Hello Baptist Hill students and families! I am Michael De Jong, interim principal, and I would like to welcome each of you to a new and exciting school year! With many of our facility improvements finally nearing completion, we are enthusiastic about educating your students in a new setting, and we invite you to join us in our mission to provide them with the finest education that they so richly deserve.  We have faced many struggles over the past several years in academics, we have encountered many social and emotional barriers, and we have lost opportunities in the personal growth of our students; however, despite our past challenges, we are moving forward and will overcome all of the barriers that may have prevented student growth.

We are fortunate to have new and exciting programs at Baptist Hill focusing on Career and Technical Education Programs known as CTE in Barbering, Construction, Project Lead the Way, BioMed and Engineering with 11 additional fields of study available for our students at the West Ashley Center for Advanced Studies that they may attend daily.  Our senior students can and have received their Associate Degrees from Trident Technical College prior to finishing their senior year in high school.  Our middle school students will be given two additional electives this year to give them additional exposure to college and career opportunities. Our goal at Baptist Hill is to close the opportunity gap, exposing them to unknown opportunities in their community, state and world; and to strive for diversity and expose our students to experiences that affords them every chance to be successful in their lives.

MAP goals set for our middle school and 9th grade students continue to increase with two thirds of them meeting or exceeding expectations.  We utilize a Multi-Tiered Support Systems, also known as MTSS, to ensure our students are provided with the support needed to thrive in school. Our emphasis on Listening Groups through the Department of Alternative Programs allows us to receive immediate feedback from our students, who are main stakeholders, to implement change and create a positive culture by using positive rewards through our PBIS.  A goal for this school year is to introduce restorative practices, which aims to improve and repair relationships between students.

There’s a lot of work for us to do as a unified staff and community to ensure that our students are socially and emotionally adjusted at our school, but we also need your help as parents, community members and caregivers. Baptist Hill has always been fiercely supported by the community and we are relying on your continued assistance to help us succeed in these goals. How can you help? As community members, we need you to volunteer and assist during the day or share your time as a mentor to reinforce life lessons. The life-changing impact of your time with our students is beyond measure. Please reach out to us for more information pertaining to how you can make this difference. Join me and the entire staff as we dedicate ourselves to excelling in reading, math, positive behaviors and exhibiting the academic excellence that will serve our students long after the school day ends.  Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing each and everyone of you at Baptist Hill for this upcoming school year.