Visitors
Visiting Our Schools
To keep students and staff safe, SDPC requires visitors, volunteers, and vendors to enter through each school's office and sign in to KeepnTrack. When you visit Forest Acres, you will also be asked to show your picture ID to the receptionist, wear your KeepnTrack badge while you are in our schools and sign out of KeepnTrack before you leave. Thank you for your help in following our procedures for safety in our school!
Sex Offenders Registry
Pursuant to Section 23-3-535 of the 1976 Code of Laws of South Carolina, the School District of Pickens County is providing a link to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Sex Offenders Registry.
Classroom Observations
The School District of Pickens County will permit classroom observations under specific guideline. These guidelines will apply to all parents, agency representatives, consultants or other professionals selected by the parents/guardians, and others who are allowed to observe classroom instruction and activities.
Volunteers
We support and encourage volunteerism . Volunteers work in cooperation with schools to help meet the needs of the children and the school staff and to represent the community in fulfilling its responsibility to the schools beyond merely tax support. Volunteers supplement and complement the work of the classroom teacher. Volunteers make a difference to many people—children, families, teachers, and the entire community. Volunteers give students a chance to see parents and other interested citizens involved in school activities in a helping relationship.
Volunteer Training
Each volunteer who will have direct contact with students must receive training from a district school and submit to a Sex Offenders Registry check. Volunteer training will address bloodborne pathogens, sexual harassment, and volunteer procedures at the local school. At each training, each volunteer will be given a flier outlining important facts on bloodborne pathogens, SDPC's policy on sexual harassment, and the SDPC volunteer policy.
All volunteer training will be conducted at schools. Training at one site will apply to all SDPC schools (be sure to tell your trainer what schools you wish to volunteer in). Check with Forest Acres if you need to be volunteer trained. A training session schedule will be available on our district website as we receive information from the schools. Please note: it is important for you to get your training early in the year while there are numerous sessions available to accommodate your schedule. You may attend a training session at any of the schools in our district.
Forest Acres 2024-25 VOLUNTEER TRAININGS (all trainings in the FAE Cafeteria):
Thursday - October 3, 2024 at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Thursday - November 7, 2024 at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Thursday - January 9, 2025 at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Thursday - February 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Thursday- March 6, 2025 at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Click here to see the PICKENS COUNTY Volunteer Training Schedule - You can train at any SDPC school
IMPORTANT! - Volunteers who have had the training in past years are required to renew their eligibility each year by updating their application and attending an annual volunteer training session. No longer will the SDPC offer abbreviated trainings for renewing volunteers. All volunteers will complete full volunteer training EVERY YEAR.
The Volunteer Training Schedule will be updated as we are notified of sessions at schools. Please contact your child's school for more information.
Background Checks
In addition to training, the district requires a background check through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for all persons who chaperone students on field trips and those who escort or supervise students without a district employee present.
PLEASE NOTE: All SLED checks must be processed through the School District of Pickens County. We will not accept background checks run by another agency, school district or individual.
Background checks are effective for three school years.
The cost of the background check is $25 and must be paid by the volunteer to the school at the time of volunteer training.
Checks must be written to the school and included with the initial volunteer application or request to renew eligibility.
Volunteers who need background checks should arrange to have them completed early in the year. Background checks must be requested and paid for two weeks before the date of any field trip.