On Wednesday night, March 19th, Dorchester School District Four held its monthly school board meeting at a new and exciting location—the recently renovated DD4 Board/Professional Development Room on the campus of St. George Middle School. The meeting, which began at 6:00 PM, marked the first time the board convened in the new space, signaling a milestone for the district and its commitment to continued growth and improvement.
The multi-functional space, which began renovations over the summer, will serve not only as the venue for board meetings but also host town hall gatherings, professional development sessions, training events, and more. Thanks to the leadership of Mr. Martin and his dedicated facilities crew, the transformation is now complete—and it’s a facility the entire DD4 community can be proud of.
In addition to celebrating the new meeting space, the evening was filled with moments of recognition and pride for both students and staff.
Superintendent Jeffery Beckwith presented awards to four Woodland Middle School students who earned the prestigious South Carolina Junior Scholar Award of Merit. This honor is given to current eighth-grade students who score 550 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion or 530 or higher on the Mathematics portion of the PSAT/NMSQT. This year’s awardees were John Donato, Julian Cuellar, Kaleigh Pinckney, and Laney Harbeson. Their hard work and academic excellence were recognized with certificates and applause from the board and attendees. Congratulations to these outstanding students and their families!
Another highlight of the evening was the celebration of DD4’s March Everyday Heroes—staff members who go above and beyond in their roles to support students and colleagues. Honorees included Mrs. Joni Whitlatch, a teacher at Woodland Middle School; Mrs. D’Angela White, bookkeeper at Woodland High School; and Mrs. Melanie Smith, a food service technician also from Woodland High. Each recipient received a certificate and a commemorative Everyday Hero coin, presented by Superintendent Beckwith.
From recognizing student achievement and dedicated staff to unveiling a beautiful new district facility, it was a night full of pride, gratitude, and promise for the future of Dorchester School District Four.