PES Parent Newsletter

Every Day Counts!

General Information

We are so excited to welcome our 1st-5th grade students on Tuesday, August 4th! K5 students will start on Friday, August 7th.
Doors to the school will open at 7:30am.
K5 parents you are welcome to walk your child to the classroom on Friday, August 7th. Beginning on Monday, August 10th students will need to walk to the classroom by themselves or with one of our school staff members.
After School Care will begin on Tuesday, August 4th. Please e-mail Amy Ramey at amyramey@pickens.k12.sc.us if you have any After School Care Questions.
Please look at the sections below pertaining to Morning Arrival and Afternoon Dismissal to ensure these processes go smoothly.
If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact the school at 864-397-2300.

Morning Arrival and Afternoon Dismissal

26-27 Morning Arrival

Morning car drop-off begins at 7:30am each day. Students should not be dropped off or allowed out of cars until adult supervision is present. Please drive up from Monroe Street. Right turns onto Monroe Street from S. Lewis Street are NOT allowed. Left turns into the school carline are not allowed. Drop off will only occur in the right lane closest to the school each morning. Safety patrols are on duty to assist students; however students should not wait to have car doors opened. As soon as your vehicle is stopped at the curb, students should exit their vehicle on the passenger side. All car riders should proceed through the car line. Students are not allowed to be dropped off across the street or in the parking lot and allowed to cross traffic. Parents may walk with their child, but should use the crosswalk and exercise caution in crossing the traffic lane.

26-27 Afternoon Dismissal

Pickens Elementary uses Driveline to help with dismissal. All people picking up students in the car line each afternoon are required to have a car tag displayed in their front windshield before students will be released from class. If a car does not have a car tag displayed, the person will be asked to park and come in and show ID before the student is dismissed.

Dismissal will begin shortly after 2:30pm each day. All traffic should enter the car loop on S. Lewis Street at the intersection of Jefferson Street (Please see the picture below).

Once you turn left onto Monroe Street, you will be divided into two lines according to the car tag number. Numbers from 300-500 will be on the left hand side. All other numbers will be in the right hand lane closest to the school. Please remain in your lane so the appropriate staff member can put in your car tag number.

Students should enter their car from the passenger side. If a student needs to be buckled, please pull forward after your line moves and pull out of the way of traffic to buckle your child. Please do not get out of your car while you are in the car line.

Safety Procedures for Early Dismissals, Carline Dismissals, and Lunch Visits

PES has implemented the following safety procedures for early dismissals, carline dismissals, and lunch visits. For all of these instances, an ID will be required when entering the school and picking up a student.

Students may be signed out only by a parent/guardian unless another adult is listed on the sign-out card. Adults should be prepared to show an ID and/or know the code word on the sign-out card. No sign outs will be allowed after 1:45 p.m.
All vehicles picking up students at dismissal must have an identification tag. For student safety reasons, any parent who does not have a Pickens Elementary hangtag must park and come into the reception area to produce identification, give the code word, and sign out their child.
Parents and guardians are welcome to eat lunch with students. Adults must check in at the front office with an ID to have a Visitor’s Badge printed. This badge must be worn during the visit. Due to safety reasons, parents/guardians will not be allowed to return to the classroom or go to the playground with students after lunch.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Lawton at 864-397-2300 or shannonlawton@pickens.k12.sc.us .

Counselor's Corner

Super Sparklers: Growing Great Character Together

This year, we're excited to continue our Super Sparklers character education program! Each month, we'll focus on a different character trait from our SPARKLERS acronym and celebrate one student from each homeroom who demonstrates that month's trait. We love recognizing the everyday choices our students make to help our school shine!

August Focus: Self-Control

You can help your child practice self-control at home by:

Encouraging them to stop and think before reacting.
Practicing patience by taking turns and waiting.
Noticing and praising calm, thoughtful choices.
Modeling self-control during everyday challenges.

Thank you for partnering with us as we help our students grow into kind, responsible, and confident leaders! Please reach out to me with any questions at katiesmith@pickens.k12.sc.us

Title I Tidbits

Pickens Elementary's Title I Overview along with a DRAFT copy of the Parent-School Compact and the Parent and Family Engagement Policy were sent home with students at Meet the Teacher. We would love to have parent feedback on these documents. Comments can be made directly on the documents and returned to school or completed online. All responses should be completed by August 14th. If you have any questions about our Title I program, please contact Sherri Martin at 864-397-2354 or by email at sherrimartin@pickens.k12.sc.us.

Pickens Elementary PTO

Our PTO has been hard a work planning events and fundraisers for the school.

Ice Cream Fridays will start on Friday, August 14th. Students can bring $1 and purchase an ice cream at lunch.

Please follow the Pickens PTO Facebook Page for the most up-to-date information.

PES Title I "Dive Into Literacy" Night

Event Information

PES Title I "Dive Into Literacy" Night 5:00-6:30pm

We will kick things off with our Annual Title I Meeting in the cafeteria, then our students and families will participate in fun, literacy-based activities in the classrooms.

When?

Monday, Aug 31, 2026, 05:00 PM

Where?

Pickens Elementary School, Hampton Avenue, Pickens, SC, USA

location_on Open maps

August Menu

All SDPC students will receive a free breakfast and lunch daily. Breakfast is served each morning from 7:30-7:55am.

Helping Our School

Help Pickens Elementary raise money by linking your grocery accounts to our school. Both Ingles and Publix have programs that gives our school a percentage of each purchase to buy supplies. Please click on the links below to sign up.

Ingles Tools for School School ID: 11460

Publix Partners