Panther Updates
NEWS, RESOURCES AND LEARNING FOR PANTHER STAFF, 9/24/18
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ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
Thank You: Thank you to everyone that helped out during Saturday school. Coming in on a Saturday is always hard since there is only one day off in between the start of the new week. We thank you.
Quail Ridge Educator Celebration: Sarah Fry forwarded an email a few weeks ago inviting our staff to join Quail Ridge Books for our annual Educator Celebration on September 28 and 29. This is a reminder to pass the information along to your staff if you haven't yet. Attendees can enter to win $500 worth of books for our school library so the more people your school has in attendance the better your chances! To hear about the other free gifts attendees receive or to RSVP, please visit the Quail Ridge website.
All teachers, administrators and support staff are welcome. Help us get the word out so we can express our gratitude for all that they do!
SHP Open Enrollment: The State Health Plan will conduct Open Enrollment September 29-October 31, 2018. Expect a Decision Guide in the mail the last week of September. This guide includes information to help you choose the best plan for yourself and your family.
Get ready for Open Enrollment https://www.shpnc.org/blog/2018-09-14/get-ready-open-enrollment by reading a quick overview of the actions you will need to take and some upcoming opportunities for you to learn more.
READvolution:
The Wake County Schools are excited to once again partner with the Carolina Hurricanes to implement READvolution in all of our elementary schools. This year, READvolution will start and end earlier so we avoid major holidays and Winter Break. We’ll kick-off on Monday, September 24 and wrap-up on Friday, November 16. The goal however remains reading daily for 20 minutes and 800 minutes cumulatively over the eight-weeks.
Just like in 2017-18, this year’s challenge features both individual and school-wide components. Based on last year’s feedback, we are excited to announce that the Carolina Hurricanes will award students who achieve the reading goal of 20 minutes per day throughout the allotted time frame (for a total of 800 minutes) will receive two complimentary ticket vouchers to a Hurricanes home game.
For the school-wide component, schools that collectively read 2,020 books between Sept. 24 and Nov. 16 will be entered into a drawing by region to participate in this year’s Cool School Field Trip to the PNC Arena in February 2019. If your school is selected from the drawing to attend the Cool School Field Trip, students will have the opportunity to see a Hurricanes practice, participate in fun activities, and hear from the players.
Schools that were selected for the 2018 Cool School Field Trip that achieve the 2,020 goal this year will have their names entered into their regional drawing once. Schools that were not selected in 2018 and achieve the 2,020 goal will have their names entered into the drawing twice. Please note you can always participate in the READvolution initiative but opt-out of participation in the drawing for the Cool School Field Trip.
Guides have been created to share with families and school staff to help log reading and books into the READvolution Dashboard. Go to video overview to find out how to log in new books. Also go to the following links for more parent information on READvolution and a "info sheet" on signing books in.
- READvolution Parent Info (English)
- READvolution Parent Info (Spanish)
- READvolution Login Info (English)
- READvolution Login Info (Spanish)
Landscaping Day: We will meet to beautify the front of the building on 10/20/2018 from 9-12. All classrooms are asked to have at least one parent/teacher volunteer to participate. Our focus will be the front carpool/bus loop rounds, and the front of the K-1 building near the parking lot. Depending on how many people attend, we may extend our work to the back of the K-1 hallway. You do not have to stay the entire time, but if we are asking parents to come help we should at least have faculty here, as well. Please bring yard tools, clippers, and blowers. We will not be doing "heavy" work- rather a fall clean up session.
Early Release Day Cancelled: Friday, September 28th is no longer an early release day. This means specials and lunch operate as usual. Specials will be day 2 on 9/28/18. The 5th Grade parents/PTA will still be providing lunch that day but will be set up in the lounge for you to pick up. Due to space constraints, your team may have to go back to your areas or some other common available space.
Signing In/Out/In: Please be sure to let Kevin, Lara, or Kaye know if you are entering the building after 8:45 or leaving the building anytime between 8:45-3:45 for security reasons. If you leave, please make sure to let us know you have returned. We understand that sometimes it is necessary to do so. However, at the same time we need keep track of comings and goings should you need to be reached for an emergency or an emergency situation happens with one of your students. It is impossible for us to explain to a parent why you weren't available and we didn't know you were gone. Simply put WE NEED YOUR COOPERATION WITH THIS SIMPLE SAFETY REQUEST! Please don't put us in a position of staff needing to sign in and out like some other schools.
PD Updates: We are in the process of changing when this year's Professional Development for our early release days since two were converted to full days. More information is coming soon. In addition, the deadline for requests for PD reimbursement is 9/28/2018. See the email sent out next week. Forms are located in the PUE master folder and in the office under the leave forms (red folder and basket on the purple table.). This deadline is also needed so that we can plan funding for the subs and how that could affect 1/2 day planning.
Better Together Fundraiser: Thank you for encourage your families to contribute to the Better Together Fundraiser. Your marketing the Better Together Fundraiser with your weekly communication with parents will help us reach our goal is $20,000 so that we can fund this year's budget will be. If we don't reach our the goal items will need to be cut from the budget. Please take very seriously our need to partner with the PTA on this. I think that we would all agree that a no fuss fundraiser is superior to some of the alternatives. Thanks in advance for your help with this.
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DUTIES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 24-28, 2018 Track 1 OUT
AM Hallway: Blocker (Help greet parents/students, check with Ms. Person to see what is needed at the visitor sign-in tables or the carpool tag/ transportation table.)
AM Carpool: Newman BE SURE TO PUT CONES OUT AND BRING THEM IN NEAR THE ENTRANCE. Also put two cones at the top of the carpool lane to prevent cars from going around other cars
AM Breakfast: Brown
AM Bus: Crum (Write down arrival times of buses. Work with others to disembark students, trouble-shoot issues.)
PM Hallway: Schreier (Check all students for tags in the bus line. If a student does not have a tag, inform Fricke and Ms. Britt ASAP.)
PM Carpool: Fitzgerald/Bednar (outside,) Blocker/Perry/Barber/Biles (inside)
PLEASE MAKE SURE TWO PEOPLE OUTSIDE AT ALL TIMES. If someone is absent, someone from inside should go outside to make sure things are covered.
Fry/Roberts (Call carpool numbers. Do not call a number if parents do not have a tag. Those parents should park and come into the building. This includes all grade-levels.)
PM Bus: Gainey (Call one bus at a time. Write down arrival times. Work with Schreier to trouble-shoot, solve issues.
**If someone is not available, staff members that are available may be called to assist.**
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK THIS WEEK! SEE YOU MONDAY!
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Mark Your Calendars
- 6:00 pm District 3 Board Advisory Council, Millbrook High School
Thursday, September 27
- 8:00 Global and MTAC Committee Mtgs.
Friday, September 28
- Early Release at 1:15
- Track 4 Tracks Out
- Staff Social After School, Lafayette Village Outside
Monday, October 1
- Track 1 tracks in
- National Custodian Appreciation Week October 1-5
Thursday, October 4
- Track 1 and 2 Fall Pictures