Husky Herald

One item on the ballot this time will be the question of a school bond to build a new middle school and renovate an existing building to form a child development center. As you consider your choice, please read the article below for factual information about the bond.

Please get out there and vote—your voice is important!

Due to the residential growth occurring within the York School District One attendance zone, the district is experiencing capacity challenges.

As of March 2024, approved residential development in the City of York will create 2376 new homes.

On June 11, 2024, the YSD1 Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing the district to pursue a Bond Referendum at the November 5th General Election. In the state of SC there are only three mechanisms for a school district to generate funds for building or renovating schools. The three ways are listed below:

· Impact Fees

· 8% Capacity

· Bond Referendum

The School Board authorized the district to seek Impact Fees. However, York County Council denied the district’s request.

The district's 8% Capacity does not generate enough revenue to be able to build a school. Therefore, the district's only mechanism for generating the funds needed to build new facilities is to pass a General Obligation Bond.

Currently, one elementary school and middle school is at 90% capacity or above, and three elementary school are at 80% capacity or above.

The proposed bond is for $90 million and, if approved, would be used to renovate Pinckney Street Learning Center and build an additional middle school. Renovations to Pinckney Street Learning Center, turning it into an early childhood center, will free up classroom space at all elementary schools.

The estimated impact on homeowners would be:

· Homeowners (4% property valued at $100,000) $36/year

If the referendum is not approved our existing schools will experience:

· Increased classroom ratios

· May need to purchase mobile classrooms to accommodate growth; and

· Decentralized early childhood programs.

For additional information, please visit our website at https://www.york.k12.sc.us/services/growth

If you have any questions about the proposed YSD1 Bond Referendum, please contact Amy Hagner, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations, at 803-684-9916.

Congratulations to this month's Hunter's Heroes! In October, students were challenged to demonstrate ways in which Huskies are CURIOUS. These students were selected as Hunter's Heros for being interested in learning new things. Each child was rewarded with a book from our vending machine! We are very proud of our Little Huskies!!

The word for November will be GRATEFUL. We can't wait to see how our boys and girls meet this challenge as they live the Husky Way!

November is National Family Literacy Month! The observance of National Family Literacy Day on November 1st kicks off a month-long celebration to highlight the value of literacy. This month, get the whole family snuggled up on the couch and open up a good book. Studies show that reading aloud with a grownup at home is the most important activity when it comes to preparing children to read on their own. And if you raise a good reader... Pretty much anything is possible! Reading helps with vocabulary, writing skills, attention span, memory, and teaches us about other times and places. Even if your child is just a baby, you should still sit down and read with them every once in a while. An infant can look at pictures and listen to your voice as you read stories to them... And believe it or not, studies show that that alone can have a profound effect on your child when it comes to learning later on in life. Grab a few books, gather the fam, snuggle up, and let a book take you all to another place together.

Encouraging Reading at Home:

1. Get Older Siblings Reading to Their Younger Siblings. It’s great practice for big bro or big sis to explain big words or summarize the story, and it’s also an opportunity to demonstrate a love of reading to little bro or sis.

2. Practice Reading “Popcorn” Style. Each family member can read a page or two and then “popcorn pass” to the family member of their choice.

3. Take Turns choosing the book or the book reading location of the night.

4. Plan Themed Reading Nights. Pitch a tent in the living room and “camp out” while you read or build a “bear cave” fort and read books about bears. Let your imagination take your themes to the next level.

5. Incorporate Fun Accessories. Make your own bookmarks or sand timers. Invest in kid-friendly reading lights.

6. Involve Distant Family and Friends. Books can be read aloud over FaceTime or Zoom. Record your child reading their favorite book and send the video to loved ones.

7. Read and Watch. Choose a book that has been turned into a movie. Read the book first and then schedule a family movie night to see the book come to life on the screen.

8. Schedule It. Reading should be an activity as important as our kids’ various practices, lessons and play dates. If it’s on the calendar, it will become a higher priority.

9. Book Swap. Get other families involved in a periodic book swap where kids can lend and borrow books from friends in the neighborhood or other social circles.

10. Dinner Talk. Books can be a topic of discussion at family dinner. Ask family members to share about the latest books they’ve enjoyed, or how the plot is twisting in their latest chapter book.

As the holiday season allows us to spend more time with family and friends, it also brings with it the peak of respiratory illness and flu season. To prevent widespread illness in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or respiratory illness (such as RSV) symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:

Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:

• Fever (greater than 100 degrees and your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
• Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough

Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.

Please also take the time to click on the links below for illness guides for parents from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and SC DHEC.

• https://scdhec.gov/health/child-teen-health/school-exclusion
• https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/tools-resources/health-care-providers.html
• https://scdhec.gov/flu-schools-child-care-centers

Our school nurses track trends of flu, COVID and RSV. If your child has been diagnosed with any of these illnesses, please contact your school nurse, Callie Billings at 803-818-6089 or cbillings@york.k12.sc.us

Students have been busy creating masterpieces in the art room!

First grade had a blast creating “tie dyed” pumpkins! They learned all about patterns and got to practice printmaking using markers and tin foil. Each one came out so unique and colorful.

In kindergarten, students have been sharpening their cutting skills by creating jack-o-lanterns. Prior to adding their faces, students mixed yellow and red to magically create orange.

Fourth grade students have been working hard to create their own food truck sculptures! They started by coming up with their business name, logo, and menu before decorating their food truck. It was so fun to see all of their creative ideas and they had fun making them.

Be sure to check out this month’s artwork in the hallway! This month’s display includes Alma Thomas inspired bats by 3rd grade, and still-life apple baskets by 2nd.

September is Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. Did you know that starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, regular attendance is essential for students gaining the academic and social skills they need to thrive? Research shows that when students are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of the school year or 18 days over an entire school year), they are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school, and graduate from high school.

Let's take a look at what happens when students miss one day of school at Hunter Street:

• Socially: They are truly missed! Staff and fellow classmates notice when your child is not at school. We take a personal interest in the well-being of our students. We want them here so that they can learn the social skills, along with the academic skills, that lead to productive lives. Practicing those skills begins early.
• Academically: In the typical school day, a student receives between 90 and 120 minutes of language arts instruction, 60-75 minutes of math instruction, and 30-45 minutes of science and social studies instruction. Students miss out on discussion, collaboration with peers, and assistance from their teacher; all of which are so crucial for a deep understanding and application of skills. When they come back the next day, they have a gap in their learning and are not ready to move to the next step with their classmates.

Is there a time you should keep your child at home? Absolutely! When your child is sick, we certainly do not expect him/her to come to school. To read more about when you should keep your child at home, take a look at page 17 of Hunter Street's Parent Handbook. We also have a full-time nurse on staff. She will be able to help you if you have questions.

Your child will be the most successful when we work together. Please help us by insuring your child attends school regularly, and we will deliver the best possible instruction while he/she is here! Three things to keep in mind:

• Even if the absence is "excused," your child still missed the instruction.
• Even if the absence is "excused," the days count toward "chronic absenteeism".
• Chronic absenteeism is tracked by the state.

Chronic absenteeism is legally defined as "any students who misses 50% or more of the instructional day for any reason for 10% of the enrollment period." For elementary students, that equates to being absent for 18 days - whether excused or not - during the school year. Again, all absence types contribute to this number - excused, unexcused, suspensions, tardy arrivals, and early dismissals.

Another consideration with absences is whether they meet the threshold of truancy, which then becomes a legal matter. Truancy is defined as "a student between the ages of 6-17 who has accumulated 3 consecutive or a total of 5 or more unexcused/unlawful absences during the academic year. Continued unexcused absences after the truancy intervention process begins may result in referral to family court and/or the involvement of the Department of Social Services."

We understand that circumstances at times can be challenging. If you are in need of some assistance, please reach out. It is our desire to work with you and help you if you are in need. We have access to resources that may be able to provide support for you and your family.

Bottom line: We want and need your child at school each and every day!

When your child must be absent, you have a maximum of 3 days to send an excuse. Excuses may be sent to the teacher, or you may click the button below for our convenient online form. Please note that per YSD 1 policy, excuses will no longer be accepted after the 3-days.

From 4K classes to 4th grade, there are new things to learn in the computer lab each year. The Kindergarten and 4K classes are learning how to navigate computer programs by using a mouse in our computer program, Learning.com. This is a new concept for many students, as they are used to touch screen devices. This prepares them for using Chromebooks later, but also improves their hand-eye coordination.

First and second grades continue down their Learning.com pathway; where they encounter practical interactive lessons that give them opportunities to apply skills they will use throughout their education on their Chromebooks or laptops. For example, they learn how to use software programs to classify data or arrange it using visual mapping tools.

Students begin typing practice in third grade, aiming for accuracy. Learning.com also provide lessons about specific software programs. Then we practice those skills in “real time;” such as typing a short document in Microsoft Word, and then using it to practice many of the available features as I demonstrate each one. Some of the features they have practiced so far are: changing text, size, font, and spacing, inserting pictures, and checking spelling and grammar.

Fourth grade students continue typing practice in Learning.com in order to improve their accuracy. They are expected to use correct fingering on their keyboards, which builds the muscle memory needed to increase their typing speed. Recently, I taught them how to use the basic features in Book Creator; to prepare them for a writing project created by their teachers, using this software program. Currently, they are working on their projects in the classroom and in the computer lab.

Who knew so many wonderful learning experiences could take place in the computer lab? Although students can earn “Game Time” (appropriate to each grade level), the main purpose of this activity period is to prepare students for using computers, software programs, and typing skills.

For October, Mrs. Ryerson's class book of the month was "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything." Students enjoyed following along with the book and creating their own scarecrow. Throughout the month, students have learned the parts of the book, how to turn the pages, and are able to participate in reading the repetitive phrases of the book.

Lawton/Lemmons and Root/Anderson 4K students learned about the life cycle of Pumpkins. Our classes heard fiction and non-fiction read alouds about Pumpkins, watched a virtual field trip to a Pumpkin Patch, worked at a Farm Stand in our dramatic play centers, and particpated during investigations with real Pumpkins. Thank you to families who donated Pumpkins to our classes. We focused on academic language tied to size and using words like comparing and ordering. Our students enjoyed these hands-on activities!

This month Montessori learned about living things including farm animals and the pumpkin life cycle! We topped it off with our favorite field trip to Curtin Farms! "When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength". - Maria Montessori

In kindergarten, students were able to take a field trip and visit Curtin Farms in Clover, SC. On the farm, we got to see a variety of animals and discussed their roles on the farm; we saw how the pumpkins grow and found real life versions of each stage of the life cycle on the farm. We then enjoyed some pumpkin muffins made with farm produced ingredients. Students loved being able to be a part of this learning experience. After the trip, students will be given opportunities to conduct pumpkin investigations using the pumpkins we got from the farm.

First graders began exploring place value this month! Students enjoyed learning the value of each digit within a two-digit number using base ten blocks, whiteboards and markers. They sharpened their number sense skills by learning how to write numbers in standard form and expanded form. We can't wait to see how these skills help our young mathematicians grow!

In ELA, our students began an exciting study of nonfiction texts! Students began researching an animal of their own choosing and began working on authoring a nonfiction text of their own. We are excited to see their final products!

Second grade has been working on all things place value! Having a really good understanding of place value helps unlock so many more concepts like skip counting, double digit addition/subtraction, and building models. We love participating in activities that have us collaborating with each other and helping each other grow. Second graders work on talking through word problems, interpreting data from tables and models, and identifying values and patterns!

The third graders have been working hard this month, collaborating with the lower grade levels. They have been sharing what they learned in reading and science with their little buddies. It is so much fun coming together and learning from each other, all while building friendships that could last a lifetime! We look forward to working with our friends more this year!

MERIT welcomed an exciting South Carolina archaeologist who introduced students to the world of experimental archaeology. Kids got to play ancient engineer for a day! They built their own pump drills and raced to drill holes through Smarties. While the Ring People of SC's barrier islands 4,000 years ago didn't have candy to work with, they did drill through shells and wood. Students quickly realized just how tricky and time-consuming this task was with ancient tools. Technology sure has evolved since the Ring People!

Most recently, our fourth-grade students have been working hard on understanding plot and identifying the plot structure of stories. We are focusing on key terms and ideas that form plot structure such as story information, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. We compare the ups and downs of plot structure to the experience of a roller coaster. This comparison creates a connection for our students to better understand the process of plot structure.

For our students to apply their skills, we read a story called Rent, Party, Jazz by William Miller as a class. After reading, the students were paired up and created their own plot structure or “roller coaster” for the story. The students used their collaboration skills to break the story apart using the key terms and ideas to better understand the story and how it flowed together. To create an opportunity for our students to reflect on their work, they studied and reviewed one another’s plot structures using a provided rubric.

November 5

Election Day Holiday

November 7

Fall for Reading 6:00 - 7:00 pm

November 11

Veteran's Breakfast - 8:00 am

Domino's Pizza Spirit Night

November 13

Midterms

November 15

Career Fair

November 19

School Improvement Council Meeting 7:15 am

November 22

PTO Birthday Lunch

November 27-29

Thanksgiving Holidays