Drayton Mills Elementary -

D7 families! There will be no school on Monday, November 4, and Tuesday, November 5. Monday is our exchange day for staff, and Tuesday is Election Day. And just a reminder, don’t forget to “fall back” one hour this Sunday as Daylight Saving Time wraps up. We wholeheartedly encourage you to VOTE and to check out vote411.org for your personalized ballot. Every vote counts, and we can't wait to see our community at the polls! Need a fun plan for your kids on Monday? The City of Spartanburg Parks, Recreation & Special Events has you covered! They’re offering an Out of School Day Camp for kids ages 5-12 at C.C. Woodson Community Center from 9 AM to 1 PM, and an Out of School Youth Activity Day for teens ages 12-18 at T.K. Gregg Community Center from 12 PM to 5 PM. Best part? It’s absolutely FREE! Just be sure to register in advance by scanning the QR codes. We’re thankful for our partnership with the City of Spartanburg in providing enriching experiences for our young people. Enjoy the long weekend!

Flu Clinics – Sign Up by TODAY, October 24 As the temperatures drop and flu season approaches, now is the perfect time to protect your family! District 7 is pleased to partner with DHEC each year to offer FREE flu vaccines – with both shot and nasal spray options - right at school. Convenient and Cost-Free Your child can receive their flu shot during the school day, without any out-of-pocket cost. This is a hassle-free opportunity to keep your child protected while minimizing time away from school and activities. Flu Clinic Dates: • November 6, 2024 Cleveland Academy Mary H Wright Elementary Carver Middle School • November 7, 2024 Jesse Boyd Elementary Drayton Mills Elementary Spartanburg High School Whitlock Flexible Learning Center • November 12, 2024 E.P. Todd School Pine Street School McCracken Middle School How to Sign Up: Each District 7 school has provided families with instructions containing a unique code to register online or on paper for their school. The deadline to sign up online is October 24, and the deadline to turn in paper forms is October 25. Taking this proactive step not only protects your child but also helps ensure a healthier school environment for everyone. Thank you for your support in keeping our community healthy!

Lunch and Learn! Parents, join us on 10/17 for a free lunch. We will be sharing ways to support your student at home with math and reading skills. Please be sure to register!

District 7 Helene Recovery Community Meal Distribution Wednesday, October 2 11:30 am – 1:30 pm Spartanburg High School and Pine Street Elementary To our Spartanburg Community, As a way to help during this difficult time, District 7 is partnering with Chartwells to provide free, boxed hot meals on Wednesday, October 2. Pickup will be open from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm (or as long as supplies last) at Spartanburg High School and Pine Street Elementary, our only schools with both power and working traffic signals for safe access. PICKUP LOCATIONS & INSTRUCTIONS Spartanburg High – Enter via the student drive beside Lidl and follow the “Event” directional signage to the Fine Arts Center (located next to the home side of Viking Stadium). Park and walk to the pickup area near the Fine Arts Center. Pine Street Elementary – Enter via the front campus entrance along Pine Street for drive-thru pickup in front of the school. There is NO ENTRANCE from Boyd Street into the campus.

District 7 Families, As an update, all District 7 schools will remain closed through Friday, October 4 and there will be no eLearning during this time. There will be no athletics or other after-school activities until further notice, but conditions will be assessed daily to determine when these might resume. We will continue to share information as soon as it is available. You are constantly on our hearts and minds as our community works to recover from Helene. District 7 is fortunate to have avoided major damage at our schools, although there is much cleanup to be done and we still await power to be restored at the majority of our facilities. Our teams have done tremendous work assessing conditions and making plans to reopen once we are able to do so. Please continue to take great care as there are many hazards that remain across our community. We miss our students, teachers and staff as well as our broader District 7 Family!

UPDATE ON SCHOOL CLOSURES FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY: Due to the impact and damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene, District 7 will be CLOSED on Monday and Tuesday. There will be NO after-school or evening activities on Monday and we will make a future announcement about whether after-school and evening activities can be held on Tuesday. During this time, our teams will be working to assess and repair any damages to our schools. We will continue to provide updates as necessary and notify you of any further changes as the week progresses. We understand this is a challenging time for our community, as many are without power and mobile device service. There will be no e-Learning expectations for Monday or Tuesday. As always, our priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Our hearts and best wishes are with everyone who is impacted by the storm, and we are committed to working together to restore our community. Please stay safe!

Everyone loves a parade! Today may be dreary, but the sun is right around the corner and our Vikings are preparing to celebrate Homecoming Week from September 30 - October 4! Spartanburg High School invites our entire District 7 family and the Spartanburg community to enjoy the Homecoming Parade next Wednesday, October 2 at 7 PM. Arrive early to stake out your spot and enjoy snacks and drinks sold by student council for $1 each! Let's cheer on our Vikings as they prepare to take on Wade Hampton High for the Homecoming game in Viking Stadium on Friday, October 4. See the parade map for parking areas and the route. Go Vikings!

After-School Activities Canceled and eLearning Day Announced for Friday In light of the potential impact from Hurricane Helene, we are taking proactive measures to prioritize the safety of our students, staff and families. District 7 will hold a regular school day on Thursday but has canceled all after-school and evening activities for Thursday. We will also hold an eLearning Day on Friday, September 27. Cherokee County will continue to monitor the storm's timing and impact in hopes that our Viking football team will still travel to compete in Gaffney Friday night. All other after-school programs and activities for District 7 are canceled for both Thursday and Friday. Teachers will communicate with students on Thursday regarding any eLearning assignments for Friday. More information on District 7’s eLearning procedures is available at spartanburg7.org/elearning. The National Weather Service is forecasting strong winds, flooding, and severe weather conditions as this storm moves through our area. As a reminder, SC Bus Safety Regulations restrict the operation of school buses if sustained winds reach 30 mph or gusts of 40 mph. We will continue to monitor this storm and communicate any updates. Thank you for your understanding, as safety is always our top priority!

Free Parent Lunch and Learn Workshop: Technology Drayton Mills Elementary School Thursday, September 19, 2024 On Thursday, September 19, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., there will be a free workshop for parents on how to use PowerSchool and iReady parent portals to access student progress, grades, and attendance. Lunch will be provided. Please register for the event using this link - https://forms.office.com/r/NKpKm4DRdN

The DMES Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a school-based organization that is dedicated to making DMES the best possible place for our students, parents, and teachers. Volunteering parents work in conjunction with DMES faculty to host special events and to raise funds to support our school activities. The organization meets on a monthly basis as indicated by our school calendar. If you would like to volunteer for Drayton Mills Elementary PTO, please email our PTO board officers at DMES PTO or join us on Facebook at Dalmatian PTO ! We would love to hear from you! PTO meeting dates for the year September 10 October 1 November 12 January 7 February 4 March 4 April 15 May 6 For more information, Visit us at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills/page/pto.

Today, D7 students and staff showcased their school spirit in style, rocking colors from every corner of the collegiate world! Whether they were representing the SoCon, Ivy League, SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, or any other league, the vibrant display of school spirit truly made our schools shine! ✨ From classic crimson and orange to bold navy and gold, our halls were alive with a rainbow of collegiate pride. It was a joyous reminder of the diverse paths our students can take and the shared love of learning that unites us all. Now it's your turn to join the celebration! Share your favorite college team in the comments or post a pic from your College Colors Day! 📸👇 We’d love to see how you showed your spirit! And for those craving some thrilling football action, don’t miss out on tonight’s SHS game as they face off against Dutch Fork under the lights at Viking Stadium, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. 🏈🔥 https://www.spartanburgvikings.org/ We’ll see everyone back at school on Tuesday, September 6. Until then, have a fantastic and safe Labor Day weekend! #d7isgoingforgreat #ToInspireAndEquip #CollegeColorsDay

College Colors Day - Friday, August 30 This Friday, District 7 will join other school districts across the country in celebrating National College Colors Day. We hope you will participate by wearing your favorite college t-shirt, team jersey, or colors. As D7 focuses on our mission to inspire and equip, and grows a culture of college readiness, we embrace this annual celebration by encouraging students, parents, employees, and community partners to participate. Whether our students choose to attend college or travel a different pathway to success, we all love cheering for our favorite team and we are ALL Going for Great! We can’t wait to see College Colors Day in action on Friday!

This Friday, August 30, 2024 is College Colors Day! DMES students and faculty are encouraged to wear the colors of their favorite college or university.

WE DID IT, SPARTANBURG! NEW Jesse Boyd Elementary School and NEW Mary H. Wright Elementary early-childhood wing anticipated Fall 2027! The unofficial result of the referendum vote is 73% YES – Thank you, Spartanburg! “Today, residents of District 7 chose to create a brighter future for students, teachers, staff, and families. They chose to invest in a thriving community by ensuring District 7’s long-standing commitment to providing excellence in education continues. And for that, we are deeply grateful,” said Superintendent Jeff Stevens. “It has been incredibly rewarding to meet with District 7 residents about these projects through our community info meetings over the summer. Our conversations reflected the shared commitment to the future of our children and schools that has long been a hallmark of this community. Investing in these developments will not only enhance our educational facilities and our students’ learning experience, it will also help fill a critical need for lower-cost childcare to ensure education remains a viable and rewarding career for teachers and staff. This is about securing a brighter future for our students and creating an environment where our educators can thrive both professionally and personally. Spartanburg answered the call to make it all possible – thank you and let’s GO!”

The District 7 Referendum vote is TODAY, Tuesday, August 20 from 7 AM - 7 PM at your regular polling location! Get all the details on the projects on your ballot here: spartanburg7.org/referendum2024

🍎 We're beyond excited to welcome our students back tomorrow, D7! Monday marks the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, and we can't wait to see all your smiling faces as we kick things off together. 📸 Help us capture the excitement by tagging us in your first day photos with #d7isgoingforgreat on Facebook or Instagram. Let's celebrate the start of an amazing year! #D7isGoingforGreat #ToInspireAndEquip #OurD7story

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AT DMES ON DAY ONE! We are SO grateful to have your child at Drayton Mills Elementary School (DMES)! Visit our website https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills for a quick summary of what you need to know as we start the year on Monday, August 12!

Good Afternoon Dalmatian Nation! Due to unforeseen circumstances with the weather, we need to cancel today's Meet the Teacher event. The event has been rescheduled for tomorrow from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thank you for understanding.

District 7's schools and offices will open at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7th so our employees can gather for our annual Opening Convocation. This special kick-off for the new school year is a celebration of the important role each member of our D7 faculty and staff plays in the lives of our students and families. Please note that all District 7 facilities will be closed until 11 a.m. Wednesday and thank you for your understanding.

Tax Free Weekend is here! Through Sunday, you can save when you buy school supplies, computers, clothes, bedding, and more, in-store and online as eligible purchases will be tax free! Items include clothes, bedding, and school supplies, plus big-ticket purchases like computers and band instruments. Here’s some last-minute tips for making the most of this weekend https://dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend