Harbison Herald

Testing Guidelines:

Please make every effort to have your child in school on time each day of testing.
NO VISITORS will be allowed in the building on testing days (including lunch visits).
Students MAY NOT have cell phones or nonmedical electronic devices during the test. The teacher will collect these items before testing and return them to students after testing is complete.
Students should bring a fully charged chromebook on testing days.
Eat a healthy breakfast (at home or school).
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes to prevent distractions.
Get plenty of sleep the night before testing days to be alert and ready to begin.
For more information, visit https://ed.sc.gov/tests/assessment-information/student-and-parent-resources/

5K Registration and 4K Applications are available now! Learn the full details about documentation needed at www.lexrich5.org/4Kand5K.

4K Notes:

Your child must be 4 on or before September 1, 2026 to apply for the 4K program.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten applications are available at your child’s zoned elementary school.

5K Notes:

Only NEW Kindergarten students for the 2026-2027 School Year need to register.

Your child must be 5 on or before September 1, 2026.

Kindergarten registration is available online.

* In-person registration may be available at zoned elementary schools.

** Students who are currently in the 4-year-old kindergarten program and in PowerSchool should not complete the new student process, as current students will automatically roll into 5-year-old kindergarten at the end of the school year. Parents will be prompted to update their information in FinalForms over the summer.

Visit School District Five zone locator to find your zoned school.

Per our student/parent handbook: A written note, medical excuse or electronic excuse form must be submitted for each absence.

Save time and gas by submitting your excuses online using this link - Online Excuse Form. You can upload medical excuses on this form, so no need to make a special trip to school. A link to this form is also at the top & bottom of each school newsletter and at the top of our website homepage.

If you prefer, medical excuses may also be faxed to the school at 803-476-3820.

Do you know a high school senior graduating this year that attended Harbison West? Let them know we will be celebrating their accomplishments with one last walk through the HWES halls on Tuesday, May 19th at 8:30am. Graduating seniors who plan to attend can fill out this form - Senior Walk RSVP

May Events

May 4 - 8

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5 - 6

SC READY - Reading (3rd, 4th & 5th grades) - Bring a charged chromebook

May 7

SC READY - Science (4th grade only) - Bring a charged chromebook

May 8

5th Grade Escolares field trip

Students will be dismissed at 10:40am on the last three days of the school year (May 20th, 21st & 22nd).

Parent/Guardian Notification of Magnet School Evaluation

Evaluation of School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties Project Aspire Magnet Program Evaluation

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Harbison West Elementary School is part of a federal grant that was awarded in 2023 to School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties to fund the district's magnet school initiative known as Project Aspire. As a requirement of the grant, the Research, Evaluation, and Measurement (REM) Center at the University of South Carolina (USC) is providing an evaluation of the Project Aspire magnet program. This evaluation includes collecting data about Harbison West Elementary. As part of the evaluation, students at the school will participate in a brief survey. The survey asks the students to reflect on their learning and engagement in the classroom, the use of various instructional strategies in the classroom, and their perceptions of the classroom/school environment.

The survey is being given to students in grades 3-5 at Harbison West Elementary. Survey responses are anonymous (i.e., student names will not be collected). Surveys from all students will be combined and reported together.

The survey will be administered online, and students will complete the survey on an electronic device in their classroom. Student surveys are scheduled for May 5 – 6, 2026. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

For more information about the evaluation and the survey or to request a copy of the student survey, please contact the evaluation team at the REM Center: Elizabeth Leighton, Ph.D., at leightoe@email.sc.edu or (803) 777-0316, or Mihaela Ene, Ph.D., at ene@email.sc.edu or (803) 777-7416.

You can also contact Harbison West’s Magnet Lead Teacher, Jennifer Wahrmund at jmwahrmu@lexrich5.org or (803) 476-3800 for more information about the student survey.

Reading for Education - Year-Long Fundraiser

Hello Parents,

Your child brought home a lanyard a couple weeks ago letting you know about a safe and easy way for our school to raise funds for essential tools our students and teachers need to succeed.

The Reading for Education fundraiser is 100% online so there is NO face-to-face selling, handling money, or delivering products. Your participation will take less than 12 minutes, and there are exciting prizes to make it fun for the students.

Here is all you need to do to participate:

1. Go to https://www.rfe.net/sid.t?0000181596 to sign up.

2. Send form emails inviting family, friends and co-workers to support your child.

3. Return the Lanyard with the Student Prize Code to school for your child to get their fun participation prize.

Your participation will make a difference for our school and teachers!

Thanks,

Harbison West Elementary School PTO

Hello Harbison West Families and Faculty,
We’re excited to introduce a new way to celebrate special moments while giving back to our school community! Harbison West Elementary PTO has partnered with Yard Card Queen – Greater Columbia to bring fun, eye-catching yard celebrations to our families — and support our students at the same time.
Whether it’s a birthday, teacher appreciation, graduation, or a big achievement, Yard Card Queen helps you celebrate in a BIG way — and now, every celebration gives back.
Here’s how it works:
• Book your yard display
• Use our school code: HWESGIVESBACK
• Receive $5 OFF your booking
• Yard Card Queen donates $10 back to the PTO in your student or family’s name
Perfect for:
• Student Birthdays
• Teacher & Staff Appreciation
• Graduations
• School Achievements
• Welcome Back Celebrations
• Any special moment worth celebrating
Spots are limited and dates fill quickly, so we encourage you to book early.

Book here:

https://yardcardqueen.com/yard-signs-near-me/south-carolina/lexington/

Call/Text: (803) 602-4673

This is a simple and fun way to celebrate your child while directly supporting Harbison West Elementary.
Thank you for your continued support!

Harbison West Elementary PTO

The University of South Carolina offers a wide variety of summer camps for all interests. Several camps are offered for children as young as age 5. Use this link to learn more and sign up - USC Summer Youth Camps.

Yesterday, the 5th grade core students competed in a SCReady math review based off "The Amazing Race." Students are put in teams of 3 or 4 and "travel" to destinations around the world where ambassadors give them several problems and a puzzle to solve. Once they complete each destination, they "fly" to their next destination and continue until they have completed all 11.

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

SECOND PLACE WINNERS

THIRD PLACE WINNERS

April 24, 2026

I would like to nominate Ms. Creiana Bailey as Staff Member of the Week. I am truly blessed to know Ms. Bailey as a Co-Worker and a friend. She is very passionate, friendly and humble. She loves and cares so deeply for her students and always goes above and beyond to help them. Enjoy your birthday week as well. I always tease her about not looking a day over 20!