Teacher was finalist for SCISA recognition

Charleston Collegiate's Upper School world history and speech teacher Brian McDermott was a recent finalist for the South Carolina Independent School Association's Teacher of the Year.

McDermott is known for showing great devotion to his career, spending long hours working on campus and focusing on excellence.

McDermott grew up in Washington, D.C., and received his Bachelor of Arts in speech communication and English from Charleston Southern University. He attributes his success to "my beloved parents, to my high school teachers and college professors, coaches and, of course, my colleagues here at CCS," he said.

Students take Winterim trips

Upper and middle students at Charleston Collegiate participated March 9-13 in what has come to be known as Winterim, a combination of winter and interim.

While some students chose to remain on campus during the week, others had the chance for educational travel. For a fee, Upper School students were given the chance to travel to Paris, New York City, New Orleans, Orlando or the wilderness of South Carolina.

"I'm not going to lie. One of my favorite parts was the dessert," said sophomore traveler Nicole Fredericks of her experience in Paris.

Educational and entertaining courses were held on campus as well.

Students tackling reading program

Charleston Collegiate School recently began the Reluctant Readers program to help boost the confidence of Lower School students assigned to read aloud in class.

The program encourages Lower School students who struggle to find the confidence to read in class to read to a dog instead. Faculty members bring in their furry friends to share a reading session with one of Charleston Collegiate School's Lower School students.

The Reluctant Readers program has research to back it up. "Other than improving confidence in children, reading to animals can increase a child's reading level by up to two reading levels," says "The Environment and Mental Health: A Guide for Clinicians."

The Lower School students seemed to appreciate the patience of the dogs. "She would sit down, and most dogs would get up and jump on you," second-grade student Maddie Flowers said of the dog to which she read.

Senior projects teach research

Each member of the Charleston Collegiate senior class must complete a senior exhibition project, a yearlong research project that helps students prepare for the future.

Upper School head Elizabeth Boyd said the idea, which originated with "Horace's Compromise" by Theodore R. Sizer, emphasizes teaching proper research skills that will last a lifetime. Each student works alone as well as with a panel of faculty members to decide on the concept and make a research plan. They consult with an outside adviser who is an expert in the area that the student wishes to research.

Senior Keenan Fischer described the project as a "learning experience for college because you are going to have to write in-depth research papers."

In May, seniors make 45-minute presentations of projects to peers and faculty.

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