class 4A girls state championship title in the 100-yard breaststroke. Dreher High School senior Jane Koch won the Class 3A girls state championship title in the 100-yard butterfly. She also placed third in the 50-yard freestyle.

• Dr. Quantina Haggwood, Richland One’s executive director of early childhood and elementary education, has been selected to participate in AASA’s Aspiring Superintendents Academy® for Female Leaders.

• South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized A.C. Flora High School teacher Bailey Melvin as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for September 2022.

• Richland One has received a 2022 Partnership District Award and Columbia High School has received a 2022 Partnership School Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. This is Richland One’s fifth time being recognized for making excellent progress in strengthening its leadership of partnerships and for guiding schools to develop goal-oriented programs for family and community engagement.

• Dreher High School senior Mary Kat Stricklin won the 2022 Class 3A girls tennis singles state championship.

• Dreher High School’s boys cross country team won the 2022 Class 3A state championship. Senior Sam Kolowith won the individual state championship. Head Coach Timmy Supplee was named the 2022 Class 3A Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year.

• Six Dreher High School students earned a spot in the South Carolina Music Educators Association’s (SCMEA) All-State Chorus. The audition process consisted of sight-reading and preparing an advanced level piece of choral music.

         The following students will participate in the choir:

• • Lillian Ammons (soprano 2) – 12th grade 
  • Hannah Barr (soprano 1) – 11th grade 
  • Zachary Franks Hopkins (bass-baritone) – 12th grade
  • David Landholt (bass-baritone) – 11th grade 
  • Lucia Parker-Harley (soprano 1) – 11th grade
  • Morgan Schmidt (alto) – 12th grade 

• Nine Dreher High School students earned a spot in the South Carolina Music Educators Association’s (SCMEA) All-State Guitar Ensemble. Dreher hosted the auditions. The students performed before a panel of judges from Charleston Southern University.

  The following Dreher students have been chosen for the ensemble:

  • Noah Bridgers – 12th grade
  • Liam Cook – 11th grade
  • Aidan Dong – 11th grade
  • Aidan Gruner – 12th grade
  • Alec Hamilton – 11th grade
  • Alexandria Kolomoets – 10th grade
  • Jiale “Caleb” Liu – 10^th grade
  • Wyatt Merland – 11th grade
  • Ellie Spicer – 12th grade

• Lisa Curtis, Richland One’s health and physical education coordinator, has been named president-elect of the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (SCAHPERD). SCAHPERD is the only association in South Carolina for professionals involved in health, physical and dance education. Members consist of current, retired or future professionals who work in schools, higher education, community organizations, government and non-government organizations. The association’s goal is to promote health and wellness through education and advocacy.

          Two other Richland One employees have been elected to positions in associations within SCAHPERD:

• • Rachel Fobare, the physical education department chair at Lower Richland High School, was named president-elect of the South Carolina Association for the Advancement of Health Education (SCAAHE).
  • Chris Payne, a physical education teacher at Satchel Ford Elementary School, was elected to serve on the 2023 Board of Directors for the South Carolina Association for Physical Education and Sport (SCAPES). He will serve as the Adapted PE chairperson.

• A.C. Flora High School senior Markel Townsend has been named the 2022 Richland County High School Football Player of the Year by the Richland County Recreation Commission. This is the first time an A.C. Flora varsity football player has ever received this award. In addition to Townsend, six other Richland One student-athletes were nominated for the award.

          The nominees and the schools they attend are:

• • Mekhi Campfield – Lower Richland High School
  • Nigel Leake – C.A. Johnson High School
  • DreVon Leonard – Columbia High School
  • Rickie Murray – Eau Claire High School
  • Hernandez O’Neal – W.J. Keenan High School
  • Makhi Simonson – Dreher High School

• A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary third-graders Raven Burch Wilson and A’Mia McKnight have been honored with the Briddell Family Foundation’s 2022 Reading is FUNdamental award for their achievements in the foundation’s Read-A-Thon. The Briddell Family Foundation is “dedicated to strengthening communities by helping individuals on their path to higher learning.  It works to aid communities by focusing on humanitarianism, benevolence, education and scholarship gifts.”

• Lower Richland High School’s Army JROTC drill team placed first in the Palmetto State Drill Championship (armed division). Drill Team Commander Layla Hill received first place in the state competition’s armed platoon division. Cadets Danilo Cabanayan and Dashawn Scott placed second overall. The platoon placed first overall in the platoon inspection.

• W.J. Keenan High School sophomore MacKenzie Glover was invited to speak at the U.S. Department of Education’s YOU Belong in STEM National Coordinating Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference was part of the Biden Administration’s “Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students” initiative, which is “designed to strengthen science, technology, engineering and math education nationwide.”

• John P. Thomas Elementary School received a $20,000 donation from Office Depot. The money will be used to help update different spaces in the building and provide teachers with additional funds for their classrooms. This summer, Office Depot and OfficeMax leveraged their retail footprint and partnership with Round It Up America^© to provide back-to-school shoppers and business clients with the opportunity to support Title I schools across the country. From July through September, Office Depot and OfficeMax collected nearly $2.2 million to benefit nearly 70 Title I schools nationwide, including John P. Thomas Elementary.

• Crayton Middle School received its second redesignation as a national School to Watch. The school’s newest three-year redesignation is for 2023-2026. Schools to Watch® is an initiative launched by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform in 1999. Through the Schools to Watch® initiative, the National Forum identifies schools across the United States that are on their way to meeting the Forum’s criteria for high performance.

• Columbia High School senior and Air Force JROTC Cadet Lucas Wright was selected to receive the J-100 AFJROTC Character-in-Leadership Scholarship. The scholarship “provides cadets with four years of 100% paid tuition to any university or crosstown partner with an AFROTC detachment. It focuses on character, leadership, citizenship and diversity and inspires future leaders to seek careers in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.” Wright was one of 100 cadets worldwide who were chosen for the scholarship.

• Dreher High School junior Benjamin Brown was selected to attend the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy. The event prepares The Disney Dreamers Academy prepares teens for the future by “expanding their horizons at career workshops and developing skills such as interviewing and networking.” More than 8,000 high school students between 13 and 19 years old applied. Benjamin was one of 100 teens selected and the only South Carolina student chosen to participate.

• W.J. Keenan High School senior Aniyah Hodges and Dreher High School junior Benjamin Brown were awarded the City of Columbia’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Keeper Scholarship. The award recognizes students who show “exemplary displays of committed service to the tenets of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Aniyah received a $500 scholarship, and Benjamin received a $250 scholarship.

• Three Richland One schools were recognized for collecting the most canned goods as part of the City of Columbia’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honor the Dream Food Drive. The event honors Dr. King’s legacy of community service. Hand Middle School received first place for collecting 2,894 pounds of food. Meadowfield Elementary School placed second with 1,504 pounds of food collected. Forest Heights Elementary School placed third with 1,476 pounds of food collected.

• Robyn Jackson, a mission commander at Richland One's Challenger Learning Center, earned her Level 2 High Power Certification (HPC) from the National Association of Rocketry. High Power Rocketry is regulated by the Federal Aviation Association and the National Fire Protection Association. The High Power Certification allows Robyn to launch large rockets that regularly fly at altitudes greater than 2,500 feet. She earned her Level 1 HPC in 2019.

• Two Richland One high schools have been awarded the College Board’s AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science classes. Columbia High School and Dreher High School were two of more than 1,100 schools nationwide with 50% percent or higher female representation in either AP Computer Science A (CSA) or AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) during the 2021-2022 school year. Columbia High received the award in the CSP category. Dreher received the award in the CSA category.

• Seven Richland One students were selected for the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA)’s All-State Orchestra. These students were previously selected for the Midlands Region Orchestra and had to prepare new music for the All-State audition. 

          The following students were chosen for the All-State Orchestra:

• • Zara Shah-Fuente (Hand Middle School): 6th Chair 2nd Violin
  • Xavion Boyd-Gray (St. Andrews Middle School): 6th Chair Bass
  • Kaden Lim (Dreher High School): 7th Chair 1st Violin
  • Sarah Bobertz (Dreher High School): 2nd Alternate Cello
  • Juliet Swaim (A.C. Flora High School): 3rd Chair 1st Violin
  • Samuel Schatz (Dreher High School): 4th Chair 2nd Violin
  • F. Daniel Rose (Dreher High School): 1st Alternate Bass

• Two more Richland One teachers have earned the gold standard of the profession – National Board Certification. Meadowfield Elementary School teachers Emma Bell and Sara Suber join 203 others in the district as National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT). National Board Certification is the highest credential available in the teaching profession. In addition to the two newest NBCT, 21 Richland One teachers earned the National Board’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC), which is a five-year extension from their current certificate’s expiration date.

• W.J. Keenan High School senior and girls varsity basketball player MiLaysia Fulwiley was chosen to play in the 2023 McDonald’s All American Game. MiLaysia is the only South Carolina player selected this year and only the sixth girls basketball player from South Carolina ever to be named a McDonald’s All American.

• Richland One held a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 23 to celebrate the opening of the language immersion program addition at Carver-Lyon Elementary School. The state-of-the-art, 21,215 square-foot addition includes 12 classrooms, an extended learning commons area, faculty office support spaces and additional parking. Two classrooms in the existing building were completely renovated to allow the connection of the new addition.

• Sarah Burnham, a fourth and fifth grade Montessori teacher at Brockman Elementary School, has been named the 2023 South Carolina Conservation Teacher of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Conservation Districts (SCACD). The association’s mission is to “protect the natural resources of South Carolina through its 46 member Conservation Districts by providing the leadership, information, and tools which enable Districts to achieve their goals.”

• W.G. Sanders Middle School sixth-grader Sydney Sterling won first place in the pre-competitive classical category (girls ages 9-11) of the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition semifinals. Youth America Grand Prix is the world's largest non-profit international student ballet competition and scholarship program, open to dance students of all nationalities, 9-19 years old. Sydney went up against 39 other dancers from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Ohio.

• Dreher High School’s literary magazine, “Whisper”, has received the highest honor in the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest, which is hosted by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.

• Richland One held a groundbreaking ceremony for Vince Ford Early Learning Center February 15. The state-of-the-art facility will be located at Rawlinson Road and Caughman Road in the Lower Richland community. The 71,000-square-foot center will have a capacity to serve 312 students. It will serve children six weeks old to five years old, offering a full-day, full-year program. Along with classrooms, the comprehensive facility will include a state-of-the-art media center a family clinic, a dental room, a food pantry, a student café, a family engagement room and professional development rooms. There also will be multiple indoor and outdoor play spaces to meet the developmental needs of young children. Mental health and other support services will be available to families. The Richland One Board of School Commissioners voted in January 2023 to name the center in memory of longtime board member Vince Ford, who passed away in December 2022. Construction on Vince Ford Early Learning Center is set to begin in July.

• A.C. Moore and Webber elementary schools have been awarded $1,000 grants by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD). The money will go toward hands-on environmental education initiatives at both schools. RSWCD promotes the wise use and care of natural resources, with a focus on soil and water, for long-term sustainability in a changing environment. Twice a year, RSWCD offers mini-grants to support youth education initiatives at schools and education sites throughout Richland County.

• Dreher High School senior Zoey Hughes was awarded $2,000 from two scholarships for competing in the national division of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition. The program “provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regard to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay.” Zoey was awarded the Juanita Crowe-Durbino, Department of Tennessee Scholarship and Ervin and Lorraine Rothenbuhler Scholarship.

• Four new members were inducted into the Richland One Hall of Fame. The 2022 induction class members were: Lt. Colonel Charity Adams Earley (posthumously), a 1934 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School; Ella McRant, a 1959 graduate of Hopkins High School; Dr. Carlos L. Smith, a 1967 graduate of C.A. Johnson High School; and retired Richland One educator Coach Bobby R. Young.

• Columbia High School received the South Carolina High School League’s (SCHSL) Excellence in Sportsmanship Award. The award is presented to schools that exemplify outstanding sportsmanship. This is the second year in a row Columbia High received a banner for this distinction.

• Lower Richland High School’s Army JROTC drill team has qualified for the National High School Drill Team Championship for the second year in a row. The drill team also received a banner for the second year in a row during the Best of the Best regional competition.

• Six Richland One student-athletes were nominated for the 2023 Richland County High School Player of the Year- Girls Basketball Award. According to the Recreation Commission, nominees must “demonstrate excellence on the basketball court and in the classroom, be a positive role model for their teammates, classmates, and in the community, and must volunteer and be active in community service.”

          Richland One’s Player of the Year nominees and the schools they attend are:

• Trinity Delaney-A.C. Flora High School
• Tyra Floyd- Lower Richland High School
• Ayanna Jacobs-Dreher High School
• Samaya Johnson-W.J. Keenan High School
• Damani Wilson-Columbia High School
• Gabrielle Woods-Eau Claire High School

• Six Richland One students were selected for the 2023 South Carolina Band Directors Association’s All-State Concert Band. In addition, 42 students were selected for the association’s Region III Honor Bands.

         The following Richland One students were selected for All-State Band:

The following Richland One students were selected for Region III Honor Bands:

• Six Richland One band directors received superior and excellent ratings from the South Carolina Band Directors Association. The association’s Concert Performance Assessments took place March 14 – 16 and March 21-23 at eight different locations across the state. A panel of five judges rated the bands 1-5 in various categories, looking for key indicators of superior performance. Each judge’s score was averaged and then added to get the overall rating. For band directors to receive an excellent rating, they must receive an overall rating between 18-22 points. To receive a superior rating, a band’s rating must be 23 or 24 points. To achieve a superior with distinction rating, the highest rating awarded, a band must score a perfect 25 points.

         The following band directors received superior or excellent ratings:

• A Richland One contingent that included 114 male students from the district's seven high schools and the Richland One Middle College attended Clemson University's Men of Color National Summit at the Greenville Convention Center. The purpose of the Men of Color National Summit is to close the achievement gap for African-American and Hispanic males. The Summit brought together approximately 2,000 high school and college students, business professionals, educators, government officials and community leaders from around the country. The event emphasized the importance of education, best practices and choices to increase high school and college graduation rates.

• A.C. Moore Elementary School has been recertified as an Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) School by the Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Institute. The certification is awarded to schools that show exemplary efforts in providing quality, comprehensive arts education to students. According to the ABC Institute, a school must apply to be certified or recertified. During the certification process, a school must successfully demonstrate the priority to arts education as a means to student development through its philosophical commitments. The certification lasts three years and schools must reapply to maintain it. Once a school becomes certified, the school can apply for the South Carolina Arts Commission’s ABC Advancement Grant. The funds from the grant will support a school’s commitment to equitable access to quality arts education. 

• For the third time, the Association of South Carolina Energy Managers selected Richland One as the recipient of the Energy Project of the Year award. The award “recognizes the outstanding work of an organization to improve their energy management system at their facilities by implementing measures to save energy. It recognizes the innovative use of energy-saving technologies, which improve energy efficiency and save energy dollars.” The 2023 Energy Project of the Year award recognizes Richland One for installing solar panels on 15 school campuses. The solar power project, which is the second phase of the district’s comprehensive, multi-phase energy savings contract with Schneider Electric, is estimated to save $1.4 million in energy costs annually.

• Richland One has been recognized as a 2022 Solar Champion by the South Carolina Solar Council (SCSC). The district received the Organization Solar Champion award.

• Six Richland One seniors have been accepted into the Project SEARCH program for the 2023-2024 school year. Project SEARCH provides hands-on workplace training and experience for students 18-21 years old who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Richland One, the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, and the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department have partnered with Embassy Suites Columbia Greystone Conference Center for this program. Students selected for Project SEARCH do one-year unpaid internships at Embassy Suites. 

          The following students will participate in the program for the 2023-2024 school year:

• Robert Day – Dreher High School
• Ivyunia Dixon – Eau Claire High School
• Deshawna Jones – C.A. Johnson High School
• Tytianna Miller – Dreher High School
• Sean Ruff – Dreher High School
• Isaiah Smith – W.J. Keenan High School

• Three Richland One seniors have been selected to receive $20,000 scholarships from two local Rotary Clubs. Dreher High School seniors Zachary Franks Hopkins and Katherine Tam will receive scholarships from the Columbia Rotary Club. Eau Claire High School senior Shakari Jones will receive a scholarship from the Capital Rotary Club. Nineteen local high school students applied for both scholarships. Applicants had to write an essay about why they want the scholarship, send two letters of recommendation and take part in an in-person interview.

• Retired Dreher High School AP U.S. History teacher Pamela Rose and chorus teacher Hannah McKenzie were chosen as the Columbia Rotary Club’s “Teachers Who Made a Difference.”

• Seventeen Richland One assistant principals completed the district’s R1 Ready Leadership Development Program. The yearlong program is designed to prepare assistant principals to be principals. The program is coordinated by the district’s Chief of Human Resource Services and the Executive Directors of Schools.

         The following are members of the R1 Ready Leadership Development Program Cohort 2:

• Seven Richland One students were named top students by the University of South Carolina’s TRIO Educational Talent Search program. Educational Talent Search is a federally funded program sponsored by the University of South Carolina. It promotes college access to students from working class families in Richland One schools. The program encourages and prepares middle and high school students to complete high school and graduate college. The program selected the top eighth-graders and top seniors from its target schools in conjunction with the schools’ counselors.

         The following students were named top eighth-graders:

• • Johnathan Bush – St. Andrews Middle School
  • Jaelyn Guess – Heyward Gibbes Middle School

         The following students were named top seniors:

• • Keionna Bates – C.A. Johnson High School
  • Rameer Carmichael – W.J. Keenan High School
  • Devin Mingo – Eau Claire High School
  • Shannon Ray – Columbia High School
  • Kayla Sussewell – Lower Richland High School

• Seven Richland One seniors have been named South Carolina Teaching Fellows, and each has been awarded $24,000 in fellowship funds. The program provides fellowships to high school seniors who have “exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to their school and community and a desire to teach in South Carolina.”

         The following students were named South Carolina Teaching Fellows:

• A.C. Flora High School Career Specialist Ntozake Mack has been named the Midlands Region Career Specialist of the Year by the Midlands Education and Business Alliance (MEBA). The award recognizes educators who are preparing their students for the workforce through rigorous academics, real-world experiences and high-demand skills.

• In partnership with the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA), Richland One recognized 22 high school seniors who plan to study education in college during the district’s Future Educator Signing Day. The event was held May 2 at Columbia High School. The Future Educator Signing Day is the first of its kind in South Carolina. Every Richland One senior who plans to pursue post-secondary study in education received an offer to work as a teacher for the district after graduating from college. The students also signed a pledge acknowledging their plans to study education.

         The following students were honored as future Richland One educators:

• Bridget S. Bookert, the administrative assistant and bookkeeper at Olympia Learning Center, has been named the 2023 Olive T. Ritchie Office Professional of the Year by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP). She advanced to the national competition after winning the local and state-level awards.

• Forty-seven Richland One students scored Superior or Excellent ratings at the South Carolina Band Directors Association’s (SCBDA) Solo and Ensemble Festival. The festival provides opportunities for students to receive constructive criticism from qualified judges and to excel in solo or ensemble performance.

          The following students earned Superior ratings for solo performances:

           The following students earned Superior ratings for ensemble performances:

• • Mixed Trio: Douglas Gibbs, Elijah Ramos and Sydney Hill – Southeast Middle School
  • Percussion Quartet: Liam Allen, Jeremiah Edwards, Matthew Gaffney and Emil Ince – Crayton Middle School
  • Saxophone Trio: Connor Brown, Chloe Bryant and Wyatt Dallas – Crayton Middle School
  • Mixed Duet: Kaleb Pringle and Deon Sumter – Southeast Middle School
  • Brass Duet: Paul Jenkinson and Christopher White – Dreher High School
  • Mixed Duet: Sal Baucom and Ryan Wood – Dreher High School
  • Saxophone Quartet: James Long, Sean Clougher, Jazmine McDonald Craft and Jermonte Williams – A.C. Flora High School
  • Mixed Quintet: Patton Courie, Lauren Grier, Elizabeth Nobles, Emma Marie Rowland and Phillip Sophocleous – Dreher High School

          The following students earned Excellent ratings for solo performances:

          The following students earned Excellent ratings for ensemble performances:

• • Woodwind Duet: Kai Hagen and Ashton Cutler – Dreher High School
  • Woodwind Duet: Hannah Barr and Coleman Hughes – Dreher High School
  • Saxophone Duet: Jazmine McDonald Craft and Sean Clougher – A.C. Flora High School 

• Richland One had the highest combined total number of students earn certificates and associate degrees from Midlands Technical College of any school district in the Midlands. 59 Richland One students received a certificate or associate degree this school year.

• Crayton Middle School and Dreher High School were awarded the Outstanding Performance Award from the South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA) for the 2022-2023 school year. The award is the most prestigious award that SCBDA gives each year to South Carolina band programs.

• Sixty-seven Richland One orchestra students received either Superior or Excellent ratings for solo and ensemble performances from the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCEMA).Students prepared music either by themselves or in a small ensemble and then performed for a judge. Students who received Superior ratings received a medal and certificate, and students with Excellent ratings received a certificate. 

          The following students received Superior ratings for solo performances:

         The following students received Superior ratings for ensemble performances: 

         The following students received Excellent ratings for solo performances:

         The following students received Excellent ratings for ensemble performances:

• Dreher High School’s orchestra has become the first 3A orchestra in South Carolina to be awarded the Gold Outstanding Performance Award by the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA). The award is given to orchestras that exceed expectations throughout the year. To receive the Gold Outstanding Performance Award, an orchestra must receive a combined total of 90 points for All-State and Region Orchestra, Concert Performance Assessment and Solo and Ensemble performances. Dreher scored 95 points.

• Ninety-seven Richland One students were named members of the inaugural class of Richland One Rising Stars. The Rising Stars Awards Program recognizes elementary, middle and high school students who have demonstrated extraordinary improvement in academics, attendance, behavior, character, community service and/or overcoming obstacles.

• Richland One General Counsel Susan Williams has been named a 2023 Lawyer of Distinction for Recognizing Excellence in In-House Counsel. Lawyers of Distinction is a “legal fraternity of lawyers from all 50 states and abroad.” Their goal is to help members distinguish themselves in the legal landscape.

• Richland One students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade surpassed Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon’s 2023 Book Club Challenge goal by reading 1,046,651 books. Ta’Nylah Watkins of Annie Burnside Elementary School, Zadie Thomas of Arden Elementary School and Armonie Cobin of St. Andrews Middle School were named the top readers. Ta’Nyla read 1,001 books; Zadie read 850 books; and Armonie read 93 books. In addition to the top readers, 18 students were named super readers.

         The elementary school super readers were:

• • Ummdarda Abdulkhabir of Bradley Elementary (690 books read)
  • Asher Warnick of Watkins-Nance Elementary (675 books read)
  • Olivia Crater of Satchel Ford Elementary (610 books read)
  • Melody Mjartan of Caughman Road Elementary (594 books read)
  • Bency Moye of Horrell Hill Elementary (576 books read)
  • Kayden Scott of Horrell Hill Elementary (520 books read)
  • Ariyanna Ivery of Annie Burnside Elementary (515 books read)
  • Yaretzi Luna-Galvez of Annie Burnside Elementary (498 books read)
  • Kamryn Washington of Pine Grove Elementary (466 books read)

          The middle school super readers were:

• • Louisa White of Crayton Middle (51 books read)
  • Ayriana Ferguson of Hopkins Middle (35 books read)
  • Olivia Zimbelman of Crayton Middle (34 books read)
  • Alexandra Escareno of Alcorn Middle (25 books read)
  • Phoebe Jones of W.A. Perry Middle (25 books read)
  • Tierra Robinson of W.A. Perry Middle (25 books read)
  • Byron Kearse of W.A. Perry Middle (20 books read)
  • Jalila Pollard of Hopkins Middle (20 books read)
  • Alexandra Shinkareva of Hand Middle (20 books read)

          Annie Burnside Elementary School was the top school overall and the top elementary school.                        Burnside students read 63,722 books. St. Andrews Middle School was the top middle school with                    2,320 chapter books read.

• Dreher High School junior Shelby Mode has been selected to receive a $25,000 national scholarship from the Horatio Alger Association for the 2023-2024 school year. The scholarship helps high school students who have faced and overcome significant obstacles in their lives. Shelby faced financial difficulties in her family growing up. Shelby was one of 105 students from across the U.S. and one of two students in South Carolina selected for this scholarship.

• Dr. Charnice Starks-Ray, work-based learning consultant in Richland One’s Office of Career and Technical Education, and A.C. Flora High School social studies teacher Bailey Melvin have graduated from the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program. The program is an innovative multi-year program designed to increase the number of teachers incorporating personal finance education into their classrooms.

• Richland One student-athletes outpaced their competitors to win nine individual and team state championship titles in track and field this year. Dreher High School’s boys track and field team won the Class AAA state championship. Dreher senior Sam Kolowith was named an individual state champion in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs. He was also part of the state championship-winning 4x800-meter relay team, which included Ivan Diaz, Liam Jones, Eli Roth, Griffin Dodson and Patrick Walsh. 

          In addition, Richland One student-athletes won five state championship titles in Class AA:

• • Nino Brown, Rahmeer Carmichael, Emory Peay, Jerimiah Pettis, Aden Price and Denard White – W.J. Keenan High School (4x400-meter relay)
  • Jermyra Bethel, DaenJah Williams, Anyla Demas, l’Carole Williams and TyQwasia Williams – Eau Claire High School (4x400-meter relay)
  • Ethan Moody – Eau Claire High School (400-meter hurdles)
  • TyQwasia Williams – Eau Claire High School (400-meter hurdles)
  • Jermyra Bethel – Eau Claire High School (girls high jump)

• Jeremiah Jenkins, a 2023 graduate of the Richland One Middle College, was selected to intern with financial service company AgFirst Farm Credit Bank. The internship is normally for college students, but Jeremiah qualified for the internship because of Richland One’s dual enrollment program with Midlands Technical College.

• Richland One’s Class of 2023 graduates earned nearly $77 million in scholarship money, exceeding last year's total by $3 million.

• A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School third-grade teacher Kavon Barger was named Richland One’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year.

• Cheslyn Jackson, executive assistant in the Office of Financial Services, was named Richland One’s 2023-2024 Richland One Classified Employee of the Year.

• This year Richland One had the highest number of students earn the South Carolina Seal of Biliteracy in the district’s history. Forty-seven students earned the Seal of Biliteracy for the 2022-2023 school year. A.C. Flora High School graduate Elizabeth Perez-Gavilanes earned the district’s first Gold Seal of Biliteracy. To be eligible for the Gold Seal, a student must have achieved a minimum of an Advanced Low score on a proficiency-based exam and have a GPA of 3.0 or above in all English language arts requirements for graduation or all requirements to date at the time of application for students applying in their junior year. Twenty-one students earned the Silver Seal, and 25 students earned the Bronze Seal.

         The following students earned their Seal of Biliteracy for the 2022-2023 school year:

• For the third consecutive year, the Air Force JROTC programs at Columbia High School and C.A. Johnson High School have received the Distinguished Unit Award from the U.S. Air Force. The award recognizes the accomplishments of the units’ cadets, the contributions of the instructors as mentors and the support of the school and local community.

• Arden Elementary students Talia Bowen and Kendyl Bovain won first place in the 2023 Youth Conservation Poster Contest sponsored by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District. The contest is an annual education program that invites students to explain the importance of environmental and conservation efforts through artwork. Talia won first place in the kindergarten-first grade division of the contest. Kendyl won first place in the second-third grade division. Both students received $25 and will move on to the state poster contest, sponsored by the South Carolina Association of Conversation Districts, in the winter. Talia won first place in the kindergarten-first grade division of the state contest last year and received $50 for winning.

          Seven other Richland One students were also recognized in the county competition. Those students are:

• Jacob Merrill and Audrey White, two Dreher High School Class of 2023 graduates, have been named 2023 National Merit Scholarship recipients. The program recognizes academically talented high school seniors across the country. Five other Richland One graduates were named National Merit Scholarship finalists. Those students are Dreher High School graduates Philip Sophocleous, Bryce Outten and William (Will) Varner; and A.C. Flora High School graduates Judith Shaver and Lily Lawther.