Wagener-Salley High

Ensuring the Safety of Our Schools: Addressing Recent Rumors - We are aware of misinformation circulating throughout our schools and communities regarding rumored incidents of school violence at various campuses within our district. Please know that these messages are being reposted and reshared at schools throughout our district and at schools throughout the state. Your children’s safety is our top priority. We take all threats seriously and work in collaboration with law enforcement to fully investigate each and every rumor and/or post that is shared. There is no active threat impacting the safety and security of any of our school campuses. Rumors of this nature cause a great deal of concern, stress and anxiety. When those are shared on social media, the impact is far-reaching, and causes unnecessary concern for other parents, students, and staff, and divert critical resources away from genuine safety and security efforts. If ever there is an actual incident of school violence at your child’s school or if a threat of violence at your child’s school warrants your attention, school and/or district communications will notify you. We are committed to sharing accurate information as quickly as situations allow. We hope to never have to notify you of an actual event of school violence, and we are fully committed to maintaining the safety and security of our schools through a variety of safety measures and close collaboration with local law enforcement. If you or your student ever have a safety concern, or if you hear a rumor of a safety concern, we ask that you immediately notify the appropriate authorities. This includes local law enforcement and the administration at the district office or the school involved. Thank you for your support as we work together to keep our schools, and your children safe.

PARENT UNIVERSITY scheduled for this Saturday, September 14th has been postponed due to the possibility of inclement weather. It will be rescheduled for a later date.

FOOTBALL: Due to the possibility of inclement weather, the football game scheduled for Friday the 13th at Allendale-Fairfax will now be Thursday, September, 12th. The time is still 7:30 and we hope you come in your 'construction zone' gear to cheer on your War Eagles.

ONE CENT SALES TAX INFORMATIONAL MEETING IN AREA 4 - Please join us this evening, Monday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m. for an informational meeting on the One Cent Sales Tax that will be before voters for their consideration in renewing this November. Tonight's meeting is being held at Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle-High. We hope to see you there!

WAGENER SALLEY HIGH SCHOOL PARENT UNIVERSITY Connect with Stakeholders and Learn How to Support Your Child’s Growth! SATURDAY, SEPT. 14TH 8:00 - 12 PM BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED. The most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents. TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED: • Athletics • Clubs • 504 • Schoology • PowerSchool • Thrillshare • Code of Conduct • Conversations with Mr. Neloms Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with school staff, ask questions, and learn how you can play an active role in our school’s success! RSVP Today! https://forms.office.com/r/GRbXqdAKp1

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer T-Shirts! Pre-Order by September 23 Sizes S-XL $15 each 2X-4X $18 each See Mrs. Shackleford or Mrs. Akins to place your order. Payment can be accepted on Sept. 20th. Cash or Check to WSHS. All proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society. And don’t forget to sign up to join our team for the Making Strides Against Cancer Walk on Saturday, September 28th in Orangeburg. Register here: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=2760579&fr_id=109306&pg=team

FOOTBALL FRIDAY: The following information has been provided by Swansea HS for our away game against them this Friday. Use the game site address, not the school address: Doug Bennett Stadium - 719 Redmond Mill Rd. Swansea, SC 29160. Ticket Information: ● $8.00 for all Varsity Sports Tickets or Multiple Event Nights ● $6.00 for single Sub-Varsity Events ● Cash will be accepted at gates ● Tickets are available and can be purchased at www.swanseatigersathletics.com Parking: ● Fans/spectators should park in the main parking lot behind the press box. There are designated gates. ● Handicapped parking is available directly beside the ticket booth. Spectator Requirements: ● Lexington School District Four has a clear bag policy. ● Fans are not allowed on the field before, during, or after the contest. ● Fans are not allowed to leave the stadium before or after the contest. Those who do will be required to purchase another ticket for re-entry. ● No coolers allowed on premises. ● No pets allowed with the exception of permitted Service Animals. https://5il.co/2vf4x

All Aiken County Public School District schools, buildings, and offices will be closed for Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2024. We hope that everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend and look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Visit our website, https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/2024-one-cent, for information on the sales tax and the school facility project needs that will be on November’s ballot for voter consideration, and make plans to join us at an informational meeting: • Tuesday, September 3, 6:30 p.m. at Silver Bluff High School (Area Five) • Monday, September 9, 6:30 p.m. at Ridge Spring Monetta Middle High (Area Four) • Tuesday, September 17, 6:00 p.m. at South Aiken High School (Area One) • Tuesday, October 15, 6:00 p.m. at North Augusta Middle School (Area Two) • Monday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. at Midland Valley High School (Area Three)

Greetings WSHS Family! The boys' basketball program will be kicking off its pre-season with a Boston butt fundraiser. Contact Coach Clark to place your order or fill and submit the form using the link below. All orders are complete once payment has been received. Thanks for all you do for our athletes and we hope that you will consider supporting us! Details: * Boston Butt Roast Cooked and Provided by Shealy's Bar-B-Que * 8-10 lbs bagged an ready! * Cost is $48 per roast * Pick-up Saturday, September 14, 2024 from 12-2pm * Contact Coach Clark (pclark5 @acpsd.net) to place your order and make payments or use the link below. https://forms.office.com/r/5spTEqqpZf

ATHLETIC SECURITY REMINDERS & CLEAR BAG PROCEDURES - To ensure the safety of our athletic events, please be aware of the following: • ACPSD has a Clear Bag Procedure for athletic events. Please see details at https://www.acpsd.net/page/athletics-security. • Reentry is not allowed. Should an individual exit a stadium or athletic facility, a new ticket for reentry will be required for reentry.  • These are school-sponsored events; behavioral expectations & the Code of Conduct apply. • Students in eighth grade and below must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older. • High school students must show identification or PowerSchool to verify grade level if unaccompanied by a supervising adult. We thank you for your cooperation with these regulations aimed at ensuring a safe and successful athletic season! 

The Wide Area Network (WAN) outage affecting internet access district-wide and phone lines at our school campuses has been fully resolved. Our IT team, in collaboration with our service providers, has successfully restored both our primary and secondary circuits. All systems are now operational, and normal communication channels have been re-established .We appreciate your patience and understanding during this disruption.

Important District-Wide Announcement: Internet and School Phone Outage We are currently experiencing a Wide Area Network (WAN) outage that is impacting internet access district-wide and phone lines across all our school sites. This disruption appears to be due to a fiber cut on the network, affecting both our primary and secondary circuits. Please be assured that our IT team is working diligently with service providers to resolve this issue and restore full connectivity as quickly as possible. In the meantime, should you need to reach a school during this outage, please contact our District Office directly at (803) 641-2428. Updates will be shared here as new information becomes available. Thank you for your patience.

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN SCHOLARSHIP: Distinguished Young Women of Aiken County is a 501 C non-profit organization that awards $1 billion annually in scholarships all over America. College-bound junior girls can apply by September 7, 2024 at aiken.sc.distinguishedyw.org Full flyer: https://5il.co/2tdxh

YEARBOOKS: Don't forget to order your yearbook! You can find order information and pricing here: https://5il.co/2tdx9 and information for how to place advertisements and senior ads here: https://5il.co/2tdxa See Mrs. Shackleford if you have questions about ordering or yearbooks.

As we continue to monitor this tropical storm to ensure the safe operation of our school buses and all who will travel to and from our schools in the mornings and afternoons, the Wagener and Salley communities’ roads have been most heavily impacted by the extensive rainfall we’ve experienced. This morning’s two-hour delay was particularly helpful for drivers in that area who were able to identify and avoid roadways covered in water. With additional heavy rain forecasted overnight and into tomorrow morning, the following schools in the Wagener and Salley areas of our county will operate on a two-hour delayed start tomorrow, Thursday, August 8: Busbee Elementary School, Corbett Middle School, and Wagener-Salley High School. Due to tomorrow’s delayed start at Busbee, Corbett and Wagener, only lunch will be served in their cafeterias. All other schools and offices will operate on their regular schedules tomorrow, Thursday, August 8; regular breakfast and lunch service will be offered. Afterschool activities will be cancelled again district-wide tomorrow, including practices, meetings, and aftercare through Quest Zone. Only employees at schools in the Wagener and Salley areas of the county will report to work on a delayed schedule tomorrow morning. Employees who live in the Wagener or Salley area and work in another area of the county are encouraged to contact their supervisor for any arrangements for a delayed arrival that may be needed. As shared yesterday, please be reminded of safety precautions that are encouraged in rainy conditions with potential flooding and, whether walking or driving, always turn around should you encounter an area covered with water. Further information is available at www.weather.gov. We appreciate the continued understanding of our community, and patience with the changes that this tropical storm has necessitated this week. We’re hopeful a little break from the rain today will help alleviate some of the conditions that have been most concerning, but we will continue to monitor the forecast and condition of roadways for any additional changes that may become necessary to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families. We recognize that these changes to school operations are challenging for everyone, and will always announce changes with as much notice as possible. Thank you again.

APPLY TO BE AN ELECTION WORKER Apply by September 13th. See your Career Specialist or School Counselor for an application. Pay:$60 for Training; $75 for Election Day. Students must be 16 or older to apply. Flyer link: https://5il.co/2t3yj

The Military Child Education Coalition® announces a series of Parent Education Webinars for military-connected parents and professionals who work in support of military-connected children. These webinars are open to all interested participants and offer research-based information and ideas for participants. Mark your calendars and register for any webinar that fits your needs. Once you've registered, you will be able to view the live webinar or watch a recorded presentation after the recording is processed. Flyer link: https://5il.co/2t3yf

Our school district administrators are continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Debby alongside Emergency Management Officials. With the extensive rainfall throughout the day today, please note that a change has been made to the report to school and work time tomorrow. To ensure visibility tomorrow morning for school bus drivers and all who would be travelling before daylight on rain-soaked roadways, some which may be flooded, all Aiken County Public Schools and offices will operate on a two-hour delay tomorrow, Wednesday, August 7. Due to the delayed start, only lunch will be served in our cafeterias tomorrow. The Aiken County Career & Technology Center (ACCTC) will not hold a morning session tomorrow. Afternoon sessions will be held as planned. Students at the Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) will have an adjusted schedule tomorrow of noon-4:30 p.m. 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. Employees will also report to work on a two-hour delay tomorrow. Employees who report to work at 10 a.m. or later as part of their regular schedule, will report to work at their regularly scheduled time. In addition to tomorrow’s delayed start, all after school activities for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 7, are cancelled, including practices, meetings, and aftercare through QuestZone. Employees should plan to complete their workday as scheduled tomorrow, with the exception of employees who may be scheduled to work beyond 5 p.m. All schools and offices will close promptly at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Please take a few minutes to be reminded of precautions to observe in heavy rain and flooding conditions. Most importantly, if you come to an area that is covered with water, you may not know the depth of the water or the condition of the road or ground underneath. This is especially true at night or when it is dark outside. Whether driving or walking, should you encounter an area covered with water, please turn around. Further information is available at www.weather.gov. This storm is likely to continue to impact our community over the coming days. We will continue to monitor this storm’s forecasted impact to our county and share any updates related to school operations that may be needed. Please stay tuned to local authorities for precautions to keep your family safe. Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience that these changes will cause, and appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation.

As our District administration continues to monitor the possible impact of Tropical Storm Debby to our county, a decision has been made to cancel all afternoon activities for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Roughly two inches of rainfall is expected tomorrow, and, with the unpredictability of weather systems, we believe it best to cancel activities planned for after school tomorrow, including afternoon practices, meetings, and aftercare through Quest Zone. We apologize for the inconvenience that this will cause. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we make the best possible decisions with the information that is currently available. In collaboration with local Emergency Management Officials, we will continue to monitor this storm. Any additional changes to our regular operations this week will be announced with as much advance notice as possible. Thank you again for your cooperation and please remain alert for any future updates.