The Bobcat Blaze
February 19, 2021
Principal's Message
I hear the sun is coming out this weekend and I certainly hope that will be true. However, the sun was certainly shining in Bobcat Country this week as we welcomed everyone back for four days of in-person instruction. Every morning started with upbeat tunes and mini dance parties! It has been a great week of laughs and smiles!
Thank you to all of our families and the patience you showed as we navigated our first heavy rain dismissals after school this week. We ask that parents adhere to the guidelines our SRO and school staff set in place after school. Do not go around another car in the car line unless instructed to do so by those working the area. We need to keep everyone safe!
Additionally, as we wrap up the final week in Black History Month we are encouraging staff and students to participate in our Notable Black Figures Dress Up Day on Thursday, February 25th. Please see the flyer in this week's Blaze for more information.
Finally, please remember that students cannot change to the e-learning modality unless they will be absent for an extended period of time (i.e. COVID quarantine or doctor's excuse). If a student needs to be absent for one day, you may send in a parent note or doctor's note to excuse the absence, but they may not log on for e-learning. Students will not have the materials they need to participate in the class. Additionally, teachers are planning lessons based on the pre-designated amount of e-learning students within their homeroom. This number cannot fluctuate. If you have chosen e-learning or in-person instruction, the expectation is that your student will remain with that modality for this current nine weeks of school. If you have any questions about this, please reach out via email or phone to Principal Aldridge or Assistant Administrator Evering.
Remember, next week the Flex Day resumes on Wednesday so there is no in-person instruction (only virtual morning meeting and small groups).
Enjoy the weekend and stay safe!
Principal's Message: https://cloud.swivl.com/v/c56b745e3c0176a003bafd62337a788a
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
February
February 1st-28th.............Black History Month
- February 22nd-26th..........National Engineering Week
February 23rd..................Virtual Family Bingo Night w/ Mrs. Rogers - 6pm
February 25th..................Black History Month Celebration Dress-up Day (details below)
- February 26th..................5th Grade yearbook ad forms are due
March
March 1st...........................Parent and Family Engagement, Tea With Me, Noon (details below)
March 3rd..........................Parent and Family Engagement, Interactive Read Aloud, Noon (details below)
March 12th .......................Yearbook order forms are due
Get Your Yearbook Ordered Now!
Click on the documents below to place an order for the 20-21 yearbook. The deadline to place an order is March 12th.
Fifth Grade Parents:
If you would like to place an ad in the yearbook for your fifth grader, please see the attached flyer for details.
Parent and Family Engagement Opportunities
Click on the flyers below to join the Zoom meeting.
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites for February
DHEC-RRT - Pardon and Parole (Old Building)
Dates and Times for February
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 February
Open weekdays: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturdays: 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/
SCHOOL NEWS
A Bobcat Spotlight...Congratulations Classified Employee of the Year!
Mrs. Janette Faulks
Mrs. Janette Faulks has been selected as AC Moore’s 2021-2022 Classified Employee of the Year! Mrs. Faulks is a part-time student at Midlands Technical College, working towards earning an Associate in Applied Science Early Care Education Degree and an Associate in Arts Degree. While in the process of completing her degrees, she earned her Certificate in Early Childhood Development on, May 8, 2018 from Midlands Technical College. Mrs. Faulks is in her 29th year in education and in her 21st year at AC Moore. She is currently an instructional assistant in the Special Education Department, working with students in Ms. Cagle's homeroom.
In addition to being an instructional assistant in special education, Mrs. Faulks also worked with the very first Pre-Kindergarten program here at A. C. Moore in 1999. Along side Lead Pre-Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Carolyn Revere, Mrs. Fauks Instructional Assistant with classroom teacher, Mrs. Carolyn Revere. She also worked with Ms. C. Jackson, Mrs. Dicks, Ms.Gillette in the Pre-K program, in Kindergarten (Mrs. Revere), Shadowed (2nd- 4th, worked with Mrs. Bradley, and Mr. Publicover), Special Needs LDSC/EMD (Ms. Robbin, Mrs. J. Payne, Mrs. R. Whitt, Mrs. Forester, Mrs. J. Cagle). Additionally Mrs. Faulks has worked in the front office as the receptionist and in the After School Programs.
Mrs. Faulks loves working at AC Moore because, she believes that God has placed her in an elementary school, which can be a foundational place for children to learn. Mrs. Faulks enjoys being at the elementary school level because children come as a clean slate or an empty cup. She believes it is up to educators to give them the appropriate things that they need to be successful citizens. She states, "elementary school is where children learn who they are and I love being a part of that experience. I love that we have such a rainbow of children here at A.C. Moore Elementary School. I love the atmosphere here because it feels so good and it is one of the things that keeps me here". She feels blessed to be placed and teamed with wonderful Lead Teachers, co-workers, and peers. She really loves what she does!
Mrs. Faulks is native of South Carolina. A wife of 34 years and a mother of two wonderful children. In addition to working with students, Mrs. Faulks loves taking care of her family and working closely with her church. She enjoys working with arts and craft, taking care of her 9 Koi Fish, (They were rescued from the Secret Garden’s brick pond.) She enjoys collecting old and new custom jewelry and watches, shopping, and raveling. She also enjoys riding her bicycle and roller skating, watching movies on Syfy, Acorn, BBC, Nova, and National Geographic.
A Bobcat Spotlight....Black History Month
A. C. Moore Continues to Celebrate the Contributions of African-Americans
During A. C. Moore's celebration of Black History Month, each week you and your student can learn more about the contributions African-Americans have had on American culture. Each edition of the February Bobcat Blaze will highlight those contributions in specific areas. This edition focuses on the African-American Influence on Innovation.
With Patents or Without, Black Inventors Reshaped American Industry
American slaves could not hold property, including patents on their own inventions. But that didn’t stop black Americans from innovating in our country.
America has long been the land of innovation. More than 13,000 years ago, the Clovis people created what many call the “first American invention” – a stone tool used primarily to hunt large game. This spirit of American creativity has persisted through the millennia, through the first American patent granted in 1641 and on to today.
One group of prolific innovators, however, has been largely ignored by history: black inventors born or forced into American slavery. Though U.S. patent law was created with color-blind language to foster innovation, the patent system consistently excluded these inventors from recognition. But despite patents being largely out of reach to them throughout early U.S. history, both slaves and free African-Americans did invent and innovate.
The history of patents in America is older than the U.S. Constitution, with several colonies granting patents years before the Constitution was created. In 1787, however, members of the Constitutional Convention opened the patent process up to people nationwide by drafting what has come to be known as the Patent and Copyright Clause of the Constitution.
Thomas Jennings, First African-American to receive a patent.
It allows Congress:
“To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
This language gives inventors exclusive rights to their inventions, and although the language itself was race-neutral, like many of the rights set forth in the Constitution, the patent system did not apply for black Americans born into slavery. Slaves were not considered American citizens and laws at the time prevented them from applying for or holding property, including patents. In 1857, the U.S. commissioner of patents officially ruled that slave inventions couldn’t be patented.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, America was experiencing rapid economic growth. Black inventors were major contributors during this era – even though most did not obtain any of the benefits associated with their inventions since they could not receive patent protection. Slave owners often took credit for their slaves’ inventions.
The patent system was ostensibly open to free black people. From Thomas Jennings, the first black patent holder, who invented dry cleaning in 1821, to Norbert Rillieux, a free man who invented a revolutionary sugar-refining process in the 1840s, to Elijah McCoy, who obtained 57 patents over his lifetime, those with access to the patent system invented items that still touch the lives of people today. This legacy extends through the 21st century, and true to the legacy of American innovation, today’s black inventors are following in the footsteps of those who came before them.
George Washington Carver
In 1896, Booker T. Washington recruited Carver to the Tuskegee Institute's agriculture school. There, Carver taught a groundbreaking crop rotation method. Carver advised planting cotton one year, then soil-enriching peanuts or sweet potatoes the next.
Carver also famously developed more than 300 uses for peanuts, from ink to hand lotion to cooking oil. While the common myth that he invented peanut butter is untrue, he did help popularize the food.
Alexander Miles
Miles invented a mechanism that triggered the elevator shaft doors to open and close along with the elevator doors, making the ride inside an elevator safer. The elevators we ride today still feature automatic shaft doors similar to the invention Miles patented in 1887
Elija McCoy
In 1872, McCoy developed an automatic lubricator that spread oil evenly over a train's engine while it was still moving. The invention allowed trains to run for long periods of time without stopping, which saved both time and money. McCoy was a prolific inventor, securing dozens of patents in his lifetime
Lewis Latimer
Latimer worked with the famous inventor Hiram Maxim at the U.S. Electric Lighting Company. While working there in 1881, Latimer patented a carbon filament for the incandescent lightbulb. The invention helped make electric lighting practical and affordable for the average household. In addition to working with Maxim, Latimer drafted the drawings that Alexander Graham Bell used to patent the first telephone in 1876. He also worked for Thomas Edison.
Madame C.J. Walker
Walker experimented with homemade treatments and eventually created a formula that she called "Madame C.J. Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower." She traveled around the country promoting her hair care tips and products to African American women. Her knack for self-promotion made her one of the most famous African Americans of her time and a very successful businesswoman who owned multiple homes. She is one of America's first self-made female millionaires.
Garrett Morgan
In 1914, Morgan invented a "safety hood." It made polluted air more breathable. The invention was an early version of the gas masks later used in World War I to protect soldiers from poison gas.
Morgan is also known for patenting a traffic signal in 1923. Morgan's traffic signal was the first to feature three commands instead of two, which controlled traffic more effectively. He sold the patent rights to General Electric for $40,000, a huge sum at the time.
Black History Month Trivia: Week 2 Answer
The African American artists responsible for painting the official portraits of former President, Barack Obama and former First Lady, Michelle Obama are Kehinde Wiley (President Obama) and Amy Sherald (First Lady Obama).
Week 3: Can you match the inventor with his/her invention?
- 1._____Generated more than $1 billion in sales with his Super Soaker water gun invention, which has consistently been among the world’s top 20 best-selling toys each year since. This person now owns more than 80 patents and has since developed different green technologies.
- 2._____An inventor from Texas, designed a device that is mounted near a child’s car seat, and uses LIDAR sensors to detect the presence of a baby that may be left alone in a car. If a baby is detected a the device uses a thermoelectric cooling device and fan to start blowing cool air on the baby, and it sends a text alert to the owner’s phone. If no one removes the baby after the initial text message, the device sends a text alert with GPS coordinates to the police.
- 3._____In 1981, this person invented the surgical tool that made him/her famous: the Laserphaco Probe, which he/she continued to perfect and later patented in 1988. The tool was used during eye surgery to correct cataracts.
- 4._____This inventor worked for IBM as a computer scientist. This person was one of the original inventors of the IBM personal computer and the color PC monitor. This person is also responsible for creating the technology that allows devices, such as keyboards, mice, and printers, to be plugged into a computer and communicate with each other. This inventor also managed the team that created the one-gigahertz processor chip.
- 5.____In the late 1930s, this person invented a way to process and preserve blood plasma, allowing it to be stored and shipped for blood transfusions. Until then, blood was perishable and not fit for use after about a week. This invention vastly improved the efficiency of blood banks. This inventor was named medical director of the American Red Cross National Blood Donor Service. He/she recruited and organized the collection of thousands of pints of blood donations for American troops. It was the first mass blood-collection program of its kind.
Black History Month Resources
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.
Hello AC Moore Families!
1. After conducting an audit of health records, I found that I am missing documentation from many students. On Tuesday, I will be sending home copies of the forms we need. Please take a few minutes to complete the forms on Tuesday evening and return them to me on Wednesday. I appreciate your cooperation with this very important matter!
2. SC DHEC has updated some of the Covid guidelines, as well as the criteria for school exclusion. Please see the 2 documents below and Click HERE for the new exclusion list.
Please remember to let me know right away if your child has either tested positive for Covid or been classified as a close contact. Let's all work together to keep each other safe!
3. Thank you to those families who have already signed up for the Kinsa health FLUency program. Your FREE thermometer will be sent home just as soon as it arrives. If you missed the last deadline, no worries . . . there will be one more shipment this year, so sign up TODAY!
Don't hesitate to contact me if you need help registering for the thermometer program or linking your account to A.C. Moore. If you have not received confirmation that your thermometer was successfully ordered, it did not go through.
Take care, Everyone!
Jennifer Hurt, School Nurse
803-929-3886 (phone)
803-929-2724 (fax)
Wellness Watch
Alliance for a Healthier Generation Presents: Healthy Hearts at Home & At School
February is American Heart Month! It’s a great time to focus on heart health. There are many simple ways to keep your heart healthy this month and all year long! Show your heart some love by trying out the ideas below with students, friends, or family. Click on the image below to read more about ways to keep your heart healthy!
Summer Enrichment Scholarship Program
The Columbia (SC) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., is offering scholarship opportunities for Summer Enrichment Programs. Any elementary, middle, or high school students planning to attend a summer enrichment program or camp is eligible to apply. Please see the attached documents below for details.
Please return all library books so they can be exchanged.
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)
************************************************************************************
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.
February 19..........................................……Chocolate Mint Day
February 22...............................................Single Tasking Day
February 22...............................................Be Humble Day
February 23...............................................International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
February 24...............................................Tortilla Chip Day
February 26...............................................Pistachio Day
February 26...............................................Tell a Fairy Tale 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