AMHS Back-to-School Newsletter #3

Important Dates:

Aug. 10th | Teacher Workday | Summer Scholars Makeup Session (10 - Noon)

Aug. 11th | First Day of School!

Aug. 13th -14th | Grade Level Town Halls

Aug. 19th | Open House @ 5:15 pm

Aug. 27th | Senior Parent Night

Aug. 28th | 10th -12th Grade Academic Award Ceremony

Dear AMHS Students and Families,

Welcome to a new school year! I hope your summer was filled with rest, joy, and meaningful experiences with friends and family. As we begin this exciting year together, I am especially proud of the many students who spent part of their summer serving others in the City of Charleston, across the county, and abroad. Your willingness to give your time and talents reflects the very best of AMHS!

Whether you spent the summer volunteering, working, traveling, learning something new, or simply recharging, we are excited to welcome you back. This school year brings new opportunities to learn, grow, and achieve great things together.

Please also join me in welcoming the AMHS Class of 2030! Freshman - As you begin this new journey, I encourage each of you to embrace the challenges ahead, support one another, and make the most of everything that Our Magnet has to offer!

Homerooms - Students will report to their assigned homerooms at 8:30 a.m. each of the first 10 days of school. This is to allow for the 10-Day Count to be completed. Homerooms are listed on student schedules.

Schedules - All students who attended our summer item pickup events received a copy of their schedule. Students and parents may also view class schedules in PowerSchool or Parent Portal. If you submitted a Schedule Change Form, please note that the AMHS Counseling Department is diligently working through all requests. Students should continue checking their email for correspondence. Schedule change requests may be made through Friday, August 21st at 3:00 pm.

Textbooks & Chromebooks - Students who have not picked up textbooks and Chromebooks, may pick up their items from Ms. GG (RM 7103) upon arrival or during homeroom on Tuesday. Chromebooks have been assigned and placed with students' textbooks.

Arrival - AMHS opens for student drop offs at 7:30 a.m. All students are to be dropped off at the Rose Maree Myers Theater. Students arriving before 8:00 am should report to the media center.

Dismissal - The AMHS instructional day ends at 3:30 p.m. Parents and guardians picking up students at dismissal should use the right lane in the designated pickup area. Academic Magnet High School and the School of the Arts share the same dismissal area, which is located in front of the Rose Maree Myers Theater on the left side of the SOA Middle School building (building 2).

See graphic below.

As a county-wide magnet school, AMHS offers centralized, parent-assisted bus transportation service. Bus stops are routed within five miles of a student’s primary residence. Please refer to the CCSD Bus Stop Lookup Tool for the most accurate information regarding stops and routes as routes and times may change before and after the start of school. Several other important links, including the FirstView Bus Tracking App, can be found on the CCSD Transportation Page (see links on left side of the page).

Pro Tip: Be sure to use the Magnet Bus Stops Near Me search box when using the CCSD Bus Stop Lookup Tool.

AMHS is served by First Student and Coastal Busline. Coastal Routes are listed below. All others are operated by First Student.

FirstView App CCSD Code: N6G3F

Instructions to sign up for Remind (Coastal Buses Only):

The Remind App is used to receive service notifications from Coastal Busline (tracking is not available).

Text @cbl-soa20 to start receiving notifications.

You will receive a text message with the link to download the Remind App.

Coastal Bus Routes: 503, 506, 559, 560, 561, 562, 563, 568 and 569

If you have any bus-related feedback throughout the year, please use the CCSD Transportation and Feedback Form to log your feedback, including late or no show buses. CCSD Transportation and Feedback Form is where CCSD tracks and addresses bus related issues. Additional contact information for Coastal Busline and First Student can be found at this link.

All students must complete the linked form to request a schedule change. Requests are not guaranteed and will not be completed until after textbook pickup the last week of July. Students will be notified via email when the request is addressed.

26-27 Schedule Change Requests

Student IDs serve several important purposes at Academic Magnet High School, including enhancing campus security and providing scannable access for services such as checking out library materials and other school resources. All students are required to wear their student ID while on campus.

Students who arrive without their ID will receive a temporary ID sticker for up to four occurrences. After the fourth temporary ID, students must purchase a replacement hard ID, lanyard, and protective case for $5.00.

The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority at Academic Magnet High School. As part of our comprehensive school safety plan, we participate in two random weapons screening programs.

The first program involves the use of CEIA OpenGate weapons screeners on randomly selected mornings. On these days, all students and visitors pass through the screening system before entering any building on the Bonds Wilson Campus.

The second program is coordinated by the Charleston County School District Security Team and includes the random screening of a selected classroom, its occupants, and their belongings.

These are the same CEIA OpenGate screeners used at AMHS athletic events and many large public venues. The system is calibrated to detect weapons, allowing common metal items such as keys, cell phones, and laptops to pass through without issue.

We work closely with the CCSD Security Department and the School of the Arts to conduct these screenings efficiently while minimizing disruption to instruction and student schedules.

Each grade-level has a class Canvas page for students with dedicated oversight from an AMHS faculty member. Those pages have important reminders, information about service opportunities, and other relevant information for that specific grade level. Just as the Raptor Report serves as a primary information avenue for Magnet families during the school year, the class canvas page shares a lot of information with the primary audience of those grade level students.

Grade level teachers will share more about this important resource with students at the start of the school year.

All 2026-27 Student Activity Fees can be paid via Revtrak. The individual links and those students who should pay are listed below. All parking spots have currently been sold. Please email Ms. Knox at mary_knox@charleston.k12.sc.us to be added to the waitlist.

2026-27 Student Activity Fees:

Physical Education Uniform ($20) - All 9th Graders

Student Activities Fee ($45) - All Students

Sports Insurance ($53) - Student Athletes

Student Parking Fee ($45) - 11th & 12th graders to reserve a parking spot

Student Parking Update & Reminders:

• After much planning and consideration, AMHS will continue the tradition of students choosing their individual assigned parking spots. Following Revtrak payment, a parking spot will be reserved for the paying student. Students wishing to choose their assigned parking spot may do so at the scheduled Back-to-School Schedule, Textbook & Chromebook Pick up times on July 27th and 28th (see flyer below). Parking spots will be reserved and assigned on a first come first served basis.
• Only 11th and 12th graders may request parking at AMHS!
• All students issued a parking spot are required to sign the AMHS Parking Contract. Hard copies will be available to sign during the pick up events.
• Student drivers should become familiar with the preferred directions to AMHS Campus.

Orientation for transfer students is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28th from 10:00am-12:00pm. Students will have their school portraits taken and will check out textbooks and Chromebooks. A member of our counseling team will be present to address any scheduling changes. If you have any questions about the Transfer Student Orientation, please email Ms. Johnson at flashette_johnson@charleston.k12.sc.us

The 2026 AMHS Summer Scholars Institute (SSI) is designed to prepare incoming students for a successful transition to high school by introducing them to AMHS expectations, academic resources, and student life. This year, Summer Scholars will take place Tuesday, July 28th - Thursday, July 30th. The program runs from 8:00am to 1:00pm each day.

Important Reminders:

• Check-in will begin at 7:30 each morning.
• Lunch will not be provided.
• Transportation is not provided by CCSD or AMHS.
• Students should bring: a backpack, refillable water bottle, pens and/or pencils & lunch.

If you have not already done so, please register your child (incoming freshmen only) using this Google Form even if they cannot attend the entire time. Registered families should have already received an email from Mr. Williams. If you have not yet received an email from Mr. Williams, please contact him at Jason_williams@charlestoncountyschools.gov

Thank you all for being responsive to Ms. Fisher and making this a priority. We are 99% complete with our 2026-27 Residency Verification. If we still need an item from you, we have reached out directly by phone and e-mail. As always, any questions about residency can be directed to our Student Data Specialist at sarah_fisher@charleston.k12.sc.us

Academic Magnet High School benefits from the dedicated support of several outstanding parent organizations. Three key groups you will hear about throughout the year are Partners in Education (PIE), the Academic Magnet Foundation (AMF), and the Raptor Athletic Booster Club.

• Partners in Education enhances the student and staff experience by supporting school climate initiatives, professional development, student activities, and participation in national competitions.
• The Academic Magnet Foundation funds important academic programs, including the Summer Scholars Institute, targeted test preparation, and college readiness opportunities for upperclassmen.
• The Raptor Athletic Booster Club provides vital support to our athletic programs, ensuring that our teams, coaches, and student-athletes have the resources they need to compete and represent AMHS with pride.

The generosity and commitment of AMHS parent organizations play an important role in enriching the educational experience and expanding opportunities for all AMHS students. Click the links above to learn more about each organization and to join!

We will share more great news about our parent organization in the coming weeks.

For the 26-27 school year, AMHS is happy to welcome Ms. Gabrielle Krupilis as Director of School Counseling! Ms. Krupilis has been a member of the AMHS Counseling Department for the past six years. AMHS also welcomes Ms. Latoya White, former Director of Counseling at Andrews High School. Ms. White brings over 9 years of counseling experience to AMHS.

Leslie Pridgen (Last Names A - Fe)

leslie_pridgen@charlestoncountyschools.gov

Room: 8128

Latoya White (Last Names Fi - Ma)

latoya_white@charlestoncountyschools.gov

Room: 8129

Gabrielle Krupilis (Last Names Mc - P)

gabrielle_krupilis@charlestoncountyschools.gov

Room: 8121

Laura Peirano (Last Names R - Z)

laura_peirano@charlestoncountyschools.gov

Room: 8118

We’ve already had a great summer with many of our athletic teams working out, practicing, and competing for the coming year. Raptor Athletics is one of many excellent outlets to explore extracurricular activities at Academic Magnet High School with enriching opportunities to grow beyond the traditional academic day. All information related to athletics, including our athletic website, social media links, contact information for coaches, and required preparticipation athletic forms, is available here.

Please contact our AMHS Athletic Director, Coach Knauer at raymond_knauer@charleston.k12.sc.us or 843-746-6376 with any athletic questions.

Go Raptors!

Website: https://amhs.ccsdschools.com/
5109-A West Enterprise Street, North Charleston, SC 29405
Phone: (843) 746-1310