Lambs Ledger
September 2025
Dear Lambs Families,
We hope you and your family enjoyed the long weekend and had a chance to soak up the beautiful weather. It’s hard to believe that we’ve already turned the calendar to September—time is flying, and our students are settling beautifully into their classroom routines.
Last Friday, we had the joy of celebrating our new Lambs as they were officially sorted into their Home Teams within each house. This tradition is one of our favorite ways to welcome students “home” and help them find their place in our school family. Each Home Team includes about ten students from kindergarten through fifth grade, along with at least one adult from the same house. The goal of these small, mixed-age teams is to create close-knit, family-like structures that foster meaningful connections and a strong sense of belonging for every child. We are so excited to see the relationships and memories that will grow from these communities.
I also want to take a moment to thank you for your ongoing partnership. The success of our school truly depends on the strong relationships between home and school, and we are grateful for the many ways you support your child’s learning journey each and every day. One of the best ways families can help is by ensuring that students are at school on time each day. Consistent, on-time attendance builds strong routines, keeps students engaged in learning from the very start of the day, and sets them up for long-term success.
September is Attendance Awareness Month for Charleston County School District, and this year’s theme is Boots on the Ground. As you know, I often talk about the importance of teamwork between our staff, parents, and students. This is one of those moments when we truly need everyone’s effort—our “boots on the ground”—to help SIES reach and maintain an average daily attendance rate of 97% or higher throughout September and beyond.
Of course, if a student is sick, they should stay home—no question about it. However, sometimes students miss school for other reasons, such as trips, family visits, or catch-up days. The challenge is that a day of school can’t really be “made up.” Students miss out on being part of the classroom community, collaborating with peers, and engaging in hands-on learning. Over time, repeated absences can even increase stress and disrupt sleep routines.
Research shows a strong link between absenteeism—especially in Kindergarten—and decreased academic success both for individual students and for schools as a whole. Kindergarten is a critical foundation: phonics, early reading, and numeracy skills are taught in ways that simply can’t be replicated at home. Your partnership in making daily attendance a priority is one of the best gifts you can give your child.
This week, we are especially excited to celebrate our grandparents and the special adults in our children’s lives! We will host a Grandparents & Special Friends Pizza Lunch on Friday, September 5th. Lunch can be purchased that day during your child’s regular lunch time, and we look forward to welcoming these important people to our school community. RSVP notes for this event were sent home last week on yellow paper and should have been returned by last Friday.
Later this month, we will also begin our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which starts on September 15th. Each classroom has chosen a country to study more deeply, and students will be exploring the rich traditions, culture, and history connected to that country throughout the month. Our celebration of learning will culminate in a schoolwide parade on October 10th, where students will proudly share what they’ve learned. We can’t wait to see the creativity, energy, and pride our Lambs bring to this special event. More details will be shared with you soon.
Thank you again for entrusting us with your children—we are looking forward to all the joy, growth, and learning this month will bring!
Warmly,
Kayela Clark
Principal
Follow us on facebook for more information! We will share more information on events and reminders here! https://www.facebook.com/LambsElementarySchool