Hey Panda Family,
Week 4, wow we are already a month into school! It sure has flown by. Keep up the great work, and remember - each day is one small step back to normalcy 😊 Here are the updates for the week!
Classroom Preparations: Please make sure you read over the email that was sent this past week titled "Classroom Preparations". This is important information that needs your attention as we prepare our classrooms for in-person socially distanced learning. Thank you for your help with this!
Panda Engagement Survey: One of our SIT goals for this year is to track our student's engagement during remote learning while also determining best practices to share with the staff to help increase engagement. Teachers, please help us by filling out this quick survey regarding your students' engagement at this point in remote learning. Panda Engagement Survey
Staffing Updates: Ms. Lam, our 3-5 EC Resource teacher, has chosen to pursue a different career path effective October 2. We would like to thank Ms. Lam for her hard work and service to our students. We will greatly miss her, and we wish her nothing but the best as she begins a new chapter.
Suicide Prevention (from our school psychologist): September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Typically, we would give an in-person training around this time of year so you can learn the signs and how to respond. Instead, please read our blog post so you know what to look for and what to do in case one of your students needs help, both during virtual and in person learning. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of the student services team members.
Gradebook Setup: Now that most of you have received live training, Mr. Younts is providing you with the following Quick Reference Documents (QRDs) and videos in case you need to go back and refresh your memory on what was discussed. Reach out to Timothy with any questions.
Technology in the Classrooms: The district technology department may be upgrading/adding some devices in our classrooms to help with instruction as we prepare for Plan B in-person learning. It is yet to be determined what (if any) technology we will receive. When we have more details we will share.
CARES Team Update from Ms. Ceglowski: A huge thank you to Pine Grove UMC and Goodwill Baptist Churches for their generosity in supporting one of our students through daycare assistance payments. We are lucky to have some of their congregation among us at PGE and we are grateful!
- Please continue to email Ms. Ceglowski with concerns about students who are either not present or not engaged.
- SIT is working on forms to be sent out to both staff and parents to get some baseline data on engagement during online learning. Please encourage families to complete the form (will be sent out this week) and please complete the staff form as well (see staff form above).
- Please remember that PowerSchool has emergency contact numbers listed under NC contacts that can be extremely useful if parents/guardians are not responding. Aunts/uncles/granny/pawpaw - they are all fair game!
- Ms. Ceglowski delivered some packets this past week with Ashley Owens. Benita and Jessica are going out again on Monday. Please get with Ms. Ceglowski if you have a pressing need to be delivered or addressed on Monday.
- Hotspots are going out to those who were on the district list so we should (hopefully) be ready to get to our school waitlist soon.
- Ms. Ceglowski was on a 504 this past week where the dad said he knows folks from all over doing school all different ways this fall and he feels that we are doing the best job by far!!! Keep it up you guys are amazing!!!
Sympathy Card & Yearbooks: In case you haven't heard, Mr. V's (our former principal) father passed away recently from cancer. We have a sympathy card for him located in the office for everyone to sign. We also have two yearbooks, one for Ms. Pridgen's family and one for Ms. Hayes' family, in the office for everyone to sign as well. After the staff has signed them we are going to deliver them to their families as keepsakes.
Packet Materials: I encourage each of you to continue sending out tangible packet materials for your students as needed (novels, worksheets, manipulatives, etc.). Please coordinate the pickup with your families. Every parent that I have talked with mentions how helpful it is to have a combination of tangible and virtual assignments. If the office can support you with this please let us know.
IT Help: Please submit your technology requests and questions to Mr. Younts using this Google Form.
Morning Announcements: Here are the YouTube links for this week's Morning Announcements. Please include them on your Canvas page.
Monday (9/14) - https://youtu.be/f94lbblGffc
Tuesday (9/15) - https://youtu.be/ZTX5gGVC-yA
Wednesday (9/16) - https://youtu.be/z2dKYc24O9A
Thursday (9/17) - https://youtu.be/Flvf8rce1PA
Friday (9/18) - https://youtu.be/Xjnb3bBi2ko
Staff Spotlight: From a parent - "Thank you for everything y'all are doing! I know Kadence misses seeing you guys, I miss the drive thru line, never thought I would say that (haha)! We appreciate all you are doing. Thank you!"
IF Updates
Heggerty: K-2 teachers, ready, set, go! I can't wait to see how Heggerty is going. Remember, you will be modifying the lessons in Heggerty to be shorter in the virtual learning world. If you need help, or if you want another person to help you get it rolling, please let me know-I would love to help!
Canvas: Have you joined the ELA canvas page? Click here to check! Everyone should be a member!
Gradebook: Have you set up your gradebook? If so, please fill out this form. If not, please email tdyounts@wsfcs.k12.nc.us to arrange a time to get this done.
iReady schedule: Here it is! Please let me know if you need to adjust.
iReady accommodations: Please see your emails that were sent on 9/11. If you got one, that means there is an accommodation that should be given during your administration of iReady. If you didn’t get one, that means you have no additional accommodations.
Wonders: Here is some helpful information about Wonders, including a way to access Wonders directly from Canvas. Just a warning: if you link Wonders to Canvas, when students open Wonders, it will automatically close Canvas, so they will have to open that back up at some point. It’s still a cool trick!
Carolina Science Online has all the print materials of WSFCS purchased STC kids available online. Check out the literacy series too!
Upcoming Dates:
September 14 - iReady ELA BOY window opens for K-3 & 5th grade
September 14 - PTA Meeting @ 6:30 via Zoom
September 15 - Staff Meeting @ 3:30
September 18 - PTA Spirit Night Drive-In Movie @ W-S Fair Grounds (gates open @ 7:00)
September 21 - iReady Math BOY window opens for K-5
September 22 - SCC & Wellness Committees meet @ 3:30
September 25 - PDPs Conference due and signed off on
September 25 - Classroom Preparation complete for reopening
September 25 - Teacher Workday
September 30 - Student Progress Reports due
September 30 - Positive Communication Form due - Positive Communication Form
October 1 - Staff PD training @ 3:30
October 6 - PBIS & MTAC Committees meet @ 3:30
October 13 - SIT @ 3:30
October 20 - Staff Meeting @ 3:30
October 22 - End of 1st Quarter
October 23 - Teacher Workday
After helping substitute teach a few class I know we can all relate to this. I hope this brings some laughter to your day, and we absolutely know how challenging this can be at times - but you are doing awesome! Watch below :)
