Greetings Seawell Seahawk Families,

On behalf of our staff - thank you for an amazing first week of school!!! It has truly been a delight to have the energy and light that only students can bring into a space. This month we are diving more deeply into the work that will frame individualized instructional programming for your child.

We had an exciting week with visits from Dr. Hamlett and other district representatives showing their excitement for the year ahead and checking in to make sure that we were off to a great start!

Thank you so much for your support and patience with the new traffic pattern implemented this week. While it was initially implemented to make our morning drop-off safer, it has allowed us to move our Kiss and Go line much faster and ensure that students are in place in a timely manner.

For questions, comments or concerns, please contact:

Tracy Holloway, CHCCS Director of Safe Schools: tpholloway@chccs.k12.nc.us

Alex Carrasquillo, Chapel Hill Police: acarrasquillo@townofchapelhill.org

Your PTA To-Do Checklist

The Seawell Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is excited to welcome new and returning families to Seawell! Our PTA is very active, supporting our teachers with educational supplies and materials, funding the Critter Corner and school garden, sponsoring family events such as Bingo Night and Global Traditions, assisting Seawell families in need, and so much more. The PTA is 100% run by parent volunteers, and it needs your support!

· Join the PTA for just $10 per person or sponsor a Seawell teacher or staff member for only $5 by clicking on the MemberHub link. As a PTA member there is no obligation to attend the PTA meetings or volunteer. We welcome other family members too, such as grandparents, to become PTA members too!

· Volunteer with the PTA! There are several vacant positions, including PTA president. If interested in volunteering with the PTA, please send an email to ptaseawell@gmail.com.

· Attend the upcoming virtual PTA Board and General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 6 at 7:00 PM. All Seawell parents and staff are welcome to attend. The Zoom link for the meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6791021964?pwd=amRMcVZueVY0VFFMMHFEYkRDY3ZlZz0

· LIKE the Seawell PTA Facebook page

· LINK your Harris Teeter VIC Card online or ask the cashier to enter school code #2543 the next time you shop

· Order your Seawell Spirit Wear! All items are 30% off and free shipping for purchases over $60 through September 14. Click the link for the Seawell online store: https://1stplacespiritwear.com/partner/57101

Seawell

Chess Club

After School Program

Who: Students 2nd Grade and Up

Novice & Experienced - we teach 2 levels

When: Every Monday --- September 12th - November 14th

Time: After School --- 2:30pm until 3:40pm

Fee: $129 for an 8 week course ($16.12 per week)

* Students will learn from a certified Chess Coach

* Curriculum is "Learn Chess in Steps" --- WorkBooks 1-4

* The Fundamentals of Chess

* Strategy & Tactics

* Problem Solving

* Improves Confidence

* Enhanced Learning Skills & Critical Thinking

* End of Semester Student Chess Tournament with Trophies (1st - 3rd place)

* Also we offer an option to create 4 person teams to compete against other local schools

** Questions: Improve@TriangleChess.com or call Bill Clausen (919) 272 8017

Online Sign Up:

1) Go to www.TriangleChess.com

2) Under In School on right

3) Click Sign Up

Checks may be made out to Triangle Chess if not paying online

Seawell had one positive COVID-19 case during the week of August 29-September 2.

September 5

• Labor Day - No School for Students

September 6

• First Full day for PreK students
• General PTA Meeting (Virtual PTA Meeting Link)

September 8

• SIT (School Improvement Team Meeting) 6:30pm(Virtual)

SES SIT Meeting
Thursday, September 8 · 6:30 – 7:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jmz-ddzm-ukm
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 803-999-5683‬ PIN: ‪812 231 048‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/jmz-ddzm-ukm?pin=4997963256798

September 26

• Teacher Workday

September 28

• School Picture Day
• Open House@ 5:30pm (more information will be shared closer to this date)
• PTA Meeting

This section highlights clothing items found around our campus so that parents can alert their children to reclaim what was once lost! Just have your child tell the their respective teachers the number of their lost item and we will make sure that it is returned. Lost water bottles will be included as well.

This week students were engaged in building classroom community, reviewing old concepts and learning some new ones!!

We began BOY (Beginning of the Year) assessments in STAR (Reading and Math), mcLass and IRLA platforms. It is critical that we have the baseline data in order to plan instruction and have updated information about what our students know. With the exception of the BOG3, and STAR diagnostic assessments, most are given throughout the window assigned. This means that small groups of students are assessed daily, along with one on one assessments occurring throughout the respective core subject area instructional blocks. Will this information be shared with you? It truly depends on the purpose of the assessment. Some are to inform teacher planning and others give us an individualized baseline for students which allows for differentiation and/or skill strategy focus.

One of the ways that we determine how best to design classroom instruction and monitor student growth is through the use of diagnostic assessments. Note again that some assessments are not about how well a student performs, but more about giving the teacher information about lesson design/focus. The following are assessments that either began this week or will begin in the weeks to come:

*STAR - Math

STAR- Reading (Grades 4-5)

mClass - K-3

BOG3 - Third Grade only (Beginning of Grade 3 - state reading assessment)

*STAR has replaced iReady.

Carpool: Carpool tags/numbers will be given out at the beginning of the year to new students. Returning students can request new tags if they have been lost or damaged.

• Parents and guardians must present their tags to pick up their students. If they do not have a tag, they must show a valid driver’s license and sign them out in the office.

• If there are extenuating circumstances regarding this expectation, please reach out to the principal or call the front office to receive guidance. Keeping your child(ren) safe is our priority.

Please call Seawell at 919.967.4343 ext 33201 or email ssilberstein@chccs.k12.nc.us to report absences and tardies.

SES Bus Drive:

Bus drivers request parents pull more toward the curb (cars driving in from Homestead Rd.) on Seawell School Rd. if possible in order to allow them timely access to our bus drive.

Please pay attention to a few safety reminders for our car rider line :

Arrival

• Parents and guardians should not get out of the car in the morning or afternoon car rider line.
• Please refrain from cell phone usage while the line is active.
• Please have seatbelts and child chairs prepared ahead of time.
• Items/food should not be dropped off during the car rider line. Please park and drop this off during the day or after the AM car rider line.
• Please do not use the car rider line as a time to speak with teachers. Please email or call to schedule a time to meet with your child's teacher.

Please use the kiss and go lane when dropping students off. Adults will not be permitted to walk students to class at this time as we will have adults prepared to escort students to their classrooms. Our campus is one where we have to closely monitor people traffic and this allows us to begin our instructional day on time without having to escort adults from various locations.

NEW EXPECTATION:

As you exit the carpool lane, you can only take a right turn. This will help with traffic flow.

DISMISSAL:

1) Please ensure you have a school issued carpool tag visible in your window during dismissal.

2) Please do not park cars to walk to the building to get students at dismissal. We ask that all parents remain in the car rider line.

3) Bikers and walkers will be dismissed at 2:40 on the lawn by the PreK trailers. We apologize for the tight protocols but we want to ensure the safety of each student and staff member while on campus. All bikers and walkers must be released to an adult because they are minors.

4) Smith Middle School: please do not park cars on Smith Middle School's campus during arrival or dismissal. Smith Middle asks parents to line up beginning at 3:10 PM. Please do not take a left out of Seawell's car rider exit to wait in the Smith Middle School line early. All parents and guardians will now make a right turn when exiting. Thank you so very much!

5.) Please direct new bus requests to Mr. Nelson. Requests are sent to the district transportation office for additional processing. New requests can take up to several days to complete.

6.) Please call the district transportation office if a bus fails to pick up your student in the morning.