Creasy Connection
January 10, 2016
Principal Passage...
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2016!
I hope your break was all that you wanted it to be! With our batteries charged, let us get this party started. A Ted Talk below that refreshed my sense of purpose and motivation for the school days ahead.
This newsletter contains many happenings to have on your radar - updated articles. The January calendar notes due dates and events. Down the road, we have three early release days in the future - February, March and April. More info on those days to come.
New Paint - the walls outside the K/1 bathrooms have been repainted. A different paint was used and the holidays let it cure fully. Please, please guide and supervise children that they do not peel the paint. Thanks.
The Haiku and webpage calendars have been update. Please let me know if you see anything not placed correctly.
Calendar Links
- Check it out for updates to the remainder of the year. A staff calendar on the Haiku site - the Whitaker Staff Calendar go to the calendar tab to see the full calendar. Check calendar article below too.
- The second School Wires Calendar is for families on our school website.
Sharon
Forsyth County Teacher Grants
Grants, in amounts of up to $2,500, are available for teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators, and media coordinators in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for various professional growth and enrichment opportunities. Grants are awarded in support of innovative and results-oriented educational opportunities that enable educators to enhance their impact on students and enrich the subject and/or content being taught in the classroom. These projects should expand the knowledge and skills of both teachers and students.
Grant Link - due by February 5th
MOY Sweep Team
The team consist of Bobby Stern, Andrea Sowers, Beth Welsh, JoEllen Weeks, Deborah Harkness, Susan Stephens and me. We will spend a couple of hours each day during the testing window to complete the assessments. The assessments will mean the library conference room, the computer lab and 2/3 work room may be in use at times.
The Friday Report
NC Public Forum Friday Report - late December Report.
Consider these titles...
January 19th Plan
Poverty Simulation - Could You Survive a Month Living in Poverty? If you had to choose among food, shelter, utilities or medication, what would you pick?
I have arranged for us to participate in a two-hour dynamic program to educate us on the reality of living in poverty. Principals had the opportunity to do this last month - it was very enlightening. It includes four 15-minute "weeks" of living where you assume the role of a member in a low-income family. Though play money is used, participants comment on how real the experience is. Many talk of the stress they experience meeting the demands of their situation and keeping their family housed and fed.
We are partnering with the teachers of Easton Elementary in the simulation. The plan is to meet at the Education building on 1/19 at 9:45 am. We will participate from 10 to 12. Lunch on your own and work in classrooms for the afternoon.
Remind - 411 Transportation
Remind an app will allow us to let everyone who signs up know what's happening with bus transportation - whether it’s a late bus or a sub.
Remind is a free app, designed for and by teachers, to communicate with students and parents. With a quick text or email, you can sign up to receive either a text or an email (or both) when we have an update in transportation.
Signing up is easy! You can go to http://remind.com/join and enter the class code @c8fd4a to join the Assistant Principal Transportation Information class. Or you can also text the class code @c8fd4a to 81010 to receive text messages when there are updates.
Mrs. Mikesell has done a good job getting this started. Hope you will encourage bus using families to utilize the information provided.
Middle School Tours
Parents are ask to consider as they plan the following to support keeping learning on track:
- Visit the MS Open Houses - check the school's websites. Many have tour sign-up information.
- Whitaker guides you to visit the week before and after winter break. While we cannot enforce these weeks, perhaps it will help parents focus in their scheduling.
- Consider half days or scheduling multiple visits in the same day.
- Please work to avoid testing or special event days - please avoid EOQ days.
January Calendar
- 1/4 Students Return to School from Winter Break
- 1/5 MOY / Dibels window begins
- 1/6 Staff Meeting
- 1/6 WS Councilman hosts public meeting on crime in area - 6:00 pm WES gym
- 1/7 Middles School Presentation Night 6pm
- 1/12 - 1/14 EOQ Assessments in 3-5
- 1/14 Spelling Bee Names due to Stern
- 1/15 Last Day of 2nd Quarter
- 1/18 No School for Students - Martin Luther King Day
- 1/19 No School for Students - Teacher Workday
- 1/19 Poverty Simulation - Ed Bldg - 9:45 am
- 1/19 Names for Letters of Concern due to Creasy
- 1/20 New Parent Coffee
- 1/20 SIT Meeting 2:45 pm
- 1/21 Report Cards to Creasy
- 1/26 Report Cards go home
- 1/27 MOY / Dibels window closes
- 1/28 Spelling Bee
- 2/4 Invention Convention
A few more items...
- Have the Spelling Bee and Invention Convention on your radar for the new year.
- UPDATE - Chromebooks are here! Once they are cataloged, Mrs. Weeks and Mrs. Randall will deliver them. Look for an email from JoEllen offering a short video on the use of Chromebooks.
- Revised update of the SIP plan has been returned with suggestions from the review team. SIT will review those this month. Additionally, the central office review team will visit in the next month or so to see our plan in action.
- UPDATE - Eagle Scout project was completed recently. There are issues with the stability of the benches. I am working on it with the scout who installed them. In the meantime, children should not use them.
- Please copy me on your classroom newsletters either via email or on paper. This should be at least bi-weekly or weekly.
Whitaker Elementary School
Email: screasy@wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Website: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/wes
Location: 2600 Buena Vista Road, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
Phone: 336.793.6740
Twitter: @WhitakerWSFCS