Welcome to Towne Acres
Where Super Kids Become Super Heroes!
PTA Newsletter, September 2019
Principal's Message
The 2019-20 school year has gotten off to a fast start. We have had a very productive and exciting first month of school. It was great seeing so many of our families at our Open House before school started and at our first family engagement event in August. Our next big event is our Fall Carnival, which will take place on Friday, September 27th. We hope to see everyone there!
We currently have approximately 430 students enrolled at Towne Acres this year, which is an increase from this time last year. We are excited to welcome 93 kindergarten students this year along with many other new 1st - 4th graders. Whether you are new to Towne Acres or a returning parent, I would encourage you to get involved in some capacity. There are numerous opportunities available through our PTA, and you can sign-up through the link
that was emailed out previously or by contacting our PTA president (taptapresident@yahoo.com). Our PTA and Booster Club support our school in a variety of ways. Over the past year, these groups have purchased an iPad cart, laptops, projectors, classroom supplies, science resources, and several online programs that our students utilize regularly. We are extremely grateful for our PTA and Booster Club!
As mentioned above, our Fall Carnival is coming up. This is a very special night for our school community. It is always nice to welcome back former students and families and see them interact with our current families. In order to make this event a success, we need a bounty of volunteers. There are many ways to help: everything from setting up, volunteering at games, cleaning up after the event, providing sponsorship, or sending in items for our auction. It truly requires a team effort to make this a success. We hope to see you there on September 27!
Kind Regards,
Josh Simmons
A Note from the President
Hello Towne Acres Families,
Welcome back! Whether you’re new to our school or you’re returning for another year, we’re so glad you’re here.
School is in full swing, and I hope everyone is getting settled into their fall routines! As I’m writing this, we’re starting our third week of school, and I can’t believe how much has already happened in and around TA and how much more we have planned for you over the next few weeks!
We had a great Open House--lots of families came out to meet their teachers and staff, visit classrooms, and see their classmates. We had a chance to meet lots of new students and catch up with old friends.
Family Engagement Night was a big hit. So much ice cream was enjoyed by all who attended. Many of you signed up to serve our school in a variety of ways that evening, and for that I am very thankful. It is my hope that you’ll not only find volunteering at our school a rewarding experience but that you’ll also make some meaningful connections with others along the way.
Our main event for the year is coming up soon, the annual Fall Carnival, September 27, 4:30-8pm. Fall carnival is Towne Acres’ biggest event and primary fundraiser of the year. Led by the fearless Jenn Bradford and Tiffany Clements, the small army of Carnival volunteers has been hard at work since the spring making plans for what is sure to be a memorable night for everyone. In addition to all the food and entertainment, we’ll also be hosting silent and live auctions throughout the evening, and Daphanie Roberts and her team have been hard at work on that. You will definitely want to make plans to attend this event, as it’s the highlight of the year for our kids!
In addition to Carnival, we also have fall parties and team spirit days on the books. We’ll be having our first PTA General Meeting on Thursday, October 25, and our 4th graders will be performing. It’s shaping up to be an exciting fall at TA for sure!
Do y’all know Candice Wilkings? She’s the mastermind behind the monthly TA PTA Newsletter, Thank you so much, Candice! At Open House you may have met one or more of our PTA board members for this year. To Amber Bumgarner, Elizabeth Goins, Sarah Schumaier, Melissa Larzo, Natalie Hilton, Jenn Bradford, Shannon Thomsen, and Tiffany Clements--thank you for your extra time and dedication that night as well as dealing with ongoing activities with your committees! Jenn Hollinger is doing a wonderful job with our Facebook page--be sure to like the Towne Acres PTA Facebook page if you haven’t already done so. Kelly Weems and all our committee chairs, thank you for all your efforts with Family Engagement Night and all you’re doing to get ready for what’s next. Dr. Simmons, Mr. Keller, Ms. Craig, Ms. Barnett, and Ms. Powell--thank you for allowing us to invade your space daily and ask you multiple questions, daily. Ashley Baker is already hard at work on BoxTops, and Lucy Martin is getting geared up to kick off our reading program starting in September. Jessica Bedard has gotten our room parents off to a great start, and room parents, thank you in advance for all you are and will be doing! The teachers and staff have been amazing and have already come out to support our school on their own time. Thank you all so much!
“Where super kids become super heroes” is the PTA’s theme this year. If you’d like to help our kids become the super heroes they are meant to be, please get in touch!
Thanks,
Jennie Fowler
PTA President
School Safety with Officer Hilton
HELLO TOWNE ACRES FAMILIES! I hope that the first few weeks have been great for you and your students. I will have a section in the newsletter each month that will usually be safety related.
SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE A SIGN
As you drive and walk around school campuses it is easy to get “sign overload." All of these signs are designed with the safety of students in mind, and for travel of our school buses. We have signs for speed in the school zones, where parking is prohibited, and what driving actions to take or not to take. I would ask that you be aware of the signs posted.
Here are a few things to consider when traveling around Towne Acres:
Please note the speed limit when the lights are flashing is 15mph. The speed in the neighborhood is otherwise 25 mph
Cell phone use must be hands free when your vehicle is in motion
Be aware of the signs at the roundabout that prohibit parking from the sign to the corners
No left turn into the carline during arrival and dismissal
PLEASE NO LOADING AND UNLOADING OF PASSENGERS IN THE ROADWAY
No U-turns on Ferndale where there is on-street parking. It is posted.
When parking along the road, your passenger side tires should be alongside the curb
The parking lot on the gym side of the school is for staff parking and Handicap parking only
If you have any questions about travel around the school, parking, or any other safety concern I am happy to help.
Thanks and have a great September,
Officer Hilton
Family Engagement Night
Thanks to all who came to our 1st Family Engagement event! We had a great crowd, and many people signed up to volunteer for TA PTA! We hope everyone enjoyed the ice cream sundaes and activities in the gym with Coach Jeffries. Special thanks to Coach Jeffries, custodial staff, Dr. Simmons, and teachers for donating their time to support our event! If you were unable to attend, there is still time to sign up and volunteer using the Google Doc link.
https://forms.gle/tBut2tk6bnhvK8ZaA
Please contact me with any questions and I look forward to the next Family Engagement event in the spring!
Kelly Weems
Family Engagement Chairperson
Towne Acres Fall Carnival Fundraiser
Friday, Sep 27, 2019, 04:30 PM
Towne Acres Elementary Courtyard and Playground
Thank You To our 2019 Carnival Sponsors & Vendors
Want to sponsor our carnival? Click the link below!
Fall Carnival Auction
Auction Starts: Online Wednesday September 25th at 4:00 pm, items will be on display during the Carnival from 4:30 pm til 7:30 pm Friday, September 27th
Auction Ending Time: Bidding on Silent items such as Classroom Baskets, Art Projects and Time with Teachers Ends ends at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 27th
Live Auction will be held on the Field following the Cheerleader and Teacher performances, don't miss it, set your clocks for 6:15 pm
Handbid App
The Carnival Auction has gone high tech! This year all donations will be listed on the app Handbid. Be an early bird and download the app to preview items. Types of Payment Accepted: Checks, PayPal, Venmo, Cash, & Credit Card.
STEP 1: DOWNLOAD THE HANDBID APP
If you have an iPhone or Android, you can download the Handbid app from the Apple iTunes App Store or the Google Play store.
Please note we strongly recommend you “Accept notifications from this app” when you open it and join an auction. This will allow you to get push notifications for “Outbid” messages during the auction.
STEP 2: TAP GET STARTED & CREATE ACCT
Next, you can create an account. From the App home screen, tap on “GET STARTED” button and complete the information (please use your cell phone as the phone number). Tap NEXT
Handbid will text you a 5 digit code. Enter this code to log in.
STEP 3: SELECT AUCTION FROM LIST & START BIDDING
Select Towne Acres from the list of auctions and swipe left to enter the auction. Once in the auction, swipe left/right to access categories and up/down to access items.
Whether you are bidding online or in the Handbid App, here are some easy tips to help:
- MAX BID: This is the max you are willing to spend for an item and Handbid system will automatically bid for you until you reach your max. Set a max bid and enjoy your evening!
- NOTIFICATIONS: If you have downloaded the Handbid App and accepted push notifications, you will be notified by push notifications when you are outbid on an item. If you don’t have the app you will receive text messages from Handbid.
- DASHBOARD: Monitor what you are currently winning and losing on the Dashboard screen in your app or online.
No smartphone? No problem.
You will be able to access the auction through a web browser at https://handbid.app.link/TA2019Auction or we will have iPad's available at the event to get you signed up and bidding!
If you are having issues with downloading the app or registering, please contact Handbid at service@handbid.com
How to help with Carnival!
Calling All Superheroes!
We hope that you will bring your family out to enjoy what has always been a fun and memorable night for everyone. Our school relies heavily on the generous donations of the families of Towne Acres to make the Carnival a success that it is each year. We are just weeks away and we need your help!
Food Items
Each classroom is responsible for contributing various food and drink items for the night of Carnival. Boxed items(drinks, chips) can be brought any day during the week of Carnival. We will have a table set up in front of the office for donations to be dropped off by you or your student. We will also need items for the Bake Sale. You can make cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, cupcakes, etc. We also appreciate gluten free, nut free items as well. (PLEASE LABEL) Please bring bake sale items wrapped or in sandwich bags the day of Carnival. Cakes and Pies need to be in a disposable container or packaged to give away. Group items if they are small (i.e. cookies, brownies, cake pops, etc.) We will have volunteers outside at car line on the day of Carnival to collect these items. SIGN UP here for your classroom, http://signup.com/go/eZEDNoY
Larger Supplies
We are in need of larger items for the evening of Carnival including coolers, large lights, tents/canopies, 6-8 ft tables. You may bring these items to the front office or into the Little Theater the week of Carnival. Kindly put your name on these items so that we may get them back to you ASAP after Carnival is over, our storage space is limited. You can
SIGN UP to bring these items at http://signup.com/go/vpvgtAX
Volunteering During Carnival
Each class has been asked to provide volunteers to work 30 minute time slots during Carnival. High School and College Students, extended family members or any parents are welcome to serve. We will sign off and give credit for those volunteer hours students!! Please view the volunteer opportunities online at http://signup.com/go/vpvgtAX
Classroom Basket and Art Projects
As part of our Silent Auction, each classroom is given a theme to create a basket to be donated for the Auction. Students are asked to bring in an item to help fill the basket or a monetary donation to purchase items for the basket. Please DO NOT MAKE CHECKS OUT TO TOWNE ACRES for Classroom Baskets. The school cannot cash checks and return money to Room Parents. Make the checks out to your ROOM PARENTS. They will be in charge of creating your classroom basket. Your Room Parents will be contacting you with further information. ALL BASKET DONATIONS ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, SEPT. 19TH
Art Projects -your child will be creating an art project as a class that will be available to purchase at the Auction. You can purchase any art created for yourself or gift it back to the teacher and/or school.
Cozy Corner at Carnival
Spirit Week September 23 - 27!
Show your school spirit by dressing up for Spirit Week!
- Monday, September 23 - Super Hero T-shirt Day!
- Tuesday, September 24 - Tacky Tuesday!
- Wednesday, September 25 - Decades Day!
- Thursday, September 26 - Crazy socks!
- Friday, September 27 - Towne Acres Spirit day!
Become a member of the Towne Acres PTA!
Our PTA membership drive is underway! We are already at over 300 members. If you haven’t joined the PTA yet, please consider taking this opportunity to support Towne Acres by joining online! It is easy and completely paperless.
Use the link below, create a login, click on the “Shop” icon, and also pay online.
https://towneacres.memberhub.com/
Thank you for your support!
Amanda Haywood, Membership chair
Booster Club
Greetings from the Towne Acres Booster Club (TABC)!
Through your support, we work hand-in-hand with the PTA to give our kids the extra things in school that help them go above and beyond. There is a reason our school is the best and brightest, and a huge part of that is the support our kids get from parents like you each day.
Because of YOU, the TABC have raised more than $160,000 to give back to our school!
This year we have provided every teacher with $100 grants and $400 grade level grants! Right now, based on Dr. Simmon’s suggestions, the TABC goal is to provide academic tutors to help our teachers and kids have the best instruction possible. Academic tutors will enable our teachers to better serve our kids, and will help our kids maximize the time they have in class. In the past this has been widely successful, especially leading into the rapidly approaching state testing. Our teachers also need consumable supplies for simple STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Math) projects that will give hands-on learning experiences to our kids to get them prepared for the ongoing changes in the curriculum.
Will you help by becoming a part of TABC today? Please consider stepping up for our kids by making a tax-deductible donation. With your gift, you will join our booster club, and YOU will be giving our kids the extras that make their experience at Towne Acres so life-changing. YOU will be giving them the education they deserve.
Thank you,
Sarah Schumaier
TABC President
Towne Acres Boosters Board Members
Sarah Schumaier- President; Elizabeth Brown-Treasurer; Philip Baker-Secretary; Art Fowler; Elizabeth Williams; Jeff Martin; Jason Walker; John Smith; Jenn Hollinger; Jessica Sutterlin; Meredith Berry; DJ Swatzell; Cris Larzo; Dr. Simmons; Ms. McCurry
September Feature: Related Arts
Library & Media Center
The library is off to a great start! We will be implementing a program called Common Sense Media to help students thrive in a world of media and technology. Our library collection just keeps getting better! A BIG thank you to our PTA and Booster Club for providing fiction books, nonfiction books, and STEAM materials for our Media Center curriculum. The Book Fair will be here in November! Because of our generous families, last year's fair was a huge success. It's going to be a great year!
Visit our Media Center and see our collection online: http://towneacrespatterson.weebly.com
Happy Reading,
Donna Patterson
pattersond@jcschools.org
Music
Towne Acres “World of Music”
Here at Towne Acres we study all types and forms of music and almost everything that has to do with music. The younger grades learn to sing many fun songs that are easy to memorize. We also learn a vocabulary of musical terms that help us to understand music. Movement is a big part of our musical experience. For example, learning folk dances, expressive dancing and choreography. Each grade level performs a program at least once throughout the school year, for families and students.
The older grades learn basic keyboarding skills, playing drums and recorders. We also have a “4th grade chorus” that sings at special functions in the community. Through our musical experience at TA, we always strive to meet our state standards of: perform, create, respond and connect.
Mr. Billheimer
billheimerb@jcschools.org
Physical Education
At Towne Acres Elementary, your child’s physical health is very important to us. Our Physical Education (PE) program is geared towards developing your child’s motor skills and movements, develop lifelong health related fitness, teamwork, and respectful attitudes. We are strong believers in a healthy child makes a better student.
Coach Jeffries
jeffriest@jcschools.org
Guidance
I hope everyone’s school year is off to an excellent start. What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to share a small part of your child’s elementary school experience. Thank you so much for your partnership in making our school such a wonderful place to learn & grow. During our classroom time in August we have focused on learning about and practicing positive communication skills and activities to promote cohesiveness in your child’s new class. I hope your child has enjoyed our time together as much as I have.
Additionally, I am happy to introduce our ETSU Intern, Ms. Courtney Morgan. We are excited to have Ms. Morgan with us until December.
As always, never hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to help make your child’s school year a successful one!
Jennifer Banner, M.A.
bannerj@jcschools.org
Box Tops
I hope your year is off to a GREAT start! Our first Box Top packet went home in folders recently highlighting some EXCITING changes to the Box Top program!
Now you can SCAN your receipt through the app and earn money for TA. Still have the actual box tops? Send them in. We are still collecting those, too!
Our goal this year is $1,000 for Box Tops earnings. Our first submission date is November 1st. I will send home reminders in the following months about those deadlines.
Don’t forget to take a minute to make sure Towne Acres is linked to your Food City or Kroger shopping card as well. The school is able to get additional earnings just from going grocery shopping!
Thank you for supporting Towne Acres!
Ashley Baker, Box Tops Coordinator
Cafeteria Volunteers
We are in need of cafeteria volunteers this year! Helping involves passing out straws/napkins and opening food packages. Cafeteria help times are from 10:45-11:45 am. This is a great opportunity for parents and grandparents to get involved at our school. No special training is needed.
All of our open time slots are listed online at Signup. com. You do not need to commit to volunteering on a regular basis – even helping once is appreciated! Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/go/PeJCdjM. Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like. Sign up! It’s Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com. They also do not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.
The Cafeteria Sign Up page can also be accessed from the Towne Acres PTA website homepage (https://towneacrespta.weebly.com/) by clicking on the “Cafeteria Sign Up” button in the upper left corner.
Thank you,
Jennifer Tucker
Cafeteria Coordinator
Student Dictionaries and Thesauruses
On behalf of the Towne Acres PTA, I’m very excited to announce that we have purchased reference books for our older students to keep! Every 3rd grader has received a personalized copy of the Webster’s Dictionary for Students. Every 4th grader has received a personalized copy of the Webster’s Thesaurus for Students. These books will be used throughout the year in their classrooms to assist them in becoming better writers and readers. Thank you all for providing generous financial support to our PTA, which allows us to fund projects such as this!
Jennifer Tucker
Dictionaries Chair
Towne Criers Reading Program
If you would like to document your child's minutes during the month, here is the link for a reading log that you can use: https://tinyurl.com/TAReadingLogForm . Please note, this form is for personal use only and is not to be turned in.
Each child who meets (or exceeds) the goal AND submits his/her minutes by the deadline will receive an incentive from a local business. They will be recognized in our monthly newsletter, receive a sticker on our Towne Criers Reading Hall of Fame, and be recognized at our Towne Criers ceremony at the end of the year. If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! Let's unmask our SUPER READERS!
Lucy Martin
Reading Chair
lucymartin11@hotmail.com
Towne Acres School Calendar 2019-2020
August 1 Open House, 6-7pm
August 2 First Day of school (11:30am dismissal)
August 15 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
August 22 Family Engagement Night, 6:30-7:30pm (Little Theater)
August 30 Class T-shirt orders due
September 2 No School- Labor Day
September 6 Midterm Progress Reports Issued
September 9-27 Parent Teacher Conferences (After school hours)
September 10 Fall Individual School Pictures (Grades K-1)
September 11 Fall Individual School Pictures (Grades 2-4)
September 12 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
September 13 ETSU Spirit Day
September 23-27 Spirit Week
September 27 Fall Carnival, 4:30-8:00pm
October 4 End of 1st Nine Weeks
October 7-11 Fall Break
October 16 Report Cards Issued
October 17 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
October 24 PTA General Meeting, 6:30pm (Little Theater), 4th Grade
November 1 Fall Party
November 5 No School- Election Day- Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 7 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
November 14 PTA General Meeting, 6:30pm (Little Theater), 3rd Grade
November 15 Midterm Progress Reports Issued
November 18-22 Book Fair (Library)
November 19 Pastries for Parents
November 21 Grandparent’s Lunch, Grades K-1
November 22 Grandparent’s Lunch, Grades 2-4
November 27-29 No School- Thanksgiving Break
December 12 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
December 20 Sing Along and Winter Party, 11:30am Dismissal
December 20 End of 2nd Nine Weeks
January 7 Students return from Winter Break
January 8 Report Cards Issued
January 16 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
January 20 No School- Martin Luther King Jr Day
January 23 PTA General Meeting, 6:30pm (Little Theater), 2nd Grade
February 7 Midterm Progress Reports Issued
February 13 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
February 14 Valentine’s Parties
February 17 No School- Snow Day
February 20 PTA General Meeting, 6:30pm (Little Theater), 1st Grade
March 5 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
March 5 Family Engagement Night- Art Show, 6:30pm
March 13 Camp Fair/ Cultural Arts Presentation
March 13 End of 3rd Nine Weeks
March 16-20 Spring Break- No School
March 25 Report Cards Issued
April 9 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
April 10 No School- Good Friday
April 13 No School- Snow Day
April 14-May 1 TN Ready Testing Window
April 16 PTA General Meeting- Kindergarten Performance (Little Theater)
April 24 Midterm Progress Reports Issued
April TBD STEM Day
May 1 Pep Rally
May 7 PTA Board Meeting, 8:30am (Little Theater)
May 8 Field Day
May 13 Reading Awards
May 14 PTA General Meeting- Reflections Awards and New Officers
May12 Variety Show
May 15 Senior Tea
May 21 K-3 Awards
May 22 Last Day of School- ½ Day- 4th Grade Promotion
May 22 Report Cards Issued