Wagener-Salley High

As part of our district’s efforts to ensure consistency across all schools and areas, standardized school start and end times for elementary, middle, and high school students have long been a goal. We are pleased to share that Wagener-area schools including Busbee Elementary, Corbett Middle, and Wagener-Salley High School will transition to the standard student arrival and dismissal times already implemented at schools in Aiken, North Augusta, Midland Valley, and the Jackson/New Ellenton areas. Standard arrival and dismissal times in Aiken County Schools are as follows: • Elementary Schools: 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. • Middle Schools: 8 a.m. - 3:10 p.m. • High Schools: 8:20 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Student bus riders in the Wagener area should anticipate transportation arriving approximately 15 minutes earlier in the mornings and a drastic improvement in afternoon travel times. Bus transportation will deliver all elementary students home immediately after dismissal at 2:30 p.m., then begin middle and high school student pickup and drop off. While Ridge Spring-Monetta students will remain on their slightly altered arrival/dismissal schedule as we begin the 2025-26 school year, efforts are underway to further review routes for efficiencies and determine if a shift to the county’s standardized student day is possible given the availability of bus drivers and distance of some stops in the rural community which extend near Edgefield and into Saluda County.

CLASS OF 2025 VALEDICTORIAN/SALUTATORIAN PROFILES Wagener-Salley High School Salutatorian: Ma'da'm Ma'kaijah Latrice Walker Ma'da'm Ma'kaijah Latrice Walker, Salutatorian of the Wagener-Salley High School Class of 2025, plans to attend Winthrop University in the fall and eventually pursue a Ph.D. in Social Work. She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and looks forward to a future dedicated to advocacy, support, and service. Her favorite high school memory is her entire freshman year—a time filled with laughter, new friendships, lifelong memories, and valuable lessons that helped shape the person she is today. Congratulations, Ma'da'm Walker! #ACPSDcelebrates #ClassOf2025

CLASS OF 2025 VALEDICTORIAN/SALUTATORIAN PROFILES Wagener-Salley High School Valedictorian: Rebekah Lynn Cushman Rebekah Cushman, Valedictorian of the Wagener-Salley High School Class of 2025, plans to attend USC Aiken and major in Education. Her favorite high school memories come from her field experience in the Teacher Cadet class—meaningful moments that confirmed her passion for teaching and her desire to make a difference in the lives of students. Rebekah has been selected as a South Carolina Teaching Fellow and will join the 2025 Cohort at USC Aiken. Through this prestigious program, she will participate in enrichment and leadership activities, receive professional development opportunities, and engage with communities and businesses across the state. The fellowship provides up to $24,000 in scholarships over four years for students pursuing a degree that leads to teacher certification. She was also part of the inaugural cohort of the Dual Enrollment Teaching Pathway at USC Aiken, further demonstrating her early commitment to a future in education. Congratulations, Rebekah! #ACPSDcelebrates #ClassOf2025

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2025 🎓 Aiken County Public Schools is proud to celebrate this year’s graduating class! Graduation ceremonies will take place May 28–May 30, and we invite you to join us in honoring the Class of 2025 by viewing their commencement ceremonies virtually. To access the live stream, visit www.acpsd.net/graduation and select the high school of your choice. Live streams will begin 15 minutes prior to each ceremony’s start time. 📅 Graduation Schedule Wednesday, May 28 • CTE Senior Completer Ceremony – 5:00 p.m. • Aiken Scholars Academy – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 29 • Aiken High School – 2:00 p.m. • Ridge Spring-Monetta High School – 5:00 p.m. • Silver Bluff High School – 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 30 • South Aiken High School – 9:00 a.m. • Wagener-Salley High School – 12:00 p.m. • Midland Valley High School – 3:00 p.m. • North Augusta High School – 7:00 p.m. Hats off to the Class of 2025! 🎉 #ACPSDcelebrates #ClassOf2025

Aiken County Public School District’s full-time virtual program, Aiken iNNOVATE, is now accepting applications for the 2025–2026 school year. If you or your student are currently in 5th grade or higher and interested in a flexible, innovative learning environment, now is the time to apply. Aiken iNNOVATE offers a 100% virtual experience with certified ACPSD teachers and curriculum, providing students in grades 6–12 the opportunity to learn from anywhere while staying connected to their school community. To apply, visit www.acpsd.net/ai. If you have any questions, feel free to email Ai@acpsd.net. Don’t miss this opportunity to take charge of your education through Aiken iNNOVATE. Spots are limited.

The Seamless Summer Meal Program returns for Summer 2025! The ACPSD Child Nutrition Program will be offering nutritious meals at no cost for children aged 18 and under, as well as for individuals with disabilities up to age 21. Meals will be served Monday through Thursday from June 2 to June 26, 2025. See flyer for more details!

The End of Year exam dates have been added to our website calendar and posted to our WSHS Facebook page.

Give a Little Save a Lot! The WSHS Annual Blood Drive will take place Friday, May 16th from 8:30 am until noon. A single drop of your blood could be a drop of life for someone else. Mark you calendar and make plans to attend our event. Please fill out the QuickPass the morning of the blood drive. Photo ID required. https://shepeardblood.org/donate/quickpass/

GOT THE SPIRIT? WE WANT TO HEAR IT! Cheer Clinics and Tryouts will be held April 28 - 30 from 3:30pm - 5:30 pm in the WSHS Gymnamsium. Signups are open to all 8th graders, freshmen, sophomores and juniors. We're looking for gals and guys to join the Squad! The clinic will be led by former and current cheerleaders and supervised by cheer coach Khali Kitchings and Shawndrika Bell. Tryouts will be on Day 3. If you have any questions, send an email to kkitchings@acpsd.net.

War Eagle Parents! Your voice matters! Help us improve our school by completing the Title I Parent Involvement Survey. Your feedback shapes the resources and support we provide for our students. Click the link to take the survey today! Let’s work together to make Wagener-Salley High School the best it can be! Survey Link: https://forms.office.com/r/g0e8LnaMB7

Parents, Guardians, Students, Teachers, and Staff: Please note that this Friday, March 14, is an e-learning Weather Makeup Day for students. Students will not report to school in person this Friday and should complete their work assigned virtually. In addition, as shared on our 2024-25 school year calendar, next Wednesday, March 19, is an Early Dismissal Day for students. On Early Dismissal Days, elementary school students are dismissed at 11:30 a.m., middle school students at 12:10 p.m., and high school students at 12:30 p.m. 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. These Early Dismissal Days are necessary to support the training and development schedule for state-required teacher training. Please make any necessary arrangements for your child's early dismissal next Wednesday, March 19. Elementary school student after school care through Quest Zone is available.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, there is a threat of severe weather with wind gusts in the morning forecasted to exceed 40 mph. This wind speed exceeds the threshold allowed for school buses to be on roadways. This wind event will result in a need to shift to e-learning tomorrow. Employees should plan to report to their work location on a two-hour delayed start, with no building or office opening before 10 a.m. Afterschool extracurricular practices, games, and events will continue tomorrow as scheduled. There will be no QuestZone tomorrow. We apologize for the challenges that this will cause our families and appreciate your continued cooperation and support!

WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH SCHOOL'S RASHEEM NELOMS NAMED TO 2025-26 PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR HONOR COURT Congratulations to Wagener-Salley High Principal Rasheem Neloms on being named to the 2025-26 STARS of Public Education Principal of the Year Honor Court! District leaders surprised Principal of the Year Honor Court members, who are the top three winners in the school district, at their schools earlier this month. The District will host all school winners, recognize top nominees, and announce District winners during the STARS of Public Education Banquet at Aiken High School on March 20, 2025. Congratulations, Mr. Neloms! Thank you for all you do! Stay tuned to our district website and social media as we continue to celebrate our Honor Court Members for Principal of the Year, First Year Teacher of the Year, and Teacher of the Year this week!✨ #ACPSDcelebrates #STARSOfPublicEducation

Wagener-Salley High School (WSHS) will hold a School Improvement Council (SIC) meeting tomorrow, January 28th, at 6:00 pm in the new school library. The meeting is open to anyone who is interested in the betterment of WSHS. We would love to have you join us! Picture: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein A bank of lockers from the "old" WSHS high school have been installed in the new school!

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.

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.

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.

As we approach the MLK Jr. Holiday Weekend, please note that district administration alongside local Emergency Management officials is monitoring the winter weather system that may impact our county next week. On Monday, January 20, all schools and offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to a threat of potential inclement weather next week, students will come home from school with their laptop and charger tomorrow. South Carolina school districts are limited to five e-learning days each school year. We used the first of those e-learning days last Monday (January 6), making up for the closure September 27 due to Hurricane Helene. Friday, January 10’s school closure will be made up on the March 14 Weather Makeup Day as designated on our district’s 2024-25 school year calendar. Notice will be shared at a later date regarding the format of March 14’s Weather Makeup Day. The format of the March 14 Weather Makeup Day, more specifically, if the day will be made up in person or through e-learning, is contingent upon the number of e-learning days that remain available for our district to use as we near the end of this very cold winter. A final decision regarding school operations for Tuesday, January 21, will be announced by 3 p.m. on Monday, January 20. As always, we appreciate your continued support. We look forward to seeing students at school tomorrow and wish your family a wonderful long weekend.

AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRING EVENT | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Our District's Spring Hiring Event for teachers and certified staff is just a few weeks away! Applicants will have the opportunity for onsite 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. Visit www.acpsd.net and select "Join our Team" or scan the QR code. Select "Job Postings" for External Applicants and search "Hiring Event" to apply for your area of certification. Register now to secure an interview at the event! Pre-registration is highly encouraged! Walk-ins are also welcome. 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!