Dear Seaside Families,
Andrew Ball Ed.D
Principal
Seaside Elementary
RAYS
R-Respect yourself and others
A-Always do your personal best
Y-You are special and you matter
S-Spread kindness
RAYS
💙Please make sure that you talk to your student about what it means to be a StingRAY! At Seaside Elementary we always are showing respect, always doing our personal best, knowing that they are special and matter, and spreading kindness at all times! 💙
Breakfast and Lunch Free for ALL Students
All students in Horry County Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 24-25 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. Click here for more information.
Dear Seaside Families,
We love to have you come and eat lunch with your student. We wanted to make sure that you are aware that we will not have anyone coming to eat lunch with their student for the first two weeks of school. Visitors will be allowed to come eat lunch with their student starting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Please allow us to settle in with our daily schedules and work with our students on our routines/procedures. Thank you in advance for your attention to this!
First Quarter Lockdown Drill
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As part of our Crisis Management plan, Seaside Elementary takes part in safety drills every year. On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, students and staff at Seaside Elementary School will be participating in our first mandatory practice lockdown drill for the school year. We are required to hold that drill quarterly during the school year. The purpose of this drill is to prepare our students and staff for any emergency that may occur where it may be necessary for us to lock down classrooms and/or the entire building.
In preparation for the drill, our staff will explain to students that we are practicing being safe just as we do for tornado, earthquake, and fire drills. Staff members will walk through the steps with students to ensure that they know and understand our lockdown procedures. Staff members will also prepare students prior to Wednesday morning about the announcement that will be made prompting everyone to follow our school lockdown procedures, and that this is simply practice.
Safety is our top priority at Seaside Elementary School. We conduct drills because we want students and staff members to be safe as well as to develop an awareness of their roles in these various scenarios. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the upcoming lockdown drill.
Sincerely,
Andrew Ball Ed.D, Principal
Morgan Emsley, Assistant Principal
Security Officer
Introducing Michael Mautone who is our 24-25 SSO officer. Mr. Mautone has been the SSO officer at Seaside Elementary for the last 3.5 years. Mr. Mautone was in law enforcement for 21 years and was a dare officer. This is his fourth year living in South Carolina. Mr. Mautone is married and has two daughters. He also loves to fish! We are so thankful that he is here with us!
Horry County Schools Clear Backpack Policy
In an effort to further enhance our safety measures, HCS will be requiring clear backpacks for all students (who choose to carry backpacks) for the 2024-2025 school year.
Clear backpacks have become a common practice in schools across the country as they allow for easy identification of any items being brought onto campus. By implementing this protocol, we are taking proactive steps to create a safe and secure learning environment for our students.
Visit https://www.horrycountyschools.net/clearbackpacks for more specifics and FAQs regarding the clear backpack protocols.
Weapons Detection Scanners
With the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Horry County Schools will use OPENGATE weapon detection scanners to screen all students and guests including all elementary schools. Use the link below to view a brief video.
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
Our doors open for our students at 7 A.M.
- For safety purposes no parents are allowed to walk their student to their classroom.
- Please make sure to always have your driver's license on you to present to the front office staff if you are bringing in or picking up your student.
- Breakfast begins at 7 A.M. and ends at 7:35 A.M.
- Tardy bell rings at 7:40 A.M. (Please make sure you are on time.) Our car rider line is empty from 7-7:25. Everything starts to pick up right at the last 15 minutes.
- Dismissal is at 2:40. If you are picking up in the car rider line, please have your car rider tag on your dash board the entire time or you will be asked to park and come to the front office.
Attendance Matters!
Research shows that consistent attendance is a critical piece of student success. Absences with doctor notes (medical, eye, dentist) will be marked as medically excused. If absent due to death in the family an obituary or memorial information is needed to excuse for bereavement.
If any of the following occur Horry County Schools requires an attendance meeting to implement an AIP (Attendance Intervention Plan):
- 3 consecutive unexcused absences
- 5 accumulative unexcused absences
- 10 unexcused tardy/early sign-outs
Did you know...? Why Daily Attendance Matters:
Missed Lessons = Falling Behind: Even one day can mean missing critical instructions and activities, making it harder for your child to catch up.
Impact on Future Success: Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic achievement and future opportunities.
Building Resilience: Regular attendance teaches your child the value of perseverance and responsibility—essential skills for success in life.
Stronger Friendships: Daily presence helps your child develop and sustain friendships, which are crucial for emotional and social development.
Healthy Routine: Attending school every day establishes a stable routine, promoting better mental and physical health.
Message from Nurse Hopkins
Please reach out to Nurse Megan Hopkins if your child has any medical issues that the school may need to know (severe allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizures, etc.) If you need to reach her please call the school at 843-650-3490 or by email at MHopkins002@horrycountyschools.net. It is imperative that we know about any medical issues so that we are able to keep your child safe at all times.Please make sure that your child's shot records are up to date.
Message from Nurse Hopkins
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Horry County Schools (HCS) performs student mass health screenings in selected grade levels. As recommended by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), these screenings include vision, hearing, dental, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure screenings. Health screenings play an important role in the health and health education of our children and help to identify students who may need a referral for medical/professional evaluations. HCS health professionals do NOT perform medical evaluations. If a referral is necessary based on the screening findings, the school nurse will send information home with the student. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to schedule the appropriate medical appointment.
All health screening information is maintained in the school nurse’s office and may only be shared with the child’s parent or guardian.
Parents may opt out of student health screenings by sending the attached Student Health Screenings Opt-out form to your child’s school nurse. Opt-out forms must be completed each school year. Additional information regarding health screenings can be found on our website at https://www.horrycountyschools.net/healthscreenings.
Car Rider
We have posted this on our Facebook page and I will always have this video on our Stingray Review. Please use the link to watch this video on how to go around the car rider loop and read important information below. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X2G-tnvNXbGSTFs13NOt3c32wOqI9ZJm/view?usp=drivesdk
Bus Office Information
Seaside Elementary is in the St. James Area cluster. If you have any questions about your student's bus or route please contact the St. James Area Bus Office at 843-650-1937. Please click on the HCS Transportation Page Bus Rules and Guidelines to help you with bus transportation information.
Please check your child's backpack!
Please check your child's backpack for inappropriate items, personal electronic devices, toys, stuffed animals, Pokemon cards, sports cards, plush toys etc. We do not want your child losing their personal items. We are not responsible for any lost items. We do not want any items coming to school that may cause a safety issue or cause your child to get into trouble for. Please only have your child bring school related materials. We thank you in advance for doing this! We really appreciate it!
Horry County Schools 2024-25 School Calendar!
The 2024-2025 School calendar is now available online!
Visit www.horrycountyschools.net/hcscalendar to view or download the pdf calendar.
