Congaree Elementary
Enter to Learn, Depart to SOAR
Welcome to Lexington School District Two, where Champions for Children is more than a just a theme. It is a leadership standard. It represents how we make decisions, how we support one another, and how we create learning environments where every child is known, valued, supported, and challenged. Our district is committed to building Destination Schools — schools where families choose to be, students are excited to learn, employees are proud to serve, and the community sees excellence in action.
Our youngest Aviators in 3K had a LEAF-tastic time learning with our amazing Speech-Language Pathologists!
Using the book When the Leaf Blew In, students participated in fun, fall-themed language activities that encouraged vocabulary development, listening skills, communication, and language growth!
We love seeing our little Aviators build important skills through stories, hands-on activities, and lots of fall fun! At Congaree, even our smallest learners are preparing to SOAR!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchools
Using the book When the Leaf Blew In, students participated in fun, fall-themed language activities that encouraged vocabulary development, listening skills, communication, and language growth!
We love seeing our little Aviators build important skills through stories, hands-on activities, and lots of fall fun! At Congaree, even our smallest learners are preparing to SOAR!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchools
WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Lexington School District Two students posted gains on 2026 SC School Report Cards released Monday by the SC Department of Education, with the majority of schools attaining “Good” to “Excellent” ratings in year-over year growth, and half of the district’s schools improving their overall rating over last year.
Congaree Elementary School also saw increases in key measures.
- Increased from Below Average (39) to Average (50) — 11-point gain!
- English Language Arts (ELA): Increased from 49.8 to 51.2 — 1.4-point gain!
- Math: Increased from 26.9 to 40.9 — 14-point gain!
- Science: Increased from 31.3 to 39.6 — 8.3-point gain!
- Multilingual Learners (ML): Increased from Below Average (32.3) to Average (42.3) — 10-point gain! Highest ML progress in the district!
- Student Progress: Increased from 33.6 to 53.2 — 19.6-point gain!
Congaree Principal Christopher Dickey states, “Our progress reflects a school-wide commitment to improving learning conditions and strengthening daily instruction. By reducing chronic absenteeism, enhancing small-group instruction, and providing targeted interventions, we are creating more opportunities for student success. We have also strengthened our use of high-quality instructional materials, evidence-based strategies for multilingual learners, and student data to guide instruction.
Moving forward, we will continue building on these practices and adjusting to meet our students’ needs. While improving our Report Card score is important, our ultimate goal is to establish a strong school culture and effective instructional practices that support continued academic growth for every student at Congaree.”
DISTRICT OVERVIEW
Lexington Two, as a district, also saw increases in core subject areas like English and Math, along with gains in other key measures:
- The annual dropout rate decreased from 5.0% to 1.8%.
- The five-year student success rate increased to 81.7%, up from 75.4% in 2024.
- College-or-career readiness increased to 62.9% in 2026, up from 51.4% in 2024, while career readiness increased to 62.9% from 49.8% over the same period.
- Students eligible for the LIFE Scholarship increased to 32.5% from 21.9%.
- The four-year graduation rate increased to 79.3%, up from 75.0% the previous year.
- SC READY ELA performance increased to 50.2% in 2026 from 40.0% in 2024, a 10.2-point increase.
- Over the same period, mathematics increased to 37.7% from 30.5%, and English 2 increased to 59.8% from 55.2%.
- Science increased to 44.2% in 2026 from 38.0% in 2025.
All Lexington Two schools rated “Average” or better in Student Progress, a key indicator of year-over-year academic growth and improvement. The majority of district schools also attained “Average” or better in Academic Achievement scores, as well as in the Overall Rating.
Lexington Two Superintendent Dr. Angela Cooper praised the hard work behind this year’s gains, while noting there is still work to do. “We are proud of the strides our students and schools have made, and these results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, staff, and families across Lexington Two,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are seeing meaningful progress in Academic Achievement, Student Progress, graduation, and college and career readiness, and that progress gives us much to celebrate. At the same time, we know there is still important work ahead. Our expectation is that every school continues to grow and that every student has access to the opportunities, instruction, and support needed to be successful.”
Deputy Superintendent Dr. David McDonald attributed the district’s gains to “a more intentional and consistent focus on instructional quality, student progress, and the use of data to drive decisions,” adding that results “show encouraging evidence of student growth across the district, particularly in the Student Progress indicator.”
“Moving forward, we will continue to focus on standards-aligned, high-quality instruction; consistent use of formative and progress-monitoring data; targeted intervention through MTSS; and strong instructional leadership and coaching,” Dr. McDonald said. “The distinction between Achievement and Progress in this year’s results is important. While several schools demonstrate good or excellent Student Progress, the Academic Achievement ratings indicate that there remains significant opportunity to move more students to higher levels of performance.
The annual SC School Report Cards provide information about each school and district, including test performance, teacher qualifications, student safety, awards, parent involvement and more. Students were tested in the 2025-2026 school year.
“As we continue our work toward becoming Destination Schools and a Destination District, we will build on what is working, address areas where improvement is needed, and remain focused on measurable results,” Dr. Cooper said. “We are proud of our progress, but we are not finished.”
Lexington School District Two students posted gains on 2026 SC School Report Cards released October 12 by the SC Department of Education, with the majority of district schools attaining “Good” to “Excellent” ratings in year-over year growth, and half of the district’s schools improving their overall rating over last year. “We are proud of the strides our students and schools have made, and these results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, staff, and families across Lexington Two,” Superintendent Dr. Angela Cooper said, noting "there is still important work ahead." Read more about the results by clicking this link: https://www.lex2.org/article/3186562
Just because our classrooms were empty today doesn't mean the learning stopped at Congaree Elementary!
Today, our teachers and staff traded their roles as educators for a chance to be learners themselves! Our Professional Development Day was filled with opportunities for professional growth, collaboration, strengthening our school culture, and building meaningful connections with one another.
We believe that great teachers never stop learning! The time spent learning, planning, sharing ideas, and growing together behind the scenes makes a lasting difference when our Aviators return to the classroom.
When our staff grows, our students SOAR! Because at Congaree, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Soar!” isn't just for our students—it's for all of us!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today, our teachers and staff traded their roles as educators for a chance to be learners themselves! Our Professional Development Day was filled with opportunities for professional growth, collaboration, strengthening our school culture, and building meaningful connections with one another.
We believe that great teachers never stop learning! The time spent learning, planning, sharing ideas, and growing together behind the scenes makes a lasting difference when our Aviators return to the classroom.
When our staff grows, our students SOAR! Because at Congaree, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Soar!” isn't just for our students—it's for all of us!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Hispanic Heritage Week continued today with another fun celebration!
Today, our Aviators were invited to dress in colors or clothing representing their country’s flag, and we loved seeing so many students proudly showing their spirit and culture throughout the school.
The celebration continued at lunch with tacos for our students, while our staff enjoyed a delicious nacho/taco bar catered by Sodexo!
It was a wonderful day filled with culture, community, and plenty of great food. We love finding meaningful and fun ways to celebrate the diversity that makes Congaree such a special place to learn and grow.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today, our Aviators were invited to dress in colors or clothing representing their country’s flag, and we loved seeing so many students proudly showing their spirit and culture throughout the school.
The celebration continued at lunch with tacos for our students, while our staff enjoyed a delicious nacho/taco bar catered by Sodexo!
It was a wonderful day filled with culture, community, and plenty of great food. We love finding meaningful and fun ways to celebrate the diversity that makes Congaree such a special place to learn and grow.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today we continued celebrating Hispanic Heritage Week with Vaquero/Ranchero Day!
Our halls were filled with cowboys, cowgirls, and ranchers as students dressed up and joined in the fun.
This special day gave us another opportunity to celebrate the rich traditions and culture found throughout Hispanic communities.
We loved seeing our Aviators show their spirit and creativity!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Our halls were filled with cowboys, cowgirls, and ranchers as students dressed up and joined in the fun.
This special day gave us another opportunity to celebrate the rich traditions and culture found throughout Hispanic communities.
We loved seeing our Aviators show their spirit and creativity!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today, our Aviators celebrated Hispanic Heritage Week with Familia Day!
Students and staff had so much fun dressing like twins with someone they consider family. From matching outfits to big smiles, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the importance of family, connection, and culture.
We loved seeing all of our Aviators show their school spirit and participate in today’s special theme day. Thank you to everyone who joined in and helped make Familia Day such a fun and meaningful part of Hispanic Heritage Week!
We are proud of our Aviators for always finding ways to celebrate together and SOAR!
Students and staff had so much fun dressing like twins with someone they consider family. From matching outfits to big smiles, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the importance of family, connection, and culture.
We loved seeing all of our Aviators show their school spirit and participate in today’s special theme day. Thank you to everyone who joined in and helped make Familia Day such a fun and meaningful part of Hispanic Heritage Week!
We are proud of our Aviators for always finding ways to celebrate together and SOAR!
Happy National Coaches Day!
Today we’re celebrating three incredible members of our Congaree family—our two amazing Instructional Coaches, Mrs. Cusey and Mrs. Mazzola, and our fantastic PE Coach, Coach Cox!
Whether they’re coaching teachers, supporting students, sharing new ideas, building confidence, or encouraging our Aviators to stay active and give their best, each of them plays an important role in helping our school SOAR!
Thank you for your encouragement, leadership, teamwork, and dedication to making Congaree a better place to learn and grow.
Help us give our coaches a BIG Aviator shoutout today!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today we’re celebrating three incredible members of our Congaree family—our two amazing Instructional Coaches, Mrs. Cusey and Mrs. Mazzola, and our fantastic PE Coach, Coach Cox!
Whether they’re coaching teachers, supporting students, sharing new ideas, building confidence, or encouraging our Aviators to stay active and give their best, each of them plays an important role in helping our school SOAR!
Thank you for your encouragement, leadership, teamwork, and dedication to making Congaree a better place to learn and grow.
Help us give our coaches a BIG Aviator shoutout today!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Week with “Siesta Like There Is No Mañana!”
Mrs. Thomas’s 4th grade class took a cultural journey through Mexico, Central and South America, and other Hispanic regions and communities. Students learned about countries including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, while also exploring islands such as the Bahamas and Jamaica.
They discovered colorful fiestas and parades, learned about different traditions, and—maybe the favorite part—explored Hispanic cuisines!
We definitely had a hungry group of Aviators eager to learn about and taste new flavors!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Mrs. Thomas’s 4th grade class took a cultural journey through Mexico, Central and South America, and other Hispanic regions and communities. Students learned about countries including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, while also exploring islands such as the Bahamas and Jamaica.
They discovered colorful fiestas and parades, learned about different traditions, and—maybe the favorite part—explored Hispanic cuisines!
We definitely had a hungry group of Aviators eager to learn about and taste new flavors!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Our Aviators are SOARing with attendance! Several of our classes have officially reached 15 BONES in our A.C.E. Attendance Challenge — Attendance Creates Excellence!
Today, those classes celebrated their accomplishment with Ace’s Bone Snacks! Way to keep showing up, being on time, and making every school day count!
But we’re not finished yet! Our attendance challenge continues through October 14, and we have one BIG goal in sight…
EVERY CLASS = 20 BONES!
THE REWARD = SILLY STRING MR. DICKEY!
Families, you can help us get there by making attendance a priority each day. Every day your Aviator is at school gives their class another opportunity to earn a bone and move closer to our school-wide celebration!
Keep it going, Aviators!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today, those classes celebrated their accomplishment with Ace’s Bone Snacks! Way to keep showing up, being on time, and making every school day count!
But we’re not finished yet! Our attendance challenge continues through October 14, and we have one BIG goal in sight…
EVERY CLASS = 20 BONES!
THE REWARD = SILLY STRING MR. DICKEY!
Families, you can help us get there by making attendance a priority each day. Every day your Aviator is at school gives their class another opportunity to earn a bone and move closer to our school-wide celebration!
Keep it going, Aviators!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
It’s time to celebrate some amazing Aviators!
A big congratulations to Ms. Wysong, our newest Pilot of the Month! Her hard work, encouraging spirit, and dedication to our students and school community shine through in everything she does. We are grateful to have her as part of the Congaree family!
We are also excited to recognize our Aviators of the Month! These students were chosen by their teachers for consistently showing what it means to SOAR through being Safe, On Task, Always Respectful, and Responsible.
We are so proud of Ms. Wysong and each of these outstanding students for setting a positive example and helping make Congaree a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Congratulations, Aviators — keep reaching new heights!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
A big congratulations to Ms. Wysong, our newest Pilot of the Month! Her hard work, encouraging spirit, and dedication to our students and school community shine through in everything she does. We are grateful to have her as part of the Congaree family!
We are also excited to recognize our Aviators of the Month! These students were chosen by their teachers for consistently showing what it means to SOAR through being Safe, On Task, Always Respectful, and Responsible.
We are so proud of Ms. Wysong and each of these outstanding students for setting a positive example and helping make Congaree a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Congratulations, Aviators — keep reaching new heights!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Our second-grade Aviators have some important testing dates coming up, and we want to make sure our students are ready to SOAR!
Iowa Assessments: October 6–7
The Iowa Assessments are achievement tests that help us understand how students are performing in important academic areas such as reading and mathematics. These results give teachers valuable information about student strengths and areas where additional support or enrichment may be needed.
CogAT: October 15, 20 & 21
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) looks at different types of reasoning and problem-solving skills. Students are asked to think about relationships, patterns, and how information connects. CogAT helps us learn more about how students think and learn.
How Can Families Help?
- The best way to prepare is to make sure your child is at school and ready to learn!
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Arrive at school on time.
- Encourage your child and remind them to simply do their best.
- Avoid scheduling appointments or other activities during testing whenever possible.
- Most importantly, remind your Aviator that one test does not define them. We want students to come to school feeling confident, rested, and ready to show what they know!
Iowa Assessments: October 6–7
The Iowa Assessments are achievement tests that help us understand how students are performing in important academic areas such as reading and mathematics. These results give teachers valuable information about student strengths and areas where additional support or enrichment may be needed.
CogAT: October 15, 20 & 21
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) looks at different types of reasoning and problem-solving skills. Students are asked to think about relationships, patterns, and how information connects. CogAT helps us learn more about how students think and learn.
How Can Families Help?
- The best way to prepare is to make sure your child is at school and ready to learn!
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Arrive at school on time.
- Encourage your child and remind them to simply do their best.
- Avoid scheduling appointments or other activities during testing whenever possible.
- Most importantly, remind your Aviator that one test does not define them. We want students to come to school feeling confident, rested, and ready to show what they know!
Taking you inside Congaree Elementary, one classroom at a time!
Cleared for Takeoff ✈️
Flight: Physical Education
Pilot: Coach Cox
Our Aviators were SOARing together in PE with parachute activities!
Parachute play is more than just fun—it helps students build teamwork, coordination, listening skills, upper-body strength, and spatial awareness. Students must communicate, follow directions, and work together to keep the parachute moving!
What a fun way to stay active, build important skills, and learn the power of teamwork!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Cleared for Takeoff ✈️
Flight: Physical Education
Pilot: Coach Cox
Our Aviators were SOARing together in PE with parachute activities!
Parachute play is more than just fun—it helps students build teamwork, coordination, listening skills, upper-body strength, and spatial awareness. Students must communicate, follow directions, and work together to keep the parachute moving!
What a fun way to stay active, build important skills, and learn the power of teamwork!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Today, our Aviators participated in a school lockdown drill with support from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Officer Rodriguez, Lex2 Coordinator of Safety & Risk.
These drills are an important part of keeping our school community prepared. Using the I Love U Guys Standard Response Protocol (SRP), our students and staff practice clear, consistent procedures so everyone knows what to do and how to respond during an emergency.
We are incredibly thankful to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Officer Rodriguez for being on campus, observing our procedures, and helping us continue to strengthen our safety practices.
Keeping our Aviators safe takes all of us, and we appreciate the strong partnership between our school, district, and local law enforcement.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
These drills are an important part of keeping our school community prepared. Using the I Love U Guys Standard Response Protocol (SRP), our students and staff practice clear, consistent procedures so everyone knows what to do and how to respond during an emergency.
We are incredibly thankful to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Officer Rodriguez for being on campus, observing our procedures, and helping us continue to strengthen our safety practices.
Keeping our Aviators safe takes all of us, and we appreciate the strong partnership between our school, district, and local law enforcement.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
A huge THANK YOU to the Airport High School football players for welcoming our Aviators this morning by opening doors, giving high-fives, and starting the day with smiles!
Our students love seeing the Airport football team at Congaree! These visits give our younger Aviators positive role models to look up to while strengthening the connection between our schools.
We are so thankful for this partnership and for the way our schools continue to support one another!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Our students love seeing the Airport football team at Congaree! These visits give our younger Aviators positive role models to look up to while strengthening the connection between our schools.
We are so thankful for this partnership and for the way our schools continue to support one another!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
We are growing, changing, and soaring together!
Take a look at our beautiful center area! Every leaf on our tree represents a Congaree student—because every student is an important part of who we are and who we are becoming.
Our tree is also growing with creativity! Students who attended our SOAR Celebration created special art pieces that are now part of our display, making this space truly theirs.
Just like a tree, our school community continues to grow and change—but we grow stronger when we grow together.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Take a look at our beautiful center area! Every leaf on our tree represents a Congaree student—because every student is an important part of who we are and who we are becoming.
Our tree is also growing with creativity! Students who attended our SOAR Celebration created special art pieces that are now part of our display, making this space truly theirs.
Just like a tree, our school community continues to grow and change—but we grow stronger when we grow together.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Taking you inside Congaree Elementary, one classroom at a time!
Cleared for Takeoff ✈️
Flight: VIP
Pilots: Ms. Emerson, Ms. Thompson, Ms. Young
Ms. Emerson’s students were busy learning through independent, interactive play! Through hands-on exploration, our Aviators are building important skills like independence, creativity, and social-emotional development — all while having fun!
At Congaree, we believe every student has strengths, every student can grow, and ALL Aviators can SOAR! We love seeing our students gain confidence, celebrate successes, and reach new heights in their own special way.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Cleared for Takeoff ✈️
Flight: VIP
Pilots: Ms. Emerson, Ms. Thompson, Ms. Young
Ms. Emerson’s students were busy learning through independent, interactive play! Through hands-on exploration, our Aviators are building important skills like independence, creativity, and social-emotional development — all while having fun!
At Congaree, we believe every student has strengths, every student can grow, and ALL Aviators can SOAR! We love seeing our students gain confidence, celebrate successes, and reach new heights in their own special way.
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Congaree Elementary is now accepting nominations for Parent Representatives to serve on our School Improvement Council (SIC)!
Parents and guardians are invited to nominate themselves or another Congaree parent/guardian who would be interested in serving. The School Improvement Council is an advisory council that works alongside the principal with a focus on school improvement and supporting the continued success of our students and school community. Serving on the SIC is a great opportunity to have a voice, share ideas, and help make Congaree Elementary an even better place for our Aviators to learn and grow!
Interested in serving? Nominate yourself or another parent/guardian using the following link: https://forms.gle/tdSQiuWN3AjHRmGq6.
Together, we can continue helping our Aviators Enter to Learn and Depart to Soar!
Ms. Chasteen's Aviators have been busy thinking, observing, experimenting, and sharing their learning!
Students used flashlights to investigate apparent brightness, discovering how a star can appear brighter when it is closer to Earth—even when it is an average-sized star like our Sun.
Students then headed outside to observe and track shadows, using their findings as evidence of Earth’s rotation.
Students practiced one of the most important skills scientists use—observation! They carefully examined objects around the room and recorded what they noticed, building the skills needed to think and work like scientists.
From scientific observations to mathematical thinking, our students are learning to ask questions, investigate, explain, and collaborate.
That’s how our Congaree Aviators continue to SOAR!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
Students used flashlights to investigate apparent brightness, discovering how a star can appear brighter when it is closer to Earth—even when it is an average-sized star like our Sun.
Students then headed outside to observe and track shadows, using their findings as evidence of Earth’s rotation.
Students practiced one of the most important skills scientists use—observation! They carefully examined objects around the room and recorded what they noticed, building the skills needed to think and work like scientists.
From scientific observations to mathematical thinking, our students are learning to ask questions, investigate, explain, and collaborate.
That’s how our Congaree Aviators continue to SOAR!
#ChampionsforChildren
#DestinationSchool
