Hello PSA!

Huge thanks to all who have contributed to PCA’s efforts to recognize our faculty. The love and appreciation has definitely been felt!  This update has a lot of information.  Please take the time to read it as well as read the links.  

One of the outcomes of a recently called special board meeting was that PSA joined with other charter schools in an effort to stop recently passed rules with the South Carolina High School League.  Specifically, these rules have the potential to negatively impact athletes within several schools, including PSA.  Monday morning an injunction is to be filed in court on behalf of the schools.  Please take a moment to read THIS letter from the PSA Board of Directors.

We are moving full steam ahead with finishing out this school year and planning for next year.  Thank you for your patience as we work toward creating a well-planned schedule with a variety of electives.  As a result of several staff changes and the hope to offer some electives for the first time, we will be sending out student surveys within the next week or so.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• We will be collecting items as well as distributed items (art work/locker contents) on the following dates: May 20/21 and June 1.  Please be sure to sign up via one of the links below.  Athletes should sign up for a time that corresponds with athletic drop off as well. Clear guidelines will be set out a bit later.  

May 20  9-4- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c49abaf2ea3f58-student

            May 21  12-7 – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C49ABAF2EA3F58-family

            June 1   3-7 – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c49abaf2ea3f58-family1

• Important technology information! For the remainder of the school year, we will be testing out a software program called Bark.  This will enable monitoring of all communications within the Google Suite across the PSA network.  Please find more information here: https://www.bark.us/schools.  We will be looking at a full implementation for the 2020-21 school year.  Please direct any questions you may have to Bernadette Brogan at bernadette.brogan@psaschool.org.

   

• Year End Grades: Only semester two (not separate quarters) will be reported on the report card. In most cases, the beginning of semester two (formerly quarter three) will be the same weight as the end of semester two (formerly quarter four).  Extenuating circumstances will be addressed on a case by case basis.  If you have questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher first then to administration if questions remain. Report cards will be in the parent portal the week of June 15th.  

   

• New staff! As 2019-2020 winds down, several staff members will be moving on to other opportunities/cities.  It is a bittersweet time as we say good-bye to some, but welcome to others.  You will find a brief biography for some of our recently hired faculty members.

   

  • Amber Speights is excited to be joining PSA as the Assistant Principal of Academics. Prior to Palmetto Scholars Academy, she worked in the nonprofit sector coordinating and developing curriculum for a program designed to give high school girls access and mentorship in c-level suite careers in finance while also teaching financial literacy. She has also served as a GT endorsed middle-level science teacher in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas with a focus on connecting students to STEAM-based learning experiences that translate into real-world careers. Mrs. Speights earned her Bachelor’s in Environmental Science at Allen University of Columbia, South Carolina and continued her education to earn her Master’s in Educational Leadership at Queens University of Charlotte. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated with a passion for community service and involvement. In her spare time, she loves traveling and trying new foods with her husband and two beautiful children. She is excited and proud to be a part of the PSA family! She is committed to belief that “We WILL do great things”! Her first day at PSA was on Friday!  Please feel free to contact her with any questions or concerns at amber.speights@psaschool.org.

     

  • Dr. Ryan Westberry will be joining PSA as the band instructor.  He has served as a public-school music educator for more than twenty years.  In this role, he has conducted bands and orchestras in middle schools, high schools, and universities, in addition to several community ensembles.  He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University, as well as a Master of Music Education and an Educational Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina, where he served as a graduate assistant with the Carolina Bands. Dr. Westberry is a member of the National Association for Music Education, South Carolina Band Directors Association, American School Band Directors Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. Please enjoy this recent article featuring him with several colleagues. 
     

  • Brenda Buckley-Kuhn will be joining the English Department to teach English 2 Honors. Originally from Independence, Missouri, Brenda Buckley-Kuhn has been a high school and college English teacher for over 30 years. In addition to teaching high school full-time, she serves as an Adjunct Professor of English at Charleston Southern University. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Biology and a Masters of Arts in English with a specialization in Secondary Education from University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds teaching certifications in Illinois, Georgia, and South Carolina that include highly qualified status in English and Gifted and Talented certification in AP English Literature and AP English Language and Composition. She has scored exam essays as a Reader and Table Leader since 2001 for the College Board’s AP English Literature and Composition Examination, and she will serve as a question leader for the online examination for 2020. She also serves as an AP English content writer, mentor, and Student Study Session consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) throughout the Southeast. She was named SCISA Master Teacher of the Year for 2019-2020 for Pinewood Preparatory School. Because she transferred at the end of her junior year from the University of Kansas, she still considers herself a Jayhawk. She enjoys watching basketball, baseball, and listening to all genres of music, but especially jazz and classical. In her spare time, she plays oboe and piano, jogs, and is willing to try cooking almost any recipe requested for her husband, three children and two grandchildren. 

• Destiny Grant will be joining PSA as the Assistant Principal of Operations.  She is headed to South Carolina from Arizona!  She officially joins the PSA team June 1.  Her biography will be shared in a later update.  Stay tuned! 

• Middle School Awards: We will not be hosting individual middle school awards this year.  However, each middle school student will be given/sent a small surprise for finishing out such a tough year.  

In case you missed it! 

For our seniors and families, please find a letter outlining graduation plans HERE. 

AP test takers and families, be sure to refer back to THIS document.  Be wishes to each of our students as AP tests continue.  

PSA’s End of Year Plan may be found HERE.  Please be sure to read carefully and reach out to teachers or administration if you have any questions! 

Weekly Calendars (for past assignments): 

MS Assignment Calendar can be found  HERE.

HS Assignment Calendar can be found  HERE.

Note: These links will remain the same and active for subsequent weeks.  If there is a delay in the update, you may still find the calendars at these links.  

College Board Updates: HERE.  This page includes information for AP, SAT, etc. 

Corrigan Rutherford