Aiken Innovate -

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Buy yourself a flower Take stock of your achievements Find support from others Ask someone to be your “vent partner” Do it today Work at being cheerful and optimistic Put safety first Do everything in moderation Pay attention to your appearance Strive for excellence NOT perfection

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Ask a friend for a hug Look up at the stars Practice breathing slowly Learn to whistle a tune Read a poem Listen to a symphony Watch a ballet Read a story curled up in bed Do a brand new thing Stop a bad habit

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Take a bubble bath Be aware of the decisions you make Believe in yourself Stop saying negative things to yourself Visualize yourself winning Develop your sense of humor Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day Have goals for yourself Dance a jig Say hello to a stranger

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Smile Be prepared for rain Tickle a baby Pet a friendly dog/cat Don’t know all the answers Look for the silver lining Say something nice to someone Teach a kid to fly a kite Walk in the rain Schedule play time into every day

Don't we all LOVE to hear a little praise? Here is another installment of 101 Ways to say how awesome your children are today! You’re Catching On Now You’ve Got It You’re Incredible Bravo You’re Fantastic Hooray For You You’re On Target You’re On Your Way How Nice How Smart

This week is National School Counselor Week! Our Aiken iNNOVATE School Counselor, Mrs. Erika Smith is sharing the following message to all our students and families: The theme of this year’s week is “School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive.” I want to talk about what it means to truly thrive. Thriving means growing, succeeding and feeling fulfilled in all areas of your life, and as a school counselor, I want to help you achieve that. There are several areas where I can help you thrive, including your academic growth, your emotional well-being and your career exploration. * For example, thriving academically means setting goals, staying motivated and finding joy in learning. I can help you develop strategies to be successful academically. *Thriving emotionally means feeling balanced, resilient and supported. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, I’m here to listen and help you navigate your feelings. *Thriving in your future means understanding your strengths and passions. I can help you explore different careers and plan for a future that excites you. Helping you thrive is my goal. I hope you’ll reach out when you need support or just want to chat. Let’s work together to THRIVE the rest of this school year. You can reach me at erikas@acpsd.net or 803-306-1036

Students, Please make sure to fully restart your devices this weekend to ensure they receive important updates from this week. This may help improve performance in certain applications on the device. Instructions restarting are as follows: 1. Click on the Start button (the Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner of the screen. 2. Select the Power icon (a circle with a vertical line) from the menu. 3. Choose Restart from the options that appear.

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Avoid negative people Use time wisely Simplify meal times Always make copies of important papers Anticipate your needs Repair anything that doesn’t work properly Ask for help with the jobs you dislike Break large tasks into small portions Look at challenges differently Unclutter your life

Don't we all LOVE to hear a little praise? Here are 101 Ways to say how awesome your children are today! Remarkable I Knew You Could Do It I’m Proud Of You Fantastic Super Star Nice Work Looking Good You’re On Top Of It Beautiful Now You’re Flying

Don't we all LOVE to hear a little praise? Here are 101 Ways to say how awesome your children are today! Wow Way To Go Super You’re Special Outstanding Excellent Great Good Neat Well Done

School Counselor, Erika Smith, knows some days are harder than others. When things feel a little overwhelming here are 101 ways to Cope with Stress In Ten Days. Check back daily for more tips! Get up 18 minutes early Prepare for the morning the night before Avoid tight fitting clothes Avoid relying on chemical aids Set appointments ahead Don’t rely on your memory...write it down Practice preventative maintenance Make duplicate keys Say “no” more often Set priorities in your life

Attention High School Seniors and Parents! Join the Financial Aid Staff from USC Aiken and Aiken Technical College for FAFSA Night on January 28, 2025 from 5pm to 8pm. The event is being held at Aiken Technical College in Building C-Dale Phelon Tech Center on the 1st Floor. Students and Parents should create a FSA ID before the event. Click to begin: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

Aiken iNNOVATE will be operating on a 2-Hour Delay schedule tomorrow, Friday January 23. The schedule is also posted at https://www.acpsd.net/o/dai/page/ai-bell-schedules. Please stay safe and warm.

Aiken County Public Schools will return to in-person learning and work tomorrow, Friday, January 24; in an abundance of caution, all schools and offices will begin the day on a two-hour delayed start. In preparation for a decision on tomorrow’s operations, our leaders have driven hundreds of miles across the county. Daytime temperatures are beginning to increase, melting snow and drying most roadways. However, it would not be possible to investigate each and every road that families and employees may travel tomorrow, and there are possibly secondary roads and well-shaded dirt roads that may remain unsuitable for travel. Please use additional caution when traveling to school and work tomorrow, avoiding less-travelled secondary routes, where possible. The safety of our students, staff, and families is of most importance; please reach out to school leadership with any concerns. Families in our more rural areas, please stay tuned for possible school bus pickup location changes that may be necessary. Important Details for tomorrow: • Student Meals: With the delayed start schedule, only lunch will be served tomorrow in our cafeterias. • Half-Day & Partial-Day Programs: Students on half-day and partial-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students, are encouraged to attend school if possible, however school bus transportation will not be available as buses will be unable to run mid-day routes. • No Before-School Activities: No activities will be permitted before school starts on the two-hour delay. • After-School Activities: Afterschool care through QuestZone will be held tomorrow, as well as other activities planned for after school hours if scheduled by event organizers, club sponsors, coaches, etc. • Aiken County Career and Technology Center: Morning session students should report to their high schools. The afternoon session will continue as planned. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in-person tomorrow. Thank you for your patience and flexibility!

ACPSD E-Learning/Remote Workday Thursday, January 23 We hope you’ve had an opportunity to enjoy the snow and that the assignments for e-learning today have been worthwhile practice. In collaboration with local Emergency Management officials, district administration is monitoring the impact of Winter Storm Enzo. Based on current conditions of significant snowfall accumulation in many areas and predicted freezing temperatures overnight, Aiken County Public Schools will continue in an e-learning format tomorrow, Thursday, January 23. With travel concerns for students and families, as well as teachers and staff, tomorrow will also be a remote workday for employees. Just like today, teachers will be available for student questions and support with e-learning assignments. We apologize for the disruption that continued e-learning tomorrow may cause, and appreciate your support and understanding. The safety of travel conditions will be reevaluated mid-day tomorrow with the hopes that conditions will allow for a safe return to in-person learning for Friday. An update on our district’s operations for Friday, January 24, will be announced no later than 4 p.m. tomorrow. Thank you again for your flexibility.

Are you a high school student with a passion for writing and a keen interest in nuclear technology? The Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA) invites you to participate in our annual High School Essay Contest! This is your chance to showcase your writing skills, share your insights on nuclear technology, and win exciting prizes.

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 winter weather, Aiken County Public Schools will be releasing 2 hours early onTuesday, January 21. Please check your email for the modified schedule for classes tomorrow. Please be safe.

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.

Today, Aiken iNNOVATE remembers the life, the legacy and the sacrfice of Martin Luther King Jr . May we never forget that some gave all so that others could fufill their greatest dreams.