KHS News
Friday, April 26, 2019
In this week's newsletter...
Quick Announcements:
As of today we are open for school on May 1st.
Lost and found is full in the K-5 Building, Check with Mrs. Gordon for lost items.
Any parent interested in guiding your scholars future-please consider joining the Kestrel Charter School Board click here for the application: https://bit.ly/2H5RvRU
This newsletter contains the following information:
- School News
- Lunch Menu
- Sports at KHS
- Classroom News
- Spring Performance Information
- Community News
Upcoming Events:
- Teacher Appreciation Week May 6th-May 10th
- Book Fair, May 12-22, BOGO!!!
May 16, 2019 - Elementary Spring Performance (Grades K-2 will perform at 5:30 pm and Grades 3-5 will perform at 6:45 pm).
May 22, 2019 - Middle School Dance Concert at 7:00 pm. This is required performance for all Middle School scholars.
- May 24th is a full day of school
- The 3rd grade end of year trip has been scheduled for Friday June 7th! More Details to come!
- 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony will be held on June 11th.
S.O.A.R. Celebration for Quarter 4
Spring has sprung as Kestrel Scholars continues to SOAR into 4th quarter! To cap off the 2018-2019 school year the 4th quarter PBIS celebration will be a "Popsicle and Play" theme party that will be held on Tuesday, May 28th at 2pm.
Scholars who receive 14 SOAR tickets, and do NOT receive ISS or OSS will be invited to attend this celebration!
Parents, help your scholar SOAR by staying up to date on their progress through Powerschool. If you are unsure of how to check their SOAR tickets in Powerschool please contact your scholar's homeroom teacher for more information.
School Concert Information- "I Want My 80's MTV!"
The countdown to "showtime" has officially begun!!!!
We are 3 weeks away, from what may truly to be one of the best performances EVER!
May 16, 2019 - Elementary Spring Performance (Grades K-2 will perform at 5:30 pm and Grades 3-5 will perform at 6:45 pm). This is a required performance for all scholars.
May 22, 2019 - Middle School Dance Concert at 7:00 pm. This is required performance for all Middle School scholars.
This is a mandatory performance.
The following information contains specifics regarding the performance attire for the Elementary's Spring Showcase: "I Want My 80's MTV!"
There is no color scheme, and the following pictures are ideas/inspiration for you to create your scholar's 80's attire! Have fun and be creative, but please mindful of the school's dress code (ex. - If a short, ruffled dress/skirt is worn, you MUST wear leggings underneath, etc....).
As always, if you have any questions, please contact me: rharrison@kestrelheights.org OR Mr. McKeiver: mckeiver@kestrelheights.org
Here's some additional information:
1.Attendance is mandatory and counts as a grade for all K-5 students (in Dance, Music and Spanish).
Parents need to notify Ms. Harrison by May 3rd, if their scholar has a conflict. Conflicts must be in writing. If the conflict is excused by Ms. Goff, ONLY then will make-up work be assigned.
2.Students are to wear 80's themed attire (see pictures above)
3.Students in Dance team are in both shows.
4. Show Times are 5:30 pm for Grades K-2 (need to arrive no later than 5:15 pm) and 6:45 pm for Grades 3-5 (need to arrive no later than 6:30 pm). The Middle School's Gym doors will open at 5:00 pm.
As always, thank you for your support of "The Specials" at Kestrel; We truly appreciate each and everyone of you!
NC Education Concert-Recorder Club, 4th & 5th Grade
This is just a reminder that the 4th, 5th grade scholars and recorder club will be going the North Carolina Symphony Education Concert on May 7th, 2019. Please make sure that you have signed and returned the permission form and paid the field trip fee of $10.00 online.
Direction for paying online:
- Go to the Kestrel school website.
- click on parents page
- go to make payment.
- then click on North Carolina Educational Concert.
Please email Mr. McKeiver with any questions
Lunch Menu
Sports at KHS
Schedule
Hawks baseball and track and field teams start the season off next week with a home game and a home meet! Details;
https://kestrelhawks.bigteams.com/main/event/eventid/74440901
https://kestrelhawks.bigteams.com/main/event/eventid/74115100
Classroom News
Kindergarten has been working hard on building their reading skills! We are looking forward to beginning our Author Studies which will begin in May! Each week we will be reading stories by a particular author and completing a craft and corresponds with one of their stories! Please remember to have your child read to your nightly. This will help with building their reading fluency! Have a great weekend!
1st Grade
First grade has been busy this week learning about graphing in math, writing about our feelings in literacy, and baby animals in science!
2nd Grade enjoyed learning about producers and consumers. Looking forward to Museum Field Trip on May 10th
Ms. Filippone's class released all the butterflies this week!
Hart's Hero: Liv E.
Pierce's Sparkle of the Week: Michael
Peacock of the Week: Madison
The 4th grade team regrets to inform you that the field trip to the Carolina Ocean Studies has been canceled due to low participation. We required at least 50 students and we only received payments for half that number. A FULL REFUND will be given to all parents that have made payments. The form required for issuing refunds has been submitted to Human Resources and it will most likely not be processed until the end of this week. After the refund form has been processed, all refunds should be issued within 7-10 business days on the cards that you made the original payment on. If you do not receive your refund by May 10th 2019, please contact Breonna Buckholz at bbuckholz@kestrelheights.org and she will be happy to assist you. At this time, a replacement field trip that is less expensive and closer is being discussed , but nothing has been set in stone. We will keep you updated on any additional changes. Please contact any of the 4th grade teachers if you have any questions.
5th Grade:
We’re looking forward to a fabulous 4th quarter and celebrating the hard work of all 5th grade scholars on our end of year field trip to Carowinds on June 7. If you haven’t yet responded to your child’s homeroom teacher regarding interest in the trip, please be sure to do so ASAP.
Our 5th grade promotion ceremony will be on June 11 @ 9:00 at The River Church.
As always, please check the 5th grade website for the most up-to-date information.
For more information and important dates, please see the grade level website.
Middle School Blurb
6th Grade
Please be sure to check our 6th grade website www.kestrel6thgrade.weebly.com for class updates! Our EOY Field Trip Info will be coming soon!
7th Grade
On April 24, the 7th Grade Team and students will be on a field trip to view the movie Best of Enemies. The price is $9.00. This covers movie tickets and transportation to Southpointe Mall.
All monies for the trip will be paid through the school's website: kestrelheights.org (Click on the parents link and look for make a payment)
The deadline to pay for this trip will be Tuesday April 23rd at 5PM.
8th-Grade
Lots of news in 8th grade this week!
Mr. Hensler will be taking National History Day finalists to the state competition this week with aspirations for advancement to Nationals. Also, put these important dates on your calendar, May 17th from 7-10pm is our official 8th grade Semi-formal dance and year end celebration taking place at KHS, make sure not to miss further announcements on details yet to come! Also, we look forward to promoting our 8th grade scholars this June 7th tentatively at 11 am. Please reach out to any member of our team with questions. Meeting every Wednesday until the end of the year, your scholar can participate on the Year End Committee to help plan and create all the details for Semi-formal and Promotion, all are welcome! As always, make sure your scholar is taking time each night to prepare for final exams! A little each night goes a long way!
From the Spanish Corner
Hola Familias!!
To my Spanish1 Parents: This quarter, we have been talking about adverbs of frequency, verbs conjugations, "Hay", subject pronouns, possessive adjectives, definite and indefinite article, parts of the house, parts of the sentence, build your own paragraph, and more. Please, make sure your child reviews and practice the vocabulary package. We are getting ready for "Bachillerato".
5th and 4th: Continue researching about the Spanish Speaking Countries.
Please, email me with any questions: mariafoushee@kestrelheights.org
Gracias,
Mrs. Foushee
AIG News
This week in AIG....
This week in AIG classes 5th grades students are working on the "Stay Away from the Edge" challenge. The goal is to program their robot to sense an edge of a table, stop, and turn around to go another direction. The concept simulates the need for NASA's Mars rovers to be able to navigate around a cliff or edge of terrain safely.
PE
Lower elementary students have been playing "Pick up Your Yard" an activity that develops accuracy and different types of throws; over hand, under hand, over head and rolling.
Grades 3-5
3rd grade students working on their throwing and catching, playing "Ocean Rescue"!
Middle School students have been playing "Matball" - a kickball variation that allows for more involvement from all participants.
As the weather begins to warm PE will be held outside when possible. Please send your scholar with water bottles on PE day so they can stay hydrated and healthy during PE!
Doctor’s Notes
If your scholar needs to be excused from physical activities, please provide a doctor’s note.
Gym Shoes
Your scholar will need gym shoes (sneakers, tennis shoes) to participate in activities. They must have a flat bottom (no heel) and the foot must be fully covered. Sandals, Crocs, clogs, dress shoes, boots and any heeled shoes are not appropriate for class.
Art News
As often as I can, I will highlight a student who has gone above and beyond in their work and/or their behavior. I'll call it, "Tell Me Something Good".
Tell Me Something Good...
In my sixth grade class, EVERY SINGLE student has turned in their first project on time. Way to go and keep it up!
Ms. Mohn,
Music
To all Recorder and Choir club parents and Scholars
Recorder and Choir have now started up for the spring summers
Choir is on Tuesday afternoons from 3:15pm to 4:00pm and recorder club is Wednesday afternoons 3:15pm to 4:00pm
Mr. McKeiver
Community News
Pioneer Scholars
Pioneer Scholars ensures that our elementary and middle school students are building academic skills, achieving in school, and laying the foundation for future college success.
Program Description
Pioneer Scholars serves students in first through eighth grades. First through sixth grade students participate in highly-structured tutoring each and every day of the academic school year to develop and accelerate their skills. The instruction is delivered by licensed and qualified teachers and well-supported volunteers in an environment that demands high performance and commitment. To encourage developmentally appropriate extracurricular involvement and leadership activities, seventh and eighth grade students participate in this intensive academic instruction three days per week.
Students continue to sharpen their skills during the summer through an academic bridge program and other activities, including theater and basketball camps. Additional growth opportunities, such as career exploration events, technology skills instruction, a math and science mentoring program, and a College and Career Club for middle school students provide our students with even broader skills and experiences. Parent empowerment sessions are also held for families so that they are well prepared to support their students.
Eligibility & Application Process
Rising first through eighth graders residing in Durham County who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program are eligible to apply. Students are often referred to the Center through nominations from school staff, community members, and various community agencies. Families are also welcome to ‘self-nominate’ their student(s).
Students with strong academic commitment (mostly A’s and B’s in school), robust family support, and demonstrated financial need are considered strong candidates. Additionally, students must demonstrate personal character, work-ethic, and integrity as evidenced by teacher recommendations, personal statements, and an interview process.
Applications are available at Center each spring for the following school year.
For more information visit: https://www.emilyk.org/programs/pioneer-scholars/
Contact Mrs. Gordon to see if you meet qualifications gordon@kestrelheights.org
Come Join Us
Website: kestrelheights.org
Location: 4700 South Alston Avenue, Durham, NC, USA
Phone: 919-484-1300
Facebook: facebook.com/KestrelHeightsSchool/
Twitter: @KestrelHeights