Anderson School District 3

We are required to provide a document outlining specific areas for a safe return to in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year. This document is a DRAFT of Anderson 3's Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan. Our district seeks input and suggestions from our parents, students, employees, and community on the 13 areas outlined in the plan. In addition, the district seeks feedback on options available for a spending plan for $7.9 million of ESSER III funds. Plan: https://bit.ly/2V3ZhV6 Survey: https://bit.ly/3jkUcQz

Welcome, Mrs. Angie Sykes! 🍎🎉 Mrs. Sykes is joining the A3 Teaching Team as a 4th Grade Math Teacher at Starr Elementary! Angie transfers to Anderson 3 with 12 years of teaching experience in Anderson 2 and Abbeville County. Before teaching, Mrs. Sykes completed a degree in Marketing from Clemson University. She worked in healthcare before going back to school to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education from Lander University. She is currently certified in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle-Level ELA. Mrs. Sykes lives in Abbeville on Lake Secession with her husband, Jamie, and their dog. They have been married for 24 years and have two children. Their son, Wilson, recently graduated with a Masters's Degree from Clemson University. Their daughter, Linsey, is a junior Nursing Major at Clemson. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Sykes to Anderson 3! 💛

We are now accepting applications for a Music Teacher at Starr Elementary School! 🎻🎶 For more details on this position and to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/A3Careers

Online registration is now open! Visit https://bit.ly/A3Online to register now. If you have questions regarding online registration, please contact your students' school.

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Hipp! 🎂 Thank you for everything you do for #A3Students! (Check out our newest billboard on Highway 81 South! It features our favorite superintendent! 😍)

Welcome, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Mitchell!🍎🎉 Mrs. Mitchell is joining the A3 Teaching Team as a 2nd Grade Teacher at Starr Elementary! Elizabeth is a graduate of Anderson University. She joins us after teaching 3rd Grade at New Prospect Elementary for six years. Mrs. Mitchell is a Starr-Iva Native and a proud product of Anderson 3! She has a husband and two "crazy" teenagers. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Mitchell back to Anderson 3! 💛

Join the A3 Team Today! ☺️ We are now accepting applications for a District School Psychologist! For more details on this position and to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/A3Careers

Congratulations to former Crescent Student Brysin Brigman! Brysin recently graduated from Anderson County Project Search and now has a job in AnMed Health's Food Service Department! #A3Students #WinningTogether

Don't forget that our FREE Summer Meals program will be off next week, but will resume on Monday, July 12 and run through Wednesday, July 28!

At the Anderson 3 STEAM Camp, students experienced a week packed full of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math focused lessons and experiences. Take a look at some of the great activities our students participated in! Thank you, Robert Bosch LLC, for funding this camp through your continued support of STEAM education! 🔬🎨📐 #A3Students #STEAMEducation

Congratulations to 2021 Retiree, Ms. Leah Rogers! 🎊 Ms. Rogers is retiring after teaching English for 31 years! Rogers was born and raised in Simpsonville, SC, where she graduated with honors from Hillcrest High School. She graduated from Furman University with a B.A. in English in 1986 and then 1993 with an M.A. in Reading Diagnosis and Remediation. Ms. Rogers worked as a reporter for The Tribune Times for one year before starting her teaching career at Ware Shoals High School. After ten years at WSHS, she transitioned to teaching middle-level English in Anderson 5, where she would spend over half of her career. Finally, Ms. Rogers taught English at Crescent High School for the last two years. "What will you miss most about your position?" "I will truly miss being supported - by my colleagues, by my admin, by the D.O. and the Board of Education. I have not had that before in my career. I can't tell you how many times I have heard "Let me know how I can help you," and when I do ask, I get it!" "What is your favorite memory from being a teacher?" "My favorite memory comes from working one-on-one with homebound students - helping them catch up and succeed." "If you could sum up working in education in a few sentences, what would you say?" "I have learned that for education to succeed, it MUST have top-notch leadership. Unfortunately, our state has suffered for decades due to poor legislative support and leadership of public education, from colleges to preschool. Districts like A3 have excellent district-level leadership, though. Their staff is highly credentialed and experienced, but most importantly, is caring. Their board of education understands the need to support/reward their staff across the board financially and rewards all levels of workers. When staff feels welcomed and supported, they can then "pay it forward" to their colleagues and/or students. This creates success." Congratulations, Ms. Rogers! Thank you for your many years of service educating S.C. students! 💛

Last week, our A3 Team presented to state leaders at the 2021 SCASA Innovative Ideas Institute! The presentation, "From eLearning to Virtual: Teaching Students Concurrently Face-To-Face and Virtual," gave a glimpse into how we were successful during the pandemic!

Congratulations to 2021 Retiree, Mrs. Carolyn Sanders! 🎉 Mrs. Sanders is retiring from Starr-Iva Middle School after serving as an ELA teacher for 17 years! During her career, Sanders also served as a reading enrichment coach and drama teacher/sponsor. Before teaching at SIMS, she taught 4th and 5th grade at Cherryvale Elementary in Sumter, SC. Mrs. Sanders is originally from Trumann, Arkansas, where she was born and later graduated from Evans High School. She met and married her husband, Stephen, of 47 years in Augusta, GA. Together they have two sons, Christopher and Philip. The Sanders family has lived and traveled aboard throughout their lives but lived most of their military life in Sumter, SC, at Shaw Air Force base. Mrs. Sanders earned her teaching degree from the University of South Carolina-Coastal Carolina. While teaching at Cherryvale Elementary, she attended Cambridge College, earning her Masters in Education. After her husband retired from the Air Force, Sanders started looking for a position in the Anderson area. She recalls, "Mrs. Carolyn Brown gave me the opportunity to stretch my "wings" teaching middle school at Starr Iva 2004. I was unsure of teaching middle schoolers, but 17 years later, I found that I love it. My roots started in a small town, and now mine, and my family roots continue to grow in Anderson County." "What is your favorite memory from SIMS?" "The SIMS Club Drama is my favorite memory of my time at SIMS. I was blessed to have been given the opportunity to watch students try new things, put themselves out there, share their talents outside of a classroom, and put aside their fears for a common cause. It was so awesome to watch and observe students take on a challenge, learn to work with other students who they usually would not have met or gotten to know for the purpose of transforming songs, dances, and performances from paper to a totally student-driven live production. It was magically." "If you could sum up working in education in a few sentences, what would you say?" 'Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together" - Scott Hayden "It is the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." -Albert Einstein Congratulations, Mrs. Sanders! Thank you for your dedication to the students of Starr-Iva Middle and Anderson 3! 💛

PowerSchool Parent/Student Portal Is Currently Closed for Summer Maintenance. It will reopen on July 6th!

Congratulations to Retiree, Mrs. Tammy Bowyer! 🎶🎉 Mrs. Bowyer is retiring after teaching Music at Starr Elementary for 27 years! Tammy is a Starr-Iva native and product of Anderson 3. She graduated from Lander University in 1991 with a degree in Music Education with certification in Elementary Education. Mrs. Bowyer and her husband Jeff have been married for 25 years. They have two sons, Jared and Hayden. Jared is a 2018 graduate of Crescent High School, and Hayden is a rising senior. Together they reside in Starr, SC. In her free time, Tammy enjoys singing with the radio as she is driving down the road ("even though people look at me like I am crazy"), meeting new people, making friends, and playing the piano. "What is your favorite memory from working in your position?" "I have several favorite memories I can recall while being the Music Teacher at Starr Elementary. My all-time favorite memory is when I received Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 school year. This was such a profound honor to have my colleagues think that highly of me and appreciate my teaching. Another favorite memory as the Music Teacher at Starr Elementary School is when my After School Chorus Club was invited to sing the National Anthem at the Greenville Drive game. Last but not least, one more favorite memory that stands out in my mind is when I received a bouquet of flowers from the kindergarten teachers and assistants after our kindergarten choral program. It was a terrific surprise and touching expression of appreciation." "If you could sum up working in education, what would you say?" "Everything I've done as the Music Teacher of Starr Elementary School has been for my students. Each student is unique and special in their own way and has the potential to learn. Not all students learn at the same pace but as long they try and give their best, they always deserve credit. Each student needs to be praised and encouraged on a daily basis. As educators, it is our duty to find the "talent" that each student possesses and encourage them to reach their full potential. I pray that I have been the best positive role model towards my students and they will remember what I taught them in order to help them in the future. " Congratulations on your retirement, Mrs. Bowyer! Thank you for your passionate dedication to the students of Starr Elementary and Anderson 3. Enjoy your retirement! 💛

The cutest tiny grads ever! 💛🎓

Meet 2021 Retiree Club Inductee Mrs. Sheryl Bobo! 👋 Mrs. Bobo is retiring after teaching social studies for over 25 years! 🇺🇸 Bobo is originally from Spartanburg, S.C. She is a graduate of Paul M. Dorman High School, The University of South Carolina-Spartanburg, and her Master's Degree in Education is from Converse College. Before becoming an educator, she worked for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal Newspaper in various departments - newsroom, advertising, and the business office. Her Parents met in Spartanburg during World War II. Her Dad was originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and was stationed at Camp Croft - (U.S. Army Camp) in Spartanburg during 1944-45. He met her mom, and they were married in 1945. A couple of years later, they returned to Spartanburg, and her Dad worked his way up in the newspaper business and served as the Production Director and Vice President of the newspaper. Mrs. Bobo's younger sister is Jan De Rosa Easler, who lives and owns her own business in Spartanburg. She has one daughter, Ana, a senior at Oakbrook Preparatory School in the fall. Mrs. Bobo is married to Austin Bobo, a former band director in Spartanburg County School District 6, Clarendon County 3, Florence County School District 1, and Anderson School District 3. They have no children of their own, but over the years, they have parented many. The Bobos recently adopted a five-month-old Goldendoodle named Sully! "What is your favorite memory from working in your position?" "My favorite memory was being awarded Teacher of the Year for Starr-Iva Middle School and the South Carolina National History Day Merit Teacher of the Year. I could not have won either of those awards without having great students who inspired me to be the best I could be for them." "What will you miss most about your position?" "I will miss the students and the moments -when the "light bulbs" came on bright! I will also miss my co-workers, especially those that are my former students. We all know that teaching is not an easy task, but it makes my heart feel blessed that I have had the opportunity to touch so many young people in some small way. That is what I will miss the most!" Congratulations, Mrs. Bobo! Thank you for your many years of dedicated service to the students of Anderson 3. Enjoy your retirement! 💛

Join the A3 Team! 😁🍎 We are now accepting applications for a Kindergarten Teacher at Starr Elementary School! For more details on this position and to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/A3Careers

Meet 2021 Retiree Club Member Ms. Andrea Kelley! 👋🏼 Ms. Kelley is retiring after 31 years as a K4, K5, and 2nd Grade Teacher! (All in Anderson 3!) Andrea started teaching at Iva Elementary in 1990 and then moved to Starr Elementary in 2001. What is your favorite memory from being a teacher? "There are so many! Seeing the progress the students make!! It has always been great to see a child that says they don't know something at the beginning of the year!" If you could sum up working in education in a few sentences, what would you say? "It is a job that is ever-changing! It is mentally exhausting! There is no tired like teacher tired! That exhausting feeling is worthwhile when you see how far the students go!" Congratulations, Ms. Kelley! Thank you for your service to the students of Anderson 3! 💛

Meet 2021 Retiree Club Member Mr. Donald Witcher! 👋 Mr. Witcher is retiring after nine years of service on the facilities team at Flat Rock Elementary. Donald is a graduate of Crescent High School. He joined the Anderson 3 Family after retiring from Owens Corning with 35 years of service. Mr. Donald is married and has one daughter. He is the 7th of 11 children. He has a twin brother and twin sisters! What will you miss most about your position? "I will miss the numerous relationships I've developed with the students more than anything." What is your favorite memory from working in your position? * "Lunchtime, when I get a chance to walk to all the tables and have conversations with the students. Also, I enjoyed identifying and understanding the needs of students and having the opportunity to mentor them." Congratulations, Mr. Witcher! Thank you for your service to Anderson 3! 😊