• Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4,500
    Student Enrollment: 234
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 100%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 100%
    Founded: 1995
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Lisa Lowe
  • CONTACT:
    4787 Coal River Road
    Comfort, WV 25049
    304-837-8310
    llowe@k12.wv.us
Sherman Elementary School
Comfort, WV
"The greatest contributing factor that promotes positive change at Sherman Elementary is collaboration."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
At Sherman Elementary, we pride ourselves on our ability to balance meeting each student’s emotional, physical, and educational needs. We believe all students can succeed and hold our students to high standards. To make certain students’ needs are being met, we use research-based methods and best practices. Our school implements Advancement Via Individual Determination to reinforce academic behaviors and higher-level thinking. Our students are active participants and take ownership of their education. Data from West Virginia General Summative Assessment, i-Ready, and Common Formative Assessments is the driving force behind instruction. We identify individual needs and meet students on their level to foster growth. We are proud to say SES students continue to achieve above county and state standards on the West Virginia General Summative Assessment. We are recognized as a West Virginia Exemplary School and a National Blue Ribbon School, as well as a National ESEA Distinguished School.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
The greatest contributing factor that promotes positive change at Sherman Elementary is collaboration. We collaborate with parents/guardians to provide the best learning environment and to meet students' needs. We offer trainings for parents to help foster educational growth inside the home. We collaborate with our student resource officer and local law enforcement to provide a safe learning environment. Our Local School Improvement Council is a collaboration between students, teachers, and community members who work together to keep our campus safe and beautiful. Finally, we collaborate daily within our building to provide students with a high-quality education. PLC meetings are held weekly to discuss student learning, desegregate data, and set learning goals. Vertical planning is utilized to discuss the learning continuum between grade levels. This collaboration has proven successful, on average, all Sherman Elementary students score above district and state proficiency levels.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
Extended Day is a 6-week program supported through ESEA funding. It is an invaluable program that is offered in the fall and spring. Teachers identify struggling students and refer them to the extended day program. The program occurs after school in a small group setting. Students receive additional support and instruction to help them be successful in the classroom. Students are provided a snack and transportation home from extended day.
ESEA funds are also implemented to employ Interventionists to assist struggling students. Students who do not succeed with tier I or tier II instruction are referred to Tier III Intervention, which is intensive intervention that occurs outside the general education classroom. Students work in small groups with an interventionist to meet their specific needs. Students are met on their level of instruction to foster growth. This has proven instrumental in identifying and closing learning gaps that have been exacerbated as a result of COVID.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
We take advantage of every opportunity to improve practices by making use of professional development and even Saturday work days to ensure we stay up to date on current research and findings in the educational field. We participate in book studies throughout the year. We attend various educational trainings, from Passive Restraint Training to the County Math Cadre. We had a team travel to Florida this year and bring back a wealth of knowledge from an AVID training. We leave no stone unturned in our constant pursuit of knowledge to become better educators.
We are fortunate to have teachers in our building with specific areas of expertise. We take advantage of these strengths within our staff to elevate teaching practices across grade levels. For example, if we have a teacher who is excellent at teaching students to write essays, we will hold a professional development for other staff members. Leadership roles are utilized throughout our building to improve teaching and learning.

5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
Because we realize the impact our school culture has on student learning, Sherman Elementary creates an environment in which all staff members feel valued and supported. At Sherman, we are a family. Our Morale Club works tirelessly throughout the school year to have a positive impact and boost morale because we all know you cannot pour from an empty cup. They plan numerous activities to lift spirits throughout the year and make all staff members feel important. We create a family atmosphere by planning and enjoying Faculty Senate luncheons together. We display a “Staff Belonging Tree” where all staff members can showcase their individual personalities and interest. Our principal creates an environment where each staff member feels they are respected and have a voice through shared decision-making and shared leadership roles. She provides a staff Christmas dinner and Staff Appreciation Lunch for the faculty, which creates a sense of gratitude and belonging.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
At Sherman Elementary, we know a child’s basic needs must be met before they can learn. Most of our students come from low income households or are being raised by grandparents. We engage with several businesses and churches to ensure, to the best of our ability, that each family has their needs met. Warm Heart Charity provides our students with shoes. Both Ball Toyota and Boone Family Support System made generous donations to help with food, clothing, shelter, and hygiene needs of our students. We collaborate with local churches to provide food baskets, back-to-school back packs, and Angel Tree gifts for students in need. Odd Fellows and “Shop with a Cop” help us make certain each student has enjoyable holidays. We work with and provide transportation to a local church-ran after-school program where students can have a snack and get help with homework. The Gabriel Project works directly with our pre-school teachers to help meet the needs of our young students.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4,500
    Student Enrollment: 234
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 100%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 100%
    Founded: 1995
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Lisa Lowe
  • CONTACT:
    4787 Coal River Road
    Comfort, WV 25049
    304-837-8310
    llowe@k12.wv.us