
Take a behind-the-scenes look at acGATEWAY in these videos created with last summer's students, get your application in, and get ready to audition for an experience unlike any other.
Middle and High School acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/qVQxpUwGcCk
Elementary acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/m1w8D-ScAX8
Applications for new and returning students are due by December 9. https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/summer-acagateway-program


Here is the calendar for December 2024 at Mossy Creek Elementary.


Save the Date! Our Mossy Creek Christmas Program will be held Wednesday, December 18 at the North Augusta High School gymnasium. This will be a night of holiday songs and dance, as well as some other special performances.
We will be having two performance times, one at 5:30 PM for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, and then the older students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th will perform at 6:30 PM. Doors will open at 5:00 PM for families of younger students. Doors will remain shut from 5:30 to 6 PM to avoid disruptions and to keep students together. At 6:00 PM students and families from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will come in and we will begin their performance at 6:30 PM.
We are hoping these measures will help to decrease distractions with people coming and going, as well as make sure we are able to maintain safety and security of our Mossy Creek students!
We hope to see you there!


Here's a look at what is happening next week at the Creek!


In honor of our Military Families in Aiken County and at Mossy Creek Elementary, please wear purple on Friday!


The application for the 2025 acGATEWAY Summer Arts program is now live on the Gateway webpage of the district website. Please visit https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/summer-acagateway-program to learn more about this free visual and performing arts opportunity for students in our District in grades 3-12. All students must submit an application to be considered, and an audition is required for all new student applicants.


We are one week away from our November meeting of our All Pro Dads chapter! Please join us as we talk about "Gratitude", just in time for Thanksgiving!
https://allprodadchapters.com/chapters/14882

Due to extensive rainfall that’s flooded, washed out, and led to road closures across our county, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule tomorrow, Thursday, November 7. All schools and offices will open on a two-hour delay. Due to the delayed start, only lunch will be served tomorrow in our cafeterias. Students 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. The Aiken County Career Center will not have morning classes. Students will report to their high school on a two-hour delay. Rainfall is expected throughout the night and into tomorrow. Please use extreme caution when traveling to school and work. If you encounter flooded roadways, please turn around. The safety of our students, staff, and families is most important.


We have big news! Mossy Creek is having a contest for one of our students to design the front cover of our yearbook! Flyers have been sent home, and the application is on our job at school. Students who are interested may enter their artwork, with name on the back, and the school will vote for the winner. Entries will be due Friday, November 15 to Ms. Walker in the front office.


Counselor's Corner Newsletter, better late than never!



ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE!
Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day. To find your voting location, please visit www.scvotes.org.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.


ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
IF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS NOT VOTER-APPROVED IN 2024, IT WILL BE TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ONE CENT SALES TAX CAN APPEAR AGAIN ON THE BALLOT.
The Sales Tax question may only appear on the ballot in a general election.
Should the tax not pass by majority vote in 2024, it will be November 2026 before the One Cent Sales Tax appears again on the ballot. If the tax were renewed, over those two years $75 million in funding would have been dedicated to school facilities.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.


ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
ON ELECTION DAY (TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5), AIKEN COUNTY VOTERS WILL SEE TWO QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX.
One asks voters if they are in favor of the renewal of the tax and lists the projects and contingency projects that a renewal would directly benefit.
The other is only valid only if the sales tax is approved and asks voters if they are in favor of authorizing the district to bond part of the projected revenue to jump start the projects and begin improvements right away (instead of waiting for one cent sales tax funds to accumulate before beginning improvements).
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.


ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
A THIRD OF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS ESTIMATED TO BE GENERATED BY NON-RESIDENTS.
When individuals visit Aiken County and make purchases, their contribution to overall sales tax revenues is estimated to generate around a third of the total collected. If approved, visitors to the county contribute to Aiken County’s school facility improvements, as well as a property tax reduction for Aiken County homeowners.
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.


ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE %
IF RENEWED, THE ONE CENT IN 2024 IS PROJECTED TO AMASS $398 MILLION OVER ITS 10-YEAR COLLECTION PERIOD.
In Aiken County, 90% of sales tax funds are dedicated to school projects and 10% to property tax relief, which totals an estimated $358M to the school facility projects.
If approved by voters, up to $285M of the projected revenue could be bonded to advance or “jump start” the projects (instead of waiting for taxes to accumulate before improvements begin).
For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.


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.


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.
