THE MUSTANG MESSENGER

WELCOME BACK! I hope you had time to relax and spend time with your family over the summer break and are looking forward to the new school year. The 2024-25 school year at Palmetto was a tremendous success, and we are looking forward to an even better 2025-26 school year!

This newsletter contains important information regarding the opening of school. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything we can do to help your child have a successful school year.

We look forward to seeing families on July 31st from 4-6 for Open House, and we can't wait to welcome students back for the first day of school on Tuesday, August 5th!

Brandon Koon

koonb@apps.anderson1.org

Principal

If you have not already done so, please log in to Parent Portal and complete the Returning Student Registration for the 2025-2026 school year as soon as possible.

While you're updating your student's information, you may also pay school fees and preorder school shirts and yearbooks. We will have shirts displayed at Meet the Teacher.

Pay Fees Online here.

School fees: $12

iPad Insurance: $29

Optional purchases:

School shirt: $15

Yearbook: $15

PTO Membership: $10

*Breakfast and lunch are FREE for all students!

Supply lists for each grade level are linked here. They can also be found on the PES website and Facebook page.

We are excited to open our doors for Meet the Teacher Night / Open House on Thursday, July 31st from 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

To assist with crowds and parking, we would like you to consider attending Open House during the following times if possible:

Last names A-M 4:00 - 5:15 pm

Last names N -Z 4:45 - 6:00 pm

We are excited to welcome several new faculty members to PES for the 25-26 school year. Join us in welcoming them to the PES family!

Morgan Blount - Speech

Alyssa Easlick - First Grade Teacher

Alisa Harper - K5 Assistant

Resource Officer - Scott Pruitt

Lindsay Smith - ESOL

Maggie Taylor - Emerging Bilingual Teacher

Jean Weston - Classroom Assistant

The Mustang Way - We will continue to emphasize the Mustang Way (Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible) to our students this year. This year, we are making it a focus to celebrate students who display these characteristics. Be sure to ask your students how they can demonstrate these behavior expectations around the school and the types of celebrations we have planned.

You can find out more information about The Mustang Way and our student conduct guidelines beginning on page 17 of the Student Handbook.

PES Spirit Rock - Looking to celebrate your student? PES has added a Spirit Rock for families to reserve to show their school spirit and celebrate special events. Sign up information can be found by clicking the link.

All students riding in cars should be dropped off and picked up through a car line. Our front car line is located in front of the school building and is reserved for students in the preschool program and grades 2-5. Our back car line operates in the rear of the school and is available for all students in K5-1st grade and their siblings. Students may enter the building beginning at 7:20 a.m. each school day. Teachers are not on supervision duty until 7:20 a.m. Please do not leave your child or children unattended before this time.

All students will eat breakfast or sit in the hallways outside their classrooms until the teachers open classrooms at 7:30. Adults will be on duty in the hallways to monitor students during this time.

Bus students arrive and depart from the school under the awning located at the side of the building, adjacent to Palmetto Primary Drive. Parking is not allowed anywhere in this bus circle area. Please do not block any driveways that connect to Palmetto Primary Drive.

At 2:15 p.m., all students are dismissed. Bus riders exit the side entrance to the bus circle. All car riders remain in classrooms. Numbers of car riders are radioed inside, where it is displayed in each classroom. Students report to the car loading area when their number appears. A tag (displaying a student dismissal number) will be issued to car riders. Please hang this tag from the rearview mirror and display the tag until the student is safely loaded into the car. If you lose your car tag, please visit our office to obtain a replacement. This makes dismissal much smoother.

All car riders must be picked up by 2:45. If car riders are picked up after 2:45 more than three times, they may be enrolled in the YMCA at the parents' expense. At 2:15, all students will be dismissed through the car line. Please do not come inside to have your child’s name called. Parents should not go to classrooms to pick up students, stand outside of classroom doors, or congregate in the lobby at the end of the day. It is much easier to effectively dismiss students when the hallways are clear. Please remain in your vehicle and wait for the children to be called for dismissal.

Anyone picking up students without a dismissal number tag will be required to park and come into the office with the appropriate ID and be on the approved pick-up list before the student will be dismissed. This is for the safety of all students.

Fall picture day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13th. Make-up pictures will be made on Tuesday, September 23rd. Be sure to wear your best smile!

Our PTO Board has been hard at work planning events for the 2025-26 school year. Co-Presidents for the PES PTO for the 2025-26 school year are Ms. Erin Schmidt and Mr. Miles Teehan.

They will have a table in the cafeteria at Open House. Please stop by and see them, sign up to join PTO, and find out more about all the exciting events they have planned!

Be sure to follow the Palmetto Elementary PTO on Facebook. Updates will be shared via Facebook and Seesaw throughout the year.

July 31 - Open House / Meet the Teacher

Aug 5 - First Day of School!

Aug 13 - Fall Pictures

Aug 19 - 22 - STAR testing

Aug 22 - School shirt orders due

Sept 1 - No School (Labor Day)

Sept 23 - Fall Pictures Make Up Day

ADDRESS:

Palmetto Elementary School

1 Roberts Blvd

Williamston, SC 29697

(864)847-5442

INTERNET/SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE: https://www.anderson1.org/o/pe

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/PalmettoElementary