Good evening, PSA families! 

     It was a busy and exciting week at PSA this week! We ended our week having some fun by having our first House Competition, which was a “College Spirit Dress Up Day!” Please check out our social media pages this weekend as we are posting photos from today's spirit day of students and staffulty who dressed up!

Special thanks to our families who were able to make it to our Open House on Wednesday. If you were unable to attend, here are the slides presented at Open House. Please reach out directly to teachers and staff for further questions or more information. Here is what we have coming up at PSA next week and beyond!

“Attitude of Gratitude” Shoutouts Are Back! -

• Do you have a shoutout and/or positive feedback you would like to give a staffulty member or about PSA? Head over to our home page to submit an “Attitude of Gratitude” form to let us know who deserves a reminder that THEY MATTER!
• Here are two shoutouts we received from PSA Stakeholders - 
  • Ms. Zuber - Instructional Coach and Title Coordinator
    • “Ms. Zuber has been so positive, helpful and knowledgeable. Her support is so appreciated. We are lucky to have her here at PSA.”
  • Mr. John Christopher - PSA Parent Volunteer - PSA VOLUNTEERS MATTER TOO!
    • “Parent and VEX Robotics volunteer John Christopher saw a need in Mr. Frye's classroom and made him this custom lectern! 

Before & After School Traffic and Safety Notice - Mr. Reyes

Dear PSA Families,

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation with our before- and after-school traffic procedures. To help ensure smooth traffic flow and the safety of our students, please remember the following:

• • Back Loop Traffic: All cars that need to use the traffic light toward Ashley Phosphate and Summerville should continue to use the back loop for pick-up and drop-off.
  • Front Loop Traffic: The front loop is reserved only for students, staff, and families exiting toward Joint Base Charleston and/or I-526. (The map was shared in a previous Friday Letter for reference.)
  • Student Parking: Students must display a valid 25/26 parking pass to park in the front lot.

Urgent Safety Reminder:
We have received multiple reports of individuals speeding through the parking lot and driving in the wrong lanes in an attempt to bypass traffic. I personally witnessed one of these unsafe incidents at dismissal. Please know that any actions that endanger the safety of our students, staff, or families will result in serious consequences in line with PSA policy and the law.

We ask everyone to remain patient and mindful during arrival and dismissal times. No rush is worth risking the safety of our school community.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our campus safe.

Sincerely, 

Mr. Reyes

Club & Extracurricular UpdatesHouse Updates - Mr. Sweeney

• We are quickly organizing our Club Fair, and we want all of our students to be engaged and involved. After all, they are a huge part of what makes PSA great! 
• If there is a club that your student is interested in starting, please encourage him/her to talk to one of the teachers about sponsoring the club so we can make it happen. It's our goal for all 500+ students to be involved in at least one club!
• Counselor’s Corner - Ms. Widener (H.S) & Ms. Andersen (M.S.)
• Virtual SC - The yearlong and Fall registration window is currently closed.  Spring registration will open for 11th/12th grade students on January 14 and for 9th/10th grade students on January 21.
• Dual Enrollment - Fall 2 registration is currently open now through October 17.  Please register NOW if you plan to take courses during this term.  Spring 2026 registration will open on September 29 - Please do not submit Spring course requests before this date as they will be denied by TTC.
• Seniors - College Application Week will be October 20-24 and we plan to hold a Senior Workshop Night in the next few weeks.  Please be on the lookout for more information via email from Ms. Widener.
• College Applications - Seniors are strongly encouraged to apply to colleges through Common App.  Please begin creating your accounts and be sure to add Ms. Widener's info as your school counselor.

Title I Updates - Ms. Zuber

• Qualification of Staff/Teachers/Paraprofessionals:
• Dear Parents and Guardians:
  • In compliance with the requirements of the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA), PSA would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) and/ or paraprofessional(s).
  • The following information may be requested:
  • Whether the student’s teacher –\
    • has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
    • is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and
    • is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.
  • Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
• Should you have any questions about your child’s teachers or paraprofessionals and/or information regarding Title I you can access certification information at https://ed.sc.gov/educators/public-lookup/  
• If you wish to request information concerning your child’s child’s teacher’s and/or paraprofessional’s qualifications, please contact our Title I Coordinator Jillian Zuber at jillian.zuber@psaschool.org. 

Mr. Ogletree - 7th & 8th Grade Updates 

• A Heartfelt Thank You from Mr. Ogletree,
  • I want to sincerely thank all of our 7th and 8th grade families who have donated supplies. Your generosity goes a long way in making sure our 7th and 8th grade teachers and students have what they need to succeed and stay healthy.
  • I also recognize that times are tough for many families, which makes your support even more appreciated. For those who are still interested, we are continuing to accept supply donations—every little bit makes a big difference. Thank you again for all you do for our students and our school community!

Registrar’s Desk - Ms. Brown 

• If you are not receiving emails or text messages, please contact us:
  • Email: denora.brown@psaschool.org
  • Call: 843-300-4118, press 2

Athletics (Website) - Coach Philip Keefe (Athletic Director)

• Please continue to check our Athletic Newsletter on Monday's and periodically throughout the week for updates with schedules, activities, & ways to be involved with Athletics.  
• Uniform deposit ($100.00) cash or checks need to be turned into the Athletic Office.  
• Participation Fees (Fall sports, $75.00) need to be paid through RevTrak or BigTeams.
• The Athletic Department is excited to announce the hiring of Rakim Gregory as our new Girls Basketball coach.  Please click on Coach Gregory's name for a short bio.  An interest meeting with Coach Gregory for our ladies and parents will be announced early in September.

Parent Community Association (PCA) -

           Join the PCA!

• The Parent Community Association (PCA) is looking for new members, and we would love for you to join us! Every family that signs up will be entered to WIN a special prize. The winner will be announced in next week's Friday Notes, so be sure to check them out!

• Parent Volunteers Needed!
  • Our school thrives on the incredible support of our parent volunteers. Please consider signing up for one of our committees to help make a difference this year.
  • Grant Committee: Help us find and apply for grants to secure additional funding for school programs and resources.
  • Fundraising Committee: Join our team to help plan and run events that raise money for various school initiatives.
  • Beautification Project: Lend a hand with our gardening and landscaping efforts to help keep our campus beautiful.
  • General Volunteer List: Sign up to help with one-time events and other needs that pop up throughout the school year.
• To learn more or sign up, please visit the PCA page on the school website or use our easy sign-up form here.
• Thank you for your support!

Mark your calendars -  

• August 30 - Cross Country 7:15am @ Fort Dorchester Invitational 
• September 1 - Labor Day - No School
• September 2 - Volleyball 5:00 JV & Varsity @ Home vs North Charleston
• September 3 - Cross Country 5:30pm @ Berkeley (Old Santee Canal Park) 
• September 4 - Volleyball JV & Varsity @ Cathedral Academy  
• September 8 - Volleyball JV & Varsity @ Lowcountry Wildcats (Northwood Baptist Church)
• September 29 - Picture Make-Up Day is 
• May 22 - 2026 Graduation Ceremony (May 21 - MANDATORY Graduation Practice)

 

 

We hope everyone has an amazing LONG holiday weekend! To all our PSA families and community members, please don’t forget,