Parents and Guardians: Please note that there is no school for students Monday, November 4, due to a District Professional Development Day for teachers.
Tuesday, November 5, is Election Day and all ACPSD schools and offices will be closed. We hope that everyone eligible to vote will exercise their right on Tuesday. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. As a reminder, the One Cent Sales Tax benefitting our public school facilities will be on the ballot. For additional information on the Sales Tax and the school facility improvements that a renewal of the tax would directly benefit, please visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
Don't forget daylight saving time ends this weekend., and we'll "fall back" an hour on Sunday, November 3.
Wishing everyone a great long weekend as we look forward to welcoming students back to school on Wednesday, November 6.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
UNPREPARED FOODS, GAS, AND MOST MEDICATIONS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE ONE CENT SALES TAX.
If renewed by voters on November 5, the One Cent Educational Capital Sales and Use Tax would result in a continuation of the One Percent Sales Tax on most purchases (one cent/dollar) in Aiken County. There are numerous exemptions to the tax, which are listed include in South Carolina’s Code of Laws, Section 12-36-2120. Among the exemptions are unprepared foods, gasoline, and most medications.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
Graniteville Elementary is honoring our student family veterans on Monday, November 11, 2024, with a breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Veterans and their students will enjoy light refreshments in the cafeteria. Following breakfast, we would love for you and your student to participate in our Veterans Day parade in the halls of Graniteville Elementary so that our school community can honor your service. We will end the parade with a grand finale student performance of patriot songs in the cafeteria. If there are veterans who wish to visit their student’s classroom to speak about being in the military or being a veteran after the program, they will be able to do so.
Parents and relatives of our students who have served in the Armed Forces are invited to attend this joyous occasion. We would love to have you wear your uniform or attire representing your branch of the military, if possible. Please return the bottom portion of this invitation to your child’s teacher by Friday, November 8. The letter can be found here - https://5il.co/30fai
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
CONTINGENCY PROJECTS WILL ALSO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT AND INCLUDE ROOFING, SECURITY VESTIBULES AND DOOR LOCK UPGRADES AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, CLASSROOM ADDITIONS AT BYRD AND GLOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AND REPLACEMENT OF GREENDALE ELEMENTARY.
In addition to the five primary projects voters will see on their ballot, several contingency projects are also listed that will be undertaken once primary projects are completed (or if all funding necessary for completion of the primary projects has been provided) and if additional tax revenue is available. Sales Tax funding is limited to the projects specified on the ballot and approved by voters. 2024 contingencies represent additional projects that are high priority
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
IF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS VOTER-APPROVED FOR A RENEWAL, A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL BE BUILT IN AREA THREE.
Space for elementary school students in Area Three, the fastest-growing area of our county, is limited. Many students in Midland Valley and Graniteville schools are already in portable classrooms.
To accommodate this growth, a new elementary school in Area Three is among the list of projects that a 2024 One Cent Sales Tax renewal would support.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE (NAMS), CONSTRUCTED IN 1954, IS THE OLDEST SCHOOL AMONG THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT A 2024 RENEWAL OF THE ONE CENT SALES WOULD BENEFIT.
Window air conditioning and heating units and metal-lined walls make indoor temperature control of this 1950s-era school (built without central heating and air) a challenge. At NAMS, the roof is leaking, doors are no longer fully shutting, and walkways and entrances to areas of the school built below grade flood on rainy days..
Part of the school was renovated previously and includes the cafeteria, science and music wing. If approved by voters, the recently updated areas are all that would remain. The original 1954 structure would be demolished, and a new, secure entryway, admin and classroom wing, media center, and gymnasium would be constructed.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
FIVE OF EIGHT OF THE COUNTY’S HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED OR REBUILT, A SALES TAX RENEWAL IN 2024 WOULD ADDRESS THE REMAINING THREE.
South Aiken High, Silver Bluff High, and Midland Valley High were each built in 1980. At the time of the One Cent Sales Tax in 2014, they were referred to as the district’s “new” high schools.
Improvements at those campuses, if approved by voters, include secure, welcoming entrances, updated athletic facilities, purpose-built classrooms for culinary arts and other CTE courses, and more.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL HOST A LIVE INFORMATIONAL MEETING ABOUT THE SALES TAX ON OCTOBER 29 AT 6PM.
ACPSD has engaged in an effort to educate the community about the One Cent Sales Tax, and has shared information in a series of meetings held throughout the county over several months.
A virtual meeting will be held this evening, Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 6PM.
Join at www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
THE SALES TAX IS A 10-YEAR TAX AND DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY RENEW.
Aiken County voters will have an opportunity to consider a renewal of the 2014 One Cent Sales Tax on Election Day. If renewed, the One Cent Sales Tax will extend for an additional 10 years and benefit school facility projects listed on the 2024 ballot. If not renewed, the 2014 One Cent Sales Tax will sunset (expire).
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
BEFORE THE 2014 SALES TAX SUCCESS, IT HAD BEEN 38 YEARS SINCE A SCHOOL REFERENDUM PASSED.
Prior to 2014, 1976 was the year of the last successful referendum benefitting the county's public schools. Without funds available, school maintenance needs were deferred over decades.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.
ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
SC PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET NO FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION/MAINTENANCE
Upkeep, maintenance, and construction of schools is considered a “local responsibility” in South Carolina. School Facilities are funded locally through voter support of sales taxes and bond referendums.
We will be sharing information and facts about the One Cent Sales Tax as we lead up to Election Day on Tuesday, November 5. For more information, please visit our website at www.acpsd/OneCent.
Please make plans to join us at 6 p.m., Monday or Tuesday night this week for an informational meeting. Tonight’s meeting, Monday, October 28, will be at Midland Valley High School, and tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29, you can join us virtually as we’ll live stream an informational meeting from our District office to our website where viewers can join online from the comfort of their own home.
LMMS PTO invites the Gators to participate in their Trunk or Treat!
Next week begins Red Ribbon Week! We want everyone to learn how to make healthy choices and live drug free! We will start the week in style with Movie Star Monday. Dress like a movie star and walk the red carpet!
It’s Spooky to be Hungry Golden Harvest Food Drive - October 14 - 31
Graniteville Elementary School is participating in the It's Spooky to be Hungry Golden Harvest Food & Funds Drive starting Monday, October 14, until Halloween. Most wanted items include canned vegetables, fruits, and meats, nut butters, pasta, rice, dried beans, and jellies or jams. The house that collects the highest amount of donations will receive a spooky treat to celebrate. We encourage all students and families who can participate to do so because it really is spooky to be hungry!
Our Big Idea Breakfast for September has been rescheduled to this Friday, October 18, 2024, at 8:15 a.m. in the cafeteria. This breakfast was originally scheduled for Friday, September 27, 2024.
All second-grade students in South Carolina participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) assessments during the month of October. Graniteville Elementary School second-grade students will test on the following days:
Thursday, October 17
Friday, October 18
Tuesday, October 22
Wednesday, October 23
What is the purpose of the assessments?
The primary purpose of these assessments is to identify potential students for academically gifted and talented programs. The results of these assessments provide important information regarding the individual learning needs of each student. The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in accordance with State Board of Education Regulation 43- 220, requires the administration, scoring, and reporting of a norm-referenced test system for these purposes. The tests include aptitude (verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal), achievement in reading comprehension, and achievement in mathematics concepts and problem solving. The CogAT measures aptitude and the ITBS is a measure of student achievement.
What is CogAT?
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) assesses learned reasoning abilities of students. The CogAT focuses on three areas of reasoning that research shows are closely related to success in school (1) The Verbal Battery measures students’ ability to reason with words and solve verbal problems. (2) The Quantitative Battery assesses their ability to organize and reason with quantitative concepts. (3) The Nonverbal Battery tests students’ ability to reason with figural drawings and invent strategies to solve novel problems. Since cognitive growth is a developmental process, performance on the CogAT can be given meaning by comparing an individual’s scores to those of a representative sample of peers who are the same age or who are in the same grade in school. Even though it measures reasoning abilities that are a critical component of all definitions of intelligence, the CogAT is not an intelligence test.
What is the ITBS?
The ITBS is a comprehensive standardized assessment test which evaluates a student’s level in the major subject areas including Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Science. The language arts section includes reading vocabulary, and word analysis to assess how well students can recognize letters and letter-sound relationships. Reading comprehension is assessed using print, context, and picture cues to identify unfamiliar words; completing sentences that tell about a picture by choosing a word for filling in a blank; and answering multiple-choice questions after reading a brief story. The math section includes math concepts and problem solving which involves solving brief word problems and interpreting information presented in graphs and tables.
Most young children have had little or no experience with standardized tests and, therefore, do not have any preconceived notions, either positive or negative, about testing. There is no need to be anxious about the testing. Students can be reminded that the teacher will use the results to better understand each student’s progress. No special preparation is required of students beyond getting a good night’s sleep and having a nutritious breakfast. Parents will receive a summary of test results in early 2025 and prior to the end of the school year will be notified about potential qualification for gifted and talented programs. Thank you in advance for your support and if you should have any questions or require further or more specific information, please contact your child’s school.
The One Cent Sales Tax Community Meeting in the North Augusta area is being held tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 15, at 6 p.m. We hope to see you tomorrow night at North Augusta Middle School to learn more about the facility improvements that voters will consider in November.
As students return from Fall Break next week and hurricane recovery efforts continue, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule on Monday, October 14, and Tuesday, October 15.
This delayed start will help increase visibility as school buses, student walkers, and others travel to school, ensuring safety as we navigate roads that may still have fallen trees and debris following Hurricane Helene.
We understand this change may be challenging for many families and appreciate your patience and cooperation. Crews have made significant progress clearing debris, and we will continue to evaluate road safety for early morning travel. We will make a decision regarding start times for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday by noon on Tuesday.
Breakfast: A grab-and-go breakfast will be available for students.
Lunch: Lunch will be served; menus may be limited as we restock all perishable food items.
Half-Day or Partial-Day Programs: Students on half-day and partial-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students, will not attend school on Monday or Tuesday as buses will be unable to run mid-day routes.
No Before-School Activities: No activities will be permitted before school starts on the two-hour delay.
Aiken County Career and Technology Center:
Monday: Morning session students should report to their high schools. The afternoon session will continue as planned.
Tuesday: Morning session students will attend the afternoon session. Afternoon students will stay at their high schools.
In evaluating roadway conditions, the Hammond Hill neighborhood remains a concern. We are currently exploring transportation options for students residing in that neighborhood and will communicate with impacted families over the coming days once a determination is made.
As our community recovers from this catastrophic storm, please exercise additional caution and care in travelling to school. Sidewalks may be blocked in some areas, visibility may be limited due to debris, and some powerlines are still low-hanging. If your child walks to school or to a bus stop, we encourage you to walk the route with them in the coming days or plan to walk with them Monday morning.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday!
NWS issued a wind advisory for tomorrow, Oct 10, 4AM-8PM. The hazard is 30-35 MPH gusts on weakened/leaning trees, causing concerns for travel in early morning & evening hours. With safety at heart, employees will begin on a delayed start of 9AM & no activities after 5PM.
NWS issued a wind advisory for tomorrow, Oct 10, 4AM-8PM. The hazard is 30-35 MPH gusts on weakened/leaning trees, causing concerns for travel in early morning & evening hours. With safety at heart, employees will begin on a delayed start of 9AM & no activities after 5PM.
