WINNSBORO – Teachers, students, parents and friends joined the annual Chalk Walk at Fairfield Central High School last week to celebrate education and raise funds for scholarships. After stretching and warming up, the walkers made several turns around the track.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central High School held its ‘Evening at Sea’ pageant last Saturday. Crowned were, from left, Miss Freshman, Trinity Proctor; Miss Sophomore, Abigail Hudson-Smith; Miss Junior and Miss Black and Gold, JaNiyah Coleman; Miss FCHS, Zenia Mobley and Mr. FCHS Darius Free. | Photo: Joe Seibles
WINNSBORO – Community members from all over Fairfield County turned out to support the third annual Jenni Sharpe Memorial 5K on March 23.
The event, which funds scholarships for Fairfield County seniors, was initiated after Winnsboro native Jenni Caldwell Sharpe passed away from cancer in 2016.
Jenni, a graduate of Richard Winn Academy, and her husband Ryan Sharpe, an alumnus of Fairfield Central and current teacher and coach, looked for opportunities to give back to the community that supported them during Jenni’s diagnosis and treatment.
Ryan saw the memorial as a means to meet that goal in two ways: the event would bring community members together and give back by supporting local students.
In its first two years, the fundraiser provided $12,000 of scholarships to graduating seniors at Fairfield Central and Richard Winn. Donations are still accepted. To give online, visit PayPal.me/JSharpe5K.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central High School teacher Chanda Jefferson was surprised at her school today when State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman arrived unexpectedly in Jefferson’s room to announce that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award.
Jefferson was then presented with a bouquet of flowers, another bouquet of balloons and a check for $10,000.
“Chanda is an exceptional educator who has not only worked to ensure her own students are successful but has also given of her time and energy so that students across our state have high quality Biology opportunities,” Spearman said. “Chanda’s commitment to increasing the rigor in both her classroom and classrooms across South Carolina should be commended.”
A ninth through twelfth grade Biology teacher at Fairfield Central, Chanda has worked on both the local and state levels to increase student performance of the South Carolina Biology I End-of-Course exam. In 2014, she received the Outstanding Biology Teacher for South Carolina Award presented by the National Association of Biology Teachers. She was one of twenty teachers to receive the Princeton University Fellowship for Teachers and one of three teachers to receive the Amazon Educator Academy Scholarship. Harvard University invited Jefferson to be a guest speaker for the 74th Annual Society of Developmental Biology Conference.
Outside of the classroom, Jefferson has served as an Education Network Partner for the National Human Genome Research Institute, helping to plan a National DNA Day Celebration in South Carolina.
Spearman praised Jefferson for catering to each student’s individual learning style and using hands on activities; incorporating social media, scientific modeling, inquiry, and STEM techniques in her lessons.
Jefferson will next compete for South Carolina Teacher of the Year at the annual Gala, to be held on May 8 in Columbia where the overall winner will be crowned.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central High School senior Jeffery Feaster, Jr. has been selected as one of 100 youths from across the nation to participate in the 2019 Disney Dreamers Academy featuring Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine.
Feaster will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World to participate in an immersive, four-day experience from March 21-24.
According to the program, now in its twelfth year, it is billed as part of Disney’s commitment to helping the next generation of young people at a critical time in their development.
“These students are in for a life-changing experience,” said Tracey D. Powell, Walt Disney World Resort vice president and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion. “Our goal is to help them see the unlimited possibilities and to inspire them to achieve their full purpose- to become the heroes of their own stories.”
Feaster and the other 100 “Disney Dreamers,” will embark on a journey that takes them throughout the Disney theme parks and behind the scenes of this 40-square-mile vacation destination were they will discover new career opportunities, pursue their dreams and interact with Harvey and other celebrities and motivational speakers.
Additionally, students will participate in immersive career-oriented workshops ranging from animation to zoology.
For more information, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com
BLYTHEWOOD – While Blythewood High School seniors taking the SAT hovered just below the state average, the school ranked near the top in the number of test takers.
Blythewood High placed in the top 20 statewide at 71.1 percent, ranking 16th out of 230 schools, with 335 of 471 seniors taking the test, according to S.C. Department of Education figures released last week.
Other Richland 2 schools reported high percentages, ranging between 46 and 56 percent tested.
“Students in the Class of 2018 and their parents decided whether or not to take the SAT,” Richland 2 spokeswoman Libby Roof said via email. “We don’t have any data that would indicate why a greater percentage of students in one school chose to take the SAT than in another school.”
Blythewood seniors averaged 1,048, scoring a point shy of the state average. The school also shed 10 points from last year’s tally of 1,058, data shows
Blythewood’s tally this year was the second highest in Richland 2. Spring Valley High School led the district at 1,098.
Westwood High, meantime, struggled. The school averaged 970, creeping up four points from 966 last year.
“As the district’s total score is below the state average, we recognize there is room for growth and are committed to helping our students better prepare for this assessment,” Roof said. “That being said, these assessments don’t provide teachers with the standard or strand-level results that are needed to make informed instructional decisions.”
Slightly less than half – 168 of 342, or 49.1 percent – of seniors took the test, data shows.
“We avoid using SAT scores as a measure to compare our schools to each other,” Roof said. “The SAT is designed to gauge a student’s readiness to perform college level work. It is used by colleges and universities to compare the academic readiness of students and to make admission decisions.”
In tabulating SAT data, the Department of Education counted individual students only once, regardless of how many times they took the test. The most recent score was counted, figures show.
Accurate data comparisons to 2016 and before were not possible because the College Board, which administers the test, changed the format in 2017.
In 2017, the College Board, which administers the SAT, revised the test to score in two critical areas – evidence-based reading and writing, or ERW, and math, according to the Department of Education website.
The ERW portion replaced the English/Language Arts and Writing sections, which gave the SAT three components, the website states.
The test became a two-part test in 2017, broken down into Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math.
While Richland 2 saw high percentages of test takers, the number of Fairfield County seniors taking the SAT continued to sag.
Only one in five Fairfield County seniors took the SAT in 2018, and those who did take the test averaged more than 80 points below the state average.
Fairfield Central High School climbed from 922 to 983, with 41 of 198 seniors – or 20.7 percent – taking the test, about the same as last year, state data shows.
Fairfield’s performance still fell 81 points behind the state average of 1,064. The national average was 1,049.
Dr. J.R. Green, district superintendent, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
In a prior interview with The Voice about the impact of per pupil revenues on student achievement, Green said that rural districts like Fairfield, where poverty tends to be high, tend to struggle academically.
He also noted student achievement is measured in more ways than how students score on standardized tests.
“The reality is there are students who can be successful, but not at a four-year institution,” Green told The Voice. “It doesn’t mean these kids aren’t sufficient. Poverty has an adverse effect on a kids’ ability to be successful academically.”
If you are like us, you flipped the calendar to August and felt a slight shift in the air. The days are slowly getting shorter and soon, maybe…hopefully, the weather will get a little cooler.
For us, the spectators, seasons are just getting started. But for athletes and coaches, preparation started months ago. While others’ summer days were filled with sleeping in and relaxing by the pool, these coaches and athletes spent their days designing schemes, running sprints, lifting weights, swimming laps. Getting stronger. Getting faster. Getting better. Because that’s what makes the difference come October and November. That’s what gives one team an edge.
We don’t see the countless hours of blood, sweat and tears poured into these teams in the offseason. But we cheer for a return on those investments for athletes and coaches.
Westwood athletics saw some returns last year. Volleyball and football made it to round three of the playoffs. Cross Country runners made a showing at State. Many of the athletes from these teams return this year, looking to avenge their season-ending losses.
Eagle football was bumped in the first round last year, but looks to push farther this year. To do so, they’ll have to get past newly realigned region foe Wardlaw. Cross Country enters its second season in school history with a new coach – Kristen Chaisson. Volleyball will have to overcome last season’s leadership struggles to find success on the court, especially against a tough Laurens team.
The Griffin tennis program returns strong players and a settled coaching staff. The sky could be the limit for Syreeta Thompson’s squad. Football had a bumpy start last season, but had a strong run until Emerald dashed their playoff hopes in the third round. The region realignment places Keenan into the region, but they expect the toughest opponents continue to be Chester, Camden and Indian Land.
Blythewood’s region shifted with the loss of White Knoll and addition of Lugoff-Elgin. Bengal volleyball, tennis and golf look to build on the foundations established last year. Will Epps returns for a second year as head of boys’ cross country and Aleshia Hawkins takes over the girls’ squad. Perhaps the biggest change comes with the new face of the football program, Jason Seidel. Seidel, looking to change the culture of the program after its dismal 2017 season, is ‘all in.’
Soon the stadiums, courts and gyms will be filled with our cheers (or silent golf claps). Exciting, isn’t it. A blank slate – a new season on the horizon. Where will we end up in October and November? Only time will tell.
Honor Roll
We thank the many talented people who helped make the 2018 Fall Sports Preview happen. First, our sports writers.
They report weekly from the trenches, day and night, near and far – Ross Burton, Worthy Evans, Martha Ladd and Blake Wooten.
And our photographers who contribute vivid images of our athletes in action: Ross Burton, Leroy Howard, DeAnna Robinson, Joe Seibles, Martha Ladd and Kristy Kimball Massey, Carolina Sports Photography and especially our designers Ashley Ghere and Callie Ladd Sims.
We also thank the following for their time and contributions: Paul Brigman, Ross Burton, Kristen Chaisson, Dustin Curtis, Demetrius Davis, Kelly Edrington, Will Epps, Robin Gaithers, Mary Hall, Aleshia Hawkins, Mary Hunter, Ciji Kuhlmann, Brice Mann, Jason Minkel, Rachel Peake, Jason Powell, Terrell Roach, Jason Seidel, Syreeta Thompson
WINNSBORO – While Salkehatchie volunteers spend this week making home repairs and doing small projects for Fairfield County residents in need, members from churches throughout the county take turns preparing food and serving the volunteers, who reside in Fairfield Central High School for the week.
On Monday, representatives from St. John’s Episcopal, Sion Presbyterian and Salem Presbyterian churches fed Salkehatchie workers. Pictured above, Lily and Roman Hawkins, youth from St. John’s, serve chili. At right, Sion Presbyterian member Austin Costenbader plates hotdogs.
WINNSBORO – Students in schools around the country, including those at Fairfield Central High School, walked out of classes at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 14 and remained outside for 17 minutes in remembrance of the 17 people recently killed at a school in Florida.
But some parents of Fairfield High School students took to Facebook claiming that the FCHS walkout was not the choice of all students and that the timing of a fire drill was contrived by the school administration to force all students to participate.
“Will the Fairfield County School Board please explain why [some] students were forced to participate in the school walkout disguised as a fire drill?” one parent wrote on School Board Chairman William Frick’s Facebook page.
“I am working to find out how this occurred,” Frick posted. “As I understand it, this was not originally intended to endorse any particular view. Unfortunately, as it transpired, it did just that. While I certainly support an individual’s right to express their political opinion, a certain political view should not be endorsed by our school as a whole. I have expressed my personal displeasure with this situation today.”
When asked for a comment, FCHS principal Tracie Swilley e-mailed the following statement to The Voice: “In an attempt to prevent a potential confrontation with students who wished to express their acknowledgement for the lives lost during the Florida tragedy, we decided to conduct our monthly fire drill. While out during the drill some students elected to discuss their concerns relating to school safety. There was no mention of politics or gun control but an opportunity for students to understand how to appropriately express their voice. Some students remained outside for several minutes after the drill, while others returned immediately.”
As parents continued to comment, one post stated: “We should not lend any validity to this thinly veiled attempt to cover this up as something that it’s not.”
By one parent’s account, some students did not want to participate, so at exactly 10 a.m., the students were alerted that a fire drill was taking place and all marched outside, ostensibly for the fire drill, and stayed outside as TV cameras from WIS-TV and WLTX-TV rolled. Then, after 17 minutes, the students returned to their classrooms.
While school officials claimed that what was perceived as a walkout was actually a fire drill, some parents who posted on Facebook and called The Voice questioned the fire drill’s timing, that it coincided to the minute with the national walking out and, in effect, forced students to participate.
“I think that’s probably what happened,” Frick said. “By doing a contemporaneous fire drill, it ended up being an actual walkout,” he said.
Frick told The Voice that he did not know who called the television stations to be at the school at the time of the fire drill.
“That was an issue I raised because I saw it was on WLTX & WIS. It was my concern,” Frick said.
“It was perceived as a political event. It’s a touchy issue and I don’t like it for the school to appear to take a side,” Frick said. “I want to be sure we have an open dialogue and that people know what’s going on…I understand the parents’ concerns. There was an implication that we need to take some corrective action and whatever we need to do we’re going to do.”
WINNSBORO – A Winnsboro man was gunned down along with two other innocent bystanders in Five Points Saturday night, following the annual St. Pat’s Day celebration.
Kidron Amaziah Deal, 20, was in a crowd that lingered after the celebration when he was shot in the face. A Hopkins man, Arthur Jones, Jr., 27, is charged with three counts of attempted murder after firing shots into the crowd. According to officials, none of the victims or the shooter knew each other.
Deal, a 2015 graduate of Fairfield Central High School, was a wide receiver for the Griffins football team.
“The kid is the epitome of a student athlete,” said coach Demetrius Davis. “He was a very good football and baseball player. However, he was a better student and an even better young man. His work ethic and smile were so contagious that it rubbed off his classmates and teammates.”
“Kidron is a great young man and we are saddened by this tragic occurrence,” Fairfield Central Superintendent Dr. J. R. Green said. “We will keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”
According to a victim’s advocate during the bond hearing, Deal remains on a ventilator in critical condition.
Jones, Jr. faces three counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and remains in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center under a $3 million bond.