Congratulations to the following individuals, programs, and schools recognized for recent achievements. This is a live list, with new entries added as they are submitted by our schools.
NOVEMBER
Dr. Marcella-Wine Snyder, the district’s alternative certification coach, collaborated with three fellow SC educators to launch TEACH (Teaching Excellence Achieved through Collaborative Hands-On Experiences), a comprehensive curriculum designed to introduce aspiring educators to the teaching profession and help build stronger educator pipelines nationwide. TEACH emphasizes the development of the whole educator. Participants explore their identities as learners, examine the responsibilities of teaching, develop practical classroom skills, and discover opportunities to lead and advocate within their schools and communities.
The Showstoppers dance team from Saluda River Academy for the Arts brought home a first-place trophy from the recent Battle at the Berry, a regional dance and performance competition hosted by the Newberry College Dance Team at Newberry College.
Wood Elementary School fifth-graders Willow Norris, TJ Shivers, and Natalie Wicker have been selected to the South Carolina Children's Honor Choir.
Twenty-five students earned maximum scores on one or more SC READY assessments given last spring. The students and the subjects in which they achieved their maximum scores:
Busbee Creative Arts Academy: Layne Kay (math)
Cayce Elementary: Samuel Foster (math)
Congaree Elementary: Gabriel Moscoso Ortega (math), Mateo Moscoso Ortega (math)
Fulmer Middle: Gabrielle Chavis (science), Asa Ingram (math)
Northside Middle: Joshua Ellisor (math)
Pine Ridge Middle: Cayden Glover (math)
Riverbank Elementary: Genesis Barron-Hernandez (math), Lucas Collins (math), David Mejia Domingo (math), Ricky Phan (ELA), Max Schmutz (ELA)
Saluda River Academy for the Arts: Ellis Archie (math)
Springdale Elementary: Oliver Burgess (math, science), Ryland Altman (math), Bennett Ariail (math), Camilla Atkins (math), Ansley Buczkowski (math), Stella Creech (math), James Davis (math), Mark Gilmer (math), Sophie Kendall (ELA), James Murrell (math), Kyara Taliaferro (math)
Airport High School’s Me’Kaylah Haynes has been accepted into the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Choir.
Several Lexington Two students have been selected to the SC ACDA Honor Choir: Asher Speece of Brookland-Cayce High School, and Annagale Platt, Keileigh Zelen, Perry Hebel, Emmanuel Jones and Austin Nash of Airport High School.
Airport High School students Keileigh Zeien and Me’Kaylah Haynes had first place and second place wins at a recent theatre competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. They both have qualified to compete at regional NATS in Virginia this spring
Busbee’s Sarah Campbell Harllee has been named one of the University of South Carolina College of Education’s 12 Under 40 honorees! Harllee brings creativity, passion, and innovation to her 6th grade ELA classroom. Through literacy, arts integration, and meaningful learning experiences, she inspires students to think critically, take risks, and grow with confidence. Harllee was also named the 2026 Outstanding New Teacher Award recipient.
OCTOBER
Airport High School senior Zoe Carter has been named a finalist in the QuestBridge National College Match. According to the website, this is a college admission and scholarship application program that connects high-achieving seniors (typically top 5% to 10% of their class) with full four-year scholarships to 55 top partner colleges and universities. The Match Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance—including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, supplies, and travel expenses.
Brookland-Cayce High School football players Max Clyburn and Bennett Plane have been selected to the 79th Annual Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl North-South All-Star Game. The game is set for December 12 in Myrtle Beach.
Busbee teacher Caryl Cathou has been named the South Carolina Art Education Association’s Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. She will be recognized at a Nov. 21 SCAEA conference. SCAEA promotes visual arts education and includes 16,000-plus members across the country.
The Northside Middle School girls volleyball team earned runner-up in the 2026 Lower Midlands Conference Volleyball Tournament. Way to represent, Lady Cougars!
Congratulations to Brookland-Cayce High School students Sybil Pellerin and Jesse Davis, who were selected for the All Region Orchestra. These students participated in a blind audition and were selected to participate in the SCMEA All Region Event in November.
Several Lexington Two students were recognized for their pieces in the Student Art Exhibit at the 2026 SC State Fair. They include: Fifth grade, Honorable Mention, Julianna Lam, Saluda River Academy for the Arts, and Honorable Mention, Waleska Reyes, Congaree Elementary; Sixth Grade, Honorable Mention, Emma Serra, Pine Ridge Middle School; Seventh Grade, Honorable Mention, Loyal Purdie, Pine Ridge Middle School; Eighth Grade, Three Dimensional Art, First Place, Isley Adkins, and Second Place, Logan Sturkie, both from Fulmer Middle School; High School, Carolina Wren Merit Award, Jourdyn Meyer, Brookland-Cayce High School; Ninth Grade, Two Dimensional Art, Second Place, Shayesta Mohammadi, Brookland-Cayce High School, and Photography, Second Place, Aubrey Cade Brookland-Cayce High School.
Jillian Stroud, assistant principal at Saluda River Academy for the Arts, was announced as the recipient of the 2026 SCDA Dance Advocacy Award, given by the South Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The award is given in recognition of a strong supporter and advocate for dance.
Cayce-West Columbia Rotary Students of the Quarter were recognized at the October meeting: Kailen Gillis, Airport High School; Ashilee Harrison, Brookland-Cayce High School; and Raymond Russell, Lexington Two Innovation Center. Airport’s Evangeline Reddick was recognized for being Lexington Two’s District Teacher of the Year.
The Airport High School Marching Band brought home some hardware from the recent Fin-Fest Tournament of Bands at St. James High School: 1st place Drum Major, 1st Place Color Guard, 1st Place Music, 2nd place percussion and 1st place 1A overall!
Congratulations to Brookland-Cayce High School students recognized with Homecoming Court honors: Damari Leaphart, Homecoming King, and Hannah Flenniken, Homecoming Queen.
High school students from the Lexington Two Innovation Center had a chance to see manufacturing careers in action at Scout Motors’ Production Training Center Friday, part of a group invited to the Blythewood facility for National Manufacturing Day. Students from a number of Midlands high schools participated in hands-on activities, skills demonstrations, discussions about careers within the industry, and more.
Two Brookland-Cayce High School students received recent recognitions from the National Merit Scholarship Program. Campbell Parsons, a senior, is among roughly 16,000 students across the United States announced as semifinalists in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program, a prestigious recognition representing fewer than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. He will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $26 million. Emma Summers, also a senior, was named a National Merit Commended Scholar, scoring among the top 50,000 test takers and representing the top 3% to 4% of test takers nationwide. Selections are based on PSAT/NMSQT scores from junior year testing.
Northside Middle School’s Anna Covington was recently appointed by the State Superintendent of Education to serve a three-year term on the state's nine-member Learning Disorders Task Force. This group convenes, as required in legislation, for the purpose of working with the department in matters relating to reading disorders to include, but not be limited to, dyslexia.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Saluda River Academy for the Arts and Brookland-Cayce High School were two of only 11 schools in South Carolina that earned national banner Unified Champion School recognition. Special Olympics states on its website that “A Unified Champion School receiving national banner recognition is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence.”
Congratulations to Saluda River Academy for the Arts dance teacher Kayla Jennings, who has been selected as the 2026 South Carolina Dance Association Dance Educator of the Year. She has been a teacher in Lexington Two for nearly 20 years.
Springdale Elementary teacher Mary Creech has been selected as the SC Ag in the Classroom Ambassador. South Carolina's Ag in the Classroom program is a non-profit 501(C)3 education foundation created to promote awareness and recognition of the importance of the sources of our food and fiber.
Several members of our Lexington Two team presented at the SC Early Childhood Inclusion Conference. Among the sessions: "Better Together: Partnerships Promoting School Success for All" (Kimberly Scalise, Preschool Itinerant Teacher and former Lexington Two District Teacher of the Year, and Mary Brooks, Director of Parenting/Early Childhood Programs); "Intentional Instruction for Routines and Expectations" (Scalise); and "Creating Pathways to Belonging: Leadership, Partnership, and Inclusion in Practice" (Felicia Madden, Coordinator of Special Services, Early Childhood/Elementary).
Three Busbee Creative Arts Academy students auditioned for and appeared in an Off-Broadway theater production in late June in New York City. The three students auditioned for this production in spring of 2025 and were cast as two supporting roles and one lead role in the show "Homesquad", in which they performed four shows the weekend of June 28th. The students are Jinoah Huger (7th grade BCAA), Jacob McGuire (6th grade BCAA), and Gantry Smith (7th grade BCAA).
The Airport High School and Brookland-Cayce High School JROTC programs earned the Honor Unit With Distinction for the 2025-2026 school year, one of the highest honors an Army JROTC program can receive. The distinction is given in recognition of exceptional leadership, discipline, teamwork, and dedication displayed by cadets and their leaders. The recognition was given by the JROTC 4th Brigade.
Seven Cayce Elementary students were recognized at a recent Cayce City Council meeting as their school’s SOIL winners for August. Students are selected to receive the recognition for leading in helping others feel included, supported, valued, and encouraged to grow. August’s student winners are Claire Jacobs, Jana Aguilar, Zariah Jeter, Amelia Labarre, Jack Oglesby, Gisel Cerda, and Summer Jackson.
Pine Ridge Middle School and Springdale Elementary School have both been selected as 2026 Green Steps Schools. They were recognized as Working Toward First Award recipients. Green Steps supports K-12 environmental education with training, resources, mentor opportunities, and more.
Taryn Jett, a fifth-grade Cayce Elementary Gifted & Talented-LAUNCH teacher and the after-school theatre director, has been selected as a 2026 Teacher of the Game, presented by Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union in partnership with USC Gamecock Athletics to recognize outstanding SC educators. Winners receive in-game recognition as well as $1,000 from Palmetto Citizens and four game tickets. She was recognized at the season’s first game on September 5 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Busbee Creative Arts Academy is celebrating 10 years of arts excellence in being recognized as one of the state’s Arts in Basic Curriculum schools. Saluda River Academy for the Arts is marking its 27th year with this prestigious ABC recognition. Both of these Destination Schools give students opportunities to create, perform, explore, and connect their learning in meaningful ways.
Busbee Creative Arts Academy teacher Sara Olenchak is the new president of the South Carolina Council on Social Studies. According to the council’s website, the South Carolina Council for the Social Studies is a professional organization open to any person who is interested in social studies instruction in the private or public schools and colleges of South Carolina. The objectives of this organization are to promote higher standards in social studies curriculum and instruction for the schools of South Carolina: to promote a closer professional relationship among the teachers of social studies in the state; and to represent the social studies profession in South Carolina.
Busbee Creative Arts Academy teacher Carol Cathou had a lesson plan published by the ABC Institute. It’s the third time she’s had a plan published.
Kimberly Plowden, Work-Based Learning Coordinator for Lexington Two, was recognized at the Association for Career & Technical Education Region II Conference for her selection as the 2025-2026 as the SC Counseling and Career Development Professional of the Year. Plowden connects students in Lexington Two with industry professionals in their career area of interest.
Airport High School English IV CP teacher Emily-Rose Cockerham was granted a fellowship, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, to join The Dickens Project at the University of California-Santa Cruz in July. She joined educators from across the country for an in-depth student of Great Expectations and how it has been adapted over time and across geography by filmmakers, novelists, and artists worldwide.
Lexington Two students posted gains in several core subject areas in statewide report card testing results released in August by the SC Department of Education, achieving scores at the highest level in more than five years. Among test results from SC READY, given this past spring to the state’s third- through eighth-graders this past spring, students posted year over year achievement gains in a majority of grade levels in English/Language Arts, math and science, and our district test takers outpaced those of statewide test takers in several areas: fourth- and fifth-graders outpaced statewide test takers in English/Language Arts; fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and eighth-graders outpaced statewide testers in math; and all test takers outpaced statewide in science.