Weekly Hoots

Wise Owls Family 🦉

Happy New Year! 🤗 I hope this message finds you well and that you enjoyed a restful and joyful holiday season with your loved ones. As we step into the new year, we are excited about the opportunities and growth that lie ahead for our students, staff, and school community.

The start of a new year is a wonderful time to reflect on our accomplishments and set goals for the future. Here at WES, we remain committed to fostering a positive and enriching learning environment where every student feels supported and empowered to succeed.

As we head into the second half of the school year, I want to encourage everyone to stay focused and motivated. Here are a few reminders to help us all finish the year strong:

1. Attendance Matters: Regular attendance is key to academic success. Please ensure your child is present and punctual every day, ready to learn. If your child is absent, be sure to complete the WES Student Attendance Form.

2. Stay Engaged: Continue to support your child’s learning at home by reviewing homework, discussing what they are learning in school, and maintaining open communication with their teachers. Sign up to join PTO so you are able to stay up-to-date with what's happening in our community! Follow the WES PTO Facebook Page to get reminders for all of the amazing events that we will have this Spring.

3. Set Goals Together: Take time to discuss and set achievable goals with your child for the remainder of the school year. Celebrating small victories along the way can build confidence and motivation.

4. Healthy Routines: Consistent sleep schedules, balanced nutrition, and daily physical activity contribute significantly to a child’s overall well-being and academic performance.

We are incredibly proud of our students’ hard work and dedication thus far, and we are confident that with your continued partnership, they will thrive as they move closer to completing another successful school year.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Whitesville Elementary School. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s make 2026 a fantastic year of growth, learning, and community together!

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year.

Dr. Gantt

Principal at the most Amazing School on Earth!

#FirstThingsFirst!

🌟 Self-Discipline Challenge 🌟

Helping Students Build Focus, Responsibility, and Self-Control

At our school, we are helping students grow strong habits that support learning and positive behavior. One important skill we are practicing is self-discipline—the ability to control our actions, make good choices, and keep trying even when things feel challenging.

This month, students are participating in our “Pause, Plan, Do!” Self-Discipline Challenge.

🧠 What Is Self-Discipline?

Self-discipline means:

• Thinking before acting

• Staying focused on tasks

• Making positive choices—even when it’s hard

These skills help students succeed in school and beyond.

📅 The Weekly Challenge

Monday – Pause Power
Students practice pausing for 5 seconds before reacting when they feel excited, upset, or frustrated.

Tuesday – Focus Time
Students work for 10 minutes without distractions—staying in their seat and following directions.

Wednesday – Choice Check
Students make one positive choice, even when another choice is tempting (raising a hand, using kind words, following rules).

Thursday – Finish Strong
Students complete a task with their best effort, especially one they usually rush or avoid.

Friday – Reflection Win
Students reflect on one way they showed self-discipline during the week.

🎉 How We Celebrate

We recognize effort and growth through:

• Positive shout-outs and encouragement

• Class celebrations or small incentives

• Praise for trying—even if it wasn’t perfect

🏡 How Families Can Help at Home

You can support your child by:

• Asking: “How did you show self-discipline today?”

• Praising effort and positive choices

• Encouraging your child to pause and think before reacting

Together, we can help students build lifelong skills that support learning, responsibility, and success.

Thank you for your continued partnership! 💙

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

“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.”

Students who would like to eat breakfast should plan to arrive before 7:15 a.m. to have enough time to eat and to make it to class by 7:20 a.m. Staff on duty will enter the building at 7:20 a.m. Any student that arrives to school after staff enters the building will be required to be walked in and signed in at the Front Office.

For our students in the front car rider drop off line, please have your child prepared to get out of the car when you pull up. We will not have staff available to open every car door and we are asking for students to let themselves out of their car to allow for the car rider line drop off to be as efficient as possible.

The BEST time to arrive to school is around or before 7:05 a.m. If you get in the car rider line after 7:17 a.m., it is likely that your child will be tardy, due to size of our campus.

If parents plan to dismiss their child from school before the close fo the day, a note should be sent in the morning stating the child will be dismissed early and the time the child will be picked up. It is also best to email the teacher to give him/her a heads up as well.

Students leaving early must be signed out in the Front Office by an approved adult on the student's emergency contact list. Parents will be asked to show identification - even if we know you 🙂, for every students' safety.

If there is a change of transportation, a note with a parent/guardian's signature MUST be provided. Any student that tells staff that his or her parent/guardian told them to go home by another means will not be honored. For the safety of our students, a change in transportation must be submitted in writing to the student's teacher AND to the Front Office.

We officially kick off semester 2 😀

Report Cards and Progress Reports will be sent home with students in their "Blue, Thursday" Folders. Report Cards will also be available through Parent Portal.

107 E Main St, Moncks Corner, SC 29461

All meetings will be held in the Boardroom of the Berkeley County Education Center at 107 E. Main Street in Moncks Corner, except as noted. Also, meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. (Executive Session) with Regular Session scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

WATCH LIVE: www.bcsdschools.net/live

AGENDAS & MINUTES: https://go.boarddocs.com/sc/berkeley/Board.nsf/Public

Our goal for our Tags of Honor Celebration is to acknowledge our students’ achievements and hard work throughout the quarter. Our students will earn Brag Tags that they will keep at school until the end of the year.

Our goal for our Tags of Honor Celebration is to acknowledge our students’ achievements and hard work throughout the quarter. Our students will earn Brag Tags that they will keep at school until the end of the year.

School & Offices Closed

Dress as the Number 100: Students can create and wear shirts with 100 items glued on, wear clothing that rerpesents the number 100, or find a creative way to display 100 on their clothing for a school-wide celebration of making it to the 100th day of school!

Chair: Lashanda Palmer

Vice Chair: Kristin Sheard

Secretary:

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual Meeting

107 E Main St, Moncks Corner, SC 29461

All meetings will be held in the Boardroom of the Berkeley County Education Center at 107 E. Main Street in Moncks Corner, except as noted. Also, meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. (Executive Session) with Regular Session scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

WATCH LIVE: www.bcsdschools.net/live

AGENDAS & MINUTES: https://go.boarddocs.com/sc/berkeley/Board.nsf/Public

Show your school spirit and support our students by grabbing your WES Car Magnet! Every purchase helps fund exciting programs and activities, enriching your child's school experience. Plus, you are showcasing your WES pride in your community. Join us in making a difference—buy now and roll with school pride!

Car Magnets cost $5.

Friday, March 6th - Boosterthon Fun Run

Friday, May 26th - 5th Grade End of Year Celebration

According to the Education Accountability Act - Article 16, Underperforming Schools must complete a Turnaround Plan (Continuous Improvement Plan). This is a plan outlining goals for a school or district's educational improvement that includes specific strategies designed to increase student achievement and measure to evaluate the success of the implementation of the plan so that the school or district is no longer underperforming or chronically underperforming.

Underperforming schools are identified annually based on the annual school report card.

By May 2026, 100% of classroom teachers observed at Whitesville Elementary School will demonstrate increased use of high quality instructional materials and overall student engagement, as measured by quarterly classroom observations.

By Spring 2026, the percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds Expectations on SC Ready in ELA will be at least 64% as measured by SC Ready Results.

By Spring 2026, the percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds Expectations on SC Ready in Math will be at least 50% or showing 5-7% growth as measured by SC Ready Results.

VantageSpeech.com

843-790-4093

Vantage Speech is a licensed speech-language therapy company located in Moncks Corner, Summerville, and Port Royal, South Carolina. We provide Clinic & home-based comprehensive speech and language evaluations, therapy, and consultations. Vantage Speech was founded to provide in-depth personalized services while building quality relationships with clients and their families. Services are throughout the greater area of Charleston & Beaufort, which includes Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston, Beaufort & Jasper counties.

yourscagent.com

843-879-0349

Sarah's agency, Sarah Modesitt State Farm, offers a range of insurance products including auto, home, business, life, and health insurance. They also provide quality financial services to assist customers in protecting what matters most to them throughout their lives. Sarah and her team are dedicated to genuinely educating their customers about their insurance needs and ensuring they feel protected.

GCGROUP.COM

843-970-1970

Since 2013, The Gasperic & Collins Group (Formerly The Gasperic Group) has been a top-producing realty in Charleston and its surrounding South Carolina communities. For us, client bonds matter more than anything. That means working with us means you’ll always be informed, supported, and heard.

charlestonswaglab.com

843-771-6080

We are a full service advertising specialties company offering a wide range of promotional items to promote your company.

We can assist your marketing objectives with these quality programs:

• Corporate recognition programs
• Premiums and Incentives Sales
• Trade Show Programs
• Safety Programs
• Service Awards
• Employee Recognition

• Product Introductions
• Business Gifts
• Sport Tournaments
• Company Outings
• Thank you programs
• E-Commerce Services: online stores and fulfillment services

Students at WES will receive school breakfast and school lunch at no cost to the student during 2025-26 school year, under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The Community Eligibility Provision is a federally funded initiative, which serves schools with high percentages of students from low-income families. The program was established in 2010 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If a negative balance exists on a student's account from previous school years, the balance will need to be paid in full.

Breakfast and lunch will be served on every day. If your student wants to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive to school between 6:50 a.m. - 7:18 a.m. Breakfast will no longer be served after 7:45 a.m.

• Our school's website is found at https://www.bcsdschools.net/o/wes
• WES Facebook page is Whitesville Elementary School Wise Owls
• The Weekly Hoots newsletter will be emailed & texted to families every Sunday evening. Please be sure to have your updated information in PowerSchool.
• Our PTO's website is wiseowlspto.com.
• Our PTO's Facebook page is Whitesville Wise Owls PTO.
• Schoology: Teachers will update their grades weekly.
• Rooms: Our two-way form of communication at WES. Every teacher at WES will use Rooms as a tool for communication.