Graduation is set for 7:00 pm on May 28th and scheduled for Riegel Stadium: Tommy Davis Field. Graduation will be livestreamed from our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wareshoals51/
Due to the limited number of spaces, automobile access to the rear gate will be granted ONLY to those with a handicapped tag or placard. Those without a tag/placard, but with a need to enter at field level, may access the stadium on foot though the rear gate. The ramp into the bleachers is to the left side after entering the back gate.
Any additional requests for assistance must be reviewed by Mr. Cox, District Safety Coordinator, BEFORE 3:00 pm on the 28th . Please call 864-456-7923.
In case of inclement weather or sub-standard field conditions, the ceremony will be held in the auditorium. Each graduate will receive 10-12 tickets.
These WSH scholars have been accepted into the dual credit program at Lander University. Next year, they will take courses on the Lander campus that will count as high school credits and as hours for their freshman year of college. Our district provides tuition assistance and the books, making it very affordable. Congratulations to these students for investing in their future as they move closer to the DESTINATION...GRADUATION!
GreenwoodEDGE is a partnership between Piedmont Technical College and Greenwood School Districts 50, 51, and 52, county private schools, Greenwood Partnership Alliance, Greenwood County Council, Greenwood Promise, and local employers to provide training to high school students in high-demand occupations.
Congratulations to these students for being accepted into the program for 2019-20:
Matthew Cox, Dana Givens, Ethan Clark, and Christian Drake
The School Board election is tomorrow, May 14th. Please vote if you’re a resident of our district and remind your family and friends to do so as well.
There is always some confusion about who is eligible to vote in the school board election. Registered voters who live in Laurens, Abbeville, or Greenwood County within our district’s attendance zone may vote. Residency within the town limits of Ware Shoals is not required.
School board elections are so very important! Members formulate policy and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues that impact our community. Their decisions and actions affect the present and future lives of our community’s children.
Two candidates are vying for one seat on the board: Shanon Calvert and Cody Quinn.
Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!
Our District Teacher of the Year, Josh Hallman, was honored at the South Carolina's 2019 Teacher of the Year Gala on Wednesday. The gala celebrated the contributions of 80 teachers across the state who were selected as District TOY. We want to thank the Self Family Foundation for supporting our TOY through the District Sponsorship gift of $1,500.
There is no greater impact on a student's success than a high quality teacher in every classroom. Thank you, Coach Hallman, for all you have done for our students in academics and in athletics!
The 5K Walk/Run has been rescheduled for next Saturday, May 18th. Forecasters at the National Weather Service are predicting light showers in the area between 9 and 11 in the morning. We want everyone to have a great experience on a sunny day, and the forecast currently shows the 18th as being bright and beautiful.
If you have prepaid and are unable to participate on the 18th, please contact the high school office, and we will issue a refund.
We welcome all to join us for a morning of FITNESS and FUN. Registration will be onsite from 8:00 until 8:40. Cost to participate is $20. All proceeds will be used for the Ware Shoals Community Fitness Center which is located on the campus of the high school.
Contact us at 864-456-7496 (extension 1) if you have any questions.
Tomorrow morning we will have a special event that you can view on Facebook Live. Tune in between 8 am and 10:30 am to watch our students live. No matter where you will be, we will be on our Destination... Graduation!
Just a reminder of the "No More Excuses" Walk/Run on Saturday! Come out to get a little exercise and to socialize with others in support of fitness initiatives in our district. You can do the 2 mile walk/stroll or you can do the 5K walk/run if you're a little more adventurous.
Meet us at the high school gym. The 2 mile walk will begin at 8:45 and the 5K will begin at 9:00. Register onsite from 8:00 - 8:40. The cost is $20 per person.
Student/Athletes,
Our Athletic Banquet will be held on May 7, 2019. Dinner will be served to the student/athletes only, starting at 5:30 pm. Dinner will be served in the high school lunch room. The awards portion of the evening will start at 6:45 pm in the high school auditorium. Your families are invited to the 6:45 pm awards portion of the evening. Please talk to your coaches about appropriate attire for the evening. We look forward to honoring all of your hard work that evening.
May 6th, 2019, students will no longer be able to charge to their lunch accounts. Please pay any outstanding balances before May 24, 2019. If you have any concerns, contact Sharon Mann @ 456-3679 or your school cafeteria. Thank you!
The Purple and Gold
How do you spell W-I-N-N-E-R?
These super spellers competed in the District Spelling Bee today. Our district winner / WSMS winner is Kimarion Gillerson (pictured on right). Coming in first place for WS Primary was Yuchen Lin (left).
Congratulations to the other participants for qualifying for the district final by winning their classroom spelling bee!
Front Row-Josie Gambrell, Dustin Strickland, Rachel Owings, Landon Dowis, Carson Coleman
Back Row- Dixiemay Laughlin, Faith Holbrooks, Yuchen Lin, Kimarion Gillerson, Andrew Gonzalez, Jace Stewart, Julian Dyal
This Thursday, May 2, 7th grade students will host a "World Fair" from 5-6 pm. Each student researched a country and created a presentation for our community, including food, native clothing, and much more. Students will tell visitors about the country and answer questions.
Please join us at WS Middle / Elementary on West Main Street this Thursday!
We are happy to announce that Coach Gilbert is returning to WSHS. He will teach Chemistry, coach golf, and sponsor the newly formed Fishing Club. Join us in welcoming him back to the family!
Here is the schedule and registration form for "Best Singer in the Region" auditions, which will be this Friday. April 26th.
Come "TailCATE" with us today at 5PM before the softball game to see what our CATE (Career and Technology Education) students have been learning this year. We'll have food, drinks, fun, and a free ticket to the game for you! It's Senior Night, and the girls need you to cheer them on to victory!
TailCATE is in front of the Darby Building. See you there!
Another fine addition to the WSSD51 family...
Meet Ms. Webb, the newest member of the WS Middle-Elementary faculty. Her goal is "to provide the best instruction and life-learning experiences for my students." Ms. Webb is a Highly Qualified Science and Social Studies teacher and leader with more than 10 years of teaching experience. WELCOME to WSSD 51!
Ms. Gina Dunn is the newest member of the WSSD51 family! Ms. Dunn will be teaching Math at Ware Shoals High School next year. She comes to us from Lander University, where she served as Tenured Associate Professor/Education Specialist. Her parents are WSHS alumni, so she feels right at home here. Let's give her a big Ware Shoals welcome!
Mr. Parada's class speaks with students in Colombia via a video conference session. The students discuss ways of life in a different country. Technology continues to enhance students' education in our district.
Friday afternoon, a few PM bus riders from Buses 5, 6, 7, and 8 will be 10-15 minutes late getting home due to the balloon release at WSH.
We are happy to welcome Katie Warnken to the WSSD51 family! Ms. Warnken will be teaching Math at Ware Shoals High School next year. She recently completed her student teaching at WSHS, and she looks forward to beginning her teaching career with us.
PLEASE NOTE: A change of time for the balloon release in memory of Trinity Harrison has been announced. The release will take place at 2:45 Friday afternoon on the front lawn of the high school. Please join us in remembrance of Trinity.
Arrangements for Trinity Harrison have been announced by her family. A balloon release will be held on the front lawn of WSHS Friday evening at 7PM.
Her funeral will be conducted at 3PM Saturday at Little River Baptist Center, located at 415 Riley Rd N, Hodges, SC 29653.
Today we gathered at Ware Shoals High to celebrate and mourn. We celebrated the good times shared with Trinity Harrison and the fact that she made all the right choices on prom night. We mourned because we will no longer share our lives with her. We will keep her family and friends in our prayers, and we will keep her in our hearts forever.
Dr. Fay Sprouse, Superintendent
All students please gather in the auditorium in the morning when you arrive to school. The cafeteria will be open at 7:30 for breakfast and the back stairs to the auditorium will be available.
Please gather among friends as we will have folks to assist in our
time of grief.
The Purple and Gold 4.2.19
REMINDER - PLEASE JOIN US TOMORROW
Sybil and Mike Conley lost their 20-year old daughter Zoë to a heroin and fentanyl overdose on May 24, 2017, the unfortunate end to a five-plus year odyssey through the opioid epidemic, the drug and alcohol treatment community, the healthcare system, and criminal justice.
They will tell their story and present facts about addiction--and opioids in particular--at a special assembly Thursday, April 4 at 9 a.m. at Ware Shoals High. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Spirit has restored our fiber connection. Our phones are now working properly. We apologize for the inconvenience. Have a great day!
Our School District is experiencing a phone outage due to a Spirit fiber cut in the Greenville area. Please use the following numbers for an emergency: 864-378-4379 for the Primary School, 864-377-0599 for the Middle School and 864-377-0578 for the High School. Thank you!
****Reminder****
All WSHS students who plan to attend the prom MUST be in attendance at the program on Thursday morning.
Failure to attend may result in forfeiture of admission.
Congratulations Julie (1st) and Ethan (2nd) for winning the 400 meter race in the Area 5 Spring Games today!
It's a beautiful day to be LEARNING, SERVING, LEADING and READING in WSSD51!
Have you read a good book lately?
The WS School District 5K Walk-Run/2-Mile Walk is now underway! The event will be held on Saturday, May 11th. Start time for the 2-mile walk is 8:45 am and for the 5K is 9:00 am. Proceeds go to the District's Wellness Program. Click the link to register https://5il.co/71x8
Congratulations to Nikki Rodriguez for receiving the South Carolina Association of Title I Administrators (SCATA) Scholarship. Nikki was recognized in Columbia, SC for her academic success and extracurricular involvement. Way to go Nikki!
The Purple and Gold
Tonight’s softball game vs Dixie has been moved to Monday April 1st. JV begins at 5:00.
The soccer match vs Anderson Christian scheduled for Thursday March 28th is now an AWAY match beginning at 5:00.
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Students are doing great work in our district! Channing Smith's Senior Project product - a music festival - will benefit the Million Dollar Band. Here is Channing, presenting a check for $520 to the band. Thanks for using your Senior Project to LEARN, SERVE, and LEAD, Channing!
Today, Squad 51 learned a new skill - taking blood pressure readings. Did you know that the instrument used to take blood pressure readings is called a sphygmomanometer?
Ware Shoals High School will be hosting a CTE (Career and Technology Education) Advisory meeting on March 21st at 5:30pm. This meeting is open to the public and will showcase how WSH is equipping students with skills needed for today's workforce. We would enjoy having you join us! (location: top floor of WSH).
The Purple and Gold
Congratulations to Miss Reesie Beckner, a student at Ware Shoals Middle School, upon being selected as the recipient of South Carolina's "Yes, I Can!" award. Reesie was chosen for excellence in the arts despite having a hearing impairment.
Purple and Gold
WSP Celebrates Read Across America Day! Students lined the halls at Ware Shoals Primary School and spent time reading independently - just for fun!
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" - Dr. Seuss
Safety is our top priority. Keeping children safe from offensive, vulgar content on the internet is a big challenge. We recently learned of inappropriate content that is being embedded into YouTube videos that seem, on the surface, to be appropriate for children. For that reason, we are removing access to YouTube from student devices today.
Community Engages in Planning for the Future...Thanks to those who came out to help as we update our five year plan. Together, we examined progress in meeting our goals. We all agree - working together is the way we will help our children achieve and our community thrive!
Ware Shoals High School Agricultural classes and Mr. Ryan Gambrell, would like to thank Mr. Jerry Free and Capsugel, a Lonza Company, for the recently donated hydroponic tower.
It will be utilized by our students as we attempt to grow our CATE curriculum.
The Purple and Gold
Very proud of our Squad 51 members who were recognized by House Representative John McCravy @JohnRMcCravyIII for outstanding service to our community!
Updated baseball, soccer, and softball schedules. Here is the link:
https://www.gwd51.org/o/ware-shoals-high-school/page/student-athletics-schedules
The Senate's education reform bill (S. 419) will be the subject of a public hearing at McCormick Middle School Gym on Monday, March 4th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A sign in sheet will be available starting at 5:15 for those wishing to speak. Comments will be limited to three minutes.
If you are unable to attend, the subcommittee welcomes written testimony. Send remarks by email to seducomm@scsenate.gov or by mail to
SC Senate Education Committee
PO Box 142
404 Gressette Bldg.
Columbia, SC 29202
Reminder: We will meet today from 5-6PM for Strategic Planning in the Community Library training room. Come join the conversation about how we can prepare our students to be productive, contributing, and successful members of society. The school board will meet at 6PM in the conference room.
On Friday, February 22nd, we are asking all employees and students to park in the rear parking lot at the high school. Front spaces will be reserved for visitors to our 2:00 program. South Carolina High School League Commissioner, Jerome Singleton, will be our guest speaker.
WSHS FFA Officers
A Ware Shoals High School student was arrested today at school for making a verbal bomb threat. School officials and the SRO took swift action to ensure safety. Disciplinary policies will be followed. Keeping students safe is our priority!
Message from WSSD51: Bus #9 is running approximately 20-25 minutes behind. We appreciate your patience.
Great day of training in WSSD51! Our district continues to refine our emergency practices to ensure safe learning environments for our students and staff. Special thanks to law enforcement from Abbeville / Greenwood Counties, WSH's Squad 51, and our district nursing staff.
2019-2020
These students just finished reading a novel about the Salem Witch Trials and were put into groups and assigned topics that might be considered modern day witch hunts. The topics were: attitudes toward Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor / attitudes toward Muslin Americans after 9/11 / attitudes toward communists during the cold war [McCarthyism]/ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS victims in the late 1980s.
This is the first time these students have done anything like this and were very nervous...they did a great job!
Dear WSSD 51 Parents,
Valentine’s Day is Thursday, and we want to inform you that schools may not accept deliveries of flowers, balloons, candy, etc. We can, however, provide an alternative.
If you wish to purchase flowers, balloons, etc. for your child, the local florist can send a gift card to the school, notifying him or her to stop by the shop to pick up a special surprise. Gift cards can be distributed at school without disruption to the learning process and in a discreet way so as not to embarrass children who do not receive them.
Occasional deliveries to the school during the year are allowed, but we do not allow balloons or flowers in glass vases on the buses at any time. If you choose to send your child something of this type for his/her birthday, please provide a ride home that day if your child usually rides a bus.
Thanks for your cooperation!
Sincerely,
Dr. Fay Sprouse Superintendent
Lady Hornets vs Wagener Salley tonight at 7:00 at The Bob Johnston Gymnasium.
Only South Carolina High School League passes are allowed to be accepted.
Admission is 6:00 as determined by the SCHSL.
Our deadline is quickly approaching!
The final day to buy a high school yearbook is Feb. 21st. Yearbooks are $60 and can be purchased in the front office of the high school. Get yours before it is too late!
Watch Channel 4 at 6PM tonight to see Rev. James Davis, driver of Bus 8, be recognized for being a "CommUNITY Champion." This is a series which highlights people who bring local communities closer together. We thank Rev. Davis & all who help make our district & community better!
Big turn out for tonight's SAT prep session! We are very proud of these students for putting in the extra effort! BTW, pizza disappeared fast during the break! :)
Congratulations Evan Bridges! Go Flying Fleet!!
Buses 1, 2 and 3 will be late picking up this morning. Expect a 15-30 minute delay.
Attention to those who walk or bike to WSH or WSE/M: Very cold temperatures are forecast for mid-week, so morning bus transportation will remain available. Same pickup times & locations: (6:25) 14 Smith St. (6:35) Corner Store Gas Station (7:10) Corner of West Main St & Riegel
Attention to those who walk or bike to WSH or WSE/M:
Very cold temperatures & rain are forecast for next week, so morning bus transportation will be available.
Pickup times & locations:
(6:25) 14 Smith St.
(6:35) Corner Store Gas Station
(7:10) Corner of West Main St & Riegel
Thanks to all the parents, students, and community members who attended WSH's School Improvement Council! Tonight's meeting was filled with great conversations regarding curriculum expansion, school safety and WSH's recent report card.
Congratulations to Josh Hallman, District Teacher of the Year, one of 30 teachers from across the nation selected to attend the National School Safety Summit in Birmingham, AL. Teachers will work together to develop proactive solutions to prevent and address school shootings.
So proud of our students who showed up for the first ACT prep session! These students are motivated and focused on their goals. The pizza was good too!
Squad 51 members Will Lindley and Hunter McGee urge you to Be Hornet Smart
Message from WSH: Parents are encouraged to attend a School Improvement Council meeting on Jan 17th at 6:00pm. We plan to discuss school safety, our recent report card and the new proposed Program of Study- including new dual credit options. Look forward to see you there!
"Buzz"-er Beater - The WSM school boys basketball team defeated Calhoun Falls Charter last night on a last second shot. Final score 27-26. Way to go boys!
WSHS AP students attend a poetry workshop in the Gunter Theater at the Peace Center.
Good News Club begins January 14th.
Congratulations to WSH students Seth Alexander and Timothy Johnson who have been selected by Fuji Films for internships. Both students are currently part of the Greenwood EDGE – a mechatronics based program offered at Piedmont Technical College.
Reminder:
During the October board meeting, our trustees voted to use January 21 as our make-up day for the day we missed in September due to the hurricane. It is the first designated make-up day in our school calendar.
Jan. 21st is now a school day for students.
We would like to wish everyone a safe and healthy 2019. Happy New Year!
Our NEW web page is live! Go to www.gwd51.org to check it out. Follow us on Twitter at @ware_shoals_51 as well.
Squad 51 is getting recognition in Canada! The ACT Foundation read about Squad 51 and contacted Mr. Cox. They are going to use our district as a model for doing great things there. They profiled S51 on their FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/theactfoundation/
The Class Ring Ceremony was held today at WSHS. Juniors, Seniors, and their family members gathered to recognize this important milestone. Thanks to all who attended!
Fantastic win tonight for the Lady Hornets who defeated Whitmire 40-35! It was also a special night for Channing Smith who scored her 1000th point!
Honoring Heroes! Students, parents, community members and local veterans gathered at WSH to celebrate Veterans Day. Special guest Captain Annie Odom (class of 2006) was a fantastic speaker and made our event truly special!
Special thanks to Ware Shoals and Western Laurens Fire Departments for visiting WSSD 51 today and recruiting students for our local Explorer Program.
Attention Seniors
After school theatre program at WSH started today! We are excited to have so many of our students interested in participating!
WSHS Report Cards will be sent home today. They will be distributed during 4th period. Please call the school should you require a teacher conference.
864-456-7923
High School Report Cards will be distributed during parent conferences from 3:00 - 6:00 pm on Thursday 10/25/18.
The football game vs McCormick will follow at 7:30.
The varsity football game at home vs McCormick has been moved to Thursday night at 7:30....due to inclement weather predictions.
Bus 7 will run approximately 1 hour late this afternoon (10/22).
A school bus from Abbeville School District had an accident on Highway 25 near Burger King in Ware Shoals. Emergency personnel and law enforcement are on the scene. We are assisting with emergency operations.
WSSD 51 Teacher of the Year Recognized. Josh Hallman was recognized by our School Board Monday night as the 2018-19 Teacher of the Year. Congratulations Mr. Hallman!
Training tomorrow’s teachers! We are excited about WSSD 51’s teacher cadet program. Today our students visited Lander University and learned about the courses and requirements needed to become a certified teacher.
WSSD 51 School Board visited our schools to get an up close glance at the great things taking place in our district.
Hydroponics coming to Ware Shoals High! Students in our Ag. Science classes will soon be introduced to cutting edge farming techniques.
Bus #2 will be late this morning. Breakfast will be served.
Check out this Thrillshare training information http://5il.co/4mvw
We're excited to start the new school year!
Welcome to our new website!
