News and Updates

Johnston, SC - Many of the Edgefield County School District’s (ECSD) dedicated employees are on the front lines of the hurricane recovery effort in Edgefield County, helping distribute food and water while also providing meals to linemen and first responders.

On Tuesday, (10/1) ECSD Superintendent, Dr. Kevin O’Gorman, praised employees in an email message for their tremendous support during a very difficult time.

“You continue to be in my thoughts and I continue to be impressed with people jumping in to help almost minute by minute over the past few days,” he wrote. “While MES and JET have stepped up to open as shelters for the county, JES jumped in today and had a HUGE turnout of community members coming in to get food and charge their devices, etc. I know from first hand experience that ECSD employees will step up and help in any way they can. I love being able to tell people, ‘yes we can,’ and I’m only able to do that because of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being you!!”

Strom Thurmond Career & Technology Center (STCTC) Director Dr. Alan Gray was even celebrated by the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) on social media for his help unloading emergency supplies. When the supplies arrived, there was no way to unload the pallets so Dr. Gray hopped on the STCTC forklift and jumped into action.

"What happens when cots are delivered to an emergency shelter in Edgefield and the driver can't unload the pallets? Strom Thurmond Career and Technology Center director Dr. Alan Gray grabs the school forklift and gets the job done!", the SCDE Facebook post read.

On Tuesday, the awesome team members of ECSD Child Nutrition at J-E-T Middle School and Strom Thurmond High School served meals to lineman, jailers, first responders and the community at large.

The J-E-T Middle child nutrition staff also prepared ready-to-eat meal bags that were distributed along with MREs and water.

Members of the STHS child nutrition staff prepared a few hundred ready-to-eat meal bags that were distributed Monday along with MREs and water.

Our JES child nutrition team prepared nearly 350 meals on Tuesday after the school opened its doors to the community as a water and charging station.

Keep up the great work, ECSD Family!

Johnston, SC – The 2024-25 Edgefield County School District’s (ECSD) Teacher of the Year, Janelle Clark-Stevens, doesn’t view trophies, awards and accolades as most people do. Her trophies live and breathe. She sees them every day in her classroom and the hallways of Strom Thurmond High School (STHS).

For Janelle Clark-Stevens, who teaches mathematics and serves as STHS Freshman Academy lead teacher, her trophies are her students.

“One of my students started the year with a fear of asking questions,” stated Clark-Stevens. “The class was kind of fast paced and he struggled. I pushed him to go ahead and ask those questions and when he did you could really see the growth in his work. I challenged him to ask the questions to gain the knowledge he needed to complete and show his work and now he’s one of my best students. He’s displayed a lot of courage and I’m so proud of him.”

“Whenever I see him in the hallway, he always gives me a hug,” she added with a smile. “He’s one of my trophies I see on display all the time.”

While Clark-Stevens began her career out of college with no experience or background in the teaching profession, she quickly found her calling and has displayed excellence along the way.

“There are a lot of emotions running through me right now,” she stated on Friday, September 20, 2024, following ECSD’s annual employee awards banquet held at Pine Ridge Country Club. “Over the past few years, seeing things really come to life and all my hard work pay off. I’m grateful.”

She’s also grateful to her administrators and fellow teachers at Strom Thurmond High School.

“I love my colleagues,” commented Clark-Stevens. “They let me be me and they inspire me. I am glad to be a Rebel.”

Johnston, SC – The Edgefield County School District (ECSD) has announced three finalists for its 2024-25 Teacher of the Year. They include a second grade elementary school teacher, an eighth-grade middle school teacher and a high school mathematics teacher. Together, Merriwether Elementary School Second Grade Teacher, Sarah Kirkendohl; Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle School ELA Teacher, Cecilia Sobey; Strom Thurmond High School mathematics teacher and STHS Freshman Academy Lead Teacher, Janelle Clark-Stevens, have a combined 34 years of experience in education.

The ECSD Teacher of the Year will be announced on Friday, September 20, 2024.

Additional 2024-2025 ECSD Teachers of the Year include Merriwether Middle School Read180 Teacher, Nicole Dorsey; W.E. Parker Elementary School Second-Grade Teacher, Jocelyn Thomas; Strom Thurmond Career & Technology Center Health Science Teacher, Kasey Wall; Johnston Elementary School Third Grade Teacher, Brooklyn Johnson; and Douglas Elementary School Third Grade Teacher, Brooke Scott.

ECSD TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Sarah Kirkendohl (Merriwether Elementary School)

Sarah Kirkendohl’s pathway to becoming a teacher was inspired by two very special people in her life – her parents.

“I cannot remember a time when I was not interested in teaching,” Kirkendohl wrote in her Teacher of the Year application. “In my childhood I learned to hang bulletin boards, laminate for teachers, stay late to go above and beyond, play with an EZ grader, and the memories go on and on. My Dad’s influence on my teaching philosophy had its impact too. He has taught me to never stop learning. At eighty years old, he is still taking college online courses to continue his learning.”

A love of learning and passion for excellence continue to drive her toward her greatest contributions to education.

“I relentlessly search for ways to improve,” she wrote. “The willingness to do whatever it takes to facilitate learning and the passion I bring to the classroom are perhaps my greatest attributes.”

“My best classroom memories include kindergarten students beginning the year knowing a few letters to reading paragraphs, past students coming to read aloud to my current students and being stopped outside the school for hugs many years later,” she added. “Last year my students showed tremendous growth on their IReady data, and these victories are some of my greatest contributions.

ECSD TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Cecilia Sobey (Johnston Edgefield Trenton Middle School)

Cecilia Sobey knows her students may roll their eyes the slightest bit when she repeats one of her most popular phrases during class, but she also knows they will remember her words long after they’ve left her J-E-T Middle School classroom. It’s just one of the many things she cherishes about being a teacher.

“The greatest rewards of teaching for me are when I get those messages from students years later who thank me for helping them, when I see my former students starting their own businesses, when I see former students starting their own families, when my current students trust me enough to tell me about the struggles they’re facing, and when any of my students finally “get” something that I’ve been trying to teach them,” stated Sobey. “I also really like when my students can quote something that I’ve said repeatedly because, while they may think it’s funny, that means they remember it, and maybe that silly thing I’ve said will help them in some way.”

She believes her greatest contribution to education is something simple, yet powerful.

“I think my greatest contribution is helping kids realize that they matter, that they are important, and that it will be up to them to make a difference one day,” commented Sobey. “At least, that’s the goal I have for myself, for that to be my

greatest contribution. I want the best for them, and I want them to want the best for themselves. I hope they all know that.”

ECSD TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: Janelle Clark-Stevens (Strom Thurmond High School)

Janelle Clark-Stevens clings to a heartfelt personal philosophy when it comes to the teaching profession.

“I believe deeply in the potential of every student. My foundational belief is that all students can learn and will learn when given the right environment, support, and encouragement,” Clark-Stevens wrote in her Teacher of the Year application. “As an educator, I see my role as not just imparting knowledge, but also fostering an atmosphere where students feel safe, valued, and capable of achieving more than they ever thought possible.

“I am committed to seeing each student as an individual with unique strengths, challenges, and potential. I understand that learning is not a one-size-fits-all process, and I strive to meet my students where they are,” she added. “Whether a student comes to me with a natural affinity for the subject or a history of struggle, my goal is the same: to help them grow. For me, any improvement—whether it’s a small step forward or a giant leap—means I’ve done my job well. Progress, in any form, is success.”

She sees her greatest teaching achievements in the many relationships she’s built during her nine-year career.

“My greatest contributions and accomplishments in the education profession go beyond the lessons I’ve taught,” Clark-Stevens wrote. “They lie in the connections I’ve made with my students.”

“In teaching, the most meaningful successes aren’t always measurable by test scores or academic accolades,” she continued. “They are found in the relationships built, the confidence instilled, and the lifelong love of learning that we, as educators, can spark in our students. When my students return to tell me that they miss my class or that they now enjoy math because of me, I know I’ve done my job. I’ve helped them not just to learn math but to see their own potential, to believe that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. That, to me, is the greatest accomplishment of all.”

Congratulations again to our 2024-2025 ECSD Teacher of the Year finalists and all of our amazing Teachers of the Year.

By KYLE DAWSON/The Aiken Standard

Stagnant for so much of Friday night's football game, Silver Bluff looked like it finally found the spark it needed to get within striking distance of Strom Thurmond in the fourth quarter.

A sputtering offense got the big play it needed in a long Drelyn Brown touchdown run. Jameat Williams ripped the ball away from Cam Blacks for Silver Bluff to retake possession one play later. A Strom Thurmond penalty extended the drive, as did a fourth-down conversion by Trellis Riley to the Rebels' 4-yard line. Then Brown got the Bulldogs to the 1, a mere three feet away from turning a 26-12 deficit into a one-score game.

Then, just like that, their hopes were dashed.

A bad snap got away from Riley and was recovered by Strom Thurmond's Deonte Phillips all the way out at the 25-yard line with 5:02 left in the game. And the Rebels turned to their powerful run game from there, driving it 75 yards and taking nearly four minutes off the clock to put the game away.

Strom Thurmond head coach Andrew Webb may not paint any pictures of this one, but the scoreboard was a welcome sight at the end of the Rebels' 33-12 win over their former region rivals to move to 2-0 to start the season.

“I was proud of the way our guys fought," Webb said. “It wasn't pretty at all. We made a whole bunch of mistakes in all three phases of the game, but happy we kept fighting and found a way to win.”

You may read the rest of The Aiken Standard story HERE.

Johnston, SC – Edgefield County School District (ECSD) elementary and middle school students have made dramatic improvements in both English Language Arts (ELA) and math, according to the latest SC Ready testing data released today (8/16/24) by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). SC Ready assessments are taken each year by students in the third through eighth grades.

Edgefield County School District Superintendent, Dr. Kevin O’Gorman, says the academic gap in the past between ECSD students and their statewide peers is closing rapidly. 

“We’ve made significant gains in both ELA and math this past school year, with our literacy rates being the highest they’ve been since 2015,” commented Dr. O’Gorman. 

Dr. O’Gorman says the tremendous effort of ECSD math teachers and changes made to academic programming in the subject led to the positive gains in SC Ready.  

“Math has been very challenging for us,” stated Dr. O’Gorman. “We’ve made important changes to our math program across the school district and combined with the hard work of our teachers while implementing a new, and sometimes frustrating, math program, we’ve made significant gains.” 

Here are school district highlights from the latest SC Ready testing data:  

- ECSD students showed greater improvement in ELA and math when compared to students across the state.

- The school district had a 4.18 percent gain in math while the state increased by 1.4 percent. The majority of those gains are in the “exceeds” category, the highest achievement category possible in SC Ready testing.

- ECSD showed a 2.8 percent gain in ELA, while the state slightly declined.      

- The school district also showed a lower percentage of students in the “Does Not Meet” achievement category in ELA when compared to the state.

Academic gains at two schools, Merriwether Elementary School (MES) and W.E. Parker Elementary (WEP), were especially noteworthy.

Merriwether Elementary outperformed the state in both ELA and math, while posting an incredible 11-percent gain in math over the previous SC Ready testing cycle.  

“I am so grateful for the incredible dedication of our students and staff. Their hard work and commitment to learning have been truly inspiring,” stated MES Principal, Sara-Beth Brown. “The outcome of our (SC Ready) state assessment is just a snapshot of the growth and learning taking place at MES and we couldn’t be prouder of it.” 

Meanwhile, W.E. Parker Elementary School saw great improvement in ELA and math. 

“I am incredibly proud of our students and staff for their outstanding performance on the SC Ready state assessments,” commented WEP Principal, Charidy Goldman. “These gains are a testament to the dedication, hard work, and perseverance of our entire school community.” 

At the middle school level, Merriwether Middle School also showed a notable gain in ELA and the school now outperforms the state in that subject area.  

“Our students and staff really stepped up to the plate last year, and I’m anxious to see how they springboard off that success this year,” added Dr. O’Gorman.