Lower School Updates

Important Links - LS

Key Contacts

MICHAEL PAGE
Head of the Lower School
843.402.4780
mpage@portergaud.edu

BABETTE HAMILTON
Assistant Head of the Lower School
843.402.4789
bhamilton@portergaud.edu

DEEN WEY
Lower School Counselor
843.402.4836
dwey@portergaud.edu

DAVID ROWE
Lower School Chaplain
843.402.4822
drowe@portergaud.edu

_{KEY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS}

Weekly Updates

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It was an incredible week of learning in the Lower School!

Our Lady of Mercy Food Drive | October 5–16

Lower School will once again support Our Lady of Mercy Outreach through our annual food and essentials drive. This year, we have accepted the challenge of filling two full vans with much-needed items. Thank you for your support!

Each grade level is asked to contribute the following:

Grade 1: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss
Grade 2: Deodorant, shampoo, and conditioner
Grade 3: Body lotion, body wash, and soap
Grade 4: Cereal (any kind)

A Quick Reminder About Items from Home

As a reminder, students should leave toys, trading cards, games, and other similar items at home unless they have been specifically requested by a teacher for a classroom activity. While these items can certainly be fun, they can also become a distraction during the school day or create challenges among friends. Thank you for helping us keep the focus on learning, play, and positive interactions with one another!

Morning Carpool

We have recently observed students being dropped off in the parking lot and walking to the Lower School on their own. For safety, all students should be dropped off through the Lower School carpool line and remain in their cars until teachers are actively opening doors—7:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.

Curriculum Coffee Talk

Thank you to everyone who came out today to learn more about our literacy and math programs. Please click here for the slides from our presentation.

Chapel RSVP

We are in our third week of 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.

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. Teachers are unable to check or respond to emails during the school day, so urgent messages sent via email may be missed.

Parenting Tip: Show that Your Love is Unconditional

As a parent, you're responsible for correcting and guiding your kids. But how you express your corrective guidance makes all the difference in how a child receives it. When you have to redirect your child, avoid blaming, criticizing, or fault-finding, which hurts self-esteem and can lead to resentment. Instead, try to nurture and encourage, even when disciplining your kids. Make sure they know that although you want and expect better next time, your love is there, no matter what.

Student Flu Vaccination Clinics

Porter-Gaud will host two optional flu vaccination clinics this fall:

Parkwood Pediatrics - Friday, October 2, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Dottie’s Pharmacy - Friday, October 16, 11:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For additional information, including consent forms and sign-up links, please click here.

School Pictures Are Ready for Viewing and Ordering

You can access photos from Picture Day and place orders by signing in to the Jostens website using the event code FE11426 and the same email address you use for school communications.

Picture Retakes

If your child was absent on Picture Day or would like a retake photo, we will have a picture retake day on Monday, October 5. Please send an email to Anna McCubrey (amccubrey@portergaud.edu) if your child plans to have their photo taken. Students should wear uniform polo shirts and uniform bottoms to school. If students have PE, they should not wear PE uniforms but are encouraged to wear gym shoes.

Food Allergy Awareness Week and Nut-Aware Reminder

As Food Allergy Awareness Week comes to a close tomorrow, thank you to our entire community for making it so meaningful and educational! Signs posted across campus shared key tips on supporting classmates with allergies, and a special thank you goes to our Taher dining team for keeping the Power Bowl station free of the top 9 allergens all week long.