Preparation + Determination=Growth

Our students are making gains in math! For the 2025-2026 school year, our SC Ready Math scores increased by 7.2 percent. According to the South Carolina Department of Education, this makes us the school district with the third-highest growth in SC Ready Math scores in the state!

7 days ago, Berkeley County School District
A blue background with math equations. Text reads "BCSD Ranks Third in SC Ready Math Growth Statewide!" with a 7.2% graphic.
There’s a lot happening at St. Stephen Middle School, and we want our entire RAMily to stay connected!

In the September 2026 edition of RAMily Matters, you’ll find:

📅 Important dates & upcoming events
📊 A look at our schoolwide data and goals
🤝 Ways for families to get involved
💙AND SO MUCH MORE💛

We’re building a school where students are challenged, supported, celebrated, and proud to be RAMs—and our families are an important part of that work!

Help us spread the word by liking and sharing this post with other members of our RAMily!

🐏 One RAMily. One Mission. Charging Forward Together. 💙💛

#RAMilyMatters #TheRAMWay #ChargingForwardTogether #SSMRams
14 days ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
A flyer with a yellow and blue theme displays the heading "Ramily Matters" at the top. The center reads "Principal's Corner." Below, the flyer features a table with the headings "Upcoming Dates" and "Important Emails."
A newsletter page with the title "The RAM Growth Gauge" There are statistics about the school on the left side and information about tutoring at the bottom.
A blue and white poster with text, images of students, and score cards. Text includes "Caught Charging Forward: The RAM Way in Action."
A blue background with white text displays event details. It includes "Join the Herd" at the top, a note from the nurse, and details about a breakfast event.
Flyer for Ready, Set, School event with backpack, books, apple. Offers free vaccines, education station, low country food bank, health item giveaways. Sept 26, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM at St. Stephen Middle School.
A flyer for a community breakfast event at St. Stephen Middle School. It shows people seated at a table, with a logo, text, and QR code.
Calling All Community Partners!

At St. Stephen Middle School, we know strong schools are built alongside strong communities. We’re inviting local businesses, civic organizations, churches, community leaders, alumni, families, and friends of SSM to join us for our Community Partnership Breakfast!

📅 Thursday, September 24, 2026
⏰ 8:30 A.M.
📍 St. Stephen Middle School

Come enjoy breakfast, hear where SSM is headed, and learn how your time, talents, resources, mentorship, and ideas can help create even greater opportunities for our students.

Whether you’ve partnered with us for years or are looking for your first opportunity to get involved, we want you at the table!

📲 RSVP by September 15 using the QR code on the invitation.

💙💛 One RAMily. One Community. Charging Forward Together. 🐏

#ChargingForwardTogether #OneRAMily #CommunityPartnership #TheRAMWay
21 days ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
A poster with a black and white background advertises a community partnership breakfast at St. Stephen Middle School. It includes a logo, QR code, and a group of people at a table.
📣 RAMily Reminder: BEACON TESTING THIS WEEK! 🐏💙💛

Our RAMs will take their DRC Beacon assessments over the next two days:

📚 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18
ELA Beacon Assessment

➗ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19
Math Beacon Assessment

Beacon gives our teachers valuable information about what students already know and where they need additional support. We'll use these results to plan instruction and help every RAM grow throughout the year! 📈

🎯 HELP YOUR RAM BE READY!

😴 Get a good night's sleep
⏰ Arrive at school ON TIME
🥞 Eat a healthy breakfast
💪 Take your time & GIVE YOUR BEST EFFORT!

Students, you don't have to know everything. Just show us what you know and give us your best!

💙💛 One RAMily. Charging Forward Together!
about 1 month ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
A flyer announcing that DRC Beacon Testing will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday August 18 will be the ELA test, and Wednesday, August 19 will be the Math test.
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Dixon stopped by as part of his back-to-school visits across Berkeley County. It was great to see our students and staff kicking off what is sure to be an incredible 2026–2027 school year!
#MakingAPositiveDifference
about 1 month ago, Jeremy Colley
Two men in suits, one holding a folder, talk in an office hallway with a blue door and a picture frame.
Three people in formal attire stand near a blue door. Two men and one woman. One man holds a folder.
Two men in formal attire, one in blue and one in white, walking down a brightly lit hallway.
Three men stand in a gymnasium, with blue and yellow bleachers behind them. A sign reading "Blue House" is mounted on the wall.
A man and a woman stand next to each other in front of an open glass door with a logo.
What an INCREDIBLE turnout! Thousands of attendees came to grab a backpack and join the fun at our OneBerkeley Back to School Festival! We can't wait to welcome BCSD students back to school on Aug. 12!
about 2 months ago, Berkeley County School District
Woman holds a young girl and a backpack, smiling. A second young girl stands next to them.
Three people on a grassy area with a parking lot in the background. Two adults smile at the camera.
Four people gather at a table; one woman in glasses holds a phone, a child with a Spider-Man shirt uses it.
A crowd of people, some carrying bags, stands in an outdoor area. An adult helps a child with a backpack.
A man in a light blue t-shirt holds two camouflage backpacks up. A white tent is behind him.
Several people gather under a white tent. A boy holds a backpack. A woman stands beside him.
A child holds a pink backpack with an orange floral design, smiling, on a grassy field.
A girl with purple butterfly face paint holds a mirror to see her face. A woman with a bracelet helps.
A group of students in blue and white uniforms plays trumpets, saxophones, and drums on a field.
Woman in sunglasses and sandals seated in a yellow golf cart, with a bottle of water.
With the introduction of new technology, the job market is ever-changing and we want our students prepared for whatever comes next. During BCSD Technology's Future Innovators Camp at St. Stephen Middle, students were pushed to be adaptable, forward-thinking problem solvers. Whether it was coding with Legos or building their own computers within Minecraft, students had a blast stretching the bounds of their creativity and programming skills.
2 months ago, Berkeley County School District
A smiling child in an orange shirt holds a game controller while another person stands behind a table.
Laptop displaying a coding program with a game controller interface on screen. Keys on the keyboard are visible.
A person holds a small electronic device with a screen and buttons. They are seated in a room.
A boy in a gray top with a colorful beaded necklace sits at a desk, looking at a laptop.
A robot with a straw hat sits on a floor. Chairs and a table are in the background.
A child smiles, seated at a desk, working on a craft project with scissors and a robot model.
A wooden electronic device resembling a computer. It has a screen, buttons, and wires. On a blue table.
A student, with curly hair, uses a computer while another person works beside them on a project.
Four boys in orange shirts sit around a table. One looks at a laptop, another holds a robot model, and the other two watch.
Two children, one with blond hair, are seated at a table, intently working with a Lego structure.

The countdown to an incredible school year is on, and we can't wait to meet our amazing St. Stephen Middle School RAMily!

Join us for our Meet the Principal Ice Cream Social and let's kick off the 2026-2027 school year together. Come enjoy a sweet treat, meet Mr. Chris Thurman, connect with other SSM families, and hear about the exciting vision for our school this year!

Wednesday, August 5
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
SSM Cafeteria

Whether you're a returning Ram or joining our family for the first time, we'd love to see you there! This is a great opportunity to ask questions, meet members of our school community, and begin building the relationships that will make this year our best year yet!

At St. Stephen Middle School, we are Continuously Redefining Excellence. Charging Forward Together.

#SSMRams #RAMily #ChargingForwardTogether #ContinuouslyRedefiningExcellence #MeetThePrincipal #BackToSchool

3 months ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
Meet the Principal Ice Cream Social. Meet Saint Stephen Middle School principal Chris Thurman Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 4:30 to 6:00 in the St. Stephen Middle School Cafeteria.
SAVE THE DATE! St. Stephen Middle School's drop-in Meet the Teacher event will be on Monday, August 10 from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there!
3 months ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
St. Stephen Middle School Meet the Teacher Drop-in will be Monday, August 10 from 4:30-6:00 PM. Save the Date!
Please complete your returning student registration! If you need assistance, please call Ms. Edwards in the office.
3 months ago, Chris Thurman, Principal- SSM
Urgent: Complete Returning Student Registration ASAP. Failure to complete registration could prohibit students from being able to utilize district transportation, or participate in events or programs.
On Monday, the Berkeley County Board of Education approved the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 General Fund Budget, a financial plan that invests in students and employees while making responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Review key components of the approved budget at https://www.bcsdschools.net/article/3019537.
3 months ago, Berkeley County School District
board meeting bell
Celebrate Black History Month with St. Stephen Middle School! You are invited to attend our Black History Month program this Thursday (February 26th) at 9:00 am. Please stop by the front office at SSM beginning at 8:45 am to receive your Visitor Pass. A picture ID is required. Thank you!
7 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
This flyer advertises the Black History Month program at St. Stephen Middle School this Thursday, February 26th. The celebration begins at 9:00 am, but the doors open at 8:45 am. Please stop by the front office with a picture ID to attend. Thank you!
Get ready! SSM students will be taking the second round of the SC DRC Beacon Math & ELA tests on Tuesday 12/2 & Thursday 12/4. Make sure your student gets lots of rest, arrives at school on time, and has a well-balanced breakfast. Double check that Chromebooks are charged and ready to go!
10 months ago, Marjorie Ambrose
SSM students taking the DRC Beacon Winter Math and ELA tests on 12/2 and 12/4. Make sure students get rest, eat breakfast and arrive at school on time. Chromebooks need to be charged and ready to go!

Happy Thanksgiving from SSM! We are grateful for all of our SSM staff, students, and their families! We hope that you all have a safe and wonderful holiday! We also hope that our students and staff will take this opportunity to READ!

10 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
This is a flyer advertising the Reading Above the Bar competition for SSM students over Fall Break. The top 5 students who log the most minutes honestly from Monday, November 24th through Sunday, November 30th will receive prizes on Monday, December 1st. This is separate from the Read Grateful Reading Challenge for the month of November where you earn badges and raffle tickets. BUT any minutes you log during 11/24 - 11/30 will also count towards the badges in that challenge.
Represent your House and help them earn points! Show your spirit on Friday 10/24 by wearing your House colors! (6th Grade-Blue, 7th Grade-Yellow, 8th Grade-Green)
11 months ago, Marjorie Ambrose
House color spirit day on 10/24

The Book Fair at St. Stephen Middle is going to be open one more day! Hooray! It ends at 3:15pm on Monday, October 20th. BUT if you are not able to come by the school, never fear! You can continue ordering through October 26th. All book purchases over $35 ship free, and every purchase benefits our school! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/ststephenmiddleschool

11 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
Purple flyer advertising the Scholastic Book Fair at St. Stephen Middle. You can shop online now.
The Scholastic Book Fair will be at SSM next week from Tuesday, October 14th - Friday, October 17th. We hope to see you there!
12 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
Poster advertising that the Book Fair is coming
Help us celebrate Homecoming 2025!
12 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
Homecoming Spirit Week Flyer - The Rams are supporting the Wolves' Homecoming 2025. On Monday wear a white shirt and retro accessories. On Tuesday dress like Cowboy Carter in boots, hats, and flannel. Wear pink on Wednesday. Dress to impress on Thursday . On Friday, wear House colors - 6th Blue, 7th Yellow, 8th Green.
Represent your House and help them earn points! Show your spirit on Friday 9/26 by wearing your House colors! (6th Grade-Blue, 7th Grade-Yellow, 8th Grade-Green)
12 months ago, Marjorie Ambrose
House Color Spirit days--Last Friday of Every Month--Next one is on 9/26
We hope that parents will attend the Math Manipulatives in Mind and Coffee with the Counselor next Monday, September 29th at SSM from 7:30 - 9:00am. Please register using the QR code or the link found on the flyer if you plan to attend. We hope to see you there!
12 months ago, Cameron Bongiorno
Blue and yellow flyer advertising the Math Manipulatives & Minds and Coffee with the Counselor event next Monday, September 29th at St. Stephen Middle School from 7:30-9:00am. Please register by scanning the QR code or clicking the link. You can also call Ms. Alford at (843)567-3128.