Lugoff-Elgin Middle School recognizes 8th grade math teacher, Mr. Robbie Charles.  Mr. Charles was named LEMS 2022 Teacher of the Year and is a completer of the KCSD Developing Administrators Program.  He also took over as the head football coach and head boys basketball coach at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year where he led his football team to a winning season and is on track to do the same for the LEMS Boys Leopard basketball team.

Mr. Charles works diligently to continue to improve himself in preparation for school leadership.  As part of his growth, in the 2018-2019 school year, Mr. Charles saw a need for a mentor for minority students in Lugoff-Elgin Middle School.  Along with his teaching duties, Robbie took on the task of mentoring a group of six (6) minority males in our school.  He provided an appropriate minority role model for these students through modeling and teaching soft skills relevant to social and emotional growth and well-being.  He met with each of these students, individually, at least twice a week unless he was summoned by a colleague to assist with something.  He addressed grades, assignment completion, and social skills whether related to communication, self-care, adaptability, conflict resolution, or teamwork.

 Mr. Charles implemented this program as part of his passion project with the Kershaw County School District Leadership Academy in 2019 and presented on his experience at the culmination of the program.  Mr. Charles has continued to address this need at Lugoff-Elgin Middle School.  The students being mentored experience challenges academically, socially, and behaviorally.  We have noticed increases in academic success, self-motivation, self-respect, and a decline in disciplinary incidents among these students. 

Mr. Charles is leading by example at Lugoff-Elgin Middle School and we are proud to recognize him for the KCSD Staff Shout Out for January 2022.