A Message from the Principal
September 4, 2026
Upcoming Events 🎉
Gator Families,
Check out the upcoming events.
September 7th - Labor Day - No School
- September 11th & 12th - Beauty and the Beast Auditions
- September 14th - Gatorthon Kickoff
- September 18th - Cluster Night at Weddington High School
- September 21st - Optional Teacher Workday
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!
North Carolina Public Schools Accountability Results
I am very happy to report that Antioch Elementary performed extremely well last year with the North Carolina Public Schools Accountability Model. Antioch Elementary was number 10 in the state among more than 1,100 elementary schools. Antioch was once again rated as an "A" school. Our school also exceeded expected growth. Your school was one of seven elementary schools in the district to achieve "A" status and exceed expected growth. Union County Public Schools has a long and rich history of high performance in the state accountability model. Our district has consistently performed at the top of the twelve largest districts in the state. Union County Public Schools was the top performing school system in the state of North Carolina for the second year in a row! This is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the commitment to education by our staff, students, and parents.
School Improvement Team
The Antioch Elementary School Improvement Team will hold our first meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The parents listed below are representatives of their respective grade level. Feel free to email your representative with a question or concern. All parents are welcome to also email the principal directly (tom.childers@ucps.k12.nc.us).
Antioch Parent Teacher Organization
PTO Corner
⚾ Join Us for a Spirit KNIGHT! Cheer on the Charlotte Knights with our AES community on Saturday, September 12. Purchase tickets HERE.
🐔 Eat Mor Chikn - skip cooking dinner on 9/18 and order your Chick-fil-A to go on the app! Waverly location from 4-8PM, use code SPIRIT. Antioch gets a portion of the proceeds from every order.
🏈 Let’s cheer on our Weddington Warriors with our friends from all of our WHS Cluster partner schools. Cluster night is 9/24 and admission is free for cluster elementary students with a paying adult. Kickoff is at 7PM
👉 Volunteers welcome: We are also looking for volunteers to help with Picture Day, Copy Ceter and the Media Center. All volunteers must be UCPS-approved before volunteering. Apply HERE.
👐 Spiritwear store is ALWAYS OPEN and our new vendors are awesome. Please visit the spiritwear section of the PTO website for links to both of our new vendors!
🐊 Gatorthon is coming and it’s going to be OUT OF THIS WORLD! Please be on the lookout for information - we have some brand new experience prizes and cannot wait to launch.
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.
Curriculum Presentations
Thank you everyone who attended the curriculum presentations at open house. You may click the links below to view the information
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 September 14th- Families with the last name of A-E
Week of September 21st - Families with the last name of F-K
Week of September 28th - Families with the last name of L-Q
Week of October 5th - Families with the last name of R-Z
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.
Technology Fee
This information is ONLY for families with Third, Fourth or Fifth Grade Students.
Union County Public Schools provides a chromebook for all students use in grades third, fourth, and fifth. The district includes a 30-dollar Annual Technology Fee which includes limited Accidental Damage Insurance Coverage for Chromebooks.
- The fee may be waived if the student qualifies for Free Lunch (parent/guardian must provide letter from Child Nutrition to school.) Payment options: online using the link below, cash or check made payable to school.
- Accidental Damage to the Chromebook is at no cost to the student.
- Non-accidental damages will result in the cost of repairs and/or possible loss of computer privileges.
- Fees are due by August 31, 2026.
- Fees are recorded in the PowerSchool Student Information System with outstanding fees shown on the report card.
- Parents/Guardians are responsible for the cost of lost ,stolen, or intentionally damaged devices
****INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER ADAPTERS, BATTERIES, INTENTIONAL DAMAGE, OR LOST/STOLEN DEVICES ****
Click here for directions to pay your child's Technology Fee
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
September 1st - BOG - Third Graders
September 3rd - Room Parent Meeting at 9:15am in the cafeteria
September 7th - Labor Day - No School
September 11th & 12th - Beauty and the Beast Auditions
September 14th - Gatorthon Kickoff
September 21st - Optional Teacher Workday
September 22nd - Gatorthon - Coin Wars
September 23rd - Gatorthon - Hair Spray
September 25th - Fall Pictures
October 2nd - Gatorthon - Castaway Island
October 9th - Book Fair Family Shopping Night
October 13th - Book Fair - Browse B4 School - Parents and Students
October 19th - Teacher Workday - No School
October 22nd - Health & Wellness Day
October 23rd - Trunk or Treat
October 29th - Ninja Nation