Excitement Building for Monarch Elementary

Even in an area growing as fast as the Golden Strip, it is not every day that a new school opens. So when one does, it is cause for excitement. That excitement was in evidence on Tuesday when Vaughan Overman, the principal of the new Monarch Elementary School on Five Forks Road in Simpsonville, gave the Greenville County School Board of Trustees an overview of the curriculum.

To view Principal Overman’s presentation see the accompanying video.

In short, the school will be as cutting-edge and technologically-relevant as any in the district, and it’s been built that way to service its emphasis on math and science disciplines.

Overman was asked by Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher, the previous district superintendent, to lead the new school, coming over from Taylors Elementary.

“(Dr. Fisher) wanted me to do something that no other school was doing and just make it different from anything else that was in the district,” Overman told Patch.

Overman began researching what a curriculum meant to prepare students for a global workplace might look like. Her decision was made quickly. “I saw right away the growing importance of health careers and the amount of technology that is embedded in that,” she said.

The curriculum at Monarch will be driven by an inquiry-based learning model that encourages students to ask the type of creative process questions that are needed to solve problems in a 21^st century economy.

Students will be equipped with ergonomically-designed furniture and e-readers, as well as instructional tools like ActivTable and ActivBoard.

Overman said that Monarch will have a culture geared toward a healthy lifestyle and healthy solutions through engaging activities. The Greenville Hospital System has signed on as a partner and will provide pedometers that students can incorporate into daily math activities.

Overman said she is in the process of hiring teachers and that approximately 580 students are enrolled. The school has been built for a capacity of 1,000 students, a figure Overman does not expect to reach in the coming school year.

Opening a new school is not a completely foreign experience to Overman. She helped students and staff move into a new building while leading Taylors Elementary.  But Monarch is new in every respect, which has Overman excited, but also concentrated on the task at hand with doors opening in less than three months.

“We’re focusing on getting started and making sure we have everything in place to be successful right from the start.” Overman said.

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