Lower School Updates

_{KEY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS}

Weekly Updates

And so it begins! The special bond between our youngest and oldest students started on Monday when we gathered for our Opening Convocation. See a short video of the procession here.

Back-to-School Night
Thank you so much for attending our Lower School “Back-to-School Night.” Our teachers were thrilled to meet everyone and look forward to a great school year! We thank you for your partnership as we work together to help our children learn and grow. Click here to view the slides. 

Faculty Introductions
Below you will find links to introductory letters from members of our Lower School team. Please take a moment to read what they have shared to get to know more about them and what they bring to our community. 

• Deen Wey, Lower School Counselor
• David Rowe, Lower School Chaplain
• Joanne Benson, Lower School Librarian
• Terra Burke, Dean of Community Engagement and Belonging

Items Left at Home
We are working to build student responsibility. Please help your child pack their backpack (homework, snacks, water) every evening. To reinforce this routine, please do not drop off forgotten items during the school day. If they forget a snack or water, we will take care of them, and forgotten homework is simply a teachable moment. Please let your child know this is a school policy so they aren't upset with you!

Chapel 
Parents and caregivers are invited to join us for Chapel on Fridays beginning September 11 at 7:55 a.m. 

• Check-In: Please arrive between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. to check in with Kim Doyle in the Lower School office. Bring your driver’s license to scan for a visitor badge, then meet in the Lower School breezeway to walk with your child’s class to Chapel.
• 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.

SchoolPass
It is crucial that you update your child’s dismissal plan in SchoolPass so that your child is dismissed appropriately. If you need assistance doing this, please reach out to Anna McCubrey at amccubrey@portergaud.edu or Kim Doyle at kdoyle@portergaud.edu in the Lower School Office as soon as possible. 

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 not able to check or respond to email during the school day and may miss urgent messages.

Parent/Guardian Travel Notification
If parents/guardians will be out of town and their child will be under the care of another adult, we ask that families notify the school in advance.

Please email the Front Office (Kim and Anna), the School Nurse, and the student’s Homeroom Teacher with the following information:

• Caretaker’s full name(s)
• Phone number(s) and best contact method
• Dates during which the parents/guardians will be unavailable

This ensures that, in the event of illness, injury, or emergency, the school can communicate directly with the designated caretaker and provide appropriate support for the student.

Lunch
We welcome all parents and caregivers to come and have lunch with their child beginning September 7. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we establish routines, expectations, and relationships during these first weeks.

Arrival Time
School begins at 7:50 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and at 8:50 a.m. on Wednesdays. Children should arrive by 7:45 a.m. (or 8:45 a.m. on Wednesdays) so that they have time to unpack and be ready to learn by 7:50 a.m. (or 8:50 a.m.). Arrival time sets the tone for the day, and arriving late often has negative effects on the rest of the morning. Beginning on Monday, August 24, students who arrive after 7:50 a.m. (or 8:50 a.m.) need to check-in at the office, and they will be marked tardy.

Lower School Carpool & Extended Day Procedures

All Lower School traffic should use the Stadium Drive to enter the carpool line from Albemarle Road or the Connector. Please then proceed to the right lane of Albemarle Road. Traffic should begin to subside during dismissal beginning Monday, August 31, when enrichment activities begin. Thank you for your continued patience. 

Below are a few reminders to help ensure a safe and efficient carpool experience: 

• Refrain from cell phone use during morning and afternoon carpool and stay alert to prevent unnecessary delays. 
• Pull forward to ensure we are using the entire carpool loop.
• Ensure your child is loaded into the car from the curb side only.
• Get students loaded quickly so the vehicles can leave in a timely manner.
• Be ready to depart when student(s) are loaded/unloaded.

Afternoon Dismissal Times

• Lower School car riders: 2:50–3:10 p.m. Families should plan to arrive between 2:40–2:50 p.m. to avoid MS/US dismissal traffic.
• Lower School and Middle School/Upper School siblings: 3:10–3:20 p.m. Please do not enter the line until 3:10 p.m. so that Lower School dismissal can conclude smoothly.

Transition to Extended Day 

• At 3:10 p.m., any remaining Lower School students not yet picked up are escorted to Extended Day.
• Exception: If a child has already been called to carpool, they will continue waiting to be loaded into cars and will not be charged.
• Lower School and Middle School/Upper School siblings: Students not picked up by 3:20 p.m. are taken to Extended Day.

Extended Day Hours & Fees

• Hours: 2:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• Billing: Families will be charged a $5 fee if their child is sent to Extended Day for 3:20-3:30 p.m. The first two weeks we will have a grace period, and families will not be charged the $5 fee. Starting at 3:30 p.m., a “drop-in” rate of $25 is charged if families are not on a monthly plan. 

Extended Day Pick-Up & Sign-Out

• Children need to be picked up by an authorized caregiver.
• Families can come inside to the designated Extended Day pick-up area to sign their child out (Lower School Gate). OR Call/ text: Auxiliary phone at 843-996-8329

• OR use the Remind App:
  1. Download the Remind app and create an account.
  2. Join Porter-Gaud School.
  3. Select + Add Class from the side panel and search “pgextday.”
  4. Request to join; staff will approve your request.

Early Pick-Up

• Use SchoolPass and sign your child out in the Lower School Office by 2:30 p.m.
• If plans change after 2 p.m., please update School Pass and also call the office directly.

Late-In Wednesdays  
Please remember that on Wednesday mornings, students are to arrive between 8:30 and 8:50 a.m. School begins at 8:50 a.m. We have limited supervision for children of families for whom Wednesday late-ins are a burden. If this is the case for your family, please contact Anna McCubrey (amccubrey@portergaud.edu). Your child must be on the early drop-off list in order to attend, and must arrive between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. Because all faculty and staff will be in meetings, we cannot accommodate students who arrive after 7:45 a.m. 

Virtue Shirts
New Lower School students and all first-grade students will receive a Porter-Gaud Virtue Shirt during the first few weeks of school. If your child has outgrown their Virtue Shirt and needs a larger size, please contact Mr. Wey at dwey@portergaud.edu.

Celebrating Birthdays
Students get a dress down day on their birthday (or their half birthday for summer birthdays). We ask that no food or other treats be sent in by parents and caregivers as all students are celebrated in class on their special day. Please also remember that if invitations are being brought to school, we ask that all students in the class are invited.  

Grandparent Mailings
If your child has a grandparent who would like to receive invitations, mailings, and updates from Porter-Gaud, please click here to add them to our mailing list. 

Uniform Savings
French Toast is offering the following discounts: 

• August 18-20 | 30% OFF Select Styles + 20% OFF Merchandise
• August 25-30 | 30% OFF Merchandise

Click here to access the PG store on the French Toast site. 

Lands’ End is offering the following discounts: 

• 25% off select school uniform styles through August 25. 
• 20% starting on September 2 

Click here to access the PG store on the Lands End site. 

Dining Update from Taher
Please click here to access menus. You can also follow us on Instagram (@taherpgdining).  

From the PGPA

• Fall Meeting: Please join us for our Fall PGPA Meeting on Thursday, September 10, at 8:15 a.m. in Washington Hall. We’ll share our goals for the school year, highlight upcoming events, and review volunteer opportunities. There is truly no shortage of ways to get involved!
• Online Spirit Store: Stock up on your Cyclone gear!  Our online store is now open with fresh designs for the school year. PG spirit wear will also be available for purchase at Cyclonetown.
• Save the Date – Father’s Night Out: Enjoy an evening with fellow PG dads on Wednesday, September 9, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Munkle Brewing Co. (1513 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29405). 
• Concessions Sign Up: Fall Concessions are underway! Please click here to sign up for shifts and support our athletics teams. No experience necessary!

Important Dates - Semester 1

• August 21: Cyclonetown, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
• August 28: First Grade Playdate, 6–7:15 p.m. on the Playground
• September 7:  Labor Day - No School
• September 14:  Picture Day
• 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