A Message from the Principal
October 16, 2026
Upcoming Events 🎉
Gator Families,
Check out the upcoming events.
October 19th - Teacher Workday - No School for Students
October 23rd - Health & Wellness Day
October 23rd - Trunk or Treat
October 26th - New Morning Drop Off Procedures Begin
October 29th - Ninja Nation
October 30th - Spirit Day - Sports Day
Thank you for supporting our school - working together as one team on one mission, we are meeting needs, challenging minds, and celebrating accomplishments.
Until next time… Have a great week!
School Improvement Team
The Antioch Elementary School Improvement Team held our October Meeting on Wednesday. Parents may follow the link to view our School Improvement Plan as well the minutes from our meetings.
Antioch Elementary School Improvement Information
Parent representatives are listed below.
Morning Car Rider Changes
We will be making some changes to our morning drop off procedures. Effective Monday, October 26, 2026, all students who arrive by car, must be dropped off in the car rider line. Parents are no longer permitted to park in the main parking lot or in the bus lot to drop off students.
Our school recently participated in a safety audit of our practices and procedures. One safety concern was noted in this audit… morning drop off. The number of parking vehicles and pedestrians in the parking lot was discussed in detail.
On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, I shared this concern with the Antioch Elementary School Improvement Team. The change was approved by the team.
I have discussed this change with the Director of School Security, Steve Hancock. He supports the decision to create a safer process at our school.
We ask for your assistance with this change to keep our students and staff safe. Mrs. Tenney (AP), Mr. Ingram (SRO), and I will be monitoring the morning drop off process and will provide reminders to parents as needed.
Antioch Parent Teacher Organization
CAROLINA NINJA ACADEMY is coming on October 29th and in order to participate EVERY CHILD needs to have a signed waiver. Please make sure your child has a signed waiver. The Ninja Academy waiver is available electronically.
We are also looking for volunteers to help our kiddos have a blast that morning! Sign up HERE.
GATORTHON was a huge success - our best year yet. Check the recap HERE.
BITES AND BUDGET: Curious where the money we raise goes? Join the PTO on 10/26 for some light bites and budget approval. The Annual PTO Budget Meeting will be on 10/26 at 9:15 in the cafeteria. We will also livestream this meeting so everyone can participate. Learn how the PTO supports the school with the funds you donate each year.
TRUNK OR TREAT is just around the corner and we’re looking for the best trunks! PTO will provide candy and goodies (though you can bring your own) - so sign up HERE to bring the tricks, treats and trunks.
Art Contest
We are excited to announce that the ESS Art Contest 2027 is LIVE! The ESS Art Contest is more than a chance for students to show off their creativity. It’s an opportunity for us to give back to the schools and communities we serve.
Quick Facts About the Contest
- Complete contest information can be found at ArtContest.ESS.com.
- The contest is open to public and charter school students in grades K-12 throughout the continental United States.
- To enter, students must submit a traditional or digital drawing or painting with an image representing “Once upon a school day, a fairy tale came to life. What happened next?
- The contest ends on December 13 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time.
- The top five finalists in each Grade Group will be featured on ESS’ Facebook and Instagram for public voting during the week of January 25.
- Public voting ends on January 31 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time.
- Winners will be announced on February 3.
- Winning students will receive a $500 American Express gift card, plus $500 for their school.
After School Clubs Corner
After School Enrichment Program @ Antioch Elementary School
For kids in Grade 2 to 5
The LEGO Education Essential / Prime program is a comprehensive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning solution designed for elementary school students. It centers around the LEGO Education SPIKEâ„¢ Essential & Prime sets (age appropriate), which combines colorful LEGO bricks with a simple drag-and-drop coding interface and intuitive hardware components.
Hands-on activities: Students will build and program robots and creations using LEGO bricks, sensors, motors, and other components.
Enrollment Link : - https://bit.ly/antioch-robotics
Program Fee - $150
Program - Robotics with LEGO
Duration - 6-week program
Timing - Tuesdays (2.00 pm - 3.30 pm)
Week 1 – Oct 27
Week 2 – Nov 10
Week 3 – Nov 17
Week 4 – Nov 24
Week 5 – Dec 1
Week 6 – Dec 8
*No Class on Nov 3
No refunds allowed.
Enrollment Link : - https://bit.ly/antioch-robotics
If you require any further details please contact us - ITNC@codeninjas.com / 980-425-9893
Contacting the Principal
Please include the following information when emailing me with a question or concern.
- Child's Name
- Teacher Name
- Grade and
- Your phone number
This information will allow me to respond to your question or concern more quickly. Parents may access all archived messages on the school website. Our school phone number is 704 296-3005. I strongly encourage you to listen to your voice message before returning a missed call from the school. Antioch Elementary has nearly a hundred staff members and it is sometimes very difficult for our office staff to determined who called you. Please note that our school receives many phone calls each day.
Report an Absence
To ensure our attendance records are as accurate and timely as possible, we are transitioning to the UCPS digital reporting system.
Parents may click this link to report an absence.
Thank you for your cooperation as we work to make our school processes more efficient for everyone!
Office Information
We do not allow school supplies or personal items to be dropped off at the Front Office after 7:30am.
We will only accept prescription glasses, medication, and lunches. Please note: lunches must be dropped off by 10:00am. If you do have to bring a lunchbox after your student reports to school, please put their name and the teacher’s name on the outside of it so we can get it to the correct person. There will be a table designated for the lunchbox to be left on in the front lobby of the school. This is to avoid constant interruptions in the classrooms throughout the day. If the student did not bring the item to school in the morning, they can plan to bring it with them the following day. Thank you for understanding the reasoning behind this request.
Transportation Information
Please note: Frequent transportation changes increases the potential for mistakes by our staff. Each student's daily dismissal method is documented and maintained at the school in the event of an emergency.
Students who are afternoon walkers will be dismissed through the door at the end of the Kindergarten Hallway. Parents must come to the door to request their students. Please complete this form when someone other than the parent is picking up your child from the walker door.
Car Rider Signage: We encourage parents to use large bold lettering for car rider signs and to hold them up because they cannot be seen when laying on the dash. As well as to stay in their lane unless otherwise directed because students are called out based on the order of the lane their car is in when they pull into the lot.
Kindergarten and First Grade car riders will be dismissed beginning at 1:50pm through the STAFF LOT car rider line. Parents who also have students in grades second through fifth should NOT arrive at this time as your child will NOT be available for dismissal.
Second and Third Grade car riders will be dismissed beginning at 2:00pm through the STAFF LOT car rider line (see map). Parents who also have students in grades fourth and fifth should NOT arrive at this time as your child will NOT be available for dismissal.
Fourth and Fifth Grade car riders will be dismissed beginning at 2:10pm on the BUS LOT. Parents who also have Kindergarten through third graders may pick all students up at this time. Fourth-Grade and Fifth-Grade students will be seated with their younger siblings in the gym and cafeteria and must be picked up from the BUS LOT. PLEASE DO NOT GET IN LINE FOR 4-5 DISMISSALS UNTIL 2:05PM.
Bus Information
Please review the information below if your child is planning to ride the school bus this year.
- Parents should begin by clicking here to watch the introductory video.
- Parents may use this link and then click on REAL TIME BUS INFO link to access the Edulog Parent Portal Smartphone App.
Where's My Bus?
Get the information you need from the transportation department without having to make a phone call. Receive timely messages or bus delay information. Access all of your students through one secure login.
The Edulog Parent Portal smartphone app helps you receive information about your child’s school bus ride.
It allows you to:
- Access designated bus stop times and locations,
- See real-time information about the location of your child’s school bus, and
- Receive notifications when the bus is getting close.
Cafeteria Information
Parents may add funds to their child's lunch account by using this link www.k12paymentcenter.com.
Parents are permitted to have lunch with their child. We ask that you do not come to school for lunch during the first few weeks of school. Your child's birthday would be an exception ONLY on Monday - Thursday. Students may have two visitors due to seating limitations. Lunch with your child is open on Monday through Thursday ONLY. Visitors are NOT Permitted on Friday.
Family Lunch Rotation:
Week of October 19th - Families with the last name of F-K
Week of October 26th - Families with the last name of L-Q
Week of November 2nd - Families with the last name of R-Z
Week of November 16th- Families with the last name of A-E
Each classroom teacher has made seating arrangements for you. If seating in the cafeteria is not available, parents may be asked to eat in the courtyard. Please plan your visit accordingly with respect to the weather.
Parents are permitted to bring in a birthday treat for students to celebrate their child's birthday. All treats must be commercially prepared. I would suggest scheduling this with your child's teacher to prevent multiple treats on the same day. Our staff is responsible for supervising students and eating lunch during the lunch period. I urge parents to come to school during lunch on your child's special day if you are sending in birthday treats and pass out the individually prepared items to your child's classmates. This will take a tremendous burden away from your child's teacher. Please remember that items must be commercially prepared and individually packaged. Please DO NOT send in items that require cutting. Our school does not permit candles or signing happy birthday in the cafeteria.
Student Dress Code
Please be aware of these guidelines as you are shopping for back to school clothing.
- Extremely short shorts, skirts or dresses are not permitted. (Please check to ensure all shorts, dresses, and skirts are long enough to reach the tip of your child’s middle finger with the arms stretched straight down the side of the leg.) Students wearing shorts/skirts of an inappropriate length will be sent to the office to call their parents and request appropriate clothing.
- Students may not go barefoot: flip-flops, slides, and shoes with cleats or rollers are not allowed. Children should not wear shoes without ankle straps. This is particularly important as we have physical activity daily. Crocs, slides, and slippers are prohibited at Antioch due to slipping and playground hazards.
Special Area Teachers Plans
Parents may use this link to view information regarding the special area classes for the first grading period.
Volunteer at School
We are looking for parent volunteers to assist with making copies and preparing paperwork. If you are interested, please indicate your availability below. Mrs. Tenney will contact you directly to set up your specific time and schedule. Thank you for supporting our teachers and staff!
Click here to volunteer for this project.
Parents will be invited to volunteer at the school. If you would like to become a volunteer for Union County Public Schools, complete a volunteer application. Once your application is submitted, you will receive an automated email correspondence instructing you to confirm your email address. Additionally, you will receive an automated email when your application is approved or denied.
Room Parents will obtain your email information and create a distribution list to share class news. The room parent may contact you regarding donations for class celebrations, special activities, staff gifts as well as class news.
Dates of Interest
October 19th - Teacher Workday - No School for Students
October 23rd - Health & Wellness Day
October 23rd - Trunk or Treat
October 26th - New Morning Drop Off Procedures Begin
October 29th - Ninja Nation
October 30th - Spirit Day - Sports Day
November 2nd - Science Check In # 1 - 5th Grade ONLY
November 2nd - Report Cards Go Home
November 3rd - Teacher Workday - No School for students
November 4th - Reading Check In # 1 - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
November 5th - Math Check In # 1 - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
November 6th - Picture Retake and Makeup