Class of 2034
Kindergarten Newsletter
Mrs. Gritz- Principal
A little bit about me....this is my 23rd year in the Fort Mill School District. I taught 2nd grade for 9 years then transitioned into an Assistant Principal role for 6 years. I am starting my 9th year as a Principal. I have been at Sugar Creek Elementary since we opened 12 years ago. I love this school and our school community. I am blessed to be able to work so closely with our students, staff and families. When I'm not at school I'm busy at the soccer field with all three of my boys. It's like a second job! I love every minute and trying to soak in the time since it seems to be flying by.
We look forward to getting to know our new Shark families and excited to see the siblings of our sharks that are already here.
Mr. Plummer- Assistant Principal
I am going into my fourth year at Sugar Creek as the Assistant Principal and I am looking forward to it. This will be my 10th year as an educator and fourth as an administrator. My teaching took place in Charlotte where I was a physical education teacher for 6 years. My family means the world to me! I have an amazing wife and two beautiful little girls and a new born baby boy. I enjoy spending time with my family, exercising, eating delicious food, and watching Clemson play football on Saturdays. I’m looking forward to either getting to know your student or continuing our relationship as we enter the upcoming school year.
Mrs. Niblock- Assistant Principal
It is such a privilege to serve as an Assistant Principal for Sugar Creek Elementary! This school and community of students are truly so very special to me. This will be my fifth year at Sugar Creek and it really is an amazing place like no other! This is my fifteenth year in education. I have taught special education for my entire career; grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. This will be my second year in an administrative role. The vision of Sugar Creek is something that I try to uphold daily: putting children first, striving for excellence and building positive relationships. It is my belief that relationships are at the core of establishing a successful school community. I am so thrilled to build new relationships and watch established ones continue to flourish.
I graduated from the University of South Carolina at Aiken where I played soccer for four years on the women’s soccer team. While at the University of South Carolina at Aiken I earned a BA in Special Education. I also obtained my M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina in 2016.
When I am not at school or working I love spending time with my husband of twelve years, Lance. We have a 9 year old daughter, Charlie, who always keeps up busy and makes things fun. I am due with our second child in September- it is a BOY! I love traveling and spending time with my amazing family and friends. We enjoy outdoor adventures, concerts, going to sporting events, and trying new foods. I am so honored for the opportunity to represent SCES and I look forward to serving our amazing students, families and staff.
Meet the Office Staff
Front Receptionist
Bookkeeper
Powerschool Clerk
Nurse
School Resource Officer
Meet our Kindergarten Teachers
Mrs.Wise
Mrs. McClung
Mrs. Powell
Ms. Wekall
Mrs. Reid
Mrs. Milam
Meet our Kindergarten Assistants
Mrs. Massey
Mrs. Loyd
Mrs. Murray
Mrs. Ellis
Mrs. Linkous
Mrs. VanSickle
Vision and Mission at Sugar Creek Elementary
Vision: At SCES our vision is putting children first, striving for excellence, building positive relationships.
Mission: Collaboratively, our school community is committed to excellence, by putting children first, building caring relationships, and valuing diversity.
Our students and staff work daily on showing SHARK STRONG behavior. Shark Strong means that our students are being kind, showing respect and having integrity. These are the three main character traits we continue to teach and reinforce at Sugar Creek Elementary. Our Kindergarteners will jump right in and learn what being Shark Strong is all about!
Meet the Teacher
Session 1: 7:30-8:15 (Last names A-D)
Session 2: 8:45-9:30 (Last names E-K)
Session 3: 10:00-10:45 (Last names L-Q)
Session 4: 11:15-12:00 (Last names R-Z)
During your session, you can visit your child's Kindergarten classroom and if you have multiple children, visit those classrooms during that same session. Meet the Teacher will be a drop in where you visit your classroom, meet your teacher and drop off any school supplies. Your child's teacher will be sending a video on Wednesday evening about expectations in Kindergarten.
*If your child has a different last name than the parent, please pick one session.
Important Forms and Medication
School Supplies
First Week of School
The South Carolina Department of Education has recently approved the use of staggered start days for incoming kindergarten students for the 2021–2022 school year. The staggered start allows time for students to acclimate to the new school environment, learn classroom rules and procedures in small groups and allows more time for the mandated Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. This strategy has proven successful in the past for helping young students transition into the school model.
All kindergarten students will attend school following the staggered start days below for the opening week of the 2021–2022 school year:
Monday, August 16 – Students with January, February and March birthdays.
Tuesday, August 17 – Students with April, May and June birthdays.
Wednesday, August 18 – Students with July, August and September birthdays.
Thursday, August 19 – Students with October, November and December birthdays.
Friday, August 20 – ALL STUDENTS
First Week of School for Kindergarten Students
- park your car in the front parking lot
- walk your child across the crosswalk
- walk down the sidewalk towards the Kindergarten playground which wraps around the front of the school
- we will allow a certain number of families to enter the gated playground area at one time
- parents will be able to drop your child off and meet the teacher at the back door
- only the child can enter the classroom
- parents will exit the playground area through another designated exit door
Parents will be able to drop Kindergarten students off and walk to the back door for the first week of school (August 16th-20th and August 23rd). We are allowing Kindergarten parents to drop off Kindergarten students from 7:45-8:00 from August 16th-23rd. Hopefully, this will help you feel less hectic and congested with the rest of the school dropping off at the same time. However, if you need to drop off earlier, you are welcome to drop off starting at 7:05. You will still be able to walk your Kindergartener to the back if you drop off before 7:45. We wanted to offer this time, to help families feel less overwhelmed.
Starting on Tuesday, August 24th, parents will not be able to walk students to class. All Kindergarten students will enter the building through the main entrance in the front of the school. We call this day Independence Day. We want all students to enter the building independently. We will have plenty of staff to help students get out of cars and guide them to the correct entrance.
We will be practicing with our students so they will know what to do when they start their Independence Day. We will also send out a video to parents showing them the entrance and morning car rider line procedures.
Starting on Tuesday, August 24th, Kindergarteners will need to arrive at school between 7:05-7:35. Instruction will begin at 7:35 so please make every effort to have your child to school on time.
Kindergarten students riding the bus will enter the building through a designated doorway and they will walk directly to their classroom and enter their classrooms once they arrive. We will have staff stationed throughout the school to guide our students to class.
Important School Information
- Our school doors open daily at 7:05 and instruction begins at 7:35. When students arrive to school, they will walk straight to their classrooms. Please be sure to account for traffic and congestion the first week or so. Being on time to school is important for each child to help develop a consistent routine and to start each day smoothly. I will send out reminders about our start time, but please plan to leave your house in plenty of time to get through the car rider line. We are anticipating more car riders this year than normal.
- We are allowing parent volunteers this year. If you are interested in volunteering (i.e making copies, laminating, shelving library books) then you will need to complete a volunteer training and a background check. After your background check is complete, there will be a link to sign up to volunteer. Parents will not be assigned to a specific teacher, all volunteers will be supporting the school and the tasks that need to be completed in grades PreK-5th grades. The school will send information regarding the training for volunteers in the next week or so.
- Extracurricular activities, clubs, and field trips will resume this year- we will have limited field trips this year.
- Parents will not be allowed to visit during lunch due to continued safety protocols.
- Please be sure that all students wear closed shoes each day. Tennis shoes are the best shoes to wear to school. Sandals are permitted but must have a back. NO FLIP FLOPS are allowed at school. For the safety of our students, if incorrect shoes are accidentally worn, parents will be called to bring alternate shoes. Students are constantly moving within the classrooms and play at recess daily, so safe shoes are the best in these environments.
Student Placement
Teacher placement information will be sent electronically on Friday, August 6th. Each teacher placement will be sent electronically throughout the day. These notifications will be sent in a staggered manner throughout the day. Not all families will receive their student’s placement at the exact same time.
I know that finding out your child’s teacher is exciting. I encourage parents to be respectful of our staff and limit your social media postings to only positive comments. Asking other parents questions or sharing opinions on social media about specific teachers can be hurtful and disrespectful. Remember that our staff is committed to our school community, so I ask that you show kindness and respect as teacher placements are shared. #sharkstrong
Communication
You will receive weekly phone messages from Principal Gritz. Please be sure to take a minute to listen to these messages because they contain important information about school events, PTO events or other school information. You will also receive a monthly school newsletter called the Shark FIN Bulletin. This e-newsletter keeps you informed on a variety of school topics.
Safety Measures
MASKS:
- All students and staff have the option to wear a mask into the building and in their classrooms.
- If a student or staff member forgets their mask, we will provide a mask.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH:
- Breakfast and Lunch will be served in the classroom each day. Students will eat while sitting at their desk.
- Students will wash their hands before and after eating.
- Some classes may alternate eating lunch in the cafeteria throughout the year. If a grade level eats in the cafeteria, it will only be that specific grade level. This will limit the number of students eating at once.
RECESS:
- Students will start the year participating in recess in designated areas on the playgrounds with just their class.
GROUPING:
- Students will be seated in pods in their classroom as much as possible.
- We will keep students with their class as much as possible. We will limit mixing of students and classes as much as we can.
Important Dates:
Thursday, August 12th- Meet the Teacher sessions
Monday, August 16th- First Day of School (staggered start for Kindergarteners- see schedule above)
Tuesday, August 24th- Independence Day for all Students- students should be dropped off like a normal routine
Monday, September 6th- Labor Day- No School
**Below is the link to the district calendar
Birthday Rock- How do I sign up?
The Rock is ready for you! The highly sought after rock sign up has been moved online. Wish your child a happy birthday for everyone to see & celebrate them on their special day!
Visit https://sugar-creek-elementary-pto-2.square.site/ to sign up online! If you have any questions, please contact the PTO at sugarcreekelementartypto@gmail.com
Re-Link your Harris Teeter Cards (Virtual Students and Face to Face students):
Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands. Harris Teeter has donated over $30 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! When you shop Harris Teeter brands, a percentage of your purchase is donated to the school that your VIC card is linked to. There are NO LIMITS to how much a school can earn.
Student Handbook
School Improvement Council- Report to Parents
Helpful Resources - click the links below
Sugar Creek Elementary
Email: gritzm@fortmillschools.org
Website: http://fortmillsces.ss11.sharpschool.com/
Location: 1599 Farmhouse Rd, Fort Mill, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 835-0150
Twitter: @SCESsharks