Jefferson Plan in Watson Hill by Ashton Woods
Summerville, SC 29485

This school does an amazing job helping students become independent learners who lead and shine both in and outside the classroom. It balances play and learning beautifully, creating a joyful environment where kids thrive and still achieve great results. With so many opportunities beyond academics, students grow into well-rounded, confident children. The dedicated staff truly go above and beyond to help every child succeed.

I am a teacher at this school. I have been a teacher for decades, have taught at many different schools, and with many different administrators. I am very pleased with the administration team at this school and the leadership provided by Mrs. Kelley. It all begins there to establish the culture of a school. They are impressive and involved here as administrators. They know the students, are are responsive if there is a problem in the classroom with behavior. There is not a middle school in the world that does not have students in middle school who make mistakes and do dumb things. That is part of the age of our students. I love that if a student is not behaving they will remove that student from the classroom, so everyone else can learn and the lesson can proceed. I have never worked anywhere where that has happened, and it makes a huge difference. Our principal is down to earth and supportive, and she does not micromanage. She allows teachers to teach and to do what is best for students. She has a hands-on approach to building relationships with students and personally greets every busload of students to welcome them daily and remind them to put away phones and hats etc. She is walking the halls and engaging with them. They know her and want to please her because they have a connection with her. The Josten's Renaissance Program is a huge bonus to this school and has been blooming this past year. It has created a more positive environment for all who spend their days within the walls of this school. Students, staff, & faculty (called staffulty) are all recognized for doing what they are supposed to and for improvement. They plan events for the kids and have lots of incentives for doing the right thing. This positive approach is far better than a focus on discipline and negative consequences. Everyone who comes to GMS deserves to be recognized & celebrated for good choices, improvement, and overall achievement. Effort counts & striving students who struggle are also celebrated. This matters. Some students will never be the top students in school because of their learning challenges. This system still gives those students positive recognition & celebrates their efforts to do their best in school. I can only expect the school to improve each year as this Renaissance mindset continues to grow & spread through the entire school. GMS was recognized this year at the Josten's Renaissance International Conference as a Josten's School of Distinction!

I was a Rollings Visual Arts student a LONG time ago. I tried out back in 3rd grade for 4th grade and got accepted. They took 4th grade away when I was supposed to start so I started in 1999 for 5th grade and went through 2003.The school was the COOLEST school ever. As if elementary couldn’t have gotten any better, I got to start my first year at Rollings still somewhere between both amazing worlds of elementary and middle school (they didn’t add the “Middle” til the next year). The teachers were the BEST, the number of times we got to walk out of class to support and enjoy student performances, be in one, or just go have fun at the Azalea Festival!!!I got to learn art, and my last year there my painting was put into the Gibbes Museum of Art (2003). Millennium Rollings was so much fun and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Ashley Ridge is a great high school. Brooke Mathews, the Principal, has great leadership skills and manages her team very well. We have been very happy with the education our daughter has received.