Midland Valley High

All of our basketball teams will play at home tonight, 1/9/25. Come out and support the Mustangs!#valleystrong #onevalley

As temperatures drop this week and the possibility of a Winter Storm is on everyone’s radar, please know that we are in close collaboration with local Emergency Management Officials in monitoring for impact to our area. Confidence in a possible impact to Aiken County late in the afternoon and evening this Friday, January 10, is increasing. With a concern for students, families, and employees traveling after dark on Friday in what may be a mixture of sleet and freezing rain, all athletic practices, games, arts-activities, afterschool care, and any other school or district-sponsored event scheduled for Friday, January 10, will not take place as planned. With temperatures expected to be below freezing until mid-day Saturday and in an abundance of caution, any athletics, arts, and other events scheduled to be held before noon on Saturday, January 11, will also be cancelled. Travel to district and/or school sponsored events inside or outside Aiken County that would require employee or student travel prior to noon on Saturday, are also included in this cancellation. We recognize that this will cause a disruption to many, especially our families who rely on QuestZone for after school care as well as those with events, activities, and tournaments that were scheduled. Please know that we are sharing this cancellation update with as much notice as possible based on current conditions and the latest forecasts available. As we keep safety at the forefront of these difficult decisions, we appreciate your continued understanding and support. Please stay tuned for any future updates that this Winter Storm may require and take other precautions that may be recommended to keep your family safe and warm.

January 6th is an E-Learning Day. All MVHS students must login and complete assignments for semester 2 courses. Teachers will also have remote office hours on 1/6/25. Students should check Thrillshare Rooms and login to Schoology remotely for more information.

Friday, December 20, is a half day for students. Due to the half day schedule on Friday, only breakfast will be served in our cafeterias. Please note the following dismissal times for students on our half day schedule. Elementary schools in the Aiken area (Area One), the North Augusta area (Area Two), the Midland Valley area (Area Three), and Jackson/New Ellenton areas (Area Five) will dismiss at 11 a.m.; middle schools at 11:30 a.m.; and high schools at 11:50 a.m. Aiken Intermediate School’s half day dismissal will be at 11:25 a.m. and Aiken Scholars Academy at 11:20. The Center for Innovative Learning dismissal will be at 1:30 p.m. Elementary schools in the Wagener/Salley/Ridge Spring/Monetta area (Area Four) will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., middle schools at 11:40 a.m., and high schools at 11:50 a.m.

In a short video released by the district, Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy provides detailed information on the new state-required Personal Electronic Devices policy that will be implemented as student’s return from Winter Break in January. Aiken County’s policy will allow middle and high school students to bring cell phones and other personal electronic devices , and accessories such as earbuds and AirPods to school, but they must remain powered off, stored in the student’s backpack or bag, and out of sight during the school day. Progressive discipline measures will be enforced for violations of the policy. Parents are encouraged to watch this video with their student and discuss the policy and the consequences for students who are in violation. We thank you in advance for your understanding and support! https://youtu.be/4Jjqsv_vFkk?feature=shared

Join us for Aiken County Public School District’s Spring Hiring Event for Teachers and Certified Staff on Saturday, February 1, 2025! Applicants will have the opportunity for on-site interviews and on the spot job offers! The event will take place at Aiken High School located at 449 Rutland Drive in Aiken, SC from 8 a.m. until noon. All schools and locations will be represented, and we will be hiring for certified positions to include immediate vacancies and future 2025-26 positions. Scan the QR code to apply now for your level of certification to secure an interview at the event. Pre-registration is highly encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome. Direct Link to Register and Apply for the Event: https://acpsd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx?jcat=Recruitment We will be hiring for certified positions to include Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education. Please reach out to our Human Resources Team at (803) 641-2428 for more information. We look forward to welcoming many new teachers and certified staff members to Aiken County in February!

For January 6th the guidance is as follows: · S2 Teachers will create an assignment to front-load the course for the semester. o This could be a reading assignment with an attached written assignment, CFU, or product to be turned in for a GRADE that will be include in the 3rd quarter. These assignments could include: § Classroom rules and procedures § Student Interest Surveys § Course Pre-test – we have mock EOCs, Edmentum Courseware exams, etc. § A reading assignment with a turn-in or quiz § A pre-writing exercise § Anything that introduces the student to the class, content, standards, structure, etc. § Publish Rooms/Thrillshare – Second semester classes (unpublish semester one classes) · 200 minutes of instruction (not direct instruction) – students are expected to have a total of at least 200 minutes of instruction/work to complete during e-Learning. · 90-minute office hours – Teachers will be expected to be available during the day for published office hours totaling 90 minutes.

All MVHS students are invited to attend free End of Course (EOC) exam preparation sessions for Biology 1, Algebra 1, US History and English 2. English 2 students are invited to attend 2 free EOC exam preparation session in Ms. Turner's room (210) on 12/9 and 12/10. Biology I students are invited to attend a free EOC exam preparation session in Mrs. White's room (426) on Monday, December 16th from 3:30-5:30. All United States History and Constitution students are invited to attend a free End of Course (EOC) exam preparation session in Mr. Welsh's room (612) on Saturday, December 14th from 8:30AM to 11:30AM.

Don't forget to wear your badge every day!

EOCs begin next week on 12/11! Information Link: https://www.acpsd.net/o/mvhs/page/eoc-information

Students, parents and guardians who are interested in the Early College program at MVHS should plan to attend an informational meeting on January 9, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the school's auditorium. Students apply during their freshman year and, if accepted, may earn an Associate Degree from Aiken Technical College while in high school. Early College candidates must have good communication skills, demonstrate academic achievement and be willing to take courses during the summer. Early College is provided at little or no cost and many of the courses are offered at MVHS. For more information plan on attending the meeting on 1/9/2025 or email Natalie Fox at : nfox@acpsd.net

Take a behind-the-scenes look at acGATEWAY in these videos created with last summer's students, get your application in, and get ready to audition for an experience unlike any other. Middle and High School acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/qVQxpUwGcCk Elementary acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/m1w8D-ScAX8 Applications for new and returning students are due by December 9. https://www.acpsd.net/page/gateway

Take a behind-the-scenes look at acGATEWAY in these videos created with last summer's students, get your application in, and get ready to audition for an experience unlike any other. Middle and High School acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/qVQxpUwGcCk Elementary acGATEWAY Student Video: https://youtu.be/m1w8D-ScAX8 Applications for new and returning students are due by December 9. https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/summer-acagateway-program

Shortly after the tax was voter-approved, we spent some time at South Aiken High, Silver Bluff High, Midland Valley High, and North Augusta Middle School with students, teachers, staff and principals, and with our Elementary School Student Superintendent Advisory Council. Please watch the video linked below where they share their appreciation to Aiken County voters. https://youtu.be/IT6PbBF1JY4?si=KuGRtoQg2TxpoWUj

The application for the 2025 acGATEWAY Summer Arts program is now live on the Gateway webpage of the district website. Please visit https://www.acpsd.net/o/district/page/summer-acagateway-program to learn more about this free visual and performing arts opportunity for students in our District in grades 3-12. All students must submit an application to be considered, and an audition is required for all new student applicants.

Please keep the following dates in mind as we near the end of 1st semester! • English 2 Writing EOC – Dec. 11 *** • English 2 Reading EOC – Dec. 13*** • Algebra 1 EOC – Dec. 16*** • Biology EOC – Dec. 17*** • U. S. History EOC – Dec. 18*** ------------------------------------- 3rd & 4th Block Exams – Dec. 18 1st & 2 nd Block Exams – Dec. 19 ***(please note: The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) is a statewide assessment program currently used with English 2, Algebra 1, Biology 1, and United States History and the Constitution. EOCEP exams are required and scores account for 20 percent in the calculation of the student’s final grade in these courses.)

Due to extensive rainfall that’s flooded, washed out, and led to road closures across our county, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule tomorrow, Thursday, November 7. All schools and offices will open on a two-hour delay. Due to the delayed start, only lunch will be served tomorrow in our cafeterias. Students on half-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students and others, will not come to school tomorrow as buses will be unable to make mid-day routes. The Aiken County Career Center will not have morning classes. Students will report to their high school on a two-hour delay. Rainfall is expected throughout the night and into tomorrow. Please use extreme caution when traveling to school and work. If you encounter flooded roadways, please turn around. The safety of our students, staff, and families is most important.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE! Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on election day. To find your voting location, please visit www.scvotes.org. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % IF THE ONE CENT SALES TAX IS NOT VOTER-APPROVED IN 2024, IT WILL BE TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ONE CENT SALES TAX CAN APPEAR AGAIN ON THE BALLOT. The Sales Tax question may only appear on the ballot in a general election. Should the tax not pass by majority vote in 2024, it will be November 2026 before the One Cent Sales Tax appears again on the ballot. If the tax were renewed, over those two years $75 million in funding would have been dedicated to school facilities. For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.

ONE POINT ABOUT THE ONE % ON ELECTION DAY (TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5), AIKEN COUNTY VOTERS WILL SEE TWO QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX. One asks voters if they are in favor of the renewal of the tax and lists the projects and contingency projects that a renewal would directly benefit. The other is only valid only if the sales tax is approved and asks voters if they are in favor of authorizing the district to bond part of the projected revenue to jump start the projects and begin improvements right away (instead of waiting for one cent sales tax funds to accumulate before beginning improvements). For more Penny Tax Facts, visit www.acpsd.net/OneCent.