Abner Creek Academy

As December unfolds, we are excited to share a month full of joy, learning, and community at ACA. This festive season brings with it many opportunities for celebration and enrichment. From holiday-themed classroom activities to our annual winter performances and giving-back initiatives, there is so much to look forward to. As always, our focus remains on fostering a supportive and engaging environment where students can thrive academically and socially. We can’t wait to see our school community come together to make this month truly memorable!

• Dec 2-6: Holiday Shoppe (Optional)
• Dec 5: 4th Grade Field Trip (West, Lyda, Morrissey)
• Dec 6: 4th Grade Field Trip (Arnold and Wilson)
• Dec 9-19: iReady Testing Window
• Dec 10: Littlest Christmas Tree/Academic Showcase (Morgan, Emory, Chapman) at 9am
• Dec 11: Littlest Christmas Tree/Academic Showcase (Blackwell, Grube, Amill) at 9am
• Dec 12- Christmas Concert/ Honor Choir Parents May Attend at 9am
• Dec 12- Spelling Bee/Parents of class winners will receive an invitation
• Dec 13- K5 Storybook Christmas at Abner Creek Middle
• Dec 17: 4th Grade Academic Showcase - Arnold, Wilson, Morrissey at 8:15/ West and Lyda at 9:30
• Dec 20: Half Day for students/ Dismissal is 11:30 (No K4, No Afterschool, No PCD, No WolfPack)

All students in K5-5th grade will take the mid-year iReady Diagnostic in reading and math this month. This is a great opportunity to measure growth in both subjects. There is no studying necessary, but please encourage your child to do his/her best, read carefully, and take their time. There are several incentives for students that meet their goals!

Beginning January 1, 2025, District’s Five’s new cell phone policy, which prohibits the use of all personal electronic devices during the school day, will go into effect. Policy JICJ was created as a result of the passage of Proviso 1.103 by the South Carolina Legislature, and is mandated for all school districts in the state by the South Carolina Board of Education.

As a reminder, this policy prohibits the use of personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, smartwatches, AirPods, and gaming devices during the school day. By limiting the use of devices, we hope to create a more focused, and distraction-free learning environment, allowing students to fully engage with their peers and teachers.

Students should not have any of these devices (including smartwatches) on or visible from 7:30-2:15 each day. Please contact the front office with any questions.

Dress up days are completly optional and just for fun. Please always make sure you adhere to the district dress code. Real shoes (not slippers) should be worn each day.

Please note that our class Christmas parties are student-only events. We ask that no treat bags be sent in for the holidays. Teachers will provide communication on any needs for the party so that we ensure we adhere to allergy and dietary restrictions for other students.

First grade parents are invited to join us for The Littlest Christmas Tree performances and parents of honor choir students are invited to the Christmas Concert on December 12th at 9am. (Siblings will not be called out of class to attend these performances as these dates do fall during our iReady testing window.)

We will have a menu change for December 12& 13.

Thursday, December 12th (Bag Lunch)

Turkey Ham and Cheese Sandwich

OR

Chicken Sandwich

Fruits, Veggies, and Milk

Friday December 13th: Christmas Lunch

Baked Ham w. Hawaiian Roll

or

Turkey Hot Dog

Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli and Cheese

Carnival Cookie

Fresh Fruits and Veggies and Milk

4th and 5th Graders interested in joining Gator Jam should get a flyer and return the permission slip this week. Space is limited!

We begin our new iLead curriculum this month with the trait of CHOICE! Students will learn the importance of making good choices and how their choices can affect others. Talk to your child about the choices they make each day and let them share with you what they've been learning about making strong choices.

We have several field trips this month! Please make sure your child wears his/her field trip shirt on the day of their trip. This is the blue t-shirt that says Future World Changer that PTO provided during our Boosterthon. Only approved chaperones may join students on the trip and this should be arranged with the teacher ahead of time. Chaperones may not bring siblings or other children on the trip.

November 12th, the cafeteria began having A La Carte items (such as cookies, brownies, Goldfish, Cheez-Its, etc) available for purchase during student lunch times. We will only do this on Tuesdays. Students will not be able to charge a debt to their accounts for a la carte items. They may bring in cash or you can put money on their account using their student # on https://login.myschoolbucks.com/users/register/getsignup.action?login_hint=&clientID=schoolbucks. This is completely optional and students must have cash or money on their accounts to participate. If they leave the money in the classroom one Tuesday, they can wait until the next Tuesday to purchase an item. This will not take the place of a meal; it is just an option for an added treat.

Each grade level will host an event to showcase their learning for parents this school year. Below are the dates for each grade. Specific times and details will be provided by classroom teachers as we get closer to the date.

December 10th- 1st Grade (Morgan, Emory, Chapman) *Academic showcase will follow the The Littlest Christmas Tree Performance

December 11th- 1st Grade (Blackwell, Grube, Amill) *Academic showcase will follow the The Littlest Christmas Tree Performance

December 17th- 4th Grade

January 17th- Kindergarten

February 18th or 19th - 2nd Grade

March 4th- 3rd Grade

March 19th- 5th Grade

Math iReady Diagnostic Test… Stress accuracy over speed! Emphasize that it's necessary to take time to prove the answer, especially when working with close answer options. Rushing through problems leads to missing small but significant steps, like carrying digits or aligning decimal points properly.

Reading is a lifelong skill. It permeates every area of our lives, and is a

critical skill for our children to master. Each day, your child walks into a

literacy-rich classroom environment, learning phonics, word building

strategies, and every skill necessary to become a successful reader;

however, did you know that reading at home is a critical part of this literacy

development? According to LETRS, Literacy Essentials for Teachers of

Reading and Spelling, reading at home, “provides additional exposure to

language, reinforces phonics skills learned in the classroom, builds

vocabulary, and allows for deeper comprehension through discussion and

interaction with parents, ultimately contributing to a stronger foundation

for reading proficiency.” Parents, you are your child’s very first teacher,

and you, too, play a vital role in your child’s acquisition of literacy skills. In

fact, the “single biggest predictor of high academic achievement is reading

to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not

blinking toys or computers, but family members taking the time every day

or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books!” (Cedella Marley, December

2023)

How Does Reading at Home Help?

*Reading Reinforces Phonic Skills. Regular reading at home allows children

the opportunity to practice applying phonics rules they learn in school.

*Reading Expands Vocabulary. When children are exposed to a wide range of

new words through reading at home, it expands their vocabularies, which also

expands their reading comprehension skills!

*Reading Develops Fluency. Fluency is the ability to read smoothly, accurately,

and with expression. Consistent reading practice increases a child’s fluency.

*Reading Enhances Comprehension Skills. When parents stop and ask their

children questions about what they are reading, it helps them develop a deeper

understanding of the story, as well as build their reading comprehension skills!

*Reading With Your Child Creates a Positive Reading Culture. Children are

emulators of the behaviors they see practiced. When their parents read to them,

they learn to value reading, and are more likely to read themselves. Children

who are read to, often become lifelong readers!

Abner Creek Academy

2050 Abner Creek Road

Duncan, SC 29334

Phone: 864-949-2334 Fax: 864-949-1687