The "Skimmer" Scoop

October 18th

Report Cards distrubuted this week

October 21st

Reading Rivalry Starts

October 23rd

Soar on Skimmers Fun Run!

October 26-30

Red Ribbon Week

October 30th

Fall Class Parties 1:00-1:45

🏃 Sign up for the Fun Run!
💻 Build and share your fundraising page with family and friends!
👕 Buy your Fun Run shirt!
Last day to purchase shirts is October 6!

Every registration and fundraiser helps support our SIES students! 💙

Join us Friday, November 6, in the SIES backyard for an outdoor showing of Toy Story 5! Doors open at 5:45 p.m., and the movie begins at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on-site, and donations will be collected in lieu of admission fees. This event is for SIES students and families only, and parents must remain with their children. Bring your own chairs and blankets for a fun family night under the stars!

Hello Skimmer families,

I would like to introduce Coastal Connection’s first guest writer, Addie Robertson! Addie is in Ms. Lucas’s 5th grade class and has spent a lot of time learning about her favorite animal, the North American river otter. I invited her to share her passion and knowledge about river otters with our skimmer community! If your student would like to be a guest writer for the Coastal Connection, and share their own passion and knowledge, please let me know! meghan_galipeau@charleston.k12.sc.us.

Thank you Addie and great job!

River Otters

I’ll never forget the time when I first saw a river otter! Watching their thick brown fur glide through the water slicing the surface, it’s something that you will always remember. Those are just a few words to describe how otters are magical majestic creatures and I hope you enjoy learning more about them today!

Where do they live?

River otters can be found all over North America and like to spend fifty percent of their time on land and the other fifty percent in water. You can find them here, in Florida, California, Alaska, and more! They mostly live in fresh bodies of water but you can also find them in brackish water which is freshwater with a little bit of salt. An example of brackish water is the Wando River and a lot of that is brackish because it's so close to the ocean.

How big can they get?

River otters weight ranges from about ten to thirty five pounds. Their length ranges from around thirty to sixty inches long, with males usually bigger than females.

What do they eat?

A river otter’s diet for a whole day consists of almost a quarter of their body weight! That is because they have a very high metabolism (approximately fifty percent higher than the average mammal their size!) which means they burn calories and convert them into energy very quickly. Also, they eat a big diversity of foods because they spend half of their time on land and the other half in water. From rivers, and lakes, they usually eat fish, muscles, and crayfish. From land they usually get birds eggs, small mammals, and even reptiles!

How do they behave?

River otters stay with their moms for about one year before they set off to live on their own in the wild. They are very playful and energetic animals that are graceful swimmers and always seem like they have even more energy! These skillful swimmers can swim up to six miles per hour and can slide on ice up to fifteen miles per hour.

What are their predators?

In the rivers and lakes these otters really don’t have too many predators, but on land they have many! Wolves, cougars, bobcats and coyotes can be big threats for these creatures. A while ago, humans were big predators for otters because people would often kill them to keep their fur, and soon these otters became endangered! But now luckily we have laws against that.

Fun Facts!

• River otters can hold their breath for up to eight minutes.

• River otters can dive to depths of sixty feet.

• River otters have up to 373,000 hairs per square inch.

From their incredible adaptations to their distinct personality, the river otter will always be my absolute favorite animal!

The End By: Addie Robertson

Our fifth graders recently stepped back in time to experience the immigration process through an Ellis Island simulation! As part of their study of immigration and migration, each student took on the identity of a real immigrant and experienced the process faced by the more than 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. Students participated in a medical examination and a formal interview, using their research to answer questions about their assigned immigrant’s life and journey to America. This hands-on experience brought history to life and helped students develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and experiences of those who came to America in search of new opportunities. A special thank-you to our parent volunteers for helping make this meaningful learning experience possible!

We are hosting two SIES volunteer trainings this year! We love our volunteers and want to take some time to touch base about volunteer procedures, expectations, and everything you need to know for a successful year.

If you have already volunteered or are planning to volunteer at SIES this year, please plan to attend one of these training sessions.

Have questions? Please reach out to Meghan Galligeau at meghan_galipeau@charleston.k12.sc.us.

We appreciate all that our volunteers do and look forward to seeing you at training! 💙

At SIES our teachers and staff go ABOVE & BEYOND for students and families! We want to recognize all that they do! Please use this form to shout out an SIES Faculty or Staff member. We will share these with our staff on our daily staff newsletter!