We are well into the 2015-2016 school year, ready for our first Intercession already:)  There has been a flurry of activity happening at Hope; we have a new Reading Interventionist, a new Kindergarten teacher, a new P.E. teacher, a new Spanish teacher and a brand new 7th and 8th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher!  Wow!!! Welcome to Ms. Wells, our Interventionist; to Mrs. Vincent, the 5K teacher; Mrs. Prince, our new fifth/sixth grade Math and Science teacher; Mr. Martin, our P.E. teacher; Mr. Kramer, the new Spanish teacher and Mr. Huggins, our new ELA/S.S. teacher.  These newbies have and are still proving themselves worthy of being called AOH Faculty because they have literally been busting it all year thus far.  I will be sharing some of their early accomplishments upcoming, so be on the lookout...

I have been at Hope since its inception and am a Founding Charter member.  I began at the request of Ms. McCloud, as a first grade teacher (first year open, need strong first grade teacher, no guesswork there).  I continued in that capacity for two more years, the latter of which I also served as part-time Curriculum Specialist.  Last year I went to something I know like the back of my hand, Reading Intervention.  Having been trained as a Reading Recovery teacher, and later by the State Dept. of Ed., SC as a Small Groups Literacy Interventionist, I was of course right at home with Intervention.  During the year we learned of an opportunity to have a full time Reading Coach, so preparations were made and I assumed the position this year.  It is a wonderful thing to learn how to most efficiently and effectively "lift" teaching (thus lifting students academically) practices through use of making students' learning goals the classroom teachers' and my focus.

In regards to our veteran staff, we couldn't ask for better employees or more loyal and first-rate staff:

Our principal Ms. McCloud is a multi-talented, highly qualified leader whose experiences include years at the State Dept. of Ed. in South Carolina, multiple trainer certifications and qualifications as well as having been a very successful Principal in both Horry and Marion counties prior to taking the post here at AOH.  She lays some mighty fine ground work for the rest of us. She almost single-handedly got the materials and furniture we needed for our school Library, as well as acquired much of the classroom furniture.  How many principals do you know who have that under their belt?

Our guidance counselor/wearer of many other hats is Ms. Wilkes, who has much knowledge and expertise in her field and knows personally and has vested interest in our surrounding community in Conway, thus making a safer environment for our kids here at Hope.  She also makes sure our standardized testing scenarios and schedules go off without a hitch and is over our Junior Beta Club.

Our Chef, "Chef Chris" as we call him, took the reins in 2011 and has never looked back.  Don't let the "Chef" designation fool you, though--he performs so many other important functions to make sure we are running like a well-oiled machine that it might make one dizzy--he is multi-talented, that's for sure.  He has a sous chef in Chef Curtis, who is his literal right-hand man in most food endeavors.  Both Chefs make certain there is always a second yummy choice for students that is nutritionally sound.

Our Music and Art teacher, Mr. King, is also certified in reading and has Tier 1 and 2 Intervention classes when he isn't teaching Music or Art.  He also assists the Reading Interventionist, me and other teachers with testing students using Progress Monitoring and other assessments.  He further uses his talents to assist Mr. Williams, a staffer here who works with special needs students, with the training of and practice with qualified students for special Chorus presentations throughout the school year. Mr. Williams is a Music Minister and Pastor outside of his job here.  (You have to hear him sing:)

Our Special Needs/ SPED Teacher is also a Charter Member at Hope and has much experience in Horry County as a Resource teacher.  Sally Mimms actually "pushes in" so students she serves don't miss out on their regular class curriculum.  Sally loves her students and is constantly looking for innovating ways to engage them in the learning process.  You go Sally!

Our Mandarin Chinese teacher hales from mainland China but has been in the states a while now. She is married to an American so she is very naturally at home with students and staff here.  Mrs. Thomas is also a Founding Charter member of Hope. She is forever researching to learn about new ways she can teach more effectively, ways in which students will be more successful with learning the language.  Mrs. Thomas is also a certified Librarian and helped Ms. McCloud get our school library up and running.

Our first grade teacher Ms. Neuman is a Founding Charter member in good company with all the above, and has "looped" with last years' Kindergarten class.  To walk in her classroom at any given moment is a pleasant and joyous experience as she always has her students engaged/immersed in high-quality academic experiences that are also usually fun and/or highly interesting.

Our second grade teacher is also a Founding Charter member and has been teaching 2nd ever since, for five years now (even though she has taught other grades as well).  She is always learning new ways to lift her students academically and at this point is not afraid to try new new methods, techniques, or ideas in order to use best practices in her classroom.  From large group work on the large area rug to small groups in Work Stations to Guided Reading Groups to individualized work and conferencing with her students, Mrs. Hemingway "has never the dull moment"!

Our third / fourth grade Science and Math teacher has been at Hope for two years and is widening her repertoire of strategies and skills to employ to keep her students highly engaged in the learning process, most recently by adding a Graffiti Math Vocabulary Board for both age groups.  Can't wait to get some pics of student vocabulary and definition graffiti to help them in their journey to "Talk that Math Talk", Ms. DeVane:)  Guess they'll soon be ready to "Talk that Science Talk"!

Our third / fourth grade ELA and Social Studies teacher is also a Founding Charter Member and has just relinquished her crown as Teacher of the Year at AOH.  Ms. Robinson engages/immerses her students in many genres of literature for both ELA and S.S. and uses literature as a vehicle for writing with her students on a daily basis.  She has had a Student Intern from Coastal Carolina with her this first nine weeks to learn how she orchestrates the learning between the reading and writing processes and conducting research into subjects in Social Studies.  This has been one lucky man to have been privy to that!

Our fifth /sixth grade ELA and Social Studies teacher has been with us working on three years now and has graciously accepted the Teacher of the Year Crown this year, congratulations, Ms. Brown, you rock!!  Ms. Brown is very innovative in her methods and techniques and is so proactive with using technology to enhance the learning her students are engaged in in both Social Studies and ELA.  Much of the English Language Arts curriculum focuses on non-fiction and Close Reading performance, and much of that learning and practicing and problem solving come about through the use of netbooks and iPads.  Students also use these frequently to work in small group conducting assignments in research.  Can I be in your class Ms.Brown??

Our seventh / eighth grade Science and Math teacher has a wide range of teacher expertise as she was a stellar, yes stellar, first grade teacher  up to this school year at Hope, as she is a Charter Member also.  It just so happens that Mrs. Chapman possesses an uncanny ability to be both highly effective and successful at each range (go figure that one out).  Her first graders last year mostly all wound up above grade level in reading, some way above, and successful in the other disciplines as well; now she says she is really "in her element" with these students--she awakens sometimes very early crafting Science experiments or Math exercises using formulas in her head that she will later use in the classroom.  And she is so excited about it!

Our Pre-Kindergarten teacher is also a Founding Charter member of Hope, as she began as a  Kindergarten teaching assistant ( even though she was a certified teacher) and continued for two more years.  Then last year, she agreed to take the first Pre-K class ever here, and the rest is history, Pre-K is still going strong:)  Her name is Cindy Harper, and she too has a very vested interest in the local community as she has lived in Conway a long while.  Cindy, her assistant Tamicka Norfleet, and kids never ever have a dull moment--they are either reading, singing, in Learning Centers, in Small Groups or even working one-on-one with either Mrs. Norfleet or Mrs. Harper--or if not they are either at Lunch, the Restroom or outside on the playground!  Whew!

Our Kindergarten assistant to Mrs. Vincent is Mrs. Ivory Washington.  She has been with us going on two years now; before she joined us, she was an excellent substitute teacher!!  But we are so glad she is on staff.  Ms. Washington has many talents and is ready to tackle whatever comes her way.  Thank you:)