Our school messenger is a little early this week since students will not be here on Thursday or Friday. Many of our teachers will be working, however, and they are looking forward to their Thursday tour of residential facilities for adults with disabilities and to their Friday morning sign language class. The time while students are away will be well spent. 

Please check out your student’s bookbag, if you have not already, because results of last spring’s state testing were sent home today, in addition to nomination forms for SIC and letters from Dr. Genise Williams about hearing screening rechecks. There is a lot of printed information about the tests students took, but the bottom line is that we are particularly pleased when our students score a 2, 3, or 4 in any area. When they do not, we accept the reality that in most cases the required tests simply lack the sensitivity needed to measure the progress our students make. Any questions about your child’s test performance should be directed to Linda Thigpen.

Please consider responding to the SIC nomination form. We need at least two parents to participate on SIC which meet on the third Wednesday of each month here on the main campus at 1 o’clock. If you are a parent interested in serving, or if you know of a parent that you think might like to do this, please complete the form and send it back on Monday. 

We are still feeling pretty euphoric about Friday night’s Spirit Week announcement regarding the $116,550 Eastside students raised for Washington Center. Of course, we are beyond grateful for the money, but of equal importance to all of us here at school is the gracious reception our students have received when they have been at Eastside or when the Eastside students have come here to visit. I have said several times that if the Eastside students are a reflection of teenagers in general, and certainly we have seen similar kindness directed toward our students from all of the young people who have come to visit, our world has little to worry about. We’ve got good people coming along, and their schools and families can be very proud.

During the three days this week some students have continued their study of Hispanic culture, and others have explored topics such as the work of Marie Currie, the World Series, and the 90^th anniversary of the Winnie the Pooh books. Next week we have a group of Mauldin High School teacher cadets coming for a tour, and SIC will meet at 1 on Wednesday. At that time Linda Thigpen will go over the test data that we have received in the last couple of weeks. On Friday a group from the Children’s Little Theater will be on campus to perform “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. We think many of kids will be able to identify with Alexander --- some of the adults as well. 

Please don’t forget about the Cherrydale Farms, the HoneyBaked Ham, and the Nature Trail brick sale. All are being sponsored by our hardworking PTA and all will generate much needed funds for activities here at school. The HoneyBaked Ham link and the form for purchasing commemorative bricks can be found on our website.

We have been asked by the district’s HR department to let folks know that there will be a job fair on Tuesday October 18 from 5-7 pm at Carolina High School, 2725 Anderson Road, Greenville. Jobs are available for bus drivers and aides, custodians, and food service workers, so if you know of folks, who might be interested, please let them know.

Dates to mark on your calendar are: October 27, report cards to go home; October 28, Boo in the School; and, November 3, Parent Night. 

I hope you will enjoy the long weekend.  Everyone will be back on Monday.