The Bobcat Blaze
November 13, 2020
Principal's Message
Happy Friday everyone! It has been an absolute treat to have all students back in the building throughout this week. Thank you for your adaptability and flexibility as we continuously improve our arrival and dismissal procedures. I hope you have enjoyed virtual parent conferences this week with your child's teachers. If you were unable to conference, please reach out to the teacher as soon as possible to reschedule.
We have some fun opportunities coming up for students and staff next week so please be sure to review those in this week's edition. We look forward to 100% participation! Additionally, there are some informational virtual parent events coming up next week and we would love to have as many of you there that can join.
Finally, special shout out to our 2nd grade students as they navigated CoGAT testing over the last several weeks. We are so proud of your efforts!
Have a safe, restful weekend! We look forward to seeing everyone back in Bobcat Country next week!
Principal's Message: https://cloud.swivl.com/v/e546cb0b12400f9b9b90e3d40e8fcb00
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
November
- November 14th-21st........................Free COVID-19 Testing (details below)
- November 16th................................Flocabulary 101 Webinar, 8 am or 6 pm (details below)
- November 16th-20th.......................Dress-Up Week (details below)
- November 16th and 17th................CogAT Testing for Second Graders in Cohort A
- November 17th................................Microsoft TEAMS Information Session (details below)
- November 18th................................Virtual PTO Meeting @ 7:00 pm (link below)
- November 19th................................Microsoft TEAMS Q&A Session (details below)
- November 23rd................................Session Two of the Joy of Parenting
- November 25th-27th.......................Thanksgiving Break (Schools & District offices are Closed)
December
- December 4th............................Professional Development Day (Early release for students)
- December 21st-January 1st.....Winter Break
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
DHEC - Pardon and Parole (Old Building)
Dates and Times
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
Open weekdays: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturdays: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Further Information
Appointment Needed: No
Referral Needed: No
Pediatric Testing Available: Yes
Address 2600 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201
Contact Details https://www.gogettested.com/
District News
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.
Microsoft Education Professional Development Team to Host Microsoft TEAMS Webinars for the Dreher Cluster
Click the icons below to register.
Introduction to Microsoft TEAMS
TEAMS Question and Answer Session
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.
SCHOOL NEWS
A Bobcat Salute to Our Veterans
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11th became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or deceased—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. It is our hope that you had an opportunity on Veteran's Day to thank a veteran in your life or community.
A.C. Moore would like to say thank you to our veterans for their service to our country and for their willingness to protect our freedom. We would also like to acknowledge a veteran in our Bobcat Family, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant and Air Force Air National Guard Veteran, Sandra Sulton.
Ms. Sulton, former Classified Employee of the Year (2019-2020) has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Affairs and an Associates degree in Marketing. She has been a member of the AC Moore family for nine years. Ms. Sulton does an outstanding job with connecting with students and teachers at A.C. Moore and she is committed to excellence and dedicated to the school community. Ms. Sulton enjoys reading, listening to music, dancing, watching action/adventure movies and documentaries, spending time with family, learning new vegan recipes and traveling.
Thank you, Ms. Sulton for your 10 years of service in the Air National Guard and for being an awesome addition to our school!
Major Christopher Cagle and Major Alison Frieman, United States Air Force
Son and Daughter-in-Law of Ann Cagle, Special Education Teacher
Matthew S. Warren, United States Marine Corps
Husband of Jessica Warren, Librarian
Retired SMsgt Ricky Anderson, United States Air Force
Husband of Renee Anderson, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant
Retired Sergeant Major Samuel Glover, United States Army
Dress-Up Week!
Let's show our Bobcat Family how happy we are to be back together! Let's celebrate with a themed dress up week! Click on the pictures above to see the schedule of themes for the day. When your student is completing their asynchronous days, be sure to have them show their attire during their morning meeting.
Join Us for the November PTO Meeting!
The PTO will hold it's November meeting Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm. Below you will find the link to join the virtual meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!
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)
----------November PTO Meeting Link---------
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El PTO llevará a cabo su reunión de noviembre el miércoles 18 de noviembre a las 7 pm. A continuación encontrará el enlace para unirse a la reunión virtual. Esperamos verlos allí!
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)
----------Reunion de noviembre---------
Parent and Family Engagement
Flocabulary 101 - Webinar for Parents and Caregivers
Flocabulary is a learning program for all grades that uses educational hip-hop music to engage students in learning. The 30-minute Flocabulary 101 Webinar will provide a general overview of the program and tips on how parents can support their student's learning at home using this resource. Interested parents and caregivers must complete the registration form to receive a meeting link. Two 30-minute webinars will be held on Monday, November 16, 2020.
Flocabulary 101 - Webinar for Parents and Caregivers
Monday, November 16, 2020
- 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
- 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
***REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE ON 11/13/2020**
**Attendees will receive a link to the session via email 24 hours prior to the session**
CogAT Testing for 2nd Graders
All second-grade students will be assessed with the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). The assessment will be administered to:
- Cohort A on November 16th, and 17th.
BOBCAT SPOTLIGHT...NOVEMBER ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
A Warm Welcome To...
November Artist-in-Residence: Doris Drake
Greetings, My name is Doris Drake. I am a South Carolina native. I received my Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and my Master of Arts in Counseling from Columbia International University. After graduating from the University of South Carolina I worked for the City of Columbia as a 911 Dispatcher for over 15 years.
While working in that position I noticed the call volume for our youth escalated for behavioral issues and/or suicide. I understood that the youth are being exposed to more than we were exposed to and they do not understand how to manage their emotions. They are exposed to things before they are mentally and physically prepared to understand the essence of what they hear and see. In addition, they do not fully understand the consequences of acting on what they are being exposed to. After receiving my Masters in Clinical Counseling I resigned from my position as a 911 Dispatcher to work towards creating solutions to the issue this generation is facing.
My desire is to help the youth understand and manage their emotions in productive ways. Therefore, I established the Rebirth Enterprise Youth Development Program. Rebirth Enterprise offers a Spoken Word Youth Development Program to teach students how to manage their emotions in productive ways. The programs teach students about emotions and dig into the misconceptions of emotions. The programs teach students not to suppress their emotions and/or act out their emotions in negative ways. If given constructive strategies to deal with their emotions, we believe the number of kids involved in criminal activity, behavioral issues inside the classroom, childhood trauma, and bullying will decrease. The program benefits all kids as it provides healthy strategies to cope with their emotions, however, this program is a great intervention for students who have patterns of behavioral issues, experience trauma or childhood adversities, and/or have difficulty expressing their emotions in healthy ways.
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. The program is five sessions. Each session is about 45 mins long. Rebirth Enterprise also offers Rebirth Related Arts Performers. This program provides artists to educate students on their craft. Through this program, students will learn various forms of artists like Spoken Word, storytelling, and dance. This program will widen the understanding and appreciation of Related Arts.
Teacher Spotlight...The Bobcat Hashie Award
BOBCAT HASHIE AWARD
Ms. Suzanne Gowan
Ms. Georgia Hollowell
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...?
Tami Morgan
Renee Anderson
Tonia Griffin
Ms. Tami Morgan
- Birthday: March 24th
- Favorite Color(s): Lavender
- Favorite Sweet Treat: Sweet/Sour Gummies, Twix, chocolate
- Hobbies: Watching the Lakers, reading spiritual journals, collecting seashells
- Shops @: Target and Walmart
Ms. Renee Andrerson
- Birthday: July 13th
- Favorite Color(s): Fuchsia and Black
- Sweet Treat: Snickers, cake, blueberries
- Hobbies: Walking, beginners photography, puzzles
- Shops @: Target, Versona, Amazon
Ms. Tonia Griffin
- Birthday: September 13th
- Favorite Color(s): Blue and Red
- Sweet Treat: Chocolate, Orange slice candies
- Hobbies: Sewing, Spending time with her grandchildren
- Shops @: Target and Belk
Wellness Moment
Yoga Activity Break
Yoga is a mind and body practice with a 5,000-year history in ancient Indian philosophy. Various styles of yoga combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. In more recent years, it has become popular as a form of physical exercise based upon poses that promote improved control of the mind and body and enhance well-being.
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.
News From The Library with Mrs. Warren
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.
November 13th..................................................................................................Sadie Hawkins Day
November 14th..............................................................................................Spicy Guacamole Day
...........................................................................................................................................Pickle Day
November 15th.............................................................................Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
November 16th..........................................................................................................Fast Food Day
November 17th.......................................................................................................Take A Hike Day
November 18th..........................................................................................Push Button Phone Day
November 19th..................................................................................................Use Less Stuff Day
November 20th............................................................................................National Absurdity 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 and Information
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
Student Nutrition Services During Phase 2
Beginning Monday, October 26, students in PK-2nd grade 2 will return to school for face-to-face instruction on an AA/BB model as outlined in the district’s Reopening of Schools Guide. Beginning Wednesday, November 4, students in grades 3-12 will begin the hybrid phase. The brochure attached below will provide you with guidance for meal services as we transition to the hybrid model. Please follow the assigned cohort schedule for your child(ren).
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