Summit Scoop - Parent Edition

Summit Drive Families,

Please read through the newsletter to get the "scoop" on what's happening at SDE! You can also check our social media accounts for a snippet of some great things happening at Summit Drive. You can find the links to our social media accounts at the bottom of this newsletter.

Update- Wow! This week for morning drop off was amazing. We've seen a significant decrease in tardies all week! Thank you so much!

Since December, we have seen an increase in students being tardy to school. Please remember that the school doors open at 7:00 am, with school starting promptly at 7:45 am. If your student wishes to eat school breakfast, please ensure they arrive by 7:30 am to eat and get to class on time.

School employees and safety patrols leave their duty at 7:45 am and close the main doors. Any student who arrives after the 7:45 am bell must be escorted into the office with a guardian. I appreciate your help with this.

Afternoon Walker Safety- Thank you for your continued support in ensuring a smooth and safe pick-up process for our students. I want to remind everyone that when picking up students, it is important to wait on the sidewalk, clear the street, and prevent crowding. These actions help our teachers quickly identify parents and their children. Additionally, please pay close attention to our crossing guard when crossing the road. To help with safety, we ask that students not run back and forth between the school and the church. Once they cross the street, they must remain on the other side.

Keep Shining,

Jennifer Woody

Principal

Book Fair Week is finally here! We can't wait. It all starts Monday, February 10th. Each class will have one special day to shop. Friday is an open shopping day for everyone.

Book Fair Shopping Schedule

Students must have a signed Book Fair permission form. We accept cash, checks made out to Summit Drive Elementary and student eWallets for student purchases. Credit cards are also accepted for parent purchases.

Please drop by the library on Monday evening for "The Love Of Reading" family event. Come anytime from 3:00-6:00 pm. All proceeds benefit the Summit Drive Library. Thank you for encouraging your child's love of reading.

Mrs. Dixon and Leanne Ramirez, the district Hispanic social worker, will conduct a series of workshops for Hispanic parents about testing, homework, attendance/tardies, academic support, etc., every Friday in February at Summit Drive. Please see the attached flyer below.

Our Counseling Department is doing a book club for parents!

Parenting is HARD.

Navigating the frustration, disappointments, and pressures of raising a child in today’s society can be daunting. Join Jenni Dixon, SDE school counselor, in a book study on “The Gift of Failure” by Jessica Lahey.

When: One meeting a month for 45 minutes.

February 27th- 12:00 noon- VIRTUAL

Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/bru-fqtj-mwa

March- Virtual

April- Virtual

Who: Everyone is welcome! Reading the book will allow you more insight, but everyone is welcome for the discussion.

If you are interested email Mrs. Dixon: jkdixon@greenville.k12.sc.us. She will email everyone times and information for exact dates and times.

Please click to view the February 2025 PTA Newsletter! The current newsletter includes information about the upcoming events, our next spirit night, and more!

The next step in our nominating process for 2025-2026 PTA Board positions is to vote on our Nominating Committee. Please click THIS link to access the Google Form to vote.

BINGO night will be held Friday February 21! We have lots of volunteer and donation needs. Please click THIS link to access the sign up genius.

Thank you!!!

Please reach out to Mrs. Woody or our SIC Chair, Alexis Moore for information. Below are the scheduled meeting dates for the year.

Thursday, Feb. 13 at 3:00

Thursday, March 13 at 3:00

Thursday, April 10 at 3:00

Thursday, May 8 at 3:00

Thank you!

In order to interact with students without a GCS employee present, volunteers must have a Level II clearance. Chaperones for field trips are required to be a Level II volunteer, regardless of the destination. To become a Level II volunteer, please complete the GCS application, linked here.

Approved Volunteer 2 status is good for three years.Each volunteer will receive an email from the Raptor system, 45 days prior to expiration, reminding them that their profile will expire on a certain date and that they can reapply within 30 days of their expiration date.

2025 Parent Survey on Student Attendance: The SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) is seeking parent participation on a brief three-minute survey on student attendance. You are requested to notify and encourage parents to give their opinion on student school attendance. The survey is a part of the EOC's study on chronic absenteeism and will be used to give insight into parents' opinion on the issue.

• The Parent Opinion Survey is available online.
• Families of all students in grades K-12 should complete one survey for each of their children attending public school.
• The survey is available to parents in English and Spanish.

Please share the following link with parents in your schools: Student Attendance - Parent Survey. The survey completion deadline is end-of-day on Friday, February 14. For questions or comments about the survey, please contact Tenell Felder, EOC Communications Manager at the SC Education Oversight Committee, by email or at 803-734-6157. Contact: Dr. Christine Crumbacher, 355-3178

Cell Phone Policy:

Due to a legislative action by the South Carolina General Assembly, the South Carolina State Board of Education passed a new cell phone policy for school districts across the state, which goes into effect after Winter Break. School districts must adopt this policy pertaining to personal electronic devices. At their December meeting, the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees approved an updated policy to comply with the state requirement.

While Greenville County Schools had updated our policy last year and this is not significantly different, we want to make sure you are aware of the most notable updates in order to comply with the state, which includes that student cell phones and personal electronic devices must be stored in backpacks, lockers, or in a location directed by school; this includes smartwatches, earbuds, and all other personal electronic devices and accessories. Details about the updated policy can be reviewed on the district’s website.

February

10-14- Book Fair

12- Progress Reports go Home

17- Presidents Day, No School

21- Bingo Night at League Academy, 5:00-7:30

27- Spring Pictures

March

6- General PTA Meeting, 12:00

14- Teacher Work Day, No School

17-21- Spring Break, No School

26- Spirit Night at Roller Sports, 6:00-7:00

27- 3rd Quarter Report Cards Go Home

April

3- General PTA Meeting, 12:00

15- Reading AllStars Event at Flour Field, 5:30

18- Student/Teacher Holiday, No School

24- Family Design Night at SDE, 5:30-6:30

May

1- General PTA Meeting, 12:00

16- 5th Grade Day

22- Student Half Day, Dismiss at 11:45, No EDP

23- Last Day of School, Student Half Day, Dismiss at 11:45, No EDP

Mission

We are a community of leaders who work hard to stretch our minds, inspire others, and learn new things through perseverance.

Vision

We believe leadership is the foundation for our students and staff at Summit Drive Elementary. Once students exhibit these behaviors or dispositions, they have the ability to utilize their processing skills into Design Thinking. Students then develop a growth of entrepreneurial mindset. All of these skills and behaviors are woven into the South Carolina Academic Standards.

Email: jwoody@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/sumdrive/
Location: 424 Summit Drive, Greenville, SC, USA
Phone: 1-864-355-8800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SDEGVL
Instagram: Summit Drive Elementary School (@summitdrive_elementary) •

Twitter: @summitdrivees