Aiken Innovate -

Looking for fun, family-friendly events this weekend? We've got something for everyone — from student art to stars in the sky! District Art Show Come support our talented student artists at the Aiken Center for the Arts! Friday, May 2 5:00 PM Saturday, May 3 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (during the Fine Arts Festival) View amazing artwork created by students from Aiken iNNOVATE across the district—don’t miss this inspiring showcase of creativity! Family Earth & Sky Night Head over to the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center at USC Aiken for a night of discovery and wonder! Hands-On Activities 6:00 – 8:30 PM Night-Sky Viewing 8:30 – 10:30 PM Explore earth and space through hands-on science activities (including live animals!), planetarium shows, and telescope viewing of the moon, stars, and planets. Mrs. Boswell, Mrs. Griffin, and Mrs. Daignault will be hosting a special activity! Stop by and say hi! Club astronomers will guide you — bring a blanket or chair and enjoy the night sky! Both events are **FREE** and open to all ages. Make it a weekend to remember with art, science, and family fun!

Calling all 3rd-12th grade students! Join us for the Youth Financial & Leadership Academy presented by the Aiken County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.! Date: May 10, 2025 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Location: University of South Carolina - Aiken, Business & Education Building Lunch will be provided! Planned Topics Include: - Public Speaking - Financial Literacy - Health (Physical & Mental) - Global Awareness Let's build the next generation of leaders together! Register now: bit.ly/YouthAcademy2025 #YouthLeadership #FinancialLiteracy #PublicSpeaking #AikenEvents #EmpowerTheFuture

You're invited to our Spring Fling Open House at Kenneth Shuler North Augusta! April 24th 5PM – 7PM 1125 Knox Avenue, North Augusta, SC 29841 Come experience hands-on demos, meet our instructors and admissions team, and learn about our programs and career paths! Plus, score a free goody bag and enter to win awesome prizes like a tuition scholarship, beauty kit, and more!

Attention High School Students! CSRA College Night event will be held at the Augusta Convention Center in Augusta, GA. CSRA College Night serves to provide an opportunity for area students, parents, and school counselors to learn about the educational opportunities that are available from accredited colleges and universities from across the country. The SRS Education Outreach team and CSRA College Night Committee cordially invite you to participate in this year’s event. College Night is for all high school students grades 9th – 12th. Our goal is to have around 140 colleges and universities present for students to speak with. We will have seminars for students and parents pertaining to SC and GA financial aid, financial literacy, and the SRNS Apprentice Program. Strive Scan will be available for students to use during the event and scholarship opportunities will be available the night of the event for Seniors Only.

On March 28, our incredible athletes showed up and showed out at the Special Olympics Your hard work, determination, and sportsmanship made us all proud. Thank you for inspiring us with your amazing energy and heart! #SpecialOlympics #ProudMoment

Congratulations to Brooklyn Brown and Caitlyn Coach, our first Aiken Innovate Celebration of Character Award recipients! Brooklyn and Caitlyn will attend a special reception on May 10 at St. Angela Hall, St. Mary's Catholic Church, alongside other distinguished students from across the district. They will be honored with a certificate and various tokens of appreciation from the Joint Women's Clubs of Aiken. For over 26 years, their Character First Initiative has been dedicated to promoting positive character among Aiken County youth. This year, the Joint Women's Club is recognizing over 200 students for their exceptional character and commitment to their educational journey. We are thrilled to celebrate Brooklyn and Caitlyn for their outstanding character and dedication.

Did you know that nearly 33 thousand veterans in the United States experienced homelessnesslast year? Join our military-friendly Purple Star school district in donating basicpersonal hygiene items April to help homeless veterans locally. Donate personal hygeine items such as tissues, deodarant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, comb, brush and other items. Drop Off Donations at Any Aiken County Public School April 14-25, 2025 For more info on this and other Purple Star School Districtinitiatives, please contact our Military Community Liaison Sondra Thomas at SThomas@acpsd.net.

More Field Day Fun at Aiken iNNOVATE! Today, our middle and high school students had an awesome time at Aiken iNNOVATE’s annual Field Day! From **soccer, basketball, and badminton** to **karaoke and water bottle decorating**, there was no shortage of fun! Students also got to **spend their PBIS points** at the store and snag some great rewards! We loved seeing everyone enjoy the day—what a way to kick off Spring Break! Have a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled break!

Aiken iNNOVATE’s Field Day Was a Blast! Today, our middle and high school students brought the energy for Aiken iNNOVATE’s annual Field Da*—and what a day it was! From soccer, basketball, and badminton to karaoke and water bottle decorating, there was something for everyone! Plus, students got to cash in their PBIS points at the store for some awesome rewards! A huge thank you to everyone who joined in on the fun! Wishing you all a safe, relaxing, and amazing Spring Break!

Did you know that nearly 33 thousand veterans in the United States experienced homelessnesslast year? Join our military-friendly Purple Star school district in donating basicpersonal hygiene items April to help homeless veterans locally. Donate personal hygeine items such as tissues, deodarant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, comb, brush and other items. Drop Off Donations at Any Aiken County Public School April 14-25, 2025 For more info on this and other Purple Star School Districtinitiatives, please contact our Military Community Liaison Sondra Thomas at SThomas@acpsd.net.

We apologize for the technical difficulities in our previous Field Day post. The shortened RSVP Link was blocked for students. The new link should do the trick! Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students, We are excited to invite our students to Aiken iNNOVATE’s Annual Field Day! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to enjoy a fun-filled day with friends, games, and activities. Event Details: 📅 Date: March 28 ⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM 📍 Location: 130 Avery Lane, Aiken What’s in store? ✅ Fun games & exciting activities ✅ Time to hang out and make new friends ✅ PBIS Store will be open—students can shop for goodies! ✅ Lunch is provided Reminder: Please have students bring their computers for important tech updates! To help us plan for a great event, please RSVP using the link|: https://forms.office.com/r/ysJUUN9frf

Attention High School Students! CSRA College Night event will be held at the Augusta Convention Center in Augusta, GA. CSRA College Night serves to provide an opportunity for area students, parents, and school counselors to learn about the educational opportunities that are available from accredited colleges and universities from across the country. The SRS Education Outreach team and CSRA College Night Committee cordially invite you to participate in this year’s event. College Night is for all high school students grades 9th – 12th. Our goal is to have around 140 colleges and universities present for students to speak with. We will have seminars for students and parents pertaining to SC and GA financial aid, financial literacy, and the SRNS Apprentice Program. Strive Scan will be available for students to use during the event and scholarship opportunities will be available the night of the event for Seniors Only.

Hello Parents and Guardians! We would greatly appreciate your support! It's that time again—time to tackle our School Climate Surveys! You can complete them through your Parent Portal in Powerschool. Just look for the Forms section on the left side of the page. Don’t forget to check your email for all the important details! Thank you for your involvement! Access Powerschool here: https://aiken.powerschool.com/public/

Interested in virtual learning? Join us for an Aiken iNNOVATE informational meeting on March 27 at 12 PM or 6 PM! 💻 Learn how our virtual program for middle & high school students offers: ✅ Daily, live interaction with teachers ✅ Flexible learning with personalized support ✅ The ability to stay connected to your home school & activities Don’t miss out—discover if Aiken iNNOVATE is right for you! Sign up for the virtual informational session at: https://forms.office.com/r/58Zu8w25HS Or, scan the QR code above.

Dear Students and Parents/Learning Coaches, While it is difficult to believe, we have now reached the end of Quarter 3, and the end of the school year is in sight. Please take a moment to review your students’ Quarter 3 grades and decide if the option below is one you qualify to take advantage of to help improve Semester 2 grades. Aiken iNNOVATE will be offering Content Recovery from April 14th to May 2nd. If your child fails for the quarter, they will be able to work on coursework made available to them by teachers to achieve a passing grade of 60 for each class failed. Please consider registering them for Content Recovery by using the link below. We must have your application by March 26th for your child to be considered for Content Recovery. Please click the link below, or scan the code, to complete the application. We strongly encourage you to have conversations today with your student to find out what can be put in place at home to help them earn passing grades for Quarter 4. https://forms.office.com/r/Byy3Hesbn9

💻 Hey Students – It’s Fix-It Day! 💻 Is your computer slower than a snail? Freezing up like it’s stuck in winter? Shutting down for no reason? We’ve got you covered! TODAY (March 12), bring your glitchy device to the high school closest to your home between 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Head to the front office, and they’ll guide you from there. Let’s get those computers back in action!

Hey Students! We've noticed that a lot of our computers have been acting up—running slower than a Monday morning, freezing like an ice cube, or just giving up on life. But don’t worry, we’re here to fix it! Bring your device to the high school closest to your home on Wednesday, March 12, between 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Just swing by the front office, and they’ll point you in the right direction. Let’s get those computers back in action!

Do you know someone who takes pride in creating clean, safe, and welcoming spaces? Aiken iNNOVATE is looking for a custodian. For more information or to apply, go to https://acpsd.schoolspring.com/

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, there is a threat of severe weather with wind gusts in the morning forecasted to exceed 40 mph. This wind speed exceeds the threshold allowed for school buses to be on roadways. This wind event will result in a need to shift to e-learning tomorrow. Employees should plan to report to their work location on a two-hour delayed start, with no building or office opening before 10 a.m. Afterschool extracurricular practices, games, and events will continue tomorrow as scheduled. There will be no QuestZone tomorrow. We apologize for the challenges that this will cause our families and appreciate your continued cooperation and support!

During Spring Intersession, the week of March 31-April 3, a limited number of spots are available for this year’s Fine Arts Camp, Lego Wars, for students in grades 6-8. Fine Arts Camp will be held at Highland Springs Middle School Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Students will be immersed in creativity, the engineering design process, and project design while developing architectural skills to build a strong Lego structure. Registration opens Monday, March 3, at 6 p.m. for ACPSD middle school students and is offered on a first come-first served basis. Please note that due to space limitations, only the first 30 students to apply will be accepted. Once the application window opens, parents/guardians can apply by scanning the QR Code or visiting https://forms.office.com/r/zJ7pj8gvYh. Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day of camp, Monday-Thursday, March 31-April 3, however students’ families will be responsible for their own transportation to Highland Springs Middle. Please contact Dr. Kimberly Fontanez, District Fine Arts Coordinator, at kfontanez@acpsd.net with any questions.