The 8th Grade Spring Fling will be held on the evening of Friday, May 9th at the North Augusta Community Center from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
The dance is open to 8th grade NAMS Students ONLY! Tickets will be sold online in PowerSchool and in the front office every morning in the month of March. No tickets will be sold at the door. Ticket price is $20.00.
Please contact Ms. Schlachter with any questions. mschlachter@acpsd.net
Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, there is a threat of severe weather with wind gusts in the morning forecasted to exceed 40 mph. This wind speed exceeds the threshold allowed for school buses to be on roadways. This wind event will result in a need to shift to e-learning tomorrow.
Employees should plan to report to their work location on a two-hour delayed start, with no building or office opening before 10 a.m.
Afterschool extracurricular practices, games, and events will continue tomorrow as scheduled. There will be no QuestZone tomorrow.
We apologize for the challenges that this will cause our families and appreciate your continued cooperation and support!
During Spring Intersession, the week of March 31-April 3, a limited number of spots are available for this year’s Fine Arts Camp, Lego Wars, for students in grades 6-8.
Fine Arts Camp will be held at Highland Springs Middle School Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Students will be immersed in creativity, the engineering design process, and project design while developing architectural skills to build a strong Lego structure.
Registration opens Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m. for ACPSD middle school students and is offered on a first come-first served basis. Please note that due to space limitations, only the first 30 students to apply will be accepted. Once the application window opens, parents/guardians can apply by scanning the QR Code or visiting https://forms.office.com/r/zJ7pj8gvYh.
Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of camp, Monday-Thursday, March 31-April 3, however students’ families will be responsible for their own transportation to Highland Springs Middle.
Please contact Dr. Kimberly Fontanez, District Fine Arts Coordinator, at kfontanez@acpsd.net with any questions.
Who will be crowned Miss 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, and Miss North Augusta Middle School? Are you interested, if so, please see Ms. Carpenter's in room 230 for an application! The cost to participate is $40.00 and this does include the pageant t-shirt. Forms and money are due to the front office by Friday, February 28th.
ACCESS Testing for ELLs will be January 27 - March 14. ACCESS for ELLs is an English language proficiency test that measures students’ academic English language skills. Information will be sent home if your student will be participating in ACCESS Testing.
Aiken County Public Schools will return to in-person learning and work tomorrow, Friday, January 24; in an abundance of caution, all schools and offices will begin the day on a two-hour delayed start.
In preparation for a decision on tomorrow’s operations, our leaders have driven hundreds of miles across the county. Daytime temperatures are beginning to increase, melting snow and drying most roadways. However, it would not be possible to investigate each and every road that families and employees may travel tomorrow, and there are possibly secondary roads and well-shaded dirt roads that may remain unsuitable for travel.
Please use additional caution when traveling to school and work tomorrow, avoiding less-travelled secondary routes, where possible. The safety of our students, staff, and families is of most importance; please reach out to school leadership with any concerns. Families in our more rural areas, please stay tuned for possible school bus pickup location changes that may be necessary.
Important Details for tomorrow:
• Student Meals: With the delayed start schedule, only lunch will be served tomorrow in our cafeterias.
• Half-Day & Partial-Day Programs: Students on half-day and partial-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students, are encouraged to attend school if possible, however school bus transportation will not be available 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.
• After-School Activities: Afterschool care through QuestZone will be held tomorrow, as well as other activities planned for after school hours if scheduled by event organizers, club sponsors, coaches, etc.
• Aiken County Career and Technology Center: Morning session students should report to their high schools. The afternoon session will continue as planned.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back in-person tomorrow. Thank you for your patience and flexibility!
ACPSD E-Learning/Remote Workday Thursday, January 23
We hope you’ve had an opportunity to enjoy the snow and that the assignments for e-learning today have been worthwhile practice. In collaboration with local Emergency Management officials, district administration is monitoring the impact of Winter Storm Enzo. Based on current conditions of significant snowfall accumulation in many areas and predicted freezing temperatures overnight, Aiken County Public Schools will continue in an e-learning format tomorrow, Thursday, January 23.
With travel concerns for students and families, as well as teachers and staff, tomorrow will also be a remote workday for employees. Just like today, teachers will be available for student questions and support with e-learning assignments.
We apologize for the disruption that continued e-learning tomorrow may cause, and appreciate your support and understanding.
The safety of travel conditions will be reevaluated mid-day tomorrow with the hopes that conditions will allow for a safe return to in-person learning for Friday. An update on our district’s operations for Friday, January 24, will be announced no later than 4 p.m. tomorrow.
Thank you again for your flexibility.
With snow expected across our county today and into tomorrow morning, all Aiken County Public Schools will transition to e-learning and a remote workday tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22.
Student e-learning will be available online, and our teachers are available for support. Should your student have any questions, difficulty, or need assistance with their e-learning assignments, please reach out.
While snowfall is not expected to continue beyond tomorrow morning, temperatures are predicted to remain well below freezing. Accumulating snowfall may impact our district’s operations for Thursday. A decision on operations for Thursday will be announced by 4 p.m. tomorrow, and will be made with the safety of all students, families, and employees at heart.
As always, we are grateful for the flexibility of our school community. Please be safe, and stay warm and tuned in to any further updates that Winter Storm Enzo may cause for our operations this week.
Our school district administrators are continuing to monitor Winter Storm Enzo alongside Emergency Management Officials. With the possibility of snow forecasted late tomorrow afternoon and into the evening hours, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on an Early Dismissal Schedule Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Just as on Early Dismissal Days, elementary school students will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., middle school students at 12:10 p.m., and high school students at 12:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
Early dismissal times are slightly different for Aiken Scholars Academy, as well as our schools in the Wagener and Ridge-Spring areas. Ridge Spring-Monetta and Busbee Elementary dismissal is at 11:55 a.m., A.L. Corbett Middle, Wagener-Salley High, and Aiken Scholars Academy dismiss at noon, and Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle and High dismissal is at 12:15 and 12:20 p.m., respectively. The Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) will dismiss at 1:30 p.m.
Students on half-day schedules who require bus transportation, 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.
There will be no after-school care tomorrow through QuestZone and no events to include athletics, arts, clubs, etc. will be held tomorrow afternoon or evening.
All schools and offices will also close early tomorrow. The district’s offices will close no later than 2 p.m. with the Operations Center closing at 1:00 p.m.
While snowfall is not expected to continue into the day on Wednesday, temperatures are predicted to remain well below freezing during the morning and evening hours. Any accumulating snowfall may impact our district’s operations for Wednesday. A decision regarding Wednesday will be announced by Tuesday evening.
Thank you for your flexibility and cooperation as we adjust our operations when weather conditions require as part of our efforts to ensure safety.
Please be safe, bundle up, and tune in for any further changes to our regular operations that Winter Storm Enzo may cause. We look forward to seeing our students and staff tomorrow morning.
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.
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!
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.
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.
ACCESS Testing for ELLs will be January 27 - March 14. ACCESS for ELLs is an English language proficiency test that measures students’ academic English language skills. Information will be sent home if your student will be participating in ACCESS Testing.
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
Join us for Aiken County Public School District’s Spring Hiring Event for Teachers and Certified Staff on Saturday, February 1, 2025!
Applicants will have the opportunity for on-site 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.
Scan the QR code to apply now for your level of certification to secure an interview at the event. Pre-registration is highly encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome.
Direct Link to Register and Apply for the Event: https://acpsd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx?jcat=Recruitment
We will be hiring for certified positions to include Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education. 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!
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/page/gateway
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
