A message from Dr. Rick Maxey,

Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control released the highly anticipated COVID-19 statistics for Horry County. This weekly disease activity report currently rates Horry County at a medium spread level. This means that Horry County Schools will begin the first day of school on September 8, 2020, with the Hybrid Instructional Model.  Student schedules will be available in PowerSchool on Wednesday, September 2nd, no later than 5 P.M.  Students enrolled in brick-and-mortar schools will also learn their scheduled groups as well.

 

Students in Groups A and G will begin in-person instruction on Tuesday, September 8th. 

Students in Group B will begin in-person instruction on Wednesday, September 9th.

While students enrolled in the K-12 HCS Virtual School will not be attending the brick-and-mortar schools in person, their schedules will indicate they are in Group E.

 

We are excited to welcome our students back both to our school buildings and to our virtual classrooms.

So if I can't get into the Student/Parent Portal on Wednesday, should I call the school to get my student's schedule?

No!  Please do not call the school.  The schedules are being generated and distributed at the District Office and the Student/Parent Portals will be available once the District Technology department has all the schedules loaded to the computer system.  The staff at the school will not have access to student schedules any earlier than the students will.

How will I know what group my student is in?

Each schedule will have a letter on it to designate which Hybrid group the student is in.  Please see Dr. Maxey's statement above for your start dates.

August 24, 2020

Good evening Brave Nation!

Next week we will begin our process of passing out devices to our students. If your student still has their device from last year, we need it turned in as soon as possible so it can be updated and reimaged.  Please assist us with bringing in these devices between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Devices will only be issued to students on Monday and Tuesday who have completed the following items:

1. Registered for the 2020-2021 school year.
2. Signed the PDL Parent/Student Acceptance Form.
3. Paid the $25 technology insurance fee.

If you have completed all these requirements, please plan to pick up your device during the following distribution times. Please limit to only two people per family (Student and Parent/Guardian) and you must wear a mask.  For our students that already drive, you do not need to have your parent/guardian present.  Please park in the teacher parking lot in front of the school and we will have signs directing you where to go.

Device Distribution - for HCS Virtual and SHS Brick & Mortar Students

• Monday, August 24, 2020
• 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 25, 2020
• 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• If your student attends the Scholars Academy, ATA, AAST or HCEC, they will get their device from those schools.
• Please go ahead and fill out the PDL agreement form and pay the $25 tech fee for your student on MyPaymentsPlus if you have not already done so.  
• https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome
• E-Learning Device Form 20-21 - revised 8-10.docx

No Book Bag Policy

We have had many questions about the no book bag policy. There are plenty of lockers on campus to meet the needs of our student body.  I will also suggest, if your student feels they need something to keep them organized, look at purchasing a laptop sleeve. It is an easy way to carry their device, pens/pencils, and a small notebook.  It is also very helpful for searches, because they can unzip the laptop sleeve easily to assist with searches. 

Virtual Orientation Day

• Thursday, September 3, 2020 
• We are in the process of creating a virtual open house for all parents and students.  It will give you an opportunity to get valuable information prior to the first day of school. We will send out the link Thursday, 8/3/20, at noon via email and social media.  

Please utilize our Socastee High School website (https://www.horrycountyschools.net/Socastee_High_School) for the most up to date information, along with our social media platforms (Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SocasteeHighSchool & Twitter https://www.twitter.com/SocasteeHS ). We continue to update information on all of these platforms. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at JRich@horrycountyschools.net.  Once a Brave, Always a Brave!

Sincerely,

 

Jeremy Rich

 

Jeremy Rich, Principal

Socastee High School

When is the first day of school?

The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8, 2020.  A decision as to the method of learning for that week will be made after the DHEC Health report is released on Monday, August 31st.  

Will there be orientation for students?

We are planning and creating a virtual orientation and open house for all parents and students.  This is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2020. It will give you an opportunity to get valuable  information prior to the first day of school.  We will send out the link at noon via email and social media on that day.

What is my Student Gmail address and password?

Your student Gmail email address will look like this:  Username: FirstnameLastname@g.horrycountyschools.net  Password: Adcdef7 Note: this password is your laptop login password.

How do I login into Google Classroom?

Mr. Rhue, our Technology Coordinator, has provided this quick YouTube tutorial on how to login to your Classrooms for the first time.  You will need your HCS Gmail address and your laptop password. View this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88idNZxeZbo

My laptop is slower than our home computer and devices.  Is there a problem with it?

No.  The school laptops are configured with filters and regular updates.  This tends to slow the units down.  It's very important to always keep the laptop at full charge as much as possible and just as important to power completely off at the end of each use (not just close the lid)... they will continue to run and drain the battery causing slowdowns and freeze-ups to occur.

We missed Device Distribution on August 24th and 25th.  How can we get our student's device?

Devices will be distributed again on Monday, August 31st from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.  The same requirements as before must be completed.  If you still do not have your device after August 31st, please contact Mr. Rhue at crhue@horrycountyschools.net and give him your student's name, grade level, date of birth and student id number.  We are working hard to issue all students their devices.  However, your student must be registered in order to receive a device and there is a 24-hour period between registration and the laptop becoming available.

When is Device Distribution?

Devices (laptops) for Socastee High students attending HCS Virtual school or SHS Brick & Mortar (regular school) will be distributed on Monday, August 24th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday, August 25th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What are the requirements to pick-up my device?

You must have completed the following items in order to receive your device:

• Registered for the 2020-2021 school year;
• Signed the PDL Parent/Student Acceptance Form; and
• Paid the $25 technology insurance fee.

If you have completed all three of the above items, please plan to pick up your device during the above pick-up times.  You must wear a mask and limit entry to the student and one parent/guardian.  For students who already drive, you do not need to have your parent/guardian present.  You will park in the teacher parking lot in front of the school.  Look for signs directing you.

My student still has his/her device from last year.  Can't they just keep it and use it for this year?

No.  The devices need to be turned in so the software on them can be updated.  Please help us and bring any devices still at home to the school between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  If your student still has a device out they will not receive another device until it's been turned in.

What if I attend a program school or HCEC?

If you attend Scholars Academy, ATA, AAST, or HCEC, you will get your device from your assigned school.  Look for information from your school regarding their device distribution instructions.

What is the PDL Parent/Student Acceptance Form?

All parents and students must sign this form in order to pick up their student device.  Please sign the form and bring it with you.  The form can be found here: 

PDL Parent/Student Acceptance/E-Learning Device Form?

What if I haven't paid my student's $25 tech fee?

All student fees can be paid on MyPaymentsPlus at: MyPaymentsPlus

My student will be driving to school, how do I get a sticker/pass for them?

You need to pay for your student's parking sticker on their MyPaymentsPlus account.  Once you've done that, you may pick up the sticker at the school the day after it's been paid for starting at 9:00 a.m. 

What are the parking regulations?

Please see the parking regulations here.  This document must be signed and presented at the time you pick up your parking sticker.

What safety precautions will Socastee High be using?

We are so glad you've asked.  The staff currently in the building are following all CDC and SCDHEC guidelines and recommendations.  With the start of the school year, we will be adding the following:

• All students and staff members will be required to wear a mask.
• Additional Sanitation Stations will be throughout the building.
• Signage and markings will be throughout campus to assist with social distancing measures.
• All students will still go through searches every day when we get into the Hybrid or five days a week face to face models.
• We are instituting a No Book Bag Policy.  Please see the section on this subject for further information.

Are visitors allowed in the school?

We are sorry, but due to current circumstances, SCDHEC guidelines, and HCS re-opening guidelines, visitors to the building will be allowed on a limited basis only.

• Approved visitors will be allowed to the front desk and main office only.
• All visitors will wear a mask when in the building at all times.

I've heard that book bags will not be allowed in the building, is this true?

To ensure the safety of our students and staff the decision had been made that no bookbags would be allowed.  We would like to make the following clarifications:

• Ladies may bring a small purse or clutch;
• Lockers are available for all students;
• If students feel they need something to keep them organized, look at purchasing a laptop sleeve;
• We are allowing clear book bags or clear drawstring bags.  

Please see the policy on Book Bags under the Policy section of this webpage for more information and examples of what is and is not allowed.

Can students bring lunch to school?

Yes, students may still bring their own lunch in a container or lunch bag, but will be required to open the container during searches.  

• Staff members will not touch or dig through a student's belongings during searches, the student will be required to assist with searches.

Update on Meals for all Students --

We are happy to be able to inform all parents that through a waiver from the USDA, all students will be receiving free breakfast and lunch through December 31st, 2020.  Students will "Grab-and-Go" a breakfast in the morning on their way to 1st block.  Lunch procedures will be explained to students during the first week of school.  

I've paid all my student's fees for the 2020-2021 school year.  Doesn't this mean he/she is registered?

Not necessarily.  All returning students must go through the registration process every year to make sure their information in the computer systems is correct.  The school started notifying parents in April of registration for the 2020-2021 school year.  Registration is completed through the Parent Portal for each student under the menu option Registration (2020-2021).

What if I haven't been able to register my student?  I can't access my Parent Portal account.

Your student will not be able to receive his/her device until registration is complete.  If you have not completed the registration process, please email our registrar, Miss Meehan at SHRegistration@horrycountyschools.net or dmeehan@horrycountyschools.net.  Please make sure you include your student's name and birthdate in the email along with the best phone number to contact you at.

Please NOTE -- September 1st Registration Update --  The Parent/Student Portal has been locked to all students and parents while the District Office runs student schedules for the District.  If you haven't completed your student's registration, you will need to wait until the Portal is unlocked on Wednesday afternoon/early evening after student schedules have been released.

My student is going to be attending HCS Virtual School and I registered him/her then.  

Unfortunately, you didn't register your student, you signed your student up for HCS Virtual School.  Your student is still associated with Socastee High School and still has to be registered through the Parent Portal the same as every year.  

The Registration system will not allow me to complete registration and is 'timing out'.  

We apologize for any issues with the registration system in the last week.  Due to the heavy use it has been getting during the daytime, the system may experience periods of slow down and lags.  Some helpful hints have been to try to use the system earlier in the day or early/late evening and clearing your cache on your device you're using if you are experiencing error messages.  In addition, always remember to click the "Next" and/or "Submit" buttons at the bottom of each page and at the end of the process click the "Save & continue" option from the button in the top right corner.

Where can I go to get more information?

Please utilize this website for the most up to date information for the school.  

You can also follow us on:

Facebook: SHS Facebook Page

Twitter: SHS Twitter

Both our Facebook and Twitter sites can be accessed from the bottom right page on any page of our website.

For general information related to Horry County Schools please continue to visit our District website at: Horry County Schools