Are you ready to order your Aiken High School Class Ring? Sophomore Ring Presentation will be January 27th for students in the AHS Auditorium at 9:40am!

With snow expected across our county today and into tomorrow morning, all Aiken County Public Schools will transition to e-learning and a remote workday tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22.
Student e-learning will be available online, and our teachers are available for support. Should your student have any questions, difficulty, or need assistance with their e-learning assignments, please reach out.
While snowfall is not expected to continue beyond tomorrow morning, temperatures are predicted to remain well below freezing. Accumulating snowfall may impact our district’s operations for Thursday. A decision on operations for Thursday will be announced by 4 p.m. tomorrow, and will be made with the safety of all students, families, and employees at heart.
As always, we are grateful for the flexibility of our school community. Please be safe, and stay warm and tuned in to any further updates that Winter Storm Enzo may cause for our operations this week.

Due to predicted inclement weather, Aiken High will follow the posted Early Release Schedule for Tuesday, 01/21/2025. ALL after-school activities and games are canceled and will be rescheduled.
Our school district administrators are continuing to monitor Winter Storm Enzo alongside Emergency Management Officials. With the possibility of snow forecasted late tomorrow afternoon and into the evening hours, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on an Early Dismissal Schedule Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Just as on Early Dismissal Days, elementary school students will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., middle school students at 12:10 p.m., and high school students at 12:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
Early dismissal times are slightly different for Aiken Scholars Academy, as well as our schools in the Wagener and Ridge-Spring areas. Ridge Spring-Monetta and Busbee Elementary dismissal is at 11:55 a.m., A.L. Corbett Middle, Wagener-Salley High, and Aiken Scholars Academy dismiss at noon, and Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle and High dismissal is at 12:15 and 12:20 p.m., respectively. The Center for Innovative Learning (CIL) will dismiss at 1:30 p.m.
Students on half-day schedules who require bus transportation, including Early Learning Special Education students and others, will not come to school tomorrow as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes.
Afternoon classes at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center will not be held. Students enrolled in an afternoon class at the Career Center will remain at their high school.
There will be no after-school care tomorrow through QuestZone and no events to include athletics, arts, clubs, etc. will be held tomorrow afternoon or evening.
All schools and offices will also close early tomorrow. The district’s offices will close no later than 2 p.m. with the Operations Center closing at 1:00 p.m.
While snowfall is not expected to continue into the day on Wednesday, temperatures are predicted to remain well below freezing during the morning and evening hours. Any accumulating snowfall may impact our district’s operations for Wednesday. A decision regarding Wednesday will be announced by Tuesday evening.
Thank you for your flexibility and cooperation as we adjust our operations when weather conditions require as part of our efforts to ensure safety.
Please be safe, bundle up, and tune in for any further changes to our regular operations that Winter Storm Enzo may cause. We look forward to seeing our students and staff tomorrow morning.

There will be an interest meeting for any student interested in playing Boys' golf this spring on Wednesday, January 22 during Homeroom in room C225. See Coach McClure for more information.

Panda Express on Pine Log will hold a Give Back Day for the Band & Orchestra on Monday, 1/20!
Present this flyer when you order, and the program will receive 20% of the proceeds!
It can be a pic or screenshot on your phone!
You can also order online or with their App, using the code on the flyer.
Come play Splatoon with the Video Gamers Club! Meeting is Wednesday, January 22nd from 3:45-4:45 in room C256

Our AHS Hallway of Fame nomination form is now available! Please either scan the QR code or click on the link below to nominate a person you feel is deserving of an AHS hallway named in his/her honor. All nominations must be made by January 31st, 2025.
https://shorturl.at/P8MDL

As we approach the MLK Jr. Holiday Weekend, please note that district administration alongside local Emergency Management officials is monitoring the winter weather system that may impact our county next week. On Monday, January 20, all schools and offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to a threat of potential inclement weather next week, students will come home from school with their laptop and charger tomorrow.
South Carolina school districts are limited to five e-learning days each school year. We used the first of those e-learning days last Monday (January 6), making up for the closure September 27 due to Hurricane Helene. Friday, January 10’s school closure will be made up on the March 14 Weather Makeup Day as designated on our district’s 2024-25 school year calendar. Notice will be shared at a later date regarding the format of March 14’s Weather Makeup Day. The format of the March 14 Weather Makeup Day, more specifically, if the day will be made up in person or through e-learning, is contingent upon the number of e-learning days that remain available for our district to use as we near the end of this very cold winter.
A final decision regarding school operations for Tuesday, January 21, will be announced by 3 p.m. on Monday, January 20. As always, we appreciate your continued support. We look forward to seeing students at school tomorrow and wish your family a wonderful long weekend.

Sign up for a free ACT/SAT workshop on March 1st at South Aiken High School. This workshop will help boost your ACT/SAT score. Sign up in the Counseling office, through the QR code on the flyer, or the link below.
https://forms.office.com/r/KvDecRHQD3

Help the Band and Orchestra raise $1,000!
There will be a fundraiser meeting in the AHS Band Room at 6:30pm this Thursday, Jan. 16th.
If at least 75 adults attend, the program will earn a $1,000 bonus!
This short – 30 minute – meeting is regarding our upcoming Mattress Sale, but you do NOT have to be affiliated with the program to attend!
And there’s no obligation to purchase anything!
Whether or not you have a student in band or orchestra, please consider donating 30 minutes of your time to help us raise $1,000 for our students!
YEARBOOK PHOTO CONTEST: We want to feature your year from your perspective. Submit your favorite photos of you and your friends to hornetyearbook@acpsd.net for a chance to win. Winners will be announced Friday, Jan 17th!

AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRING EVENT | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Our District's Spring Hiring Event for teachers and certified staff is just a few weeks away!
Applicants will have the opportunity for onsite interviews and on the spot job offers! The event will take place at Aiken High School located at 449 Rutland Drive in Aiken, SC from 8 a.m. until noon.
All schools and locations will be represented, and we will be hiring for certified positions to include immediate vacancies and future 2025-26 positions.
Visit www.acpsd.net and select "Join our Team" or scan the QR code. Select "Job Postings" for External Applicants and search "Hiring Event" to apply for your area of certification. Register now to secure an interview at the event!
Pre-registration is highly encouraged! Walk-ins are also welcome.
Please reach out to our Human Resources Team at (803) 641-2428 for more information. We look forward to welcoming many new teachers and certified staff members to Aiken County in February!

Senior Parents - order your graduation yard signs now! Order by March 28th for an early April delivery and by April 25th for early May delivery. A portion of every sign sold will go to AHS! Order using the link or QR code on the flyer.

Families: thank you all for your understanding this morning when changes in the Winter Weather system required a shift in our in-person and early dismissal plans. Our school bus drivers safely transported all students home who had already been picked up for school when the announcement this morning was made.
The timing of the announcement was not ideal, but the decision to close was made because conditions changed and we are committed to responding as necessary when safety concerns arise.
Our transportation team ensured each student made their way safely inside their home or that they were released off the bus to a trusted adult. Our bus drivers did an incredible job in a difficult circumstance and we applaud their care and dedication to our community’s children.
Snow and ice are impacting our county much more heavily than was forecasted. Please stay tuned to weather and safety precautions, and stay warm at home and off the roads if possible.

All ACPSD Schools to Dismiss Two-Hours Early on Friday, January 10 , due to Possible Wintry Conditions:
Based on the latest update from the National Weather Service in Columbia, ice and sleet accumulation is possible in Aiken County tomorrow in the late afternoon hours. To ensure that all students, families, teachers, staff and employees have an opportunity to return home before wintry conditions may make travel difficult, all Aiken County Public Schools will dismiss two hours early tomorrow, Friday, January 10. Breakfast and lunch will be served prior to dismissal.
Students receiving transportation services on half-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students and others, will not come to school tomorrow as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes.
Afternoon classes at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center will not be held. Students enrolled in an afternoon class at the Career Center will remain at their high school.
All schools and offices will also close early tomorrow. The district’s schools and offices will close no later than 3 p.m. As we shared last night, there will be no afterschool care tomorrow through QuestZone and no events will be held in the afternoon tomorrow through noon on Saturday.
As always, we thank you for your flexibility and understanding with the change to tomorrow’s dismissal times. Please be safe and exercise additional caution while travelling over the coming days.

As temperatures drop this week and the possibility of a Winter Storm is on everyone’s radar, please know that we are in close collaboration with local Emergency Management Officials in monitoring for impact to our area.
Confidence in a possible impact to Aiken County late in the afternoon and evening this Friday, January 10, is increasing. With a concern for students, families, and employees traveling after dark on Friday in what may be a mixture of sleet and freezing rain, all athletic practices, games, arts-activities, afterschool care, and any other school or district-sponsored event scheduled for Friday, January 10, will not take place as planned.
With temperatures expected to be below freezing until mid-day Saturday and in an abundance of caution, any athletics, arts, and other events scheduled to be held before noon on Saturday, January 11, will also be cancelled. Travel to district and/or school sponsored events inside or outside Aiken County that would require employee or student travel prior to noon on Saturday, are also included in this cancellation.
We recognize that this will cause a disruption to many, especially our families who rely on QuestZone for after school care as well as those with events, activities, and tournaments that were scheduled. Please know that we are sharing this cancellation update with as much notice as possible based on current conditions and the latest forecasts available. As we keep safety at the forefront of these difficult decisions, we appreciate your continued understanding and support. Please stay tuned for any future updates that this Winter Storm may require and take other precautions that may be recommended to keep your family safe and warm.

Spanish Club will be meeting Tuesday, January 14th after school in Mrs. Wead's room (C-156) to learn a little bit about how el Día de los Reyes Magos and the New Year are celebrated in many Spanish speaking countries. We'd love to see you there!

LAST CHANCE FOR PERSONALIZATION- Order your yearbook on Jostens.com before January 31st to make it unique to you. Orders placed using personalization will be included in our next Hornet Yearbook giveaway.

The next Beta Club meeting is January 13th directly after school in the library until 4pm.

