Drayton Mills Elementary -

Honoring Our Incredible PTO Presidents! At this month’s School Board meeting, we had the privilege of celebrating the dedicated parents who lead our schools’ Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs). Two years ago, we began a tradition of recognizing these outstanding leaders, and what better time than February — the month of love — to show our appreciation for their hard work and heart? Our PTO presidents are the backbone of parent involvement in our schools. They are organizers, planners, decision-makers, fundraisers, and community builders. But most of all, they are champions for our students, families, and staff. Their tireless dedication strengthens the bridge between home and school, creating a culture of collaboration that benefits everyone. To officially welcome them as “insiders” in our D7 family, we presented them with a special gift — the exclusive District 7 golf umbrella. This coveted item is typically reserved for faculty, staff, and board members, making it a fitting symbol of the invaluable role these leaders play in our district. Join us in celebrating our 2023-2024 PTO presidents: 🎉 Cleveland Academy – Shaqual McMillian 🎉 Drayton Mills – Brandy Simpson 🎉 EP Todd – Christel Schweizer 🎉 Jesse Boyd – Kinsey Blackwell 🎉 Mary H. Wright – Rashida Davidson 🎉 Pine Street – Jessica Virgadamo 🎉 Carver – Regina Kershaw (not pictured) 🎉 McCracken – Erica McCarthy 🎉 Spartanburg High – Sarah Zemp These leaders embody the true spirit of service, and we are beyond grateful for their passion, energy, and commitment. Thank you for everything you do to make our schools stronger!

🌟 Happy National School Counseling Week! 🌟 Our exceptional counseling teams in Spartanburg School District 7 are in the spotlight this week! Their dedication to nurturing the minds and hearts of our students makes a world of difference. 💖 From the compassion they show in helping our youngest elementary learners navigate social skills and develop resilience, to the guidance they provide middle schoolers during crucial transitional years both academically and personally, to the mentorship they offer in helping high school students explore college and career paths—their roles are vital in shaping all students’ futures. 🎓 Thank you to these heroes for being our students’ champions, believing in their potential, offering a safe space to talk, providing essential resources, and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. We appreciate the countless ways they inspire and equip students to reach their full potential! Lisa Kerns - Career Specialist for all middle schools; Jesse Boyd - Patricia (Tricia) Pressley; Cleveland Academy - Karen Meadow-Rogers; Drayton Mills - Bettina Johnson, Courtney Huffman; Mary H. Wright - Kenneth Smith, Le'Jeta Proctor; Pine Street - Natalie Mullen, Jodi Stepp; EP Todd - Brandon Jones, Dr. Shani Fischer; Carver - Ebony Smith-Salters, Andrea Little, Erica Smith; McCracken - Daniel O'Brien, Naila Ray, Anthony Brothers; Spartanburg High - Erin Lyerly, Terri Roberson, Shara Jones, O'Shay Davenport, Denise Foster, Dr. Matt Love, Lauren Hicklin, Piper Holmes, Addie Jones; Daniel Morgan Technology - Teleisha Fields, Delilah Goode; Whitlock Flexible Learning - Alison Wight, Fred Ford; MCarthy-Teszler - Carmelita Byrd

🌟 Happy National School Counseling Week! 🌟 Our exceptional counseling teams in Spartanburg School District 7 are in the spotlight this week! Their dedication to nurturing the minds and hearts of our students makes a world of difference. 💖 From the compassion they show in helping our youngest elementary learners navigate social skills and develop resilience, to the guidance they provide middle schoolers during crucial transitional years both academically and personally, to the mentorship they offer in helping high school students explore college and career paths—their roles are vital in shaping all students’ futures. 🎓 Thank you to these heroes for being our students’ champions, believing in their potential, offering a safe space to talk, providing essential resources, and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. We appreciate the countless ways they inspire and equip students to reach their full potential! #D7isGoingForGreat #ToInspireAndEquip #NSCW25

Across District 7, our schools are celebrating Black History Month throughout February. Studying important historical and modern-day Black figures and their contributions inspires a wide variety of learning opportunities, such as hosting a wax museum, hearing from guest speakers, creating new inventions, making artwork, school-wide assemblies and spirit days, creating book-inspired quilts, decorating classroom doors, and much more. Check out our schools’ social media pages for individual lists of events and photos of our students in action throughout the month!

District 7 will hold an eLearning day on Wednesday, January 22 due to winter weather conditions. The National Weather Service has issued both a "Winter Weather Advisory" and a "Severe Weather Advisory" for Spartanburg County, calling for wind chill as low as -7 for tomorrow morning and the possibility of continued snowfall. Unsafe road conditions are expected, as temperatures are projected to remain below freezing throughout tomorrow.   Teachers will communicate details regarding eLearning assignments and additional information about District 7’s eLearning guidelines can be found at spartanburg7.org/eLearning.   Thank you for your understanding, as safety is always our highest priority.

The wait is over! Our 2025-2026 academic school calendar is here, ready to help you map out the school year ahead. From planning family trips to marking key milestones, this essential tool has you covered. Need an easy-to-access version? Simply click here to download it: https://www.spartanburg7.org/d7academiccalendar

We’re beyond excited to welcome the incredible Chef Artina Lindsey to our D7 food service team! A proud Chicago native and a Johnson & Wales University grad, Chef Lindsey brings a world of flavor (and a ton of experience) to the table—from catering to universities, hospitals, and corporate dining. 🍳✨ Her love for sustainable, local cuisine and her knack for creative dishes have already wowed us in our Discovery Kitchen and Global Eats programs. Now, she's ready to make your school meals fresher, tastier, and oh-so-exciting! 🥗 We’re kicking off 2025 with a bang as Chef Lindsey brings her culinary magic to the Student Choice Program! High school students get to sample and vote on mouthwatering, restaurant-inspired dishes, with the winners earning a spot-on future menus. Who's ready to taste and vote like a foodie pro? With Chef Lindsey leading the charge, beloved programs returning, and a commitment to fun, nutritious meals, this year is all about culinary discovery! Here’s to spicing up school lunches and inspiring our students to explore the world of food one bite at a time! And don’t forget—breakfast and lunch are FREE for all students! You can check out what’s on the plate this week here: https://spartanburg7.nutrislice.com/ Welcome aboard, Chef Lindsey! Let’s make 2025 delicious! 🌟🍴

District 7 schools will operate on regular schedule on Tuesday, January 14. We hope our D7 Family is having a great to start to the week!

District 7 will operate on a two-hour delay on Monday, January 13. Our safety team spent the day assessing road conditions, and found many icy patches persist on back roads. These conditions could create a safety risk for our buses, student drivers, and staff traveling in those areas. A two-hour delay will allow daylight to improve visibility and temperatures time to rise.    Two-Hour Delay Times:   A two-hour delay means everything shifts back two hours from its normal time. For example, if your bus normally arrives at 6:30 AM, it should arrive at approximately 8:30 AM. The tardy bell for each school will be exactly two hours later than that school’s tardy bell on a regular school day.  Thank you for your patience and understanding, as safety is always our top priority.

District 7 Announces eLearning Day for Friday, January 10, 2025 For the safety of our students and staff, Spartanburg School District 7 will hold an eLearning day on Friday, January 10. Additionally, all afterschool and weekend activities have been canceled. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch, with snow and sleet expected to impact our area beginning early Friday morning. Teachers will communicate details regarding e-Learning assignments during the school day today and additional information about District 7’s e-Learning guidelines can be found at at spartanburg7.org/eLearning. Thank you for your understanding, as safety is always our top priority. We hope our D7 Family has the opportunity to enjoy some time in the snow. Stay safe and have fun!

During our January 7th Board of Trustees meeting, two Trustees were recognized by the South Carolina School Boards Association for 10 years of service on our Board. Thank you to chairman Clay Mahaffey and to Meg Clayton for their dedicated service over this past decade! Additionally, we thanked our entire Board with a moment to acknowledge the important work they do and present gifts of appreciation from the district in observance of National School Board Recognition Month. This year’s S.C. School Boards Association theme is “All In” - our Board, our faculty and staff, and our students and families are absolutely “All In” every day in D7!

2025: Growing, Glowing, and Going for Great! New year, new heights! In 2025, we’re not just starting strong — we’re GOING FOR GREAT! Students, the countdown is on — see you Tuesday, January 7, for a year of big dreams and bold moves!

Have you seen our district's holiday video greeting featuring student artwork from each of our schools? Check it out - the link is in our news feed and on our social media pages!

Congratulations to Ms. Myrella Samuels and our Music Department Staff at DMES! Myrella Samuels, music teacher at Drayton Mills Elementary, joined the Spartanburg Philharmonic for the Hub City Holidays concert Saturday night at Twichell Auditorium. Ms. Samuels narrated the Clement Moore poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas while the orchestra accompanied her. She did a fine job and her rendition was met with much appreciation from the audience. Ms. Samuels serves on the Board of Directors for the Spartanburg Philharmonic.  Other Drayton Mills' faculty performing during the Hub City Holiday Concert include Theresa Jenkins-Russ, Matt McDaniel and Adena McDaniel.

Happy Thanksgiving, D7 Family! This has been quite a school year so far – while wonderful things are happening for our students every day, we have also had unexpected challenges from Hurricane Helene's impact on our school year. There is a silver lining in all things, however, and the good that came from the storm was how it brought our community together to care for and support one another. Our students, staff, and families played a big role in the effort, and that makes me especially proud and grateful for everyone this Thanksgiving. Over the past several days, our schools have been buzzing with holiday excitement and activities. From a Thanksgiving meal drive at our high school where students packed more than 200 grocery bags to help families in need celebrate a meal together, to creative learning assignments inspired by turkeys and holiday traditions, to special menus in our cafeterias and class parties with family members, they are all a reminder of what makes this community so special. From all of us in District 7, please know we are truly thankful for each of you and the support you give to our schools every day. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and joyful Thanksgiving! Superintendent Jeff Stevens

District 7 Educator Recruitment Fair: Saturday, December 7 from 9 AM - Noon Know a great educator who may be interested in joining TEAM7? Please SHARE this recruitment fair opportunity on December 7 to help us connect with the very best educators so we can show them why D7 is a GREAT place to make a positive impact! All schools will be present to help roll out the red carpet as we share info about current and future certified positions across the district. Come meet our superintendent and teachers and administrators from each of our schools, speak with Human Resources about benefits and compensation, and apply for jobs on the spot. Thank you for helping us add to our team of professionals who love and support our students and families! Hiring for ALL New Certified Positions: Saturday, December 7, 2024 from 9 AM - Noon Viking Arena at Spartanburg High School Qualifications: 4-Year Degree and teaching certificate or plans to pursue an alternative route to certification Bring: Your resume and references Professional Attire Register here to attend: spartanburg7.org/RecruitmentFair

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.