Belvedere Elementary

Good afternoon, Belvedere families! We are looking forward to a busy and great week ahead!

Monthly Bulletin: August Bulletin

Here is what families can expect for the upcoming week at Belvedere Elementary:

Title I Open House: Join us on Tuesday, August 18th, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM for our Title I Open House. This is a great opportunity to visit classrooms, meet our staff, and learn about school programs.

Wednesday is a big day at Belvedere!

• Early Release Day! Students dismiss at 11:30 am

• Christmas Musical Open Auditions: Auditions for 2nd through 5th graders will be held on Wednesday, August 19th, after school until 1:30 PM, with pickup at the kindergarten playground. Students should let Mr. Grant know through Rooms if they plan to audition so he has a head count.

• First interim reports are available in the Parent Portal

• PTO Spirit Night at the Pink Dipper!

Other Important Notes:

Morning Attendance & Tardies: Reminder that tardies are officially recorded at 7:30 AM daily, and students must be inside the building by then to avoid being marked tardy.

Arrival & Dismissal Safety: Walkers must travel entirely on foot to their off-campus destination and are not permitted to meet a parked car on or off school grounds. Vehicle pickups must use the carline.

Ice Cream in the Cafeteria: Ice Cream sales will start in the cafeteria. Please send in money if you would like your student to purchase! More details to come!

Please reach out if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing many of you at the Open House on Tuesday!

Good morning BES Families,

This morning, our staff and students practiced a lockdown drill.

In a lockdown drill, we announced that it is a DRILL and directed everyone with the saying, "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight." This procedure is used in the event we have an intruder enter our building.

Local law enforcement and district security personnel from participated in the drill checking that students and staff were out of sight.

They provided nothing but positive feedback to our administrative team and we are thankful for their partnership in keeping our school community safe!

Mark your calendars!

Wednesday, August 19th will be the first early dismissal day of the 2026–27 school year!

Students will be dismissed early while our teachers and staff use the afternoon for professional development, collaboration, and additional training to support student success.

Get a glimpse into what professional development looks like for our staff here at Aiken County by watching the video on YouTube at:https://youtu.be/RJ6SEXp8wUk .

📢 BEARS BULLETIN: Week of August 9th–15th 🐻✨

Happy Sunday, Belvedere Families! Here is everything you need to know for the week ahead:

🚸 NEW WALKER DISMISSAL (Grades 5K–2nd) Starting Monday, August 10th, all 5K–2nd grade walkers (without an older 3rd–5th grade sibling) will dismiss from the Kindergarten Playground on Belair Road. 🏷️ Tags Required: You’ll receive matching student & parent tags on Monday. Starting Tuesday, you must bring your parent tag to pickup. If forgotten, an ID check in the front office will be required for student safety.

🗓️ FRIDAY, AUG 14 DEADLINES

• Student Leadership Applications Due: No late apps accepted for Kinder Crew, Math Masters, etc.

• Staff of the Month: Cast your final votes today!

🗓️ MARK YOUR CALENDARS

• 🏫 Title I Open House: Tuesday, August 18th | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

• ⏰ Early Dismissal & Energy Bus Celebration: Wednesday, August 19th

• 🎭 Christmas Musical Auditions (2nd-5th): Wednesday, August 19th after school

⏰ DAILY REMINDERS

• Tardies are marked at 7:30 AM—please arrive early!

• All vehicle pickups must use the carline.

Have a great week! Drop a comment if you have any questions! 👇💙

Belvedere Elementary Weekly Update (Aug 2–9) 🐻

Here is what to expect this week:

✏️ i-Ready Testing (Grades 1-5): Begins Monday, Aug 3rd in homerooms. Help your student do their best with a good night's sleep and breakfast!

🥒 Pickle Sale: Friday, Aug 7th, 7:00–7:30 AM in Quarles Corner.

👕 Spirit Day: Wear your BES gear this Friday!

🚨 Quick Reminders: • Tardy bell rings at 7:30 AM daily. • Vehicle pick-ups must use the carline (walkers must travel entirely on foot). • Dress code check: Shorts/skirts within 5" of knee; no slides/crocs/hats/hoods.

📅 Save the Date: Title I Open House is Tuesday, Aug 18th (5:00-6:30 PM).

Have a great week! 🌟

All aboard! We are thrilled to officially welcome you to the 2026-2027 school year. Whether you are a returning family or joining our community for the very first time, we extend a heartfelt, warm embrace to you all.

Every new school year is the start of an extraordinary expedition. This year, Belvedere Elementary will be transitioning from the Ron Clark House Model to a new social-emotional learning program called The Energy Bus.

The Energy Bus is built around the idea that each of us has the power to choose a positive attitude, encourage others, overcome challenges, and work together to create a supportive school community. This program aligns beautifully with our school theme of travel and adventure, reminding students that every day is a new journey and that we all play an important role in making our school a positive place to learn and grow.

While our program is changing, one thing remains the same—we will continue to recognize and celebrate students who demonstrate positive behaviors and make great choices. Through The Energy Bus, students will also learn valuable social-emotional skills and strategies, including:

• Choosing a positive attitude

• Building healthy relationships

• Showing kindness and empathy

• Solving problems respectfully

• Demonstrating resilience when faced with challenges

• Working together as a team

By combining positive behavior recognition with intentional social-emotional learning, we hope to equip our students with lifelong skills that will help them succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

Throughout the year, you will hear your child talking about the principles of The Energy Bus and participating in schoolwide activities that reinforce these important lessons. We encourage you to join us on this journey by asking your child what they are learning and celebrating the positive choices they make each day.

To help ensure our first week goes smoothly, please review the important morning and afternoon reminders below:

🚶 Morning Walk-In Policy & Parking

• Through This Friday (July 24th): You are welcome to walk your student directly to their classroom in the mornings. Friday will be the absolute last day for walking students to class.

• Starting Monday (July 27th): It will be "Independence Day!" All students will walk to class independently. Don't worry—we will have plenty of staff members stationed throughout the halls to navigate and help them find their way!

• Parking Reminder: If you plan to park and walk your student into the building this week, please park exclusively in a designated parking space. Please do not park in handicap spaces unless you have the proper permit.

• Bon Voyage! Don't forget our PTO Bon Voyage breakfast on Friday morning at 7:30 am!

🚗 Afternoon Carline & Car Tags

• Need a Car Tag? If you still need a car tag for the afternoon carline, please call the front office.

• Delivery: The front office will assign you a car number, and your physical car tag will be placed directly into your student’s bookbag to take home.

Our day will start at 7:30 am, with doors opening at 7:00 am! We begin dismissing at 2:30 pm. Please be patient with us these first few days as our staff, our families and our students adjust to drop off and dismissal procedures. I can promise you- we will be much quicker by week 2!

Thank you for trusting us with your children. Let’s fasten our seatbelts, embrace the adventure ahead, and make this a truly phenomenal year of growth and achievement!

🎒 Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year!

The July Family Bulletin has officially landed. Before we head back to school, make sure you have all the information you need for a smooth and successful start.

Quick Checklist & Key Dates:

• 🗺️ Read Principal Allyson Long's welcome message

• ✏️ Download your grade-level school supply lists

• 🗓️ July 8: Kindercamp & Parent Camp (Rising Kindergarteners)

• 🗓️ July 16: Meet the Teacher (2:00 PM – 6:00 PM)

• 🗓️ July 29: First PTO Meeting (3:00 PM in the BES Library)

📥 [Download the July 2026 Bulletin (PDF)] 🚌 July Focus: "You’re the Driver of Your Bus!"

✈️ CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR KINDERGARTEN! ✈️

Calling all rising kindergarten families! It’s almost time to pack your bags and check in for an incredible school year. We have two major events coming up this July to help your little traveler transition smoothly into 5K.

Save these dates and get ready for takeoff! 👇

🧭 EVENT 1: Travel to KinderCamp

Get a sneak peek of the classrooms and meet the crew before the school year officially launches!

• When: Wednesday, July 8th

• Session 1: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Session 2: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

• For Students: Rotate through our 4 classrooms and meet each teaching team!

• For Parents: Join "Parent Camp" for volunteer training, PTO sign-ups, and tips to support your student at home.

• 📧 RSVP: Send your RSVP to CFERRELL557@ACPSD.NET

🎫 EVENT 2: Staggered Boarding for 5K

To give our students a gentle, focused introduction to their new routine, we use a staggered start schedule by last name. Your student will only attend on their assigned day, plus the all-student day on Friday!

• 📅 A - G: Monday, July 20th

• 📅 H - M: Tuesday, July 21st

• 📅 N - R: Wednesday, July 22nd

• 📅 S - Z: Thursday, July 23rd

• 🎉 ALL STUDENTS BOARD: Friday, July 24th!

⚠️ Have a scheduling conflict with your assigned day? Please reach out to ALong@acpsd.net.

Mark your calendars for this year's completely free Back to School Bash, hosted by community organizer Victoria Paloma!

This exciting event will take place on July 18th, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Roy Warner Park (6021 Roy Warner Park LN, Wagener, SC 29164) to help students kick off the school year with confidence.

Available on a first-come, first-served basis, children can receive free bookbags, school supplies, brand-new outfits, shoes, gift cards, fresh haircuts, professional hair braiding, food, and much more.

Please see the attached flyer for more information.