Conway Middle School

Welcome to another exciting school year! As you know, we are working through unprecedented times. The first day of school for all students is Tuesday, September 8th. We are ready and prepared to provide the best instruction and middle school experience, regardless of the learning format. The teachers and staff have been planning and preparing to give our students and community a positive middle school experience.

We firmly believe that building authentic and lasting relationships with you and your family is vital to your child’s success. As we embark on this new school year, we will follow all safety guidelines set forth by Horry County Schools. These guidelines will be strictly enforced to ensure the safety of all stakeholders. We have included a variety of information that will be valuable as we start our school year.

We are grateful to have your child at Conway Middle School and excited to begin this school year as a Tiger Family.

We are here to support your family and we believe that your support is essential in ensuring your child's success.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Regina Treadwell Pertell

Principal, Conway Middle School

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

Conway Middle School has two stories that will house 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. 6th grade students will be on the bottom level, and 7th and 8th grade will be on the top.

Lockers and Bookbags

As in the past, students will NOT be assigned a locker this school year. If there are special circumstances, a parent may request the use of a locker with Mr. Causey, 7th & 8th-grade administrator. Students will be permitted to carry their belongings with them to each academic class.

Textbooks

We will operate with class sets of textbooks so students will not need to bring books from class to class. With your approval, your student will receive a Google Chromebook for educational use while at Conway Middle School.

Location: 1104 Elm Street, Conway, SC, USA
Phone: 843-488-6040

1. When will my student receive their schedule for the upcoming school year? Student schedules are currently being processed. Changes to schedules are being made to accommodate HCS Virtual K-12 students. The administration is working to ensure that all students have the appropriate academic classes while maintaining a balance in each classroom. As soon as schedules are finalized, we will share them with the community. Please understand, we do not take scheduling requests and we do not change classroom placements.

2. Will my student have a locker this year?

We do not assign individual students lockers. This allows our students to transition efficiently and safely from class to class. In the event you request a locker, you will need to contact Richard Causey, 7th & 8th grade administrator to make this request. Again, we will allow any parent to request a locker. In our experience most students do not prefer to use them.

3. Is my student allowed to have a bookbag and or lunch box?

We recommend that students do not utilize a bookbag. However, if you choose for your child to utilize a bookbag, you certainly may do that. Please keep in mind this recommendation is for the safety and efficiency of the daily operations Conway Middle School. Students will have limited personal items that they would need to carry from class to class.

4. When will my child be assigned a Chromebook?

The following days and times have been designated for Chromebook Distribution:

1. Wednesday, August 26th 2:30 PM-5:30 PM

2. Thursday, August 27th 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM

3. Friday, August 28th 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM

*You will receive specific instructions in regard to device pick-up. In order for this to be safe and efficient, you will need to follow the directives very closely. Please understand all device pick-up will take place in our bus rider loop next to the playground and the gym lobby.

We want our students to have devices in their possession prior to the start of school so we are fully prepared regardless of our mode of instruction on September 8th. It is important that our students understand these devices are for educational purposes only and they need to be well acquainted with the device and its features as we start the school year.

5. My child is really nervous about attending a new school. What should I do?

The staff at CMS is committed to ensuring our students feel safe and welcomed in our building. We strive to create a family environment for our students, staff and parents. If you have specific concerns we encourage you to reach out to your assigned grade level counselor and or administrator listed below. We can assure you that as soon as your child is on our campus, we will ensure that they are safe and well cared for.

6. What kind of communication can I expect from Conway Middle School?

Principal Pertell will communicate with parents each Friday afternoon. This communication is to help ensure that everyone knows and understands school activities, celebrations, and updates. We take great pride in having an open line of communication and we want our families to reach out to us with any questions and or concerns. Teachers will

7. When can we meet our teacher? Will there be an open house?

We are in an unusual time and we are not able to hold an in person open house. However, we will hold a virtual greet for our community. Within this presentation, you will be able to get acquainted with teachers and building staff. In addition to digitally meeting your teachers, we will include a variety of orientation videos in regards to the daily operations of school. We especially want our Tigers to feel as comfortable as possible as we approach the first day of school.

CMS Tips, Updates and Reminders:

• Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 8th.

• In an effort to ensure the safety and security of all stakeholders, we will share orientation videos for our students and families. These videos will be designed to introduce you to staff members, become familiar school routines and procedures, as well as give you an overview of our building and what we offer as a school. While we know this does not replace a traditional meet and greet, we will do our best to communicate consistently and thoroughly with our families.

• We will ensure that all parents have their teacher contact information before the start of the school year. We know that a strong line of communication is imperative to the success of our students. If you have pertinent information that you need to share with your child’s teacher, we encourage you to set up a meeting whether it be virtual or face to face to discuss your student’s needs.

• The school supply list was shared via social media and email. We strongly encourage your child to organize their belongings. We recommend that students do not bring a book bag, backpacks, handbags, lunch boxes, or other containers to school with them unless it is absolutely necessary. We recommend a clear bookbag be used if it is necessary

• Instruction starts promptly at 8:15 AM and dismisses at 3:35 PM daily.

• Morning Arrival

• Please note that our arrival procedures have changed due to necessary safety precautions.

• • Students will not be able to enter the building prior to 7:30 AM.

  • The campus is open at 7:30 AM for students to enter the building. For security and safety reasons, please adhere to the 7:30 AM opening time. We ask that you do not drop your child off early.

  • As students enter the building, they will be required to go through the security check. As stated above we recommend no bags.

  • Those students who do not bring a bag will be able to go through the “fast lane” as there will be no bag to search. Those students who have special circumstances and require a bag will need to proceed through the bag check line. As students finish the security check, they will immediately report to their Tiger Time class (home room).

  • Breakfast will be served daily.

  Dismissal

  • Students will not be called out of class after 2:45 in the afternoon for dismissal.

  • For security reasons, parents will not be able to walk their students down the hallway to class. Please don’t worry we will help the students find their classrooms and will continue to support them until they learn the routine.

  • The buses will be released daily around 3:45. The buses tend to run late the first week or two of school as the drivers are picking up new students and learning new routes. Please be patient, bus routes will move faster as we get used to the procedures and times.

  • Please follow all traffic patterns, signs, and adhere to all procedures and policies regarding drop off and pick up of your students. The car rider line is a single lane loop as required by the State of South Carolina Fire Marshall. As you pull into the drive you will be directed towards a two lane queuing area that will take traffic from 12th Ave. Once you travel through the new two lane loop, we will run one lane of traffic for student pickup. The second lane needs to remain clear in case of emergency. This line will be very long as we start school. Please be patient. Our school traffic will also move faster as our families learn the traffic patterns and procedures. It is most important that we work together to ensure student safety at all times during pickup and drop-off. Please encourage your student to watch for their ride.

  Dress Code:

  • Students are expected to dress in an appropriate manner at all times while on a school campus or while involved in school and/or district activities. Student attire should adhere to school policy, should promote health and safety, contribute to a climate conducive to teaching and learning, and project a positive image of the District to the community. It should not interfere with the educational process, cause disruption, or damage school property. In the event the administration determines a student’s dress is inappropriate in accordance with this policy, the administration will require the student to change. When the student needs to be sent home to change and the parent cannot be reached, the student may remain in ISS for the remainder of the day or until a parent can be reached.

  
  

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

  • In compliance with the HCS policy, the administration has established the following regulations:

  1. Students are expected to be clean and neatly dressed. All attire must comply with requirements for health and safety.

  2. Attire must not be immodest, obscene, excessively tight, profane, lewd, vulgar, indecent, or offensive.

  3. Shorts, skirts, and dresses should be of adequate length to assure modesty when the student is seated or engaged in school activities. A "finger-tip" length is most appropriate. Holes in jeans must also comply with this rule.

  4. Leggings may be worn underneath a skirt, dress, and or cover shirt. The length of the cover must “preferably” reach the length of your fingertips when arms are stretched to your side “and/or be deemed appropriate by an administrator”

  5. Undergarments must be worn at all times.

  6. Shoes must be worn at all times.

  7. Attire must not display any information about, representations of, or advertisements for alcoholic beverage(s), tobacco, controlled drugs, or illegal drugs or paraphernalia associated with the foregoing.

  Social Media:

  Social media (e.g. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) has had widespread impact on the way in which we communicate and express our thoughts and opinions. There are clearly many benefits for us both as individuals and also as communities, and many of our schools are exploring how they might best harness the power of social media to engage even more closely with parents and students. Unfortunately, we know through our experience that social media can also be a vehicle for inappropriate behavior by both students and adults.

  There are occasions however, when things said in the virtual world are at best unhelpful and, at worst, may constitute harassment, bullying or intimidation which could ultimately lead to school level discipline and or even police involvement.

  As a school, there are situations when we have had to deal with students using social media to be unkind to others. What starts as something seemingly harmless takes no account of how those on the receiving end might feel nor does it recognize how quickly things can get out of control and become extremely unpleasant. While things are most likely to have taken place off the school site and outside school hours, the resulting ‘fallout’ in such situations can have major implications within school, having a negative impact on teaching and learning.

  If you have concerns that your child might be on the receiving end of hurtful social media posts, or playing a part themselves, please communicate with our administration so we can do our best to address any situation. We embrace the technology rich environment in which our students are immersed and understand that technology is the language in which many of our young people speak. With that said, please monitor your child’s use of social media closely so we can help eliminate this potential distraction from your child.

  Important Contacts:

  Principal: Regina Treadwell Pertell

  rtreadwellpertell@horrycountyschools.net

  8th grade girls & ALL 6th grade students
  

  Mrs. Donna Mishoe

  DMishoe@horrycountyschools.net

  8th grade boys & All 7th grade students
  

  Mr. Richard Causey

  RCausey001@horrycountyschools.net

  Lead Guidance
  

  Mrs. Charlene Lennon

  CLennon@horrycountyschools.net

  Guidance of students last name A- L
  

  Mrs. Rebecca Wallace

  RWallace@horrycountyschools.net

  Guidance of students last name M-Z
  

  Mrs. Charlene Lennon

  CLennon@horrycountyschools.net

  Attendance

  Mrs. Cheryl Sibilia

  CSibilia@horrycountyschools.net

  Nurse

  Carole Bicknell

  CBicknell@horrycountyschools.net

  Fees:
  

  Barbara Bellamy

  BBellamy@horrycountyschools.net

  Technology
  

  Maurice McKever

  TMcKever@horrycountyschools.net

  New student registration
  

  Mrs. Cheryl Sibilia

  CSibilia@horrycountyschools.net

  Front Office Secretary
  

  Mrs. Charmaine Martin

  CMartin003@horrycountyschools.net

  
  

  CMS Website and Facebook page

  • Please make sure to visit our website and “like” our Conway Middle School Facebook Page. We post to these sites regularly and they have tons of great information about our school and upcoming events.

  • All parents should receive a weekly parent email from our school.

  • Please give us some time to get this going at the beginning of the year.

  • I encourage you to participate in our PTO and School Improvement parent groups. In addition, I would like to personally encourage you to contact your child's teachers and schedule parent conferences as needed.