Drayton Mills Elementary -

Today, D7 students and staff showcased their school spirit in style, rocking colors from every corner of the collegiate world! Whether they were representing the SoCon, Ivy League, SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, or any other league, the vibrant display of school spirit truly made our schools shine! ✨ From classic crimson and orange to bold navy and gold, our halls were alive with a rainbow of collegiate pride. It was a joyous reminder of the diverse paths our students can take and the shared love of learning that unites us all. Now it's your turn to join the celebration! Share your favorite college team in the comments or post a pic from your College Colors Day! 📸👇 We’d love to see how you showed your spirit! And for those craving some thrilling football action, don’t miss out on tonight’s SHS game as they face off against Dutch Fork under the lights at Viking Stadium, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. 🏈🔥 https://www.spartanburgvikings.org/ We’ll see everyone back at school on Tuesday, September 6. Until then, have a fantastic and safe Labor Day weekend! #d7isgoingforgreat #ToInspireAndEquip #CollegeColorsDay

College Colors Day - Friday, August 30 This Friday, District 7 will join other school districts across the country in celebrating National College Colors Day. We hope you will participate by wearing your favorite college t-shirt, team jersey, or colors. As D7 focuses on our mission to inspire and equip, and grows a culture of college readiness, we embrace this annual celebration by encouraging students, parents, employees, and community partners to participate. Whether our students choose to attend college or travel a different pathway to success, we all love cheering for our favorite team and we are ALL Going for Great! We can’t wait to see College Colors Day in action on Friday!

This Friday, August 30, 2024 is College Colors Day! DMES students and faculty are encouraged to wear the colors of their favorite college or university.

WE DID IT, SPARTANBURG! NEW Jesse Boyd Elementary School and NEW Mary H. Wright Elementary early-childhood wing anticipated Fall 2027! The unofficial result of the referendum vote is 73% YES – Thank you, Spartanburg! “Today, residents of District 7 chose to create a brighter future for students, teachers, staff, and families. They chose to invest in a thriving community by ensuring District 7’s long-standing commitment to providing excellence in education continues. And for that, we are deeply grateful,” said Superintendent Jeff Stevens. “It has been incredibly rewarding to meet with District 7 residents about these projects through our community info meetings over the summer. Our conversations reflected the shared commitment to the future of our children and schools that has long been a hallmark of this community. Investing in these developments will not only enhance our educational facilities and our students’ learning experience, it will also help fill a critical need for lower-cost childcare to ensure education remains a viable and rewarding career for teachers and staff. This is about securing a brighter future for our students and creating an environment where our educators can thrive both professionally and personally. Spartanburg answered the call to make it all possible – thank you and let’s GO!”

The District 7 Referendum vote is TODAY, Tuesday, August 20 from 7 AM - 7 PM at your regular polling location! Get all the details on the projects on your ballot here: spartanburg7.org/referendum2024

🍎 We're beyond excited to welcome our students back tomorrow, D7! Monday marks the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, and we can't wait to see all your smiling faces as we kick things off together. 📸 Help us capture the excitement by tagging us in your first day photos with #d7isgoingforgreat on Facebook or Instagram. Let's celebrate the start of an amazing year! #D7isGoingforGreat #ToInspireAndEquip #OurD7story

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AT DMES ON DAY ONE! We are SO grateful to have your child at Drayton Mills Elementary School (DMES)! Visit our website https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills for a quick summary of what you need to know as we start the year on Monday, August 12!

Good Afternoon Dalmatian Nation! Due to unforeseen circumstances with the weather, we need to cancel today's Meet the Teacher event. The event has been rescheduled for tomorrow from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thank you for understanding.

District 7's schools and offices will open at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7th so our employees can gather for our annual Opening Convocation. This special kick-off for the new school year is a celebration of the important role each member of our D7 faculty and staff plays in the lives of our students and families. Please note that all District 7 facilities will be closed until 11 a.m. Wednesday and thank you for your understanding.

Tax Free Weekend is here! Through Sunday, you can save when you buy school supplies, computers, clothes, bedding, and more, in-store and online as eligible purchases will be tax free! Items include clothes, bedding, and school supplies, plus big-ticket purchases like computers and band instruments. Here’s some last-minute tips for making the most of this weekend https://dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend

Our next Referendum Community Info Meeting is coming up next Tuesday at 6 pm at the District 7 Fine Arts Center on the Spartanburg High School campus. Please join us! As a reminder, we will also have meetings at noon and 6 pm on August 13 at Mount Moriah Baptist Church and at 6 pm on August 19 at the District 7 Fine Arts Center at SHS. The complete meeting schedule is below along with the information about our July 30th meeting. You can watch the presentation Superintendent Jeff Stevens is giving at our community meetings on our spartanburg7.org/referendum2024 webpage as well as read through many other details about the need for these projects and their cost.

The Spartanburg County Health Department will host an immunization blitz clinic ahead of the new school year. The event will be held on August 5 at the Spartanburg County Health Department located at 120 Dillon Drive from 9 a.m. to 3;30 p.m. Traditional appointments are encouraged. You can make an appointment by calling 1-855-472-3432. Walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. You can visit SC/DHEC for this school year’s vaccine requirements: https://scdhec.gov/health/vaccinations/childcare-school-vaccine-requirements

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! DMES Meet the Teacher is August 8, 2024, from 3 pm to 6 pm. Students return to school on Monday, August 12, 2024. Each day, our doors open at 7:00 am. Students enter classrooms at 7:35 for breakfast, and learning begins by 7:45. Please visit our school website for our student supply list at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills.

District 7 schools and offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day on July 4th. As we celebrate and enjoy time spent with loved ones, we honor the values that unite us as a community and nation. Together, let's continue to strive for a future where knowledge, understanding, and compassion prevail. Wishing everyone a safe and joyous Independence Day!

Dalmatian Nation- We are SO excited to announce, Thurman Evans, II as our new Assistant Principal here at DMES! Mr. Evans joins us from McCracken Middle School where he served as a leader on the District’s Instructional Framework team and taught 7th grade Social Studies. During his 12 years in education, he has served in multiple leadership roles focusing on curriculum and instruction along with mentoring. His enthusiasm for learning and ability to build positive relationships make him the perfect fit for our community. Please join us in celebrating Mr. Evans! To view his bio, please visit our website at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills/page/leadership-team

Dalmatian Nation- We are SO excited to announce, Adena McDaniel as our new Assistant Principal here at DMES! Mrs. McDaniel is an inaugural staff member of Drayton Mills Elementary School, serving as a music teacher and helping to build a student-centered, arts-enriched community. She has been a vital part of our school's success and has served our D7 community for 25 years. Her passion for assisting students with their academic success and growth through the arts is what makes her perfect for our school community. Please join us in celebrating Mrs. McDaniel! To view Mrs. McDaniel’s bio, please visit our website at https://www.spartanburg7.org/o/draytonmills/page/leadership-team

Summer Reading Camp in D7 is a BLAST! Our principals and district administrators had just as much fun being guest readers as our students did hearing them. We grow and learn TOGETHER in D7. This week, Summer Reading Camp students had an extra treat with a visit from our last guest, Alex Saunders, a children’s book author, illustrator, singer, songwriter. The kids LOVED him! Dream big, students…seeing others do what they love is one important way we inspire and equip! #ToInspireAndEquip #TEAM7

District 7 extends a warm invitation to families in Spartanburg to participate in our summer meal program for 2024. We're providing free individual meals served at various community sites and as part of summer school and other structured programs at our school sites. Please note that meals must be enjoyed on-site, per Federal program regulations. While our school sites are exclusively serving enrolled summer school students, some community sites are open to anyone aged 18 and under. This initiative is made possible thanks to the United States Department of Agriculture's Summer Meals Program. We anticipate serving over 6,500 free meals to students this summer, thanks to our wonderful partners. Find out more and check the schedule on our website:[https://www.spartanburg7.org/summermeals.

D7 is holding a series of community forums in June, July, and August to inform residents about our capital plan and the August 20th referendum, and to give everyone the opportunity to ask questions. We hope you attend one or more of these meetings! The schedule is below and also on our “Referendum 2024” webpage, which contains quite a bit of detail on the projects, costs, referendum vote, etc.: http://spartanburg7.org/referendum2024 Referendum 2024 Community Information Forums Monday, June 10 – City Council presentation, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. Monday, July 15 – Drayton Mills Elementary School, 6 p.m. Tuesday July 30 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 13 – Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, noon and 6 p.m. (two sessions) Monday, August 19 – District 7 Fine Arts Center at Spartanburg High School, 6 p.m. We will share this information via our D7 social media outlets, local news media, and several other efforts to communicate with the community. Please help spread the word by sharing our posts and any other avenues of communication you have within the community!

Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Today, we are excited to celebrate the amazing men and women who help our children get to school safely every day. We thank you for your tireless dedication and commitment to our students and families, and we have produced a special video to express our appreciation for all that you do. From double-checking safety measures to assisting students with special needs, you make our mornings brighter and our afternoons smoother. We are so grateful for the important contributions you make to our community. Here's to all the school bus drivers out there that keep our students safe and positioned for success! ❤️🚌 Watch here: https://fb.watch/qn8_17PaNb/ #SchoolBusDriverAppreciationDay #ThankYouBusDrivers #GratefulParents #TEAM7