SIES Weekly Newsletter

August 19th: Staggered Entry for Child Development Students

August 20th: Staggered Entry for Child Development Students

August 20th: iReady Reading Diagnostic #1 (K-5th Grade)

August 21st: First Day of Child Development

August 21st: iReady Reading Diagnostic #1 (K-5th Grade)

August 22nd: iReady Math Diagnostic #1 (K-5th Grade)

August 22nd: Open House from 6-7 pm (Child Development and Kindergarten)

August 23rd: iReady Math Diagnostic #1 (K-5th Grade)

August 26th: Morning Club Rotations Begin (K-5th Grade)

August 29th: Open House from 6-7 pm (1st and 2nd Grade)

Please read the information below carefully to be prepared for the upcoming week. Digital newsletters will be sent home every Thursday and include everything to keep you in the know! This one is packed full of information, so please take some time to review.

Thank you for your patience as we get in the rhythm of the new year. First View Bus Company notified us that they currently don’t have a driver for bus 267. Please read the information below for changes that will impact students.

• In the morning, bus 253 will be doubling up routes and picking up both 253 and 267 students.
• In the afternoon, students who ride bus 267 will be placed on two different buses.
• All 267 students who use the bus stops on Carolina Blvd and Sullivan’s Island will be going home on bus 509.
• Students who ride bus 267 and use the bus stops on Waterway Blvd. will ride bus 253.

**Please Note: If your child rides bus 267 and you are tracking your child's bus via the First View app, you will need to track the actual bus your student is riding on....for example, if your student has been rerouted via the changes above to ride bus 509, then you will need to track bus 509.*

We know bus transportation and route issues can be frustrating. While routing issues are out of our hands, we encourage parents who have concerns to utilize the Bus Stop Complaint form which is being monitored by CCSD transportation.

https://www.ccsdschools.com/divisions/operations/transportation/complaintfeedback

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Erin Wiseman at erin_wiseman@charleston.k12.sc.us.

Each family should have received ONE copy of the Family Handbook at Meet the Teacher or on the First Day of School. If you did not receive a copy, please 1) check your child's bookbag to make sure it isn't inside, and 2) reach out to your child's teacher. We sent handbooks home with the youngest child in each family, so if you didn't receive one, we will be sure to send one to you!

Please place your handbook in a location that you can reference often. The monthly calendars in the back of the handbook will keep you abreast of all future events. Thanks!

The iReady Diagnostic is designed for students to get about 50 percent of the questions correct and 50 percent incorrect. The test will find a "just right" placement level for each student in the quickest, most efficient way possible. Once complete, a personalized learning path is created for each individual student to target identified opportunities for growth. The diagnostic is taken three times a year to continually adapt learning paths for each student and challenge where needed.

Please click the link below to learn more about the iReady Diagnostic Assessment.

Every year in grades 3-12, students who have not yet identified as gifted and talented (SAIL) and are showing high academic potential are offered the opportunity to participate in aptitude testing. This year, nominated students in grades 3 AND 5 will test beginning on August 19th.

If you are interested in nominating your child, or if you have any questions concerning the Gifted & Talented testing, please reach out to our Gifted & Talented teacher, Greg Thomas, at gregory_thomas@charleston.k12.sc.us by Saturday, August 17th.

*Please Note: All second AND 4th grade students will participate in Gifted & Talented testing in October. This nomination process is only for students in grades 3 AND 5 who have not yet identified as gifted.

Both water and milk may be purchased in the cafeteria, but a student must have money in his/her account. We MAY NOT "charge" for these items if the account balance is zero or in the negative. A water bottle is $1, and milk is $0.50.

There is also a "complete a meal" offering. Students who bring a lunch from home (main entrée) may purchase 3 food groups (milk, fruit, and vegetable), and it is considered a meal. This costs $2.25, but it may be charged.

We have also begun a big push for students in grades 2-5 to learn their lunch numbers. Once a child has learned his/her lunch number, then they may purchase a snack. We will begin selling snacks to students in grades 2-5 on Monday, August 19th. Students MAY NOT "charge" for snack items. Available snack items are included in the graphic below. Juice boxes will also be available for purchase for $1.

For lunch payment, please create an account through LINQ Connect (https://linqconnect.com/main). In order to add your student, you will need their Student ID number, which you can find in Parent Portal or you can email Lisa Marie Ferguson (lisa_ferguson@charleston.k12.sc.us).

If you have any questions concerning the cafeteria, feel free to reach out to our Cafeteria Manager, Sarah Richardson, at sarahd_richardson@charleston.k12.sc.us.

Membership Toolkit is our hub for volunteering and our family directory. Each year, you must update your information in Membership Toolkit. Please take a moment to login and update your personal information. You will choose what information you would like published in our directory AND make your volunteer choices for the year.

*If you do not register, your family will not be included in our online directory or printed directory.*

Volunteers: If you have registered in Membership Toolkit to volunteer for the 24-25 school year, Mrs. Ferguson is in the process of reviewing background checks and SIES volunteer orientation status. If you were a cleared volunteer last year, you WILL NOT need to repeat the SIES volunteer orientation. However, you will receive a Google Form to complete to acknowledge compliance with our safety and confidentiality procedures. If you are a new volunteer for this school year, you must attend the SIES Volunteer Orientation to be approved. These orientations will be held on September 12th and September 19th @ 7:45 am. An RSVP will be sent to new volunteers.

Our goal is to have our volunteer system up and running after Labor Day for all of our previously approved volunteers. Thank you for your patience as we onboard all of our volunteers!

If you are interested in serving as a Room Parent for the 24-25 school year, please carefully read the information below. Our Room Parent selection process and responsibilities have changed, so please review the attached document before signing up.

All parents interested in serving as a Room Parent MUST sign up in Membership Toolkit by Friday, August 23rd. At that point, our Parent Educator, Lisa Marie Ferguson, will 1) compile a list of all interested parents for each homeroom class, and 2) send an email to those interested parents in each homeroom with the goal of identifying two LEAD Room Parents. All other parents will support the LEAD Room Parents in his/her classroom. Anyone serving in the role of Room Parent must be an approved volunteer with the completion of a CCSD Background Check and a SIES Volunteer Orientation. Additionally, identified LEAD Room Parents will meet with Mrs. Ferguson for a specialized Room Parent Training.

The Coastal Team has been busy planning for Sandcastle Day on September 13th! Our theme, Shipwrecked, goes along with the third book in The Islanders series by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May. The Islanders: Shipwrecked will be read by all 3rd-5th grade students and incorporates themes of friendship, hard work, and survival skills. Angela May will even be on site on September 13th to talk to our older students about the writing process and the conclusion of the series. Several of our former students are even spotlighted in the book!

In order to make the day a success, the Coastal Team is kindly requesting donations of various items. If you have any of the following items at home that you would be willing to donate, please have your child bring them in and turn them into a member of our Coastal Team: 1) Mrs. Ferguson, 2) Mrs. Gillespie, or 3) Mrs. Allen. Please note that these items will not be returned. Thank you so much!

Requested Items:

1. Seashells
2. Shiny Items (like old spoons)
3. Old T-Shirts/Rags (to cut up)
4. Old Barbies
5. Yarn/String/Strips of Leather

Open House for Child Development and Kindergarten classes will take place on Thursday, August 22nd from 6-7 pm. This is a parent only event, so please plan accordingly. During Open House, parents will meet with their child's teacher to learn more about the curriculum, classroom policies and procedures, and receive other important information.

Open House for First and Second Grades will take place on Thursday, August 29th from 6-7 pm. The Gifted and Talented (SAIL) Open House and the Open House for Grades 3-5 will take place on Thursday, September 5th. The SAIL Open House will take place from 5:15-6 pm, followed by Open House for Grades 3-5 from 6-7pm.

FRIENDS has already launched the "Give to Grow" campaign for the new school year. Our yearly school goal is 100% family participation, so donate today to earn your two FRIENDS of SIES stickers!

Important Points:

1) You only need to donate ONCE. Your ONE donation will count for all of your children.

2) How does your child earn class credit for your donation? You must list EACH CHILD (first and last name) in the "Special Instructions" box. This ensures that each child's respective class receives credit towards the 100% class participation goal and party.

So, let's GIVE TO GROW today!