Anderson School District 3

The Anderson 3 Transportation Department recently received 4 New Saf-T-Liner® C2 Thomas Built School Buses. These buses include a PV360® multi-camera system that provides a 360° view around the school bus in the "Safe-T-Zone." The PV360 system automatically opens in the rearview mirror during a bus stop, when the turn signal is engaged, and when the bus is in reverse. These cameras assist in protecting students and extend the driver's overall visibility. The new Saf-T-Liner school buses include built-in Wi-Fi Hotspots for student use, as well as a rear stop sign to aide motorists in school bus visibility.

Welcome, Grace McClain! 🍎 Ms. McClain will be joining the A3 Teaching Team as a 1st-grade teacher at Starr Elementary School. Grace is a recent graduate from the Early Childhood Education program at Clemson University. Her college experience included opportunities to intern with the educational non-profit Junior Achievement in Columbia, SC, and work in the America Reads program at Clemson University. Ms. McClain has dreamed of being a teacher since before she was in school and is excited to be a teacher in Anderson 3. We are excited to have you, Ms. McClain! Welcome to Anderson 3!

Ms. Arthur and the SIMS staff were excited to receive their new Dell Precision Laptops during their first day back! Staff at CHS and SIMS are receiving new laptops and docking stations this year as part of our technology refresh cycle. Thank you to the A3 Tech Team for your hard work in getting the new equipment ready! 💻

School Makeover: Lunchroom Edition 🥪🥄 This summer, the Starr-Iva Middle School Lunchroom underwent a cosmetic makeover. After a fresh coat of gray and gold paint and updated tables and ceiling tiles, we can hardly recognize this space! SIMS has also placed paws on every other seat, to assist students with social distancing!

Welcome, Kate Abernethy! 🍎 Ms. Abernethy will be joining the A3 teaching team in the Math Department at Crescent High School! Kate has been teaching Math since before the turn of the century. (She couldn't resist giving us that phrase to use!) Two years ago, Kate and her two dogs decided to head north to Northeast Georgia after getting tired of sunny Florida (Ironically enough). She soon rediscovered an appreciation for hiking after her move. Last year Ms. Abernethy taught at Calhoun Falls Charter School in Abbeville County. Previously, Kate taught for 15 years at Cocoa High School in Cocoa, FL. This will not be her first time as a CHS Tiger! 🐅 We are excited to have Ms. Kate Abernethy join us this year! Welcome to Anderson 3!

Welcome, Lilly Schweickhardt! Ms. Schweickhardt will begin her teaching career in A3 as a 3rd Grade teacher at Starr Elementary! Lilly, a Charleston native, attended Clemson University and fell in love with the upstate while earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees there. During her year-long Master’s program, Lilly was recognized as the Teacher Resident of the Year for her outstanding work in her student-teaching experience. Outside of teaching, Lilly enjoys watching and playing sports and spending time with her cat, Tippy. Welcome to the A3 family! 💛

Gov. McMaster used the Anderson Institute of Technology facility to announce $10 million worth of PPE will be distributed to 70 school districts in South Carolina. More here: https://bit.ly/2Cqvtc0

SC Superintendent Molly Spearman answered questions regarding the state departments Wi-Fi HotSpot program at today's press briefing. Anderson 3 will receive 750+ hotspots to be distributed to families based on federal poverty guidelines.

Today Superintendent Hipp attended United Way of Anderson's drive-in campaign kick-off! Thank you, United Way, for supporting the Anderson County communities for 75 years! 👍

This week's #A3AllStar is a special retirement spotlight! 🌟 Meet, Mary Lewis! Ms. Lewis is retiring after 12 years as a School Mental Health Counselor for Anderson 3 and the Anderson County Board of Education. Mary began her career as a Program Coordinator of a Children's Day Treatment Program for S.C. Department of Mental Health. She later worked in Anderson 5 as the Program Director/Lead Clinical Counselor of their Children's Day Treatment Program before joining our team. Q: "What do you value most about your position?" A: "The opportunity to work with children of all ages, the chance to collaborate with so many incredible teachers, counselors, and support staff, and the lasting friendships that developed." Q: "If you could sum up working in education in a few sentences, what would you say?" A: "Working in education can be the most rewarding and humbling experience of a lifetime. Regardless of how much we think we know, there is always more to be learned and discovered. Often, it's children that teach us that very lesson." Here are Five Facts about Ms. Lewis: 1. The outdoors is my happy place! ☀️ 2. I love hiking, kayaking, and golfing. 🥾🚣🏌️‍♀️ 3. I'm right-handed but eat with my left hand. 🥄 4. I have two schnauzers: Lexi (4) and Riley (1), who are in charge of the house. 🐕 5. My retirement bucket list includes traveling to see all of the U.S. National Parks. 🏞️ Thank you, Ms. Lewis, for your service to the students of Anderson School District Three. We will miss you, but we wish you the best in your retirement! Keep Calm; your summer is extra long! 😎

Welcome, Tonya Frare! Mrs. Frare will be joining the A3 teaching team as an 8th-grade math teacher at Starr-Iva Middle School! Mrs. Frare is a graduate of Clemson University and has a degree in Elementary Education. She began her career as an elementary teacher but later switched to middle school math. Before this year, she taught 7th-grade Math at Robert Anderson Middle School. Her favorite activities outside of school are cycling, knitting, and spending time with her family. Mrs. Frare and her husband, Jack, live in Anderson and have five children and nine grandchildren. Please join us in welcoming her to our district!

Iva Elementary is looking for a long-term certified substitute teacher for the 2020-2021 school year! Please contact Daniel Crawford, Principal, for more information.

Starr Elementary is looking for a long-term certified substitute for the 2020-2021 school year! Please contact Melissa Davis, Principal, for more information.

As of July 31, 2020, the South Carolina Department of Education mandated: "Students and staff in South Carolina public schools must wear a face-covering upon entering a school building, moving through hallways, during carpool/bus drop off or pick up, and when social distancing is not possible or optimal. Student face coverings may be removed upon teacher or administrator direction while in the classroom or during special activities outside the classroom." This mandate follows our mask policy stated by Mrs. Hipp in the superintendent update last week. Masks will be provided for students when boarding buses or before entering the school building if they do not have one. If you have questions about the SCDE mandate, view the guidelines here: https://bit.ly/SCDE-Masks

Tax Free Weekend is Almost Here! 📚✏️ Get the details and start planning your Tax Free Weekend by visiting dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend for shopping lists and FAQs!

We are looking for an excellent teacher to join our 6th-grade teaching team at Starr-Iva Middle! Apply Now! https://teachatanderson3.com/

Congratulations, Jim Jarrard! Mr. Jarrard has been named the District Office Support Staff Employee of the Year. He will join the school-level support staff nominees running for A3 Support Staff Employee of the year. Jim Jarrard, also known as "Bones," is a 1979 graduate of Crescent High School. He is an active member of the Grove Fire Department and has been a volunteer firefighter for over 40 years! Jarrard loves agriculture and was a member of the FFA in high school. Today he still runs a small beef farm and enjoys welding and fabrication in his free time. Jarrard is a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. As director of maintenance, "Bones" is tasked with ensuring that A3 students have a safe and well-maintained learning environment. Bones' focus for his job is to make Anderson 3 better for every student and employee. Mr. Jarrard appreciates the nomination but acknowledges that what he does would not be possible without the hard work and determination from A3 Maintenance Engineer, Blake Whitfield. Congratulations, Jim Jarrard! Thank you for your dedication to the students, staff, and community of Anderson School District 3.

Welcome, Mindy Price! Ms. Price will be joining the A3 Family as a Special Education teacher at Crescent High School! Mindy is excited to be coming back to her hometown to teach at Crescent. She is a 1998 graduate of Crescent High and has been in education for over 10 years. Before coming to Crescent, Price was a Special Education teacher in Greenville County. Aside from teaching, she has been a pitching coach for fast-pitch softball for over 20 years. When she is not working, Mindy and her husband love to travel. She also enjoys playing volleyball. Please join us in welcoming her to Anderson 3!

Please keep in mind that every returning student must complete student registration. This year, we are conducting registration via Parent Portal to streamline the process. This is independent of your choice of learning option. Completing online registration via Parent Portal does NOT sign a student up for the ACSD3 Virtual Learning Academy.

Have questions regarding attendance zones? Click here: http://bit.ly/A3AttendanceZones For a list of documents needed to enroll new students click here: https://bit.ly/39I6ihp