Cheetah Chronicles
April 18th, 2021
Important Dates
April 21st-Asynchronous Day
May 5th-Asynchronous Day
May 19th-Asynchronous Day
May 26th-Asynchronous Day
May 31st-Memorial Day-No School
June 21st-Last Day of School
School Calendar
Symptom Screening Reminder
Temperature Checks and Screenings will no longer be conducted when students arrive to school. Adults/Parents should ensure that students should not be in school if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, exposed to someone with COVID-19, instructed to quarantine, or if they are sick or experiencing any of these symptoms:
100.4° fever or higher
Sore throat
New cough
New shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
New loss of taste or smell
Diarrhea or vomiting
New severe headache
Yearbook Ordering! Order Deadline: May 14th, 2021
Yearbook Ordering will be ONLINE ONLY this school year. The cost for the 2020-2021 Yearbook will be $20.00. Please visit strawbridge.net and click the “order pictures and yearbooks” button at the top of the page. The HSES Yearbook code is FMYB102142. The May 14th, 2021 ordering deadline is firm. Please contact Ms. Pickrel at apickrel@wcpss.net with any questions regarding yearbook ordering.
IMAGE LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ioInrP7qRqCz-GblA3cWRLUdKj-RxnK/view?usp=sharing
Has Your Phone Number/Email Changed?
Attendance Letters
Attendance UPDATE
Please read the guidelines outlined below regarding Attendance.
If a student is in Plan A and does not physically attend, the student should be marked absent per Policy 4400. If a student is not physically attending for reasons that would not be considered excused under section C of Policy 4400, then the student should be marked absent as unexcused.
If a student in Plan A requires quarantining due to a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 or exposure, the student should be marked absent-excused, similar to a student who is absent for any of the reasons in section C of Policy 4400. Any students who are absent for excused reasons per Policy 4400 should be provided remote learning access that is available at the school.
There is an expectation for all teachers to continue providing updates and assignments in the teacher’s google classroom/Learning Management System.
Kindergarten Registration Round Up for 2021-22
If you have a child in your home or know a neighbor who has a child at home who will be 5 by August 31st, please go ahead and get them registered for kindergarten. We need to know how many students and staff members to plan for in the coming year. Don’t wait!
Information about the WCPSS Kindergarten Registration process can be found by clicking here.
If you have questions about the registration process, please call our front desk, and we will connect you with Ms. Ligons, data manager, aligons@wcpss.net.
Important: Bus Riders Requesting Transportation While Opting Out of Virtual Academy
Eligible bus riders currently in Virtual Academy returning to in-person learning must apply for bus service. The student must meet all transportation eligibility requirements. Students must also submit the daily attestation form. Bus assignments will not be provided until the attestation form is received. Parents should be guided to the transportation website to apply for service (wcpss.net/busrider) and to submit the attestation form (wcpss.net/busform). Requests made for transportation will be closed after three days if the attestation form is not received, and the parent will be notified. Students will be assigned to a bus as quickly as possible after the attestation form is received. Typically, riders are assigned within a few days after the department receives all required information. Depending on the volume of students returning to in person learning, it could be longer.
Title 1 Pre-K in WCPSS
Apply Before April 30 for Pre-Kindergarten for the 2021-22 School Year
WCPSS offers a free, high quality pre-kindergarten program for children who will be 4 years old by August 31. Students spend the full day at school with their classmates learning skills appropriate for their age through exploration and discovery. The goal is to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Information about WCPSS’s Pre-Kindergarten options can be found by clicking HERE. Applications must be submitted by April 30. (All pre-Kindergarten enrollment decisions are made at the district level.)
The Pre-K Title I application process opened in December. Holly Springs Elementary does not have this program, but there are other sites in WCPSS that do provide these services. Parents should follow the procedure below if they are interested in applying for the program:
Pick up the universal application from HSES or any WCPSS elementary school or print it from the Smart Start website (wakesmart.org) or from www.wcpss.net/PLTitleI
Complete the application
Attach the required documents
Mail or take the application to :
Wake County Smart Start
4901 Waters Edge Drive, Suite 101
Raleigh, NC 27606
919-851-9550
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS April 30, 2021
Parents must attend a screening event to be eligible for Pre-K Title I placement
Documents/information for students returning to the building and for any family who has not completed the following:
Review the Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols and Technology Guidance
Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols Signature Page: This form MUST be signed and returned before your child’s first day.
Turn in/complete Bring Your Own Device Agreement Form, if you are planning to have your child bring a personal device (not the WCPSS Chromebook) to school.
Technology Guidance for returning to school can be found in the linked document
Turn in/complete Bus Attestation Forms if your child will ride a bus at any point this year,
You will need to submit a separate form for each of your children who plan to ride the bus during the 2020-21 school year. Submit form online | Español
Printable Health Attestation Forms in multiple languages (if needed)
If your child needs to take medicine at school, please bring the medication in the original medicine bottle and the completed WCPSS required 1702 form with you.
Lunches & Snacks: We need your help!
Reminder: Cafeteria Meals (2020-21) for Virtual Academy, Remote Learning and In-person
Restorative Practices & Community Building Circles What are they?
Counselor Connection
In SEL (Social Emotional Learning) classroom lessons we are defining and discussing LOCUS OF CONTROL.
Sometimes there are challenging things in life that we have to work through. You may not be able to control which challenges come your way, but you are able to control how you respond.
We are learning what might be in our control and out of our control and how to handle those feelings by talking to a trusted adult, deep breathing or looking at the problem from a different perspective.
Holly Springs Elementary is looking for qualified staff for the following positions:
Substitute Teacher - https://www.wcpss.net/subs
Virtual Academy/Remote Learning Schedule
Scholastic Support Centers
The YMCA is offering Scholastic Support Centers at three convenient locations to assist families in our region. Our YMCA Scholastic Specialists do their very best to partner with parents and school staff to help all our students have a successful experience in remote learning.
See the flyer HERE
· Kraft Family YMCA – 7:30am-6pm
· Apex Baptist Church – 7:30am-3:30pm
· Fuquay-Varina Baptist Church – 7:30am-3:30pm
Registration Link: https://www.ymcatriangle.org/programs/school-programs/scholastic-support-centers
Financial Assistance Link: https://www.ymcatriangle.org/programs/financial-assistance-programs
Wellness Sessions for Families
Positivity Project: Social Intelligence
Social Intelligence Character Card
This week students will discuss social intelligence and how it affects their relationship with others. Social intelligence refers to a person’s ability to understand and manage interpersonal relationships. It is distinct from a person’s IQ or “book smarts.” It includes an individual’s
ability to understand, and act on, the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of other people. This type of intelligence can take place “in the moment” of face-to-face conversations but also appears during times of deliberate thinking. It involves emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
-ERNEST HEMINGWAY
P2 for Families
P2 for Families is an easy and effective way for families to discuss the importance of character strengths and positive relationships. It is differentiated for grades Pre-K – 2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each character strength follows a 1-1-3 model: 1 quote, 1 video, and 3 questions to drive conversations around character at home.
Please choose your child’s grade level on the site linked HERE to be directed to all of the character strengths. CODE NEEDED: P2
Carpool Families
Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure social distancing and safety of your students. We are working to efficiently and effectively keep our carpool line moving. Please help us by doing the following.
Move car seats to the driver sides of the vehicles so that students may exit from the passenger side.
Ensure that your student knows how to buckle and unbuckle themselves into the car or their car seat.
Pull forward to the Holly Springs sign by the flag poles if you need to assist with a harness or seatbelt
Stay in your cars and do not exit vehicles during carpool. Once your student is loaded into the car, it is important that the car be ready to proceed forward.
Please do not drive around other cars to move forward, please wait in line until your car has been ushered forward.
Carpool Tag Registration for 2020-2021 School Year
Thanks!
Online Bus Attestation Form
If your child is going to ride a bus, you are required to submit this form stating that you and your child will abide by all health and safety protocols. Students are not permitted to ride the bus until this form has been submitted. Starting Monday, 11/30, if your family has not submitted this form, and your child is riding the bus, we will notify you of the need to carpool until the form is submitted. You will need to submit a separate form for each of your children who plan to ride the bus during the 2020-21 school year.
Here Comes the Bus App
Transportation Changes
YMCA-Before/After School Program at HSES
The YMCA will offer before & after school programs at HSES for the Spring 2021 (January-June). See the flyer below for more information and pricing!
Plan B Students: Preparing to Return to School
When your child returns to school, he/she will be expected to bring their Chromebook and any other materials we sent out at the start of the year to school with them. In addition, your child’s teacher has communicated if there are any additional supplies your child(ren) should need.
Please note, we cannot accept wipes, hand sanitizer, separate soaps or shared tissue boxes, as they do not meet the safety guidelines in place for the district.
Please review the details in the Return to Campus handbook, as it contains updated information about processes, protocols and expectations for our students. In addition, here are additional resources to review prior to October 26th:
- Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols and Technology Guidance ○ Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols Signature Page: This form MUST be signed and returned before your child’s first day. (In the supply distribution materials)
- Technology Guidance for returning to school
- Bring Your Own Device Agreement Form can be found here. If you plan to send a personal device, (NOT a WCPSS Chromebook), to school with your child, this form MUST be signed and returned before your child brings the device to school. (In the supply distribution materials)
- Practicing all 3 Ws will be expected all day long for students and staff, so if you have not even started these practices at home, now is the time:
- Wear a mask (over your nose to completely cover the nose & mouth)
- Wash your hands thoroughly (i.e., use soap & water for 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer)
- Wait at least 6 feet apart, even when wearing a mask
Click HERE for the letter sent to Plan B families with more information.
Funding Available for Families Impacted by Remote Learning
To help support families impacted by remote learning, Wake County Government has launched a new assistance program called WakeSUPPORTS. WakeSUPPORTS provides funding to working parents, so they can afford to pay for their K-8th grade student to attend virtual school at a safe location with reliable oversight, or receive before and after school care. It also can pay for fees that accompany subsidized childcare for families who meet specific income criteria. To access this support fill out and submit the online form at wakegov.com/WakeSUPPORTS. The application is available in both in English and Spanish. Residents can also pick up an application in person at Wake County’s Swinburne, Northern Regional Center, Eastern Regional Center or Southern Regional Center. If you wish to obtain an application over the phone, you can do so by calling 919-212-7621 or you can email wakesupportschildcare@wakegov.com.
Technology Tips & Resources
Do you have questions about the Google tools your student is using at school? Do you want to know more about available features? Check out Google’s Tech Toolkit for Families and Guardians
Book Check Out/Pick Up-UPDATE
Library book request and pickup is going very well. We would like to extend the days books can be picked up to Monday-Friday 9:00-3:00. Book request and the book return is located near the bus loop under the front awning. On inclement weather days these items will be located in the front lobby. Students can check the "my Stuff" tab in their follet account to see when books have been checked out to them and are ready for pickup. How-to videos are located on the Follett page in the students Wakeid portal.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to email Ms. Dixon--sfdixon@wcpss.net.
ESL Updates
School Messenger Updates
You can opt-in to receive School Messenger updates via text message by texting YES to the shortcode 67587 or replying with a YES to the opt-in text message we will send to your phone.
More information on School Messenger, including how to manage the manner and devices you get messages delivered to you, can be found here.
Face Coverings Mandatory in North Carolina
North Carolina will require face coverings of your choice for all Central Office staff and school staff, adult visitors, and all school aged children when they are or may be within six feet of another person, including:
- inside school buildings and anywhere on school grounds, including outside;
- while traveling on buses or other WCPSS vehicles; and
- at all WCPSS work sites.
Updates from the Parent Teacher Association
CHEETAH PRIDE EVENT
Dinner & A Show
On April 29th the PTA is hosting Dinner & A Show! Grab a pizza from Manhattan Pizza and gather your family to watch our first ever Virtual Talent Show. Our Cheetahs Got Talent!
Donations Needed
Your HSES PTA needs your help stocking the staff lounge with snacks! We have an Amazon wish list set up to make it easy. Any items ordered from the list will deliver straight to the school. If you have questions or need a pick up of items, please contact Melissa at melisllew@gmail.com. Thanks for your support!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3LZKMDC2JOCOS?ref_=wl_share
HSES Child Face Masks
Time to Relink your Grocery Cards!
This is an easy way to earn money for our school while you shop. If you haven't linked your grocery cards this school year please take a minute to do so. You have to do it every year. You can find these links on our app also.
Lowes Foods: https://rewards.lowesfoods.com/Account/SelectCard...
Harris Teeter:
https://www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education#/app/cms
Publix:
http://corporate.publix.com/.../corporate.../publix-partners
And you can link your Amazon account too if you haven't already!
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?orig=%2F
Thanks you for supporting our school!!