By David Molliendo, CHS Sophomore
Dr. Tony Hemingway's contributions to the Clover School District have been recognized with the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) Personnel Administrator Of The Year award, presented on February 29. Dr. Hemingway, who has served as the Chief Human Resources and Strategic Planning Officer since 2017, has decided to leave the district with a legacy of excellence. Dr. Hemingway's initial reaction to receiving the SCASA Award was "shocked, humbled, and grateful." He acknowledged the significance of the recognition from his peers and its validation of the tough decisions made to emphasize fairness, equity, and adherence to policies. For Dr. Hemingway, the SCASA recognition holds personal and professional significance. He stated, "The work of a personnel administrator often leaves you on an island. It's tough decision-making, and in many cases, it's not the most popular decision you have to make when you're emphasizing fairness, equity, and adhering to policies." This award validates the efforts he and his team put into creating a safe, balanced, and supportive workplace, ultimately having a positive impact on student outcomes. Over his 25-year tenure in the Clover School District, Dr. Hemingway faced numerous challenges but credits his success to the support and mentorship received from colleagues. He believes in paying it forward by offering similar support and mentorship to nurture leadership development within the district. Reflecting on SCASA's significance for the industry, Dr. Hemingway emphasized its role in providing administrators with a network of professionals who understand the challenges faced by school leaders. SCASA offers support, innovative ideas, and friendship, enabling administrators to thrive in their roles. Dr. Tony Hemingway's recognition as the SCASA Personnel Administrator Of The Year not only celebrates his individual achievements but also underscores the dedication and excellence within the Clover School District's administration. His legacy of fostering a positive work environment and prioritizing student success will undoubtedly continue to resonate and leave a lasting impact on the community. Dr. Hemingway will be moving to Fairfield County Schools as Superintendent in April. There, he will undoubtedly continue the amazing work he is known for in Clover.
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By Jordan Bowers, CHS Senior Clover, SC—Biblical Studies Released Time(BSRT) is an organization where elementary school students, grades 3-5, can be excused from their elective classes, with their parent's permission, to participate in activities and discussions centered around the Bible. On Saturday, March 2nd, BSRT held its first pancake supper since the pandemic, where the students sang songs and recited verses about the main topics they learned about. They then got to eat pancakes and a side of sausages with their families. Prior to Covid, this was an annual tradition. The pancake supper was a resounding success, with hundreds of people showing up to eat the pancakes, listen to the children’s choir, and watch the kids recite their Bible verses. The event lasted from 4:30pm-8:00pm, with the line stretching out the door, full of people excited to get their food. The food was exceptionally fantastic, and the drinks were just perfect. The children’s choir was great, singing songs about God and the verses they studied. Each elementary school group was scheduled to present during the supper. Crowders Creek Elementary kicked off the event, followed by Kinard Elementary, Larne Elementary, Bethany Elementary, Griggs Road Elementary, Bethel Elementary, and Oakridge Elementary. Each school got to share songs and Bible verses for approximately 20 minutes. BSRT initially started as a part of the school curriculum in 1996, and several people were asked to put together a program without using school assets. They conducted a search and discovered an organization called School Ministries that operated a similar program in schools. School Ministries dates back to the 1930’s in Ohio. the Clover Biblical Studies Released Time is primarily based on the School Ministries Program that is present throughout much of the United States. By Jolie Brooks, CHS Junior
The Clover High School Robotics team, Team 1539 Clover Eagle Robotics, competed in two competitions this month. The team showed growth, placing 21 out of 32 teams in Anderson and advancing to semifinals match 10 in Charleston. This year's FIRST Robotics competition was called Crescendo. Two teams of three fought to place or shoot rings, or notes, into three field pieces: the speaker, the amp, and the stage (which had a chain for the robots to climb on). Robots started the match with a 15-second autonomous period, where the robot was programmed to either shoot into the speaker or move out of the starting zone. Then, for the next 2 minutes and 15 seconds, the drive team controlled the robot, and during the last 20 seconds of the match, robots tried to hang on the chain or go under the stage. Human players were also able to score additional points by tossing a note onto the stage. This year's drive team consisted of officer members David, Kellen, Ashley, and Gavyn. The first competition the team attended was in Anderson, SC, from March 7 to March 9. The team competed and tried their very best. Unfortunately, they didn’t get selected to be in an alliance to compete in the playoff rounds, making it to rank 21 out of 32 by the end of the qualification rounds. Still, throughout the struggles of the competition, the team members in the stands kept their spirits high, engaging in chants and cheering for the team. The members held up signs and dressed in spirit wear, with the team president even wearing a full leprechaun outfit. And even if the team didn't get very far at the Anderson competition, they learned the importance of perseverance; Vice President Ashley said, “We learned perseverance, and how important it is, to even in bleak situations, keep planning and adapting. You have to keep the motivation and optimism up, or you're never going to get anywhere because you're going to fail a lot in robotics but getting back up is the important part.” The second competition Team 1539 competed in this season was in Charleston from March 21 to March 23. Despite the hardships in Anderson, the team worked hard in the two weeks between the two competitions and ended up being selected by Alliance #3, which consisted of Team 342 Burning Magnetos and Team 3490 Viper Drive. Once selected for the alliance, the team decided to move to sit near the alliance teams. “There’s a lot of energy and excitement in the stands; there are a lot of people cheering and chanting, and it’s just a fun, exciting atmosphere. And what sets FIRST Robotics competitions apart from other competitions is how nice everyone is to each other. People cheer on other teams, but there's still room for competitiveness,” the team’s Public Relations Lead, Leila, said. However, challenges and issues still occurred during the qualification matches. The biggest issue occurred when the chassis was bent, causing the team to miss multiple matches to fix it. The team's Shop Boss, Kellen, said, “When the chassis was bent, it caused a lot of issues such as the intake wheels hitting the chassis, as well as the intake chain coming loose because the motor was bent towards it. It proved to be our biggest challenge.” Overcoming this challenge showed the other teams that Team 1539 could get knocked down but always got back up and climbed their way back through the rankings. While all members of the team wished that Team 1539 could have won, they were all happy with the outcome of the season, saying that they did better than they did last year, which shows growth and improvement. The experience alone helps them keep their spirits high and prepare for next season. BY CAMILLA JOYE, CHS JUNIOR In the crowded halls of Clover High School, where most students are either hitting the books or juggling extracurricular activities, there's a select group who stand out: the Fire Combat Challenge Team. Members of the FCCT include Cameron Burrell (captain), Skylan Wilson (captain), Amara Richards (captain), Nathan Dickerson, Kinon Briggs, Robert Kazanecki, Ryan Smith, Ryan Babel, Dominic Martinez, and Lacie Binder. The team recently had a competition in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Team 1 placed first in Knot Tying, third in Hydrant Hook-up, and Team 2 placed first in Hydrant Hook-up. One member that stood out was Lacie Binder in the Individual Rapid Dress competition. Over two hundred young men and women competed for this one honor and Lacie brought it home with a time of 31 seconds! This is the second year in a row Clover has won this event. The FCCT doesn’t just focus on firefighting; it also molds its members into exceptional students who are disciplined and dedicated to upholding excellence. The FCCT would not be possible without Clover High School’s outstanding CTE courses. These can include engineering classes, building construction classes, marketing classes, and much more. These classes, along with the fire education classes, are known as “Career-Ready Classes” and help prepare students to enter the workforce after high school. The FCCT provides a way for students who are interested in having a career in the firefighting field to gain practical experience and compete to show off their skills in real-world scenarios. These kinds of competitions not only allow students to test their abilities but also provide valuable networking opportunities and exposure to the firefighting community. Participating in these events also can help students build confidence and gain valuable insight into the challenges they may see in the future. The FCCT plays a crucial role in preparing the next generation of firefighters and ensuring they have the skills and experience needed to excel when they enter the workforce and begin their careers. BY THE ROARING EAGLE STAFFClover , SC - As The Roaring Eagle grows, so does our staff. The Roaring Eagle is thrilled to announce the newest additions of some very exceptional talents to our team. As we continue to grow and evolve, these individuals each bring their own unique perspectives, skills, and passions for journalism and The Roaring Eagle. Each with their own diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives, we are more than confident that they will contribute to our mission of providing informative and engaging content to our readers. We also are welcoming back veteran reporters Dante Hudnall, Mykaya Spencer, and Lily Wallace. Get to know the new, fresh faces that are all set to make an impact not only on the community but on The Roaring Eagle as well.
Emily Belk, CHS Junior: She is excited about The Roaring Eagle because she gets the chance to write articles she loves doing. She can choose which ones she wants to do, and she can collaborate and share her ideas with her peers, knowing they’ll support her ideas. She can also add her own article ideas if her peers like them, like her “Dog of The Month” idea. She loves doing that article and loves that her ideas come to life. She also loves being able to help the community, especially in ways she can come up with on her own. Her responsibility for the paper is to get her work done, collaborate with her peers, set up interviews, send out emails, be a good speaker and interviewer, and write her assigned articles. Her favorite extracurricular activities/hobbies are reading, hiking, hanging out with her friends, watching reality TV shows, VEX robotics for the school JROTC (even though she is not a part of the JROTC), and her engineering projects. Jordan Bowers, CHS Senior: He is excited to join The Roaring Eagle because he gets to write about fun, enjoyable things and hang out with, in his words, “cool people.” His responsibilities for the paper are writing engaging articles and serving the community while also being a cool person himself. His favorite extracurriculars/hobbies are reading, watching and collecting movies, and playing with his dogs. Jolie Brooks, CHS Junior: She is excited about joining The Roaring Eagle because she gets to write about things that interest her, learn new things, help the community, and get better at talking with people. Her responsibilities for the paper are to get articles written on time, contact people, write and respond to emails, and work together with her peers. Her favorite hobbies are reading, taking care of animals, art, archery, hanging out with her friends and family, watching movies, photography, and learning new things. Camilla Joye, CHS Junior: She is excited about joining The Roaring Eagle because she gets to write about things she enjoys, for example, sports. She also really likes to write but prefers not to write essays like in English class. Therefore, she is glad to have a class that has her write in a way that is different from traditional essays. Her responsibilities are to write her articles on time, work together with her classmates, set up interviews, send out various emails, and help be a voice for everything happening in the community. Her favorite activities are playing lacrosse, tennis, pickleball, running, reading, going to church, and ROTC. David Mollinedo, CHS Sophomore: He is excited to be a part of The Roaring Eagle because he can get new opportunities to work with content that he enjoys. His responsibility for The Roaring Eagle is to contribute to the paper, do interviews, and contribute to the social media presence. His favorite extracurricular activities/hobbies include playing volleyball, coloring, binge-watching shows, and cooking. BY LILY WALLACE, CHS SOPHOMORE
Clover, SC - Ms. Green, the hardworking and dedicated Assistant Principal at Clover High School, was a finalist for the 2024 Assistant Principal of the Year award. In an interview, Ms. Green shared insights into her educational philosophy, her journey to her current position, and the innovative program she initiated to support students in need. Ms. Green attributes her success to the strong emphasis she places on building relationships with both students and their families. “It’s through these connections that I’ve been able to reach this position,” she noted. Ms. Green believes that fostering a positive and supportive environment is crucial for student success, and her commitment to this is evident in her day-to-day interactions. One of Ms. Green’s notable achievements is the implementation of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) program at CHS. MTSS is a comprehensive framework designed to provide targeted assistance to students who may require additional support during their academic journey. The program aims to address the diverse needs of students by providing interventions at different levels based on individual requirements. During the interview, Ms. Green expressed her passion for creating a school culture where every student has the opportunity to thrive. “MTSS has been instrumental in identifying and addressing the unique needs of our students. It ensures that no one is left behind and that every child receives the support they need to succeed,” she explained. Ms. Green’s visibility in the school community is another aspect that sets her apart. She can often be found interacting with students in the hallways, attending extracurricular events, and engaging with parents during school functions. Her hands-on approach has contributed to a positive and inclusive atmosphere at Clover High School. Colleagues and parents alike have praised Ms. Green for her tireless dedication to the school and its students. Mrs. Farris, CHS Principal, commended Ms. Green, saying, “Her leadership and commitment to student success have had a transformative impact on our school community. She is truly deserving of this recognition.” This recognition shows the rest of South Carolina what CHS sees every day: the positive influence she has on the educational experience of countless students. BY DAVID MOLLINEDO, CHS SOPHOMORE
Clover, SC - The Clover District (CSD) showed its appreciation for the members of the CSD School Board at the January 29, 2004 meeting. January is School Board Appreciation Month, and the Teacher Forum led an effort to thank the board members for their service. The teacher of the year from each school in the district collected thank you cards and banners created and signed by the students and staff at their school. These tokens of appreciation were then brought to the district office and posted in the hallway outside the boardroom. During the meeting, 2021-2022 District Teacher of the Year, Wayne Williams, and 2022-2023 District Teacher of the Year, Kelly Clark thanked the board for their service. Additionally, Chef Scott Michaw, Clover Career and Technical Education's 2024 Teacher of the Year, and his students made a delicious meal for the board members to have before their work session. This was perhaps the most fitting time to thank the school board for their work due to the challenging nature of choosing three names, mascots, and sets of colors for brand-new schools. As board members expressed at the meeting, many were torn throughout the process as Blue Eagle graduates, stewards of education for all students, and community members who recognize the uniting nature of one high school. This is just one example of the difficult decisions school board members have to consider throughout their time in office, and district students and staff cannot thank them enough for their dedication to their work. The Teacher Forum is led by Wayne Williams, the CHS Engineering teacher and 2024 South Carolina Honor Roll Teacher. Each teacher of the year from every school participates in the Teacher Forum. They strive to make an impact on others in the district through service projects they work on throughout the year. Celebrating the members of the CSD School Board is just one instance of the work they do. BY SHEILA QUINN, CSD SUPERINTENDENT
Clover, SC, Originally published as a letter to the community in the December 15 issue of “This Week in Clover”. I’d like to use my column this week to summarize Monday night’s Board of Trustees meeting. Thank you to those who turned out for the meeting in person and to the nearly 200 people who watched from home. The evening was a rollercoaster of emotions, ranging from tremendous excitement as Miller Pazdan Smith unveiled final plans for High School #2 to mounting frustration as the district has faced the repeated rejection of multiple plans submitted to York County. First, let’s talk about those architectural renderings. Ben Thompson and Alex Lay of Miller Pazdan Smith shared details about both the interior and exterior of the new high school. The facility will feature three academic house wings. One will host freshmen, while the other two will support sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each wing has a collaboration zone for student work and a mixture of large and small spaces to provide flexibility in student-teacher interactions. Each wing has an open design to maintain good visibility and enhance safety and security. The cafeteria and an outdoor dining area will overlook athletic facilities to the rear of the building. The gymnasium will seat 1,700-1,800 students and will feature a wraparound concourse. The gym will have a full lobby and concessions. A 1,000-seat auditorium will serve as the core of the performing arts space. Teacher workspaces are included so that staff may leave their classrooms during their planning periods, allowing for the utilization of that classroom by another teacher to fully maximize space. To see the design for yourself, view the slide deck. Chief Operations Officer Dr. Mark Hopkins was joined by Kelly Clayton of the Leitner Group and Brian Crutchfield of the Timmons Group to outline the approval process to begin construction of the new school. There are four sub-parts of the full civil plan: (1) Civil Construction Plan (Site Plan); (2) Public Sewer Access; (3) Traffic Impact Analysis; and (4) Nationwide Permits. An interesting fact to note is that CSD began working on all four plans in 2021 before the first bond referendum failed. The work was paused until the second bond was finally passed in November 2022. CSD’s Civil Construction Plan has now been submitted four times, and has been rejected all four times, with the latest rejection coming this week. However, the latest issues are minor changes and the County has committed to a quick process to address the remaining minor details. The changes in CSD’s site plans will be submitted prior to winter break. The sewer pump station was a major stumbling block. It was built and installed by a developer in 2010 to support growth in the area. The new schools will be the first development in the area to use it. Because it wasn’t previously in use, York County never certified and accepted the pump station. The district and the developer worked through several hurdles to turn the system over to the county. Several intersections were deemed “failing” by the county due to future delays in making a left turn during the peak school traffic hours (morning arrival and afternoon dismissal). The district was required to mitigate all identified failing intersections in the traffic plan. The district proposed putting a traffic light at Hwy 274 and Cannonball Run and Hwy 49 and Cannonball Run, but SCDOT denied the traffic lights because there is no current traffic at those intersections. SCDOT also doesn’t consider peak hours. They look at traffic over the course of the full day. To meet the county standards for mitigation, the district had to amend the traffic plan to require all cars to turn right out of the school property onto Cannonball Run towards Hwy 49 where a round-about will have to be installed prior to August 2026. The district will also have to contribute funds to a light at Pinnacle Road and Hwy 274 when and if SCDOT agrees that it is warranted. Finally, the district worked for months on removing the requirement of a “connection” road from West Liberty Hill Rd. to Cannonball Run. Ultimately, the county council had to intervene to amend the planned development language that required a connection. To see the full history of the plan submission, view the slide deck. To see the full history of plan submissions, view the slide deck. This presentation concluded with more positive news. The Board of Trustees awarded the site prep contract to Hoopaugh Grading Company. A contractor now stands ready to begin clearing the land–pending permit approval. CSD is expecting feedback on both the Civil Construction Plan and Traffic Impact Analysis before winter break. As Board Member Matt Burris so eloquently framed it on Monday night, CSD has one Christmas wish–the approval of all plans related to High School #2 so that we can celebrate the new year with a groundbreaking ceremony and stay on our timeline to deliver the Clover community its much-needed new school. Best wishes, Sheila Quinn, Ed.D. Superintendent *Editor’s Note: The school colors have not been determined yet, so color renderings may not be accurate. The renderings below were created by the architectural firm Miller Pazdan Smith. |
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