Belvedere Elementary

Check out this week's lunch menu! And don't forget, Wednesday is Early Release Day!

Picture Day is September 16th!

Help support our school by downloading the Box Tops 4 Education app and scanning grocery receipts!

We are ready to kick off our 3rd week of the school year and the month of August!

We have worked really hard on routines and procedures these past two weeks and are so proud of how smoothly the day is going! As a reminder, students are able to exit their cars independently. The adults on morning duty are there to assist younger students or students with additional needs and monitor for safety. So, when you see the stop sign- encourage your student to practice their independence and exit the vehicle!

PTO has extended the deadline for grams and will accept them through Monday. Make sure to check out their spirit store and to nominate a staff member for Staff of the Month (tinyurl.com/BESstaffofthemonth)! Also, be on the lookout for how to support your student's grade level Silent Auction Basket!

This month, we have Open House on Tuesday, August 26th from 5:30-7:00 pm! Mark your calendars for our annual Title I meeting in combination with this evening of informational sessions for how we can work together to support your learner.

Make sure to check out this month's newsletter that is packed full of information about the month to come!

If you haven't already, take a quick minute to update the ACPSD app (where you access Rooms and other school and district information) and the Thrillshare app (the app that supports Rooms and our websites). We want to make sure you're up-to-date on school & ACPSD happenings!

Pickles will be for sale this Friday for $1! Money raised supports the cost of the 2nd grade field trip!

Make sure to check out our updated morning arrival procedures!

This summer, Aiken County’s most talented young artists immersed themselves in the acGATEWAY experience, which is an intensive, high-level arts program designed to challenge and inspire! From vibrant visual art displays to moving theatrical performances, students demonstrated what passion, focus, and creativity can achieve in just a few short weeks! Want to see what makes acGATEWAY so special? Watch our behind-the-scenes student videos and discover why this program has been a beloved part of Aiken County since 1992 and keep an eye out for 2026 acGATEWAY audition information for our summer 2026 opportunity. #acGATEWAY #AikenArts #GiftedAndTalented #ArtsEducation #StudentShowcase #VisualAndPerformingArts #ACPSD https://www.acpsd.net/page/gateway

We are so excited to say welcome back to students on Monday, July 21st!

Please remember, the first few days are a learning experience for all of us- new students and families and more car riders than any other time of the year. Please be patient and kind to our hardworking staff who are spending extended periods of time in the heat to ensure that all students make it to their classroom and get home safely.
There are some important things to note:
• Monday and Tuesday, we will let parents enter at 7 am. Beginning on Wednesday, parents won't be admitted till 7:15 am.
• If you are walking your student in, please park in a parking space (overflow parking at either church parking lot near BES is available), and walk your student all the way to class. This policy will continue all year- that if you are walking your student in, you need to walk them to the hall or classroom, not just the door. This is for your student' safety.
• For dismissal, students will all be getting in their cars from the center lane with the assistance of our staff. As students are learning to recognize their vehicles, please leave your car number visible and even roll down your window and wave to help our younger students!
• At arrival and dismissal, all cars will leave the car line to the left.

Our PTO is truly out of this world! Make sure to visit them from 7:30-8:00 on Monday for Tears and Cheers, sign up to join PTO and check out their calendar of fun events!

Finally, the best way to "stay in touch" is to have the rooms app! Make sure to take a few minutes to download that!

We hope everyone has plans to enjoy the last week of summer before begins on July 21st! We do have some plans for this week. On Tuesday, Kinder Camp will be from 5:30-6:30pm for rising kindergarten students. On Thursday, "Meet the Teacher" from 2:00-6:00 pm. Please make sure your student is fully registered, and you have turned in two proofs of residency to find out your student's teacher! Make sure to check out our July newsletter, we have lots of great things planned and the supply list is also attached! We are looking forward to a great year where we "Level Up Learning!"

Parents and Guardians now is the time to schedule a well-visit or vaccine appointment with your child’s healthcare provider to avoid the back-to-school rush before the 2025-26 school year begins on July 21! The SC Department of Public Health is also offering a vaccine clinic for students in grades 5K–12 on July 8 from 9–11:30 a.m. and 1–3:30 p.m. at the Aiken County Health Department (222 Beaufort Street NE, Aiken). Call (803) 642-7543 to make an appointment and bring vaccination and insurance records; a parent or guardian must accompany children under 16. No-cost vaccines may be available, though administration fees may apply. Don’t forget to submit your child’s updated SC Immunization Certificate to their school and note that all rising 7th graders must have a Tdap booster given at age 10 or older. Contact your child’s healthcare provider or school nurse with any questions and visit acpsd.net/page/nursing-services for more information.

Aiken County Public School District’s full-time virtual program, Aiken iNNOVATE, is now accepting applications for the 2025–2026 school year. If you or your student are currently in 5th grade or higher and interested in a flexible, innovative learning environment, now is the time to apply. Aiken iNNOVATE offers a 100% virtual experience with certified ACPSD teachers and curriculum, providing students in grades 6–12 the opportunity to learn from anywhere while staying connected to their school community. To apply, visit www.acpsd.net/ai. If you have any questions, feel free to email Ai@acpsd.net. Don’t miss this opportunity to take charge of your education through Aiken iNNOVATE. Spots are limited.

This Week at a Glance: We do not have school on Monday, May 26th. On Tuesday, it will be our last full day of school. First Grade Awards at 8:30 (Brooks, Hadden and Davidson) First Grade Awards at 9:30 (St. Clair, Bimrose, Williams and Coleman) Kindergarten Awards at 10:30 (Carpenter, Lane, and Roth) Kindergarten Awards at 11:30 (Gay and Jenison) Fifth Grade Awards at North Augusta High School at 5:30 pm On Wednesday, we have a half day and dismiss at 11:00 am. Third Grade Awards at 8:30 Second Grade Awards at 9:30 On Thursday, it is our last half day, and we dismiss at 11:00 am. Fourth Grade Awards at 8:30 (Ziel, McNeill and Hegarty) Fourth Grade Awards at 9:30 (Brady and Dearman) For students that are fully registered and have turned in two proofs of residency, they may receive their teacher assignment for the 2025-2026 school year and updated car tags. For families applying for 4K enrollment, we are hoping to be able to send out those letters soon! We are waiting for the final approval to mail those. Mark your calendars for: Kinder Camp for rising kindergarten students on Tuesday, July 15th at 5:30 pm for rising kindergarten students. Kindergarten families will receive teacher assignments on Thursday, July 17th. Thursday, July 17th will be Meet the Teacher from 2-6 pm.

The Seamless Summer Meal Program returns for Summer 2025! The ACPSD Child Nutrition Program will be offering nutritious meals at no cost for children aged 18 and under, as well as for individuals with disabilities up to age 21. Meals will be served Monday through Thursday from June 2 to June 26, 2025. See flyer for more details!

Please note the updated awards schedule! One first grade class is at 9:30 instead of 10:30!

This is a very important week at Belvedere because we start state testing in 3rd through 5th grade. Students in these grades will take the writing test on Tuesday and the reading test on Thursday and Friday. It is very important that students get a good night's rest, have a good breakfast, and do their very best! These tests can impact future testing for gifted and talented, class placement and for third grade, being promoted to fourth grade. We want students to use this to show what they have learned and do their very best! Kindergarten and first grade will also begin their end of the year assessments as well! This is done individually and will be done over the next two weeks! We are so excited to see what all our students have learned this year and celebrate our school's progress! As we move into the final few weeks of school, remember, if your rising first through fifth grade student is fully registered for 2025-2026 school year with two proofs of residency turned in, they can find out who their teacher is next year after awards! Finally, if you have a rising kindergarten student, we are offering two Kinder Camps this year- Tuesday, May 20th and Tuesday, July 15th from 5:30-6:30. We are excited to meet our rising kindergarten students! Please help us spread the word and encourage families of rising kindergarten students to attend one of these two nights of fun!

Aiken High School’s Educators Rising would like to invite you and your children to enjoy “A Royal Family Ball” in the Aiken High School cafeteria. This event is for families with young children to experience a “prom-like” event, where they get to dress up in fancy clothes, dance to fun music, eat delicious snacks, make crowns, decorate “chalices,” enjoy other activities, and take pictures of the memories! Tickets are available on GoFan.com see the link below and QR Code in the picture. Costs are $5.00 for each child ages 3-years-old to 12-years-old (children 2 + under are free). All children must be accompanied by an adult family member (18-years-old and up). Costs for adult tickets are $10.00. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Christa Franklin (cfranklin2@acpsd.net), the Educators Rising adviser and Early Childhood Education Instructor. bit.ly/royal-family-ball

For fifth grade families, make sure to see Mrs. Cathey in the office! These keepsakes with photos from each year of elementary school are only $10 (cash or check made out to Belvedere Elementary)!

Please note the upcoming end of the year SC Ready testing schedule for 3rd through 5th grades! Tuesday, May 13-Writing; Thursday, May 15- Reading Part A; Friday, May 16-Reading Part B; Tuesday, May 20- Math; Thursday, May 22-Science (4th grade only) Attendance of all 3rd-5th graders is very important on these dates. Please reschedule any appointments or absences that fall on these testing dates. Your student will need a good night’s rest, a healthful breakfast, and will also need to arrive to school prior to 7:30am each day.