Erwin Elementary

Subject: Vote for Erwin! 🐻💙

We need your help! Erwin Elementary has been nominated for Murdock Orthodontics’ Making-A-Change Contest, and we would love your vote!

The top three schools will be entered into a drawing to receive $1,500, $1,000, or $500!

Please take a moment to vote for Erwin Elementary. Voting is open through the end of September.

Vote for Erwin Here!
https://murdockortho.com/making-a-change/

Please share with friends and family and help us spread the word! 💙🐻

🔵 National Dot Day is September 15th! 🔵
Inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, National Dot Day reminds us that sometimes all it takes is one person to believe in us to help us believe in ourselves. A simple word of encouragement or a positive reaction can make a lasting impact on someone’s confidence and willingness to try.
To celebrate, we invite our Erwin Bears to wear their favorite dots on September 15th! Let’s celebrate creativity, courage, and the power of encouraging others. 💙🐻
Be kind. Encourage others. Make a difference!

🐻🥞 Bear Buddies Breakfast 🥞🐻
In recognition of Grandparents Day, we would like to invite our students to bring a special loved one to join them for our Bear Buddies Breakfast!
Whether it's a grandparent, aunt, uncle, family friend, mentor, or another special adult, we welcome all of the important people who help our Bears grow and succeed.
📅 September 14
⏰ Drop-in Breakfast: 6:50–7:30 AM
📍 Erwin Elementary School
We look forward to sharing a morning of smiles, conversation, and breakfast with our Bear families. We can't wait to see our Bear Buddies there! 💙🐻

🍧 Cool down with a sweet treat! 🍧

Tasha’s Italian Ice will be at Erwin on Thursday, September 11th! Students will have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious Italian Ice for just $4.

It’s the perfect way to add a little sweetness to the school day! 💙🐻

📅 September 11th
💵 $4

All schools and offices will be closed on September 7th for Labor Day. We hope our Bear families enjoy a safe, restful, and well-deserved holiday! 🐻💙 We will resume on a normal schedule on September 8th.

🍂 September is here, Bears! 🐻🍁 We have a fun and busy month ahead at Erwin Elementary! From 4th Grade Swim, Labor Day, and our Bundt Cake Fundraiser, to Dot Day, Bear Buddies Breakfast, Book Fair, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and our exciting Den Rally—there’s so much happening! 💙🐻 Be sure to check out our September calendar and mark your calendars so you don’t miss any of the fun! It’s going to be a BEAR-y great month! 🐻🍂📚

September Attendance Awareness Month! 🐻💙

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and our district is kicking off a district-wide attendance challenge across all elementary schools!

Students who have perfect attendance each week during September will be entered into a weekly raffle for FREE BOOKS! 📖 Each Friday, 10 free books will be raffled off, with approximately 600 books given away throughout the district during the challenge.

Help your child come to school, be on time, and have a chance to win! We’re excited to partner with families across the district to make attendance a priority and help our students ride the wave of success! 🌊

🏊 4th Grade Swimming Reminder! 🐻💙

Our 4th grade students will be visiting the YMCA for swimming on September 1–4 and September 8 as part of their swimming experience.

Please make sure your child brings the following each day:

🩱 Bathing suit
🏖️ Towel

Please label belongings with your child's name whenever possible.

We’re looking forward to a fun week of swimming and learning! 🌊🐻

🐻 Our First Den Meeting is Coming Up! 🐻
We are excited to kick off our very first Den Meeting on Friday, August 28th!
This will be a whole-school kickoff for our new Build a Bear program, where students will begin learning about what it means to be an Erwin Bear and the characteristics we want to build throughout the year.
We will also be excited to announce our Class Ambassadors during the meeting!
🔔 The meeting will begin as soon as the bell rings. Students who arrive tardy will need to wait in the office until the Den Meeting is over.
We can't wait to officially welcome our BEARS to the den!

📢 Early Release Reminder 📢
Please remember that Friday, August 28 is an Early Release Day for all Erwin Elementary students.
🕛 Student dismissal will begin at 12:00 PM.
🚌 Bus Riders: Buses will depart at 12:00 PM. Please ensure that an adult is at the bus stop or home to receive your child.
🚗 Car Riders: Car rider dismissal will also begin at 12:00 PM.
🍎 Lunch will be served to all students prior to dismissal.
Thank you for helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all of our students. We appreciate your partnership!

We're celebrating National Lazy Day on Monday, August 10th, with a Pajama Day at Erwin Elementary!
Students are invited to wear their favorite pajamas to school for a fun and cozy day of learning. Please remember that all pajamas must still follow the LCSD dress code, and for everyone's safety, slippers and slides are not permitted.
We can't wait to see our Erwin Bears dressed in their comfy PJs as we continue Riding the Wave of Success! 🌊💙🐻

🐻💙 Welcome Back, Bears! 💙🐻 Tomorrow is the day! We can’t wait to welcome our Bears back for an amazing school year! Here are a few reminders for the first day: 📚 Doors open at 6:45 a.m. 🚪 Only 4K and Kindergarten parents may walk their students into the building. Our staff will be available to help students carry school supplies if needed. ⏰ Students will be dismissed at 2:00 p.m. 🚗 If your child is a car rider, you must have a yellow Erwin Elementary car tag clearly visible to pick up your student. ✏️ We also recommend labeling your child’s bookbag, lunchbox, water bottle, and jacket with their name to help keep track of belongings. We are so excited to kick off another fantastic year of learning, growing, and making memories together. See you bright and early tomorrow morning! 💙🐻

⏰ 2 Days Until the First Day of School! 🐻💙 A reminder for our 4K and Kindergarten families: On your child’s first day, parents/guardians are welcome to walk their student into the building. 🚗 Please park in the main parking lot and walk your child in through the front entrance. ❌ Please do not park in the car rider loop or bus loop, as those areas must remain clear for morning arrival. All Kindergarten and 4K students will attend on Friday. We know the first day is a big milestone, and we’re excited to welcome our newest Bears! We can’t wait to see you soon! 💙🐻

📅 August at a Glance 📅 Welcome back, Bears! 🐻 We are so excited to kick off another amazing school year! School begins on Monday, August 3, and we can’t wait to see our students walk through our doors. Be sure to save our August at a Glance calendar to stay up to date with what’s happening this month! 🗓️ August Highlights: 📚 August 3 – First Day of School 😴 August 10 – Pajama Day 🧁 August 26 – Nothing Bundt Cakes Fundraiser Begins 🐻 August 28 – First Den Meeting ⏰ August 28 – Early Release Day (Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m.) To help keep everyone informed, we’ll post an “At a Glance” calendar each month with important events, activities, and reminders. Be sure to check our Facebook page regularly so you don’t miss a thing! Let’s make it a great August! 💙

🚗💛 Car Rider Tag Reminder 💛🚗

Thank you to everyone who attended Open House! We hope you enjoyed meeting your child's teacher and getting ready for a great school year.

During Open House, each family received two (2) yellow car rider tags. If your family needs additional tags, please contact the school, and we'll be happy to provide more.

If you were unable to attend Open House, please stop by the school today (Friday) or Monday to pick up your yellow car rider tags before dismissal.

⚠️ Please note: The blue car rider tags from last year are no longer valid. Only the new yellow tags will be accepted this school year.

For a safe and efficient dismissal:
🟡 Display your yellow car rider tag where our staff can clearly see it while you are in the car rider line.
🟡 Please leave the tag displayed until you have exited the school parking lot.

Even if you've been an Erwin Bear for years and our staff knows you by name, the yellow car rider tag helps us ensure that every student is released only to an approved adult. It is an important part of our safety procedures.

If you arrive without a school-issued yellow car rider tag, you will be asked to pull over while we verify that you have permission to pick up the student. This may cause a delay in the pickup line, so we appreciate your patience and cooperation.

Thank you for helping us keep our Erwin Bears safe! 🐻💙💛

🌊 4 Days Until the First Day of School! Transportation Changes To help ensure every student gets home safely, please keep these important transportation procedures in mind: 📝 All transportation changes must be made in writing. We cannot accept transportation changes over the phone. You may send transportation changes by: • A handwritten note • A TalkingPoints message • An email to your child’s teacher 📧 If you email your child’s teacher, please copy Nicole Privette at Nicole.Privette@lcsd.k12.sc.us. ⏰ Same-day transportation changes cannot be made after 1:30 p.m. 🚪 Students cannot be signed out after 1:30 p.m. unless it is a true emergency or the early dismissal was communicated to the office staff ahead of time for a legitimate reason. Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe and efficient for all of our students. We can’t wait to welcome our Bears back in just 4 days! 🐻💙

📣 Homeroom Teacher Assignments 📣 Families, you should have received a phone call, email, or text message from your child’s teacher today with your student’s homeroom assignment. Unfortunately, the system we use to send mass messages to families is currently down, so our teachers reached out individually by phone, email, or text. If you did not receive a call, email, or text, please call the school tomorrow and we will be happy to provide your child’s teacher assignment. Please note: Only families who completed the re-enrollment process were contacted. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this temporary communication issue. We can’t wait to see everyone at Open House! 🐻💙

Day 5: Take Care of Your Bear 🐻💙 Before the first day of school, here are a few important reminders from our school nurse: 🩺 Medication at School * All medications must be brought to the nurse’s office by a parent/guardian. * Medications require the proper paperwork completed by a healthcare provider and parent/guardian. * Students may not carry or transport medications to and from school unless approved through the proper process. 📋 Health Updates * Please make sure the school has updated health information for your child. * Notify the nurse of any new medical conditions, allergies, medications, or health concerns. 🤒 When Should My Child Stay Home? * Please keep students home if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or other symptoms that may prevent them from participating safely in the school day. * If your child becomes ill at school, our nurse will assess their needs and contact families as needed. 💙 Our nurse is here to help keep our Bears healthy, safe, and ready to learn!

🌊 6 Days Until the First Day of School! 🐻 Today’s Back-to-School Countdown is all about Dismissal Procedures! Our goal is to ensure every student gets home safely each afternoon. Please review these important reminders before the first day of school. 🕑 Dismissal begins at 2:00 p.m. 🚌 Bus Loop The bus loop is reserved for school buses, daycare vans, and First Steps after 2:30 p.m. only. Please do not enter the bus loop if you are picking up a car rider. 🚗 Car Rider Pick-Up • Enter the driveway closest to the playground. • Form a double line when entering the car rider loop. • Students may not be picked up from the parking lot unless an adult comes inside to sign them out through the office. 🏷️ Yellow Car Rider Tags For the safety of our students, every car rider must have a yellow car tag displayed in the front window where it can be easily seen. If you do not have your yellow car tag: • You will be asked to pull over. • You must come inside with a photo ID. • Office staff will verify you before your student is released. Yellow car rider tags will be distributed at Open House. If you’re unable to attend, please stop by the school office before the first day to pick up your tags. 🛑 Loading Procedures Our staff will be outside assisting students into vehicles. One staff member will direct traffic with a stop sign. Please do not drive forward until you are signaled to do so. This helps keep our students, families, and staff safe. 🚐 First Steps Transportation First Steps cannot pick up students until after 2:30 p.m. Please do not enter the car rider loop if you arrive before 2:30. You will be asked to exit the line and park until it is time for pick-up. After 2:30 p.m., First Steps vehicles should line up in the bus loop. Please do not enter either the bus loop or the car rider loop before 2:30 p.m. ⏰ Early Checkouts Students may not be signed out after 1:30 p.m. If you have an emergency, please call the front office for approval before coming to the school. 💙 A Little Patience Goes a Long Way The car rider line typically moves more slowly during the first week of school as students learn new routines. We appreciate your patience as we work to safely match every child with their family. 📱 If Your Child Hasn’t Been Picked Up If the car rider line is empty and your child is still waiting, someone from the front office will call you, and a message will also be sent through TalkingPoints. ⏰ Please Pick Up Students Promptly Picking students up on time each day helps ensure a smooth dismissal process for everyone. Thank you for partnering with us to make dismissal safe, organized, and efficient. We can’t wait to welcome our Bears back in just 6 days! 💙🐻🌊