Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year

Dear Wise Owl Families!

I hope you are having an aWESome, peaceful, restful, fun-filled summer! 🌷🏄🏻‍♀️🔅

As the summer days begin to wind down, a new year is fresh on the horizon! We're bursting with incredible excitement for the days ahead and cannot wait to welcome each and every one of you back on campus in August. Prepare yourselves for the best experience, full of learning, making new friends, and building core memories.

Mark your calendar for August 14th, the first day of our AMAZING 2024-2025 school year!

Please find the information in this Newsletter to help you prepare for the big day.

Our mission is to cultivate a caring community that utilizes a multitude of teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for their next adventure.

1. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and appreciated.
2. We believe that all children deserve a high quality education.
3. We believe in collaboration and making connections.

We are so happy that you chose Whitesville Elementary School, the Gem of the Lowcountry! Registration is open and ready for you. 💥

Registration is entirely web-based, including document uploads. For those unable to register online, please contact Mrs. India Jones (jonesindia@bcsdschools.net) to schedule a date and time to complete the registration in-person.

*Note: Your child is registered if you are receiving our updates via email and/or text message.

• Families can enter through the Kindergarten loop (beside basketball court), front of the building, and through the doors leading to the bus rider line (beside playground with the blue tent).
  
• We will have staff positioned to help as well as posters to display student names, assigned teachers, and a building map.
• In the Multi-Purpose Room you'll find the following:
  
• School Nurse to drop off medication
• PTO
• Owl's Nest (Extended Day Care)
• Student T-Shirt & WES Swag Sales
• Bus Information
• School Lunch Information

*Note: Students who are not registered will not receive their classroom placement at Meet the Teacher Night.

Students' class placement will be viewable in PowerSchool beginning Friday, August 9th for families who have completed their registration. We do not take teacher recommendations; however, your insights and observations about your child's needs, in terms of their teacher, will help us to ensure that your child is placed in the best possible environment to learn and to grow.

Please take a few moments to share your thoughts by responding to the Student Placement Family Input Form (below). We value your partnership in your child's education and appreciate your time and input in this matter.

Thank you for your continued support.

Students at WES will receive school breakfast and school lunch at no cost to the student during 2024-25 school year, under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The Community Eligibility Provision is a federally funded initiative, which serves schools with high percentages of students from low-income families. The program was established in 2010 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If a negative balance exists on a student's account from previous school years, the balance will need to be paid in full.

Breakfast and lunch will be served on every day. If your student wants to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive to school between 6:50 a.m. - 7:18 a.m. Breakfast will no longer be served after 7:45 a.m.

Morning drop off times are from 6:50 a.m. to 7:18 a.m. The first bell rings at 7:15 a.m. and the tardy bell rings at 7:20 a.m. Students may not come on campus before 6:50 a.m. If you need to drop off your student prior to 6:50 a.m., please enroll them in our Owl's Nest (Before School Program). After students are dropped off, they will go to their classroom. Students wishing to eat breakfast will go directly to the cafeteria. Once they finish their breakfast, students will go to their classrooms.

Parents are welcome to walk their students to class during the first three-days of the school year. We ask that when students are walked to class; though, parents not attempt to conference with the teachers, as the teachers will need to ensure supervision of students.

*note: parking is limited

We kindly ask for your cooperation to ensure a smooth and efficient pick-up process at our school. Here are a few important guidelines:

• Pick-Up Time: For the safety and security of our students and staff, please do not enter the carpool line before 1:00 p.m. Parents may not sign out students after 1:20 p.m. To keep the pick up process safe and orderly, we request that everyone remain in their car.
• Pick-Up Locations: Students and siblings of Kindergarten and Preschool-aged students as well as our student in our Mighty Owl Classrooms (not bus riders) will be picked up in the Kindergarten loop (beside the basketball courts). Head Start families will use the internal car rider loop. Students in grades 1st through 5th (who do not have a Kindergarten, Preschool, or Mighty Owl sibling) will be picked up in the Front Car Rider loop.
• Placards: Each car rider will be given a Car Rider Number on Meet the Teacher night. Please display this placard when you pick up your child.
• Owl's Nest: Any students not picked up by 3:00 p.m. will be escorted to Owl's Nest for supervision (families will be expected to pay for the day's rate).

If there is a change to student dismissal, parents/guardians must notify your child's teacher and the front office in writing (email: wes@bcsdschools.net) of the change prior to 1:00 p.m.

• Our school's website is found at https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/wes
• WES Facebook page is Whitesville Elementary School Wise Owls
• The Weekly Hoots newsletter will be emailed & texted to families every Sunday evening. Please be sure to have your updated information in PowerSchool.
• Our PTO's website is wiseowlspto.com.
• Our PTO's Facebook page is Whitesville Wise Owls PTO.
• Schoology: Teachers will update their grades weekly.
• Rooms: Our two-way form of communication at WES. Every teacher at WES will use Rooms as a tool for communication.