Edward E. Taylor Elementary School

Dear Families,

What a great start to the school year! We are excited about all that is happening at Edward E. Taylor Elementary and want to thank our families for being ALL IN with us!

A special thank you to our amazing moms who joined us for our first Muffins for Moms event and participated in our very first House Party! Your presence and support helped make these events a tremendous success. We are so grateful for your partnership!

Congratulations to House Isibindi who earned the August House Trophy for having the most students recognized as Raiders Rising with Respect! We are incredibly proud of our students for demonstrating respect and representing the values of their House. Keep up the great work, Raiders!

We are excited to kick off our school store this month! Students will have the opportunity to earn Taylor Bucks by demonstrating our three school-wide expectations:

• We are respectful
• We are responsible
• We keep our hands, feet, and objects to ourselves

Students can save their Taylor Bucks and use them at the school store to celebrate their positive choices and hard work!

We are looking for a few good students to join our new Morning News Club! Students selected for this opportunity will help deliver important news and announcements to our school each morning. We can't wait to see our student leaders shine!

Can you believe we are already halfway through the first marking period? Interim reports will be available electronically on Friday, September 4. If you would like a physical copy of your child's interim report, please contact our Database Specialist, Mrs. Thomas.

Our instructional day begins at 7:30 a.m., and students are considered tardy at 7:25 a.m. When students arrive late, they miss valuable instruction in ELA or Math. Every minute of learning matters, so we encourage families to make being on time a daily priority!

Our students have completed their Fall i-Ready assessments, and parent reports will be sent home next week. These reports will provide families with valuable information about their child's current academic performance and areas for growth.

This month's House Challenge is Honest Hearts! We will be looking for students who demonstrate honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness throughout the school day. We are excited to recognize the House that best demonstrates these important qualities. Which House will take home the trophy?

Let's make September another great month of learning, leadership, kindness and House pride!

Educationally yours,

Mrs. Tiffany Brooks

Principal

All In. All Year. All Together.

• TalkingPoints is the district platform for communication between home and school. If you have any difficulties accessing the information, please let the classroom teacher know.
• Students are tardy as of 7:25 a.m. and will need to be signed in at the Main Office by an adult.
• Dismissal begins at 2:25 p.m.; please ensure that students are picked up promptly as the office closes at 3:15 p.m.
• The cut off time for signing students out for early dismissal is 1:45 p.m.
• Contact the school to update the number of any parent/guardian of a student at E.E. Taylor.

Dear parents and families,

As we work together to keep all of our students safe, we would like to offer a friendly reminder to please slow down and be especially mindful when traveling on McRae Street during our arrival and dismissal times.

Each morning, students are crossing McRae Street as they arrive at school between at 6:55 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. In the afternoon, students and families are also crossing the street during dismissal between 2:25 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.

We kindly ask that all drivers to:

• slow down and watch carefully for students and pedestrians
• remain alert and prepared for students who may be crossing the street
• follow all posted speed limits and traffic directions
• allow extra time when travelling through the area during arrival and dismissal

We understand that mornings and afternoons can be busy, and we truly appreciate your patience and cooperation. A few extra minutes and a slower speed can make a tremendous difference in keeping our children safe.

Thank you for partnering with us to create a safe environment for all of our students, families and staff!

Thank you for slowing down, staying alert, and helping us keep our students safe!

Sincerely,

Dr. Keller
School Counselor

Use the link to register for Boys & Girls Club (if interested).

Attendance Awareness Month

9/4: College Colors Day

• Interim Grades are available electronically

9/7: Labor Day Holiday (No School)

9/10: Grandparents' Breakfast at 7:45 a.m.

9/16: Fall Picture Day

• I-Ready Reading Benchmark (Kindergarten Only)

9/21: I-Ready Math Benchmark (Kindergarten Only)

9/25: Early Dismissal for Students at 11:00 AM

• House Party
• Donuts for Dads at 7:30 AM

Picture Day is coming on Wednesday, September 16!

You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVT6KJPCB. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!

Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Orders after Picture Day must be placed online on mylifetouch.com. The flyers will be sent home with the student(s) soon.

The character trait for the month of September is Honesty, which means to always be fair and straightforward in conduct.

Each month during the school year, we share a character trait and recognize the students that demonstrated the character trait throughout the month. Congratulations to the following students who demonstrated Respect during the month of August:

• Miss Stout: Le'Gacy Jackson & D'Arjai McDuffie
• Dr. Moore: Royal Felder & TyShawn Peterson
• Ms. Cura: Avalynn Bethea & Samir Hayward
• Mr. Brown: Zariyanna Shivers & Jamarius Dunbar
• Mrs. LaCosta: JaLiyah Foster & David Estrada Perez
• Mrs. Primus: Aniyah Williams & Liam Robinson
• Miss Jones: Heavenly Mitchell & Ethan Lonon
• Mrs. Brissett: Zoey Reed & Tylen Watts
• Mrs. Francis: Lexi Joye & Jaxon Brissett
• Ms. McIntyre: Morgan Craig & Noah Sosa Sifonte

Positive behavior starts with everyday choices. Whether it's helping a classmate, following directions the first time, or showing perseverance during a challenging lesson, every positive choice contributes to a successful learning environment. Our House System celebrates these moments by recognizing students who consistently demonstrate our school values.

We encourage families to celebrate these "small wins" at home - they make a big difference!

🧠Character and Resilience Education (CARE) Tip for Families

• Talk about feelings. Ask your child how they're feeling and help them name their emotions: "Are you nervous or excited today?"
  

📆Attendance Tip for Families

• Set school routines early. Bedtimes, wake-ups, and morning checklists help with a smooth transition back to school.

Below is the Attendance Excuse form for any absence of a student. Please complete it any time your child is absent from school. Thank you for your cooperation!

As the leaves begin to change, let your reading skills grow too! Try reading a new genre or author this month. Exploring different types of books helps you become a stronger, more confident reader.

Parent Tip: Encourage your child to think about numbers in different ways.

• Count forward and backward.
• Practice skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10s.
• Ask questions such as, "What number comes before 25?" and "What comes after 49?"
  
• Play number games during car rides.

"The best way to support your child's math success is to talk about math every day. Positive attitudes, encouragement, and real-world practice help children become confident mathematicians!"

If you receive an email, letter, or phone call concerning immunizations that are not current for this school year, please let me know what your plans are. Your family physician and the Department of Health can assist you in getting your child up to date. Telephone numbers of the Department of Health are 803-576-2950 and 1-855-472-3432.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Nurse Murray

Edward E. Taylor Elementary School hosted a successful Muffins with Mom event on August 28, 2026, with 38 participants. We welcomed families and explained how I can support parents and families throughout the school year.

Parents received information about the school's Attendance Policy, the importance of consistent attendance, and the TalkingPoints communication platform. They also learned about opportunities to participate in the School Improvement Council (SIC), Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), and Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) Committee.

Muffins with Mom was a well-attended event that strengthened communication, collaboration, and family engagement while providing a positive start to the school year.

Mrs. Hawkins

Parent Engagement Specialist