Swansboro Elementary Newsletter

Families are invited to come and shop at the Book Fair in the library on Wednesday, November 4, from 3:00-6:00 PM!

Click the image below to see the amazing things our Enrichment team are doing!

Health Condition at School: Please call or email Nurse Mollie at 910-326-1501 or mollie.sammons@onslow.k12.nc.us if your child has a health condition that we need to be aware of.

Medications: Onslow County Schools Policy states that medications MUST be transported by parent or guardian to school. Please DO NOT send medications in your child's bookbag.

The safety and security of our students and staff are always a top priority! As a reminder, all visitors must be approved for entry before entering our school building. Please do not hold the door open or allow others to enter behind you, even if you recognize them. Each visitor must be individually approved for entry through our front office. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all of our Pirates!

The Raptor Safe app offers a convenient and secure way for visitors to manage and verify their identity before arriving at school. When visiting, you can use your secure QR code generated by the app to expedite the check-in process. QR codes will automatically regenerate every 5 minutes to ensure security and to prevent misuse.

To create your Raptor Safe Passport go to the following link: https://raptortech.com/raptorsafe-app/

A how-to guide for creating your Raptor Safe Passport can be found here: https://raptortech.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Raptor-Safe-Visitor-Install-and-Onboading-2025.pdf

Directions for using your Raptor Safe Passport to sign in and out while at school can be found here: https://raptortech.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Raptor-Safe-Visitor-Sign-In-2025.pdf

If you would like to join your child for lunch, we have an outdoor seating area available in the courtyard. Due to space limitations, visitors are not able to eat with their child in the cafeteria. Please sign in at the office and we will get your child to join you. You will need to be mindful of the weather when planning a lunch visit due to the outdoor seating. Please check with your child's teacher for their assigned lunch time.

When visiting, you can eat with your child only. If someone other than a parent is coming to eat with a student, we require a note from the parent granting permission to ensure student safety and confidentiality.

All parents are encouraged to sign up for the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. For all grade levels, you can monitor attendance. For grades 3-5, you can monitor your child's grades and assignments. Click this link to sign up: https://670.ncsis.gov/campus/portal/parents/psu670onslowco.jsp. Contact our data manager, Lori Jones, at lori.jones@onslow.k12.nc.us for help with this process. She can look up your child's unique identification number when you email her the completed form and a copy of your photo identification. Additional information related to the Parent Portal can be found at this link: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/departments/student-information-services/parent-portal-information

Swansboro Elementary PTO is partnering with Burrito Shak for their Thanksgiving Food Drive that kicks off October 1! Our goal is to help feed 50 families in our community. A collection box will be placed for each grade level, and the grade that collects the most donations will win an ice cream or pizza party, courtesy of the PTO! Deadline for donations: November 13. (PTO will collect items as boxes fill up.) Thank you for helping us make this food drive a success and supporting families in need this Thanksgiving season!

The next PTO Spirit Night in collaboration with Fuzzy Peach is Wednesday, November 4, from 12:00-8:00 PM.

The next PTO Spirit Night in collaboration with Hwy 55 is Thursday, November 19, from 5:00-9:00 PM.

TREASURE TREAT FRIDAYS!

We are excited to announce that Treasure Treat Fridays are now open for ordering!

This year, we will be offering 4 seasonal Treasure Treats, each featuring a special seasonal goodie for students to enjoy! Only $1 per treat!

You have two ordering options:

Individual Orders: Purchase a treat for your own student.

Whole Class Orders: Purchase treats for an entire classroom.

2026–2027 Treasure Treat Schedule

Fall Treat

Delivery: November 13

Orders close: November 6

Winter Treat

Delivery: January 8

Orders close: January 1

Spring Treat

Delivery: April 9

Orders close: April 2

Summer Treat

Delivery: June 2

Orders close: May 26

Whole class link: sbespto.ptboard.com/formvw?store=8648&form=19

Individual link: sbespto.ptboard.com/formvw?store=8648&form=20

BIRTHDAY GRAMS ARE BACK!

Swansboro Elementary PTO is excited to introduce a new, more organized Birthday Gram system this year! Make your student’s birthday extra special with a Birthday Gram delivered during their birthday month!

Each Birthday Gram is just $5 and includes:

A special birthday tag

A Smencil

Candy

A fun toy

A FREE Fuzzy Peach Frozen Yogurt coupon valued up to $5!

Important Ordering Dates:

Birthday Grams are organized by birthday month, and orders close on the 15th of the month BEFORE the birthday month.

Don’t miss out on celebrating your Pirate’s special day!

Order your Birthday Gram before the deadline and help support Swansboro Elementary PTO!

https://sbespto.ptboard.com/annlist?ann=91dca49d-f18b-4783-a6f2-73335960c7f0~n.9223370250202900202

RENT THE ROCK!

Looking for a fun way to celebrate your child, birthday, special event, or just show some school spirit? Rent the Spirit Rock!

For just $15 per day, your family can decorate the rock with a special message and make a celebration extra memorable!

HOW IT WORKS:

*RESERVE YOUR DATE

Choose the date you’d like to rent the rock. Your 24-hour rental begins at 5 PM the day before your reservation.

For example: If your child’s birthday is August 15, reserve August 15 and you can begin painting after 5 PM on August 14.

Monday rentals: You may begin painting after 5 PM Friday and paint anytime throughout the weekend.

*PAY FOR YOUR RESERVATION

Payment is due when your reservation is made. Reservations are first come, first served.

Rental: $15/day

Reservations will be removed if payment is not received within 7 days of making the reservation.

ROCK RULES

Please remember that the Spirit Rock is a school space. The following are not permitted:

Profane words or symbols

Derogatory or offensive messages

Commercial advertising

Political symbols or messages

Religious symbols or messages

No texture items on rock

Celebrate your child. Celebrate a birthday. Celebrate a special day. RENT THE ROCK!

Reserve your date here:

https://sbespto.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=91dca49d-f18b-4783-a6f2-73335960c7f0~s.9223370250208367289

Pay for rental here:

https://sbespto.ptboard.com/formvw?store=8648&form=3

Join us in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $0.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=NQGY5JLL

• We will be utilizing Class Dojo, school-wide, as our primary form of communication. Please make sure you are connected to your child's class to ensure you receive all information from your child's teacher and other school staff throughout the year.
  
  
• The teacher is always the first point of contact. If you cannot resolve a concern after meeting with the teacher, please schedule an appointment with administration.
  
  
• Listen and/or read the weekly all call/email that is sent out every Sunday evening. The email will contain the transcript from the all call, and it can be found on Dojo. If you are not receiving the call and/or email, please contact our data manager, Lori Jones, at lori.jones@onslow.k12.nc.us so she can verify that your information is accurate. This is the method that we will use to communicate in the event of an emergency, so please make sure that you are receiving the calls and notify us immediately if your contact information changes.
  
  
• Please remember, for safety reasons, we do not give out student information over the phone and all changes in transportation must done in School Dismissal Manager (SDM) by the parent/legal guardian.
  
  
• If there are custody agreements in place, we must have a copy of the current custody paperwork on file with a judge's signature. If not, both parents will have equal access to the student and their educational records.
  
  
• Check out our school website: https://sbes.onslow.k12.nc.us/
  
  
• Check out our school Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/swansboroelementaryschool/

8:10 AM - Arrival Begins

*Students should remain in their car until a staff member opens the car door

8:30 AM - Tardy Bell

3:00-3:40 PM - No Student Checkouts Due to Dismissal

3:20 PM - Car Rider Dismissal

3:40 PM - Bus Rider Dismissal

If your child is eating breakfast, please arrive close to 8:10 AM to allow enough time for them to eat breakfast in the cafeteria and be in their classroom by 8:30 AM.

For bus delays throughout the year, please call the office at 910-326-1501, or email ashley.medlin@onslow.k12.nc.us and elizabeth.wilsey@onslow.k12.nc.us. Bus routes and driver concerns should be directed to the Swansboro Transportation Coordinator, Allison Downey, at 910-326-1436. Our staff thank you in advance for your understanding and patience!

We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager (SDM), an online dismissal management system. It is dependable, easy-to-use, and can be updated by parents/guardians from the convenience of their smart phones, tablets, and PCs. Through the online dismissal management system, you can: report student absences and late arrivals, schedule early departures from school, and make transportation changes as late as 1:30 PM or 9:30 AM on early release days on the day they are effective.

We will begin using SDM for dismissal on the first day of school. After registering, you should have received additional information through an email that was sent to you directly from SDM. The email from SDM will contain important instructions and your personal login credentials. Once you receive your credentials, please use them to log into the SDM system so that you can begin to familiarize yourself with it and set up your child’s default dismissal and routine. All students, whether bus or car rider, will need to be set up through a School Dismissal Manager account, and a default dismissal selected. “Default dismissal” means what mode of transportation will your child typically take. If you need to change this for a particular day, you will need to login to SDM and make an “exception.” All transportation changes must be made through SDM. We do not make any transportation changes over the phone. If you utilized the School Dismissal Manager App last year, it should still work. If you receive an error message, please uninstall and reinstall the App. New families will need to add the free SDM App to a smartphone, tablet, or web browser.

School Dismissal Manager Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: https://www.schooldismissalmanager.com/SDM-FAQ.pdf

Staff will be out front to unload morning car riders at 8:10 AM. Please use ALL lanes for drop-off. It is not grade specific for arrival, except for the far left lane which is reserved for buses. Students should stay in their car until a staff member opens the door for them. Please wait to pull forward until your lane is dismissed by a staff member. To ensure student and staff safety, please do not change lanes. Drive slowly and scan for students and staff. If your child is having difficulty getting out of the car calmly and safely, you will be asked to pull into a parking spot and wait until carpool is over before attempting to enter the building to ensure safety for everyone.

Lanes are grade specific in the afternoon for dismissal. Please pull slowly into the lane of your youngest child’s grade level, park, and do not idle. Use the SDM app to check in by clicking on the blue check in button. You will be prompted to enter your pin. Do not click the blue check in button until you are physically in the loading zone after the parking lot entrance. Please do not block other lines or entrance/exits, and do not cut through business parking lots. If you are having trouble checking in, please wave for a staff member to assist you or call the office at 910-326-1501. Please stay in your car and we will send your child to you when it is safe to do so. Please wait to move forward until your lane is dismissed. If your child does not come out promptly, you may be directed to loop around for the next loading group or asked to park. You cannot scan in until AFTER 2:50 PM.

Please ensure you do not arrive earlier than 2:50 PM in the school’s parking lot and no later than 3:30 PM. Our parking lot is unique and, in the event we need to utilize that space during the day, it makes it challenging if cars are parked earlier than 2:50 PM. Arriving earlier than necessary does not make the process quicker for our staff and presents obstacles in the event we need to evacuate. Please note, Onslow County Schools Safety Policy states, "For the safety of our students, no vehicles are allowed to arrive more than 30 minutes prior to dismissal."

It is imperative you refrain from logging in to School Dismissal Manager before physically arriving in the school parking lot. The cut off time for car riders is 3:40 PM. If you arrive after 3:40 PM, you will be asked to park in one of the diagonal parking spaces, and bring your photo identification into the office to check your child out. Thank you for your continued patience as we work to ensure our students are safely dismissed off campus as efficiently as possible.

Supplemental Reader: $6.00

OCS Technology: $25.00 Usage Assessment Fee (not insurance, rental fee)

Field Trip T-Shirt: $10.00 (for safety while off-campus on class field trips)

Recorder for Music: $5.00 (for 4th & 5th grades only or students can bring in a recorder from home)

All school fees can be paid online through School Cash Online: https://www.schoolcashonline.com/. You will need to register, and have your student's identification number to complete the registration. If you already have an account from last year, you should be able to continue using it. For help with School Cash Online, contact our treasurer, Suellen Dixon, at suellen.dixon@onslow.k12.nc.us.

If the fees present a financial hardship for your family, you can request a fee waiver by emailing school administration at ashley.medlin@onslow.k12.nc.us and elizabeth.wilsey@onslow.k12.nc.us. Once reviewed, you will be notified of approval.

Breakfast and Lunch Accounts: https://www.k12paymentcenter.com/

• The cost for a breakfast is $1.25

• The cost for a lunch is $2.50

• Menus: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1501179229405&page=menus

• Free and Reduced Meal Price Application: https://www.lunchapplication.com/
  
  

The Backpack Friends program provides students with a FREE bag of food to take home for the weekend. Students will continue to receive them throughout the school year unless you contact our School Social Worker, Kristin David, to disenroll.

Additional information about the Backpack Friends program can be found here: https://www.backpackfriends.org/

To sign your child up for the Backpack Friends program, please complete the form linked here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=2oj0MM90xkqfNEBYMyDapC1_Zie-STFFtEXDobwG7llURE5IRVFTNTc5RUVWM01RNllYWlIzUloySS4u&route=shorturl

November

10/1-11/20- PTO Food Drive with Burrito Shak for Thanksgiving

2-6- Fall Book Fair

3- Fall Makeup Picture Day

3- 50th Day of School - Students and Staff Dress in Their 50's Best

3- First Quarter Report Cards Go Home

3- PTO Spirit Night with Burrito Shak, 5:00-8:00 PM

4- Early Release - Car Rider Dismissal Begins at 12:20 PM

4- PTO Spirit Night with Fuzzy Peach, 12:00-8:00 PM

4- Book Fair Family Shopping, 4:00-6:00 PM

10- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

10- Author Visit with Donna Washington

11- Veterans Day Holiday - No School for Students and Staff

12- Kindergarten Field Trip to Beaufort Historical Society (Komar and Reid)

13- Kindergarten Field Trip to Beaufort Historical Society (Reavis and Zinck)

13- World Kindness Day - Students and Staff Wear a Shirt with a Kind Message or Pirate Gear

13- PTO Fall Treasure Treat Delivery

16-20- American Education Week

16-20- PTO Coin Race

18- National Education Support Professionals Day

18- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

19- PTO Spirit Night with Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

20- Substitute Educators Day

20- Kindergarten, Second, and Third Grade Field Trip to SBHS for Nutcracker Performance

20-24- Dental Clinic at SBES

23-12/3- Christmas Cheer Canned Food Drive

24- First Grade Science Alliance Move It! In-House Field Trip

24- Fourth Grade Science Alliance Everything Rocks In-House Field Trip

25- Workday - No School for Students

26-27- Thanksgiving Holiday - No School for Students and Staff

December

1- Third Grade Musical Performance at 6:00 PM in the Gym

1- PTO Spirit Night with Burrito Shak, 5:00-8:00 PM

2- Second Quarter Interim Reports

2- Third Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Kujawski and Williams)

2- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

3- Third Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Ryder and Sawyer)

4- Fourth Grade Camp Flintlock In-House Field Trip

4- PTO Family Fun Night with Jingle Bingo, 6:00-8:00 PM

4- PTO Parent Santa Shop Night

7-11- PTO Santa Shop

8- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

8- First Grade Musical Performance at 6:00 PM in the Gym

10- Fifth Grade Science Alliance Storm Chasers In-House Field Trip

11- OCS Winter School Based Enterprise Craft Fair at Jacksonville High School, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

17- PTO Spirit Night with Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

21-1/1- Winter Break - No School for Students and Staff

January

4- Workday - No School for Students

5- First Day Back from Winter Break for All Students

6- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

7-2/1- Middle-of-Year DIBELS and iReady Assessment Window for K-5

8- PTO Winter Treasure Treat Delivery

8- PTO Spirit Night with Sweet Spot in Emerald Isle, 4:00-9:00 PM

12- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

15- Second Quarter Grading Period Ends

18- Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - No School for Students and Staff

19-20- Workdays - No School for Students

21- Second Grade Field Trip to Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center

21- PTO Spirit Night with Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

27- Second Quarter Report Cards Go Home

29- Second Grade Science Alliance Wildlife Wonders In-House Field Trip

February

1-5- National School Counselor Week

1-5- WIDA ACCESS Testing for EL Students

1-3/17- PTO Food Drive in Collaboration with Burrito Shak

3- Deadline to Order PTO Valentine Grams

3- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

5- 100th Day of School

8- Kindergarten Field Trip to Zing Zumm Children's Museum

9- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

10- Early Release - Car Rider Dismissal Begins at 12:20 PM

10- PTO Spirit Night with Fuzzy Peach, 12:00-8:00 PM

12- PTO Valentine Grams Delivered

12- Caps for Kids

12- PTO Family Fun Night with Sweetheart Dances

12-13- All-County Honors Elementary Chorus at Northside High School

15- Workday - No School for Students

15- Parent Event with Student-Led Conferences

16- First Grade Sturgeon City In-House Field Trip

17- Random Acts of Kindness Day - Students and Staff Wear Orange

22- Third Quarter Interim Reports

March

1-5- Read Across America Week

1-5- Spring Book Fair

2- NEA's National Read Across America Day

3- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

5- Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

5- First Grade Science Alliance Dynamic Dinosaurs In-House Field Trip

5- PTO Spirit Night with Sweet Spot on Emerald Isle, 4:00-9:00 PM

8- Gillette, Ingels, and Meyer Classes' Field Trip to Zing Zumm Children's Museum

8-12- School Social Worker Week

9- Fourth Grade Field Trip to Raleigh

9- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

10- Tornado Drill

10- Early Release - Car Rider Dismissal Begins at 12:20 PM

12- Third Grade Field Trip to Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium

12- Fifth Grade Science Alliance Human Body In-House Field Trip

12- PTO Paint Night with Happy Cloud Art Studio at 6:00 PM in the Cafeteria

16- Second Grade Field Trip to NSHS for "Beneath the Baobab Tree" Performance

18- PTO Spirit Night at Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

19- Third Grade Field Trip to NSHS for "Beneath the Baobab Tree" Performance

19- Second Grade Field Trip to Fort Macon State Park

20- First Day of Spring

22-26- Spring Break - No School for Students and Staff

29- Workday - No School for Students

30- Second Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Haithcock and O'Brien)

31- Second Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Laspada and Matthews)

April

*Month of the Military Child

1- Third Quarter Grading Period Ends

1- World Autism Awareness - Students and Staff Wear Blue

2- Spring Picture Day

4- School Media Specialist Day

5-9- National Assistant Principal Week

7- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

8- Third Quarter Report Cards Go Home

9- Kindergarten Field Trip to Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium

9- PTO Spring Treasure Treat Delivery

9- PTO Spring Carnival Family Fun Night

12- Fifth Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Davies and Durand)

13- Cap and Gown Picture Day for Kindergarten and Fifth Grade

13- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

14- Early Release - Car Rider Dismissal Begins at 12:20 PM

14- PTO Spirit Night at Fuzzy Peach, 12:00-8:00 PM

15- National Purple Up! Day - Students and Staff Wear Purple

15- PTO Spirit Night with Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

16- Kindergarten Field Trip to Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center

16- Second Grade Science Alliance Body Works In-House Field Trip

16- Fifth Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park (Darsey and Lawrence)

19-23- Administrative Professional Week

19-23- Public School Volunteer Week

20- Fourth Grade Musical Performance at 6:00 PM in the Gym

21- Administrative Professional Day

22- Earth Day

26-5/17- End-of-Year DIBELS and iReady Assessment Window for K-5

29- K-2 Field Day

30- 3-5 Field Day

May

3-7- Staff Appreciation Week

3-7- Bus Driver Appreciation Week

3-7- Teacher and Teacher Assistant Appreciation Week

3-14- Apex Fun Run Fundraiser

4- National Teacher Day

4- First Grade Field Trip to Hammocks Beach State Park

4- Fourth Quarter Interim Reports

5- K-2 Field Day Rain Date

5- School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting

6- 3-5 Field Day Rain Date

7- Workday - No School for Students

7- School Lunch Hero Day

7- PTO Spirit Night at Sweet Spot on Emerald Isle, 4:00-9:00 PM

11- PTO Meeting at 8:45 AM in the Cafeteria

12- National School Nurse Day

14- Last Day for Lunch Visitors Due to End-of-Year Testing and Activities

20- PTO Spirit Night at Hwy 55, 5:00-9:00 PM

21- Science End-of-Grade (EOG) Test for Fifth Grade

25- Reading End-of-Grade (EOG) Test for 3-5

27- Math End-of-Grade (EOG) Test for 3-5

31- Memorial Day Holiday - No School for Students and Staff

June

1- Science End-of-Grade (EOG) Retest for Fifth Grade

2- Reading End-of-Grade (EOG) Retest for 3-5

2- PTO Summer Treasure Treat Delivery

3- Math End-of-Grade (EOG) Retest for 3-5

4- Last Day of School for Students

4- Fourth Quarter Report Cards Go Home

Please remember the Onslow County Schools policy of not arriving on campus more than 30 minutes before dismissal. Therefore, cars should not be parked for car rider dismissal before 2:50 PM. Also, please remember painted parking spaces are reserved for staff. A valid photo identification is required to check your child out, and there are no student checkouts between 3:00 and 3:40 PM due to dismissal. Thank you in advance for your understanding as we work to ensure a smooth dismissal and keep all students safe!

Email: sbes@onslow.k12.nc.us
Website: https://sbes.onslow.k12.nc.us/
Location: 118 School Road, Swansboro, NC 28584
Phone: 910-326-1501
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swansboroelementaryschool

PTO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbespto