Weekly Update
March 27, 2022
Translation | traducción
Upcoming Dates
Awareness Topic: Paraprofessional Awareness
April 4 - 8, 2022, National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
April 6, 2022, Quarter 4 Interim Point
April 8, 2022, Club Schedule
April 8, 2022, ECHS Prom
Awareness Topic: Ramadan Awareness
April 15, 2022, Club Schedule
Awareness Topic: Earth Day Awareness
April 19, 2022, 5:30 ECHS Student Led Conferences| PTA Meeting
April 22, 2022, Club Schedule
Awareness Topic: Arab American Awareness
April 29, 2022, Club Schedule | Freestyle Friday
Want to know what letter day it is? CHECK HERE
Please let us know if you have any topics that you would like us to bring awareness to.
Important Calendar Alert
Point of Contact: Ms. Denney
Notes to the Board of Trustees
If you could please send the Board of Trustees a quick email to thank them for their support of the new building and of ECHS thus far.
Draft 2022-23 Academic Calendar
Textbook Adoption Notification
ECHS Families,
The SC State Department of Education will be adopting new social studies textbooks next year. Samples will be available for viewing and feedback during school hours (7:30 - 3:30) until April 4th.
Familias ECHS,
El Departamento de Educación del Estado de Carolina del Sur adoptará nuevos libros de texto de estudios sociales el próximo año. Las muestras estarán disponibles para su visualización y comentarios durante el horario escolar (7:30 - 3:30) hasta el 4 de abril.
ECHS Support Site at the Fraser Campus Update
For further information, please reach out to the Office of Capital Programs.
If you haven't done so, please send the Board a quick note to thank them for their support of ECHS by prioritizing our new support space.
Senior Spotlight
Class of 2022 Spotlight
It is time to celebrate more of our fabulous class of 2022! Take a look at where these seniors are headed next in this week's Senior Spotlight.
Jaedyn Pender
Monquese Jenkins
Jania Simmons
Isai Torres
Taqashia Wrighten
Point of Contact: Ms. Earle
Work Keys
The South Carolina Department of Education is extending an opportunity to all 4th year high school students to participate in the WorkKeys assessment in April 2022. Students who earn a score of 3 or higher on each of the subtests will be eligible for a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
Any student who takes the test must take all three components. Seniors please complete THIS SURVEY to express interest. ALL juniors are required to take this assessment (juniors do NOT need to complete the survey).
Point of Contact: Ms. Earle
Seals of Distinction
SEALS OF DISTINCTION
Beginning with students entering 9th grade in the 2018-19 school year, the South Carolina State Department of Education (SDE) recognizes students who meet specific criteria to earn a “Seal of Distinction.” The State Department of Education has made some updates to the Seal of Distinction since it was first introduced and information was originally provided to families in the “2019-2020 Regional College & Career Guide” during a student’s individual graduation plan IGP) meeting.
Please click on the link below to view a chart outlining the SDE’s Seals of Distinction criteria: State Department of Education Seals of Distinction.
Students are not required to earn a Seal of Distinction for high school graduation.
There are three different Seals of Distinction and four Specialized Seals. These Seals of Distinction are the Honors Seal, the College Preparatory Seal, and the Career Seal. The four Special Seals are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math), World Language, Military, and Art.
Students can earn more than one Seal of Distinction.
For those Seal of Distinction that have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement, the weighted SC Uniform Grading Scale GPA will be used to determine eligibility. GPA eligibility will be determined at the end of the 1st Semester senior year and the final GPA’s at the end of the student’s senior year. Students who meet GPA eligibility requirements at the end of 1st semester do not need to re-qualify at the end of the senior year.
For Seals of Distinction that require test scores such as SAT and ACT, scores will need to be received by the school by the end of the 3rd quarter of the student's senior year.
Seals of Distinction that require Advanced Placement (AP) scores will need to be received by the school the summer before the student’s senior year.
Students who earn one or more Seals of Distinction will receive a “Digital Badge” from the South Carolina State Department of Education. This digital badge will be accessed via Parchment.com. After graduation, students will receive an email, to their personal email address on file with the high school, with instructions from Parchment on how to access the digital badge.
Please contact your school’s School Counseling Office with any questions.
Point of Contact:
Students last name A-L - Mackenzie Cuttino
Student last name M-Z - Rhiannon Rainsford
Prom Tickets
Tickets can be purchased from the school website or you can pay Ms. Althen in cash. Please remember that you must order two tickets if you are bringing a guest. Guest permission forms are available in Ms. Althen's Office (106)
Point of Contact: Ms. Althen
Senior Picnic
Senior Picnic- The senior picnic will be held on May 31. Tickets can be purchased here until April 1.
Summer Opportunities
Please check out CCSD's Career and Technology Education Site, which is regularly updated with opportunities.
Linked here.
First Responder Program
The Charleston County School District (CCSD) and Charleston County Public Safety Directorate have partnered for a program that gives students a glimpse into the life of first responders.
The program is only available for CCSD high school juniors. Students will participate in four-to-six week summer training sessions and learn how to work in either the Emergency Medical Services Department or Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center.
Training will begin in June and will include some weekends during the school year.
In addition to earning $13.75 per hour, students will receive certifications and school credits.
A signed permission slip is required.
Click here to apply.
11th Grade IGP Meetings
All junior Individual Graduation Plan meetings will be student-led this year. During AVID, students will be given an outline of information that should be included in their presentation, which will then be scheduled by your student to present to you and their counselor. Mrs. Cuttino or Mrs. Rainsford will send calendar invites to parents for the selected date and time
Presentations will begin March 14 and conclude April 1st. As a part of the IGP process for juniors, students interested in pursuing a program of study other than the Associates of Art will be required to complete this TTC Change of Major application. Students and parents will be notified of the application outcome by April 15th.
Point of Contact:
Students last name A-L - Mackenzie Cuttino
Student last name M-Z - Rhiannon Rainsford
Save the Date - Practice for the ECHS Celebration of Graduates
We will have a mandatory Celebration of Graduates practice on June 1 from 7:30-8:45 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Students must attend practice in order to participate in the celebration on June 2. The Celebration of Graduates is at 1:00; students are expected to arrive at the Performing Arts Center by 12:00. The Performing Arts Center in located at 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston, SC 29418.
Click Here for SENIOR NEWS- all other info can be found in this document!
Save the Date - Other Senior Events
Senior Picnic- May 31. The senior picnic will be held at the Splash Zone Waterpark @ James Island County Park or at Folly Beach County Park- seniors who have paid the senior fee of $20 are invited to attend & will vote on location. Lunch will be provided.
Point of Contact: Ms. Althen
COVID Reminders
STUDENTS, PLEASE FOLLOW PHYSICAL DISTANCE RULES. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND IN SCHOOL.
Our goal is to create a safe learning environment for students on campus.
- If your child is sick or symptomatic of any illness, please do not send your student to school.
- If your student has tested positive, or been exposed to a COVID positive individual, please notify ECHS immediately and do not send your child to school.
- If any symptomatic member of your household has had COVID in the past two weeks or is suspected of having COVID, please keep your child home and call the school for guidance.
- If your child is awaiting COVID test results, please do not send them to school.
Your diligence is appreciated in keeping our entire school community safe and healthy for a wonderful year.
Points of Contact: Ms. Denney, Nurse Varvaro, Nurse Horton, Ms. Washington-Robinson
What should I do if I'm quarantined?
- Check Canvas for the assignments from your high school classes. Complete the assignments daily. Email your college professors to let them know you will not be in class.
- For college classes, check D2L daily and complete all assignments by the due date. If you are not well-enough to do so, notify your professor ahead of the due date.
- Your core content area and AVID high school teachers will open a zoom for you during your class period if you have been diagnosed with COVID or if you are a close contact. Core classes are Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. Teachers will provide links to authorized students.
- We encourage student, if they are able, to continue to work ahead of all high school and college deadlines.
Point of Contact: Ms. Denney
Mental Health Support
If needed, we can make a referral to the Department of Mental Health and can make therapy services available at school.
Point of Contact:
Students last name A-L - Mackenzie Cuttino
Student last name M-Z - Rhiannon Rainsford
Also, we can connect you to our Communities in Schools lead for other social/emotional supports.
Point of Contact: Coach Brown
There are also several hotline resources available:
- Dial 211 https://sc211.org/index.php/mental
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line: text the word 'Home' to 741-741
- The Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: call 1-866-488-7386
- The Trans Lifeline: call 1-877-565-8860
Teen Line CALL 800-852-8336 Toll-Free Nationwide TEXT TEEN to 839863
Canvas Access for Parents
ECHS Grading Periods
QUARTER 3/Semester 2 REPORT CARDS
As you are already aware, ECHS operates on a slightly different academic calendar from the rest of the district due to our student's enrollment in Trident Technical College courses.
While ECHS ends the Q2/Sem 1 term on December 15, 2021, we want to make you aware, now, that Quarter 2 report cards will not be issued until the rest of CCSD ends the quarter, which occurs on January 14, 2021. The reason for this is the need to wait for our homeschool partners to store grades in PowerSchool which is the process by which grades are locked for each term. You will be able to check the status of your child's Q1/Sem 1 grade at any time through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
On October 13, 2021, ECHS teachers began entering grades in the Quarter 2/Semester 1 term in PowerSchool. Because Q2 does not start until October 22, 2021, for the remainder of the district, we needed to date all quarter 2 assignments as having any date between October 22, and December 15, 2021. Where the assigned date is not the actual date that the assignment was collected, the teacher will indicate the actual date of the assignment in the name of the assignment.
Please check your student's PowerSchool account for their grades.
We know that this can all sound complicated until you see it "live", so in the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out should you have any questions.
To Request a Transcript
Students must use Naviance to request a transcript. Naviance can be accessed directly from students' Clever accounts; once they click on the Naviance icon, they will be brought to the Naviance home page.
Once in, students need to go to the "College" tab, and select "Colleges I'm Applying To". At the top right, there is a red addition sign; students should click on this. This populates a page that has a drop down for students to input the name of the school they are applying to, the Application Type, and the method the application is being Submitted (directly to the institution or via Common App. Again, for reasons stated above, we are strongly encouraging students to apply directly to the institution so we can ensure delivery of supporting documents.) There is also a checkbox to indicate if you have already submitted the application. At the bottom of this page is a button that reads "ADD AND REQUEST TRANSCRIPT". Click that button to confirm, and your transcript has been requested!
If you have any questions, please reach out to your assigned counselor, listed below:
Students last name A-L - Mackenzie Cuttino
Student last name M-Z - Rhiannon Rainsford
MiFi
CCSD will be providing MiFi units and service to families demonstrating a need for the internet this year. The link to the MiFi application is available here:
Families are able to obtain multiple devices for multiple students in the home if needed. Devices will be delivered to the school for pick-up and parents will be notified once the devices are received here at ECHS. If you have any additional questions please email them to our Assistant Principal Mr. Reese at barrett_reese@charleston.k12.sc.us.
Technology Help
Point of Contact: Ms. Broadway
College Spanish Tutors Available
Spanish Tutoring
Spanish tutors are currently available to all students enrolled in a TTC Spanish class. Since the start of the pandemic, only virtual appointments are available.
Students may schedule a one-on-one virtual tutoring appointment for assistance, or they may sign up for small group conversational practice sessions with a tutor. As shown in the screenshot below, course shells for Spanish classes include a Spanish tutoring module that provides a link to the tutoring sign up, links to the WebEx page of both of our tutors, as well as instructions for conversational practice sessions if required by the instructor. Students may also send a quick question to our tutors via email.
College Math Tutors Available
Math tutoring for math courses is available on Facebook (just ask a question and a math instructor or tutor will respond). If you want a one-on-one tutoring appointment, email MathTutoring@tridenttech.edu to set up an appointment. Please include the name of your class and some dates and times that work for you.
Transportation
First View App ECHS Code: RMBQ
Save the Date 2021 ECHS Open House Events/ Eventos de casa abierta
April 19
All from 5:30-7:00
REVISED 2021-22 ECHS Academic Calendar
Early College High School
Email: vanessa_denney@charleston.k12.sc.us
Website: http://earlycollege.ccsdschools.com/
Location: 66 Columbus Street, Suite 210, Charleston, SC, USA
Phone: 843-720-5701
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCSDECHS/