Dear District 7 Families and Community,

There is something special about the beginning of a new school year. New classrooms, new teachers, new friendships and new opportunities bring an energy all their own. And now, just four weeks into the 2026–2027 school year, that excitement is turning into something even more meaningful as our students settle in, find their rhythm and embrace all that lies ahead.

This year, our District 7 theme is Mission Accepted — and across our schools, I see our mission coming to life daily. Our students learn, create, ask questions, take risks and discover what they are capable of achieving. Our teachers and staff meet them with the encouragement, expertise and care that make those moments possible.

Of course, no mission is accomplished alone. One of District 7’s greatest strengths has always been the people who surround our students. Each of us plays an important role in creating the opportunities and experiences that help our students grow, overcome challenges and move forward with confidence.

This school year has just begun, but there is already so much to celebrate and look forward to. As you read this issue of 7Headlines, I hope you enjoy a glimpse into the learning, accomplishments and special moments taking place throughout District 7.

Mission Accepted!

With gratitude,

Jeff Stevens

Superintendent

On August 3, D7 faculty and staff filled Viking Arena with energy and excitement as we officially launched the 2026–2027 school year in true D7 style! From the always-anticipated Parade of Flags — with each school bringing a surprise twist to their entrance — to celebrating the incredible educators and staff who make District 7 such a special place, the morning set the tone for our year ahead.

ABOVE: Don’t miss these 20 minutes of pure D7 fun! The Parade of Flags is always one of the most anticipated moments of Opening Convocation, but this year’s may have been the best yet! From surprise songs and creative themes to choreographed dance moves, every school brought the energy — and the arena was loving every minute of it.

Watch the full procession above and see if you can pick a favorite. We’re not sure we can!

Following the excitement of the Parade of Flags, Superintendent Jeff Stevens took the floor to officially launch our 2026–2027 theme, Mission Accepted. His message challenged our District 7 family to embrace every opportunity, overcome every obstacle, and stay focused on what matters most: our students. He reminded us that our greatest strength has always been our people, and that in every classroom, school, office, and department, each of us has a role in helping students discover their potential, learn from challenges, and keep moving forward.

The mission is clear.

Our purpose is unwavering.

Our team is ready.

Mission Accepted.

Don’t miss Dr. Stevens’ inspiring Opening Convocation remarks in the video above, followed by a powerful performance from The Corporation, Spartanburg High School’s incredibly talented show choir, bringing his message to life with Shakira’s Try Everything.

Every day, our teachers accept the mission to help students grow, achieve and believe in what’s possible. At Opening Convocation, Mr. Stevens celebrated the teachers at each school whose students achieved the greatest i-Ready growth in math and reading. Congratulations to these outstanding educators for moving learning forward and making a difference for students!

ABOVE: Alicia Fulmer, District 7’s Teacher of the Year, reminded us that accepting the mission begins with something beautifully simple: believing in a child. Drawing from more than 20 years in District 7 as both an educator and a parent, Alicia reflected on teachers, coaches, mentors and staff members whose seemingly small moments of encouragement left lasting fingerprints on her life and the lives of her three children.

She reminded us that every role matters, whether we teach, drive a bus, prepare meals, coach, counsel, greet families or care for our schools. We may never know the full impact of the seeds we plant, but every relationship, every interaction and every encouragement can help change the trajectory of a child’s life.

As Alicia challenged us: Will you build relationships? Will you inspire? Will you equip? Will you make sure every child knows they belong?

The mission is ours. Mission Accepted.

Watch Alicia’s full message above.

Teachers of the Year

One of the morning’s highlights was announcing our 2026 District Teacher of the Year, Marissa Drake, a third grade teacher at Jesse Boyd Elementary. Marissa creates a classroom where curiosity is encouraged, confidence takes root, and every child knows they belong. Her joyful spirit and unwavering dedication to her students make her an exceptional educator and a wonderful choice for District Teacher of the Year. We also proudly celebrated the Teachers of the Year from each school — a group of dedicated educators who inspire students every single day:

• Marissa Drake – Jesse Boyd Elementary
• Victoria Brewton – Cleveland Academy of Leadership
• Ann Caudle – Drayton Mills Elementary
• Taryn Schorr – E.P. Todd School
• Jennifer Miller – Mary H. Wright Elementary
• Anna Hodge – Pine Street Elementary
• Amy Abel – Carver Middle School
• Connor Bridges – McCracken Middle School
• Bevin Seay – Spartanburg High School
• Cheye Hammond – Whitlock Flexible Learning Center
• Serena Bristol – McCarthy Teszler School

Crystal Apple Awards for First-Year Teachers

The Crystal Apple Awards recognize outstanding first-year teachers who are already making a meaningful impact in the classroom. Their passion, energy, and heart are helping students believe in themselves from day one. Congratulations to Emma Horner, Primary Montessori teacher at E.P. Todd School, who is our 2026 District Crystal Apple Award Winner! In her very first year, Emma embraced the mission of nurturing confident, curious learners and has already made a lasting impact at E.P. Todd.

2026 Crystal Apple Award Winners:

• Keana Beason – Cleveland Academy of Leadership
• Sierra Bishop – Drayton Mills Elementary
• Emma Horner – E.P. Todd School
• Cayla Gregory Leatherwood – Mary H. Wright Elementary
• Daniel McCutcheon – Pine Street Elementary
• Alexia Bailey – Carver Middle School
• Jason Caudle – McCracken Middle School
• Emily Kessler – Spartanburg High School
• Gaurav Bohara – Whitlock Flexible Learning Center
• Courtney Hall – McCarthy Teszler School

Support Staff of the Year

Our schools shine because of the incredible people working behind the scenes. From classrooms to cafeterias, buses to offices, these individuals are the glue that holds our district together. 2026 Support Staff of the Year Honorees include:

• Deon Miller — Jesse Boyd Elementary
• Danniell Williams — Cleveland Academy of Leadership
• Tyler Jenkins — Drayton Mills Elementary
• Treva Ledford — E.P. Todd School
• Mary Lou Vann — Mary H. Wright Elementary
• Bill Lukaswitz — Pine Street Elementary
• Jeff Smith — Carver Middle School
• Christy Thompson — McCracken Middle School
• Joey Sams — Spartanburg High School
• Brenda Lindsey — Whitlock Flexible Learning Center
• Karen Miller, Patricia Uribe & Henry Villanueva — McCarthy Teszler School
• Matthew Banish, Donna Elmore & Ricky Talley — Transportation
• Mike Tolleson — District Support Operations Center (DSOC)
• Pam Sims — District Office

Thank you for accepting the mission and making a difference for our students, staff, and families every single day.

Thank you to these students who represented their schools as participants in Opening Convocation!

Just days before students returned to school, District 7 celebrated an exciting milestone with the July 30 opening of Little Vikings D7 Employee Childcare on the campus of Mary H. Wright Elementary.

The new center provides D7 teachers and staff access to safe, affordable and nurturing childcare, helping ease one of the very real challenges facing today’s educators and working families. And from the moment Little Vikings opened its doors, the excitement extended well beyond District 7. Local media outlets visited the center to share the story of this unique investment in employees and the impact it can have on recruiting and retaining outstanding educators.

For teacher Lauren Miller, that impact is already personal. She shared that the availability of employee childcare was a key factor in her decision to join District 7 a year ago. With baby number two on the way, her story is a powerful example of how Little Vikings is already helping attract talented educators.

Led by Early Learning Coordinator Moira Scheel, Little Vikings is much more than a childcare center. It represents an investment in our employees, our families and, ultimately, our students. When we take care of the people who care for and educate our children, the entire District 7 community benefits.

This is only the beginning! A second Little Vikings location is underway s part of the new Jesse Boyd Elementary, extending this support to even more District 7 families in the future.

Little Vikings is already making headlines!

We couldn’t have asked for a better introduction for Little Vikings or a better way to showcase this exciting new benefit to current and future teachers and staff.

Watch the FOX Carolina story and read the Spartanburg Herald-Journal article below.

What a difference a few months can make!

The new Jesse Boyd Elementary is rising quickly, and the latest aerial views offer an exciting look at just how much progress has been made. What was once a cleared construction site is beginning to look unmistakably like the school that will welcome students and staff in August 2027.

Major milestones have been reached across the campus. Structural steel and decking are complete, exterior framing and sheathing are in place on the front two-story portion of the school, and storefront windows have been installed. Inside, all concrete slabs have been poured, first-floor overhead and in-wall work is complete in the front portion of the building, and drywall installation is underway.

Outside, rooftop units have been set, work continues on the future bus loop and site infrastructure, and the building is being prepared for another exciting visual transformation as brick installation begins next month.

And there is even more taking shape on this campus. The new Jesse Boyd will also be home to District 7’s second Little Vikings Employee Childcare center, expanding this important benefit for D7 employees when the campus opens in 2027.

There is still plenty of work ahead, but with each new wall, window and milestone, the vision for our Jesse Boyd is becoming a reality.

Mission Accepted – the future is taking shape!

🔗 Learn More About D7 Recent Construction Projects:

• Jesse Boyd Elementary Construction Project
• Transportation Facility Project
• Little Vikings Childcare Center

For several months, District 7 has been refocusing and strengthening our long-standing 1:1 technology initiative to ensure we promote safe, purposeful, and balanced use of technology and AI. We are listening to input from our teachers and families as we develop new guidelines and select tools and resources that best serve students academically and support their overall wellbeing.

Importantly, we recognize our decisions must be driven by data and best practices. At the end of the 2025-2026 school year, nearly 400 D7 teachers provided feedback about how technology is used in our classrooms, how it impacts our students, and what they believe is needed for the future. All of this has led us to begin this school year with a new set of guidelines and initiatives designed to better support teachers and students. 

We view this as a shared responsibility between school and home, and we are committed to partnering with families to help our students use technology in ways that support their learning, wellbeing, and long-term success.

Among the key changes families will see this year:

• Apple Classroom gives teachers greater ability to guide and monitor student device use during instructional time.
• Our new Digital Ready curriculum helps students build skills need to be safe, responsible and thoughtful participants in an increasingly digital world.
• A new AI “traffic light” guide gives students clear expectations about when artificial intelligence may — or may not — be used on assignments. Green means AI use is permitted, yellow means it may be used in limited or teacher-directed ways, and red means the work should be completed without AI.
• Teachers are using the Triple E Guide to consider whether technology truly engages, enhances or extends student learning before incorporating it into instruction.
• District 7 has also refocused the use of i-Ready so it remains a targeted instructional resource rather than a substitute for high-quality classroom instruction.
• At the elementary level, student devices now remain at school, helping create greater balance between technology use and other learning and activities.

Together, these efforts are part of a larger commitment to prepare students for a technology-rich future while protecting the things we know matter most in education: strong teaching, critical thinking, meaningful relationships and rich learning experiences.

Technology is an important tool, but it is just one tool. And across District 7, our teachers are showing every day just how much learning can happen beyond the screen.

Learn more about these initiatives in our website news story.

A great education has always been rooted in strong teaching, meaningful relationships, and experiences that spark curiosity and bring learning to life. Across District 7 classrooms, our students are already diving into creating, building, experimenting, collaborating, discussing, moving and discovering!

D7 teachers design engaging experiences that put students at the center of learning and give them opportunities to apply what they know in meaningful ways. Here are just a few examples of learning in action across District 7.

E.P. Todd students are working together to create class mission statements, build relationships, learn new routines and dive into new lessons.They are actively engaged in their learning while building the skills and relationships that help a classroom community thrive. It’s all part of growing together and making every day count.

Pencils are moving and ideas are taking shape at Cleveland Academy! Students put pen to paper as they listen, think, respond and capture their learning in their own words — building the focus, comprehension and writing skills that grow through active participation in the classroom.

Eighth graders at McCracken explored Native American history through an inquiry lab that brought the past off the page and into their hands. Students examined artifacts and cultural objects up close, recorded observations, asked questions and used evidence to deepen their understanding of the people and cultures they were studying. It’s a great example of how learning comes to life when students have opportunities to investigate, collaborate and discover for themselves.

Carver Middle School chorus students discovered that great singing involves much more than their voices! Through breathing and airflow exercises, students explored how posture, breath support and body awareness work together to produce a stronger, more controlled sound. By getting out of their chairs and experiencing these techniques firsthand, students were building both their music literacy and a deeper understanding of singing as a full-body skill.

Whether collaborating with classmates or tackling a task on their own, these Drayton Mills Elementary students show what learning looks like when they are engaged, curious and actively involved. A lot of learning. A lot of fun.

Want an easy way to stay up to date on how your child is doing in school? PowerSchool Parent Portal gives D7 families convenient access to important information throughout the school year, including assignments, grades, attendance and class schedules.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to create a PowerSchool Parent account and check it regularly. Staying informed about your child’s progress — and talking with them about their assignments and grades — is one of the best ways to support their success.

All D7 families were emailed a letter with the individual Access ID and Password needed to connect their student to a PowerSchool Parent account. If you already have a working account, there is no need to create a new one; simply add your student using the access information provided.

PowerSchool is also available through the mobile app. District Code: SXCS

Need help getting started? Instructions for creating and accessing your Parent Portal account are available here, or you may contact your child’s school office for assistance.

D7 teachers, school leaders, and district administration communicate regularly with parents and guardians. While Email is our primary method, we also send recorded phone calls and text messages when information is particularly timely or important. Our communications software can only send text messages to parents/guardians who opt in to receive them, since data and message rates from individual carriers may apply.

If you would like to receive text messages sent by District 7, subscribe by texting the word "YES" to 79041.

Just like last year, every District 7 student will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch each school day through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. Families do not need to complete free and reduced-price meal applications to take advantage of this benefit.

The CEP program applies to full meals only. Individual or special sale items, as well as extra meals, may still be purchased with cash or with funds on a student’s account. Families remain responsible for any unpaid meal balances from prior years, which may be paid in full or through a payment plan.

For families who prefer to pack lunch from home, students can still take part in free school meals through our new Lunch Box Helper program. This allows students to supplement their home lunch with healthy options from the cafeteria, ensuring they get a balanced meal each day. Here’s how it works:

• Students can choose items from the school menu to supplement their lunch.
• They must select at least 3 out of 5 food groups offered in the cafeteria (fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and milk).
• One of those choices must be a fruit or vegetable.
• When those guidelines are met, the items are provided free of charge.

It’s a simple way to make sure your child has a balanced, nutritious meal every day — even if they pack from home.

We’re excited to offer both these program to support our students and families — fueling healthy minds and strong learning all year long!

The school year may have just begun, but we already have some royally exciting news to share! Next spring, District 7 is having a ball — and YOU are invited — as Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella takes the Fine Arts Center stage!

Musicals have long been a treasured tradition in District 7, bringing students of all ages together for an unforgettable experience both on-stage and behind the scenes.

This year, we’re stepping into an enchanting world of grand celebrations, unexpected transformations, a royal romance and, of course, one very important glass slipper.

With beautiful music, dazzling costumes, plenty of humor and all the excitement of a royal ball, Cinderella promises to be a spectacular production with opportunities for students across District 7. From Cinderella and the Prince to the Fairy Godmother, stepsisters, townspeople and members of the royal court, there will be roles for singers and non-singers alike, plus plenty of other ways for students of all ages to be part of the magic.

So, polish those glass slippers and don’t be late! Auditions are expected to begin in October for students in grades 6–12 and in December for students in 5K–5th grade. Details will be shared soon.

The curtain rises April 22–25, 2027, at the District 7 Fine Arts Center. Cast members must be available to participate in ALL performances.

Save the date, spread the word and get ready! District 7 is going to have a ball!

The student journalists of Spartanburg High School are back at work, and the first "mini issue" of Norse News is now live! SHS’s award-winning student publication gives Vikings the opportunity to report on the stories, people and happenings that matter to their school and community, all while developing their own voices as writers, photographers and journalists.

Read our students' tips on finding your place among the many clubs available at SHS, a recap of the recent Alumni 5K, a student view of Spartanburg’s new 7 Brew, their take on the NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule for college athletes, opinion pieces on the lost art of boredom and whether proteinmaxxing has gone too far, student impressions of the latest film adaptation of The Odyssey, and more!

Congratulations to the talented Norse News staff on a fantastic start to the year. We can’t wait to see the stories they tell next!

Read the first issue of Norse News:

https://shsnorsenews.org/

Superintendent Stevens joined in the fun with his always-popular selfies, capturing smiles and school spirit across District 7. These moments reflect the joy, connection and sense of belonging that make D7 such a special place. Our students and staff are ready for the year ahead. Mission Accepted!

Pine Street families traded the classroom for the ballpark for their first Hub City Spartanburgers Spirit Night! Students, families and staff came together for an evening of baseball, ballpark treats and plenty of school spirit — a fun way to build community and make memories beyond the school day.

Viking athletics is making history this school year with the debut of boys volleyball! The team welcomed Wade Hampton for their inaugural home match, marking an exciting new chapter for Spartanburg High athletics. Congratulations to our players and coaches for blazing a new trail — we can’t wait to cheer you on throughout this first season! Go Vikings!

At Cleveland Academy, students are starting the year by helping shape the kind of classroom community they want to be part of!

Working together, students created and chose their own Codes of Cooperation — shared commitments for how they will learn, work and treat one another throughout the school year. The process gives students a voice in setting expectations while building ownership, responsibility and a strong sense of community from the very beginning.

It’s a great example of learning that goes beyond academics — helping students grow as collaborators, leaders and classmates.

And we’ll end our trip around D7 on a sweet note! At McCarthy Teszler School, staff were treated to delicious doughnuts — a simple gesture of appreciation for the people who give so much to our students each day.

We appreciate all of our D7 staff and the many ways they make our schools such special places to learn and grow. Thanks for making D7 extra sweet! 

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College Colors Day

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District DP/Student Holiday

It’s Football Season in Viking Country!

Friday nights are back at Viking Stadium! Whether you’re looking for the 2026 Viking football schedule, tickets, stadium guidelines, parking information or everything you need to know before game day, we’ve put it all together in one convenient place.

Your Guide to All Things Viking Football →

And be sure to mark your calendars for Homecoming on Friday, October 9! We can’t wait to see our D7 families, students, alumni and community filling Viking Stadium and cheering on the Vikings.

See you under the Friday night lights! Go Vikings!

It's easy to stay connected to everything happening in District 7 and Viking Nation!

📲 District 7 App

The District 7 app keeps you in touch with our schools—whenever and wherever you need it. With just a tap, you can:

• Read the latest news and updates
• Check upcoming events
• View lunch menus
• Find staff directories
• Receive important notifications

Search for “Spartanburg District 7” in the App Store or Google Play, then personalize it to follow your specific schools and turn on alerts.

🏈 Viking Athletics App

Cheer on our SHS athletic teams and follow all the action on the NEW SHS Athletics website: spartanburgvikings.org. For mobile convenience, download the “Spartanburg Viking Athletics” app in the App Store or Google Play and stay current on all things Blue & Gold.

Want even more? Get in-depth coverage of Viking Football on their dedicated site: spartanburgvikingsfootball.com.

To get the most out of the D7 app, check out the short video above for tips on customizing your settings and making the app work for you. And follow us on social media for the latest announcements and offerings:



• Facebook: SpartanburgD7
• Instagram: @spartanburgd7
• YouTube: @SpartanburgSchoolDistrict7