KEY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Weekly Updates
Good books are even better when you’re reading with a buddy! Yesterday, our first graders and senior buddies spent some time together reading, chatting, and getting to know each other. View more photos here.
Chapel RSVP
We are in our second week using our new RSVP process to help make Friday morning Chapel check-in smoother for families. If you plan to attend Chapel tomorrow, please RSVP using this link today. We will print your visitor badge in advance and have it waiting for you in the Lower School office tomorrow morning.
Please arrive between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. and check in with Kim Doyle in the Lower School office. If you forget to RSVP, no problem; we will simply use our normal visitor check-in process, so please bring your driver’s license to scan for a visitor badge. After checking in, please meet in the Lower School breezeway, where you can walk to Chapel with your child’s class.
- Parking: Please park in the designated Lower School visitor or overflow lots. Parking near the Chapel or Upper School is not available for Lower School guests.
- Late Arrivals: If arriving after 7:45 a.m., do not drop your child off at the Chapel or Upper School. Please check in at the Lower School office first so your child can be safely signed in.
Join Us for Lower School Coffee Talk
Please join us Thursday, September 24, from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. in Washington Hall. We will discuss our literacy and math programs as well as how we used data to help inform our instruction. Learn more and RSVP by clicking here.
Lunch
We love welcoming parents to campus for lunch visits, and we know how much your children enjoy sharing that special time with you. After lunch, we ask that parents say their goodbyes in the Dining Hall and do not accompany children onto the playground, recess areas, or walk them back to classrooms. This helps us maintain a consistent routine for all students and ensures that recess remains a safe and supervised space where teachers can focus fully on the children in their care. It also helps students transition smoothly back into their school day.
We truly appreciate your partnership in keeping our procedures consistent and our learning environment secure.
Communicating Time-Sensitive Information
Contact the Lower School office at 843-556-3376 if you have time-sensitive information to share during the school day, including dismissal changes that occur after 2 p.m. Our teachers are not able to check their email during the school day, and they may miss important and/or time-sensitive information. In addition, our teachers are not able to respond to emails during the school day.
Allergy Awareness: Key Reminders for Families
- Please avoid sending snacks or lunches containing peanuts or tree nuts and choose items from our approved snack list. We encourage all students to use this snack list when bringing in food or snacks for school.
- We encourage non-food-based celebrations whenever possible.
- Food sharing is not permitted among students.
- Faculty and staff are trained to recognize and respond to allergic reactions, with emergency medications accessible and administered according to individual care plans.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep all students safe and supported during Food Allergy Awareness Week—and throughout the school year!
Parenting Tip: Celebrate Great Choices
Have you ever stopped to think about how many times you react negatively to your kids in a given day? You may find yourself criticizing far more often than complimenting. Think about how we would feel about a boss who repeatedly used negative guidance, even if it was well-intentioned.
The more effective approach is to catch kids doing something right: "You made your bed without being asked, that's terrific!" or "I was watching you play with your sister and you were very patient." These statements will do more to encourage good behavior over the long run than repeated scoldings and when you do have to redirect your child, they won't feel like you are always criticizing.
Make a point of finding something to praise every day. Be generous with rewards, your love, hugs, and compliments can work wonders and are often enough of a reward. Soon you will find you are "growing" more of the behavior you would like to see.
Message from the Nurse’s Office
- Save the Date – Flu Vaccination Clinics: Porter-Gaud will host two optional flu vaccination clinics this fall. Additional information, including consent forms and sign-up links, will be emailed in the coming weeks.
- Parkwood Pediatrics - Friday, October 2, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Both the flu shot and FluMist nasal spray will be available.
- Dottie’s Pharmacy - Friday, October 16, 11:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Food Allergy Awareness Week: Next week, Porter-Gaud will be recognizing Food Allergy Awareness Week! This is a great opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to learn more about food allergies and the important role we all play in keeping members of our community with food allergies safe.
Dining Update from Taher
Please click here to access menus. You can also follow Taher on Instagram (@taherpgdining). This week, the power bowl station will be free of the top 9 allergens all week long in recognition of Allergy Awareness Week!
From the PGPA
- Halloween Volunteer Opportunities: Help the PGPA transform Porter-Gaud's campus into a festive and spooky place for the month of October! There are several ways to get involved. Learn more and sign up here.
- You're Invited: Coffee and Conversation: PGPA's Families for Cultural Engagement invites parents and caregivers in all divisions to Coffee and Conversation on Tuesday, September 22, from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. in Washington Hall. The Dean of Wellness and our Lower, Middle, and Upper School Counselors will share strategies for tackling tough topics with our children—focusing on expectations, engagement, and resilience—followed by division-specific breakout sessions.
- PGPA Concessions Sign Up: PGPA Fall Concessions are underway! Please click here to sign up for shifts and support our athletics teams. No experience necessary!
- Online Spirit Store: Stock up on your Cyclone gear! Our online store is now open with fresh designs for the school year.
Important Dates - Semester 1
- October 5: Picture Retake Day
- October 9: End of Quarter 1 - Faculty Workday - No School for Students
- October 12–13: Fall Break - School Closed
- October 20: Quarter 1 Report Cards Published
- October 28: Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences - No School for Students
- October 29: Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences for Fourth Grade - School is in Session
- October 30: PGPA Halloween Carnival
- November 23–27: Thanksgiving Break - School Closed
- December 18: Half Day - Lower School Dismissal at 11:45 a.m.
- December 21–January 1: Christmas Break - School Closed
- January 4: Faculty Work Day - No School for Students
- January 5: Classes Resume
We would love to discuss your place at Porter-Gaud.