<b>School calendar for 2018-19 approved</b>

The Beaufort County Board of Education has approved the district’s academic calendar for the 2018-19 school year. The first day for students will be Monday, August 20, 2018, and the final day of classes will be Friday, May 31, 2019. The 2018-19 calendar includes a two-week winter break, a preference indicated by parents and district employees in online surveys last year.&nbsp;

Current state law mandates that no South Carolina public school can begin classes prior to the third Monday in August, which this year is August 20.&nbsp;Various staff development days are dispersed throughout the calendar, and three possible weather make-up are included: Wednesday, Nov. 21; Monday, June 3; and Tuesday, June 4.

Holiday dates with schools closed for students are Sept. 3 (Labor Day); Nov. 6 (Election Day) Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving); Dec. 24-Jan. 8, 2019 (winter break); Jan. 21, 2019 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day); February 21, 2019 (teacher work day); April 15-19, 2019 (spring break); and May 27, 2019 (Memorial Day).

<b>Coastal foundation&nbsp;</b><b>offering scholarships&nbsp;</b>

Coastal Community Foundation, a grant making organization serving coastal South Carolina, has opened 2018 applications for its scholarship programs, including the General Scholarship Program, Reverend Pinckney Scholars Program, and Rufus J. Barkley Jr. Leadership Scholarship Program. Awards from the General Scholarship Program range from $500-$2,000 for students residing in Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester counties. Character, academic success, involvement in extra-curricular and community activities, financial need, academic success, aspirations and ability to overcome obstacles are all considered in scholarship applications, but selection criteria varies by award. The deadline for these scholarship applications is March 16. For more information, contact Caroline Mullis Rakar at caroline@coastalcommunityfoundation.org or visit www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org.&nbsp;

<b>Superintendent’s town hall meetings to be held</b>

Town hall meetings for parents and community members to meet with Beaufort County School District Superintendent Jeff Moss will be held throughout the spring.

“We welcome and encourage feedback from parents and community members, and our twice-yearly town hall meetings in each cluster provide productive forums for questions, discussions and sharing information,” Moss said.

The scheduled meetings are:
<ul>
	<li>Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Battery Creek High School</li>
	<li>Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Bluffton Middle School (Spanish-language meeting)</li>
	<li>April 24, 6 p.m., Beaufort High School</li>
</ul>