As we enter the last full week of January, I can't believe how fast the days, weeks, months are going. We have had such an exciting start of the second semester. Our students are in the rhthym, on a roll, and are ready to learn. As the principal, my job is to help create an environment where people can do their best work and students are able to thrive. I'm constantly planning for tomorrow while living in today. I'm ecstatic to say that things are definitely moving in the right direction.

I know we are all busy, but if you have a moment, swing by the school. Come and grab a lunch with your child, sign up to be a volunteer, read to your child's class. Whatever you can do, we'd love to have more families in the building to see, firsthand, all of the wonderful things that are happening.

We will be the best elementary school in the state!

Thank you!

#SOARingtogether

B. Gantt

Our mission is to cultivate a caring community that utilizes a multitude of teaching and learning experiences to prepare children for their next adventure.

1. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and appreciated.
2. We believe that all children deserve a high quality education.
3. We believe in collaboration and making connections.

Staying Safe

Owning Your Actions

Acting Responsibly

Respecting Everyone & Everything

Monday, January 22: Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Tags of Honor Celebration

• Kindergarten - 9:20 - 10:20
• 1st Grade - 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
• 2nd Grade - 10:40 - 11:40

Friday, January 26: 100th Day of School

Monday, January 29: SIC Meeting

Wednesday, January 31: Early Release Day

Thursday, February 8: Progress Reports sent Home

Thursday, February 8: PTO Meeting

Friday, February 9: Class Pictures

Saturday, February 10: WES Sweetheart Dance (sponsored by WES PTO)

Thursday, February 8: Fluency Bee Championship

Friday, February 16: Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)

Tuesday, February 20: Spring Pictures

Monday, February 26: SIC Meeting

Thursday, February 29: Boosterthon Kick-Off Day

Bullying is an intentional pattern of repeated aggressive behavior between two children when there is a power imbalance.

1. Talk to your child.

• Ask your child questions such as what happened (specifically) that makes them feel bullied, who is the student(s) involved, how often does it happen, what does your child do in response, who has your child spoken to about it, how long has it occurred.
• It is important to get as much detail about the suspected bullying situation. No child/No person deserves to be picked on or treated unfairly, but we do want to determine whether or not the incident is bullying or teasing.
• Please try not to "feed" your child answers. When you talk to your child, it's best to ask open ended questions and wait for their response. Too often we have seen children pressed for an answer which can lead students to embellish a story or to say what they believe the adult wants to hear. A lot of students being bullied want to tell what's going on and are seeking an adult or a safe person to give them the safe space to share. It is important to listen to your child.

2. Reach out to your child's teacher.

• Our teachers our the first line of defense against bullying on campus. After you have spoken to your child and have gathered all of the details, reach out to your child's teacher to share what you know. You can contact them through Rooms or by email to make your teachers aware of what has occurred.
• The more information you can share with the teacher the better.
• Our teachers are aware of the appropriate responses to support our students whether it's responding to the students involved directly, reaching out to a school counselor, or reaching out to an administrator.

3. Continually speak with your child.

• It is important to keep the line of communication open. After reaching out to the teacher, you will receive an update of the teacher's response and next steps. It is important that you continue to follow up with your child to make sure that they feel safe, valued, and appreciated at school.

“South Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law requires that a parent or guardian shall require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools and Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education f rom the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.”

We love our Volunteers! Please make sure to complete the BCSD Volunteer Clearance Check at https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzplbi1VUw== in order to volunteer!

WES PTO will be sponsoring our first ever Sweetheart Dance! Our students decided on the theme: Mini Prom. We are excited to have our WES students and their date (parent, guardian, adult) join us on the night of February 10th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. for a great evening of dancing and enjoying fellowship.

* Get your tickets today as there is limited space.

Do you have a bachelor's degree? You could be a teacher in Berkeley County!

There will be two alternative certification info sessions for prospective teachers. The first session will be held virtually on October 18 at 6 p.m., and the second will be on November 1 at 4:30 p.m. at our main office in Moncks Corner.

Virtual Session Registration | In-person Session Registration | Learn More