Panda Pulse
September 22, 2017
This Week at a Glance
- A Message from our Principal
- Direct Donation Campaign
- Fall Plant Sale
- School Picture Day
- School Communication
- Attendance Awareness Month
- Books & Beyond
- Walk to School Day
- Spirit Wear
- Book Fair Volunteers
- Chess Club
- Library Volunteers Needed
- WCPSS - Child Nutrition Services
- Penny's Wild West Round Up
- What is PTA?!
Dates to Remember this week!
- Workout Wednesday, 8:50-9:10 in the gym
- Picture Day
And now...a Video Message from our Principal
Penny's Direct Donation Campaign
Help your child to think of some creative ways to have others sponsor/support them. Some ideas include:
1. Your child completes a "read-a-thon" and they are sponsored per the number of pages they read!
2. Host a lemonade stand in their neighborhood.
3. Get a sponsorship for every waking hour they can go without being on an electronic recreationally. Help them keep track of their hours.
When you donate, you have the opportunity to win some fun prizes!
Every child, whose family donates, will win a Spirit Stick.
Each $100 donation gives you an entry into a raffle to win 1 of 2 $100 Amazon gift cards.
Every $200 donation gives you an entry into a raffle to win a $250 Great Wolf Lodge gift card!
The classroom that generate the most money in Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 will win an ice cream party and their teacher will win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.
The children of each family who donates a minimum of $100 will participate in our special Legacy Art project!
Thank you in advance for your support! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Greco, VP of Fundraising at jafiori@hotmail.com
Fall Plant Sale
Fall is finally here and it's time to bring out the mums! This year you have the opportunity to buy your fall plants from the Penny Road PTA. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!
1. Use the PDF order form below.
2. Buy coupons from the PTA.
3. Take your coupon to the Campbell Road Nursery (www.campbellrdnursery.com) to pick out your own plants!
Don’t forget to ask grandparents, friends, and neighbors if they would like coupons too! See the PDF flyer below for more information. Email Amy Toland at tolandfam@gmail.com with any questions!
School Picture Day
Mark you Calendar!!! School Picture day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27. This will be your student's yearbook portrait. Order forms have come home. If you plan to purchase pictures, your student will need to bring the order form & payment to their teacher on Picture Day. For more information, visit www.strawbridge.net.
Communication is Key!
School Messenger - This is the platform for messages and information that come from the school and Mrs. Bohr.
Konstella - This is the platform for messages from your PTA with relevant school-wide information.
Seesaw/Dojo - This is the platform for up-to-date information from your specific child's teacher.
Please let us know if you have any questions or need more information on this.
Attendance Awareness month
Attendance Counts! Please Be Informed.
One of the best ways parents can support their children’s academic success is by making sure their children are in school and on time, every day, unless there is a medical reason for the absence. Wake County Schools has set improved attendance rates as one of their goals again this school year.
Here at Penny Road Elementary we have an attendance committee established to work on that goal. The committee members are: School Social Worker, Bonnie Mulfinger, School Counselor, Sarah Fenik, and Data Manager, Becky Fletcher. We will meet monthly to review attendance data and make sure that students at Penny Road are in compliance with the WCPSS board policy and North Carolina state law.
Absences and late arrivals are counted as either excused or unexcused. In order for an absence to be excused a written note or e-mailed message must be received within 2 days of the absence, and meet the requirements for an excused absence. Please see below for the list of excused absences. When a student accumulates 6 unexcused absences parents/guardians will receive a letter advising them of this and of the compulsory school attendance law.
The attendance committee will also be analyzing the data to determine other interventions needed, such as personal contact with a parent/guardian if attendance becomes a problem.
If you have any questions about the attendance policy or would like to discuss your child’s attendance you may call Bonnie Mulfinger at (919)387-2136 ex 26186.
An absence is excused if the following conditions exist:
A. Illness or injury which makes the student physically unable to attend school.
B. Isolation ordered by the State Board of Health or the Wake County Health
Department.
C. Death in family.
D. Medical, dental, or other appointment with a health care provider for the student
or for a child for whom the student is a custodial parent.
E. Court when a student is under subpoena.
F. Religious observance, as suggested by the religion of the student or the
student's parents.
G.Participation in a valid educational opportunity, such as travel with prior
approval, as documented on the "Request for Excused Absence for Educational
Reasons."
H. A catastrophic event or natural disaster.
Books & Beyond!
Kindergarten and 1st grade parents!
Books and Beyond: "Launch into learning: Shoot for the Stars" is a reading program to encourage your young reader to love, appreciate and learn through reading over the course of the year and well into the future.
The program kicks off on October 2, 2017.
Books and Beyond is a yearlong program aimed at encouraging your child to read and foster a desire to continue reading for years to come. Get started by reading books at home (whether on his/her own or read to), tracking the progress of your child on a tracking sheet (which is to be signed by you, the adult) and submitting the completed sheets to your child's teacher for the committee to track throughout the year. By participating in this program, your child has opportunities for both monthly class prizes and individual awards at the conclusion of the program in April. Please be on the lookout in your child’s next Friday Folder (September 29) for a more in-depth look into the program.
Let your reader know their quest to the stars is about to start....
Walk to School Day!
Join us for Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 4! This is a fun way for families to get their day started in a healthy way! The Cary Police Department will join us at two locations to make sure our walkers arrive to school safely!
When: Wednesday, October 4 at 8:20 am. We will begin walking at 8:30 am.
Where: Cambridge Pool parking lot (in the Regency neighborhood 0.5 miles towards Apex off of Penny Road) and the Glenridge pool parking lot (at the corner of Autumngate Drive and Kildaire Farm Rd).
You do not need to live in these neighborhoods to participate. You can simply park your car and walk. Make a poster to show everyone why you love Penny Road and you will win a Spirit Stick! (Make sure to put your name and classroom on the back and bring your poster to Ms. Martin when you get to school.)
Special Notes: When walking from Glenridge, the Cary Police will help you cross Kildaire Farm Road and enter the Windsor Oaks neighborhood. Walkers will then exit onto Penny Road, with the help of the Cary Police, at Magnolia Woods and continue on to school!
Spirit Wear
Book Fair Volunteers Needed!
We are in need of help for this Fall's Scholastic Book Fair (October 6-13). Please consider volunteering time to help our children pick out books. Shifts are in 2 hour increments. (we will take shorter shifts - just put a note in or send an email to Sherri.) Sign up for a date and time that works for you! And as an added bonus, volunteers receive a discount! Email Sherri Stecher at sestecher@gmail.com with any questions.
Chess Club
Library Volunteers Needed
Love kids and books?
Have some extra time during the week?
We would LOVE to have you volunteer to help out in the library while the kindergarten and 1st grade classes are in the library. Mrs. Platts is looking for help throughout the year. If you are available please choose a time slot that works with your schedule. Sign up here or contact Lisa Ann Fowles with any questions at lafowles7@gmail.com.
Online Application for Meal Benefits
Wake County Public School System Child Nutrition wants to remind families that they may apply for free and reduced priced school meals. We want all children to receive nutritious meals meeting the federal nutrition standards that school meals must meet.
A new online application process makes that even easier this year. Families can go to www.wcpss.net/meals to determine if a student qualifies for meal benefits and complete the online application. Families will get an estimate of their school meals benefit once they complete the online application. Child Nutrition Services will review the submitted information and finalize benefits. For those families that prefer, they may also visit their school and complete a paper application.
Join PTA!
Why join the PTA? The number one reason for joining the Parent Teacher Association is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help your school. But there are many more PTA advantages:
- Get Connected.
- Discover Great Resources.
- Tap into a Network.
- Speak Up. PTA can be a way for you to more effectively suggest change at your child’s school.