The Bobcat Blaze
June 3, 2022
+++We Are AC Moore STRONG+++
SCHOOL VISION
Every AC Moore student will enter middle school reading at or above grade level.
SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
We collaboratively empower students to be accountable and successful.
STAFF CORE VALUES
Passion: Embracing and nurturing our school community
Intentionality: Purposeful, Present, & Prepared
Accountability: Growth Over Ego
Student Pillars of Leadership: PreK - 2
Respect
Cooperation
Community
Responsible
Self-Control
Caring
Trustworthy
Student Pillars of Leadership: 3rd - 5th
Respect
Collaboration
Citizenship
Responsible
Self-Discipline
Empathy
Integrity
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Principal's Message
Happy Last Friday of the 21-22 School Year Bobcat Families!
We did it! We had a lovely two weeks of activities to wrap up a memorable year. Thank you to everyone who organized the various ceremonies, receptions, and events throughout the week. I know how much planning and thought went into each event and I could not be prouder!
This will be the last edition of The Bobcat Blaze for the 21-22 school year. We will kick things back off in August.
It has been my absolute pleasure to serve as your Principal for another year. I look forward to an even more amazing school year in the Fall.
I wish you all an enjoyable, relaxing, and renewing summer. I am thrilled for the work we are going to do together next year!
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Important Dates and Upcoming Events
June
June 6.......................................................................Last Day for Teachers
August
August 16.....................................................................First Day of School
-----Parent News and Reminders-----
Our Bobcat family will soon be saying farewell to our awesome and dedicated Assistant Administrator, Mrs. Wendee Evering. Although we are truly saddened by her departure from our school building, we are sincerely delighted and excited for her new appointment at the State Department of Education.
Although we are saying goodbye to Mrs. Evering, we are excited to celebrate her for the hard work and passion she has shown during her time as our assistant administrator. It is her willingness to offer her services to the teachers, students, and families at AC Moore, in addition to her smile, laughter, patience, understanding, and genuine concern for the Bobcat community we will greatly miss. She has been a blessing to us, making us better individually and collectively. Thank you, Mrs. Evering for making AC Moore an awesome place to teach, learn, and have fun! Best wishes to you in your new role!
Love,
Your Bobcat Family
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It is with great excitement that we announce our current Assistant Administrator position will become an Assistant Principal position beginning with the 22-23 school year.
With that, please join us in giving a big Bobcat welcome to our new Assistant Principal, Mrs. Tiffany Ligon! We are thrilled to welcome her into our Bobcat family and she is equally as excited to become a member. Please see below for more information about Mrs. Ligon.
Tiffany and her husband, Will, are the proud parents of a son, Coulson, who is a rising 3rd grader. Tiffany has been in the field of education for twenty-three years and she is currently completing her twenty-first year in public education. She started teaching Science and coaching soccer at the secondary levels in Rock Hill, South Carolina before moving back to Columbia to join the faculty at Richland Northeast High School where she later became an Assistant Principal. Most recently she has served for seven years as one of the Assistant Principals at AC Flora High School. Mrs. Ligon was part of the first cohort to successfully complete the R-1 Ready Leadership Development Program in her pursuit to become a Principal. She holds Masters degrees in both Higher Education and Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina where she is currently pursuing her doctorate. In her spare time, Tiffany enjoys coaching soccer for the YMCA and spending time with her family. Tiffany is excited to be joining the Bobcat family this summer and looks forward to next year!
Hello A.C. Moore families,
It's almost that time! If your child has medication in the health room, it must be picked up for summer break. If you have not gotten your child's medication, please call or email me to set up a pick-up time before June 10th.
Thank you!
Jennifer Robinson, School Nurse
803-929-3886
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Returning Student Enrollment in Parent Portal
It is time to fill out the Returning Student Enrollment in Parent Portal for next school year. If your child is not returning to A C Moore next year or you are having trouble with your Parent Portal login please contact Mrs. Thorpe at madolyn.thorpe@richlandone.org or call 803-343-2910, ext 29206
4K student’s re-enrollment will be transferred to their zoned school. Make sure to provide two proofs of address when enrolling, email them to Mrs. Thorpe or bring by the school.
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Dear Richland One Parents,
The Richland One Nutrition Services team will distribute meal boxes for students at four sites on Monday, June 6 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. The meal boxes will include seven days’ worth of shelf-stable food.
Parents can go to the site that is most convenient. The distribution sites are: Carver-Lyon Elementary School, St. Andrews Middle School, Eau Claire High School and Lower Richland High School. Parents can pull into the car loop and staff will be there to give you the meal boxes for your children. You do not need to complete any forms or do anything else in advance.
Please note that the district also will operate its summer meal program for students participating in our Summer SOAR programs and camps (June 13-July 28) and for students not participating in Summer SOAR. Parents will receive that information separately, and it will be posted on our website.
Sincerely,
Karen E. York
Executive Director of Communications
Richland County School District One
Dear Parents and Guardians of Rising 5th Graders,
Research has shown that over the summer months, students often regress in their academic competencies, thereby reinforcing the importance of reading over the break. In Richland One, we consider reading the foundation for all other learning. Therefore, our first priority must be for all of our children to become good readers and to instill in them a lifelong love of reading.
This year, each student will receive a recommended list of titles and a Summer Reading Assignment (open the attachment below). All students are expected to participate in the summer assignment of reading at least one book. Students are to choose a book from the Summer Reading List. An overview of each book is provided. The selected titles can be checked out from your child's school or the Richland County Public Library. They are also available for purchase at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Please open the document below for additional details for general education and AAP requirements.
Our Lu is installed! We are so excited for our Bobcats to enjoy this interactive educational system!
Want to know more?
Lü transforms any space into an active and immersive educational environment where kids are engaged physically, intellectually and socially-emotionally. Check out the video below or click the links to see how schools have used their Lu System.
Lu Interactive Playground - South Belt School, Houston, TX
Lu Interactive Playground - Portage Township Schools, Portage, IN
Lu Interactive Playground - Johnson Elementary, Danville, VA
Bye-Bye Ponytail, Hello Crew Cut!
We Did It Bobcats!
2022 Start Strong Summer Program
Greetings,
This is the R1 Start Strong Program hosted at Hand and Dreher this summer. This program is open is to ALL Students. Richland One is offering a two-week Start Strong Summer Program for rising 6th – 9th graders. This in-person program is designed to provide students with literacy and numeracy strategies that will help support their learning when they return to school in the fall. During the program, students will participate in engaging activities and have opportunities to receive incentives. Students will be assessed to determine their progress on content and skills learned in the summer program. There is no cost to attend the Start Strong Summer Program.
Parents/Guardians who register will be contacted before the end of the school year with more information.
Canisha Fletcher
Curriculum Resource Teacher
Hand Middle School
2600 Wheat Street
Columbia, SC 29205
803-343-2947 ext. 2207
Richland One está ofreciendo un programa de verano Start Strong de dos semanas para los estudiantes de sexto a noveno grado. Este programa en persona está diseñado para proporcionar a los estudiantes estrategias de alfabetización y aritmética que ayudarán a apoyar su aprendizaje cuando regresen a la escuela en el otoño. Durante el programa, los estudiantes participarán en actividades atractivas y tendrán la oportunidad de recibir incentivos. Los estudiantes serán evaluados para determinar su progreso en el contenido y las habilidades aprendidas en el programa de verano. No hay costo para asistir al programa de verano Start Strong.
Los detalles adicionales sobre el programa de verano Start Strong se enumeran a continuación:
Asistencia:
o Se espera que los estudiantes asistan al programa en persona, todos los lunes a jueves, del 11 al 21 de julio de 2022. El programa estará cerrado la semana del 4 al 8 de julio de 2022.
Cronograma:
o El horario diario será de 8:30 am a 12:30 pm.
Los estudiantes que ingresarán a los grados 6, 7 y 8 asistirán a Hand MS.
Los estudiantes que ingresarán al noveno grado asistirán a Dreher HS.
Complete el registro antes del martes 17 de mayo a las 3:00 p.m. Deberá completar un formulario por cada alumno que asista. Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes, comuníquese con canisha.fletcher@richlandone.org.
-----------School News-----------
A Bobcat Shout-Out to...
Rising 1st Graders
Congratulations to our Kindergarteners for participating in their promotion ceremony on Wednesday!
Our Art Contest Winner!
Congratulations to Kyndal Moody, 3rd grader for being the school winner of the 2022 Litter Trashes Everyone art contest sponsored by PalmettoPride!
PTO!
A special thank you to the A.C. Moore PTO for the awesome breakfast cart again this month! The love and support you have for the teachers and families at A.C. Moore is immeasurable! Thanks for all you have done to support our school!
Parent Leadership Partners Program
Carolina Family Engagement Center Training Opportunity
The Carolina Family Engagement Center (CFEC), housed in the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC), has a professional development opportunities to share!
Parent Leadership Partners (PLP) program Train the Trainer
CFEC has had a lot of success with its PLP program and many school districts have inquired about the possibility of running similar programs in their districts. Due to this interest, CFEC has developed a virtual Train the Trainer program so that South Carolina school/district administrators, community members, parents, and/or teachers interested in learning how to facilitate a PLP program can do so! For more information see the flyer attached. To register for this summer session, click HERE.
Important Covid-19 News for School-age Children
Today, the CDC recommended that children ages 5 through 11 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series (5 months after their second dose). Please visit https://vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov/ or contact your child's health care provider for more information on where your children can get their boosters.
All households are now eligible to receive 8 additional at-home Covid-19 test kits. Register your address at https://www.covid.gov/tests and they will be shipped directly to you. Test kits and shipping are FREE! I also have test kits available for A.C. Moore students. Please let me know if you need one!
As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Jennifer Robinson, School Nurse
803-929-3886
----------WELLNESS WATCH----------
Take A Look at Your Bobcats...
Celebrating the last week of school!
Overdue Library Books
Dear Parents/Guardians:
There are still quite a few books out from last school year and the 2019-2020 school year. I know these were very exceptional years, but please make every effort to locate and return those books to the library as soon as possible. Thank you for you help in maintaining our library collection of books!
Jessica Warren, Librarian
------------DISTRICT NEWS------------
The Richland One Board of School Commissioners Approves 2022-2023 Academic Calendar
Richland One Parents,
The Richland One Board of School Commissioners approved the district’s 2022-2023 academic calendar at last night's board meeting.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 will be the first day of school for Richland One students. The last day of school will be Friday, May 26, 2023, which will be an early release day for students.
Other key dates include:
- Thanksgiving Break – November 23-25, 2022
- Winter Break – December 21-30, 2022
- Spring Break – April 10-14, 2023
Draft Calendar B, which was the calendar that was approved by the Board, was the one that was preferred based on feedback obtained through the online survey of students, parents and staff. The Board gave its initial approval of the 2022-2023 calendar at the March 8 board meeting. The 2022-2023 calendar is posted on the district’s website (www.richlandone.org); click on the District Calendars link under Site Shortcuts.
Karen E. York
Executive Director of Communications
Richland County School District One
Register for the 2022-2023 Pre-K Program Now!
Free COVID-19 Test Kits
If you have not placed your order for 4 free rapid COVID-19 test kits through the government at the following website www.covidtests.gov, please do so today! Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
Read to Succeed
Attendance...What You Need to Know
ThriveRichland Spark Time (Virtual ) Play Group
Richland School District One Student Technology Replacement Fees
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
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-Neighborhood News & Community Connections-
Tutor.com Offers Free, Real-time Tutoring for All South Carolina Residents
The South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina State Library (SCSL) have partnered with Tutor.com to address the continuing academic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership will span the next three years and is funded through the American Rescue Plan's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER).
- Tutor.com is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for English and Spanish speakers.
- Connect with a tutor on various subjects, such as math, science, language arts, social studies, world languages, computer literacy, and AP courses.
- Tutor.com offers test prep assistance, skills coaching, and help with specific math and essay-writing questions.
- Unlock even more features with a Tutor.com account. Creating a Tutor.com account is optional and not required to connect with a tutor.
Visit scdiscus.org to get started. If you don't know the Discus login information, contact discusoffice@statelibrary.sc.gov.
Free Tuition for Technical Colleges in South Carolina
Good afternoon,
Below are links about a recent educational opportunity in South Carolina that may be beneficial for high school students within the district and/or parents/caregivers within your school communities interested in continuing their education. This initiative, SC Workforce Scholarships for the Future, has been designated $17 million in GEER funding for the Spring semesters. The governor is asking Congress for an additional $24 million from the American Rescue Act funds to extend the program through June 2024.
This initiative allows any adult in South Carolina the opportunity to attend one of sixteen technical colleges for free if they choose to major in a high-demand career preparation program including: construction, nursing, manufacturing, technology, hospitality/tourism, and early care and education.
Links with more information:
· South Carolina technical colleges free tuition: how it'll work | wltx.com
· McMaster: Pandemic cash for free 2-year degrees (live5news.com)
Hope this helps!
Laurann Gallitto Patel, MMFT
Lead Regional Family Engagement Liaison
Midlands Region
803-687-3460
Carolina Family Engagement Center
College of Education
University of South Carolina
820 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29208
university string programs across the country. This nationally recognized program caters to children 3rd-5th grade & adults. Click above for more info.
DHEC - Richland County Health Department
Dates and Times
Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30
Further Information
- Limited quantity of SELF-ADMINISTERED COVID RAPID ANTIGEN TEST KITS available
- Self-Administered COVID-19 PCR Test Kits are also available
- Call ahead for availability
Appointment Needed: No
Referral Needed: No
Pediatric Testing Available: Yes
Connect with Us
Website: www.richlandone.org/Domain/26
Location: 333 Etiwan Avenue, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 343-2910
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acmooreelementary
Twitter: @ACMooreBobcats