Satchel Ford

Each Sunday evening, parents/guardians will receive an email with a message from Dr. Scandrol, our principal, about events and activities happening at Satchel Ford during the upcoming week. Please be sure to read the information so you know what is happening at school that week! When you complete your enrollment verification each year, please be sure that you include your updated email address so you will receive these messages. If you are not receiving the emails, please contact the school office for assistance.

Teachers use a variety of methods to stay in touch with families, and they’ll let you know their preferred way of communicating at the start of the year.

Many teachers send home newsletters with important reminders and updates, these may be weekly or monthly. Teachers will also communicate through an app called TalkingPoints. Be on the lookout for information on how to connect with your child’s class through this app.

Each Friday, your child will bring home a communication folder. These folders include graded work, teacher newsletters, flyers from the PTO or school, and any additional information your child’s teacher needs to share.

Be sure to follow Satchel Ford PTO on Facebook and Instagram! We share fun photos of activities happening at school, important dates, information about upcoming events, etc. The school website also has information to help parents.

Parents can log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal to review their child’s grades and attendance record throughout the year. In addition, you should log into PowerSchool each year to complete the enrollment verification form to allow your student continued enrollment at Satchel Ford for the following school year. The school will notify parents when that form is available for you to complete.

If you don’t know your child’s student ID to create an account the first time you log in, please contact Kelly Foster in the front office or 803-738-7209. After that, you will log in with your created user ID and password.

Morning Drop-Off Procedures at Satchel Ford

• Bus riders arrive at 7:00 a.m. and unload at the front of the school.
• Car riders may be dropped off between 7:05–7:30 a.m.
• Kindergarten, 4th, and 5th grades: Use the car line parallel to Satchel Ford Road (right turn just past the gravel teacher lot).
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades: Use the main entrance car line at the front of the school.
• Families with multiple grades: Use the drop-off area for the youngest student.
• Walkers enter through the front door.

Important Traffic Guidelines:

• Enter the car line from Satchel Ford & Briarfield intersection only.
• Stay in a single line off the roadway—do not block Satchel Ford Road or cut the line.
• No left turns into or out of either car line.
• Do not pass another vehicle
• Do not leave your vehicle unattended in the carpool line at any time
• Do not let children out of the vehicle on Satchelford Road or Oakhill Road 

Breakfast & Supervision:

• Breakfast is served from 7:05–7:25 a.m. in the cafeteria.
• Before 7:20 a.m.:
• Grades K–3 wait in the cafeteria.
• Grades 4–5 wait in their hallway.
• Students are released to classrooms at 7:20 a.m.
• Tardy bell rings at 7:30 a.m.

Both drop-off car lines end promptly at 7:30 a.m. If your child arrives at school after 7:30 a.m., you must park your car and walk your child into the main office to sign him/her into school. He/She will receive a tardy slip before going to the classroom.

Afternoon Pick-Up Procedures

Afternoon pick-up will follow the same pattern as morning drop-off.

• Bus riders will dismiss at 2:30 p.m. from the front of the school.

Once buses have departed:

• Kindergarten, 4th, and 5th grades: Pick up at the car line parallel to Satchel Ford Road.
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades: Pick up at the main entrance car line.

Carpooling students should be picked up at the location for the youngest student.

These students are called walk-ups, and parents can pick them up from the side door to the cafeteria near the gravel visitor parking lot.

Students who live near the school and walk home will be dismissed from the front door of the school.

Several nearby daycares pick up at Satchel Ford. We encourage you to check your daycare to find out if they pick up at Satchel Ford. For students going to daycares, they will meet in the courtyard by the front of the school and will be escorted to their daycare vans.

If your child needs to go home a different way than usual, you need to communicate with your child’s teacher that you are giving permission for the change in your child’s dismissal procedure and any instructions the teacher may need. For example, if your child usually goes to aftercare at dismissal but instead will be picked up as a car rider, you should contact your child’s teacher in writing (via email or through the classroom communication app like Class Dojo or Remind) with all of the details.

If your child needs to leave school early, you should go into the main office to sign him/her out. Students are not permitted to be signed out after 2 p.m.

As part of a federal grant awarded to Richland One, all students at Satchel Ford are provided with FREE breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is served in the cafeteria from 7:05-7:25 a.m. We encourage students to eat lunch at school as well! The meals are healthy and allow students to try new food items. Review the weekly menus and don’t worry about packing a lunch for your child!

Monthly menus will be posted to the SF PTO social media channels.

Braves Aftercare is a paid program offered by Satchel Ford for students who need childcare after school. It is staffed by Satchel Ford teachers and runs from 2:30–6 p.m. each school day, starting on the first day of school. The program is NOT open on school holidays, early dismissal days, staff development days or parent conference days. Students will have time each day to work on homework, play outside and eat dinner.

Registration for Braves Aftercare starts near the end of each school year for the following school year and continues through the summer. Registration forms are available in the front office.

We look forward to welcoming new Braves to Satchel Ford! Student enrollment must be completed online here.

The Satchel Ford PTO is an extremely active group of parents who work tirelessly to improve our school, support our teachers and help provide the best experiences for our students. Our executive board and committee chairs plan events and activities throughout the year. We would love for you to join the PTO to help financially support our school. To join, complete the PTO Membership Form, and you’re all set!

We have many ways for parents to volunteer! The first step is to complete the Volunteer Application. All parents must be approved by Richland One in order to volunteer at Satchel Ford. It takes a few weeks for the application to be processed, so we encourage you to do it soon! Also, complete the PTO’s Volunteer Form so we can get you plugged into helping in various ways at school!

Satchel Ford offers a variety of activities for students to participate in after school, including Run Hard, Stock Market Club, Unified Club and more. Some clubs are only offered for students in Braves Aftercare but others are open to anyone. Look for more information at the start of the school year.

Spirit Nights are held throughout the year, usually at a local business. When families purchase from the restaurant or store and mention Satchel Ford at checkout, a percentage of their sales will be donated to our school. A complete list of Spirit Nights will be sent out at the beginning of the school year and will be posted on the PTO website. Mark your calendars for these events, and take a night off from cooking dinner or enjoy some retail therapy while supporting your school.

Yes! The AAP (Advanced Academic Program) is for students in grades 3–5 in the subjects of reading and math. Students are identified based on various testing processes. Richland One tests all 2nd graders for AAP identification for 3rd grade. Students in grades 3–5 may be identified based on their S.C. Ready scores.

Satchel Ford is an Arts in Basic Curriculum-recognized school and places a huge emphasis on the arts, which is why you’ll find students attending related area classes in drama, dance, art and music. Brave Arts provides support to the arts teachers and plans arts-related activities throughout the year. Students participate in grade level performances. In addition to the arts, students receive instruction in Spanish and PE.

The Satchel Ford PTO started and continues to support the Farm at Satchel Ford on our campus. We have chickens and a thriving garden to give students hands-on learning opportunities.

The PTO also provided the support to install a disc golf course for our students and the community to enjoy.