Dolphin Tales

Greetings Stono Park Families,

As the season of gratitude begins, we welcome November with excitement and appreciation for our wonderful school community. With cooler weather on the way, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor recess. Don’t forget to remind them to bring home their sweaters, coats, and hats each day—our lost and found is already filling up with items looking for their owners!

As we start November, we would like to celebrate our gratitude not only for our incredible Stono Park families and staff, but also for our wonderful community partners who support our students’ learning every day. From generous donations of school supplies, to our amazing POD (Parents of Dolphins) volunteers, to those who help secure donations, serve as reading buddies, or lead school clubs like basketball—or mentor our students—your care and commitment truly make a difference. We are so thankful for the way you help our Dolphins shine!

Don’t forget to join us for a sweet time at Math Night in Candyland on Wednesday, November 12th! Our math games are sure to be sweet, and our staff are ready to bring the magic of Candyland to life for an amazing night you won’t want to miss!

Another exciting event this month is our Turkey Trot and Family Picnic on Thursday, November 21st—a fantastic way to come together for fun, fitness, and community!

Thanksgiving Break is quickly approaching! As you make your holiday plans, please remember that consistent attendance is essential to your child’s learning. If your child will be absent, kindly turn in your excuses—and remember, every day counts!

School will be closed from Monday, November 24 through Friday, November 28 for Thanksgiving Break. We wish you all a restful and joyous holiday surrounded by family and friends.

Thank you for being such a supportive and engaged community. We’re truly grateful for each and every one of you and look forward to an amazing month ahead!

Warmly,
Principal Dorsey

11/3- Family Data Conference Day- No School for Students

11/4- No School - Election Day

11/5- Morning Splash with Principal Dorsey

11/11- Veterans' Day

11/12- Family Math Night in Candyland 5pm-6:30pm

11/21- Turkey Trot

11/24-11/28- Fall Break

12/1- Students Return to School

12/3- Morning Splash with Principal Dorsey

12/5- Dress Down Day- $2.00

12/5- CD Field Trip to West Ashley Library

12/17- Holiday Showcase

12/19- Half Day- Dismissal at 11:30am

12/22-1/5- Winter Break

1/6- Students Return to School

We want to share our heartfelt gratitude to all our amazing community partners and school volunteers! 💙 Your time, energy, and dedication help make Stono Park such a special place for our Dolphins. We couldn’t make waves without you! 🌊🐬

Join us on Friday, November 21st at 11:30 a.m. for our 2nd Annual Turkey Trot! Families are invited to cheer on our students as they run two laps around the parking lot and then enjoy a picnic with their class immediately after the Trot.

Students will enjoy bagged lunches that day. Please note that the cafeteria will not be selling adult lunches, but families are welcome to bring their own lunch to picnic with their student.

We look forward to celebrating fitness, fun, and community together!

We are so proud to share that students at Stono Park are feeling happier and more connected at school! Over the past year, students shared that supportive relationships grew from 92% to 95%, and self-management went up from 75% to 81%. Teacher-student relationships also improved from 80% to 86%, and our sense of belonging rose from 68% to 76%. This means our students are enjoying school more, building strong relationships, and working hard to make Stono Park a great place to learn and grow!

We’re learning how to train our dragons with Dragon Breath—using calm breaths to cool down big feelings and find our inner fire power!

Fifth graders closed out their Ancient Civilizations study by creating Codex projects—bringing ancient stories and symbols to life!

Ms. Flavin’s class practiced handwriting in a creative way—trading pencils for paintbrushes and turning the school walls into their canvas! 🎨

Our fifth graders roasted up some fraction fun—dividing ingredients to make s’mores and trail mix while learning how division can make every piece count!

Ms. Flavin’s Kindergarten class is roaring with excitement as they use dinosaur manipulatives to practice counting and number skills!

As long as your child is healthy, please encourage showing up to class when school is in session daily and on time. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as connect to peers and their teachers.

If your child is absent please make sure an excuse is sent in within 3 days of the student returning back to school. A student is considered Truant if they have missed 3 consecutive days of school without a doctor's excuse or 5 unexcused absences total. Once a student has 3 unexcused absences then a Truancy Warning Letter is sent home. Once a student has 5 unexcused absences a Truancy Conference has to occur with the caregiver.

A student is chronically absent if he or she misses only two days of school per month (18 days per year). Even one year of chronic absence can cause a child to fall behind academically and decrease a child’s chances of graduating from high school, which can have long-term consequences on their financial independence, physical well-being and mental health.

Parents can prepare their children for a lifetime of success by making regular school attendance a priority and understanding the reasons for their child’s absences.

Thank you for partnering with us to help your child learn, thrive and succeed.

November is here and flu season has arrived. Please assess your children each day. Many times allergy, cold, flu, strep and covid symptoms can be similar, except fever is rare in allergies and colds.. When you see fever or severe sore throat and congested cough or vomiting , it is time to see a doctor. Fever means that you are contagious. Getting the proper diagnosis and treatment will help them to heal better. Matching the proper medicine for the illness is important. Extra rest and fluids to drink always help during illness. When we are notified at school of flu or covid , we can have the classrooms fogged with an antiviral treatment to help slow the spread of germs. Please help us to keep our students and staff and their families safe.

Please turn in your updated shot records. We must have them for every student per SC state law. Your pediatric doctor or local health department can help you get these records and any updates that your child may need. Let us know if you need help.

Restock your first aid kit and medicines to be prepared for injury or illness. Do not run out of needed medicines. Please pack extra clothes for your child to have at school for spills, tears and accidents.

Cooler weather can make asthma and eczema flare up. Make sure that if your child has asthma, they are seen by their doctor regularly . Asthma needs and medicines change as your child grows. Daily treatment with maintenance medicine will prevent asthma attacks. Prescription strength oral medicine and creams and oils will help control eczema. See your doctor for the best choice for your child.

The time falls back in November which makes for less sunlight and can disrupt sleep. Keep your child on a regular bedtime. A well rested child has a stronger immune system and less morning headaches and stomachaches.

Be thankful for a beautiful Fall season and stay healthy.

Nurse Wendy, RN

The Charleston County Public Library also has Free Virtual Tutoring with student's library Card. Visit Tutor.com Student Center | Charleston County Public Library (ccpl.org) to take advantage of this free resource.

Email: Traci_Alter@charleston.k12.sc.us
Website: https://www.ccsdschools.com/stonopark
Location: Stono Park Elementary School, Huntley Drive, Charleston, SC, USA
Phone: 843-763-1507 Cell: 843-751-5518