Clearwater Elementary

Shelter Update: Community shelters are being consolidated at this time. The Red Cross Shelter at Paul Knox Middle School remains open for families in need.

Tonight, Oct. 4, at 6PM, Public Sheltering for Aiken County will open at Paul Knox Middle (PKMS) and Aiken High (AHS). PKMS: 1804 Wells Road, North Augusta; (enter Wells Rd. and Pisgah Ave.); AHS: 449 Rutland Dr., Aiken (enter Taylor Gym).

To help ensure that the information available through websites and social media posts from local Emergency Management Operations officials, Chambers of Commerce, public safety and media outlets are able to be seen by families with limited access to the internet, we are resharing through our school system-managed platforms. We hope that this is helpful to those needing access to water, ice, food, information, and other resources. The availability of resources included below is not guaranteed, please verify that the resources are still available. Much of this information is being shared from posts made on social media platforms from media stories, as well as the following sites: Aiken Chamber of Commerce https://www.facebook.com/AikenChamber/ CSRA United Way https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWayoftheCSRA/ United Way of Aiken County Phone lines and internet are down at the office. Message this Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/uwaiken/ North Augusta Chamber of Commerce https://www.facebook.com/GNACOC/ FOOD/WATER Salvation Army Feeding Sites: • Salvation Army Soup Kitchen-604 Park Ave., Aiken • YMCA- 621 Trolley Line Rd., Graniteville • KJs in Edgefield- 155 Carolina Sq., Edgefield The North Augusta Community Center, 495 Brookside Ave, will be opening for handing out water and food until 5pm or while supplies last. Golden Harvest Food/Ice Distribution Site (Oct 2): National Wild Turkey Federation, 770 Augusta Rd., Edgefield @ 2pm Hub for Community Innovation Augusta 631 Chafee Ave from 4:00-5:00PM (Oct 2) The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Augusta 1833 Broad St at 4:00PM (Oct 2) Center of Hope 1384 Greene St at 5:30PM (Oct 2) Ridge Spring-Monetta schools will serve hot food and bottled water will be available at no charge starting Wednesday, around 4 p.m. at Monetta Volunteer Fire Department. Water Via the New Holland Volunteer Fire Department: If you need water for flushing toilets, washing we have non-potable well water at our HQ station at 2243 Old Ninty Six Indian trail. The hose is on left side of bay building. Please do not block driveway to trucks. - Chief Dennis Jackson South Carolina Rural Water For small water districts needing assistance, call Nick Rubin 864-617-3169. SHELTER True Testament Church • 1031 Reynolds Pond RD, Aiken SC 29801 • 803-295-9800 Jet Middle School • 1095 Columbia HWY, Johnston, SC 29832 POWER While power companies attempt to restore power, having main power shut off at the house, with lines connected to a house, which were taken down by a tree, would help with tree removal and power line issues. Once power is restored, please leave your front porch lights on which shows utility workers that power has been restored. Candles - Place candles in safe holders away from anything that could catch fire. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Wednesday Morning (October 2) Update from Aiken Electric Co-Op & Dominion Energy provided by our local legislative delegation: AEC’s outage management system is up and running. There currently have 22,757 meters without power. There are 140 AEC employees and 50 fiber contractors reconnecting members. Additionally, 340 contractors are working on the Co-Op system and another 100 arrive tomorrow. This weekend, the total number of contractors working to restore power should be 600. Dominion reports that in Aiken County they have restored service to 26,000 customers with 34,000 still without power. Dominion says there should be a lot more connections made today. Dominion Energy o Power Outage: 888-333-4465 o Downed Lines: 888-333-4465 o Gas Leaks: 800-815-0083 Aiken Electric Co-Op: 877-264-5368 DRIVING With many traffic signals remaining with no power, please treat those intersections same as a four way STOP intersection. CHARGING STATIONS/SHOWERS (please bring your own toiletries/towels) YMCA – Aiken & North Augusta • 621 Trolley Line RD, Graniteville, SC 29829 • 401 W Martintown RD Suite 111, North Augusta, SC 29841 CHARGING STATIONS/ICE SRP Park will have charging stations set up by our main gate. At 3pm we will begin distributing ice, 1 10lb bag per person, until we once again run out. COMMUNITY EVENT This Thursday, October 3rd, from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m., Cedar Creek Church is hosting a Family Hangout at the Banks Mill Campus of Cedar Creek Church. This will be a time for all families to connect, play games, enjoy each other’s company. Snacks, drinks, and charging stations will be available, and the worship center will be open for anyone seeking quiet time for prayer or meditation

ACPSD Changes Due to Hurricane Helene - Due to the potential impact of Hurricane Helene, which is forecasted to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico today and arrive in Aiken County late tomorrow afternoon, Aiken County Public Schools has several changes to the remainder of this school week to announce. All after school activities tomorrow, Thursday, September 26, are cancelled. This includes athletics, arts, meetings planned for after school, and Quest Zone. Friday, September 27, will be an e-learning day for all students. Teachers and staff will work remotely on Friday. We recognize that several high schools have athletic events this week, including some with Homecoming. Some of those schools have moved their football games to this evening. Others are planning to host their games Friday night after the storm passes through. Should the weather necessitate a change to those plans, additional information will be shared by our high schools directly. We apologize for the disruption that this change will cause to our students and families and, as always, appreciate the flexibility and cooperation of our school community. Please stay tuned to local weather precautions and follow recommendations to keep your family safe.

Join us for a virtual PTA meeting through the Google Meet video conference link below. We will be discussing our plans for this school year, PTA officer positions, and brainstorming new ways to help Clearwater be the best place for our students, teachers, and staff. We hope you will take the time to join us. CES PTA Meeting Thursday, September 26 · 5:30 – 6:30pm Time zone: America/New_York Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/gid-myvo-yze

24-25 Yearbooks are now on SALE! Don't miss out on this opportunity to capture and cherish the memories of the year. To secure your copy, simply click on the link below. Take advantage of our Early Bird Special by ordering before February 28, 2025. Add a unique touch to your child’s yearbook with personalized icons that need to be ordered by January 31, 2025. Act now to preserve the moments that matter most! Yearbook Link: https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09882740

We have additional 24-25 CES T-shirts available for sale. Feel free to stop by the office to make a purchase. Here are the available sizes: (2) Youth Small (2) Youth Medium (4) Youth Large (1) Adult Large Once they're sold out, they won't be restocked.

Help us make our Trunk or Treat event truly fabulous by donating candy. Students that bring donations will be entered in a special drawing.

Today, our Café Manager, Asa Pontoo, met with some of our students to talk about the importance of eating breakfast! Our students learned how breakfast fuels our bodies and our brains for success by giving us the nutrients that we need. It also gives us an extra boost of energy to help us focus throughout the day and have a blast during recess time! Our students even made a homemade tasty Strawberry Chocolate smoothie with Mr. Pontoo! It was so tasty that some students asked for another scoop! Wow! What a way to start our Clearwater day!

Ensuring the Safety of Our Schools: Addressing Recent Rumors - We are aware of misinformation circulating throughout our schools and communities regarding rumored incidents of school violence at various campuses within our district. Please know that these messages are being reposted and reshared at schools throughout our district and at schools throughout the state. Your children’s safety is our top priority. We take all threats seriously and work in collaboration with law enforcement to fully investigate each and every rumor and/or post that is shared. There is no active threat impacting the safety and security of any of our school campuses. Rumors of this nature cause a great deal of concern, stress and anxiety. When those are shared on social media, the impact is far-reaching, and causes unnecessary concern for other parents, students, and staff, and divert critical resources away from genuine safety and security efforts. If ever there is an actual incident of school violence at your child’s school or if a threat of violence at your child’s school warrants your attention, school and/or district communications will notify you. We are committed to sharing accurate information as quickly as situations allow. We hope to never have to notify you of an actual event of school violence, and we are fully committed to maintaining the safety and security of our schools through a variety of safety measures and close collaboration with local law enforcement. If you or your student ever have a safety concern, or if you hear a rumor of a safety concern, we ask that you immediately notify the appropriate authorities. This includes local law enforcement and the administration at the district office or the school involved. Thank you for your support as we work together to keep our schools, and your children safe.

Please pick up your World's Finest Chocolate orders today, September 12th from 1pm to 6pm. Please come to the front door of the school to sign out your order.

We had special visitor at CES yesterday: a magician! "Abracadabra," and "hocus pocus," echoed through the room, as the students watched the magician performed his tricks. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Kevin Spencer for his unforgettable visit and for spreading joy among our students.

Attention Parents and Guardians: The PTA has graciously extended the deadline for submitting order forms and payments until tomorrow, September 10th. Additionally, you have until September 12th to purchase a FULL box of chocolates.

The Concert Truck made an appearance at CES! What’s The Concert Truck? The Concert is a traveling music venue that strengthens communities by redefining the concert experience and making live music accessible to everyone. Pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang delighted our students with a variety of songs, spreading joy through music. This mobile concert had not only provided an unforgettable experience, but also inspired our young student’s minds to embrace the beauty of music!

Congratulations Cubs!

All Aiken County Public School District schools, buildings, and offices will be closed for Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2024. We hope that everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend and look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Fall is just around the corner! Autumn brings exciting events to CES. Let's work together to achieve our fundraising goal of selling 150 boxes of the delicious World's Finest Chocolates. Get ready for the special "Goodies with Grands" Event honoring grandparents, the Rock Your School Event, and the much-anticipated Fall Break at the end of the month. Stay informed about all the latest news and events by reviewing our newsletter and marking the dates on your calendar.

Visit our website, https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/2024-one-cent, for information on the sales tax and the school facility project needs that will be on November’s ballot for voter consideration, and make plans to join us at an informational meeting: • Tuesday, September 3, 6:30 p.m. at Silver Bluff High School (Area Five) • Monday, September 9, 6:30 p.m. at Ridge Spring Monetta Middle High (Area Four) • Tuesday, September 17, 6:00 p.m. at South Aiken High School (Area One) • Tuesday, October 15, 6:00 p.m. at North Augusta Middle School (Area Two) • Monday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. at Midland Valley High School (Area Three)

Help us celebrate National Grandparent's Day!

Attention 5th Grade Parents: 5th Graders' Yearbook Recognition Ads are the perfect way to commemorate achievements and celebrate milestones. In addition, revenues from Recognition Ads help our school create a better yearbook. To purchase your ad online, follow the instructions listed below. Jostens is responsible for our school's yearbook ad sales. Please do not contact or send materials to the school. Please also consider our school's ad content guidelines below during the creation of your ad online. All orders must be placed by 11/01/2024.