The Tea with Dr. T

The “Tea” with Dr. T is my way of keeping LVES families, community members, and external partners connected and “in the know” about all things Luther Vaughan! Each edition will share important updates, celebrations, upcoming events, and helpful information as we continue building a strong school community together.

Need to Read the Newsletter in Another Language?

Our newsletters can be translated into the language that works best for your family! At the top of the Smore newsletter, look for the “Translate” option, select your preferred language, and the newsletter will automatically translate for you.

We want to make sure every LVES family can access, understand, and stay connected to the information we share!

Monday evening was all about celebrating student achievement, growth, and excellence! Seventeen students from each CCSD elementary and middle school (nearly 200 scholars!) traveled to Charlotte to watch the Charlotte Hornets take on the Washington Wizards!

These scholars earned FREE tickets in recognition of their performance on the SC READY assessment. It was truly a sight to see our Luther Vaughan All-Star Lions take Charlotte by storm and watch the Hornets bring home a victory!

We are so proud of our scholars! We hope this experience serves as a reminder to ALL of our Lions that hard work, dedication, and giving your best effort PAY OFF! Keep working hard, Lions! 💙💛

🦁 The $500 Lion Challenge – Our Scholars Have BIG Ideas!

Our 4th and 5th grade scholars recently took on a challenge that pushed them to think like leaders, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers!

The question was simple: "If you had $500 to improve our school, what would you purchase and why?"

Working in teams, students developed creative ideas, created budgets, and presented their proposals in a Shark Tank-style competition. We had nearly 40 presentations, and let me tell you, our scholars did an OUTSTANDING job!

After narrowing the competition to six finalists, our scholars had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of community judges for a chance to win up to $500 to bring their ideas to life!

A special thank you to our guest "sharks":

• Ms. Shanese Dawkins – CCSD Board Chair

• Dr. Loretta Holmes – Director of Teacher Certification, Evaluation, and Recruitment

• Dr. David Smith – Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources

• Ms. Candice Alge and Team – Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union

• Dr. Erin Fox – CCSD Communications

• Mr. Scott Powell – The Gaffney Ledger

A HUGE THANK YOU to Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union for funding our $500 Lion Challenge and investing in our scholars!

I cannot say enough about how proud I am of our students and teachers. Watching our scholars confidently share their ideas, think critically, and take ownership of improving THEIR school was something special!

Our scholars have BIG ideas, and we want them to know their voices matter!

In accordance with ESEA Section 1111(h)(6) PARENTS RIGHT-TO-KNOW, the Cherokee County School District is notifying every parent of a student in a Title I school that you have the right and may request information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher. This information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers including, at a minimum, the following:

1. Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.
3. The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
4. Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If at any time your child has been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a teacher not highly qualified, the school will notify you.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

November 2nd and 3rd: No School For Students

November 3rd: Applebee's Fundraiser

November 11th: Veterans Program Day

November 18th: Interim distributed

November 25th - 27th: No School for Students

CCSD families, mark your calendars! Parent University is a great opportunity for families to connect, learn, and stay engaged with what is happening across our district. There are several opportunities throughout the school year to attend:

• November 17, 2026 – Ewing Middle School, Cafeteria
• January 19, 2027 – Gaffney Middle School, Cafeteria
• February 16, 2027 – Gaffney High School, TEAM Room

We encourage our LVES families to take advantage of these opportunities to learn, connect, and stay involved!