The academic accomplishments of Virtus Academy of South Carolina (VASC) were celebrated at a ceremony hosted at the school on Thursday, March 31.
Virtus Academy of South Carolina showed an increase in the projections of the percentage of elementary and middle students scoring Meets or Exceeds in MAP ELA and Math from Fall to Winter. Elementary ELA showed a 3.5% rate of increase and Elementary Math showed a 13.3% rate of increase, while Middle School ELA showed a 16.1% rate of increase and Middle School Math showed a 10.2% rate of increase. Based on NWEA MAP projected growth, 67% of all grade levels met or outpaced their projected growth in reading, and 100% of all grade levels met or outpaced their projected growth in Math.
“Ultimately, we want to ensure that our students are growing academically,” said Ms. Shemekia Nero, principal at Virtus Academy. “To see that that is happening from kindergarten to eighth grade, it just shows that we are doing something right.”
Four students from each grade level were presented with a “Shooting for the Stars” award based on their accomplishments. The two students from each grade who scored the highest in each subject area were presented with the Shooting for the Stars Highest Awards. The two students from each grade who showed the most growth from Fall to Winter MAP scores in each subject area were presented with the Shooting for the Stars Growth Award. See below for a complete list of winners.
The Student of the Year (Ethan Shaeffer), Support Staff Member of the Year (Mr. Ron Brown) and Teacher of the Year (Ms. Megan Bray) were also recognized at the event. The ceremony was attended by students, staff members, parents, members of the Virtus Academy Board, and members of the Charter Institute at Erskine’s team.
“Success is never an accident. It happens because of great leadership,” said Cameron Runyan, Superintendent of the Charter Institute at Erskine. “We are so proud of Ms. Nero and honored to be here to celebrate today.”
Video Caption: Thanks to Virtus Academy of South Carolina’s strong leadership and dedication to Moving the Needle, the VASC Wolves made significant gains on their Math and ELA scores from Fall to Winter, which makes them an Institute “Shooting for the Stars” school! Learn what steps Virtus is taking to becoming a School of Excellence and hear from their leader, Ms. Nero, in this video! #MoveTheNeedle
