Whitmire Community School

Due to the threat of winter weather and the resulting hazardous road conditions, the School District of Newberry County will have an eLearning day on Friday, January 10, 2025, with schools and offices closed. All activities are canceled for January 10. Teachers will post assignments for students to complete, but there will be no live Google Meets on this day. Students who do not have internet access will need to download assignments during school on Thursday. Students will have a five-school-day window of time to turn in eLearning assignments. Additional information regarding eLearning guidelines and expectations can be found at https://bit.ly/426hmBW.

SCDE responds to PowerSchool Data Breach Jan 8, 2025 Late Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) was informed by PowerSchool of a cybersecurity breach involving its PowerSource portal. This was an international incident over which the state and local districts had no control. This breach resulted in unauthorized access to certain customer data from PowerSchool’s Student Information Systems (SIS), including data from multiple states and school districts across the country. During a meeting with PowerSchool’s senior leadership, they confirmed that personally identifiable information (PII) was compromised. The SCDE is currently working to understand the full scope of the breach. PowerSchool has stated that this breach has been contained and has informed the SCDE that it has taken steps to secure its systems, engage cybersecurity experts, and is also coordinating with law enforcement to address the breach. The SCDE is actively communicating with PowerSchool, legal counsel, and local districts to assess the full impact on South Carolina schools, students, and educators and to determine next steps. The SCDE is also in direct communication with the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Attorney General’s office and has notified the Governor and legislative leaders. Commenting on the seriousness of this incident, State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said, “The protection of our South Carolina students’ and educators’ personal data is non-negotiable. We fully recognize the anxiety this raises for them and their families.” She continued, “While PowerSchool has taken accountability for this breach, our Department will take uncompromising action to ensure we uncover the complete extent of this incident. We will insist that PowerSchool not only notify affected individuals but also provide them with credit and identity monitoring services." The SCDE will continue to engage and support districts and schools throughout this process as more information becomes available. https://ed.sc.gov/newsroom/news-releases/scde-responds-to-powerschool-data-breach/

FREE TO FOCUS Beginning January 6, 2025 The South Carolina Department of Education has released a policy that prohibits the use of personal electronic devices during the school day. The purpose of this policy is to create a phone-free school environment that fosters a positive learning experience free from electronic distractions. During the school day, students are prohibited from accessing their personal electronic devices. Students may not wear or access device accessories during the school day. This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, smart watches, tablets, and gaming devices. MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

District-Wide Recruitment Fair! Saturday, January 25, 2025 Mid-Carolina High School 377 Cy Shumpert Rd. Prosperity, SC 29127 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. All positions: Teacher, Nurse, Child Nutrition, Bus Driver, Instructional Assistants, and other positions.

FAFSA FRENZY with Newberry College Admissions Game Day Visit December 18 - 4 p.m. Get the expert assistance with your FAFSA application, whether it's your first time or your need extra support. After filing, enjoy free admission to cheer on the Newberry Wolves Women's and Men's basketball teams. A free snack voucher will be included! Don't miss this perfect mix of planning your future and game-day fun! Register with the link below: https://admissions.newberry.edu/register/?id=249918a5-56ba-4692-a362-a3f0caec3e16&fbclid=IwY2xjawG8PMZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZtwskKFQcgxezxNzWeTTEjg9dauyECEqB2lPbSOil3IIBczE5OBrZ38wQ_aem_1o8r2pdzZtxThkjc1m7SRA

Story Time with Mrs. Claus! See attached flyer!

WCS Canned Food Drive! See attached photo for more information!

Family Read Night for PK-5 students! Please see attached flyer for more information!

Veteran's Day Assembly & Lunch Monday, November 11th

Handwashing & Flu Guide for Parents: https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/media/images/2024/04/326103-E_KeyTimesToWash_K-5-1200x675-1.gif

High School Students and Parents SC End of Course Examination Program State End of Course (EOCEP) exams are taken in the following courses: English II, Algebra I, Intermediate Algebra, Biology I, US History, and HIS 202. The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) is a statewide assessment program for specific courses awarding units of credit in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The exams must be taken to earn credit for the course. Additionally, scores must be counted as 20% of the final grade in the aligned course. EOCEP test items are written to assess the knowledge and skills described in the academic standards. Links to the standards are provided by clicking on the course names above. Please note when testing sessions will occur and make arrangements to ensure attendance for the exam. Visit https://bit.ly/statetestingprogram for more details. Testing Dates: High School Only English 2 Writing: December 3 English 2 Reading: December 10 Biology: December 11 USHC: December 12 Algebra 1 (HS only): December 13 Electronics Use During State Testing Per SCDE guidelines, during testing, students may not be in possession of any electronic devices that can be used for communicating, timing, creating images, or storing images. These devices include but are not limited to cellphones, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, e-readers, and any other electronic device not used for testing*. Devices will be collected by the test administrator and returned after testing is complete. To learn more about investigation and discipline procedures related to electronics use during state testing, please review this guidance document (https://bit.ly/statetestingelectronics). *This restriction does not apply to medical devices documented and approved for use during testing in a student’s IEP, 504 Plan, or Individual Health Plan. Programa de exámenes de fin de curso de SC os exámenes estatales de fin de curso (EOCEP) se toman en los siguientes cursos: Inglés II, Álgebra I, Álgebra intermedia, Biología I, Historia de los EE. UU. y HIS 202. El Programa de Exámenes de Fin de Curso (EOCEP, por sus siglas en inglés) es un programa de evaluación estatal para cursos específicos que otorga unidades de crédito en inglés/artes del lenguaje, matemáticas, ciencias y estudios sociales. Los exámenes deben tomarse para obtener créditos para el curso. Además, las calificaciones deben contarse como el 20 % de la calificación final en el curso alineado. Los elementos de prueba EOCEP están escritos para evaluar los conocimientos y las habilidades descritas en los estándares académicos. Los enlaces a los estándares se proporcionan haciendo clic en los nombres de los cursos anteriores. Tenga en cuenta cuándo se realizarán las sesiones de prueba y haga los arreglos necesarios para garantizar la asistencia al examen. Visite https://bit.ly/statetestingprogram para obtener más detalles. Fechas de las pruebas: solo para la escuela secundaria Inglés 2 Escritura: 3 de diciembre Lectura de inglés 2: 10 de diciembre Biología: 11 de diciembre USHC: 12 de diciembre Álgebra 1 (solo HS): 13 de diciembre Uso de dispositivos electrónicos durante las pruebas estatales Según las pautas del SCDE, durante las pruebas, los estudiantes no pueden tener en su posesión ningún dispositivo electrónico que pueda usarse para comunicarse, cronometrar, crear imágenes o almacenar imágenes. Estos dispositivos incluyen, entre otros, teléfonos celulares, relojes inteligentes, dispositivos Bluetooth, lectores electrónicos y cualquier otro dispositivo electrónico que no se use para las pruebas*. El administrador de la prueba recogerá los dispositivos y los devolverá una vez finalizada la prueba. Para obtener más información sobre los procedimientos de investigación y disciplina relacionados con el uso de dispositivos electrónicos durante las pruebas estatales, revise este documento de orientación (https://bit.ly/statetestingelectronics). *Esta restricción no se aplica a los dispositivos médicos documentados y aprobados para su uso durante las pruebas en el IEP, el Plan 504 o el Plan de Salud Individual de un estudiante.

End of Course Exam Schedule: English 2 Writing: April 29 English 2: May 9 Algebra 1: May 12 Biology: May 13 USHC: May 14 Window: 5/8-5/29

*2nd Grade Testing Dates for GogAT & IOWA -Please check your child's folder for more information!

Clink on link below for Lice Education Information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f4LUvcYtJg3U8DcYJ-372zAuEqpn0ahHClT7gQ2VQx8/edit#heading=h.tc0r7juwm0dj

Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 See attached flyers for more event information!

Please click on the link below for our Title I Parent Compact: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4YmveI_nXnkghSapIGR0yD97McLpJjo53yWdZyZEfaSJ3QQ/viewform

Book Fair Coming Soon! See attached image for dates & times!

See attached image for information on Kindergarten Signing Night!

Don't wait, register now! All returning & new students to WCS will complete registration information and upload the proper documents in Final Forms. Your registration will be complete once verified by staff in addition to receiving a confirmation email from Final Forms. In-person registration will be July 9th & July 10th. The Final Form link is: https://newberry-sc.finalforms.com What school are your zoned for: https://map.newberrycounty.net/school/...

Book Fair next week!