FAMILIES

Willow Drive Elementary School Academic Assistance

There may be a time during your child’s education when they struggle with a particular subject or skill. Whether your student is struggling because of an unforeseen life event or because they don’t understand the concepts being taught, there are programs and people in place to provide academic assistance to overcome many learning deficits. Below is a list of people and programs we have in place to help students to achieve to their full potential.

Your initial contact person is the classroom teacher. They know your student and their abilities better than anyone in the school.  A parent conference will provide you with strategies to use at home and a plan of what interventions can take place in the classroom to help your child.

If after a period of time your student does not improve with your help at home along with the classroom based interventions, you can contact the school guidance counselor and request that the school Student Intervention Team (SIT) review your child’s instructional data to see if they may qualify for additional intervention assistance. This committee can also make recommendations, request screenings for vision and hearing, and if necessary recommend testing for Speech, or learning disabilities.

Some of the programs your student might qualify for are:

Reading Intervention – This is a supplemental reading program which is attended during non-instructional time to give an extra boost in literacy instruction. Small group instruction is provided by a reading specialist outside the classroom. Students are selected to receive intervention based on their standardized test scores and grades. This is not a special education class. It is designed for regular education students who just need a bit more help.

Math Intervention – This is a supplemental math program which is attended during non-instructional time to give an extra boost in math instruction. Small group instruction is provided by a math specialist outside the classroom.  Students are selected to receive intervention based on their standardized test scores and grades. Again, this is not a special education class. It is designed for regular education students who just need a bit more help.

Counseling – Sometimes students struggle because of things happening in their lives which cause them to act out or need counseling services. We have a guidance counselor and a social worker available to assist with those issues that might be the cause of academic problems.

There is help available to ensure all of our students are given the best possible chance to reach their full potential.

Parent Portal

Our district uses PowerSchool to maintain student grades and attendance records.  Parents can view their child’s  records through a secure Internet connection by using Parent Portal.  If you already have a login, click the link above to sign in.  If you do not have one and would like access to this information, please follow the steps below or stop by the main office for assistance.

Create a Parent Account

A parent account allows you to view the information for one or more students with a single sign in. You can also manage your personal account preferences.

To create a parent account, enter the following information:

• Name – Your first and last name
• Email – Student notifications and correspondence related to your parent account will be sent to this email.
• Desired Username – Your username is your unique PowerSchool identity.
• Password – Your password must be at least 6 characters long.
• Student Access Information – Information for a minimum of one student, including the student name, Access ID, Access Password, and your relationship to the student  (ACCESS ID and an ACCESS PASSWORD may be obtained by contacting the main office.

South Carolina has a 10 Point Grading Scale.

A   90-100

B   80 – 89

C   70 – 79

D   60 – 69

F   59 and Below

Your child is learning skills based on the South Carolina state standards.  Here is the link to these standards. http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/ 

You are your child’s best and most important teacher.  Your connection to your child’s school can make a major difference in the success of your child’s education.  Here are some tips to help your child be a success at Willow Drive Elementary.scfriendlystandards.org/index.htm

1. Meet your child’s teacher.  Go to Back to School events and Open House to meet your child’s teacher and learn about the day to day life inside the classroom.  Your child spends over 6 hours a day here.  See how your child spends the day learning.
2. Keep on top of your child’s grades and attend all parent conferences.  Look at graded papers that come home and grades that are put on parent portal.  Discuss these grades with your child.  Meet with your child’s teacher throughout the year to discuss your child’s progress.
3. Make sure your child completes assignments and studies for tests.   It is important that students reinforce the skills they learned at school.  Please help them be prepared for the following day by completing homework and studying for tests.  Your support reinforces the importance of education to your child.
4. Make sure your child is at school and on time to school each day.   Let your child see that education is something to be valued.  Make sure your child comes to school on time daily.  By being on time, you are teaching your child the importance of  education and how to be successful in the world.
5. Keep updated on events at school. View the school website regularly and look for flyers on events happening at school.  Join us for parent sessions, student events, know what special events are happening at Willow Drive Elementary.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!  If you have a question or concern please contact your child’s teacher before any misunderstandings occur.  We all want what is best for your child.  By working together, we can help your child be successful.  If your child is struggling in a subject, meet with the teacher to find out what can be done to help your child improve.
7. Be positive about education to your child.  Your attitude about your child’s education will help determine their success and motivation in school.  When parents and teachers show that education is important, students develop a positive self – image towards their education.  They are more willing to complete assignments, they are motivated to learn, and are more confident learners.  This confidence will help them to become life-long learners.
8. Encourage your child to be responsible for their learning.  Help your child develop the skills to work independently and be responsible for his /her learning.  When students are responsible for their own learning, they will strive to do their very best and enjoy their learning.
9.  Use outside resources to continue your child’s learning.  Take advantage of what is around in the community.  We are very fortunate to have resources such as our public library, the Sumter County Museum, and Swan Lake to help our students discover new and exciting things about their community and the world that they live in and they are excited about.
10. TALK WITH YOUR CHILD!  Ask your child about their day.  Ask them what they learned and what they enjoy learning about.  Studies show that kids do better in school when they have parents that are genuinely interested in their education.  Enjoy what your child is doing.  You might be surprised to learn something new from your child!

Here is a link to these and other tips to help your child succeed in school! http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/twenty-ways-you-can-help-your-children-succeed-school

Below is the link to the Student Code of Conduct Policy created by Sumter School District.  Use these resources to help answer any questions regarding behavior, discipline, school policies, etc.

Sumter School District Code of Conduct

Safety Letter to Parents

REUNIFICATION DURING A SCHOOL CRISIS

BE AN INFORMED PARENT:  Parent Information for Reunification during a School Crisis Incident

Sumter School District Safety Plan relies on informed parent/guardian cooperation to help keep our children safe.  An informed parent/guardian takes the following actions on behalf of his/her child should a school crisis occur.

• Confirm that the information is an official statement provided by Sumter School District and then act based on that information.
• Ensure that all of your contact information is current at your child’s school, so that the district may contact you during an emergency through EduLink, the district’s auto dialer system.   EduLink is the district’s means of direct contact with parents/guardians of students directly impacted by a crisis.
• Refrain from going to the school or calling the school during a crisis, and wait until notified by the school of the directions for picking up your child.
• Do not come to pick up a child when the school has notified you that a precautionary procedure (lockdown, shelter in place, or lock-out) was conducted due to a false report, and you have been notified that classes have resumed.
• Stay accessible to a phone, or computer or other media device to receive more information from the school as to when and where to pick up your child, if needed.
• Come to the reunification site with an official ID and or send someone who is on the student’s emergency card to pick up the student with an ID when notified by the school.
• Leave the reunification site with your child(ren) safely to allow room for other parents to come.

If you would like to have a representative from Sumter School District discuss school safety issues with your school group or civic organization, feel free to call and request and informational presentation or if you have any questions about these procedures, please call Kathy Morrison, Intervention Coordinator, at 803-469-6900, extension 524.

The safety and well being of our students in our top priority. If you suspect that your child is being bullied, please contact the school immediately.

• Targeting, Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying PreK- Through 5
• Anonymous Bullying Report 
• Report Bullying and Safety Concerns

During periods of unsafe weather conditions when it may be questionable to hold school, the school district has several options including closing school, opening schools one hour late, or opening schools two hours late.

Decisions for any of these options will be announced to the public no later than 5:00 a.m. on the day in question on the following local radio and television stations: WIBZ 95.5 FM, WKHT 93.7 FM, WICI 94.7 FM, WNOK 104.7 FM, WDXY 1240 AM, WTCB 106.7 FM, WCOS 97.5 FM, WLJI 98.3 FM, WWDM 101.3 FM, WHXT 103.9 FM and WMHK 89.7 FM. The television stations used are WIS TV 10, WOLO TV 25, WBTW 13, WACH 6, and WLTX TV 19. Information will also be announced on the Sumter School District Facebook page.

Announcements are only made through the media if there is a delay or closing.

Click here to find out about technology available to your child.

Do you want to give something back to your child’s school? Here is your chance to volunteer. Please download and fill out the volunteer packet and join us as a volunteer. You must complete a volunteer packet, which includes a background check, if you wish to participate in any of the following activities:

Overnight trips
Off-campus field trips
Regular classroom volunteers
Mentors
Please fill out the online volunteer application to become a volunteer.

Click here for the Online Volunteer Application.

Please review the links to understand the district’s disclosure of information.

State and Federal Notifications