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Welcome to Cheraw High School!

2013 Tenacious Ten Honored

The top ten members of the Cheraw High School Class of 2013 were honored at the 2nd Annual Tenacious Ten Banquet on May 14, 2013. Each honoree and two guests dined on a four course meal catered by Cheraw High School faculty member Charity Redfearn. Pictured are ten of the honorees: (l to r) Christopher Parnell, Kyle Smith, Daniel Crawley, An Kha Dang, Erin Rayfield, Hannah Watkins, Elizabeth Robertson, Ambriana Hubbard, Raven Waymyers, Elisha Brown.

International Night Out
Thursday, January 24th 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Cheraw High School will host their 2^nd annual “International Night Out” on Thursday, January 24^th, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. During this event, participants will have the opportunity to eat cuisines from 18 different countries, learn about different languages, enjoy entertainment from Cheraw High students and celebrate diversity in our community. Advance tickets are on sale now in the school’s main office. Tickets are $6.00 for ages 12 and up, $4.00 for children between the ages of 6 and 11, and free for children under 6. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on January 24th. Cheraw High School invites you to this exciting event and looks forward to a wonderful night of food, fun, and entertainment.

After School Tutoring and Academic Assistance Offered at CHS

Cheraw High School students now have the opportunity to receive tutoring and academic assistance in the afternoons each week on Monday - Thursday. There are currently two programs offered at CHS. The National Honor Society offers student-led tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays and the CHS After School Assistance Program offers tutoring from certified classroom teachers on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For more information, please contact Ova Brown-Gillespie at 843-921-1000 Ext. 241 or Penny Quick at 843-921-1000 Ext. 251.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Any student in grades 9 - 12

WHY PARTICIPATE?
Tutors are available
Improve grades, study skills

WHO ARE THE TUTORS?
NHS Students - Mondays and Wednesdays
Certified Teachers - Tuesdays and Thursdays

LOCATIONS AND TIMES?
Mondays and Wednesdays: Room 210 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays: Career Center 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Top Scorers for Citizenship Test at Cheraw High School on Constitution

To honor National Constitution Day on September 17, 2012, the Cheraw High School social studies teachers gave all of their students a sample of 25 multiple-choice questions created from the citizenship test all immigrants going through the naturalization process must pass. When the teachers first administered the annual citizenship test in 2009, only 38% of the students passed and were “qualified” to be American citizens. This year, 63% of the students who took the test passed (out of the 321 students who took the test, 201 passed). Fifteen students scored 100% on the citizenship test.

(back row, l to r) John Tammen, Brandon Sellers, Conner Roberts, Joseph Chewning, Lafeast Goode, and Andrew Truett (front row, l to r) Taylor Owen, Madison Vogt, Kim Hill, Anna Norris, and Travis Ellerbe (not pictured) Tony Harris, Rebecca Lindsey, Robert Pitts, and Matthew Sinclair

Chesterfield County School District Amends Calendar

The Chesterfield County District has rescheduled parent conference scheduled for Nov. 5, replacing it with two late afternoon and early evening dates. Parent conferences will be held after school in the McBee, Cheraw, and Chesterfield attendance areas Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.

The times for Cheraw High School will be 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30th and Thursday, November 1st. Parents who have conflicts with these dates are asked to contact individual teachers about scheduling a conference.

Dr. Harrison Goodwin, superintendent, said that the new dates should benefit parents and families. “Working parents often find the conferences held after school much more convenient to attend,” says Goodwin. “Also, with November 6th a scheduled holiday for elections, families are now free to have a four-day weekend break.”
The Chesterfield County District has rescheduled parent conference scheduled for Nov. 5, replacing it with two late afternoon and early evening dates.?Parent conferences will be held after school in the McBee, Cheraw, and Chesterfield attendance areas Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.?The times for Cheraw High School will be 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30th and Thursday, November 1st.?Parents who have conflicts with these dates are asked to contact individual teachers about scheduling a conference.?Dr. Harrison Goodwin, superintendent, said that the new dates should benefit parents and families.?“Working parents often find the conferences held after school much more convenient to attend,” says Goodwin. “Also, with Nov. 6 a scheduled holiday for elections, families are now free to have a four-day weekend break.”

Cheraw High School's James Otis Scholars

In observance of National Constitution Day, Cheraw High School juniors Kim Hill (l) and Anna Norris (r) have been selected by the social studies department to represent their school at the Fourth Annual James Otis Lecture Series. The program will take place on Friday, September 14, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the South Carolina State House in Columbia. This year’s program, sponsored by the SC Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, will focus on privacy and First Amendment rights in the age of social media.

AP Teachers at Cheraw High School: "The Fierce Five"

By Gail Ingram

The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team at the 2012 London Olympics may be called the “Fierce Five,” but there is a group of teachers at Cheraw High School who tech the Advanced Placement courses deserving that same name. The “Fierce Five” are Mrs. Carolyn Pierce (AP English Literature and Composition), Mrs. Carla Reid (AP United States History), Mrs.Lyall White (AP Calculus AB), Mrs. Jennifer Rayfield (AP Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio), and Mr. Chris Hathcock (AP Music Theory). These teachers are outstanding in their subject areas and they push their students to reach their highest potential. AP courses are not just for the top students in a high school. They are for all students who want to be challenged to do their very best. Thanks to the variety of AP courses offered at Cheraw High School, academic rigor and excellence are very much a part of the school’s culture.

Cheraw High School’s passage rates have always been impressive, especially for a school of its size and its location in a semi-rural part of the state. 38 students were enrolled in AP courses during the 2011-2012 school year. The highest score on an AP exam is 5 and the lowest is 1. College credit is awarded for scores 3 or above. 11 students took the AP English exam with these scores: 5 (2 students), 4 (3 students), 3 (5 students), 2 (1 student). 19 students took the AP US History exam: 5 (9 students), 4 (7 students), 3 (1 student), 2 (2 students). 8 students took the AP Calculus exam: 5 (3 students), 3 (4 students), 1 (1 student). Only 1 student took the AP Studio Art exam and made a score of 2. 4 students took the AP Music Theory exam: 4 (2 students) and 3 (2 students).

Carolyn Pierce, the AP English Literature and Composition teacher, said, “My goal as an AP teacher is not simply to coach my students how to pass an exam. Instead, I accept the responsibility of teaching them how to read and to write with complexity and sophistication so that they may become successful in all of their college classes.” Since 2010, her passage rates have steadily increased: 40%, 64.3%, and 90.9% for this year.

Students in Carla Reid’s AP United States History classes have had these impressive passage rates since 2010: 90.5 %, 100%, and 89.5 for this year. According to Mrs. Reid, “Each year, my students endure nine months of rigorous training in writing essays in the correct format for the AP US History exam. They must also learn the US history content. When it is time for the AP exam, most of my students are nervous wrecks. However, as soon as the exam is over, a majority of them feel confident that they passed. Hard work pays off in the end. Even though many students become frustrated at some point during the year, most of them will tell you that they are extremely glad they took AP US History. The challenges of taking the course made them better students.”

Lyall White, the AP Calculus teacher, asked her son, Andrew, now a medical school student, about his AP courses at Cheraw High School. Andrew White commented, “The AP classes prepare you for the rigor of college-level classes and the other high school students are not experiencing that same rigor until they actually take college classes. Those students who are successful in their AP classes can save time and money. They also have the opportunity to fit in a college class that they might really have an interest in. I was able to take an ecology course as a senior and that was made possible because of all of the AP credits I earned in high school.” Mrs. White has had these passage rates since 2010: 62.5%, 58.8 %, and 87.5 % for this year.

Jennifer Rayfield’s AP Studio Art course is different from the other AP subjects because her students do not take a final written exam. Art students create a portfolio of 24 college-level pieces and digitally submit the work to the College Board for consideration. Since 2006, Mrs. Rayfield has had 10 out of 14 students pass the AP Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio exam.

Mrs. Rayfield said, “Artistic talent and creativity are essential, but students who enroll must have a solid work ethic in order to achieve success. Going through the process is challenging and stressful at times, but very rewarding for the students and the teacher. I used to think that AP Studio Art was only for large high schools in big cities. That opinion changed when Mardita Murphy transferred to Cheraw High School and wanted to finish the AP portfolio she started in her other school. Uncertain of my ability to teach AP, I learned enough about the process to help her complete the portfolio. The good news of her passing score came on my birthday. I don’t know who was more excited. Mardita went on to Clemson to major in art and now works for the Cheraw Arts Commission. She went on to open the door for other students to take the course.”

AP Music Theory is taught by Cheraw High School’s band director, Chris Hathcock. Along with his AP colleagues, Mr. Hathcock is a strong proponent of the AP program: “AP courses of any stripe give students to delve into a subject and to challenge them on a grander scale. AP is not only important because of the advanced credit, but we owe it to these students to challenge them at higher and higher levels. The real world is competitive. These courses give students a greater edge.” The 2011-2012 school year was the first time AP Music Theory was offered at Cheraw High School and all 4 students passed the exam.

Mr. Hathcock said, “The AP Music Theory exam is the longest of all AP exams offered by the College Board. My students had to be able to answer multiple-choice questions, listen to music and reproduce it on paper, compose music based on given criteria, and even look at music for 30 seconds and sing it accurately. The dividends of this course have not only paid in the pride of accomplishing such a Herculean task, but the students got valuable college credit, such as Savannah Wilkerson, now a student in Coastal Carolina University’s music program, who exempted a total of four courses because of her AP Music Theory course.”

“The Fierce Five” at Cheraw High School exemplify all that is positive and good in the public schools. These teachers may not have gold medals like the US Women’s Gymnastics team, but they are all winners and so are all of the students who take AP courses at Cheraw High School.

Freshman First Day at Cheraw High School

Cheraw High School sponsored a “Freshman First Day” on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, the day before all students started the new school year. 9^th-grade students and their parents were welcomed by Mr. Jason Bryant, the new principal of Cheraw High School, and Mrs. Susan Robertson, the Cheraw High School PTO President. Both Mr. Bryant and Mrs. Robertson emphasized the need for parents and family members to stay involved and connected with their children and to be informed about the academic requirements in order to help their children succeed in graduating from high school on time.

After going through an abbreviated school day to “meet-and-greet” the 9^th-grade teachers, paying their fees, and collecting their textbooks, the new students and their family members were treated to a hot dog lunch. Hog dogs were grilled by deputies with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Department and served by students in the following organizations and sports: National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, varsity football, and cheerleaders. Bi-Lo donated $20.00 toward the purchase of food items and PTO officers and parents donated what was needed to make the lunch a success.

Freshman Cameron Threadgill and his mother, Dana, patiently wait to pickup textbooks.

Teacher and Student Published in the OAH's Magazine of History

Cheraw High School history teacher Gail Ingram and her former student, Joshuah Campbell, a freshman at Harvard University, have articles published in the July 2012 issue of the Organization of American Historians’ Magazine of History. The entire issue focuses on National History Day.

Ingram’s article, in the magazine’s Dialogue section, is titled “Doing National History Day With Your Students.” Ingram has been recognized twice at the national level for her work with National History Day. In 2001, she received the Richard Farrell Teacher of the Year Award (and a $1,000 cash prize) and in 2010, she was the first recipient of the Patricia Behring NHD Teacher of the Year Award for the senior division (and a $10,000 cash prize). The Chesterfield County School District was one of four sites that participated in a national evaluation of National History Day during the 2009-2010 school year. Ingram’s entire article can be found at the following link on the website for the Organization of American Historians:

http://maghis.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/3/33.full

Campbell’s article, in the magazine’s Bringing History Alive section, is titled “Becoming Emmett Till: A Student History Day Perspective.”As a high school freshman in Ingram’s honors world history class, he created a ten-minute dramatic performance portraying Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Mississippi teenager who was murdered in the summer of 1955. Campbell’s performance garnered a variety of state and national awards, including the African American History Prize at the national contest.
Ingram has been teaching with the National History Day program since 1997 and Campbell participated in the program for three years. Both were selected in 2011 to be part of the first group of scholars in the NHD-sponsored Albert H. Small Student/Teacher Institute, ‘Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom.”

Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year!

Cheraw High School’s Open House will be held on Monday, August 20 for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. Parents and students are to report to the commons area to pay fees, get textbooks, and visit classrooms during the following hours:

11th & 12th graders: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
10th graders: 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

9th graders should report for “Freshmen First Day” activities on Tuesday, August 21 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Parents and students should report to the commons area for instructions. Activities will conclude with a hot dog lunch sponsored by the Cheraw High PTO and Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Dept.

The regular school day will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 7:53 a.m. and end at 2:55 p.m.

Fees for the 2012-2013 school year are:

Instructional - $35
Locker - $5
Lunch - $l.85 ($.40 reduced)
Parking - $10 (required if driving to school)
Yearbook - $60 (optional)

Breakfast is free for all students. Agendas, ID’s, and lanyards are provided for all students (a fee is charged for replacements).

Schedules will be mailed prior to the beginning of school and given out during homeroom on Thursday, Aug. 22. Homeroom assignments will be posted at the gym foyer and the student entrance between the old and new buildings.

Congratulations National History Day South Carolina Winners

Photo (from left to right)?Kristina Schultz, Tajee' Turner, Meredith Hammer, Greer Eddins, Ximena Perez, and Caroline Crouse

Cheraw High Students Advance to National History Day

At the National History Day in South Carolina contest, held on April 28 in Columbia at the South Carolina Archives & History Center, six of Mrs. Gail Ingram's 9th-grade students at Cheraw High School became eligible to compete in the national contest by winning 1st or 2nd place in their respective categories. Caroline Crouse, Greer Eddins, and Meredith Hammer won 1st place for their senior group documentary called "The Impact of Title IX on Women's Sports." They also won a $250 cash award by winning the South Caroliniana Prize. Ximena Perez won 2nd place for her senior individual documentary called "The Chilean Coup D'etat." She also won the John C. West Award for Outstanding Entry on World History. Tajee' Turner won 1st place for her senior individual exhibit called "The Freedom Riders: Reformers in Action" and Kristina Schultz won 2nd place for her senior individual exhibit called "The Abdication of Nicholas II." All of their projects had to center around the 2012 National History Day theme, "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History" and they had to conduct extensive primary and secondary source research about their selected topics during the 2011-2012 school year. To become eligible to compete at the national contest, which will be held at the University of Maryland in June, they had to compete successfully in the school, district, and state competitions.

National Merit Scholarship Recipient

Joshuah Campbell has been selected as the winner of a National Achievement NMSC Scholarship.

National Achievement Scholarship Program

The National Achievement® Scholarship Program is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Black students may enter both the National Achievement Program and the National Merit® Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) and meeting other published requirements for participation. The two annual programs are conducted concurrently but operated and funded separately. A student's standing is determined independently in each program. Black American students can qualify for recognition and be honored as Scholars in both the National Merit Program and the National Achievement Program, but can receive only one monetary award from NMSC.

Of the more than 160,000 students who currently enter the National Achievement® Program each year, over 4,700 are honored. A group of about 3,100 Outstanding Participants are referred to colleges for their potential for academic success. A smaller group of about 1,600 are named Semifinalists, the only students who have an opportunity to advance in the competition for National Achievement Scholarships.

2012 Palmetto Fellows Recipients From Cheraw High

First Row (left to right): Laura Brabham, Chelsea Maier, and Briana Schoen;
Second Row (left to right): Rachel marsh, Matthew Lide, Leah Atkinson, and Joshuah Campbell

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 to recognize the most academically talented high school seniors and encourage these students to attend college in the State. The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program is administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Palmetto Fellows may receive up to $6,700 their freshman year and up to $7,500 for their sophomore, junior and senior years. Half of the Scholarship is awarded in the fall term and half in the spring term. The Scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received. Assuming continued eligibility, Palmetto Fellows may receive Scholarship funding for a maximum of eight full-time terms of study toward their first bachelor’s degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina.

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement was established in 2007 to increase the number of students who major in mathematics and science in South Carolina. For Enhancement eligibility, Palmetto Fellows must declare a major in an approved math or science program. Beginning with the Fall 2007 freshman class and thereafter, Palmetto Fellows must also successfully complete at least fourteen credit hours of instruction in mathematics or life and physical science or a combination of both by the end of the first academic year. Eligible students may receive up to $10,000 (combined funds from the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and the Scholarship Enhancement) per year beginning with their second/sophomore year of college enrollment. Students may receive Enhancement funding for a maximum of six full-time terms of study toward their first bachelor's degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina.

Registration for Incoming Freshman...Welcome Class of 2016!

Registration for incoming Freshman was held on March 27 from 6PM-7:30PM. After completing registration forms, students and parents were able to visit an Extracurricular Fair hosted by several CHS organizations, clubs, and athletic teams.