The Colt Chronicles

We are moving right along at CES! As we get further into the school year please remember to practice all safety protocols put in place so that we can make sure to maintain safety for all students at all times. These protocols include having a car tag and having it visible until your child is in the car. This ensures the child is called in a timely manner and that the staff on duty leads the child to the correct car. The car rider line is our safest option for drop off and pick up. If you are currently a Laurens St. walker please be sure you are coming all the way across to get your student. This way all students wait for an adult and no one is tempted to dart out into the road. In the mornings (before it is completely light out), be aware that parents turning out of the school line are having a very difficult time seeing students and parents crossing Laurens St. Thank you for all you do for the students at CES! It is a joy to serve all of the students and families every day!

1 - Fun Run Kickoff

- 4th Grade SEAGUL to Medieval Times

4 - Professional Development Day/ No School for Students

5 - Election Day/ Schools Closed

7 - 3rd Grade SEAGUL to Historic Camden

8 - 1st Grade Mock Election

- 4th Grade Liberty Live

11 - Veterans Day Program/ Breakfast

12 - Chick-fil-A Spirit Night 5-8 pm

14 - Guys with Ties/Girls with Pearls

- 2nd Grade Marionette Theater

15 - Interims

- Colt Club Day

21 - Birthday Book Club

- SIC Meeting 7:45 am

25 - Fun Run

- Kona Ice Day

27-29 - Thanksgiving Break

Kick Off

We will kick off fundraising for our 2024 Camden Elementary School Colt Fun Run this Wednesday, November 6th! This year's goal is $17,500. The Fun Run will be held Monday, November 25th!

This is our school’s largest fundraiser, and it is important to help us fund schoolwide

incentives and celebrations, XtraMath program to support student math fluency, Pick Up

Patrol dismissal system, student enrichment, and school beautification.

Parents will receive an email from Camden Elementary Partners the afternoon of Nov. 6th

with your student's individual fundraising page link. The email subject will be: Ready, Set,

Go! 2024 CES Colt Fun Run Donation Site is Now Live!

Please share your link with family and friends. If you are accessing the fundraiser from the main fundraising landing page and not your student’s individual link, then please search by first name and first initial of the last name.

We will celebrate fundraising milestones along the way. Students will have the

opportunity to earn individual and class rewards for their levels of participation.

Rewards

• Students earning $50 or more will participate in a December Cookie Decorating Party
• Students earning $100 or more will ride on Dr. Powers’s Principal Taxi.
• The class in each grade with the highest percentage of participation will receive a Classroom Popcorn Party.

School Milestones

$5,000 – Silly string Dr. Powers and Mrs. White

$10,000 – Pie in the Face Dr. Powers and Mrs. White

Over $15,000 – Slime Dr. Powers and Mrs. White

(the highest earning class will make the slime)

The second grade team is raising funds to help with the cost of field trips and would love your support. Please come join the CES Colts for Second Grade Chick-fil-A Spirit Night on Tuesday, November 12th from 5-8PM. Present your flyer, and 15% of your purchase will go towards our 2nd Grade friends. We cannot wait to have dinner with our favorite Colts.

Camden Elementary will once again participate in Wreaths Across America. All wreaths that are purchased will be placed at Quaker Cemetery. After meeting our goal in 10 hours last year of 50 wreaths, our goal this year is 100 wreaths by December 3. Thank you all for your support with this great program. Wreaths can be ordered on the Wreaths Across America website.

We will “kick off” a fun reading challenge on Nov. 6 that will feature our favorite SC football rivalry, South Carolina vs. Clemson! Students can read at home and record minutes on a reading log (signed by a parent) to support their favorite team. Reading logs will be due Friday, Nov. 22, and participants will be entered into a drawing for fun prizes. We look forward to seeing which team reads more and wins!

Here are some practical tips to help understand and address your child’s emotions:

• Ask open ended questions like, “Why are you feeling upset?” or “What’s going on?”

• Acknowledge their feelings. Let your child know it's ok to feel angry or frustrated, even if they don’t understand why.

• Explore possible triggers together. Gently suggest reasons for their behavior such as feeling overwhelmed or disappointed. This helps them identify what might be causing their distress and give them the language to express themselves. Teach them to communicate “I am frustrated because…”

Creating a supportive environment where your child feels understood and valued will result in improved behavior and will strengthen your connection with them.

Please put an extra set of clothing inside your child’s bookbag. Spills, bloody noses, rips and mud puddles 🙂 can occur at any time and may warrant a change of clothing.

Use your Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills to Build a Dinner table out of paper!

Criteria:

• You may Use any kind of paper (Construction, Notebook, printer, newspaper...).
• You may use tape or glue.
• Your table can be any size, but should be no bigger than 12 inches (length, width, or height).
• Your table should hold one can of food without falling over.

Bonus Challenge: How many cans of food can your table support? Put your Engineering Skills to the test!

Bring your table and cans to Mrs. Miles by November 25th.

Canned Goods will be donated to Food For the Soul.

All monthly challenge participants will be recognized with a certificate.

Please reach out to Mrs. Megan Miles (SEAGUL) with any questions. meagan.miles@kcsdschools.net

Thank you for your cooperation in our car rider line. To help speed up the process please have your car tag displayed from the rear view mirror or visor so that it can be seen by all staff when going through the line in the afternoon.

Parents, we value your input and would like for you to share your thoughts and suggestions with us to make our school the best in KCSD. If you would like to leave feedback please click complete the survey.

Please visit the Kershaw County School District’s parenting newsletter, Parents Make the Difference! This resource has great information and educational tips for parents and is available in both Spanish and English.

We are excited to welcome families into our school to eat lunch with their CES Colts. When you eat with your child in the cafeteria, you will notice that we have routines, procedures and expectations for our students. To ensure the safety of all of our students in the cafeteria, we will follow the following guidelines for parent lunch guests in our school:

1. All lunch visitors will need to bring identification and check in at the front office to receive a visitor’s badge.

2. All lunch visitors will also need to be listed as a contact in PowerSchool for the child they are visiting.

3. Please email our Lunch Coordinator, jennifer.hetrick@kcsdschools.net or call us at 803-425-8960 to let us know you plan to eat lunch with your child at least one day prior to your visit.

4. Parents should arrive at your child’s exact lunch time to ensure that we keep all students on schedule. All students must eat at their designated lunch time.

5. Our school will have a special eating area for you and your child when you visit. Due to space constraints, please limit guests to 2 per student/per visit.

6. We welcome you to purchase food in our cafeteria or to bring food from home. The cost for a parent lunch is $5.30.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions.

Our doors open at 7:00 am in the morning. Please do not drop children off at school before 7:00 am. Our instructional day begins at 7:30 am and ends at 2:30 pm. Students are tardy at 7:30 am. Make sure your child’s teacher knows how your child is getting home from school. In order for your child’s transportation to change, a written or emailed note must be sent to your child’s teacher. If you need to sign your child out of school early, you must arrive prior to 2:00 pm.

Volunteers are an essential part of our school’s success. We need volunteers and chaperones. If you would like to attend a field trip or volunteer at CES, please make sure you complete the Level 2 volunteer form on the Kershaw County School District website. https://www.kcsdschools.net/volunteer

Our afterschool program is open to 4k - 5th grade students. We are open Monday - Friday from 2:30 - 6:30 pm. The cost is $55/week and a sliding scale is used based on household income. There is a $25 one time registration fee. We offer homework help, sports and recreation, snacks and much more. Please visit kershaw.begreatacademy.com for registration information.

Arrival: 7:00 am (Monday - Friday)

Tardy - 7:30 am

This week, our fifth-grade students engaged in a hands-on learning experience by participating in a mock election as part of their Wild West module. Teachers represented Sheriff candidates, presenting their platforms, followed by students casting their votes. This activity not only taught them about the electoral process but also the importance of civic participation. Such initiatives foster critical thinking and prepare our young leaders for the future.

And the winner is.....Rowdy Rosie Thompson!!!!