Beckham's Corner

Being named 2010 National High School Principal of the Year has been an amazing journey.  It is a humbling honor but also a tremendous opportunity for me to share the Wando story and tell folks about the wonderful place we call home. Words will not let me adequately express my appreciation to the Wando faculty and staff, our students, our parents and the entire community for your contributions to Wando’s success.  This honor is not mine alone, and you all deserve to share in it.  The joy, pride and excitement which have been expressed to me since I was given this recognition on September 28, 2009, have made the whole experience even more special.

In the past few weeks I have been showered with many good wishes, cards, notes, plants, flowers and food.  Congratulations from our current students who engage their principal in conversation are a high point for me.  I have received wonderful notes which touched my heart from former students of mine, former colleagues, my high school and college classmates, members of our Wando family, and some strangers as well as Wando graduates from across the country.  In fact, I started getting e-mails and notes within hours of the announcement.  The speed at which news travels today in our world is really amazing.  My spirits continue to be lifted by the encouraging words of folks around town who take the time to speak to me.

From signs at local businesses to pictures in the newspapers, I have been honored and blessed with your shared pride and joy in this achievement.  My family has also shared in this celebration.  My 84 year-old mother, a former teacher, spent the week here after the announcement was made and enjoyed so much the whole event.   My three year old grandson, Christopher, passed a newsstand with his mom and spotted his picture with me which was in Moultrie News.  He said, “There I am!  I need that paper!” Needless to say, his mom bought one on the spot.

Attending the National Principals Conference in Washington, D.C. October 14-17, 2009 was a great experience where I learned more about national educational issues and innovative practices being used in some of the best high schools in America.  This conference was sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and MetLife.  I met the state high school winners from across the country along with the state middle school principals of the year.  I was awed by some of their stories and the skills and knowledge they shared in our professional meetings. The conference ended with a beautiful formal dinner where every state winner was honored and recognized.  Dr. Nancy McGinley also attended this gala where U.S. Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan, was the keynote speaker.  I had the opportunity to be the closing speaker for this event.  MetLife was the very generous corporate sponsor for the whole conference and treated us like royalty.

I particularly enjoyed spending one full day on Capitol Hill where all of the state winners called on their elected representatives and senators.  We from SC visited the offices of Senators Dewitt and Graham in the Russell Senate Office Building and then traveled under the Capitol to the House Office Building where Representative Henry Brown’s office is located. Representative Brown is a proud Wando granddad, and he gave us great personal attention and time. We also visited the offices of Representative Jim Clyburn, the Majority Whip of the House, which are located in the Capitol itself.  Even though we stopped by at nearly 6:00 PM, Representative Clyburn was gracious and welcoming.  He and his wife were both former school teachers in Charleston.  In addition to our congressional visits, I also had the opportunity to speak at a NASSP congressional staff briefing on current educational issues.

Because I had worked as an intern for Senator Strom Thurmond forty years ago, I found it fascinating to be back in the Capitol and Congressional office buildings.  Although much looked the same, the differences which have resulted from the technology we now have were significant.  As an intern, I often had the job of being a personal courier of hand-written notes from Senator Thurmond to other senators.  Today the Blackberries and cell phones carry that communication.  Blackberry communication now signals times for votes.

Many folks have asked if being the National High School Principal of the Year means that I will be leaving Wando for a year and traveling full-time.  The answer is absolutely not.  This honor does mean that I may be asked at times to represent high school principals at some national meetings and conferences and to act as their spokesman.  I accept that responsibility as huge privilege.  However, I know that the reason I have this opportunity is that I have been richly blessed to lead one of the most talented faculties and staffs found in any high school in this country in a community which truly cares about and supports its children.  Thanks to every one of you for your part in making Wando a school worthy of national recognition.

Our first week of school has been fantastic.  We are glad to see the students and they are happy to see each other. Opening school each year is like planning an elaborate wedding, giving birth, and planning a major military invasion all in one.  Our staff works for almost six months to make that opening day go well.  We check and double-check the schedule- every section and every room.   By the time students report to their first class, all of our Wando Warriors are in the right places and meeting their new teachers. As I walked the halls on opening day, it was amazing to see this sleeping giant come back to life and see our Warriors busy learning.  By mid-morning, it looked like we have been in school for months.

At Wando, our work is about kids! Every child is valued!  We put students first and make all decisions using student needs as the first criteria. We know that the world they face requires a whole lot more than a high school diploma. We must help every graduate create a viable plan for the future, and prepare them with the tools and skills to succeed at the next level.

We welcome all who come through our doors.  Our students come from our three feeder middle schools, local private and magnet schools and from public schools in other parts of the school district through the No Child Left Behind Transfer program.  In addition, we enroll several hundred students each year whose families are new to the area and who have settled in our community. Throughout the summer our Guidance staff is busy registering these new students. Our current enrollment is 3200+.

On Monday, August 17, 2009 (the day before the school year began here), I was in Washington, D.C. meeting with the Selection Committee for the National  High School Principal of the Year. The final selection will be made in September.  I appreciate more than words can express all the good wishes and encouragement I received from our staff, students, and members of the East Cooper community.  Being selected as a national finalist is a huge, humbling honor but the recognition is really about the work we have done at Wando. As I flew to Washington, I reflected back more than 40 years when I first flew there to be a senate intern for Senator Strom Thurmond.  I was a young college student who had no idea as to what my life would bring. At the age of 18, I had no plan to be a principal and was not even sure I would be a teacher.  I have been richly blessed in both roles and just hope our Wando graduates are as fortunate to find career paths that they really are passionate about and enjoy.

Creating a 21^st century high school of this size which provides personal connections  for each student, and extraordinary opportunities academically, in the arts, and in co-curricular activities has required dedicated, committed teachers and staff as well as teamwork and support from our Town, our parents, and our residents who do not have children in school. Thanks to every one of you who support our students and our school.  These teens are really the future of our country and I am proud of them.  Their potential is really endless!

(Editor’s note – This is an excerpt from Wando High School Principal Lucy Beckham’s speech to the Class of 2009 graduating class).

Tonight you will notice that many of these seniors are wearing cords. Some of the cords represent recognition from the various honor societies.

You should also note that more than 300 cords are being worn in recognition of having completed a major – four elective courses in one area of concentration. Some students have completed more than one major.

Some students did not complete a major but took courses in several areas which help them narrow the search for their future career.

Tonight we have the following breakdown of majors completed this year by the Class of 2009:

•Arts and Humanities – 152

•Business and Information Systems – 28

•Heath, Human, and Public Services – 52

•Math, Science, and Engineering – 59

•Our AP major – 4 or more AP courses – 53.

Now, I would like to take a moment to speak personally to these fine young people who are candidates for graduation. The Class of 2009 is a very special one to me. You embraced change, worked with us, and helped us make your school better. Your work in raising more than $20,000 for Cliff’s Cause to support cancer research and pediatric oncology at MUSC in honor of the son of one of our teachers. Kirk Beiike, is amazing. Your class stands out as one which truly cares about others and which is willing to help whenever asked. You have supported one another and your teachers who have faced health issues and personal challenges. You took classes well beyond the minimum required to get a high school diploma. You moved from the old view that finishing high school was the goal to our new reality that you need to take everything you can in high school to be better prepared to succeed at the next level. Now 63 percent of you are heading to 4-year colleges, 29 percent to 2-year colleges and 2 percent are joining the military.

You have excelled academically, athletically and in all areas of Wando life. You have filled the halls of Wando with your energy and vitality. You have supported one another through tough times. You have focused on all that is good and worked to make Wando better.

In your four years at Wando you have compiled an incredible list of achievements:

•State marching band champions for 4th year in a row with more all-state musicians than any other high school;

•Best student newspaper in South Carolina for the 9 consecutive years and best student newspaper in the southeast;

•AFJROTC unit has earned an outstanding rating all four years which is the top award from the Air Force;

•The musical, 42nd Street, is one I will never forget;

•Our choral program ranked 3rd in All-State placement;

•Our art and orchestra students also won state and regional awards;

•Lacrosse – one of the top club programs in the state;

•And the list could go on and on.

•Athletically, this year’s results are equally impressive:

•We just learned last week that we won the state’s top award – Wando ranks 1st in the state among the 48 AAAA high schools for the overall success of the athletic program based on our 19 varsity teams and their results in the playoffs.

•State championship in varsity girls tennis for fifth straight year.

•State champion in boys track, Lower state champion in volleyball, girls soccer, and baseball.

•14 region championships in boys and girls swimming, volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls golf, boys and girls track, boys and girls soccer, baseball and boys and girls tennis.

•Sixty-one student athletes recognized as All-Region players.

•Forty-six seniors recognized as Scholar Athletes by the High School League.

As you leave tonight, some of you have definite plans for the future. However, there are a fair number who are really not sure what you are going to next. You are just not sure what is ahead for you. I want you to know that I know that you are ready for whatever comes.

I want to conclude by reading you a letter which I received several weeks ago from a man whom I have never met. He is a Wando grad. Class of 1977. After I received the letter, he followed up with a phone call. He told me that he moved to Mount Pleasant from New York during his 9th grade year. He said that the adjustment was tough. Life was slower in the South and the focus on academics was new to him. When he finished high school, he did not have the money to go to college. Here is his letter which has some wonderful words of wisdom for our seniors:

Ms. Beckham,

I am a former student from Wando High School and decided to e-mail my thanks for the great education the school provided me. I attended Wando from January 1974 until 1977, and upon graduation joined the U. S. Army. As a result of my education, I was able to select any career field I wanted. I chose finance and accounting. However, after a few years in finance and accounting, I was selected to become a counterintelligence special agent, where I conducted counterintelligence investigations, and counter espionage operations for the U.S. Army. I retired from the Army having been a special agent, polygraph examiner, and computer forensics investigator.

Currently, I am deputy chief security officer for the Executive Office of the President, in Washington, DC. Why am I -writing…just to say thanks to the school for the education it gave me. I was an average student, and probably had a few behavior problems. I think that it’s important that students know that it is not where you came from, but where you go that is important. As I said, I do not think I was the best student, but there were many teachers at Wando who took the time to encourage me to be the best. For that I am grateful.

Please let your students know that with a little luck, hard work, and a blessing or two working at the White House can happen.

Best regards,

Stacey E. Williams

Deputy Chief Security Officer Executive Office of the President

God bless you!!!

What do school districts from Alaska, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia all have in common? These school districts, along with many others in and out of South Carolina, have sent teams of educators to visit Wando and learn what we do here.

Why Wando?

How do they even know we exist?

Due to the success of our students academically and in co-curricular activities, Wando is on the national stage in many areas.  In addition, we joined High Schools That Work (HSTW), a national high school reform organization in 2004. This alliance gives us the opportunity to access, share and learn from the best schools in the country.  Top national officials of HSTW frequently refer other high schools to Wando for our successful implementation of key practices designed to improve school quality and student support.  Educators from across the state and nation come here to learn about our smaller learning communities, career majors, advisor-advisement system, ninth grade academy, and specialized programs such as engineering and culinary arts. South Carolina law now mandates that every high school in the state join HSTW or a similar school reform initiative.

Wando has been a leader in SC in its HSTW implementation. High Schools That Work (HSTW) is the nation’s leading high school reform model.  Members are committed to changing schools and classroom practices in ways that improve student achievement.  Member schools agree to follow key practices that positively impact student achievement. The key practices include having high expectations for all of our students, giving frequent feedback and offering them a challenging program of study.  Increasing access to academic studies which include real world applications is another key practice. We use a variety of schedules in order to maximize learning opportunities and allow our students to earn more credits.

Providing intellectually challenging career/technical studies in high-demand fields that emphasize the higher-level mathematics, science, literary, and problem-solving skills needed in the workplace and in future education is another HSTW priority.

Wando’s nationally recognized engineering program is a great example. It includes eight different engineering courses where students directly apply connections between math and science as they problem-solve real world engineering assignments. More than 300 Wando students are taking engineering courses this year. Other key practices of HSTW include offering students a challenging program of study, actively engaging students in their learning, and allowing opportunities for work-based learning.

Teachers working together to insure that course content is rigorous, standards-based, and consistent no matter who is the instructor is another school priority. Our teachers work in curriculum teams where they share teaching strategies and develop common assessments so that we have a consistent measure of student progress. Professional development and training are a school priority.

Providing a supportive guidance and advisement system which includes annual meetings with students and parents to review each child’s individual graduation plan is another HSTW expectation.   In addition to an assigned guidance counselor, each Wando student has a faculty advisor/mentor who meets with their advisement group weekly.

We provide a structured system of extra help to assist students who fall behind academically which is another HSTW key practice. Our teachers offer office hours twice a week before or after school where students can receive help without prior appointments.

Ninth graders who enter high school deficient in basic skills are enrolled in catch-up classes designed to help prepare them for college-preparatory courses. Using technology and the Internet, we now offer students who fail required courses the opportunity to recover the credits in a computer lab class.  The educational software can determine what the student does not understand and create a unique series of lessons for that student. Our teachers are critical in supporting learning in these labs. We have found that some students are more successful with this technology-based approach to instruction.

As a school we are committed to using assessment and data to foster continuous improvement. HSTW expects that all of its member schools commit to data-based decision making in all areas of the school’s operation.  Shared collaborative leadership is the foundation for our work here.

We are proud to be a high school which is nationally acclaimed for its progress in improving student achievement and making the changes necessary to meet the educational needs of all of our students.

In recent weeks, I have been meeting with parents of rising ninth graders who have attended Bagels with Beckham events at Wando.  At these events, we give parents an overview of our school and then take them on a tour of classes and the school building.  In the past month, I have hosted hundreds of guests who have come to see our school.

Some parents can hardly believe that their oldest child will be in high school next year.

They find it hard to realize their babies are growing up so quickly.  When I asked one parent about her child who would be coming to Wando next year, she told me her daughter was 5 years old.  At first, I thought she was there because she had accompanied a friend who was a prospective parent.  However, she then explained that her daughter was in the eighth grade but would always be her little girl in her mind. She was expressing what many parents who have children entering high school feel.  Where did the years go?  Will my child be safe? Is this the right school for my child? As a parent, I had the same concerns. The years go by so quickly, and we want to make sure we are making the right choices for our children.

At Wando, we understand the importance of helping students and parents make a successful transition to high school.  By seeing the school in action and meeting the staff, we hope we are easing their level of anxiety. Our visitors are amazed at the incredible opportunities available at Wando.

The most common comments from them are, “I wish I could have gone to a high school like this.” and “I can’t believe the school is so quiet and orderly. Where are the kids?”  (The kids are in class working and learning.)

During January, eighth graders at our three feeder middle schools will be bused to Wando for a program designed to give them an overview of Wando life.  Later in the spring, we will send to our feeder middle schools the rising ninth grade registration materials including our program of study/ course catalog and our curriculum framework which shows all the elective courses organized by career pathway.

After eighth grade teachers provide input, parents will review their course recommendations. Wando will invite eight grade students and parents to come to the high school to our Curriculum Fair where they can get more information about courses and curriculum options.

Then Wando counselors will visit the middle schools and register each rising ninth grader individually.

Their parents will be invited to participate in this registration conference if they wish to do so.

Rising ninth graders coming from private schools or non-feeder schools will meet with our guidance staff individually at Wando to select courses.

Next August, the ninth graders will come to school one day before all other students.

By attending this preview day, these students will meet their teachers, find the restrooms, locate their lockers, follow their class schedules, attend a club fair, and learn the school routine.

In August, 98 percent of rising ninth graders attended this special back-to- school day.

Feedback from students and parents has been extremely positive from this event.

Our freshmen new to high school are housed in our Ninth Grade Academy, which is located on the second floor of our building in an area which was separated by design from the rest of the school. Kim Wilson, associate principal, leads our Ninth Grade Academy program along with Assistant Principal Cheryl Swinton.

These talented school administrators were both highly skilled guidance counselors before moving into school administration.

A third assistant principal, Robert Woody, also works with our ninth graders.

Each of these administrators are assigned by alphabet to a portion of our freshman class. They work with our team of four ninth grade counselors to provide help and support to our students as they successfully transition to high school. Our Ninth Grade Academy faculty are dedicated teachers who choose to work with our ninth graders and enjoy helping them make the transition from middle school to high school.

Our freshmen typically embrace the high school.

In fact, we encourage our prospective parents to ask our current students about the Wando experience.  They are great sales representatives for our school.  Parents are encouraged to become involved and participate in Wando life, as well.  There is a space and a place for all at Wando.