As students return from Fall Break next week and hurricane recovery efforts continue, Aiken County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule on Monday, October 14, and Tuesday, October 15.
This delayed start will help increase visibility as school buses, student walkers, and others travel to school, ensuring safety as we navigate roads that may still have fallen trees and debris following Hurricane Helene.
We understand this change may be challenging for many families and appreciate your patience and cooperation. Crews have made significant progress clearing debris, and we will continue to evaluate road safety for early morning travel. We will make a decision regarding start times for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday by noon on Tuesday.
Breakfast: A grab-and-go breakfast will be available for students.
Lunch: Lunch will be served; menus may be limited as we restock all perishable food items.
Half-Day or Partial-Day Programs: Students on half-day and partial-day schedules, including Early Learning Special Education students, will not attend school on Monday or Tuesday 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.
Aiken County Career and Technology Center:
Monday: Morning session students should report to their high schools. The afternoon session will continue as planned.
Tuesday: Morning session students will attend the afternoon session. Afternoon students will stay at their high schools.
In evaluating roadway conditions, the Hammond Hill neighborhood remains a concern. We are currently exploring transportation options for students residing in that neighborhood and will communicate with impacted families over the coming days once a determination is made.
As our community recovers from this catastrophic storm, please exercise additional caution and care in travelling to school. Sidewalks may be blocked in some areas, visibility may be limited due to debris, and some powerlines are still low-hanging. If your child walks to school or to a bus stop, we encourage you to walk the route with them in the coming days or plan to walk with them Monday morning.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday!
NWS issued a wind advisory for tomorrow, Oct 10, 4AM-8PM. The hazard is 30-35 MPH gusts on weakened/leaning trees, causing concerns for travel in early morning & evening hours. With safety at heart, employees will begin on a delayed start of 9AM & no activities after 5PM.
NWS issued a wind advisory for tomorrow, Oct 10, 4AM-8PM. The hazard is 30-35 MPH gusts on weakened/leaning trees, causing concerns for travel in early morning & evening hours. With safety at heart, employees will begin on a delayed start of 9AM & no activities after 5PM.
UPDATED SCHEDULE: (Please be sure to share the corrected schedule for Varsity Football). The following changes have been made to the football and volleyball schedules;
Volleyball:
Remaining schedule:
October 10th @ Swansea High School
October 17th vs. Fox Creek High School
October 21st @ Newberry High School
October 23rd vs. W.J. Keenan (Senior Night)
JV will begin at 5:30 and Varsity at 7:00
Football:
JV football for October 10th vs. Keenan has been canceled.
JV will play its last game next week 10/17 as they travel to Swansea High School at 6:00 PM.
Varsity Schedule
October 11th @ W.J. Keenan
October 18th vs. Swansea (Homecoming)
November 1st @ Fox Creek
November 8th vs. Newberry (Senior Night)
Congratulations to Silver Bluff's Key Club for being recognized as Division 19's Club of the Month! Thank you, Mrs. Dandridge and all members for your hard work!
Homecoming is just around the corner! Get ready for Spirit Week October 14th through 18th!! Show your school spirit!!!
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
With extensive damage to many homes, power outages, and fallen trees and power lines making roadways too dangerous for travel, ACPSD is canceling Intersession Week. Athletics and Quest Zone are also cancelled. Essential Employees please stand by.
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.
We are pleased to offer a free workshop next week on Tuesday from 9am to 3pm at AHS with Tim Anderson from Attest LLC. in preparation for the SAT and ACT.
Below is a link to a form where students can sign up. Students will need to use their ACPSD email to register.
https://forms.office.com/r/sZvkv4ABLr
Due to incoming weather, Silver Bluff vs Barnwell has been moved to Wednesday, September 25. Kick off is at 7:00 PM! JV Football against Barnwell has been cancelled for Thursday.
Be sure to check out the flyers for events happening at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center!
Applications for the ACCTC will be open until December 1st!
Program Interest Nights will be held the week of October 21. Tuesday, October 22nd will focus on Health Science and Public Safety. Wednesday, October 23rd will focus on Human Services and Manufacturing. Thursday, October 24th will focus on Arts, Electricity, and Transportation. All Program Interest Nights will be drop ins from 5:00 to 7:00.
ACCTC will be hosting a Community Night on Tuesday, November 12th from 4:00 to 7:00. Everyone is welcome! There will be food trucks, door prizes, and activities for all ages!
Aiken iNNOVATE is now accepting applications! Our program offers a full-time virtual learning experience for students in grades 6-12 within the Aiken County Public School District. We welcome students who are self-motivated, disciplined, and ready to succeed in a flexible, home-based environment. To apply or learn more, visit our website at www.acpsd.net/o/dai/page/ai-applications-and-registration. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Ai@acpsd.net.
Attention Bulldog Family! For those traveling to the game tonight, the football field is NOT at the high school. The address to the field is:
Buddy Bufford Field
121 Lillian Sims Drive
Lincolnton, Ga 30817
Let's Go Bulldogs!
Student Government is selling Chick-Fil-A sandwiches September 23, 24, and 26 in the commons in the morning. Students who purchase a sandwich will receive it Friday, September 27th!
JV & VARSITY FOOTBALL PHOTOS - We are excited to announce your photos are ready! We've attached a flyer that contains the code you’ll need to view the photos. We've also included a How-To video on PhotoDay (the online gallery platform you'll use to view and order photos). We have custom player banners for additional purchase if you'd like to submit an email order to johnclairemedia@gmail.com
https://www.photoday.com/how-to-photoday
Once again, we are excited to bring our high quality products to Silver Bluff High School and capture your players' memories forever!
Best,
John Claire Media
7064218634 | 8035077554
johnclairemedia.com
Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff:
District Superintendent Dr. Corey was joined by local law enforcement leaders this morning to film a short video addressing the recent social media threats and rumors of school violence.
A link to the video has been shared to your email, text, and also appears on our District website, and middle and high school websites in the Live Feed section.
We urge all parents to take a few minutes to watch this video and discuss it with their students. To access the video, please visit https://youtu.be/3aHXzWLfOH4.
Please know that we appreciate your support and partnership in ensuring the safety of all Aiken County Public Schools, as well as the wellbeing of our students, their parents/guardians, teachers, staff and families.
Thank you!
REMINDER: Tomorrow, 9/18, is the last day to turn in permission forms for any male and female interested in running for Homecoming king/queen. Forms must be turned in to Mrs. Robinson in Room 121 by 3:30 PM. If you fail to return the permission form, you may not participate in Homecoming.
