School District of Newberry County

FREE TO FOCUS Beginning January 6, 2025 The South Carolina Department of Education has released a policy that prohibits the use of personal electronic devices during the school day. The purpose of this policy is to create a phone-free school environment that fosters a positive learning experience free from electronic distractions. During the school day, students are prohibited from accessing their personal electronic devices. Students may not wear or access device accessories during the school day. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, smart watches, tablets, and gaming devices. MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees Meeting on December 16, 2024, will be held at the District Office and open to the public with a limited seating capacity. Public forum will be available. The public can access information regarding Board meetings on the district website under Board Members and Meetings/SDNC School Board Information or https://www.newberry.k12.sc.us/page/board-members. The information available includes links to the following: • The Public Participation Request Form BEDH-E. • View Live and Recorded Meetings • Board Meeting Agenda and Packet.

District-Wide Recruitment Fair! Saturday, January 25, 2025 Mid-Carolina High School 377 Cy Shumpert Rd. Prosperity, SC 29127 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. All positions: Teacher, Nurse, Child Nutrition, Bus Driver, Instructional Assistants, and other positions.

FAFSA FRENZY with Newberry College Admissions Game Day Visit December 18 - 4 p.m. Get the expert assistance with your FAFSA application, whether it's your first time or your need extra support. After filing, enjoy free admission to cheer on the Newberry Wolves Women's and Men's basketball teams. A free snack voucher will be included! Don't miss this perfect mix of planning your future and game-day fun! Register with the link below: https://admissions.newberry.edu/register/?id=249918a5-56ba-4692-a362-a3f0caec3e16&fbclid=IwY2xjawG8PMZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZtwskKFQcgxezxNzWeTTEjg9dauyECEqB2lPbSOil3IIBczE5OBrZ38wQ_aem_1o8r2pdzZtxThkjc1m7SRA

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees Meeting on November 18, 2024 will be held at the District office at 6:00 pm and will be open to the public. Public forum will be available. The Public Participation Form BEDH-E can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings or using the link below: https://bit.ly/NCSD_Part_Form This meeting will be live streamed and can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings at www.newberry.k12.sc.us.

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees will have a Special Called Meeting on November 7, 2024 at 6:00 pm The meeting will be held at the District Office and will be open to the public. Public forum will not be available.

The School District of Newberry County Annual Meeting of the Directors for Newberry Investing in Children’s Education (NICE) will be held on October 30, 2024, at the District Office at 3:00 pm. The agenda can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings/SDNC School Board Information or at https://www.newberry.k12.sc.us/page/board-members The meeting will be open to the public with a limited seating capacity. Public forum will not be available.

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees Meeting will be held on October 28, 2024 at the District Office. This meeting will be open to the public with a limited seating capacity. Public forum will be available. The Public Participation Form BEDH-E can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings or at https://bit.ly/NCSD_Part_Form The public may view this meeting at www.youtube.com/ncsdliveevents.

The School District of Newberry County Celebrates Remarkable Achievements in 2024 State Education Report Cards We are excited to announce that the School District of Newberry County has made significant progress in the latest South Carolina School Report Card, underscoring our commitment to providing educational excellence to every child every day. Key Highlights: Several schools have earned top ratings, showcasing strong academic outcomes and student achievement. Notably, Reuben Elementary and Whitmire Community School (high school) received Excellent ratings, placing them among the highest-performing schools in the state. After two consecutive years of receiving an unsatisfactory rating, Newberry Elementary has made a remarkable leap to an average rating this year, skipping the below average category altogether. This tremendous improvement has resulted in removing its designation as an underperforming school. Newberry High School raised its rating from below average to average, dropping its underperforming label. This progress shows the hard work of students, staff, and the support of the community. Overall, from 2023 to 2024, the district saw an impressive average increase of 4 points in school report card ratings. Notable growth was exhibited by several schools, including Boundary Street Elementary (+4), Gallman Elementary (+6), Little Mountain Elementary (+14), Newberry Elementary (+9), Prosperity-Rikard Elementary (+5), Reuben Elementary (+5), Mid-Carolina High (+1), Newberry High (+6), and Whitmire Community High (+11). This upward trend reflects the district's commitment to enhancing educational quality and student performance across the board. Contributing to these successes are impressive outcomes across several critical areas. The district's performance meets or exceeds state averages in key indicators such as College and Career Readiness, Graduation Rate, Algebra I proficiency, High School Student Success, and Student Progress. Moreover, district trends in SC Ready ELA and Math scores reflect a three-year high in the percentage of students meeting and exceeding proficiency targets. These achievements underscore our dedication to fostering an environment that promotes academic excellence and prepares students for future success. Our schools remain steadfast in creating school climates that are safe, engaging, and supportive environments where all students can thrive academically and socially. Reflecting the positive climate we aim to cultivate, 9 out of 14 campus ratings were classified as good or excellent, contributing to an overall district score that surpasses the state average. Superintendent Alvin Pressley highlighted the importance of the district’s collective efforts: "Our district’s recent achievements reflect the incredible efforts of our students, teachers, and staff, alongside the unwavering support of our community. The progress we’ve seen shows what’s possible when we work together toward a shared goal of Educational Excellence Everyday for Every Student! We are committed to building on this momentum and ensuring that every student in the School District of Newberry County can succeed in a safe, supportive environment.” These successes are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our educators, students, and community partners. Together, we are building a brighter future for every student in the School District of Newberry County. For additional information, please visit https://www.newberry.k12.sc.us/page/2023-2024-report-card-data

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees third Public Community Forum will be held at Whitmire Community School on October 21, 2024 at 6:00 pm and will be open to the public. Public forum will be available. The Public Participation Form BEDH-E can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings or using the link below: https://bit.ly/NCSD_Part_Form The public may also complete the Public Participation Form at the meeting. This meeting will be live streamed at www.newberry.k12.sc.us.

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees Retreat will be held on October 21, 2024 at the District Office at 8:30 am. This meeting will be open to the public with a limited seating capacity. Public forum will not be available.

After we received additional guidance from the South Carolina Department of Education, we have decided to reclassify the eLearning days of September 30, October 1, and October 2 as closed due to widespread power outages and the impact of Hurricane Helene. Significant areas of our county were without power and internet, and many students were unable to complete eLearning assignments. We want to ensure students who could complete eLearning assignments receive credit and those who were unable to complete eLearning assignments are not penalized. By reclassifying the days as closed, we will now use the three calendar designated make-up days of October 11, February 17, and March 14 as eLearning make-up days. Our first make-up day is scheduled for Friday, October 11 and will be an eLearning day. Students will not report to school on October 11. No new assignments will be given. Students should complete the work that was previously assigned for September 30. Students who complete the work previously assigned for October 1 and October 2 will receive extra credit for class participation. All work must be submitted by November 1. Our first eLearning day of September 27 will remain as an eLearning day and all assignments from September 27 are due by November 1. We will post a Frequently Asked Questions document, which will provide additional information and address any queries you may have. We encourage you to consult this document for any further clarification.

The School District of Newberry County will return to normal schedule on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

The School District of Newberry County will operate on a 2-hour delay for students on Monday, October 7. This will allow for buses to travel at a safer hour to view any hazards that remain in the area. We also continue to have several areas of the county without power. We hope this delay will aid those areas in being able to come to school. The last week has been a challenge for our county. We truly appreciate all of the efforts of the power companies, local law enforcement, churches, and all organizations that have banded together to provide water, meals, power, etc. As a district, we were able to serve approximately 25,000 meals for our students. Our child nutrition department, along with many of our teachers, staff, and administrators worked together to pack the food for pick up and our bus drivers delivered food to areas of the county. We are thankful for all everyone has done for our community. We look forward to seeing our students and their families on Monday, October 7 on a 2-hour delay. All staff should report at their normal time. Please continue to stay safe and we look forward to seeing our students on Monday.

The School District of Newberry County extends our heartfelt appreciation to all of the men and women working to restore power and keeping our county safe. We continue to keep the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families our priority. Knowing that thousands of you and three of our schools remain without power, we have decided to close on Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4. We will not post any assignments for students for these days. Food pick up sites will continue to be at Newberry High School, Mid-Carolina High School, and the Whitmire Community Center from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We will have buses deliver foods again to select locations for these days too. 11:00-11:30- Grants, Wise Street, White’s Trailer Park, Pine Ridge Rd. Prosperity 11:45-12:15- Bethlehem, Newberry Arms, Miller St. Prosperity 12:30-1:00- Nance Forest, Church St. Prosperity All 240-day employees are expected to report to work on October 3 and 4. Please continue to stay safe and we look forward to seeing our students and staff back as soon as possible.

The School District of Newberry County was able to provide 4,628 meals today to our students. We will have pick up again Tuesday and Wednesday at Newberry High School, Mid-Carolina High School and the Whitmire Community Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Charging stations will also be available at Mid-Carolina High School and Newberry High School during these times. We will also have buses that will deliver food to the following locations: 11:00-11:30- Grants, Wise St., Pine Ridge Prosperity, and White's Trailer Park 11:45-12:15- Bethlehem Apartments, Newberry Arms, and Miller St. Prosperity 12:30-1:00- Nance Forest, Church St. Prosperity

The School District of Newberry is providing an update on the status of our district due to the devastation from Hurricane Helene. We still have several schools that do not have power – Newberry Elementary, Pomaria-Garmany, Little Mountain, Reuben and Whitmire Community School. As a result, we will continue to have eLearning through Wednesday, October 2, with the deadlines for assignment submissions being extended. Once all power has been restored to the county, we will announce the deadline for assignments. We are aware that many of our student do not have power or internet at this time and will work with them on the deadline for completion of the assignments. eLearning days are used on specific days that schools would otherwise have had to close due to an unforeseen emergency. We will also have food pick up for school age students beginning Monday, September 30 at Newberry High School, Mid-Carolina High School and the Whitmire Community Center from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. We will have NHS and MCHS open and available for internet access and charging stations during the 11:00 – 1:00 time frame. Food pick up will remain at these locations for each day we are out of school due to Hurricane Helene. Any staff members who can assist with food distribution and charging stations are asked to be at NHS and MCHS from 11:00-1:00. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Please continue to stay safe.

Due to widespread power outages and road conditions caused by Hurricane Helene, the School District of Newberry County will have an eLearning day on Monday, September 30. Details on assignments and deadlines will come at a later date. We understand this is a challenging time for our community, and the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families are our priority. We will be announcing food pick up locations as soon as possible. We will continue to assess the situation and provide another update by 1:00 pm on Monday. Please continue to stay safe.

Due to the threat of high winds and heavy rain associated with Hurricane Helene, the School District of Newberry County has canceled all after school activities on Thursday, September 26. The District will have an eLearning day on Friday, September 27, 2024, with schools and offices closed to the public. Based on guidelines from the SCDE’s Office of Transportation, school buses can not be safely operated with sustained winds of 30 MPH or greater or wind gusts greater than 40 MPH. Wind gusts are forecasted to be between 35 MPH - 55 MPH and there is also a potential for heavy rain. https://bit.ly/Bus_Wind_Memo Teachers will post assignments for students to complete, but there will be no live Google Meets on this day. Students who do not have internet access will need to download assignments during school on Thursday. Students will have a five-school-day window of time to turn in eLearning assignments. If assignments are not returned within that five-school-day window, the student may be counted absent for the day. There will be no school-related activities, including athletics and Boys and Girls Club on Friday, September 27. Again, Thursday, September 26 is a regular school day with after school activities canceled and Friday, September 27 is an eLearning Day for the District, with schools and offices closed to the public. Additional information regarding eLearning guidelines and expectations can be found at https://bit.ly/SDNCeLearningParent .

The School District of Newberry County Board of Trustees Meeting on September 23, 2024, will be held at the District Office and open to the public with a limited seating capacity. Public forum will be available. The Public Participation Form BEDH-E can be accessed through the district website under Board Members and Meetings or at https://bit.ly/NCSD_Part_Form The public may view this meeting at www.youtube.com/ncsdliveevents.