RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

You are your child’s best and most important teacher.  Your connection to your child’s school can make a major difference in the success of your child’s education.  Here are some tips to help your child be a success at Willow Drive Elementary.

1. Meet your child’s teacher.  Go to Back to School events and Open House to meet your child’s teacher and learn about the day to day life inside the classroom.  Your child spends over 6 hours a day here.  See how your child spends the day learning.
2. Keep on top of your child’s grades and attend all parent conferences.  Look at graded papers that come home and grades that are put on parent portal.  Discuss these grades with your child.  Meet with your child’s teacher throughout the year to discuss your child’s progress.
3. Make sure your child completes assignments and studies for tests.   It is important that students reinforce the skills they learned at school.  Please help them be prepared for the following day by completing homework and studying for tests.  Your support reinforces the importance of education to your child.
4. Make sure your child is at school and on time to school each day.   Let your child see that education is something to be valued.  Make sure your child comes to school on time daily.  By being on time, you are teaching your child the importance of  education and how to be successful in the world.
5. Keep updated on events at school. View the school website regularly and look for flyers on events happening at school.  Join us for parent sessions and school events.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!  If you have a question or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher before any misunderstandings occur.  We all want what is best for your child.  By working together, we can help your child be successful.  If your child is struggling in a subject, meet with the teacher to find out what can be done to help your child improve.
7. Be positive about education to your child.  Your attitude about your child’s education will help determine their success and motivation in school.  When parents and teachers show that education is important, students develop a positive self – image towards their education.  Students are more willing to complete assignments, they are motivated to learn, and they are more confident learners.  This confidence will help them to become life-long learners.
8. Encourage your child to be responsible for their learning.  Help your child develop the skills to work independently and be responsible for his /her learning.  When students are responsible for their own learning, they will strive to do their very best and enjoy their learning.
9.  Use outside resources to continue your child’s learning.  Take advantage of what is around in the community.  We are very fortunate to have resources such as our public library, the Sumter County Museum, and Swan Lake to help our students discover new and exciting things about their community and the world that they live in and they are excited about.  Your child can also explore the world through the internet.  The student web page has a wealth of resources and apps that your child can use to support learning from home or anywhere they have an internet connection.
10. TALK WITH YOUR CHILD!  Ask your child about their day.  Ask them what they learned and what they enjoy learning about.  Studies show that kids do better in school when they have parents that are genuinely interested in their education.  Enjoy what your child is doing.  You might be surprised to learn something new from your child!

Here is a link to these and other tips to help your child succeed in school! http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/twenty-ways-you-can-help-your-children-succeed-school

There are many ways to be involved in your child’s education.  Reading to your child at home and assisting with homework can help tremendously. However, there are ways to become involved in school activities.  Ruth Murray is the parent facilitator.  She has resources and meets with parents regularly to assist in becoming volunteers or with other needs that arise.  All volunteers must go through Sterling (linked to the district website). Contact the school office and ask for Ruth Murray for more information or assistance.

Updated-Volunteer-Application 

During periods of unsafe weather conditions when it may be questionable to hold school, the school district has several options including closing school, opening schools one hour late, or opening schools two hours late.

Decisions for any of these options will be announced to the public no later than 5:00 a.m. on the day in question on the following local radio and television stations: WIBZ 95.5 FM, WKHT 93.7 FM, WICI 94.7 FM, WNOK 104.7 FM, WDXY 1240 AM, WTCB 106.7 FM, WCOS 97.5 FM, WLJI 98.3 FM, WWDM 101.3 FM, WHXT 103.9 FM and WMHK 89.7 FM. The television stations used are WIS TV 10, WOLO TV 25, WBTW 13, WACH 6, and WLTX TV 19. Information will also be announced on the Sumter School District Facebook page.

Announcements are only made through the media if there is a delay or closing.

The bell rings at 2:15 p.m. to begin dismissal.

For the safety of the child, the school does not accept phone calls to change dismissal procedures. To change procedures, parents must write teachers notes. However, in urgent emergencies, they must notify the administrators.

If it is necessary for students to leave school early, parents should send a note that informs the teacher of the day and time.  In order for students to leave the campus and to ensure the safety of all children, parents or guardians must sign out students in the main office.  Students will not leave the school grounds without having the official sign-out procedure completed by a responsible adult who is included on the emergency card. This rule is for the protection of students.

Parents should sign out students before 2:00 p.m.  After 2:00 p.m., parents must wait for the 2:15 p.m. dismissal bell.

Bus drivers pick up students at the front entrance.

Administrators dismiss car riders from the back of the building. Parents who pick up children in the afternoons are to use the drive through gate on the left of the school.

Parents and guardians should pick up all students prior to 2:30 p.m. For parents who have an emergency and they are late picking up their children, they should call the office at (803) 494-8200.

South Carolina Law 59-63-130 is the Safe Climate Act and includes bullying. In recent years, bullying has received greater attention and focus, but it is not new. It can have a lasting impression on school life well into adulthood. South Carolina has also developed a harassment, intimidation or bullying policy as a result of the law.

The six forms of bullying are: Physical, social (includes rumors, gossip and social alienation), verbal, indirect (spreading rumors, gossip or passing along such negative information even though it is second hand information), intimidation (threats) and cyber-bullying (using technology to bully).

If students feel they have been bullied, they immediately should tell their teacher, guidance counselor, or school administrators. Every child has the right to feel safe within his or her school.

Report Bullying and Safety Concerns

Parent Portal

Our district uses PowerSchool to maintain student grades and attendance records.  Parents can view their child’s  records through a secure Internet connection by using Parent Portal.  If you already have a login, click the link above to sign in.  If you do not have one and would like access to this information, please follow the steps below or stop by the main office for assistance.

Create a Parent Account

A parent account allows you to view the information for one or more students with a single sign in. You can also manage your personal account preferences.

To create a parent account, enter the following information:

• Name – Your first and last name
• Email – Student notifications and correspondence related to your parent account will be sent to this email.
• Desired Username – Your username is your unique PowerSchool identity.
• Password – Your password must be at least 6 characters long.
• Student Access Information – Information for a minimum of one student, including the student name, Access ID, Access Password, and your relationship to the student  (ACCESS ID and an ACCESS PASSWORD may be obtained by contacting the main office.)

You may use the following resources for additional support:

Parent Portal Sign In 

Parent Portal Instructions  

Parent Portal PowerPoint

Parent Portal User Guide  

PowerSchool Parent Acceptable Use Policy  

Parent Portal User Guide  

There are numerous online resources that your child can use to continue with learning at home.  The student web page contains a wealth of online resources to help your child learn at home or anywhere there is an internet connection.  Click here for links to good online resources!

Students in Pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade will receive a standards-based report card each quarter.

The following grades determine the academic standards for students in grades 3-5:

A         Excellent       90        –           100

B         Good              80        –             89

C         Average         70        –             79

D         Passing         60        –             69

F          Failing            Below 60

The following grades determine the academic standards for elementary art, handwriting, music, and physical education:

O         Outstanding

S         Satisfactory

N         Needs Improvement

U         Unsatisfactory

The faculty, staff, and parents of Cherryvale Elementary School believe a positive school learning environment is a major factor in high student achievement. Many factors lead to a positive learning environment. Safety, discipline and school unity are three of those factors.

Pants must fit at the waist—not oversized or undersized (e.g., Baggy pants, sagging pants, tights, or pants made of spandex are prohibited.)

Skirts or jumpers must be no shorter than three inches above the knee.

Shoes should not be a distraction (example—florescent colors).  Flip flops, slides and bedroom slippers are not permitted (all footwear must have a back or a strap).

Appropriate behavior is crucial for success.  Inappropriate behavior detracts from learning and causes disruptions in the learning environment in the classroom.  Cherryvale follows the Sumter School District’s discipline policy.

Your child is learning skills based on the South Carolina state standards.  Here is the link to these standards. http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/ 

There may be a time during your child’s education when they struggle with a particular subject or skill. Whether your student is struggling because of an unforeseen life event or because they don’t understand the concepts being taught, there are programs and people in place to provide academic assistance to overcome many learning deficits. Below is a list of people and programs we have in place to help students to achieve to their full potential.

Your initial contact person is the classroom teacher. They know your student and their abilities better than anyone in the school.  A parent conference will provide you with strategies to use at home and a plan of what interventions can take place in the classroom to help your child.

If after a period of time your student does not improve with your help at home along with the classroom based interventions, you can contact the school counselor and request they be considered for additional support that may be available.  From there our staff may request screenings for vision and hearing, and if necessary recommend testing for Speech, or learning disabilities.

The following rules can help your child be safe online:

1.   I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number without my parents’ permission.

2.   I will tell my parents right away if I come across something that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3.   I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring a parent along.

4.   I will talk with my parents about posting pictures of myself or others online and not post any pictures that my parents consider to be inappropriate.

5.   I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away.

6.   I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online and using a mobile phone. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

7.   I will not give out my passwords to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

8.   I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or mobile device or jeopardize my family’s privacy.

9.   I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

10. I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.

Source: http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

Please note that internet safety forms must be signed and returned before your child is allowed on any of the devices.

All classrooms in Grades K-5 will receive Chromebooks.  District technology forms must be signed and returned before your child will be issued a Chromebook to use in class.  Chromebooks will remain in the classroom.

All students have access to two computer labs and computers in the media center.

All students have access to a set of thirty iPads which can be signed out by the classroom teacher.

All students have access to two ActivTables.  These touchscreen computer tables allow up  to 6 students at a time to explore and learn from a variety of media and activities.

Every classroom has three desktop computers and a touchscreen Promethean Board.

One to Global Initiative

One-to-Global

One-to-Global is a one-to-one technology integration initiative.  The purpose of One-to-Global is to use technology equipment, programs, and application to engage students in challenging, critical thinking, and real world activities and learning.

Mission

The mission of Sumter School District is to equip students to be responsible, successful, and productive citizens in a global society.  The mission of the One-to-Global Technology Initiative is to connect each student to the global opportunity of learning and to use innovation to engage and prepare students for the 21^st Century.

Vision

The vision of One-to-Global is to transform traditional classroom instruction to an environment of innovative, global reaching, real life, critical thinking, and student centered learning.

Goals

The goals of One-to-Global are to:

• Increase student engagement
• Increase student depth of knowledge and academic achievement
• Reduce classroom disruption
• Provide innovative classroom instruction
• Facilitate on-going technology professional development

Instructional Technology Team

Dr. David Laws, Director of Instructional Technology

Melissa A Epps, Instructional Technology Specialist

Keasha Grant, Instructional Technology Specialist

Jamie Lessard, Instructional Technology Specialist

Linda Collins, Title I Instructional Technology Facilitator

Find out more information about the One to Global initiative by clicking here.

Student Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Agreement

1.   I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number without my parents’ permission.

2.   I will tell my parents right away if I come across something that makes me feel uncomfortable.

3.   I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring a parent along.

4.   I will talk with my parents about posting pictures of myself or others online and not post any pictures that my parents consider to be inappropriate.

5.   I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away.

6.   I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online and using a mobile phone. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

7.   I will not give out my passwords to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

8.   I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or mobile device or jeopardize my family’s privacy.

9.   I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

10. I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.

Source: http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

April 17, 2023

Dear Parent or Guardian,

The South Carolina College and Career-Ready Assessment (SC READY) is a statewide assessment that includes tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics administered to students in grades 3-8. All students in grades 3-8 are required to participate in the SC READY, except those who qualify for the Alternate Assessment which is for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Additionally, the SC READY is a required statewide assessment program in science that is administered to students in grades 4 and 6 in elementary and middle school. The SC READY is an untimed test, administered in an online testing format, and used for state and federal accountability purposes.

Items on SC READY will include selected response, short answer, evidence-based selected response, and test-dependent analysis. Evidence-based selected response questions will require students to read a piece of text or a passage and choose the best answer from answer choices. Text-depended analysis will require students to read a piece of text or a passage and draw upon that text for their extended written responses. Items on SC READY science tests will be multiple choice. SC READY is aligned to the state standards that are taught in your child’s classroom.

Please refer to the information below regarding testing at your child’s school.

Sincerely,

Debra Healey

Assistant Principal/School Test Coordinator

• How can I prepare for the test day?
  • Students should get a full night of rest before the test day and should wake up early enough to have a healthy, well-balanced meal prior to arriving at school by 7:30 a.m. Breakfast will be served at school as well but students are encouraged to arrive early enough (by 7:15 a.m.) to eat in order to report to the testing location on time. Doctor, Dentist, and other appointments should not be scheduled for the day of the test as students are not permitted to leave the testing location until all tests have been completed and turned in.
• When and where should students report on the day of the test?
  • Students should report directly to their homeroom classroom on the day of the test. Students should arrive no later than 7:30 a.m.
• What should students bring on the day of the test?
  • Students are only permitted to bring their school ID cards to the testing locations. Backpacks, calculators, electronic devices, purses, and other items are not permitted in the testing location. Students who bring these items will be required to store them at their own risk away from the testing location. Failure to adhere to this testing policy will result in cancellation of scores and disciplinary action.