The Bobcat Blaze
December 4, 2020
Principal's Message
Happy Friday Bobcat Families,
I hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving break! We were excited to welcome our Bobcats back this week. It has been a great week of teaching and learning here in Bobcat Country. Please be sure to check out today's edition for information regarding how we will wrap up this semester. Can you believe 2020 is on its way out? While the events of the year have certainly been memorable, the year has seemed to fly by. I wish each of you a wonderful and safe weekend! We can't wait to see our students next week!
Principal's Message: https://cloud.swivl.com/v/d82e8c046c908f030a8c7f22d8ea4613
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
December
- December 1st-8th.....................Star Testing (Only in-person testing on the district’s network)
December 9th-16th..................Star Testing (For all virtual students or any eLearning students who did not complete testing during face-to-face test window)
- December 16th..........................Virtual SIC Meeting, 9AM (see link below)
- December 21st-January 1st.....Winter Break
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
DHEC - Pardon and Parole (Old Building)
Dates and Times for December (Closed 12-27-20)
Every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday: 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
Address: 2204 Lee St, Columbia, SC 29205
Contact Details: https://scdhec.gov/GetTested
DHEC-Well Health - DHEC Parking Lot
Dates and Times for December (Closes at 2:00 PM in December 24th)
Open weekdays: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturdays: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Further Information
- Oral Testing
- Appointment Needed: No
- Referral Needed: No
- Pediatric Testing Available: Yes
- Register @: https://www.gogettested.com/
Address 2600 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201
Contact Details https://www.gogettested.com/
DISTRICT NEWS
New Meal Pickup Time for Virtual Richland One Students
There has been a change in the meal pick-up time for Richland One students in the district’s virtual school program. Starting Wednesday, December 2, meals for virtual students will be distributed from 9 a.m. – noon, giving families more time to take advantage of the free meal program. Previously, meals were distributed during a two-hour timeframe from 8 – 10 a.m.
Virtual students can pick up meals at the district’s four school distribution sites:
- St. Andrews Middle
- Eau Claire High
- Lower Richland High
- Carver-Lyon Elementary
Richland One Student Attendance Information for 2020-2021
As a parent or guardian you are responsible for ensuring that your child attends school either in person or virtually every day that school is in session. Please review the documents below for Richland One's attendance expectations.
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.
Read to Succeed!
SCHOOL NEWS
Teacher of the Year 2021-2022
Georgia Hollowell
Georgia Hollowell has been selected at AC Moore’s 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Hollowell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education in 2016 from The University of South Carolina and recently earned her Masters degree in Educational Administration and leadership from the University of South Carolina. Mrs. Hollowell is in her fifth year of teaching, all of which have been at AC Moore. She currently teachers kindergarten and has taught both kindergarten and first grade here at AC Moore. In addition to being a kindergarten teacher, she currently serves as a school yearbook advisor, a member of the Creative Arts Alliance and is a member of the district's English Language Arts curriculum revisions team. Mrs. Hollowell loves working at AC Moore because of the strong sense of community and teamwork, positive and supportive individuals, and student diversity.
Mrs. Hollowell is from Seneca, South Carolina. She moved to Columbia for college and fell in love with the city and everything it has to offer! In addition to teaching, Mrs. Hollowell loves international travel, spending time with family and friends, running, baking, and walking her dog, Arlo. She loves sharing her passion for education with her students every day and having the opportunity to watch them learn and grow!
Artist-in-Residence to Remain at ACM Through December
Doris Drake
AC Moore is excited and privileged to be able to provide students with opportunities to experience the arts. There is critical evidence that demonstrates a positive connection to early exposure to the arts and its affect on learning and development potential. As a learning community, we value not only the educational benefits the arts provide our Bobcat students but we also appreciate what arts exposure can do to enhance and provide meaning in the lives of our students. We strongly encourage you to support our efforts in showcasing the arts by having your student participate in the AIR sessions on Wednesdays.
During the month of December, our November Artist-in-Residence, Doris Drake will continue her sessions on Spoken Word. Ms. Drake, a South Carolina native with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Columbia International University will be providing students with opportunities to connect with and positively express their emotions through Spoken Word activities.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina Ms. Drake worked for the City of Columbia as a 911 dispatcher and found that there was a need for programs and interventions that focus on allowing youth to develop an understand how to manage their emotions. After receiving her Masters in Clinical Counseling she began creating solutions to help manage destructive behaviors often displayed by children that have have difficulty managing their emotions. Ms. Drake established the Rebirth Enterprise Youth Development Program to teach students how to manage their emotions in productive ways. The program teaches students about emotions and the misconceptions that are often associated with them. Ms. Drake believes that if given constructive strategies to deal with their emotions, the number of kids with behavioral problems in the classroom, involved in criminal activity experiencing trauma, and bullying will decrease.
The use of Spoken Word is introduced to students as an outlet or tool to help them express themselves in a positive, fun, and engaging environment. Upon completing the program students should be able to communicate in productive ways, understand how to use coping skills to manage their emotions, manage their emotional reactions in positive ways, have the coping skills needed to address their issues, and be able to verbalize their personal issues and concerns in an articulate manner.
School Improvement Council (SIC)
SIC Meeting
Please join us for a virtual SIC meeting on Wednesday, December 16th at 9AM. The link to attend is here.
Wednesday, Dec 16, 2020, 09:00 AM
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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.
AC Moore Recognized for Exemplary Usage of Reading Program
The Lexia® Core5® Reading Program supports educators in providing differentiated literacy instruction for students of all abilities in grades pre-K–5. Lexia’s program provides personalized learning in the six areas of reading instruction, targeting skill gaps as they emerge, and providing teachers with specific resources they need for individual or small-group instruction.
A.C. Moore was recognized for having at least a 75% usage rate on the Lexia® Core5® program during the month of November. Our Bobcats share this recognition with only 4 other schools in Richland One. This accomplishment is significant because students that are consistently meeting usage targets increases the chances of reach their grade level benchmark.
Way to go, Bobcats!
Sunshine Committee Presents...
Over the next few weeks the Sunshine Committee will present to you a "Did You Know This About?" section, featuring Sunshine Committee participants! This segment provides you with a few fun facts and interests of each member.
The Sunshine Committee organizers are comprised of a group of staff who come up with small gifts/treats and fun activities for staff as a way to maintain positive morale and to demonstrate an appreciation for the efforts and dedication displayed by our Bobcat family. The goal of the Sunshine Committee is to spread light to all of the hard-working teachers and staff.
Did You Know This About...?
Lauren Brennan, Speech and Language Pathologist
- Birthday: May 6th
- Favorite Color(s): Blue
- Favorite Sweet Treat: Peanut M&M's
- Hobbies: Reading, music, outdoors/yard
- Shops @: Target, Amazon
Elise Helms, Music Educator
- Birthday: September 6th
- Favorite Color(s): Blue
- Sweet Treat: Dark chocolate with nuts
- Hobbies: Baking
- Shops @: Belk
Susan Edmonds, Resource Teacher
- Birthday: June 25th
- Favorite Color(s): Purple
- Favorite Sweet Treat: Chocolate
- Hobbies: Painting around the house, cooking/baking for her ministry
- Shops @: Marshall's, Michael's
Jessie Bradley, Reading Coach
- Birthday: June 5th
- Favorite Color(s): Green
- Favorite Sweet Treat: Cocoa almonds
- Hobbies: Hiking, cooking
- Shops @: Target
Jennifer Hurt, Nurse
- Birthday: September 20th
- Favorite Color(s): ???
- Favorite Sweet Treat: Haribo gummy bears
- Hobbies: Watching sports
- Shops @: Target
Notes from the Nurse
Important reminders:
Hello Bobcat families!
Please, please, please be sure everyone in your household (6 months old and up) gets an annual flu shot. This is the single best way to prevent the flu. It takes about 2 weeks for antibodies to develop and provide protection, so it is definitely not too early!
Please contact Nurse Hurt with any questions or concerns.
Phone: 803-929-3886
ACCESS Freely!
A message from the public library...
If students/families do not already have library cards, they can apply online now and access all the library resources! See the attached flyers for additional information.
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.
December 4.................................Wear Brown Shoes Day
December 5.................................Day of the Ninja
December 6.................................Put on Your Own Shoes Day
.....................................................Microwave Oven Day
December 7.................................Letter Writing Day
December 8.................................Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day
December 9.................................Christmas Card Day
December 10...............................Dewey Decimal System Day
.....................................................Jane Addams Day
December 11...............................Noodle Ring Day
.....................................................Official Lost and Found 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 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
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