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OUR THEMEWorld-Class Champions . . . every child, every chance, every day!OUR GOALS● Provide world-class safety and a positive school culture.● Provide world-class, high-quality instruction to increase studentachievement.● Provide world-class communication and family engagement.December 12, 2022The countdown continues to the end of the semester! We have just 5.5school days left until our winter holiday break, and a lot is happeningbetween now and then. It is hard to believe the time has already comefor me to write my last newsletter of the calendar year. As I reflect onthe past semester, I can’t help but swell with pride as I think about howwe all showed up on the first day back in August, ready to “StartStrong”. That excitement of beginning a new school year was evident,and all of you have kept the joy going throughout the semester. Let'scontinue to remain engaged and focused as we wrap up the semester.Our district motto is, “Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day.” Thismessage remains vital, relevant, and clear. I often reflect on theimportant responsibility we accept as educators and as a community in support of Laurens CountySchool District 55 (LCSD 55). Collectively we create an inviting atmosphere that fosters theacademic, social-emotional, and behavioral growth of our children so they will become world-classcitizens who are global-minded, compassionate leaders of a diverse, challenging, and constantlychanging world.

I am so proud when I see our Laurens 55 scholars developing their leadership skills as they learnto evaluate and make meaning of complex information, find creative solutions to challengingproblems, and understand others’ perspectives through collaborative work. Our students arealready developing the tools of leadership that they will need throughout life.In LCSD 55 we provide our students with learning opportunities that include experiences with softskills, social-emotional learning, complex mathematics, and hands-on scientific exploration. Weknow this academic and social-emotional rigor is foundational to success in both education and inthe workplace.We believe that a well-rounded quality education will carry our students into adulthood with thecapability to shape better lives for themselves and a better world for all. This belief drives our workto ensure each child is learning today so that whatever they choose to do with their life, they willbe world-class citizens capable of leading a better, more compassionate world.It is an honor to serve your family. Let’s finish 2022 strong!

NOVEMBER 2022 CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT STUDENTMason Bond, pictured on the left with Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas, isthe Champion Spotlight Student of the Month for November 2022. Mason isa student at E.B. Morse Elementary School in Amy Blakely’s 5th gradeMontessori class. Mason gets along well with everyone. He is patient,helpful, and always tries his best.Mrs. Blakely has this to say about her experience teaching Mason, “I havehad the pleasure of teaching Mason for the last two years. I know that thereare no perfect children, but Mason is pretty close! He has a calm, sweetpersonality and he never gets rattled! He is a joy to teach!”Principal Dr. Jason Bailey is equally proud of Mason and says, “Mason is a kind, hardworkingstudent who tries his best in all aspects both academically and socially. I am grateful to have himas a student at E.B. Morse Elementary School.”NOVEMBER 2022 CHAMPION ADMINISTRATORSuperintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas presented Lakesha H. Austin with theLCSD 55 November 2022 Champion Administrator of the Month award.Mrs. Austin is the Elementary Assistant Principal at Gray Court-OwingsSchool (GCO). She’s in her 12th year in LCSD 55 and previously servedas a classroom teacher and instructional coach. She holds a Bachelor’sDegree in Psychology from South Carolina State University, a Master’sDegree in Counseling from Webster University, a Master’s in EarlyChildhood Education from Converse College, and an add-on certificationin School Administration from Gardner Webb University.Mrs. Austin enjoys interacting with her students and watching them become excited aboutlearning. She lives by Rita Pierson’s quote, “Every child deserves a champion; an adult who willnever give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they becomethe best they can possibly be.”GCO Principal Farrell Thomas says this about Mrs. Austin, “Mrs. Austin is an amazing assistantprincipal in whom I have total faith and trust. She understands instruction and assists teacherswith helpful strategies and classroom instruction. She has a phenomenal rapport with parentsand you can always depend on the warmth of her smile daily.”NOVEMBER 2022 CHAMPION INDUCTION TEACHERMrs. Jennifer Crecco, a first-year 4-year-old kindergarten teacher atHickory Tavern School, was personally recognized by LCSD 55Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas as the LCSD 55 Induction Teacher ofthe Month for November 2022. Mrs. Crecco holds a Bachelor of Arts inEarly Childhood Education and Psychology from Kean University.From a very young age, she enjoyed caring for and teaching youngchildren. She remembers feeling very accomplished when she was ableto teach the younger kids in her neighborhood. It was a very naturaldecision for her to go into education. Her greatest joy as a teacher isproviding opportunities for her students to learn and discover the world

around them. She said, “Seeing their excitement, love for learning, and self-confidence grow iswhat encourages me to do my best for them.”A quote from Brooke Hampton speaks to Mrs. Crecco’s heart as an educator and parent, “Speakto your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth.For what they believe is what they will become.”Principal Brandon Addy said, “Hickory Tavern School is so blessed to have Mrs. Crecco on ourteam. Her students learn the fundamental skills needed to be successful in an environmentappropriate for 4-year-olds. Mrs. Crecco has high expectations for her students' learning yet sheholds them accountable in the most caring way possible.”NOVEMBER 2022 SPIRIT OF 55 CERTIFIED STAFFJoAnn Timberlake is a kindergarten teacher at Waterloo ElementarySchool. She is the November 2022 LCSD 55 Spirit of 55 Certified StaffMember of the Month.Mrs. Timberlake earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education fromGeorgia Southern University and her Master’s Degree in Early ChildhoodEducation from the University of South Carolina Upstate. She has 35years of experience in education and her greatest joy as an educator isthat she gets to interact with students daily and learn from them.She would like to share with our community her favorite quote fromBenjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”NOVEMBER 2022 SPIRIT OF 55 SUPPORT STAFFSabrina Overstreet at E.B. Morse Elementary School (EBM), has beennamed the Spirit of 55 Support Staff Member of the Month for November2022.Mrs. Overstreet has been at EBM for nine years as a kindergartenassistant, five years as a Primary Montessori assistant, and four years ina scholar 5K classroom. She is certified as a Paraoptometric(Optometrist Assistant) and worked in that capacity before joining thestaff of EBM. She said this about her work, “I enjoy watching the childrengrow in their education and when they get that glisten in their eyes whenthey finally master something.”Principal Dr. Jason Bailey has this to say about Mrs. Overstreet, “Mrs. Overstreet is a teamplayer in many ways. She has been a consistent voice in her 5K classroom this year and fulfillsother duties throughout the school, such as collecting bus numbers for dismissal at the end ofeach day. I appreciate her work ethic, willingness to serve, and dedication to her students andE.B. Morse Elementary School.”

LCSD 55 BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHRISTMAS LUNCHEONSuperintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas hosted a holiday luncheon for the LCSD 55 Board ofTrustees on Friday, December 9, to express her appreciation for the board’s commitment toserving the community. The Student Nutrition Services Department prepared and served themeal.LAURENS 55 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SING FOR SANTAChorus teacher Rachel Bullock and students from Laurens Middle andSanders Middle Schools joined the Sing for Santa event at the GreenvilleSwamp Rabbits Hockey Game on Saturday, December 10. Students sangChristmas carols then enjoyed the match between the Swamp Rabbits andthe South Carolina Stingrays.A big shout-out to the LCSD 55 Student Nutrition Services andTransportation Departments for helping to make this opportunity possible forthese students.Pictured on the left (from left to right) are Madisson Trammell, KayleighGriffin, Isabella Diaz and Ms. Bullock.

FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM IN LCSD 55Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) continues to pave the path in giving its studentsunique learning opportunities that help prepare them to be college and career-ready. Dr. AmecaThomas, Superintendent, believes in the importance of providing students options for finishinghigh school with specialized skills and certifications.Feedback from the students and the community regarding the need for a Fire Science Programled Superintendent Thomas to pursue another partnership with Piedmont Technical College(PTC). The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Program is already in place at LaurensDistrict 55 High School. Beginning second semester, students can earn a Fire ScienceTechnician (FST) Certificate via the Dual Enrollment Program.PTC is a reputable post-secondary institution accredited by the Southern Association of Collegesand Schools Commission on Colleges. PTC seeks to transform lives and strengthen communitiesby providing opportunities for intellectual and economic growth. According to PTC, Fire Scienceis, “the study of all aspects of fire, including fire behavior to fire investigation.” The PTC FireScience Program prepares students for entry-level and career-level advancement in fire service.It is a two-semester program totaling 20 credit hours.Dr. Thomas is truly appreciative of this partnership with PTC and said, “This is such a wonderfulopportunity that fits our district’s mission and vision. We plan to continue to work with PiedmontTechnical College in adding more programs that will benefit our students and the community.”Students will be educated in the fundamental concepts of professionalism, communication,problem-solving, teamwork, and hands-on training for a successful career in fire service. Specificcourses include Firefighter I Basic, Firefighter I Advanced, Firefighter II, Basic First Aid, andEmergency Medical Care I & II. PTC instructors will be teaching on-site at Laurens District 55High School beginning in Spring 2022. A Fire Science Parent Night was held at the high schoolon Tuesday, December 6.

PROJECT SEARCH IN LCSD 55Project SEARCH in LCSD 55 is a one-year, internship program foryoung adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Itprovides for a total workforce immersion, wherein participatingstudents spend 36 weeks interning at a quality host business. Thehost business for LCSD 55 is PRISMA-Health Laurens CountyHospital, which underwent a preparation process to participate in theprogram. Students attend a three-week orientation and three 10-weekinternship rotations within three different departments of the hostbusiness. Students dig into the Employability Skills Curriculum for anhour in the morning with Lauren Dean, LCSD 55 Project SEARCHInstructor, then spend 4.5 hours at their assigned departments. At theend of the day, students engage in reflection, problem-solving, andevaluation. The goal of the program is for students to obtain competitive employment uponcompletion of their internship. Hence, Project SEARCH provides customized job-searchassistance at the end of the program to match the students with jobs that fit their skills andinterests.Project SEARCH has grown the employment viability of participating students. LCSD 55 plans tocontinue its implementation in the district in the 2023–24 school year. Informational materials willbe available in January 2023. A Project SEARCH Parent Information Session will be held inFebruary 2023. Information-sharing with appropriate parents will also be embedded in upcomingIndividualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Students will learn about the program inschool during a Project SEARCH Student Information Session.Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas said, “I am very excited that we were able to bring ProjectSEARCH to our district and community. This is our first year and we are grateful for thereal-world opportunities this partnership with PRISMA-Health Laurens County Hospital providesfor the students with disabilities in our district. Each day our students have work-based learningopportunities. The goal of this program is for each student to obtain competitive employment. Toreach that goal, the program provides real-life work experience combined with training inemployability and independent-living skills to help young people with disabilities make successfultransitions to productive adult life. The most important criterion for acceptance into ProjectSEARCH is a desire to achieve employment.”Laurens County School District 55 serves approximately 816 students with disabilities on IEPeach year. The Project SEARCH initiative is just one of the programs the district hasimplemented to ensure special needs students and families have access to services. LCSD 55has a variety of transition programs which Carolyn Shorttoversees as the LCSD 55 Transition Coordinator. Amongthose transition work-based programs are Raider Joe’sCoffee and Raider Creations Print Lab located at LaurensDistrict 55 High School.

ACADEMIC RECOVERY INTERVENTIONSThe Coronavirus Response and Relief SupplementalAppropriations Act (CRRSA) was signed into law onDecember 27, 2020. Through the said Act, Elementary andSecondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds wereallocated to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). According tothe South Carolina Department of Education website, thefunds are used to address the impact that COVID-19 hashad, and continues to have, on elementary and secondaryschools across the nation.Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) is a recipient ofESSER Funds. Through these funds, LCSD 55 was able to create the Office of AcademicRecovery and Interventions beginning Fall 2021–22. LCSD 55 has interventionists on staff toserve students in kindergarten through 6th grade. The LCSD 55 Office of Academic Recoveryand Interventions finds strategic ways to be able to help students perform at their optimalacademic levels. Each interventionist identifies deficit areas on standardized tests, utilizesuniversal screeners, and specifically identifies what is needed to help a student experienceacademic improvement.The LCSD 55 Office of Academic Recovery and Interventions invested in numerous programs tosupport students. Among the programs are Read180 and Math180, which are aligned with theSouth Carolina Curriculum Standards. These programs have an independent student-workcomponent and an interventionist-led component.The use of ABii Robot is another intervention currently in place in LCSD 55. Ten ABii robotswere provided to LCSD 55 at no cost by Van Robotics. ABii assesses students according to theSouth Carolina English Language Arts (ELA) and Math Standards and places students inappropriate lessons. ABii helps students with their academic performance and supportsstudents’ social-emotional learning. ABii motivates students to work hard through positive wordsof encouragement and dancing.Kathy L. McMillan-Bennon, Ed.S., LCSD 55 Director of Academic Recovery and Interventions,shares that students love ABii and other intervention programs. Mrs. Mcmillan-Bennon has seenthe individual growth of students served by the program. Gains were evident even as early asthe Spring of 2022. She is thankful for all the hard work that LCSD 55 interventionists do, day inand day out.MEET KATHY L. MCMILLAN-BENNONKathy L. McMillan-Bennon, Ed.S., (photo on the left) is the LCSD 55Director of Academic Recovery and Interventions. Through her 30 years ofexperience in education, she was able to build her office and put togetheran expert team of interventionists. She was very diligent in filling positionsand researching best programs and practices for intervention. In her 7thyear with LCSD 55, Mcmillian-Bennon’s joy as an educator and director is“seeing a student have an ‘Aha!’ moment.”Mrs. McMillan-Bennon is a fourth generation educator from Orangeburg, South Carolina. Sheholds an Education Specialist Degree from Winthrop University and is currently working on herDoctorate in Organizational Leadership at Grand Canyon University.

E.B. MORSE ELEMENTARY ORNAMENTS & COOKIESPrincipal Dr. Jason Bailey would like to invite the community to support the E.B. Morse Ornaments& Cookies event to be held at E.B. Morse Elementary School on Thursday, December 15, from5:00-6:30 PM. This event is hosted by the EBM Parent Teacher Organization to help fund futureprojects at the school.PARENT ACADEMY VIRTUAL SERIESParents and guardians of LCSD 55 students are invited to participate in the next Virtual ParentAcademy to be held on December 20 at 5:00 p.m. Mary Lynn Tollison, Director of Family Promiseof Laurens County, will be sharing information and resources. According to Family Promise ofLaurens’ website, their promise is, “Transforming the lives of families experiencing homelessness.Because every child deserves a home.”Please read the Parent Academy Virtual Series flyer for meeting details or join the LCSD 55Facebook page to watch the livestream.BOARD OF TRUSTEESWatch the LCSD 55 Board Work Session and Board Meeting held on November 28, 2022, usingthe links provided. The next LCSD 55 Board of Trustees regular monthly meeting will be onMonday,January 23, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the large training room of the district administrativeoffice. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for the meeting. Individuals who desire to speak during PublicParticipation of the regular monthly meeting must complete the Request to Speak During PublicParticipation form and submit the form to the Office of the Superintendent no later than 12:00noon on the day of the meeting. The form is also available at the reception desk of the districtadministrative office.WE’RE HIRING AT LAURENS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 55If you are interested in becoming an employee of Laurens County School District 55, pleasewatch the We’re Hiring Video for current openings and details on how to apply.SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDEDIf you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher in LCSD 55, please contact Kiantae Boyd at877-983-2244 or Kboyd@ess.com.P-EBT CLARIFICATION● Students who were enrolled in LCSD 55 the last 20 days of the 2021-2022 school yearqualified for the second round of payments.● This is a one-time only payment. Students who already received funds will not receive the nextround.● New cards will be mailed to all eligible students.● Parents can check the DSS portal after December 15, 2022, for newly eligible students thatwere enrolled in a NSLP school during the 2021-2022 school year. Please do not call theschool district nor the SC Department of Education requesting this information, as neitheragency has access to it at this time.● All inquiries should be submitted to PEBT@ed.sc.gov.Issuance of P-EBT will be in accordance with Federal Law upon which the program is based.

AMIRA READINGWe are so excited to be able to offer Amira for our students in grades K-5. Amira providespersonalized tutoring for children as they read, to build critical foundational skills. Amira’ssupport is based on the Five Pillars of Literacy identified as critical elements of early literacyinstruction. Research shows that twenty minutes per day of Amira can double the pace ofreading growth for children ages 5-10. If you have any questions about using Amira at home,please contact your child’s teacher.PARENT PORTALLaurens County School District 55 offers parents/guardianselectronic web access to their student’s school informationthrough the PowerSchool Parent Portal. By using this system,you can see your student’s attendance, grades, fill outimportant forms, etc. This is a great tool to have a positiveimpact on your student’s progress in school bycommunicating regularly with teachers, monitoring results,and academic progress reports. Additionally, the SouthCarolina Department of Education has uploaded a Directory and Military Opt-Out Survey inParent Portal for any parent interested in opting-out of those areas.Easy Steps to Set Up Your Account:1. Call or visit your student’s school to get your student’s personal Access ID and AccessPassword. This step is very important to protect their information.2. Go to the PowerSchool Parent Portal link under the Quick Links tab on the LCSD55website (www.laurens55.org) and then click on the PowerSchool – Students, Parents,Guardians link under Parents and Students. If you have already created an account foranother child, simply log in and add the Access ID and Access Password of another childyou wish to add (each student’s Access ID and Access Password are different).3. Review the Terms of Use. By using the Parent Portal, you agree to these terms. Click onthe PowerSchool Parent Portal button.4. You must create your account at the bottom of the screen. Click the Create Accountbutton.5. Enter your first name, last name, and email address (this should be an email address youuse regularly).6. Enter your username and password. These can be almost anything you wish.7. Under Link Students to Account, enter your student’s name. This is for your use.8. In the Access ID and Access Password box, enter the information received from yourstudent’s school and then choose the relationship from the dropdown box.9. Click Enter.10. After clicking Submit, you will be taken to the login page where you can immediatelylogin to view your student’s information. You can subscribe to notifications and updates(upper right-hand corner), and it is recommended you select Weekly when subscribing toreduce the amount of email you will receive.

STAY IN THE KNOWA weekly video to share school district newsDecember 2, 2022December 9, 2022A podcast of one-on-one conversationsArmond FloodA chance to hear how L55 has positivelyimpacted studentsMason GibbsA chance to hear about our excellentteachersConnie LewisCLOSINGOn behalf of the LCSD 55 Board of Trustees, administrators, and staff, thank you for yourpartnership, your support, and your continued engagement with us as we work together to serveyour children and our community. Your input is greatly valued and we love to hear from you.Contact me at athomas@laurens55.org, call 864-984-3568, attend our school and districtevents, or view our school board meetings. Have a great week!Sincerely,Ameca C. Thomas, Ph.D.Proud Superintendent ofLaurens County School District 55Laurens County School District #55 is committed to the principle of equal opportunity. It is thepolicy of the district not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, color, age, nationalorigin, immigrant status, English-speaking status, familial status, or disability with regard tostudents, employees, or applicants for admission or employment.