Weekly Hoots

Wise Owls Family 🦉

I am so thankful to call each and every one of you FAMILY! We are quickly coming to the end of our first semester and it has been such a ride... It seems like it was just yesterday that you all were entering our halls for the first time, finding your children's teachers and getting a start to a wonderful 2025-26 school year. We have had a lot of wonderful adventures from figuring out the car rider line 😬, to enjoying an aWESome Parent University, Grandparents Lunch, Fall Carnival 🎪, Tags of Honor, and so much more. You have been here every step of the way.

We have had amazing accomplishments within the classroom as well. This past week, we watched as some students jumped 2 grade levels in i-Ready, students qualified for the gifted and talented program, completed their first (or second) 5K, set personal best times, showed kindness around the school, and stepped into leadership roles!

When I started at Whitesville Elementary School, my goal was to continue a tradition of service that this place was known for; however, I wanted to do something more, push the envelope. I want to create a place where families are proud to send their children, where they can say: "My child is a Wise Owl!" Thank you all for helping to make THAT a reality. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but for today, I'm so thankful to serve this wonderful community. I'm so thankful for all of the accomplishments, achievements, and even challenges that we have faced. I'm thankful for you, our Wise Owls Family and for Berkeley County district leadership for granting me the opportunity to serve. Every day is not easy... But at least we have each other!

Have a wonderful holiday season, get rest, relax... don't worry, everything goes on sale in January 🤣. If I don't see you this week, know I'm thankful for you, love you, and will see you next year!

With appreciation,

Dr. Gantt

Principal at the most Amazing School on Earth!

#FirstThingsFirst!

Our mission is to cultivate a caring community that utilizes a multitude of teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for their next adventure.

1. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and appreciated.
2. We believe that all children deserve a high quality education.
3. We believe in collaboration and making connections.

Staying Safe

Owning Your Actions

Acting Responsibly

Respecting Everyone & Everything

To make things super easy (and cash-free!), don’t forget to set up your child’s Elf Wallet. It only takes a minute, and it keeps shopping fun, simple, and safe! 🧝🧝💳

💻 Create your account

💲 Add funds

🎁 Let your little elf shop!

Check your flyer for the QR code and details!

Let’s make this holiday season extra special for our students! 🌟💙⛄

*Elf shop is cash or elf wallet only*

“South Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law requires that a parent or guardian shall require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools and Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education f rom the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.”

Students who would like to eat breakfast should plan to arrive before 7:15 a.m. to have enough time to eat and to make it to class by 7:20 a.m. Staff on duty will enter the building at 7:20 a.m. Any student that arrives to school after staff enters the building will be required to be walked in and signed in at the Front Office.

For our students in the front car rider drop off line, please have your child prepared to get out of the car when you pull up. We will not have staff available to open every car door and we are asking for students to let themselves out of their car to allow for the car rider line drop off to be as efficient as possible.

The BEST time to arrive to school is around or before 7:05 a.m. If you get in the car rider line after 7:17 a.m., it is likely that your child will be tardy, due to size of our campus.

If parents plan to dismiss their child from school before the close fo the day, a note should be sent in the morning stating the child will be dismissed early and the time the child will be picked up. It is also best to email the teacher to give him/her a heads up as well.

Students leaving early must be signed out in the Front Office by an approved adult on the student's emergency contact list. Parents will be asked to show identification - even if we know you 🙂, for every students' safety.

If there is a change of transportation, a note with a parent/guardian's signature MUST be provided. Any student that tells staff that his or her parent/guardian told them to go home by another means will not be honored. For the safety of our students, a change in transportation must be submitted in writing to the student's teacher AND to the Front Office.

Students will be able to get some holiday shopping done at school. Natalie's Elf Shelf Holiday Shop will have some great, affordable gifts students will be able to buy for family members and loved ones.

Student dismissal begins at 10:50 a.m.

School & Offices Closed

We officially kick off semester 2 😀

Our goal for our Tags of Honor Celebration is to acknowledge our students’ achievements and hard work throughout the quarter. Our students will earn Brag Tags that they will keep at school until the end of the year.

Our goal for our Tags of Honor Celebration is to acknowledge our students’ achievements and hard work throughout the quarter. Our students will earn Brag Tags that they will keep at school until the end of the year.

Show your school spirit and support our students by grabbing your WES Car Magnet! Every purchase helps fund exciting programs and activities, enriching your child's school experience. Plus, you are showcasing your WES pride in your community. Join us in making a difference—buy now and roll with school pride!

Car Magnets cost $5.

Saturday, February 7th - Sweetheart Dance

Friday, March 6th - Boosterthon Fun Run

Friday, May 26th - 5th Grade End of Year Celebration

According to the Education Accountability Act - Article 16, Underperforming Schools must complete a Turnaround Plan (Continuous Improvement Plan). This is a plan outlining goals for a school or district's educational improvement that includes specific strategies designed to increase student achievement and measure to evaluate the success of the implementation of the plan so that the school or district is no longer underperforming or chronically underperforming.

Underperforming schools are identified annually based on the annual school report card.

By May 2026, 100% of classroom teachers observed at Whitesville Elementary School will demonstrate increased use of high quality instructional materials and overall student engagement, as measured by quarterly classroom observations.

By Spring 2026, the percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds Expectations on SC Ready in ELA will be at least 64% as measured by SC Ready Results.

By Spring 2026, the percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds Expectations on SC Ready in Math will be at least 50% or showing 5-7% growth as measured by SC Ready Results.

VantageSpeech.com

843-790-4093

Vantage Speech is a licensed speech-language therapy company located in Moncks Corner, Summerville, and Port Royal, South Carolina. We provide Clinic & home-based comprehensive speech and language evaluations, therapy, and consultations. Vantage Speech was founded to provide in-depth personalized services while building quality relationships with clients and their families. Services are throughout the greater area of Charleston & Beaufort, which includes Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston, Beaufort & Jasper counties.

yourscagent.com

843-879-0349

Sarah's agency, Sarah Modesitt State Farm, offers a range of insurance products including auto, home, business, life, and health insurance. They also provide quality financial services to assist customers in protecting what matters most to them throughout their lives. Sarah and her team are dedicated to genuinely educating their customers about their insurance needs and ensuring they feel protected.

GCGROUP.COM

843-970-1970

Since 2013, The Gasperic & Collins Group (Formerly The Gasperic Group) has been a top-producing realty in Charleston and its surrounding South Carolina communities. For us, client bonds matter more than anything. That means working with us means you’ll always be informed, supported, and heard.

charlestonswaglab.com

843-771-6080

We are a full service advertising specialties company offering a wide range of promotional items to promote your company.

We can assist your marketing objectives with these quality programs:

• Corporate recognition programs
• Premiums and Incentives Sales
• Trade Show Programs
• Safety Programs
• Service Awards
• Employee Recognition

• Product Introductions
• Business Gifts
• Sport Tournaments
• Company Outings
• Thank you programs
• E-Commerce Services: online stores and fulfillment services

Students at WES will receive school breakfast and school lunch at no cost to the student during 2025-26 school year, under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The Community Eligibility Provision is a federally funded initiative, which serves schools with high percentages of students from low-income families. The program was established in 2010 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If a negative balance exists on a student's account from previous school years, the balance will need to be paid in full.

Breakfast and lunch will be served on every day. If your student wants to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive to school between 6:50 a.m. - 7:18 a.m. Breakfast will no longer be served after 7:45 a.m.

• Our school's website is found at https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/wes
• WES Facebook page is Whitesville Elementary School Wise Owls
• The Weekly Hoots newsletter will be emailed & texted to families every Sunday evening. Please be sure to have your updated information in PowerSchool.
• Our PTO's website is wiseowlspto.com.
• Our PTO's Facebook page is Whitesville Wise Owls PTO.
• Schoology: Teachers will update their grades weekly.
• Rooms: Our two-way form of communication at WES. Every teacher at WES will use Rooms as a tool for communication.