WINTER COATS
Please make sure your children are dressed appropriately for the cold weather that we are experiencing. If you are in need of a warm coat, please let us know. We also have a large number of lost coats in the office. If your child is missing a coat or jacket, please stop by the school and check out what has been turned into the office. Please write your child’s name in his or her jacket; it can then be returned to the owner easily if it is lost.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Consistent school attendance is important to your child’s academic, social and emotional development. Please see that only illness prevents your child from attending school. Any student who misses school must present a written note signed by a parent or physician. After 3 consecutive unlawful absences or a total of 5 unlawful absences, intervention plans will be developed with the parent to improve student attendance. Parent notes are limited to 5 per school year.
YEARBOOKS
Yearbooks are still on sale for $30. If you would like to get a yearbook at this discounted rate, please send payment to the school in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, homeroom teacher, and the word “yearbook”. You may also purchase online and personalize your yearbook at www.jostens.com.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be issued on Wednesday, January 8. These report cards hold important information that will help you better understand your child’s progress in the classroom. If you have concerns about your child’s work, please call the school. Teachers will be available for phone conferences to discuss any issues you may have.
SCHOOL CLOSED
There will be no school on Monday, January 20 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. Enjoy your long weekend!
SUCCESS IN SCHOOL
Your child can succeed in school with your help. Studies show students with involved parents are more likely to have higher achievement in the classroom, improved social skills, increased motivation, and better behavior. Help us help your child succeed by following these suggestions:
Read with your child every day.
Ask your child about their school day and encourage them to talk about it.
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest each night.
Talk positively about your child’s teacher and school.
Teach your child to be responsible for their actions and their school work.
Contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.
SCHOOL ARRIVAL
Car riders can be dropped off at school each day beginning at 7:20. To help speed up the car rider line, we are asking parents for help. Please pull all the way up to the car in front of you and have your children ready to exit the car quickly. Staff members are stationed out front to help open car doors for kindergarten students. It would be very helpful if all other students opened their own doors and walked down the sidewalk to the front entrance. Your help with this is greatly appreciated!
SCHOOL DELAYS & CANCELLATIONS
Please remember that if school is delayed or closed, you will receive a call and/or text notification from the school district. The local television stations are also notified. To receive the most current information, please make sure you have a working phone number on file with the school. As a point of information, we do NOT serve breakfast to students when we are on a two-hour delay. Please make sure your child eats breakfast at home whenever this occurs.
I-READY TESTING
From January 6 to January 24, all students from Kindergarten to fifth grade will participate in i-Ready testing in both Reading and Math. Please talk to your child about this very important test. Encourage them to do their best and take their time! Teachers will be using the test results to help better meet the needs of your child in the classroom. Your child’s teacher will inform you of the specific date your child will be tested. Thank you for helping us help your child be successful at school!
CHILD FIND SCREENING
Under Federal law, all children with disabilities, birth through twenty-one years of age must be identified and evaluated using specific “Child Find” activities to locate any child with a disability who is not currently receiving services.
Dillon District Three (Latta Schools) provides specialized services to children who live within the school attendance zone and meet eligibility requirements set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Dillon District Three (Latta Schools). These requirements may differ from those of institutions providing similar services (i.e. private therapy).
The disabilities eligible for services in our district are developmental delay, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, emotional disability, speech or language impairment, deaf and hard of hearing, deaf-blindness, visual impairment, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, traumatic brain injury, autism, and multiple disabilities.
If you are aware of any child with disabilities not attending public school or any pre-school child who might be disabled, you may contact Kelly Sellers, Director of Exceptional Children or Rachael Coker, School Psychologist, at Dillon School District Three (Latta Schools) at 843-752-7101. All referral sources will remain confidential.
The next formal “Child Find” screenings will be held Friday, February 7, 2025, from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. at Latta Elementary School. To schedule an appointment for this screening date, please contact Rachael Coker at 843-752-7101.