Principal's Weekly Update
Volume 2 Issue 23: January 17, 2021
Message from Mrs. Aulmer
I have been asked about students returning to the building for instruction. At this time, all of our students will be continuing remotely with synchronous classes. We will look at data once progress reports go out on February 5th to determine any needs for our exceptional students. Any updates on a potential return to the building for all students will be shared with families as soon as a decision is made to move forward with a different plan.
We have a virtual parent night scheduled for Monday, January 25th (please see flyer below). This session will focus on ways to motivate your scholars during distance learning. TMSA/QCSS will also host a family engagement night on Thursday, January 28th at 6 pm. This night will consist of celebrating School Choice Week and why our families Love QCSS. We will have a magician join the show at 6:15 pm.
This semester we will be working on ensuring our students have been exposed to and mastered the required essential standards for their grade level. This will enable our scholars to be prepared for the 2021-2022 school year. For the grades and subjects that have EOG's, we will continue to work on test taking strategies with our scholars to help them be prepared in May.
We are now accepting applications for K-11th grade for next school year. If you have any family or friends who are interested in attending Queen City STEM School for next year, please ask them to visit our website at queencitystem.org and apply for our lottery. Our lottery will be held in February.
Thank you for your continued partnership with QCSS as we work to make this a successful year for all of our scholars! I hope everyone continues to stay safe and healthy.
NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK: I LOVE MY SCHOOL!
Each year, the celebration of National School Choice Week is important for our schools. This year, we will celebrate virtually from January 24-30. Together, we would like to take time to reflect on the resources we are given and the remarkable experiences we have within our schools. Without school choice, we would not be given the opportunity to choose from amazing educational opportunities such as the ones we offer within TMSA Public Charter Schools.
We will celebrate differently this year, but one thing that the virtual environment we now live in has offered is that of greater collaboration and unity. With that, we will be able to come together across all TMSA Public Charter Schools and unite for an evening of gratitude and celebration of School Choice! Please plan to join us on Thursday, January 28th, at 6 PM for an evening of celebrating and virtual magic show for all families! We will send information with the link and more soon, but in the meantime, please save the date!
As part of our celebration, we will be asking families and students to share some appreciation in a few ways.
Students, individually or with families, can video themselves performing the School Choice Week Dance for 2021. You may view the information here. You can also send a video messages of “I love QCSS because..“ You can then submit the video to the google folder provided below. We will share these with our stakeholders, and the best videos will also be shared on January 28th!
Families can record brief testimonials of how school choice has had an impact on your lives.
The video should be 30-60 seconds long.
The camera should be of the best quality you can use, and you should record in a quiet, well lit area.
Please do not hold your phone vertically (or in portrait orientation) while recording. Holding it horizontally (or in landscape orientation) makes your video seem more aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to watch when viewed on a widescreen.
Children and parents are welcome to share their voice!
Once complete, please submit the recording to the provided google folder (below).
Families can write positive reviews of your schools on local websites. Successful school choice is often built upon referrals and positive reviews from other families. This is your chance to do that!
You can just simply google "Queen City STEM School," and leave your review on Google by simply clicking on "write review."
You can also review your school on greatschool.org or niche.com by simply searching your school in their search engine.
QCSS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15GrLCUkZTJc2XcJaehLnuIP_4JgbztMw?usp=sharing
Digital Portrayal of QCSS
If you believe that we are doing something good and doing our best to make a difference in the lives of our students please go to the links below and write a review of QCSS. I would like to state that we do not want anyone to feel compelled to write a good review, but if you do, please consider completing one. We would like to see a balanced portrayal of our school in the online world.
1. Google Reviews: Please just simply google "Queen City STEM School." You will see the Google descriptions of our school on the right pane. You can click on "write review" to write reviews for Google.
2. GreatSchool.Org: https://www.greatschools.org/north-carolina/charlotte/11902-Queen-City-STEM-School/
3. Niche.Com:
https://www.niche.com/k12/queen-city-stem-school-charlotte-nc/
School Counseling Schoology Groups
Our Guidance Counselor, Ms. Bagley, has created Schoology groups for our students to help students receive resources during virtual learning. The groups include Social and Emotional Learning activities, character education lessons, and much more!
If your scholar is interested in joining the groups, please have them use the access codes below to join.
The group access codes:
K-2 School Counseling Group: 3K54-K6KH-X746P
3-5 School Counseling Group: NQGT-WNHG-NVVX7
Shout Out a Staff Member
If you have a teacher or staff member that you would like to "Shout Out" or "Brag" on, please go to the the link below and give them a shout out. The little words do go a long way! Thanks.
What's Happening at QCSS?
Monday, January 18th: NO SCHOOL for students
Monday, January 25th: Virtual Parent Night (see flyer below)
Thursday, January 28th: Family Engagement Night at 6 pm with a Magician at 6:15 pm (more information to come soon)
Monday, February 1st: Character Ed Read Aloud: Facebook Live at 8 am
Wednesday, February 3rd: Dine with the Deans on Facebook Live at 12 pm (Noon)
Thursday, February 4th: Board Meeting at 6:30 pm
Friday, February 5th: Progress Reports Go Home

Remote Instruction Schedules
Please follow the schedule below for your scholar's grade level. Students' daily schedules will be from 9 am until 2 pm. There will be a time for students to complete assignments for their specials areas teachers, a lunch break, and time for homework/physical activity/ and or one-on-one time with their teacher(s).





FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
1) What are the phone numbers for the campuses?
Elementary Campus: 980-299-6633
Secondary Campus: 980-321-7744
2) Who do I contact if I need my Powerschool login information and/or to update my contact information?
Ms. Williams – jwilliams@queencitystem.org
3) Who do I contact if I need my student google login information?
Mr. Bushman, IT Coordinator- sbushman@queencitystem.org
4) I need a chromebook, who do I contact?
Mr. Bushman, IT Coordinator- sbushman@queencitystem.org
5) My chromebook isn’t working/battery is low, what do I do?
Mr. Bushman, IT Coordinator- sbushman@queencitystem.org
6) I’d like to talk with a school counselor. Who can I reach out to?
Ms. Bagley: kbagley@queencitystem.org
7) Are there any resources for parents to help with remote learning?
https://sites.google.com/dpi.nc.gov/remote-learning-resources/home/parent-resources?authuser=0
8) My scholar has an IEP who can I speak with?
Ms. Robinson: hrobinson@queencitystem.org
9) My scholar has a 504, who can I speak with?
Ms. Bagley: kbagley@queencitystem.org
10) Can we use a tablet for virtual instruction?
As long as you are able to access ZOOM, Schoology, and any other platform the teacher will be using.
11) Will speech therapy or occupational therapy be remote as well?
Yes, the service provider for speech and OT will be reaching out to families soon. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Robinson.
12) Will tutoring be offered?
Yes, please reach out to your scholar(s) teacher(s) to discuss options
13) How does my scholar access Schoology?
You must use the following website: queencitystem.schoology.com
-If you received a chromebook from the school, your scholar will be logged in when they enter the website above.
-If you are using a personal device, then you will need to make sure you are logged in with your QCSS Google information.
-Codes are not needed to access classes in Schoology. All class schedules are pulled from PowerSchool.
Video to show you how to login.
14) When I log in to Powerschool I see my student's grades from last year, how do I see this year's grades?
If you are using the app you may need to log out completely and sign back in to refresh the data.
15) My scholar attends the secondary campus who is the principal?
Mr. Alkan is the principal for the secondary school. You can reach him at malkan@queencitystem.org
16) My elementary scholar has four (4) special area classes assigned to them. How do I know what class to tell them to attend daily?
This is up to you and your child. The scholar must complete one (1) assignment per class each week. We suggest that you make a schedule together and stick to that schedule. An example is: Monday- music, Tuesday- Art, Wednesday- PE, Thursday- STEM Class.
Remember that your first point of contact should be your scholar's teacher(s). If you have questions about navigating platforms, assignments, or grades, please reach out to the teacher via email. Also, please utilize the school's website for distance learning information. queencitystem.org
Board Meetings
-Thursday, February 4, 2021 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
-Thursday, March 4, 2021 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
-Thursday, April 1, 2021 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
-Thursday, May 6, 2021 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
-Thursday, June 3, 2021 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
Box Tops for Education
THE NEXT GENERATION OF BOX TOPS IS HERE.
Box Tops is changing to fit today's families. The new and improved Box Tops mobile app uses state-of-the-art technology to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your school's earnings online.
Please download the Box Tops for Education App from your App store, sign up, connect with QCSS and begin earning money for the school.
