This Week

Florence 1 Schools is closer to selecting its 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year. Each individual school teacher of the year competing for the title of Florence 1 Schools Teacher of the Year completed an application packet.

An outside panel of three selection committee members, Dr. Michiko McClary, Director of Teacher Education, Morris College; Dr. James Ritter, Associate Professor of Education, Francis Marion University; and Dr. Lisa Stockdale, Dean of the School of Education, Coker University reviewed the packets and rated each one using specific selection criteria. The teachers whose packets received the highest ratings have been named the 2026-2027 Honor Roll Teachers. Honor Roll Teachers are finalists in the quest to name a Teacher of the Year for Florence 1 Schools. They are pictured above.

The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee will hold interview sessions separately with the honor roll teachers on Friday, September 11th. Scores from the interview and applications packets will be considered and calculated. The Florence 1's Teacher of the Year will be announced on Tuesday, September 29th at the 26th Annual School Foundation Gala. The Florence 1 Schools Teacher of the Year will then participate in the State Teacher of the Year Program to vie for the title of South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Florence 1’s Spark AI Team kicked off a new school year of collaboration with a meeting this week. This team, made up of representatives from a variety of roles within our schools, as well as district-level staff members, serves as a guiding force behind district AI implementation.

During the meeting, team members discussed how AI can be used to streamline workflow, which will free up valuable time for our educators to use for meaningful instruction and small group time with their students.

The team noted an insight from a teacher who said that AI helped them create lesson plans that would have otherwise taken them a month to make.

AI is a tool that can help transform education and spark creative ways of thinking. Team members say they look forward to more conversations amongst educators about how they are using it to strengthen their classrooms and take back time for what is most important: our students.

Open enrollment is right around the corner. Add, drop or change coverage from October 1-31, 2026. For more information, visit peba.sc.gov/oe. If you need additional assistance, contact your Benefits Specialists in the Florence 1 Schools Office of Human Resources: Renee Prosser, (renee.prosser@fsd1.org) if your last name begins with A-J or Kamara Sanders (ksanders@fsd1.org) if your last name begins with L-M.

• The hours of preparation
• The emotional labor of carrying student hopes and challenges.
• The mental readiness to pour into others.
• For teachers, Labor Day has rarely been a pause--it's often the final stretch of preparation. A time to lean in, not step back.

Labor Day was created to honor work. But perhaps its deeper meaning lies in honoring both the visible and invisible labor that sustains us:

• The hours no one sees.
• The preparation that makes the work possible.
• The courage to rest when the work is heavy.

For teachers, leaders, and all who serve schools, Labor Day may never simply be a day off. But it can always be a day to honor the sacred work of preparation—and to remember that educators are worthy of the dignity of rest.

Excerpt Credit: Ayanna Hill-Gill, 2025.

The September issue is a must-have for all Florence 1 Schools, parents, students and staff. The September issue explains what to do if students arrive late after breakfast has been served. It gives a recipe for you take to the football tail-gate: Texas Caviar; it provides school menus and much more: Visit: September 2026 Florence 1 Schools Culinary News.

Florence 1 Schools was represented (by students and staff) among the 100 + volunteers who assembled 23,040 meal packets at the 2026 Feed the Hunger Packathon held this past weekend. With heads covered and hearts willing, these volunteers spent time on Saturday working to help fight hunger in our community. For more information about the Feed the Hunger organization, please navigate to feedthehunger.org.

Pictured above are some of the Florence 1 Schools Feed the Hunger Packathon Volunteers. On the front row are students Jailyn Goodman, Zuyu Zheng, Jaelyn Smith, Brooklyn Canady Small of West Florence High School; located behind Jailyn Goodman is Greenwood Elementary Principal Tina Johnson; on the third row is Brenda Kay Joyner, classroom assistant and bus driver at Brockington Elementary; Heath Stokes a teacher at Brockington Elementary and Dyamond Goodman a Delmae Elementary teacher.

Southside Middle School received the delivery of a Yamaha baby grand piano this week. This high-quality instrument is in the school auditorium and will enable students and teachers to present piano recitals, chamber music, and choral concerts.

Southside Middle School has also been selected to host the 2027 South Carolina Music Educators Association Spring Piano Festival, an event which gives piano students across South Carolina an opportunity to perform, receive evaluations, and qualify top performers for the annual Spring Piano Masterclass and Honors Recital.

In football action this weekend, South Florence will host Ashley Ridge (Summerville); West Florence travels to Sumter and Wilson is at Darlington.

Can't make the games? Download the Florence 1 App; find the Athletics icon; navigate to your football program for results.

Month-Long Observances...

National Attendance Awareness Month Let's Talk About Attendance

National Preparedness Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Suicide Prevention Month

Celebrated Days.....

Labor Day - September 7

Patriot Day - September 11

Grandparents Day - September 13

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day - September 17

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and prioritizing our own mental health and well-being is vital. This month, Florence 1 highlights two exceptional team members who have created self-care resources that can benefit all staff in Florence 1 Schools.

• Cinda Barrett (Lucy T. Davis Elementary) has shared a Self-Care September Calendar featuring quick daily reminders and self-care practices that take under five minutes to complete.

• Dr. Pat Morrisey, (Carver Elementary) has launched Volume Three of her free online Self Care Matters Magazine. which highlights practical wellness strategies, insightful articles, and features individuals incorporating self-care into their daily routines. The link for the magazine: To register for ongoing subscriptions, e-mail selfcarematterz2026@gmail.com.

Taking care of ourselves enables us to better support our students and community. Please take a moment to explore these resources and share them if possible.

Calendar credit: https://actionforhappiness.org/.

Please consider joining The Jonathan Foundation for the 15th Annual Run 4 Brighter Days on September 12, 2026. Children ages 12 and under can participate for FREE.

The Jonathan Foundation’s mission is to touch the lives of at-risk teens through awareness-building and education, advocacy, mentorship, coaching, and clinical resource support. The Jonathan Foundation is also a valued partner of Florence 1 Schools and provides annual professional development opportunities for our employees through the Building Brighter Days Conference.

The conference helps promote mental wellness, prevention, advocacy, and support for our students and school communities. We encourage you to support this organization and participate in an event that promotes mental wellness, community connection, and brighter days for the youth.

Scan the QR codes to register or sponsor.