As we approach the MLK Jr. Holiday Weekend, please note that district administration alongside local Emergency Management officials is monitoring the winter weather system that may impact our county next week. On Monday, January 20, all schools and offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to a threat of potential inclement weather next week, students will come home from school with their laptop and charger tomorrow.
South Carolina school districts are limited to five e-learning days each school year. We used the first of those e-learning days last Monday (January 6), making up for the closure September 27 due to Hurricane Helene. Friday, January 10’s school closure will be made up on the March 14 Weather Makeup Day as designated on our district’s 2024-25 school year calendar. Notice will be shared at a later date regarding the format of March 14’s Weather Makeup Day. The format of the March 14 Weather Makeup Day, more specifically, if the day will be made up in person or through e-learning, is contingent upon the number of e-learning days that remain available for our district to use as we near the end of this very cold winter.
A final decision regarding school operations for Tuesday, January 21, will be announced by 3 p.m. on Monday, January 20. As always, we appreciate your continued support. We look forward to seeing students at school tomorrow and wish your family a wonderful long weekend.
All 8th graders are heading to the Power Up Your Future College and Career Event February 27 at the fairgrounds! Permission slips were handed out during advisory and must be returned to the Counseling Department by February 5. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to explore your future!
HSMS Art Club is gearing up! Want to unleash your creativity? Applications are now available in the office and are due by Jan. 28. Limited spots, so don’t wait! Let’s make art together, Riverhawks!
8th Graders: Get ready for a unique opportunity to explore the working world! On Jan. 31, you can shadow a family member at work and get a behind-the-scenes look at their job. Permission slips are available in the main office and must be turned in for your absence to be excused. Don’t miss this chance to learn and experience a day in the life of a professional!
Let’s crush our Semester Two Beanstack goal of 185,000 reading minutes, Riverhawks! Reach the goal = DOUBLE BREAK for all grade levels on Friday, April 25! Use the Beanstack app on ClassLink to log your minutes (timer available). Complete challenges to earn prizes and points for the Semester Two Celebration! Deadline: April 23. Let’s read, log, and WIN!
Smile, Riverhawks! Basketball team pictures are happening on January 23. Be ready to shine and represent your team with pride!
A partir del 21 de enero y hasta el 28 de febrero de 2025, todos los estudiantes multilingües participarán en la evaluación ACCESS para estudiantes de inglés como segunda lengua. ACCESS es una evaluación de competencia en el idioma inglés que se administra anualmente a todos los estudiantes identificados como estudiantes multilingües (ML) en los grados K-12. Esta prueba mide el progreso de un estudiante en la adquisición del inglés académico. Solicitamos su apoyo para garantizar que su estudiante haya descansado bien, haya tomado un desayuno nutritivo y llegue a la escuela a tiempo y listo para el examen.
AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRING EVENT | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Our District's Spring Hiring Event for teachers and certified staff is just a few weeks away!
Applicants will have the opportunity for onsite interviews and on the spot job offers! The event will take place at Aiken High School located at 449 Rutland Drive in Aiken, SC from 8 a.m. until noon.
All schools and locations will be represented, and we will be hiring for certified positions to include immediate vacancies and future 2025-26 positions.
Visit www.acpsd.net and select "Join our Team" or scan the QR code. Select "Job Postings" for External Applicants and search "Hiring Event" to apply for your area of certification. Register now to secure an interview at the event!
Pre-registration is highly encouraged! Walk-ins are also welcome.
Please reach out to our Human Resources Team at (803) 641-2428 for more information. We look forward to welcoming many new teachers and certified staff members to Aiken County in February!
Shoutout to our awesome Riverhawks who completed the Beanstack Holiday Reading Wrap-Up! Each earned a festive treat bag AND a bonus point for the Dec. 20 Semester One Celebration! Want to join the fun? Download the Beanstack app on ClassLink and log your reading minutes today!
HSMS PTO is celebrating our Semester 1 A/B Honor Roll students with Cookies & Cocoa on January 17 during Advisory! Great job, Riverhawks—keep soaring!
The biscuits are calling your name! They want YOU to support the Bojangles breakfast fundraiser sponsored by the HSMS PTO! Sausage Biscuits for $3 and Cajun Chicken Biscuits for $5. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, from 7:30-8 a.m. during morning car line drop-off, while supplies last. CASH ONLY - exact amount preferred. Sales to parents only! All proceeds benefit HSMS PTO’s student programs.
Attention Riverhawks! Multilanguage Learners (MLLs) at HSMS will complete ACCESS testing during the school day from Jan. 21 to Feb. 28. Questions? Contact Ms. Mayberry at mmayberry@acpsd.net.
Families: thank you all for your understanding this morning when changes in the Winter Weather system required a shift in our in-person and early dismissal plans. Our school bus drivers safely transported all students home who had already been picked up for school when the announcement this morning was made.
The timing of the announcement was not ideal, but the decision to close was made because conditions changed and we are committed to responding as necessary when safety concerns arise.
Our transportation team ensured each student made their way safely inside their home or that they were released off the bus to a trusted adult. Our bus drivers did an incredible job in a difficult circumstance and we applaud their care and dedication to our community’s children.
Snow and ice are impacting our county much more heavily than was forecasted. Please stay tuned to weather and safety precautions, and stay warm at home and off the roads if possible.
All ACPSD Schools to Dismiss Two-Hours Early on Friday, January 10 , due to Possible Wintry Conditions:
Based on the latest update from the National Weather Service in Columbia, ice and sleet accumulation is possible in Aiken County tomorrow in the late afternoon hours. To ensure that all students, families, teachers, staff and employees have an opportunity to return home before wintry conditions may make travel difficult, all Aiken County Public Schools will dismiss two hours early tomorrow, Friday, January 10. Breakfast and lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
Students receiving transportation services on half-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students and others, will not come to school tomorrow as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes.
Afternoon classes at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center will not be held. Students enrolled in an afternoon class at the Career Center will remain at their high school.
All schools and offices will also close early tomorrow. The district’s schools and offices will close no later than 3 p.m. As we shared last night, there will be no afterschool care tomorrow through QuestZone and no events will be held in the afternoon tomorrow through noon on Saturday.
As always, we thank you for your flexibility and understanding with the change to tomorrow’s dismissal times. Please be safe and exercise additional caution while travelling over the coming days.
Introducing Uber Reads! "Take Out" a Book on the Go! Whether it’s before school, between classes, during lunch, or at dismissal—zip into the HSMS Media Center and grab a great read! Complete the review sheet inside and return it for a treat! Perfect for the reader always on the move!
January 2025 in the HSMS Media Center: It’s a Gnome Scavenger Hunt! Gnomes are hiding in the library! Stop by to grab a book, find the gnomes, and solve the puzzle for treats and chances to win BIG CANDY! Don’t miss out on the fun!
Winter Reading Machine Challenge is here! Read and log your minutes in Beanstack from Dec. 21, 2024, to Jan. 31, 2025, to earn treats and a keychain! Plus, you'll score a point for the Semester 2 Celebration! Remember, reading is the key to success—unlock your potential this winter!
As temperatures drop this week and the possibility of a Winter Storm is on everyone’s radar, please know that we are in close collaboration with local Emergency Management Officials in monitoring for impact to our area.
Confidence in a possible impact to Aiken County late in the afternoon and evening this Friday, January 10, is increasing. With a concern for students, families, and employees traveling after dark on Friday in what may be a mixture of sleet and freezing rain, all athletic practices, games, arts-activities, afterschool care, and any other school or district-sponsored event scheduled for Friday, January 10, will not take place as planned.
With temperatures expected to be below freezing until mid-day Saturday and in an abundance of caution, any athletics, arts, and other events scheduled to be held before noon on Saturday, January 11, will also be cancelled. Travel to district and/or school sponsored events inside or outside Aiken County that would require employee or student travel prior to noon on Saturday, are also included in this cancellation.
We recognize that this will cause a disruption to many, especially our families who rely on QuestZone for after school care as well as those with events, activities, and tournaments that were scheduled. Please know that we are sharing this cancellation update with as much notice as possible based on current conditions and the latest forecasts available. As we keep safety at the forefront of these difficult decisions, we appreciate your continued understanding and support. Please stay tuned for any future updates that this Winter Storm may require and take other precautions that may be recommended to keep your family safe and warm.
Friday, December 20, is a half day for students. Due to the half day schedule on Friday, only breakfast will be served in our cafeterias. Please note the following dismissal times for students on our half day schedule.
Elementary schools in the Aiken area (Area One), the North Augusta area (Area Two), the Midland Valley area (Area Three), and Jackson/New Ellenton areas (Area Five) will dismiss at 11 a.m.; middle schools at 11:30 a.m.; and high schools at 11:50 a.m. Aiken Intermediate School’s half day dismissal will be at 11:25 a.m. and Aiken Scholars Academy at 11:20. The Center for Innovative Learning dismissal will be at 1:30 p.m.
Elementary schools in the Wagener/Salley/Ridge Spring/Monetta area (Area Four) will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., middle schools at 11:40 a.m., and high schools at 11:50 a.m.
In a short video released by the district, Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy provides detailed information on the new state-required Personal Electronic Devices policy that will be implemented as student’s return from Winter Break in January.
Aiken County’s policy will allow middle and high school students to bring cell phones and other personal electronic devices , and accessories such as earbuds and AirPods to school, but they must remain powered off, stored in the student’s backpack or bag, and out of sight during the school day.
Progressive discipline measures will be enforced for violations of the policy. Parents are encouraged to watch this video with their student and discuss the policy and the consequences for students who are in violation. We thank you in advance for your understanding and support!
https://youtu.be/4Jjqsv_vFkk?feature=shared
