The Bobcat Blaze
March 26, 2021
Principal's Message
Happy Friday Bobcat Families!
We were able to complete a full five days of school this week and I could not be happier! As usual, it has been a great week of teaching, learning, and smiles. We are very proud of our 2nd-5th graders for putting their best foot forward during state practice testing this week.
Monday, March 29th is Spring Picture Day for all students and staff. If your student is virtual or participates in e-learning, you should have received a link to sign up for an afternoon time slot for them to come have their photo taken. The link is also included in this week's newsletter.
On Friday, April 2nd students will have an asynchronous learning day to allow Richland One staff to receive their second dose of the COVID vaccination. The following week, April 5-9 is Spring Break. We will welcome students back on Monday, April 12th.
This is scheduled to be a wonderful weather weekend so please find time to relax and soak up the sun safely.
Have a great weekend Bobcats!
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
March
April
April 1st..........................................................................End of the 3rd Nine Weeks
April 1st..........................................................................Princess Closet Donation Deadline (see details below)
April 5th-9th...................................................................Spring Break
April 15th .......................................................................Report Cards Issued
April 15th........................................................................PTO Virtual Trivia Night
April 21st........................................................................SIC Meeting (Virtual) 3pm
April 22nd ......................................................................Parent Teacher Conferences
April 28th......................................................Rising 5K Parent Orientation (Virtual) 5:30pm
Spring Break Take-Home Meals
The cafeteria will be providing take home meals for students next week to last them through Spring Break. Due to the amount of things that need to go home, the cafeteria staff will be sending half the meals home on Tuesday, March 30th and the other half home on Thursday, April 1st. If your family does not want receive the meals please let your child's homeroom teachers know.
Spring School Pictures for AC Moore Students
Face-to-Face Learners
Spring Pictures will be taken by Strawbridge on Monday, March 29th. Ordering details and package information is noted in the ordering form. Although these photos will not be included in the yearbook, you may purchase photos of your Bobcat if you desire.
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Virtual Students and E-Learners
If your Bobcat is a virtual student or is currently an e-leaner, please use the link below to sign your student up for his/her Spring Pictures.
Got Photos?
A Note from the Bobcat Yearbook Staff
The yearbooks staff is looking for photos of students during eLearning at home to include in our book this year! Do you have great pictures of your student viewing class online, or showing off a school project, or working on an assignment? You can submit them online to the link below or email them to jessica.warren@richladone.org (please put YEARBOOK in the subject line). The yearbook staff will review all photos and determine the final yearbook content. We cannot guarantee that all photos will be used. Thank you!
We will accept submissions until Friday, March 26th.
Restart Strong
The newsletter provided below will gives an overview/update on the district’s transition to Phase 3 of the Restart Strong Reopening of Schools Plan. Click the link to get the most up-to-date information about the Phase 3 plan.
MARCH OF DIMES FUNDRAISER
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites for March
DHEC-RRT - Pardon and Parole (Old Building)
Dates and Times for April
Open Daily: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Further Information:
- Report to the intersection of Greene St. and Heidt St.
- Appointment Needed: No
- Referral Needed: No
- Pediatric Testing Available: Yes
- Saliva testing- Do not eat, drink, or smoke for 30 minutes prior to testing.
Address: 2204 Lee St, Columbia, SC 29205
Contact Details and Pre-Registration: https://rrtesting.app/devine
DHEC-Tour Health - DHEC Parking Lot
Dates and Times for March
Open weekdays: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Further Information
- Appointment Needed: No
- Referral Needed: No
- Pediatric Testing Available: Yes
Address: 2600 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201
Contact Details: https://www.tourhealth.com/
Customer Service Number: 866-416-6341
CVS Health - Benedict College
Dates and Times for March
Open Monday-Saturday: 8:30-5:00
Further Information
- Appointment Needed: No
- Referral Needed: No
- Pediatric Testing Available: Yes - All ages
Address :1903 Two Notch Rd, Columbia, South Carolina 29204, United States
SCHOOL NEWS
A Bobcat Spotlight...Women's History Month
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” National Women’s History Month was later established in 1987 after Congress designated March as Women's History Month, establishing the proclamation as a way to commemorate and encourage the study, observance and celebration of the role women have in American history.
Influential Women of the 20th and 21st Centuries
Women have always played an active role in history. In the first March issue of the Blaze we began exploring some of the historical pioneers and contemporary newsmakers that continue to impact the world. This week we close Women's History Month with a few more recognitions of and salutes to a few of the most influential women of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Marla Runyun
Legally blind since childhood, Olympic track and field athlete and marathon runner Marla Runyan never let her vision loss stand in the way of her athletic dreams. At age nine, Runyan developed Stargardt’s Disease, a form of macular degeneration that left her legally blind. She did, however, retain her peripheral vision and could make out shapes and shadows. Her mother found her school books in large print and worked with the Lions Club to obtain a closed circuit television.
After graduating from high school, Runyan studied at San Diego State and while there she began competing in several athletic events: the heptathlon, 200-meter dash, high jump, shot put, 100-meter hurdle, long jump, javelin throw, and the 800-meter run.
Runyan first tried out and qualified for the US Olympic team in 1996 in the heptathlon, but did not ultimately make it onto the team. Undaunted, she won a gold medal that year in the Paralympics—for the second time since 1992 (she holds a total of five gold medals for the Paralympics). In 1999, she won the gold medal in the 1500-meter race at the Pan American Games. With her sites still set on the Olympics, in 2000 she became the first blind athlete to qualify for the US Olympic team in the 1500-meter event. She placed 8th at the Olympics and returned to compete again in 2004.
A world class runner, Runyan finished as the top American, with the second-fastest debut time by a woman, in the New York City Marathon. She finished fifth place in the Boston Marathon in 2003; seventh place in the Chicago Marathon in 2004, and first place in the Twin Cities Marathon in 2006. Runyan’s other awards include: three-time Outdoor Track and Field National Champion (2001-2003); three-time Road 5K National champion (2002-2004); and several American records for various running events.
Unfortunately, Runyan’s vision has continued to worsen with each passing year. However, she has not let it affect her career. In 2001, she co-wrote and published her autobiography, No Finish Line: My Life As I See It. She married her coach, Matt Lonergan, in 2002, with whom she had a daughter in 2005. Although Runyan had hoped to make the 2008 Olympic team, back problems and surgery prevented it. She instead earned a second master’s degree in 2012 and began teaching the blind in Oregon schools.
Since 2013, Runyan has served as teacher and Ambassador for the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts—renowned for its most famous student, Helen Keller. In the fall of 2014 Runyan joined her husband as a coach at Northeastern University.
Oprah Winfrey
Orpah Winfrey is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, (1986- 2011). Dubbed the "Queen of All Media, she was the richest African American of the 20th century and North America's first black multi-billionaire, in addition to being ranked the greatest black philanthropist in American history.
Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a single teenage mother and later raised in inner-city Milwaukee. While living with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school. By 19, she was a co-anchor for the local evening news. Winfrey's news delivery eventually led to her transfer to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company.
By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, and spirituality. She has also been praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others and even emerged as a political force in the 2008 presidential race, with her endorsement of Barack Obama estimated to have been worth about one million votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries.[
Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama and received honorary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard. In 2008, she formed her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Credited with creating a more intimate, confessional form of media communication, Winfrey popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue.
In 1994, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Winfrey has won many accolades throughout her career which include 8 Daytime Emmy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman's Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, a Tony Award, a Peabody Award and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, awarded by the Academy Awards and two additional Academy Award nominations.
Joyce Chen
As a well-recognized chef, television personality, and restaurant owner, Joyce Chen introduced Chinese food to the American public. She made such a large impact on American culture, that her photo was included on a US stamp in 2014 and a “Festival of Dumplings” is held in Cambridge, Massachusetts every year to honor her birthday. By developing new ways of cooking authentic and healthy meals, her cookbooks, cooking classes, and microwavable “Soup Dumplings,” made it easy for people to learn how to make Chinese cuisine worldwide.
Born into a wealthy family, she discovered her passion for cooking at a very early age. Her father hired a family chef that cooked all of their meals. Chen learned about Chinese cuisine simply by watching their chef and other family members cook in their home kitchen. By the time she was 18 years old she organized and cooked her first professional dinner. This was the beginning of her career in the culinary arts.
While living near Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she frequently met Chinese students that missed the food they’d grown up with. Her meals quickly became popular among college students and the families at the her children's school. This inspired Chen to open her first restaurant in 1958, called “Joyce Chen Restaurant.”
Chen flourished as a chef and began teaching cooking classes and released her first cookbook in two years later. The book included recipes and important Chinese traditions. Chen refused to use harmful additives in her cooking and used healthier ingredients in her restaurants. Her cookbook sold more than 70,000 copies and was reprinted for many decades following its release. She opened a second restaurant, “The Joyce Chen Small Eating Place,” and then went on to star in Joyce Chen Cooks, her own cooking show on PBS that aired worldwide. As her food grew more popular, she introduced new meals such as “Peking Duck, Moo Shi Pork, Scallion Pancake, Soup Dumplings, and Hot and Sour Soup.” She is credited with creating the term “Peking Raviolis” or “Ravs,” for what many know as Potstickers.
Chen continued to popularize Chinese food in the Cambridge and also began to expand her brand by marketing various cooking items in stores. She created and patented the Peking Wok, a flat bottom “stir-fry pan” and its handle in 1970. She also designed and sold her own line of Chinese cooking utensils and introduced Sumitomo Bakelite’s Japanese polyethylene-cutting boards to the United States.
By 1984, Chen began bottling and selling Chinese sauces and oils to supermarkets. Her three children worked in the family business and eventually took over the day-to-day operations. Chen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in the early 1980s and passed away on August 23, 1994.
Gabriela Mistral
As a Chilean author and educator, Gabriela Mistral became the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. She boldly advocated for the rights of women, children, the poor, and many other disadvantaged groups in her community.
Born in a small town named Vicuña in the Chilean Andes Mountains, her birthplace was four hundred miles away from the capital of Chile. She grew up in the nearby village of Monte Grande with her mother and her sister. Mistral’s father was a schoolteacher that would write poems and sing to her with his guitar and even though she did not see him often, his creativity influenced Mistral’s love for poetry. Her grandmother also inspired her love for literature and poetry by encouraging her to memorize Bible verses.
When Mistral was eleven years old, she left Monte Grande to go to school in Vicuña. Although she faced many obstacles there, her experiences taught her about life, justice, and fairness. These lessons became the subjects of her writing. She would later get a job as a teacher’s aide to support her mother, while submitting her writings to newspapers. In 1906, she published an article called "La instrucción de la mujer" (The education of women) that spoke about the limits placed on women’s education. In 1910, Mistral was able to earn her teaching certificate and immediately began teaching in many different regions across Chile.
Mistral later earned her first publication outside of Chile. She sent a short story and poems to a literary magazine in Paris called Elegancias, published in 1913. This attracted the attention of the future president of Chile, who appointed her as the principal of the Liceo de Niñas (High School for Girls) in Punta Arenas. As the principal she wrote three poems called "Paisajes de la Patagonia" (Patagonian Landscapes) that were inspired by her experiences being separated from her family and the rest of the world. Mistral also organized many important initiatives during that time including evening classes for workers and classes for the poor. After two years, Mistral was sent to be the principal in the Chilean Indian territory of Liceo de Niñas in Temuco. While there, she was inspired to write about the mistreatment of Native Indian population in "Poemas de la madre más triste" (Poems of the Saddest Mother). By 1922, Mistral published her first book called Desolación,, and she began traveling and lecturing outside of Chile.
In 1925, Mistral became the secretary of the Latin American section in the League of Nations in Paris and she continued to travel and taught classes at various colleges including Columbia University, Barnard College, and Middlebury College. On November 15, 1945, she became the first Latin American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was later awarded the National Literature Prize in Chile. In the last years of her life, Mistral lived in New York and battled pancreatic cancer. She died on January 10, 1957 at age 67.
Kathrin Jansen
Much of the work that Pfizer developed during the world's efforts to treat COVID-19 was done through the leadership of Kathrin Jansen, head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer. Jansen has been with Pfizer since 2009, when the company acquired Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where she had been working on vaccines.
Over the course of her multi-decade career, Jansen has proven to be something of a maverick. When she joined Merck in 1992, she pushed the company to develop a vaccine for human papillomavirus or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer in women. It was an improbable project from the start. No one had been able to develop a vaccine of this type, however, Jansen had come across research from the University of Queensland that supported her efforts in developing a potential foundation for a vaccine.
Jansen had a difficult time getting her colleagues on board with an HPV vaccine. But Jansen persevered and Gardasil was approved in 2006. CDC director Robert Redfield considers the vaccine key to eliminating cervical cancer. Since then, Jansen has been responsible for leading the development of a vaccine that guards against 13 different strains of pneumococcus, which causes meningitis in children and pneumonia in older patients. She has continued to work on vaccines for various strains of pneumococcus and sought out new challenging territory for vaccine development. Then COVID-19 struck.
Beginning in March 2020, Jansen led a team of 650 experts, in collaboration with German startup BioNTech, to develop a successful vaccine against COVID-19. Under Jansen’s leadership, Pfizer and BioNTech began developing a vaccine for COVID-19 virus using mRNA, an unproven technology. It has great potential, but no mRNA vaccine has ever been approved for use. It seems like just the kind of daring project Jansen likes to get behind.
In August, Pfizer and BioNTech revealed data from its phase I trial showing that its two vaccine candidates appeared to be effective both in young and older adults. The company ultimately chose to focus on one of these vaccines that had fewer side effects and encouraged a better immune response.
Amanda Gorman
Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Sociology. She has written for the New York Times and has three books forthcoming with Penguin Random House.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began writing at only a few years of age. Now her words have won her invitations to the Obama White House and to perform for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Al Gore, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and others. Amanda has performed multiple commissioned poems for CBS This Morning and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards, and the Webby Awards. She has written for the New York Times newsletter The Edit and penned the manifesto for Nike's 2020 Black History Month campaign.
In 2017, Amanda Gorman was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word – a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions and states nationally. She is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.
A Bobcat Spotlight...Ms. Kozeny's Class
3rd Grade Book Review
A Bobcat Spotlight...Spring Artist-in-Residence
PORKCHOP Productions!
Founded in 1991, Porkchop Productions is a professional theatre company specializing in audience participation performances. Their interactive approach to performances and residencies make for a one-of-a-kind theatre adventure!
Porkchop Productions has performed extensively for schools, libraries, youth groups and special events throughout the southeast, including:
- Dare Days in Manteo, NC
- Europa Cruise Lines in Key West, FL
- Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, SC
Along with performing, Porkchop has also designed and implemented drama programs and arts camps for thousands of young people in four states. Porkchop Productions is dedicated to expanding artistic horizons by providing a professional, interactive theatre experience for young people and to promote a life-long appreciation of the performing arts.
Porkchop Productions appears on the Approved Artist/ Arts Directory of the South Carolina Arts Commission.
Meet the Porkchops!
Stacey Maxwell-- Artistic Director, Playwright & Actor
Stacey Maxwell earned a BA in Speech/Drama with an emphasis in children's theatre from Columbia College. She has performed extensively for children with many professional theatre companies since 1987 and can be seen in Disney's That Darn Cat as well as numerous productions for South Carolina Educational Television. Stacey has also served as director for The Lost Colony Children's Theatre where she received the Evelyn Russell Layton Award, as well as, The Lost Colony Alumni Association 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Stacey is also the recipient of the 2014 Career Achievement Award from the Columbia College Alumnae Association.
Laura Blanchette-- Tour Director, Production Manager & Actor
Laura received her training at Winthrop University and has been performing professionally since 1980 with theatre companies including CPCC Repertory Theatre Company, The Lost Colony, Southeastern Theatrical Productions, Chopstick Theatre, The Patchwork Players, and Trustus Theatre. An accomplished singer and musician, she has toured with theatre companies and musical ensembles from New York to Florida. Laura has also done extensive voice over work for television and radio as well as commercial jingles and print work. She, along with Stacey, was honored with The Lost Colony Alumni Association's 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Dottie Allen--Education Director, Office Administrator & Actor
Dottie is a graduate of Columbia College in Music and holds MFA in theatre/performing arts management from CUNY/Brooklyn College. She has worked in administrative and education capacities for organizations including the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Manhattan Theatre Club, Signature Theatre, New York City Opera, and was Director of Adult Learning and Community Engagement for the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Dottie enjoys performing onstage for Porkchop Productions, and assisting backstage for Opera at USC productions when needed. She is currently Porkchop's primary Theatre Residency artist.
Fall Re-Cap for AiR
During the Fall semester, our Bobcat students had an opportunity to engage in several educational opportunities through the Artist-in-Residency (AiR) program. We appreciate the efforts and information delivered by our artists and would like to say a special thank you to them and to the Bobcat related arts and classroom teachers for making AiR a great experience for students. Please click the banner below to view the Fall recap video prepared by Mrs. Warren. We look forward to featuring more classes and students in the Spring.
Attention Bobcat Families:
If any of your contact information has changed (phone number, address, email address, emergency contacts) since the start of the school year please contact database specialist Madolyn Thorpe at madolyn.thorpe@richlandone.org. We need the most accurate information in Powerschool to ensure you receive school communication.
Wellness Watch
Alliance for a Healthier Generation +Kohl's Cares Presents: Kohl's Healthy at Home: Recipes
Healthy eating fuels healthy families! In recognition of National Nutrition Month we invite you to commit to focusing on preparing nutritional, family friendly meals with your Bobcat student. Click on the documents below to find simple and fun recipes to keep your family healthy and satisfied! Each recipe is designed to be affordable and made with as few widely-available ingredients as possible.
Take a picture with you and your Bobcat student highlighting your culinary creations! Send your photo to Mrs. Whetstone at andrea.whetstone@richlandone.org.
School Improvement Council
Report to the Parents
This report is issued by the AC Moore Elementary School Improvement Council (SIC) in accordance with South Carolina law to share information on the school's progress in meeting various goals and objectives, the work of the SIC, and other accomplishments during the school year.
Information from your PTO
To stay up-to-date on PTO happenings, please click the link below to register for the Bobcat e-Blast! If you are currently receiving the Bobcat e-Blasts, you will still need to complete the form and provide your information. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVTMQYJ
Thanks,
Carrie Smith & Kim Pordes (PTO chairs)
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Asi usted haya recibido el Bobcat e-Blast en el pasado, por favor complete esta informacion- estamos haciendo una nueva base de datos. Estamos planeando las reuniones del PTO los miercoles en la tarde, al comienzo virtualmente, por eso esten pendiente de los anuncios que haga la Directora Aldridge en el Bobcat Blaze (periodico de la escuela) para mas informacion de la primera reunion.
Gracias, y espero verlos pronto!
Carrie Smith & Kim Pordes ( representantes del PTO)
Tech Tips
For Parents and Teachers...
Richland One IT Help Desk
You can get remote assistance by calling the IT Help Desk Monday - Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM at 803-231-7436.
Mark Your Calendars for...
Funny, Random, & Weird Holidays
Did you participate in a wacky holiday last week? Don't forget to send a picture of your family's celebration to Mrs. Whetstone at andrea.whetstone@richlandone.org. Here are a few weird holidays for your family to think about this week.
March 26....................................................Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
March 27....................................................Spanish Paella Day
March 28....................................................Something on a Stick Day
March 29....................................................Smoke and Mirrors Day
March 30....................................................Take a Walk in the Park Day
March 31....................................................Bunsen Burner Day
April 1.........................................................Fun at Work Day
April 2.........................................................Walk to Work Day
We Want to See Your Bobcat Student MAKING TRACKS!
We would love to share in your student's success by seeing them in action! Submit a photo of your Bobcat completing their asynchronous assignments and/or activities your student's picture can be featured in an upcoming issue of the Bobcat Blaze! Submit your photos to Mrs. Whetstone at andrea.whetstone@richlandone.org.
DISTRICT NEWS
Parents, students and staff can now get up-to-date information about COVID-19 cases in the district through Richland One’s new online tracking dashboard.
A link to the dashboard, which will be updated daily, is posted on the Restart Strong page on the district’s website www.richlandone.org/restartstrong. In addition to listing the number of positive and quarantined COVID-19 cases among Richland One students and staff, the dashboard includes the number of cases at each district school and administrative building. It also shows daily, weekly and year-to-date summaries of the number of positive COVID-19 cases.
“Richland One’s goal in creating the COVID-19 dashboard is to provide the most accurate and current information possible to our community,” said Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon. “Having the same data allows us all to work together to better protect our students and staff.”
COVID-19 data is compiled daily by the district’s Nursing Services office and Accountability, Assessment, Research and Evaluation department. The information shown on Richland One’s dashboard may differ from the reports from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), which are updated on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Media inquiries should be directed to the Richland One Office of Communications.
Registration Information for Pre-Kindergarten Programs
District Resources
ThriveRichland
ThriveRichland is a birth to four initiative established by Richland County School District One with the overall goal of increasing the percentage of children entering kindergarten ready to learn. The three major focus areas of ThriveRichland are:
High quality professional development and support for early childhood professionals
Comprehensive family wellness and engagement
Development of a plan for an early learning lab school within Richland One
ThriveRichland is offering families with children from birth to four and opportunity to join an online play group. Click the link below for details on how to sign up your family.
Connect with Us
Website: www.richlandone.org/Domain/26
Location: 333 Etiwan Avenue, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 343-2910
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acmooreelementary
Twitter: @ACMooreBobcats