Before the session, I hope you’ll join us for a special Breakfast with Your Child from 7:00–7:30 a.m. It will be a wonderful opportunity to start the morning together before school. Details to come!

During our parent education session, we’ll explore practical strategies for understanding and responding to children’s behaviors. Our presenter, Lara D’Eugenio, will share tools for eliminating unwanted behaviors, setting effective limits using choices, and working through specific parenting concerns. The strategies shared will be appropriate for children ages 3–13.

Lara brings 19 years of experience working in charter, public, and private schools as a teacher, administrator, and counselor. As a licensed professional counselor in private practice, she works with children and teens experiencing anxious emotions and behavioral challenges, as well as their parents, with a focus on promoting effective communication. Lara was also certified as a Parent Talk Systems facilitator by Master Educator and Author Chick Moorman in 2010.

I hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to connect with other families, enjoy breakfast with your child, and leave with practical strategies you can use at home.

I look forward to seeing you there!
Rachel

Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self-Esteem and Encourages Responsibility is a curriculum that teaches parents how to communicate effectively with their children in ways that foster confidence, responsibility, and emotional well-being. The class emphasizes the importance of using positive, respectful language that empowers children to take responsibility for their actions, make thoughtful decisions, and develop healthy self-esteem. It provides practical strategies for avoiding negative or critical language that can damage a child’s sense of self-worth, instead encouraging open, supportive dialogue that strengthens the parent-child relationship and promotes long-term emotional growth.

Please click here to RSVP for the Parent Talk & optional Breakfast

Student Dress Code

Students are responsible for dressing in an appropriate manner at all times while on a school campus or while involved in a school- or district-sponsored event/activity. Wearing appropriate attire promotes a positive influence on the school climate.

In addition to clothing and shoes, student attire includes any jewelry, emblem, badge, symbol, sign, comment, or other items worn or displayed by an individual.

Guidelines for Attire

Clothing is to be worn appropriately and in the manner for which it was designed.
Pants shall be worn at waist level.
Undergarments shall not be exposed at any time.
Clothing shall not reveal bare skin between the upper chest and mid-thigh.
Shorts, skirts, and dresses shall be of adequate length to assure modesty.
Hats shall not be worn in school unless approved for health or religious reasons.
Shoes shall be worn at all times.

Prohibited Attire

The following attire is prohibited:

Clothing or other attire with words or images depicting or relating to tobacco, drugs, or alcohol.
Clothing or other attire displaying inflammatory, suggestive, racial, or other inappropriate writing, advertising, or artwork.
Clothing or other attire displaying profanity, obscenity, violence, weapons, symbols of hate, or offensive content.
Clothing, jewelry, accessories, and/or manner of grooming that indicates or implies gang membership or affiliation.
Clothing or attire that is body-contouring, such as, but not limited to, leggings, jeggings, tights, or yoga pants, when worn without a shirt or top that reaches fingertip length.
Loungewear, pajamas, and bedroom slippers.
Shirts, tops, or dresses that are backless, strapless, halter-style, cut-out, bare-shouldered, or have spaghetti straps.
Extreme clothing or other attire that would interfere with the learning process, cause a disruption of the educational environment, or create a health or safety hazard.

School Counselor's Corner

Meet Sarah MacDonald

I’m excited to be joining the community here at MCS as the new School Counselor! This is my eighth year in the counseling profession, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with students at both the elementary and middle school levels.

I became a School Counselor because I believe every student deserves a trusted adult and an advocate at school. I love creating a safe space where students feel comfortable being themselves, talking about their feelings, and navigating the academic, social, and emotional challenges of growing up. One of my favorite parts of this work is getting to know students and celebrating the unique qualities that make each of them special.

I grew up in a military family and spent much of my childhood moving around, including living in Europe from kindergarten through sixth grade. Outside of school, I enjoy dancing, lifting weights, listening to podcasts, and cuddling with my two cats. I’m looking forward to getting to know our students and families and becoming part of the school community!

October is Bullying Awareness Month

We will be doing classroom lessons on Kindness and bullying in October to help spread awareness. The District asks all students to wear Orange on Oct 21, National Unity Day, to show that we are united in standing up to bullying.

CogAT Assessment Information

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a K–12 standardized assessment used to evaluate students' reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Unlike traditional achievement tests, it measures how students learn and process information rather than what content they have already memorized. Schools frequently use CogAT scores to identify academically gifted students, tailor instructional strategies, and place children in specialized academic programs.

CCSD administers CogAT universally in 2nd and 4th grade. Outside of these universal screening years, districts frequently give the test to individual students in other grades upon teacher recommendation or when a child is new to the district. MCS CogAT testing dates are:

2nd Grade testing is October 5th-9th
4th Grade testing is October 14th-16th

Volunteers Needed

Are you interested in getting involved at school? Several of our teachers need help with making card work. Card work refers to hands-on learning tools designed to help children expand their vocabulary, explore new concepts, and practice early reading skills. The cards need to be cut, laminated, and cut again. Much of this work can be done at home. If you're interested, please contact Samantha Kurtz, our Instructional Coach.

Next Meetings

October 13, 2026
& October 27, 2026
2:40-3:25

No Place for Hate

We had a great first No Place for Hate meeting! Students discussed the requirements for being a No Place for Hate school and reflected on themes and activities from previous years. This year, we decided to connect our activities through a common theme that will help guide our work throughout the year.

We've added an additional meeting on 10/13 to work together to choose this year’s theme and begin planning our activities!

We’re excited for another great year of creating a school community where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued!

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Front Office News from Ms. Lori and Ms. Sandie

Attendance Matters: Every Day Counts! 🍁

September was Attendance Awareness Month, but keeping our students engaged and in class is a year-round priority. Did you know that missing just two days of school a month adds up to 10% of the entire school year? Missing 10% of the enrollment period is considered Chronic Absenteeism. Regular school attendance is one of the most powerful drivers of your child's academic success and long-term graduation goals.

While illnesses happen, minimizing unexcused absences makes a massive difference in keeping our students on track. To highlight why being in the classroom matters so much, our amazing students created a special video demonstrating what is, versus what isn't, considered an excused absence.

🎬 Click Here to Watch the Student Video!

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure our students have the support, transportation, and encouragement they need to arrive on time and ready to learn!

Parent Teacher Organization

Our PTO Open Meeting will be on Friday, Oct 16 at 6pm at the Garden. The address is 1331 Ashley River Rd. Please join us!

We have two Spirit Nights this month

Moes on Sam Rittenburg on Monday, Oct 5 from 4-8pm
Famulari's on Wednesday, Oct 14 from 4-8pm.

Just mention you are with the MCS PTO fundraiser and they'll give us back a percentage of the sales.

Thank you to everyone who came to coffee and donuts, we had a great time!

Community News

Holiday Assistance Available Through The Salvation Army Angel Tree

As we look towards the holiday season, we’d like to share information about The Salvation Army’s 2026 Angel Tree program, which provides holiday assistance to eligible families with children ages 0–12.

Families who would like to apply for the program can register in person from September 28 through October 3 at:

The Salvation Army (Back Entrance)
2135 Ashley River Rd.
Charleston, SC

Registration Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

What to Bring

Please bring original documents for all required information:

For the adult applicant/Head of Household:

State-issued photo ID, driver's license, OR Passport

For each child age 12 or younger:

Birth certificate, passport, government, school, or health document showing the child's birth date, OR Medicaid card showing the date of birth

Proof of Address in the adult applicant's name:

House/apartment lease, mortgage coupon, current utility bill (one less than two months old), OR a letter from their school for the 2026–27 school year that includes the applicant's address

Proof of income for the entire household:

EBT printout or current six-month recertification, OR proof of all household income and expenses if you do not receive EBT

Important: No children should be present during registration, so please plan accordingly. Families should also be prepared for a possible wait outside and must have all required information available to begin the application process. There are no online applications.

If you have questions, please call The Salvation Army at 843-747-5271.

We are grateful to The Salvation Army and the generous members of our community who help make the holiday season brighter for children and families throughout Charleston County.

Warmly,

Charleston County School District
Powered by Purpose

West Ashley High School invites you to Trunk or Treat on Tuesday, October 27th from 5:30-7:00

Important Dates

October

Oct. 1 - Picture Makeup Day
Oct. 5-9 - CogAT Assessment for 2nd Grade
Oct. 5 - Spirit Night @ Moe's, 4-8 PM
Oct. 9 - Half Day, 10:20 Dismissal
Oct. 12 - Teacher Work Day, School is Closed
Oct. 13 - No Place for Hate Meeting
2nd Quarter Begins
Oct. 14-16 - CogAT for 4th Grade
Oct. 14 - PSAT
Spirit Night at Famulari's 4-8 PM
Oct. 16 - PTO Open Meeting, 6:30 PM
Oct. 21 - National Unity Day, wear orange
Oct. 27 - No Place for Hate Meeting
Oct. 30 - Parent Education with Lara De'Eugenio, 7:00-8:30 AM

November

Nov. 3 - Election Day, No School
Nov. 20 - Fall Festival, Families are invited
Nov. 23-27* - Fall Break (*11/23 & 11/24 are weather makeup days if needed)
Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving

Important Links

Daily Transportation Change Form

Parent Portal

RevTrak - School Store

Parent Talk & Breakfast RSVP

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