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For more information, contact Barb Steadman - 843.857.4199

HARTSVILLE, S.C. –  June 13, 2011 – Beginning this fall, high school students in the Hartsville area will have the opportunity to combine courses offered at Coker College, Hartsville High School and The Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM). Through the PULSE program, students will have access to courses offered at the International Baccalaureate (IB) level, Advanced Placement (AP) level, Honors level and fine art classes at the college level.

This new curriculum will be comprised of rigorous math, science, foreign language and fine art courses. Some of the courses being offered through the PULSE program include calculus-based physics, organic chemistry, Mandarin Chinese, various applied music and dance courses and an introduction to computer graphics. Primary funding for the PULSE program comes from a $5 million grant made over five years from Sonoco.

“The PULSE initiative will give Hartsville High students a terrific opportunity to undertake great challenges in science and math. We want to make sure that there are no limits to what a dedicated student can achieve here in Hartsville,” said Dr. Murray Brockman, president of The Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.

Acceptance into the program may be determined in part by the student’s transcripts, letters of recommendations, and/or testing or auditions. Parents and students interested in PULSE courses should contact the PULSE coordinator at the school where the courses are offered. Courses will be scheduled during regular school hours with accommodations whenever possible. All students enrolled in Hartsville High School are eligible to apply for the PULSE program.

“As we move from planning the PULSE initiative to the nuts and bolts of its implementation, I’m excited to see the broad selection of Coker College courses in the arts—dance, music, theater, and art—that will be available to talented Hartsville students,” said Coker College President Dr. Robert Wyatt.

 “By welcoming these young people to campus we know that we will enrich not only their educations, but the experiences of Coker’s full-time students as well,” continued Dr.Wyatt.

To find out more information about the program, the application process and specific courses being offered, visit the PULSE website at www.darlington.k12.sc.us.

Darlington County School District Announces Comer Facilitator

The Darlington County School District has extended the position of Comer Facilitator to Tara King. In this new role, King will work to implement and monitor the Comer School Development Program in local elementary schools and provide support, assistance and training for school improvement. King will also act as a liaison between all parties and work to coordinate all programs and courses.

“We are very excited about moving Tara King into the Comer Facilitator role. Tara brings a significant deal of experience, leadership and insight to the table, and I believe she will be the agent of change we need,” said Dr. Rainey Knight, superintendent of education, Darlington County School District. “Tara has been a classroom teacher, a TAP master teacher, the elementary curriculum facilitator and a program leader.

“She also has a great deal of energy and ideas, and has always been an advocate for our students and teachers. I look forward to seeing what she will accomplish in her new role as the Comer Facilitator,” added Dr. Knight.

King, who is a former elementary curriculum facilitator, obtained her Master of education in Educational Leadership from Winthrop University. She has worked in the Darlington County School district for 10 years and is a member of the Darlington County Education Association, South Carolina Education Association and the National Education Association.

Faculty Travel to Yale University to Learn About the Comer School Development Program

This June, teachers representing the four area elementary schools—Thornwell School of the Arts, Washington Street Elementary, West Hartsville Elementary and Southside Early Childhood Center—and a Coker faculty member and staff member who are using the Comer School Development Program will have the opportunity to travel to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. There, they will focus on reviewing the contextual analysis reports, cross-site collaboration and transitions.

During the July 25-26 Comer 101 training, school teams of teachers, administrators, other school staff and parents will learn how to implement the Comer Process by learning about the three teams: the School Planning and Management Team, the Student and Staff Support Team and the Parent Team, as well as the guiding principles of consensus, collaboration and no-fault problem solving.

The training will be interactive, and is designed to give participating teachers opportunities to share best and promising practices, build cross-site relationships and more.

The team will also visit three Comer schools in the New Haven area, meet with Dr. James P. Comer, founder of the Yale University’s Child Study Center Comer School Development Program, and Comer principals and facilitators.

“We are looking forward to the training sessions with the four Hartsville schools. I believe this is the beginning of a great partnership, which will result in positive changes for the children, parents and school employees,” said Camille Cooper, the director of Learning, Teaching and Development and School Development Program lecturer in the Child Study Center at Comer.

About Coker College
Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach. For more information contact Barb Steadman: 843-397-9959 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Darlington County Schools
Darlington County School District is a county-wide school district serving 10,500 K-12 students in 23 schools. The district offers students a wide range of educational opportunities, including seven magnet programs, a state-of-the-art technology school, an alternative school, and an International Baccalaureate high school. For more information, please visit our website at: www.darlington.k12.sc.us. For more information, contact Audrey Childers, Public Information Officer:  (843) 398-2284 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About GSSM
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) is a two-year, public, residential high school in Hartsville, specializing in the advanced study of science and mathematics. GSSM serves 128 high school juniors and seniors through concentrated study of science and math, alongside rigorous courses in the humanities, to prepare graduates to excel as leaders in the state’s 21st-century economy. In addition, GSSM reaches nearly 24,000 students across the state through several educational outreach programs. Newsweek and The Washington Post have ranked GSSM among the Top 20 “public elite” high schools in the country. For more information, contact Kim Bowman, CEO, GSSM Foundation: (803) 240-6642 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About the Yale’s Child Study Center
Developed by child psychiatrist Dr. James P. Comer and his colleagues at the Yale Child Study Center in collaboration with the New Haven Public Schools, the School Development Program (SDP) is a research-based, comprehensive K-12 education reform program grounded in the principles of child, adolescent and adult development. For more information, contact Camille J. Cooper, M.Ed: (203) 737-3834 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a $4.1 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 34 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations.  Sonoco is a proud member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit our website at http://www.sonoco.com/.
For more information, contact Roger Schrum: (843) 339-6018 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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