09/07/2026
🐾 HAES Weekly Parent Updates – Week 3
This is Dr. Hill with your weekly updates from HAES! As we head into our third week of school, I have a few important reminders for our Panther families.
🚌 1. Transportation & Car Line
Transportation is still being adjusted, so we continue to ask for your patience and flexibility with afternoon bus arrival times. Our drivers are still learning their routes, and we are adding new students to routes daily. Things are improving, but it does take a little time for everything to settle into a routine.
Please remember that we cannot accept transportation changes over the phone. This is a safety issue because we must be able to verify who is requesting the change. If you need to make a transportation change, please come into the school to complete a bus or car note. If you are new to our school, please be prepared to provide identification.
Our car line is getting MUCH better, but we still have some confusion with the traffic pattern. I cannot reinforce this enough: PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK GILES BYRD ROAD. This is for your safety and the safety of the vehicles behind you.
Please turn down the correct road, travel all the way to the back of the school, make the large circle around the back, and then come back toward the front. Please do not attempt a three-point turn on the dirt road. We have staff stationed in the back to help guide you through the process.
Thank you for helping us make dismissal safer and smoother!
🎁 2. Candyman Fundraiser Begins Tomorrow!
Our first fundraiser of the year begins tomorrow! Students will be bringing home information about our Candyman Fundraiser.
There are lots of great items available, including some wonderful wrapping paper, and all orders will arrive before Christmas!
Please consider supporting our school. We rely heavily on our fundraisers to provide the extra activities and experiences we want to offer our students and families, including events such as our Guardian Gala in the spring. Every order helps us give back to our students, and we greatly appreciate your support!
⏰ 3. Early Dismissal Reminder
Please remember that we do not allow early checkouts after 2:00 p.m.
We also encourage families to avoid checking students out early whenever possible. We teach from bell to bell at HAES, and important instruction continues until the end of the school day.
Frequent tardies and early checkouts add up quickly and can result in students missing a significant amount of valuable instructional time. Every minute matters!
📱 4. ROOMS — Our New Communication Platform
Columbus County Schools is now using ROOMS for school and teacher communication instead of Remind.
Your child's teacher has information available to help you get connected. Please make sure you are connected to ROOMS so you don't miss important classroom announcements, school information, and reminders.
If your phone number changes at any point during the school year, please notify the school as soon as possible so we can update your information in our system. Having accurate contact information is extremely important.
As always, thank you for your continued patience, flexibility, and support. We have had a great start to the school year, and we appreciate our families working alongside us to make HAES the best it can be.
Have a wonderful Week 3, Panthers! 🐾
— Dr. Hill
