Contributed, Barnwell County School District
Barnwell Primary School
Jared Thrasher is currently in his fourteenth year in education, with the last five spent in educational administration. This is his first year as BPS principal, though he’s previously held assistant principal roles at Barnwell Elementary and High schools. Upon graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Secondary Education and a minor in Athletic Leadership, he taught Social Studies and coached football for one year at Barnwell High School. He then taught at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C. for one year and served as the head football coach at McCants Middle School. Thrasher spent the next two years teaching and coaching at Northside Middle School in Lexington, S.C. before coming back to Barnwell.
His wife, Rebekah, is a proud Barnwell High School graduate, and they have three amazing children: Davis (10), Boone (4), and Sawyer Kate (1).
• What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?
Our goals at Barnwell Primary School for the 2024-2025 school year are:
1. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students in our care.
2. To embrace the unique opportunity to serve as the opening chapter in the story of our students’ educational stories.
3. To serve the “whole student” by meeting each student’s individual needs academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the new school year?
I am most looking forward to working alongside our exceptional staff at Barnwell Primary School to love and serve our students to ensure their success, and then finding ways to celebrate these successes.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?
I would just like to encourage parents to walk together with us in their child’s educational journey by establishing regular reading habits, ensuring a consistent routine for homework, and remaining engaged with their school activities. Parental involvement and positivity can make a significant difference in their child’s academic progress. I look forward to working together with parents to do anything it takes to help their child be successful.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?
My advice to our students heading into the 2024-2025 school year is to be a leader, be a listener, and be a light. There are enough followers in this world already. Be someone who will lead others in the right direction. Listen to your parents and your teachers as we try to guide you in the right direction. Lastly, be a source of light in the world, and let it shine brightly.
Barnwell Elementary School
Kay Gooding is beginning her 6th year as principal of Barnwell Elementary and is enjoying her 32nd year in public education.
With a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina-Aiken, along with a master’s degree and an Education Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from Cambridge College, Kay has had the privilege of working at various levels within the educational system—classroom, school, district, and state. She feels that her tenure at Barnwell Elementary has been the highlight of her career.
As Barnwell Elementary School’s principal, Kay’s mission is to build strong, meaningful connections with students, parents, and community. Through these connections, she strives to continue to cultivate a school culture that motivates and empowers students, faculty, and staff to achieve their fullest potential.
While she doesn’t have children of her own, Kay enjoys spending time with and spoiling her nieces, nephews and two cats. In her free time, you’ll find her reading, traveling, fishing, and cherishing moments with family and friends.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?Our #1 goal at BES is to create a nurturing and inclusive learning environment that promotes the holistic development of every child.
• Student Achievement Goal: By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, Barnwell Elementary will increase the percentage of students who perform at or above state averages on SC Ready assessments.
• School Climate Goal: By the end of the 2024-2025 academic school year, the percentage of our students, parents, and teachers satisfied with the learning environment, physical environment, and home- school relations will increase in all areas.
• Teacher Quality Goal: By the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, the retention rate and professional growth of all staff will increase over the previous year.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the new school year?I’m most looking forward to continuing to build stronger relationships with students, parents, and teachers, and to see the community come together to support student success across the consolidated district.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?My advice for parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year is to work together with our school to create a supportive environment that supports student success and well-being throughout the year. Parents can help us by staying involved with the school through participation in school events, parent-teacher conferences and volunteering in the school. They can also keep the lines of communication open with teachers and families.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?Be a good school citizen! Participate in school activities, be considerate, respectful and have integrity. Be a person who does the right thing, even if nobody is watching.
• Question: Please provide anything else you’d like to share about your school or about the new school year.Barnwell Elementary is excited to announce our plans for a 6th Grade Ag in the Classroom program through our STEM classes, as well as an expansion of our Broadcast and Journalism Program. More information will be shared with parents and the community in the near future.
Kelly Edwards Elementary School
Krystle Speller is a highly accomplished educational leader who believes that every student contains boundless potential and is a gift perfectly crafted to meet some need in this world. Raised in poverty in rural South Carolina, she has devoted her life to lifting young people from poverty and despair through education.
Krystle, who is entering her first year as KEES principal, has extensive experience as a teacher, instructional coach, dean, and assistant principal. She has earned four degrees, including a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University and a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education from Alabama State University. Most recently, she completed the prestigious Summer Principals Academy at Teachers College, Columbia University where she earned a Master of Education in Public School Building Leadership.
In addition to her work in school buildings, Krystle has spent nearly a decade serving on school-wide and district-wide curricular and HR-related committees, mentoring fellow educators and students, and counseling and supporting students in community-based organizations. Krystle believes in educating and empowering students to actualize their full potential through rigorous, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant education aimed at challenging every student to unearth their gifts and make real-world connections to the curriculum.
Krystle’s greatest joy is being the wife of Pastor Raymonda Speller and mother of four.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?
Following great success for Kelly Edwards Elementary and intending to continue and even strengthen the legacy, our theme this year is #beyondexcellence.
We are focusing on:
• student growth—assuring that all students achieve at least one year of academic growth, and that most students achieve 1.5 years of academic growth.
• student achievement—we will work to surpass the SC average for proficiency in all content areas.
• student leadership—we will increase opportunities for student leadership to fully realize our mission.
We will work to influence each focus area by strengthening our school-home relations.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?
I am looking forward to seeing all of our amazing students on Monday, August 5th.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?
Look out for multiple opportunities to engage with the school this year. Reach out to teachers and respond as teachers reach out.
Specifically, we will have monthly “Coffee with the Principal” opportunities to foster conversations with parents about the learning model at Kelly Edwards Elementary.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?
Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow this year, be kind to your friends, and don’t be afraid to be different!
Macedonia Elementary/Middle School
Chelsea Calhoun is a native of Blackville and a 1992 graduate of Blackville-Hilda High School. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina. In 2005, she earned her Master’s of Education degree from Lesley University, then earned a second Master’s Degree in School Administration/Executive Leadership from Gardner-Webb University in 2020. Calhoun has been employed in the school district for 27 years as a teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, and now principal. This is her second year as the principal of Macedonia Elementary-Middle School. She has been married to Mr. Terry Calhoun, for 14 years now, and they reside in Barnwell.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?By spring 2025, the percentage of students scoring below grade level in reading and math will decrease by 30% from fall to spring, as measured by the iReady diagnostic assessment.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?My advice to parents is to be your child’s first teacher. I encourage parents to get involved in their child’s learning process and take the time to find out what is going on in the school. It is important to us that we are able to work as a team to make sure that everything we do is in the best interest of our children. We need parents to help make this a successful school year.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?My advice to my students is to be the very best that you can be and do the very best that you can do and everything will fall in place. At MEMS we strive for EXCELLENCE daily. Our motto is Expectations of Excellence without Excuses! We expect nothing less.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?This year, I am looking forward to the wonderful opportunities that will be afforded to our scholars, academically, as well as socially. I am also looking forward to the collaboration among administration and staff as we strive to make this the best year that we can for our scholars.
Guinyard-Butler Middle School
Henrietta Williams has always seen it as an honor to serve as principal of Guinyard-Butler Middle School, Home of the Warponies!
Williams has been an educator for more than 30 years! Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina-Aiken, a Master’s Degree in Administration and an Education Specialists Degree in Curriculum from Cambridge College.
As an educator, Williams loves to teach and learn. Williams is the mother of DeAndrea, Alecia, Marquis, James, Jay and Treasure. She and her family love to eat, travel, sing and dance, and the beach is her favorite place to relax!
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?As principal, my goal is to foster meaningful relationships with our students, parents, faculty, staff and the community in order to provide a quality education for our students. I want to create a culture that inspires our students, faculty and staff to achieve their life-long goals.
I am looking forward to seeing our students, faculty and staff. I am excited to see all of the wonderful educational activities that will take place in the classrooms!
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?I would like to encourage our parents to contact teachers with questions and concerns.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?The best advice I have for students is to arrive everyday with a positive attitude, ask questions, participate in class discussions and complete assignments on time.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?I am excited about the new year!
Williston-Elko Middle School
Patricia Ulmer began her educational career at Williston-Elko Middle School and has been part of the staff since 2000. She’s served in various capacities, including as a business education teacher, MTSS administrative specialist, and assistant principal, but is excited to start her first year as principal.
She received a bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University in 1994. She earned a master’s degree from Cambridge College in 2011. After several years of teaching, she pursued her Administrative Certification in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University, which she obtained in 2020.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?In the 2024-2025 school year, we will be focusing on GROWTH. Whether it’s students, faculty/staff, or our partnerships with families and community members and groups, we want to continue to build on the upward trajectory that we have already been seeing at WEMS.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?I can’t even express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to lead this incredible school. I am looking forward to building relationships and setting an example of servant leadership as we continue on a path towards success for all students.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?It is harder to be a parent than it has ever been. With that being said, it’s no secret that we do our children no favors when we try harder to be their friend than their parent. Set clear and reasonable expectations, and be firm and consistent in holding them to those expectations! They will thank you later!
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?The first piece of advice would be that you are never alone at WEMS. You have all the support you need to achieve any goal. The second, and most important, is that you have within you the power to grow in any direction you choose—you just have to make that choice every day!
• Question: Please provide anything else you’d like to share about your school or about the new school year.It’s going to be a great year! The magic is most definitely in the MIDDLE at WEMS!
Barnwell County Career Center
David Augustine graduated from Williston-Elko High School in 2004 and then pursued an elementary education degree from University of South Carolina Aiken.
He started teaching 8th grade science at Williston-Elko Middle School in January of 2009. He received his master’s degree from Western Governors University in Educational Leadership. In February 2016, Augustine moved into the Curriculum Specialist position in Barnwell School District 45 and then became one of the assistant principals at Barnwell High School in the fall of 2016. He became the director of the Barnwell County Career Center in July 2018.
David Augustine is married to Kristen Augustine and they have three wonderful children together.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?Our school’s goal for the 2024-2025 school year is to intently help our students develop their soft skills to ensure they will be successful employees in the future, increase the number of students achieving success by successfully obtaining the certifications offered, and helping students find their passion for a particular career field.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?I would like to share with our parents that our teachers are extremely passionate about teaching your children and want the best for them. They are going to go above and beyond to help their child and work towards making an impact on their lives.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?I would like to share with our students that our faculty and staff are going to be here for you and help you in any way possible. We want you to be successful and will help be the catalyst for starting a successful career path.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?We are looking forward to a successful school year and look to provide Barnwell County students with the best Career and Technical Education possible.
Barnwell High School
Derek Youngblood is a 1999 graduate of Williston-Elko High School and a 2005 graduate of USC-Aiken.
His first teaching job was at Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Lake City, S.C. and he was an assistant football coach at Lake City High School. In 2008, he moved back home to Williston and taught at Williston-Elko Middle School. He also served as an assistant football coach and was on the staff when Williston-Elko won the 2009 Class A State Championship. He became the athletic director and head football coach at Williston-Elko in 2014.
After six years in that role, he came to Barnwell High School to be the athletic director. During his time in Barnwell, he has taught Driver’s Education and served as an assistant principal at Barnwell High School and Guinyard-Butler Middle School.
His wife Christi teaches at Barnwell Primary and they have three children. Tagan is a junior at Barnwell High School, Keithan is an 8th grader at Guinyard-Butler Middle School, and Crawford is a 4th grader at Barnwell Elementary School.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?Our goals are to continue to provide a safe school environment where we build positive relationships with our students and help them achieve all of their academic goals. We want to provide them with the best high school experience possible while preparing them to be the difference makers of their generation.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year? To our parents and students, we want to work together to ensure academic success for all of our students at Barnwell High School. To ensure that this happens, we must not only grab ahold of the rope together, but pull in the same direction. We want to pour into the lives of our students and equip them to be the best version of themselves when they graduate from Barnwell High School.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?In closing, we look forward to celebrating the success of our students and faculty with our community and we hope that all the schools in Barnwell County School District have a great school year.
Blackville-Hilda High School
Christina Snider is a proud graduate of Blackville-Hilda High School, and is beginning her 26th year in education—all in Blackville. She has taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, and served as the district Science Coach and a district Master Teacher.
She is married to her husband, George, for 27 years, and they have one daughter and one grandson.
She has a love for science and anything outdoors, and she likes to spend her free time relaxing with family and her two dogs.
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?Our goal for the 2024-25 school year is to prepare and motivate our scholars to be independent learners and critical thinkers who are successful for today and tomorrow.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?I am very excited for our new learning opportunities at Blackville-Hilda High School. We are now offering Barbering and Early Childhood Education on our campus. These programs will give students another opportunity to come out of high school with certifications to go into the workforce.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?Parents need to know that we have the best interest of their children, we treat them as they are our own and love each and everyone of them. Trust what we do and your child will be successful.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?My advice to students is to be focused on learning, put in the hard work and effort required, get involved in sports and clubs. Make your time in high school the best.
Williston-Elko High School
Anthony Flowers is entering his 21st year in education, with 18 years spent at Williston-Elko High School as a teacher and principal.
During his tenure, he has helped to implement various programs to enhance student learning and foster a positive school culture.
He currently resides in Lexington with his wife, Bobbi Jean Flowers, and their three children, Addison (12), Easton (12), and Maddox (11).
• Question: What are your school’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year?Our goal every year at Williston-Elko High School is to educate the whole student while ensuring that our scholars are college and career-ready. Academically, our objective is to increase our EOC scores from the previous year to meet or exceed state averages. We plan to achieve this through targeted intervention programs, enhanced curriculum offerings, and professional development for our teachers. Additionally, we aim to enhance Blue Devil Pride through success in arts and athletics and work with our BCSD companion high schools and career center to provide students with the best opportunities to succeed.
• Question: What are you looking forward to about the school year?Each new school year brings an opportunity for students and staff to shine. Past challenges can motivate positive change, and the optimism of a new school year can serve as the catalyst for that change. I look forward to the successes and triumphs of our students and staff in the upcoming year. Williston-Elko High School is a small school that produces scholars capable of competing in multiple areas at the state and national levels.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with parents/guardians for the 2024-2025 school year?I encourage parents to be active in the lives of their scholars and in the community. Support the students in every way possible and collaborate with the students, teachers, and staff to ensure we all share the same vision of guiding our young adults to become successful members of our community and tomorrow’s leaders. Practical steps include establishing a consistent homework routine, attending school events, and maintaining open communication with teachers.
• Question: What advice would you like to share with your students for the 2024-2025 school year?I want every student to have a plan and pathway for success in life. Students should focus on the big picture and prioritize what they are trying to accomplish at school for the year, avoiding pitfalls that may derail their journey. Utilize the resources available, such as tutoring services, counseling, and mentorship programs, to stay on track and achieve your goals.
• Question: Please provide anything else you’d like to share about your school or about the new school year.We are looking forward to a great school year at Williston-Elko High School, filled with student success both in and out of the classroom. Please join us throughout the year at any of our community engagement events, and work with us as we strive to “Be The Change” we want to see in ourselves, our school, and our community.
