News Around The Creek
january 26, 2015
Calendar:
January 30 : Father Daughter Dance, 7-9pm
February 6: Box Tops Contest Ends
February 9: Run Club sign up deadline
February 17: PTA meeting , 7pm, Media Center
March 6 : Mother/Son Event 6-8pm
March 24: PTA Meeting, 7pm, Media Center
President's Message:
Have a good track out Track 3! Looking forward to Track 4 coming back to school on Wednesday!
The next General PTA meeting will be February 17th at 7pm. Please note that the March General PTA Meeting will be rescheduled from March 17th to March 24th. IT will remain at 7pm.
Dr. Margot Holloman spoke at the general PTA meeting on January 20th and provided information on how to help your child be organized for school. Dr. Holloman offers workshops on Enhancing Your Skills Parenting Your Elementary School Child and Enhancing You Elementary School Child's Quality of Life. Information regarding these workshops, and other services provided by Dr. Holloman, can be found on her website at http://drmargotholloman.com or by calling 919-363-4701.
Thank You to all of you who have contributed to the fundraising efforts of the PTA. The conversion of the Media Center into the Learning Commons Environment was the direct result the collaborative effort between Ms. Holland and Mrs. Fountain to create a modern, exciting learning environment for MCES students. Money obtained through PTA fundraising helped make this vision a reality. New furniture and updated technology was purchased to create this new space. Read more about the changes at MCES:
There has been a whirlwind of activity in the media center/technology lab in recent months.
During the fall, Susie Holland attended The North Carolina School Library Media Association Conference in Winston-Salem, a Literacy in the Early Years Seminar at NCCAT on Okracoke Island, and EdCamp at Cullowhee. Laura Fountain and Susie Holland attended the WCPSS Fall Convergence in November.
The recurring message at each of these learning experiences was the need to re-structure media/technology programs to meet the changing needs of our students. We learned that the most effective and promising programs involve change along with a program focused on student learning, with the students taking the lead. We have developed an active, comfortable space where students can discover, create, and collaborate with peers, a space that inspires them to be more productive and successful. We are sharing space and team teaching to develop an atmosphere of collaborative learning. Rather than focusing on the role that the library has played in the past, our goal was to design a space for what students need now and what our school envisions for the future.
As a result, the media/technology program at Middle Creek has a new focus and a new look. The first step was updating and re-structuring programs and facilities. Proceeds from the book fair were used to update the space. We have added moveable tables that are wired for computers and iPads, child friendly seating, and laptops have been ordered. We also freshened up the space with a new coat of paint.
Response from the students has been very positive. On a typical day in the Learning Commons, classes begin with a brief lesson or read aloud involving the entire group. Students then proceed to centers or learning stations. Some center choices include iPad activities, an interactive Mimeo activity, word work, logic puzzles, library games, research projects, computer activities, book check-out, Read to Self, and Read to Others. Students then switch to a second center or station for the remainder of the class time. This is a work in progress and we are all having a great time in this new adventure.
Father/Daughter Dance - This Friday!
Attention all Moms:
What: MCES Daddy Daughter Dance
When: Friday Jan 30, 2015 @ 7-9 pm
Where: MCES Gym
Necklaces will be available for purchase for $5 each.
We will have an art project and a face painter free of charge.
Please have your daughter's Sweetheart have memory and battery full for the dance as there
will be many photo ops stations to capture the moment
We are also in dire need of volunteers.
Please send a note to dance@pavlik.us if you can volunteer.
Wake Up and Read!
The 2nd annual WAKE Up and Read book drive is here! Last year, more than 70,000 books were collected and provided to home libraries for kids in the community in order to support the goal of having all kids reading on grade-level by grade 3. This year, WAKE Up and Read hopes to collect 100,000 books in February – enough to share with children at nine schools, as well as community centers and child care facilities across Wake County. Your help is needed. MCES is being asked to serve as a book collection site. MCES is also asked to provide a volunteer team to help sort books and help out at one or more book distribution events where you'll experience the joy of getting books into kids hands. Gaye Esser has graciously offered to oversee this book drive; however she cannot do it alone. She will need the help of three to four other parents to make this program a success. If you are able to volunteer for this great program please email mcespta1415@yahoo.com.
Carnival:
There is still an urgent need for volunteers for the Carnival. One more person is needed for the Silent Auction Team. This volunteer would email and/or call a designated list of donors to obtain donations for the auction. This is a great "work from home" job that can be done at any time of day through email. It can be completed in only a few hours and spread out over a few weeks. Two volunteers are needed for the Cake Walk Team. This volunteer work would begin in April with sign up distribution and then pick up again in May with collections and organizing the event at the Carnival. Please consider offering your time to make this family fun event a great time for all.
Box Tops:
Box Tops Contest #2
New Year, new Box Tops contest!!
Want to help win your child's class new playground equipment and EXTRA recess time??!! (Extra time, determined by winning teacher, of course)
Just clip and send in those Box Tops! Please be sure to check and make sure your Box Tops have not expired then send in a marked Ziplock with your child's name, grade, track and teacher's name. It's that easy!!!
Box Tops Contest #2 ends 2/6/15 and the winning class will be announced shortly after.
Class Leaders as 1/20/15:
Track 1 Friend, Fortune, Huml
Track 2 Sedler, Gutierrez, Stein
Track 3 Ebner, Slozak, Raub
Track 4 TBA
Mother/Son Event:
Mother/Son Event
Friday March 6, 2015
6pm - 8pm
We are going to have dodge ball, tug of war, games, cake walk, and several items to raffle. We need additional volunteers. Please email Glenn Covington at laney5816@gmail.com or Taylor Goodnough at taylorgoodnough@gmail.com.
Run Club:
Hi Middle Creek families! We will be beginning our 2nd session of run club for 3rd-5th graders again on Monday, February 16th. The first 10 weeks were great, and we are expecting the same for this spring! We will be running around campus and nearby neighborhoods as in the past from 3-4:00 on Mondays for the 10 week session. Kids will be placed in groups based on their pace. Groups are usually between 8-15 students per 2 adults, but depending on our volunteers that may not always happen. If a group is too large we typically run around the “track” area and soccer field at Middle Creek park. We encourage runners of all paces. We have had 7 min milers all the way up to 14 min milers, so all are welcome! The slower groups generally do more of a run/walk method to improve their endurance. The faster groups also work on hills and sprints to increase pace as well.
Due to having issues with the Google sign up last time I have decided to use the Sign Up Genius for registration. Even if you participated during the 1st session I will still need for you to register via this method. (This will assist me with rosters, updating email lists, etc.) If you have already filled out a permission slip for this year you will not need to fill out another. If this is your child’s 1st time in run club, I will be sending home a permission form. If I do not receive this prior to Feb 16th, your child will not be able to participate and you will be contacted to pick them up from school. The deadline to sign up is: Monday, February 9th. Link: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0B44A4A92BAA8-2ndsession
At this time we do not have a local 5K to participate in at the end of run club. Last session we ran in the Turkey Trot in Apex and that was a lot of fun with a great turnout! I’ve been looking at various options and I do know the NCSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity typically has a spring 5K, this is what I’m leaning towards. A charity that we can all feel good about giving to! If you have any information on a local race on April 25th or 26th please let me know. In the meantime I will be searching. As soon as we firm up that information I will get the link to register out to you!
Dates: Feb 16th, 23rd March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th April 6th, 13th, 20th
Thanks! Lisa Woodard
Middle School Open House:
Holly Ridge Middle School has rescheduled their rising 6th grader Open House to Thursday, February 11th from 5pm-7pm.
West Lake Middle School counselors will offer tours of our school for prospective students and parents on the following dates and times. We look forward to providing information about our school and to give prospective families a glimpse of the wonderful learning opportunities we offer. Also, the two new student orientation/registration nights will be held in March or April on dates to be determined. We are unable to provide private tours at other times so we encourage interested families to plan to attend one of these scheduled tours or orientation nights. All tours will begin at 9:00 am in the front lobby of the school and will last approximately one hour. No registration is required:
- Thursday, January 29
- Friday, March 6
- Thursday, June 4