The Bobcat Blaze
October 30, 2020
Principal's Message
Happy Friday Bobcat Families! I cannot believe when are approaching November. Time is flying!
We have completed the first week of Phase 2! It was such a joy to have students back in the building this week. From the "eye twinkles" I saw above masks, I can tell students enjoyed being back "home." Thank you for all the work you and your students have put in to make this week a success. I look forward to the end of next week when we have 3rd - 5th grade Cohort B join in on the homecoming.
Remember that time changes on Sunday so clocks turn BACK 1 hour!
Happy Halloween to any of our families who participate.
Have a fun, restful, and enjoyable weekend!
Principal's Message: https://cloud.swivl.com/v/a194276cd5649c82abdc1b56d7887ece
-LaQuana-
Important Dates and Upcoming Events
October
- October 1st-October 31st.......................................Breast Cancer Awareness Month
..........................................................................................National Dropout Prevention Month
..........................................................................................National Principals' Month
- October 31st...........................................Free COVID-19 Testing, 7201 Two Notch Road
November
- November 1st................................Free COVID-19 Testing, 2221 Devine Street .......................................................Daylight Saving Time (Fall Back 1 Hour)
- November 1st-2nd.........................Free COVID-19 Testing, 2204 Lee Street
- November 2nd...............................Professional Development Day (No School For Students)
- .......................................................Richland One's Parent Information Session (details below)
- November 3rd................................Free COVID-19 Testing, 7201 Two Notch Road
- ........................................................Election Day (Schools are Closed)
- November 4th.............................3rd-12th Grades begin Phase 2 (Asynchronous)
- November 5th.............................3rd-12th Grades Cohort B begin Face-to-Face Phase 2
Free COVID-19 Testing Sites
DHEC - Pardon and Parole (Old Building)
Dates and Times
Sunday, November 1st: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday, November 2nd: 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
Prisma Health - Columbia Place Mall
Dates and Times
Saturday, October 31st: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday, November 3rd 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Further Information:
- Open Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Appointment Needed: No
- Referral Needed: No
Richland One's Parent Session
Ways to Make Distant Learning Not So Distant
You are cordially invited to the Richland One’s November 2, 2020 Parent Session focusing on: “Ways to Make Distant Learning Not So Distant”. To register for this session, please visit www.bit.ly/R1parents. You will receive the link to the virtual event in an email after registering. Please see the attached document for more information.
District News
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.
Because DHEC’s COVID-19 risk rating for Richland County has decreased from High Risk to Medium Risk, Richland One students will begin making the transition from Phase 1 (eLearning) of the district’s Reopening of Schools Plan to Phase 2 (hybrid – two days of face-to-face instruction per week). Following a staggered start schedule, students in pre-kindergarten through second grade will return to school for Phase 2 the week of October 26 and students in grades 3-12 will begin returning to school the following week.
Media inquiries should be directed to the Richland One Office of Communications.
School News
Restart Plans for A.C. Moore
Phase 2 Transfer Request Notification Letter
Notification to Parents of Elementary Level Students Requesting Transfers from the Virtual School Program to the Phase-in (Hybrid) Model or from the Phase-in Model to the Virtual School Program
More than 2300 requests for transfers into or out of the Virtual School Program were received by the deadline of October 19. Our goal is to accommodate as many of your requests as possible with the least amount of disruption to learning. As has been stated on numerous occasions, however, staffing and spacing must be considered in making moves of this magnitude.
Additionally, soon as we have determined which transfers can be accommodated based on spacing and staffing, all affected students must be moved within PowerSchool. Finally, coordination with the Offices of Transportation and Nutrition Services must be completed to ensure transportation routes and meal prep/meal pickup plans are accurate. All of this behind-the-scenes work takes time.
Parents will be notified on or before November 4 as to whether their request for transfer has been approved.
Until the transfer process has been completed, parents who requested transfers should note the following:
1. If your child is currently in the Virtual School Program and you requested a transfer to the Phase-in (Hybrid) Model, your child will continue to be served in his/her Virtual School Program classes until further notification. Please have him/her log in for classes in Microsoft Teams, as usual.
2. If your child is an elementary level student in grades PreK-2 in the Phase-in Model and you requested a transfer to the Virtual School Program, your child’s teacher will provide asynchronous assignments for your child beginning Monday, October 26 at 3pm. Simply stated, the teacher will provide activities that your child can do independently or with little assistance. Some of this work will be a review of what has been learned during first quarter.
3. If your child is an elementary level student in grades 3-5 in the Phase-in Model and you requested a transfer to the Virtual School Program, your child’s teacher will provide asynchronous assignments for your child on November 5-6. Simply stated, the teacher will provide activities that your child can do independently or with little assistance. Some of this work will be a review of what has been learned during first quarter.
If you have questions, please contact your child’s principal.
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 B on November 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th
- Cohort A on November 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th.
Impact Aid Program Survey Form
The attached link to the Impact Aid survey is very important for the schools in Richland School District One. It allows our district to obtain financial assistance based on the number of students who are federally connected in one of the following areas:
- Student resides on federal property, Indian land, or in low-rent housing.
- Student's parent or guardian works for the federal government or on federal property.
- Student's parent or guardian is in the military.
Please follow the IMPACT AID SURVEY LINK to complete survey form. Be sure to sign, date, and return to your child's homeroom teacher no later than November 11, 2020. Please complete one survey form for each student within your family. An example of a completed form is below for your review.
Student Spotlight...Welcome Back, Bobcats!
Ms. Gowan's Bobcats
Mrs. Frick's Bobcats
Ms. Gallo's Bobcats
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
...Loving, Honoring, and Remembering
Founded in 1985 in the United States, Breast Cancer Awareness Month quickly spread around the globe, not only raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer on women, but also placing a focus on how a breast cancer diagnosis affects patients' families, communities, and societies. The foundation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month has sparked an interest for many countries to increase resources for research and treatment, allowing women and their families renewed hope and a new lease on life.
It is known that the number one cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide is breast cancer. And like many communities, there are relatives, loved ones, and friends in our Bobcat family that have had the unfortunate experience of having been touched, in one way or another, by breast cancer. It is our hope that during Breast Cancer Awareness Month you have had an opportunity to to reflect on the special women in your lives who are fighting or who have beaten breast cancer and that you remember to honor and pay tribute to the women who were taken away from our presences as a result of this disease.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends, we want you to join us in celebrating the lives of the women dear to our Bobcat family. Please enjoy the video below.
No Tricks, All Treats!
Halloween Read-Alouds
Looking to get into the Halloween mood? Attached in the link below are some books recorded by our Media Specialist, Ms. Warren. The selections are great for a fun Halloween activity. The document is a hyperlinked PDF so you can click on the book covers to go to the recordings. There are also a few fun Halloween activities like easy, how-to-draw halloween characters, and carving an online pumpkin.
Happy Halloween!
Wellness Moment
Keep Your Bobcat Active At Home!
When your student (or you) are feeling stressed, try refocusing your energy by performing physical activity. It may feel overwhelming to prioritize physical activity, but maintaining activity as a component of your daily routine can support our physical and mental well-being. It is proven that even short moments of activity can be beneficial in reducing stress. Try incorporating these 5 family-friendly activities to get your Bobcat (and yourself) started!
Notes from the Nurse
Important reminders:
Hello Bobcat families!
- Please don't forget to send in your child's Confidential Health Questionnaire on his/her first day back to campus (if you have not already done so). Let me know if you need another copy!
- If your child has asthma, allergies, seizures, or any other condition that requires rescue medication, please have it ready to deliver to school on his/her first day back to campus. You may download the medication order here.
- 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.
A Message from 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. We will hold virtual PTO meetings on Wednesday evenings this year.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LVTMQYJ
Thanks,
Carrie Smith & Kim Pordes (PTO chairs)
acmbobcatspto@gmail.com
Bienvenidos al año escolar 2020-2021 ! Estamos muy emocionados de empezar con el PTO (Junta de padres de la escuela) aunque sea un poco diferente esta vez. Nos encantaria construir las bases de nuestro PTO e incluir todas las familias posibles en nuestras comunicaciones y eventos, entonces por favor usen esta forma para registrarse para recibir el Bobcat e-Blast (periodico del PTO) y asi permanecer enterado de lo que pasa con el PTO.
**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...
Bobcat Families and Students:
Please be reminded that applying stickers/vinyl/markers/etc. to a district issued laptop is prohibited. Please refrain from adding decorative elements to your electronic device. Also, the barcode labels are not to be removed. Access to information recorded on the barcode is necessary so that each device can be easily identified in our system.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
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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.
October 31st.........................................Magic Day
November 1st.......................................Author's Day
November 1st.......................................Zero Tasking Day
November 2nd......................................Deviled Eggs Day
November 3rd.......................................Sandwich Day
November 4th.......................................Common Sense Day
November 5th.......................................Men Make Dinner Day
November 5th.......................................International Stout Day
November 6th.......................................Saxophone 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 e-learner engaged in e-learning activities and assignments and 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
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
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).