Dear Clemson Elementary School Families,

February was such an exciting month at school. Our fifth grade students and parents had opportunities to visit R.C. Edwards to begin their preparations for the move to middle school next year. The Critter Keeper came and shared with 4K, kindergarten, first and second grade students. Our fourth and fifth graders did an excellent job on their science fair projects. We also had a local author and illustrator, Kate Salley Palmer, read her book, The Pink House with Kindergarteners and shared about writing stories and drawing pictures. The PTA hosted an incredible STEAM night, which was an interactive delight.

We will continue the excitement through March with the Clemson Elementary 5K Race on Saturday, March 4th. The race is sponsored by our fifth grade team to help raise funds for their upcoming trip to Washington, DC. Later that morning, you can enjoy our annual International Festival. This event is hosted by the PTA and celebrates the many cultures of our Clemson Elementary families with displays and food. In addition, a parade, cultural performances, art fair, and geography fair will be a joy to see.

Please note that there is no school for students on March 13th, 14th, and 15th. We hope you and your family enjoy this short break. The school office will also be closed on these dates.

On Monday night of this week, Mr. David Thompson was named to lead Clemson Elementary as principal beginning in July. Mr. Thompson comes to us from Oconee County where he has most recently served as principal of Fair Oak Elementary School. Our faculty and staff welcomed Mr. Thompson to our building on Tuesday afternoon with a short meet and greet. During the meeting, Mr. Thompson shared that he is looking forward to this new opportunity and is very excited about getting to know the families of Clemson Elementary.

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns. We will continue to update you through classroom communications, our newsletter, social media, and via our website.

Thank you for all you do to help us make everyday a great day to learn.

Best regards,

Michelle Craddock

Third graders will be performing at the International Festival as well as the Fourth Grade Chorus. A geography fair displaying student-created posters will be showcased during the event as well.

All proceeds support the Clemson Elementary PTA, which provides supplies, grants, and programming for students and teachers. An Art Show, featuring student art that can be purchased by parents, will also take place during the festival, with proceeds supporting the Clemson Elementary art program.

The fifth grade is hosting the Clemson Elementary 5k and Fun Run on March 4th at Clemson Elementary. The 5K Race starts at 8:00AM. The 300m Fun Run (5 years and younger) starts at 8:45AM. All proceeds from this event will support the fifth grade Washington D.C. field trip. The goal is not only to raise money, but also promote a healthy lifestyle in the Clemson community. There will be race awards for the top 3 overall female runners and top 3 overall male runners as well as a prize for the top 3 overall female and male Clemson Elementary students. Fun Run participants will get a small medal for participating.

There are 3 Ways to Pay/Register for the event.

1.) Go to myschoolbucks and register HERE

2.) Go to Clemson Elementary’s front office and pay by cash or check

3.) On site race morning from 7AM-7:45AM participants can pay by cash or check

The registration fee is $30 for the 5K. The 300m Fun Run is free. The 5k registration includes a race entry, a ticket for the door prize drawing, and a race goodie bag.

We hope to see many of you at the race!

-Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math

-Score higher on standardized tests

-Have better concentration and memory

-Be more alert and maintain a healthy weight

Our week long celebration will include:

Monday, March 6th-Guess the number of Coco Puffs in the jar

Tuesday, March 7th-Lucky breakfast participants receive a prize

Wednesday, March 8th-Meet the Clemson University Tiger Cub

Thursday, March 9th-Lucky breakfast participants receive a prize

Friday, March 10th-Construction dress-up day

Daily Breakfast Charge: $1.50

Daily Lunch Charge: $2.10

Click HERE for the March lunch menu.

Add money to your student's lunch account by visiting MySchoolBucks.

Please mark your calendars now to ensure that your child is present and well-rested on these important state testing dates.

Test Dates:

3rd Grade - May 1st, 2nd, and 4th

4th Grade - May 11th, 15th, 16th, and 17th

5th Grade - May 15th, 16th, and 17th

Third, fourth, and fifth grade students will take SC READY ELA Writing, ELA Reading, and Math. Fourth-grade students also take SC READY Science.

April 7th-14th are school holidays. Have a safe and fun spring break!

Our final 4K screening day is March 16th. If you are interested in 4K for your child, please be sure to complete an interest form as soon as possible. Information about 4K along with a link to the 4K interest form can be found here: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/pre-k-information-page.

Registration for rising 5K students is currently open and can be completed on the School District of Pickens County website: https://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/page/registration.

For any rising 5K students that are interested in applying for school choice to Clemson Elementary School, a separate online application must be completed. General school choice information can be found on the SDPC website, and the online application for Clemson Elementary School can be found here: https://bit.ly/CLEchoice.

Students that are currently enrolled at Clemson Elementary School on school choice and wish to return to Clemson Elementary in the fall do not need to fill out a new application. All students that have either applied for new school choice or are up for renewal will receive a letter from the district later in the spring indicating whether school choice has been approved or not.

Here are our list of winners:

Honorable Mention:

"Rethink Your Drink"- Jes Snipes, Emily Wang, and Morgan Word, 4th Grade from Mrs. Williams's homeroom

For the 4th Grade:

3rd Place- "Which Kind of Ball Travels Farther?"- Cooper LeCroy and Andrew Boyd from Mrs. Harkins and Mrs. Williams’s homeroom

2nd Place- "Slugging It Out"- Colt Becker and Will Jenkins from Mrs. Irvine and Mrs. Roth's homeroom

1st Place- ​"Which Body of Water Has the Most Microorganisms?"- Hadley Anderson, Maya Feliciano, and Anna Cile Meisenheimer from Mrs. Harkins and Mrs. Ross's homeroom

For the 5th Grade:

3rd Place- "Do We Have a Dog-Gone Favorite Toy?"- Olivia Clark from Mrs. Bowling's homeroom

2nd Place- "The Maximum Bounce: Which Ball has the Biggest Bounce ?" Joseph Branyon from Mrs. Mills's homeroom

1st Place- "Fun with Flight: Which Airplane Flies for the Longest Time?"- Arjun Singh from Mrs. Bowling's homeroom

Overall Winners:

3rd Place- "Trash to Energy"- AJ Linder and Max Ryan, 5th Grade from Mrs. Cottingham's homeroom

2nd Place- "Does How You Talk to a Plant Affect Its Growth?"- Sanu Bandaranayake, 4th Grade from Mrs. Ross's homeroom

1st Place- "Which Bath Bomb Dissolves Faster?"- Erin Alsobrook and Emilia Sagarna-Sevilla, 5th Grade from Mrs. Cottingham's homeroom

All 18 of these students will go on to represent Clemson Elementary at the South Carolina Region 1 Science Fair at Southern Wesleyan University on March 17th.

Clemson Elementary PTA sponsored a wonderful evening filled with science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities. Students and parents alike were entertained and amazed by the presentations. A special thank you to our PTA for their continued support of these enrichment opportunities.

Fifth graders Sophie Ayers, Paige Duncan, and Zara Espinoza represented Clemson Elementary School in the South Carolina State Elementary Honor Choir on February 4th in Lexington, SC.