School Improvement Council (SIC)

SIC

SIC is a broad-based community advisory group comprised of parents, teachers, and community members established in every school. This advisory group works with the principal to cultivate a positive school environment supporting student success.

Our SIC meets monthly and welcomes anyone interested in participating in the discussion and implementation of our goals and responsibilities. Additionally, we welcome any ideas, comments, and/or concerns stakeholders may have regarding school improvement. Comments will be reviewed by the council at our monthly meetings. We consider your feedback to be vital to our success! Questions, suggestions, or concerns for the SIC can be emailed to vjoy@dorchester2.k12.sc.us

Visit our page on the SIC website

2025-26 SIC Meeting Schedule

Date	Time	Location
August 15th	7:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
^{September 5th}	8:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
October 2nd	8:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
November 7th	8:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
December 5th	8:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
January 9th	8:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
February 6th	7:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
March 6th	7:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
April 10th	7:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room
May 8th	7:30 a.m.	Professional Learning Room

25-26 SIC Officers

Chair: Stephen Rabon
Vice Chair: Kim Perry
Secretary: Meghan Grady
Public Relations: Kim Perry

SIC Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Agenda

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
Sand Hill Elementary School
“Learn, Grow, Serve”
August 15, 2025
7:30am

Welcome & Open Comments
Expectations for the Year
SIC Checklist, Report Card, & Goals Review
Dick and Tunky Riley Award for School Improvement Council Excellence
Updates from the Principal
Election for SIC Members
Review of Decisions and Action Items

Minutes

Meeting Minutes

Attendees: Stephen Rabon, Steven Infinger, Kim Perry, Corine Horelback, Teneshia Slempa, Lisa Bailey-Peters, Melissa Young, Meghan Grady, Melissa Odom, Vincent Joy

Welcome & Opening Comments

The meeting began with a report of a smooth start to the school year, noting significant improvements compared to the previous year. It was also mentioned that anticipated areas of concern were better than expected.

Teneshia Slempa offered to serve as a parent liaison, a role she currently holds at East Edisto Middle School. It was noted that Special Services are available to provide additional support to school families.

Expectations for the Year

The council discussed its broad expectations for the academic year:

Build upon the momentum established last year.
Meet all state SIC expectations.
Conduct the biennial review of the council's by-laws.
Continue producing video recaps of meetings.
Establish specific, actionable goals at a future meeting.

Principal's Update

The principal provided several key updates:

School Growth: The large student population of over 1,300 impacts the school's ability to host family events. Projections show an additional 200 students enrolling each year for the next two years, maintaining the school's status as the second-largest elementary school in the state.
Survey Results: Last year's teacher and parent survey results showed positive improvements over the previous year.
School Report Card: There is strong optimism that the school will earn an "Excellent" rating, or very close to it, on this year’s state report card.
Assessments: MAP Reading assessments were administered on August 14, and students have already received their Lexile scores.
Staffing: The principal expressed excitement regarding new teachers hired for the 4th and 5th-grade levels.
Goal Themes: Key themes for this year's goals will be Academic Growth and Culture. Academic growth will be measured using MAP scores for more immediate data, while the culture goal will focus on improving teacher retention.

SIC Member Election Process

The council must elect this year’s members by the October 15th deadline. The following process was agreed upon:

Stephen Rabon will draft the nomination process and timeline and send it to the council for review.
Once the group approves the process, it will be sent to Vince Joy.
Vince Joy will post a call for nominations on ParentSquare, with nominations directed to the official SIC email account.
Stephen Rabon will collect the nominations and create a Google Form for voting.
Vince Joy will distribute the voting form to the community via ParentSquare.

Review of Decisions & Action Items

Decisions Made:

The SIC will sponsor monthly "Power Hour" events to support parent engagement. The first Power Hour will be at 7:30 a.m. on September 5th.
SIC meetings will continue to be held in the mornings.

Action Items:

All Members: Brainstorm specific goals related to academic growth and teacher retention to discuss at the September meeting.
Stephen Rabon: Draft the SIC nomination process and timeline for group review.
Stephen Rabon: Distribute the current by-laws to all members for review throughout the year.

Next Meeting:

The next SIC meeting is scheduled for September 5th at 8:30 a.m.

September 5, 2025

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Meeting Minutes

Date: September 5, 2025

Attendees: Stephen Rabon (SIC Chair), Steven Infinger, Kim Perry, Corine Horelback, Teneshia Slempa, Matt Marous, Lisa Bailey-Peters, Melissa Young, Meghan Grady, Melissa Odom, and Vincent Joy (Principal).

Key Discussion Points
Welcome & Open Comments: The council expressed positive feedback regarding the school's new hires.

Power Hour Debrief: The council noted a successful Power Hour event with 25 attendees. Discussions focused on the process of student placement, and attendees were engaged and had many questions. The school is working on a strategic plan to accommodate continued student growth (currently 1,300+).

Principal's Update: Principal Joy shared potential solutions to address learning gaps and outlined the school's goals. The council decided to use MAP scores instead of SC Ready results to measure progress toward these goals, as this will allow them to determine if goals are met by the end of the school year.

SIC Checklist and Election Process
The council reviewed the SIC checklist and the upcoming election process.

Four nominations were received for the SIC. Three nominees accepted, and the council decided to use two newly elected officials to address the need for staggered terms.

Voting will be communicated via Parent Square and conducted via Google Forms.

The council will select officers from the newly elected members at the next meeting.

The council currently has one appointed community member, C. Horelback, and will appoint at least one more by November 15.

Action Items and Owners

Send write-up and election form to Principal Joy. (Stephen Rabon)
Push out voting for SIC members via Parent Square. (Stephen Rabon & Vincent Joy)
September 8-17, 2025- Select officers from the newly elected SIC members. (SIC)
Finalize the SIC goals. (SIC)
Appoint community members. (Joy)

Next Meeting:

The next SIC meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2025, at 7:30 AM. The date was moved from October 3 due to the school's Fun Run.

October 2, 2025

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Meeting Minutes
Date: 10/2/2025 Time: 8:40 AM
Location: SHES PLR

1. Call to Order

Meeting called to order at 8:40 AM by Stephen Rabon.

2. Attendance

Members Present: Vincent Joy, Nichole Crews, Melissa Young, Steven Infinger, Kim Perry, Stephen Rabon, Amanda Turner, and Meghan Grady
Members Absent: Corine Horlback and Teneshia Slempa
Guests: Nicolette McCall, Matt Marous, Caitlin Siracusa, and Lisa Bailey-Peters

3. Reports

Principal’s Report: The morning’s Parent Power Hour (covering MAP testing) was well attended. The school report is expected to be released mid-month. This year’s focus will be on pursuing growth for all students.
Committee Updates: Quick elections were held for board officers. Stephen Rabon was re-elected as SIC Chair. Kim Perry was elected SIC Vice-Chair and Publicity Officer. Meghan Grady was elected Secretary.

4. Old Business

The council continued discussion of potential SIC goals for the year.
Ideas included strategies to improve parent engagement and ways to encourage students to achieve beyond the average.
Parent board member candidates and the election process were reviewed.
The council also examined the school’s report card from last year in depth.

5. New Business

The council discussed the impressive funds raised by the PTA.
Members talked about continuing “Power Hours,” including potential future topics and events that align with SIC goals.
The council agreed on a goal to increase growth among all students and identified ways to measure progress, including attendance, video views, and engagement during SIC events and communications.
The council also discussed switching the SIC Facebook page to a Community or Business page in order to access Meta Business tools and gather helpful information about audience engagement.

6. Action Items / Next Steps

Mr. Joy will appoint one more community member to the SIC board.
Transition the Facebook page to a Community or Business page.

7. Next Meeting

Scheduled for November 7, 2025, at 8:30 AM.

8. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 AM.

November 7, 2025

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Time: 8:30 AM
Location: SHES PLR

Call to Order
- Meeting called to order at 8:30 AM by Stephen Rabon.
Attendance

Members Present:
- Nichole Crews
- Melissa Young
- Stephen Rabon
- Amanda Turner
- Corine Horlback
- Teneshia Slempa
- Eli Infante
- Meghan Grady
Members Absent:
- Vincent Joy
- Steven Infinger
- Kim Perry
Guests:
- Nicolette McCall
- Caitlin Siracusa
- Raena Kempe
- Lisa Bailey-Peters
Reports

Committee Updates:

Mr. Joy obtained a second community member for the board. We are happy to welcome Eli Infante as a community member on our SIC board.
Shout Outs
- Big shout-out to our PTA for a wonderful Trunk or Treat event. It was very well organized, smoothly run, and had a huge volunteer turnout.
- Ms. Bailey-Peters shared updates on the amazing Fine Arts team and the one-on-one interventions they have been providing in kindergarten to help target growth and build strong foundations with our youngest learners.
- Another big PTA shout-out to Merry Market Chair, Raena Kempe, for completing the sourcing of inventory for this event. In addition, a big thanks to Ms. Young for assisting with scheduling and setup.
- Our final shout-out goes to our wonderful community of volunteers for logging the most volunteer hours in the district last month. They truly go above and beyond.
Checklist Items
- We are in full compliance with the state’s required checklist items due November 15.
- The Report to Parents is a future checklist item scheduled for April.
Report Card

The report card is still being updated with the most current data. We should have all information ready by the December SIC meeting.
Bylaw Review
- This was a general review of the SIC bylaws, which were last revised on December 7, 2023.
- All amendments are designed to align with our five-year improvement plan, driven by the school report card.
- The Read to Succeed Act requires each South Carolina school to have a plan and scope for reading instruction, along with plans for any reading interventions needed.
  - Ms. Bailey-Peters will follow up at the December meeting to provide more information and understanding of this program and how it is implemented.
- Mr. Rabon made a motion to change the deadline for the appointment of community members to the SIC from October to November 15 to allow for more time given the busy start of the school year. The motion was seconded and will be formally amended at the next meeting.
- All SIC communications—including meeting agendas, notes, and election information—are stored in a Google Drive connected to the SIC Gmail account.
- We will add an SIC communication piece to the weekly newsletter, distributed by Ms. Infante, to capture more engagement opportunities for our target goal.
- A question was raised regarding Section 7, Part C, Item 3, about where official agendas and minutes are stored. Are we compliant by posting them on the SIC website? It was also asked whether we need to retain these items from previous years.
  - Mr. Rabon will follow up on this.
- A helpful reference resource for School Improvement Council information can be found at https://www.sc-sic.org/quick-references.
Goals
- We are compliant with our minimum goal of completing the required state checklist.
- Our stretch goal is to earn an “Exceptional” school rating.
- Our target goal was adjusted from 20,000 engagement points to 25,000.
  - We will measure this through the events we sponsor or participate in, Parent Power Hour attendance, recap video views, and potentially newsletter engagement.
- Our focus this year has shifted from community and teacher satisfaction to driving academic growth among students.
- Other ideas to continue or introduce include the Teacher Encouragement Note Campaign and partnering with an anti-bullying campaign. (Happy students = better performance!)
Subcommittees
- Parent Power Hour
- Supplemental Curriculum
  - Discussion was held about bringing back Sleep Tight Sundays and rebranding it to be fresh, new, and SIC-hosted.
  - A motion was made and seconded to make Sleep Tight Sundays its own subcommittee.
Sleep Tight Sunday Subcommittee:
- Members: Nichole Crews, Teneshia Slempa, Raena Kempe, Amanda Turner, and Lisa Bailey-Peters
- The chair of this committee will be decided at the December meeting.
Pep Rally Subcommittee:
- A motion was made to establish this as a subcommittee.
- Members: Teneshia Slempa, Eli Infante, Nicolette McCall, and Corine Horlback
- The chair will be decided at the December meeting.
Podcast:
- The idea was discussed as a subcommittee, but the general consensus was not to move forward at this time.
- We will revisit this topic next month in consultation with Mr. Joy.
Proposal for a Pie Day Event by the SIC:
- Raena Kempe will bring materials and additional information to provide the council with a full proposal for this potential event.
Adjournment
- Meeting was adjourned at 9:32 AM.

December 5, 2025

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Sand Hill Elementary

School Improvement Council

Meeting Minutes

Date: 12/5/2025 Time: 8:35 AM

Location: SHES Cafeteria

Call to Order
- Meeting called to order at 8:35 AM by Stephen Rabon.
Attendance
- Members Present: Vincent Joy, Steven Infinger, Kim Perry, Melissa Young, Stephen Rabon, Teneshia Slempa, Ely Infante, and Meghan Grady
- Members Absent: Nichole Crews, Amanda Turner, and Corine Horlback
- Guests: Raena Kempe, Melissa Odom, and Lisa Bailey-Peters
Shout Outs
- SIC parent members and staff members recognized students’ growth on the winter MAP assessment and how well students were tied to their goals and making progress on their winter benchmarks.
Report Card
- Joy and Rabon will update the school report card to reflect the information and scores from the previous school year.
Bylaw Review
- The council voted to adopt the amendment to the bylaws to change the required number of meetings to 8 per year with the elected or appointed board members.
Special Agenda Item: Read to Succeed Presentation
- Ms. Bailey-Peters presented information to SIC to help educate and inform the council about Read to Succeed. Read to Succeed is part of the state-mandated requirements to deliver, monitor, and support literacy instruction for students.
- Action Item: Ms. Bailey-Peters and Ms. Grady will collaborate to secure community volunteers to read with students.
  - Bailey-Peters will speak with staff about their needs and availability.
  - Grady will prepare an informative statement for potential volunteers outlining their roles and responsibilities.
  - Once these items are completed, the SIC reading pal volunteer opportunity will be shared with all Verified Volunteers.
Dick and Tunky Riley Awards
- We are applying to be nominated for this state award in recognition of our work and efforts during the 2024–2025 school year.
- Many thanks to Ms. Wilde and a 5th-grade student for writing letters on our behalf about the benefits and impact our committee made on the school community last year.
Subcommittee Follow-Up and Timelines
- Sleep Tight Sunday Committee
  - A plan, schedule, content outline, and list of needed resources must be established for the Jan. 9th SIC meeting for us to move forward.
- Pep Rally Committee
  - Stephen Rabon appointed Ms. Grady as the pep rally chair. Mr. Joy volunteered to assist as well.
  - An outline needs to be prepared with deadlines for organizing the pep rally, purchasing items, and planning the “skits.”
Additional Items
- Ms. Perry shared information on our social media engagement numbers. While videos are being watched, most viewers stop watching after about 2 minutes.
  - The committee discussed breaking recap videos into shorter 2-minute segments in hopes that all information will be viewed by our audience.
- The Pi Day proposal was moved to the January agenda.
Adjournment
- Meeting was adjourned at 9:25 AM.

January 9, 2026

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Sand Hill Elementary

School Improvement Council

Meeting Minutes

Date: 1/9/2026 Time: 8:35 AM

January 9 Sic Meeting Minutes

Sand Hill Elementary School Improvement Council (SIC) Official Meeting Minutes

Call to Order
- The meeting was called to order at 8:33 AM
- A discussion was held regarding adjusting future SIC meeting start times to better accommodate members. The council unanimously agreed to move future meetings to 7:30 AM
Attendance
- Members Present: Vincent Joy, Dr. Micah Behrens, Nichole Crews, Raena Kempe, Melissa Young, Teneshia Slempa, Corine Horlback, Stephen Rabon, Meghan Grady, Lisa Bailey-Peters
- Members Absent: Steven Infinger, Kim Perry, Ely Infante, Amanda Turner
- Guests: Raena Kempe
Shout Outs
- December accomplishments were highlighted, including strong student growth on MAP assessments.
- The success of the Merry Market was recognized.
- The opening of the new school building was celebrated.
- Appreciation was extended to teachers for successfully completing the move into the new building in one day and demonstrating flexibility.
- Students returned from winter break in positive spirits.
Staff Pulse Check
- Staff morale was discussed and reported as positive at this point in the school year.
- Appreciation was expressed for the staff breakfast provided.
School Report Card
- The school report card has been updated to reflect the most recent student performance data.
- Continued emphasis will be placed on student progress and academic growth.
School Climate
- School climate initiatives are in place and are being consistently maintained.
Goals Review
- Minimum targets and stretch goals were reviewed.
- Progress toward goals was discussed.
- The importance of student goal setting was emphasized as a key component of academic and personal success.
Bylaws and Amendments
- Bylaws adopted at the previous meeting were officially incorporated into the governing documents.
- Amendments provide additional time for the appointment of community members.
- A proposal outlining seven full-council meetings per year, with a recommended total of nine meetings including partial council meetings early in the year, was reviewed.
Subcommittee Follow-Up and Action Items
- Sleep Tight Sunday Committee
  - Due to time and organizational constraints, the committee determined that the initiative would not be feasible during the current school year.
  - The council agreed to redirect efforts towards a tutoring program.
- Tutoring Pilot Program
  - Students in need of additional reading support will be identified using existing data.
  - Volunteers may be sourced from local high school students, Rollings Middle School 8th graders, community partners, and NHA.
  - Intentional student-volunteer pairing will be prioritized.
  - The pilot program will focus on grades 3–5 for the current school year.
  - The program will aim to provide consistent weekly support.
Power Hour
- Power Hour is scheduled for January 15, 2026, from 6:00–7:00 PM.
- Promotion will occur through school and community social media platforms.
- A $50 Corner House gift card drawing will be offered to encourage attendance and engagement.
Additional Items

February 6, 2026

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

SIC Meeting Minutes

February 6, 2026

In attendance:

Stephen Rabon
Steven Infinger
Meghan Grady
Amanda Turner
Eli Infante
Kim Perry
Teneshia Slempa
Melissa Odom
Melissa Young
Jen Herold
Nichole Crews

Encouraging Stories:

Infante shared his experience as a Teacher of the Year judge. He enjoyed going into classrooms.
Crews mentioned sharing the Diaper Drive so more diapers can be donated.
PTA just purchased new playground equipment. Possible installation will be around spring break.

SIC Checklist Review:

Reviewed checklist. We will update the report and brochure at our next meeting.

SIC Goals:

Target goal- Points of engagement. Rabon will post videos on SIC Facebook page to review goals and increase engagement.

FIT Night:

Perry and Grady represented SIC at FIT Night on February 5th.
Grady mentioned creating a QR code for SIC Facebook page to increase followers.
Crews mentioned having PTA and SIC as required stations for special events may help increase engagement and exposure.

March 6, 2026

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

SIC Meeting Minutes

3.6.26

7:30-8:30am

In attendance:

Stephen Rabon, Steven Infinger, Meghan Grady, Amanda Turner, Corinne Horlback, Melissa Odom, Melissa Young, Raina Kempe, Vincent Joy

Welcome and Open Comments:

Mr. Joy shared a few data highlights.

Target Goal Progress:

Taking Flight: We have over 50 SHES students enrolled in the tutoring program, and we’ve offered 80 sessions so far. High School tutors are building relationships with our students and working on targeted skills. Ms. Grady has done a great job launching the program. Ms. Infante has been overseeing the sessions in the designated classroom. Scheduling has been challenging, but we appreciate everyone’s flexibility. Additional support is needed for sourcing materials. Ms. Odom recommended creating a team of teachers who could help plan materials for the program. We could possibly offer comp time for teachers who help plan content for this program.
Points of Engagement: We need 8,000 more points of engagement.

Parent Power Hour:

Next Power Hour~ March 13 at 7:30am- Extracurriculars and clubs at SHES

Final Power Hour~ April: Superintendent Chad Daughterty will be on campus for a Q & A session with families. Brian Bohannon has also been invited to attend, and we are planning to live stream. We are brainstorming the best ways of live streaming.

SCREADY Pep Rally- “Up, Up, Up”

Mr. Joy has some skit ideas. Grady purchased bracelets yesterday since they were on sale. Lowcountry Party Mom is planning on doing a balloon arch for us as a backdrop. Mr. Rabon is willing to MC the event again. The “Call to Response” posters went well last year! We need to determine pep rally student helpers. Ms. Odom recommended that each teacher select five students per class who would be Pep Rally participants for skits, games, dances, etc. We will explore items to purchase (i.e., pom poms, wigs, etc.) We will continue brainstorming ideas from now until our next meeting in April.

Annual Report Review:

We reviewed annual report drafts and discussed tweaks for this year’s publications. Ms. Young will update the annual report drafts and will share the drafts with SIC.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30am. Our next meeting is scheduled for April 10th at 7:30am in the PLR.

April 10, 2026

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

SIC Meeting Minutes

April 10, 2026

In attendance: Stephen Rabon, Eli Infante, Teneshia Slempa, Melissa Young, Nichole Crews, Lisa Bailey-Peters, Micah Behrens, Vincent Joy

Encouraging Comments:

Thank you for making this school a place where students and staff want to be and for supporting students and staff during hard times.

MAP Growth- As a school, we are at 71% for growth on ELA spring assessments. All grades are above 50% growth.

We have a parent who is willing to paint murals around our building at no cost.

Reviewed SIC Checklist

We will distribute SIC Report to Parents via Parent Square by April 30.
Goal this year: We are on track for 25,000 points of engagement.
Parent Power Hour: We are trying to coordinate a day and time for the superintendent to join us for April’s Power Hour. Joy has a principal’s meeting next week and will touch base with the superintendent regarding availability.
Taking Flight Pilot Group: 252 students have been served with the Taking Flight tutoring program this year. For next year, we would like to have set times of 7:00-7:30 and 7:30-8:00.
We will reach out to the National Honor Society teacher reps in August to potentially begin the program mid-September 2026.
In terms of material systems, we brainstormed by asking a parent volunteer/former teacher if they would be interested in assisting each week. We would designate a set number of tutoring slots. We will revisit this program at our May meeting.
Gladiators program will also continue next year. 7th and 8th RMSA students tutor kindergarten students each week.
Riley Award Presentation: April 18th conference in Columbia. We were recognized as one of the top four SICs in the state. Grady and Rabon will create a presentation to share at the conference.
SC READY Pep Rally- Going Up, Up, Up: MCs will come out first with Bassett doing a guitar solo. Grady, Crews, and Joy will go over the game rules. Activities will include a ring toss, boom clap, Ramen noodle, and balloon pop. Time fillers between games- have people throw prizes into the crowd. Grady has a list of items to purchase. After the games, we will have a call and response. Rodgers and a few teachers have something planned for the end.

Next meeting: May 8 at 7:30

May 8, 2026

Agenda
Minutes

Agenda

Minutes

Attendees: Stephen Rabon, Vincent Joy, Melissa Odom, R. Kempe, Teneshia Kempe, Nichole Crews, Lisa Bailey-Peters, Meghan Grady, Amanda Turner, Melissa Young

Welcome and Open Comments

Vincent Joy gave kudos to Stephen Rabon and Meghan Grady for their presentation at the SIC conference in Columbia this past April.

SIC Checklist Review

The Annual Report has been distributed to parents.
The Annual Report has been posted on the official SIC webpage.

Target Goal Progress

The council is currently on target to reach the "Points of Engagement" goal by the end of the school year.

Parent Power Hour

Vincent Joy will add all Parent Power Hour dates for the 2026-2027 school year to the master calendar.

Taking Flight (Tutoring Program)

The council discussed the achievement of 321 tutoring sessions and gathered feedback for the upcoming year:

Program Success: Stephen Rabon expressed gratitude to Ms. Grady for spearheading the program. Several tutors have expressed interest in returning.
Summer Preparation: Administration will provide trade workdays for teachers willing to build resource files for the summer tutoring repository.
Improvements for 2026-2027:
- Adjust start time to 7:00 AM.
- Utilize tutors effectively even when primary students are absent.
- Determine optimal student-to-tutor ratios per session.
- Provide clearer directions and guidelines for tutors.
- Use Fall MAP data to determine student eligibility and adjust the roster scale accordingly.
- Teneshia Kempe expressed interest in assisting with program coordination next year.

Riley Award

The council was honored to receive the SIC Riley Award.
The DD2 School Board will formally recognize the SIC on May 18th at 6:00 PM.
Winning the award has opened a new grant-funded project opportunity.

SC READY Pep Rally

Following the successful execution of the second annual pep rally, the council reviewed performance metrics:

Successes: High energy, effective MCs, good timing, and the "Boom Game" were highlighted as highlights.
2026-2027 Planning:
- Planning will begin in November.
- Coordinate music more closely with the PAC manager.
- Incorporate "Savannah Bananas" engagement strategies to increase "hype" at the start.
- Introduce more audience prizes and continue refining the student selection process for games.
- Game Ideas: Bring back "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" (Teacher Edition), balloon pops, and a "slot machine" game (proposed by Nichole Crews).

Proposed 2026-2027 Meeting Dates

First Meeting: August 14, 2026.
Standard Schedule: Subsequent meetings will be held on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 AM.

SIC Resources

SC School Improvement Council Handbook (PDF)

2025-2026 School Improvement Council Annual Report to Parents

School Improvement Council Bylaws

Last Revised and Approved: December 7, 2023

Article 1: NAME OF ORGANIZATION

Article 2: PURPOSE

Purpose of the Sand Hill Elementary School Improvement Council
1. assist in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the five-year School Improvement Plan (also known as the "School Renewal Plan" or "Strategic Plan");
2. assist in the preparation of yearly Plan updates;
3. assist the school in the development and implementation of the School Reading Plan as required by the Read to Succeed Act;
4. write the annual SIC Report to the Parents, which is to be distributed no later than April 30 of each year;
5. prepare, together with the Principal, the annual narrative for the SC School Report Card;
6. provide other assistance as requested by the Principal or local school board.
The Council will not have the powers and duties reserved by law or regulation to the local school board.

Article 3: NUMBER AND TYPE OF SIC MEMBERS

The SIC will be made up of the following representatives
1. A minimum of two parents elected by parents of students enrolled in the school. Note: If an elected parent only has a rising 5th grader, or if two parents were elected at the same time, the Council will ensure a third parent is elected the following year.
2. A minimum of two teachers elected by teachers assigned to the school.
3. Two members of the local community appointed by the Principal. The Principal will make these appointments from the non-parent portion of the community and will strive to make appointments that reflect the diversity of the student body and local community.
4. The Principal as an ex-officio member of the SIC.
5. A minimum of two ex-officio members in addition to the Principal: the current Teacher of the Year, the current PTA President or previously serving SIC Chair. If an individual holding an ex-officio position is unable to serve on the SIC for any reason, an appropriate substitute shall be named by the organization that individual represents.
The SIC shall at all times be made up of a total of twice as many elected members as appointed members as required by state law. Ex-officio members are not counted in this calculation.
Each elected and appointed member of the SIC shall have one vote. The Principal as an ex-officio member shall also have one vote.
Ex-officio positions in addition to the Principal may only be created by the SIC through a properly adopted amendment to these bylaws. These additional ex-officio members have a voice but shall not be voting members of the SIC.
No SIC member may vote by absentee ballot or proxy.

Article 4: NOMINATION AND ELECTION AND APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES

Nominations and elections for SIC parent and teacher representatives will be held each year no later than October 15. The specific date, time, and location that SIC nominations and elections are to be held will be determined by the SIC from year to year and publicized in advance within the school community. The Principal will appoint community member representatives, in consultation with elected SIC members, no later than October 15 of each year. Council members will assume their responsibilities immediately upon their election or appointment.
The SIC, in consultation with the Principal, will develop and approve procedures for parent nominations and elections that are fair and encourage participation by all parents. The SIC and school will communicate information about SIC parent nomination and election schedules and procedures to all parents who are eligible to vote in a timely manner using the most effective methods of communication reasonably available.
Teachers will nominate and elect their representatives to the SIC during a regularly scheduled faculty meeting.
The SIC will keep the results of SIC parent and teacher elections on file, including the vote totals for all candidates, for a period of at least two years.
In order to comply with state law reporting requirements, the Principal or his/her designee will enter the names and contact information for the current school year's SIC members into the online SC-SIC Member Network no later than November 15.
The SIC Chairperson will ensure that the names of all SIC members for the current school year are posted on the school website and/or published in the school newsletter.

Article 5: TERMS OF OFFICE

The term of office for all elected and appointed SIC members is two (2) years provided they have a child that attends the school. Terms will be staggered so that the terms of office of half of all SIC elected and appointed positions expire at the end of each year.
The term of office for an ex-officio member of the SIC will continue for as long as that individual holds the position or office that is represented on the SIC.
There is no limit on the number of terms that an SIC member may serve.

Article 6: SIC OFFICERS

The officers of the Sand Hill Elementary School Improvement Council will consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary. The SIC will elect these officers from among its elected and appointed members. Officer elections will be held during the first regular meeting after the SIC has completed its elections and appointments for the year. The term of office for SIC officers is one year.
Any elected or appointed SIC member is eligible to run for SIC office except that all three officer positions may not be held at the same time by the same type of elected representative. Ex-officio members, including the Principal, are not eligible to serve as, or vote in the election of, SIC officers.

Article 7: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

The Chairperson will preside at all meetings and have general supervision of the activities of the SIC. The Chairperson will work in partnership with the Principal in planning and directing the activities of the Council. The Chairperson, in consultation with the Principal, will prepare the agenda for all SIC meetings and ensure that the agenda is sent to all Council members and posted publicly in a timely manner, but no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting. The Chairperson retains the right to modify the agenda if it is determined to be in the best interest of the Council and direct the pace of the meeting as best accomplishes the agenda. The Chairperson will appoint members to standing and temporary committees as needed and serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
The Vice Chairperson will preside at meetings in the absence of the Chairperson and assist the Chairperson as requested.
The Secretary is responsible for:
1. Keeping a full and accurate account of the proceedings and actions of all SIC meetings (minutes) and ensuring that each Council member receives this information in a timely fashion following each meeting;
2. Preparing any official correspondence that the Chairperson may request;
3. Ensuring that the SIC maintains a file in the school's administrative offices that contains copies of past meeting agendas, minutes, sign-in sheets, Council correspondence, SIC Reports to the Parents and the SIC bylaws.
4. Maintaining a contact list of all SIC members that includes current telephone numbers, addresses and, whenever available, e-mail addresses.

Article 8: SIC COMMITTEES

The SIC may establish, by a majority vote recorded in the meeting minutes, one or more standing committees as needed to assist in the efficient and effective operation of the Council.
The SIC may also establish, by a majority vote recorded in the meeting minutes, one or more temporary committees made up of teachers, parents, business leaders, and other citizens to study specific issues and make recommendations to the Council. An individual need not be an SIC member in order to serve as a temporary committee chairperson or member; however, each temporary committee shall include at least one SIC member.
The SIC Chairperson will appoint the members of good standing and temporary SIC committees and designate committee chairpersons.
Such standing and temporary committees shall regularly report and remain accountable to the full SIC and their scope of work shall be limited to that assigned to them by the full SIC.

Article 9: MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION AND VACANCIES

SIC membership shall terminate immediately upon the following:
1. a parent representative no longer has a child enrolled in the school;
2. a teacher representative no longer holds a teaching position at the school;
3. an elected or appointed member misses three consecutive scheduled meetings without proper notice to the Chairperson;
4. an elected or appointed member submits a letter of resignation to the Chairperson;
5. an elected or appointed member is elected to the district school board.
In the event that an elected parent or teacher representative's membership terminates before the end of his/her term, the individual who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. If for any reason such an individual cannot be identified or is unwilling to serve, the SIC Chairperson, in consultation with the Principal and full SIC, shall appoint another eligible parent or teacher as appropriate to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.
In the event that an appointed community member representative's membership terminates before the end of his/her term, the Principal shall appoint another eligible community member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

Article 10: MEETINGS

The first regular SIC meeting of the school year will be held no later the end of the first quarter of the school year.
During the first meeting, the SIC will set a regular meeting schedule for the remainder of the school year. The schedule will be posted on the school website, included in the monthly school calendar, and/or otherwise posted in a prominent location in the school. The SIC will strive to schedule regular SIC meetings on days and times that meet the needs and preferences of parents and community members as well as teachers and administrators.
The SIC will meet monthly during the school year, except that the SIC may choose not to schedule a meeting in December. The SIC Chairperson or Principal may call additional special meetings or committee meetings (as needed) so long as all Council members are notified of the meeting at least 24 hours in advance.
All SIC meetings are open to the public and anyone showing an interest in the SIC and its activities will be encouraged to attend. Persons who wish to be placed on the agenda must submit a request to the SIC Chairperson or Principal at least five (5) business days before the meeting date. The Chairperson will time the agenda to ensure that Council business is properly conducted and that persons scheduled to speak have the opportunity to do so. The Chairperson has the option to schedule a segment of the agenda for open comments from the public as needed and as time permits.
The Principal or his/her designee will be scheduled on the agenda of every regular SIC meeting to share information on school activities, successes, and concerns. Committees will provide reports as scheduled.

Article 11: SIC DECISION MAKING

Article 12: TRAINING

At the beginning of each school year, the SIC will ensure that members have access to information about their roles and responsibilities as well as information on school and local district policies and procedures. SIC members will be encouraged to attend School Improvement Council training workshops sponsored by the district office and/or the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC).

Article 13: BYLAW AMENDMENTS

Amendments to Bylaws

This section will serve as a historical record of amendments made to the bylaws.

Article	Original Text	Amended Text	Amendment Date	Approval Date
2-6	provide advice on the use of school incentive award expenditures (if allocated by the legislature and awarded to the school)	Deleted as this does not happen any more	11/9/23	12/7/23
3-A-1	A minimum of three parents elected by parents of students enrolled in the school.	A minimum of two parents elected by parents of students enrolled in the school. Note: If an elected parent only has a rising 5th grader, or if two parents were elected at the same time, the Council will ensure a third parent is elected the following year.	11/9/23	12/7/23
3-A-2	A minimum of three teachers elected by teachers assigned to the school.	A minimum of two teachers elected by teachers assigned to the school.	11/9/23	12/7/23
3-A-3	Three members of the local community appointed by the Principal. The Principal will make these appointments from the non-parent portion of the community and will strive to make appointments that reflect the diversity of the student body and local community.	Two members of the local community appointed by the Principal. The Principal will make these appointments from the non-parent portion of the community and will strive to make appointments that reflect the diversity of the student body and local community.	11/9/23	12/7/23
3-A-5	Two ex-officio members in addition to the Principal: the current Teacher of the Year, the current PTO President or previously serving SIC Chair. If an individual holding an ex-officio position is unable to serve on the SIC for any reason, an appropriate substitute shall be named by the organization that individual represents.	A minimum of two ex-officio members in addition to the Principal: the current Teacher of the Year, the current PTA President or previously serving SIC Chair. If an individual holding an ex-officio position is unable to serve on the SIC for any reason, an appropriate substitute shall be named by the organization that individual represents.	11/9/23	12/7/23
5-A	The term of office for all elected and appointed SIC members is two (2) years. Terms will be staggered so that the terms of office of half of all SIC elected and appointed positions expire at the end of each year.	The term of office for all elected and appointed SIC members is two (2) years provided they have a child that attends the school. Terms will be staggered so that the terms of office of half of all SIC elected and appointed positions expire at the end of each year.	11/9/23	12/7/23
8-C	The SIC Chairperson will appoint the members of standing and temporary SIC committees and designate committee chairpersons.	The SIC Chairperson will appoint the members of good standing and temporary SIC committees and designate committee chairpersons.	11/9/23	12/7/23
10-A	The first regular SIC meeting of the school year will be held no later than September 30.	The first regular SIC meeting of the school year will be held no later the end of the first quarter of the school year.	11/9/23	12/7/23
10-C	The SIC will meet monthly during the school year, except that the SIC may choose not to schedule a meeting in December. The SIC Chairperson or Principal may call additional special meetings so long as all Council members are notified of the meeting at least 24 hours in advance. The SIC Chairperson, Principal, or committee chairperson may schedule committee meetings as needed so long as advance notice is provided to all committee members.	The SIC will meet monthly during the school year, except that the SIC may choose not to schedule a meeting in December. The SIC Chairperson or Principal may call additional special meetings or committee meetings (as needed) so long as all Council members are notified of the meeting at least 24 hours in advance.	11/9/23	12/7/23
10-D	All SIC meetings are open to the public and anyone showing an interest in the SIC and its activities will be encouraged to attend. Persons who wish to be placed on the agenda must submit a request to the SIC Chairperson or Principal at least five (5) days before the meeting date. The Chairperson will time the agenda to ensure that Council business is properly conducted and that persons scheduled to speak have the opportunity to do so. The Chairperson has the option to schedule a segment of the agenda for open comments from the public as needed and as time permits.	All SIC meetings are open to the public and anyone showing an interest in the SIC and its activities will be encouraged to attend. Persons who wish to be placed on the agenda must submit a request to the SIC Chairperson or Principal at least five (5) business days before the meeting date. The Chairperson will time the agenda to ensure that Council business is properly conducted and that persons scheduled to speak have the opportunity to do so. The Chairperson has the option to schedule a segment of the agenda for open comments from the public as needed and as time permits.	11/9/23	12/7/23