Two Howe Hall AIMS teachers, Jennifer Dragotta and Maria Earl, were awarded the Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award. This award honors individuals who embody the true spirit of arts integration through the successful utilization of community partnerships and resources. Awesome job, ladies!
Please take a moment to review this BCSD Office of Special Services newsletter. It includes information about multiple events and opportunities. https://www.smore.com/ra6x7
We had a great turnout for our YMCA membership sign-up event! Don't worry, if you're a BCSD employee who wasn't able to make it last night, you can activate your free membership at the Cane Bay Family YMCA or Berkeley County Family YMCA with your district ID badge.
To ensure their "Year One" is a slam dunk, our first-year teachers attended the first of several GUIDE professional development sessions last week.
Interested in working on a nursing degree while still in high school? Trident Tech is holding a couple of information sessions! Details: https://5il.co/25w67
Grab that helmet and lace up those cleats, it's time for the Shrine Bowl! Philip Simmons High's Troy Stevenson, a cornerback/receiver, is not only our sole football player to be selected this year, but the first player from PSH to make the cut.
To better serve the physical and mental wellbeing of those who work for BCSD, the YMCA has partnered with the school district to provide FREE memberships to BCSD employees.
In celebration of this partnership, BCSD employees are invited to come out to the Cane Bay Family YMCA on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. for the formal announcement of the partnership, and to activate their memberships and tour the Cane Bay facility. Learn more at https://berkeleycosdsc.sites.thrillshare.com/article/1252290
Cane Bay High's stadium was rocking as bands from Timberland High, Philip Simmons High, Hanahan High, Goose Creek High, Cane Bay High and Stratford High came together to perform and cheer each other on at this year's Cobra Classic.
This month, going slow and steady wins our i-Ready Super School competition! Howe Hall AIMS and Marrington Middle School of the Arts are our first i-Ready Super Schools of the 2023-2024 school year for getting the highest completion rates on their i-Ready tests and the fewest rush flags. #makingapositivedifference
Let's get those creative juices flowing! Exploring different artistic avenues allows our students to not only have some fun in the classroom, but also think outside the box and approach academics in a new way. #makingapositivedifference #NationalArtsinEducationWeek
A big shout out to employees at Trident Medical Center, Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness and DavisJones Consulting Group LLC for joining forces to hold a school supplies drive for Goose Creek High. During the drop-off, GCH administrators discussed future opportunities for the students' in their Healthcare Career program at Trident Medical.
We have named Heather Ducker, 2023 BCSD Secondary Principal of the Year and current principal of Sedgefield Middle, as interim principal of Berkeley High School. Lynsey Phillips, current Goose Creek High assistant principal, will become the interim principal at Sedgefield Middle. We wish them the best of luck as they start in their new roles next Monday!
Due to the potential for severe weather resulting from Hurricane Idalia, Berkeley County School District (BCSD) schools will follow the half-day dismissal bell schedule (https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/bcsd/page/school-bell-schedules) on Wednesday, August 30. Thursday, August 31, students will learn from home and complete eLearning Day assignments. All schools and offices will be closed Thursday. BCSD will resume normal operations Friday, September 1.
Before and after-school care programs, activities, and athletics, to include practices and games, are canceled for Wednesday, August 30, and Thursday, August 31. Normal activities and operations will resume on Friday, September 1.
On Thursday, August 31, students will complete eLearning assignments from home via Schoology, Google Classroom, SeeSaw, or other designated virtual learning platforms. Specific information about assignments will be provided by the student’s teacher and/or school. Teachers will share information regarding their office hours to support students completing eLearning assignments at home. More information here: https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/bcsd/page/elearning-day-faqs
Due to the potential for severe weather, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of students, staff, and families, the district will not operate virtual feeding sites on Wednesday or Thursday.
BCSD officials work in partnership with Berkeley County Emergency Management and receive regular updates regarding the weather from the National Weather Service.
As safety and security is our number one priority, officials will continue to monitor the weather and assess any resulting damage.
Schools and offices will reopen and resume normal operations on Friday, September 1.
Berkeley County School District is currently monitoring the forecasts and receiving regular updates from Berkeley County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service on Tropical Storm Idalia. At this time, there are no changes to school operations. Any changes to operations will be communicated to staff and parents.
The South Carolina Department of Education purchased and provided Berkeley County School District and other school districts in our state with My Ride K-12 for communication of bus routes and delays. The app has been unable to provide parents with consistent delay information. BCSD is now tracking bus delays for parents using Google documents.
Bus Delays: https://www.bcsdschools.net/busdelays
Rolling through the first week of school!
Beginning Monday, Berkeley County School District parents and guardians will begin to receive invites for Rooms.
Rooms is a platform that lives within the new BCSD mobile app. It supplements school and district news and information by providing direct communication tools for parents, teachers, athletic coaches, club advisors, etc.
Our goal is to streamline communication and minimize the number of apps parents and guardians need for communication.
Parent Overview: https://youtu.be/upJMsLmn91Y
Introducción de los padres a las habitaciones: https://youtu.be/7pyvEIc3OOU
Please note that not all teachers and schools are utilizing Rooms at this time, but there is a plan to launch all schools on the platform in the future.
**Additional notes**
Parents will still need to use the PowerSchool Parent portal for academic information.
Rooms will not replace student learning management systems (Schoology).
With the first day of school less than one week away, we want to make sure families are aware of the new transportation features that pertain to bus riders. Learn more about My Ride K-12 and the student transportation tag program at www.bcsdschools.net/article/1203059.
We're in the dog days of summer! During the Teacher Forum Summer Retreat, our teachers created boredom busters and heating pads for animals at the Charleston Animal Society with participants from Healing Farms.
The Berkeley County School District Returning Student Update was made available to parents on July 20 at 10 a.m. It is a mandatory process that will allow the parents of returning students to update transportation methods and the bus transportation agreement; parent/emergency contact information; upload the required two proofs of residency and complete annual forms/policies such as technology agreements and media release forms.
The Returning Student Update can only be completed using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you do not have a PowerSchool Parent Portal Account, contact your student’s school for assistance. For any questions, review the Parent Portal Resources FAQ.
https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/bcsd/page/powerschool-parent-portal