Ware Shoals School District 51

Ware Shoals High Alumni are the best! Recently, we received contributions to support two district initiatives that are very important to our community. Cameron Dorn, Class of 2006, shattered a world record for step-ups October 28th at Lou Brissie Field in Riegel Stadium. He received donations to support organizations that he values. The Ware Shoals Fitness Center was one of the organizations. So far, over $1,300 has been received to help purchase additional equipment. The center is a place for our citizens to exercise, and it's free! It's located on the high school campus. Dan Branyon, Class of 1972, presented a check from the Community Foundation for the Ware Shoals Schools Hall of Fame. The WSSHoF recognizes individuals who have placed service over self, making a significant difference in the lives of others. We thank all of you who support district programs that benefit our community!

Best of luck to the Ware Shoals Fighting Hornets as they travel to Wagener Salley for the first round of playoffs. GO HORNETS!

Don't forget! Parents-our survey for accreditation is still open. Please use the link to complete a survey for the school your child/children attend. You can complete surveys for multiple schools. We appreciate your help. https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/197138/p2918

WSSD51 is seeking a person to be our next Athletic Director and Head Football coach. The person should be a certified teacher and have at least 5 years' experience. Go to our website's Employment Opportunities page or the district Facebook page to learn more! Share with those who may be interested.

Celebrate National School Lunch Week! October 31 - November 4, 2022 Peace, Love, and School Lunch Please Click the Link Below for more info: https://5il.co/1jrvf

We are excited to join several local districts in a partnership with DHEC to implement a grant called Comprehensive Community Approaches to Preventing Substance Misuse (CCAPS). The overall goal of this grant’s programs and training is to decrease generational cycles of trauma, violence, and substance abuse. There are two parts of the grant that will benefit our students and staff: 1. “Handle with Care” (HWC) - a component of the grant that helps children exposed to trauma to heal. If a student is exposed to a traumatic situation in which law enforcement is involved, the school counselor or principal is notified to “Handle (child’s name) with care.” The school counselor or principal then notifies the student’s teacher(s). Teachers who know a student needs to be handled with care can assist by providing time for the student to rest, re-teaching lessons, delaying tests, allowing the student to go for counseling, etc. 2. ACEs Training - Savannah Campbell and Melisa Gunter will become district trainers for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), helping us acquire the skillsets needed to recognize and respond to ACEs.

Congratulations to Ware Shoals High School for placing 5th in the state's Tractor Skills Competition held at the State Fair on Tuesday. Students were able to showcase the skills learned in our agricultural program. Way to go students!

Creating a Pathway of Opportunity You may already know that some students are eligible to take the ACT or SAT for free through fee waivers. But did you know that third- and fourth-year high school students have the opportunity to take ACT or SAT for free during a school day? The funding for one assessment is provided by the State. This is an incredible opportunity to empower students as they prepare for postsecondary education. Students, with input from their parents, can choose one assessment. ACT on March 21, 2023 SAT on March 22, 2023 Use this link to register your child: https://forms.gle/AUXsafNKHsQWw9Jh6 Contact Ware Shoals High’s main office for more information.

Congratulations to Ware Shoals Middle School for ranking as one of the top performing middle schools in South Carolina! Newly released Report Card data shows WSM receiving the State's highest ranking of "Excellent". As a community we can celebrate that our children are receiving top tier instruction each and every day! Ware Shoals Primary and Ware Shoals High both met overall state expectations and received rankings of Average. We're so proud of our hard-working students and staff.

Good afternoon from WSSD51. Parents, we need your help. As part of our district accreditation process we are seeking your feedback. Please use the link to complete a survey for the school your child/children attend. You can complete surveys for multiple schools. Thank you! https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/197138/p2918

Shout out to the WSH Cross Country team for a fantastic season! Many personal bests were set and the future is bright for these runners! Best of luck to our athletes who have qualified for State! Special thanks to Coach Parada and Coach Gillispie for investing their time and talents into our runners!

We're so proud of Mrs. Carla Owens who has been selected as the 2022-23 Ware Shoals School District's Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Owens' accomplishments were recognized at Monday's Board meeting and we appreciate her continued service to our community.

We are thrilled to have E.A. Sween company as neighbors and partners! Today the company officially received the keys to their new home on Highway 25 in Hodges. The third-generation family business makes it a priority to give back in areas where they are located. They will be donating sandwiches to all three Greenwood County districts for the backpack program for children, which serves those in need of food over the weekend. The company will employ 300 people, and they hope to be producing sandwiches by June of 2023. WELCOME , E. A. Sween, and thank you for your commitment to serving others!

Ware Shoals School District 51 is excited about our Varsity Football Team squaring off under the lights at Tommy Davis Field on Friday nights. Gates open at 6:30pm. Our goal is to create a memorable experience for our student athletes and spectators attending the game. Here are the safety procedures: Guests ages 4 and up must have a ticket. Middle school aged students and younger must be accompanied by an adult while in the stadium and parking lot. A clear bag & clear baby bag policy will be strictly enforced. Metal detectors will be used. No weapons allowed including pocket knives. Attendees must stay on their side of the stadium unless visiting the restroom or concession stand. No congregating in any area of the stadium. If you choose to congregate you will be asked to leave the stadium. Attendees should leave the stadium in an orderly manner immediately after the game.

There will be NO school for students on Friday August 12th due to a regularly scheduled Teacher Workday. Thank you and enjoy the weekend!

Rep. John McCravy visited our district to issue resolutions honoring our 2021-22 Teachers of the Year. Alicia Atherton from Ware Shoals Middle is pictured here. He also honored Coach Chris Johnston for being State Athletic Director of the Year for the 1A Division.

WSSSD51 has a vacancy for the position of Network Administrator. Job duties include, but are not limited to: Managing and maintaining the network used by the district’s data, instructional, video, telephone, communications, and security applications. Associate degree or equivalent required, and related work experience preferred. Computer skills are necessary. Candidate must have the ability to develop effective working relationships with staff and the school community, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, and the ability to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements and the Board of Education policies. Applicants should send a resume and letter of interest to Superintendent Fay Sprouse - fsprouse@gwd51.org.

Happy Friday from WSSD51! We are back in school and, unfortunately, so is COVID. We are following updated guidelines, which tell us to treat COVID as we would seasonal flu. If a student or employee tests positive, they are to quarantine for 5 days from the date of their positive test. They may return on day 6 if fever free for 24 hours without medication. On day 6 thru 10, we strongly encourage them to wear a mask. We are no longer required to do contact tracing, so those who know they have been exposed to COVID should monitor for symptoms and stay home if symptoms develop. We can provide a COVID at-home test if needed. WSMS has a moderate number of student cases while WSPS and WSHS have had low case numbers so far. Call your school nurse if you have any questions or need assistance. Have a great weekend!

Back to School Celebration - DESTINATION...GRADUATION! We welcomed teachers back on July18th. A favorite part of our district meeting is having each faculty present a school spirit skit based on their theme for the year. Having fun is a big part of what we do as educators! Ware Shoals High's theme is "Destination Graduation...Driven to Succeed," Ware Shoals Middle's theme is "Choosing to Climb," and Ware Shoals Primary's theme is "Building the Foundation to Destination Graduation." We love what we do, which is preparing ALL students to make it to the finish line with a diploma in hand! Please join us in creating a COMMUNITY CULTURE where GRADUATION is an EXPECTATION!

We’re looking forward to having everyone back at school tomorrow to begin another year of learning! Please drive safely and watch out for school buses riders and walkers. We have facility projects that are still underway. One that WSHS parents and students need to be aware of is the roof replacement. For our students’ safety, the front driveway will be closed temporarily for student drop-off and pick-up. Students will be dropped off and picked up at the WSHS Library entrance until further notice. From S Greenwood Ave, take Dairy St, then Sparks Ave, then turn left into the school parking area where the library entrance is located. Make the first day and every day a great one!