Hey Panda Family,
Week 9 was a small step towards returning to in-person learning! We had a successful open house for our PreK, Kindergarten, and 2nd Grade students. Everyone did an amazing job with the safety protocols. We can't wait to continue to open our doors to our students and families! Here are the updates from this week. 💚🐼🏫
1035 St. Andrews Rd.
Kernersville, NC 27284
Staff Meeting: We will have a Staff Meeting this Tuesday, October 20 @ 3:30. Please click on the button titled "Staff Meetings Info" on the PGE Canvas page to access the meeting. Here are the agenda items for the meeting: SECU Updates w/ Jeremiah Phillips, Flex Benefits Enrollment, 504B Plans, ESL & Crisis Response Updates, Ten Minute Tech w/ Timothy, Report Cards, Reopening Updates, Acrostic Poems.
Return to Work: EC teachers, ESL, Specialists, K-3 Teachers and IAs return to work in the building beginning Monday, October 19. Please make sure you fob in.
Staffing Updates: This upcoming Friday will be Ms. Heather Whicker's last day with us. We want to thank Ms. Whicker for everything she has contributed to our school and students during her time here! Ms. Liz Postle will be filling her position as the full-time Instructional Assistant with Ms. Sloan. We are excited to have her in a more permanent role. Ms. Owens will also be increasing her hours with us beginning November 2. We are thrilled to have her here more throughout each week.
PGE Health & Safety Cheat Sheet: It was asked if we would create a document that would highlight the important health and safety protocols for Plan B. We have created a two page "Health & Safety Cheat Sheet" for you to reference during Plan B for each part of the day. A hard copy of this cheat sheet will be placed in each staff member's box. Here is the link to the Google doc if you would like to have access to the electronic version https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H8p_0GlaX-5tZRfxsRD_fjBvQvf1b-Lf6KAwYig84ko/edit?usp=sharing
Benefit Open Enrollment (from Human Resources): Open Enrollment Announcement. Reminder & Important information to employees regarding annual enrollment for both State Health and local Dental and Flex Benefit Plan.
https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=115758Timothy's Technology Corner: Tech Corner - October 12, 2020
Virtual Volunteers: Please consider recruiting some of your parents to be virtual volunteers. They could help in small groups or help with some of your Option 2 students. They would need still need to complete the volunteer approval form (Ms. Landreth can help with this). This was a great idea shared by Ms. Billock!
Remote Learning Days on District Calendar: When RL days are designated on the calendar, teachers have the option of working from the classroom or at home (just like during remote learning now). November 3, 23, and 24 are the upcoming designated Remote Learning days.
50 Days Zoom Link: Just an FYI, Zoom links are only active for 50 days. Please make sure to update your links on your Canvas page if you use the same live link everyday. Thanks for sharing this tip, Ms. Jones!
PTA Reimbursements: If you have any reimbursements forms ready to go, please turn those in the white treasurer box in the office for Jamie Phillips.
Reopening Q & A: We have created a Google doc for you to drop your questions. I have already started answering some of them. Here is the Google doc if you would like to add any questions or see the answers: Reopening Q & A
CARES Team Update (from Ms. Ceglowski):
- 6 visits were made this week and we delivered everything from headphones and school supplies to lectures about the importance of attending school!
- We also visited a virtual learning center at St. Paul's UMC and it was a great experience! One of our students should start next week. This visit along with other visits to daycare centers really reminds us that the care providers are working with several different students at different ages working on different subjects and navigating different pages. If you get a chance to thank one of these folks this week, I know they will appreciate it!
- We have been working on the list of parents who have yet to complete the reopening attendance survey. Our list gets shorter by the day. Thank you all so much for continuing to reach out to families to get that information!
- I have had a number of conferences with the teacher/student/counselor on catching up and making a plan and those kinds of things. I am also getting ready to do a few new 504s. Different times sometimes require extra supports and I am more than willing to explore 504s where needed. Please know that I am available to help, just let me know!
- I am now doing virtual check-ins with about 10 students and there is room for more. If you have a student that could use a pep talk or just a little extra attention, please let me know!
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.
Morning Announcements: Here are the YouTube links for this week's Morning Announcements. Please include them on your Canvas page.
Monday (10/19) - https://youtu.be/jxUOgBmhLVc
Tuesday (10/20) - https://youtu.be/nBy4RpgQFD0
Wednesday (10/21) - https://youtu.be/XNJXrlmlRY8
Thursday (10/22) - https://youtu.be/fOBjZ2Q7PbE
Friday (10/23) - No School (Teacher Workday)
From Ms. Ceglowski - To Erin Harman who is always texting and strategizing about her students even while receiving treatments. She has a giant heart for her students. She’s a rockstar!
From Ms. True - Shout out to Kinder and 2nd grade teachers for sending Open House visitors to the office to complete Parent Portal forms and turn in Health Assessments and Immunization records.
We got A LOT of paperwork completed in a short amount of time today!
From Ms. Corlett - Shout out to Bauer Medley for helping us with our Heat Energy Transfer, making smore's by way of Radiation!
From Ms. Gardner - A big thank you to Mrs. Harman for making the stickers for the blue hand sanitizers.
Shout out to Ms. Adams for making the Piney Grove Courtyards & Entrances look beautiful.
Seeing all the Kindergarten and 2nd grade kids on Friday lifted our hearts and spirits.
Our school felt whole again!
IF Updates
Wonders materials: Mrs. Epperley and Mrs. Secrest are doing an amazing job of barcoding the Wonders materials so that we can distribute them to you. I bet K-3 are wondering where you will put your new Wonders goodies! In order to help you find space to put your new materials, I will come take your Imagine It and/or Scott Foresman materials. If you want me to come take them, please let me know and I will be there to pick them up.
Upcoming Dates:
October 19 - EC teachers, ESL, Specialists, K-3 Teachers and IAs return to work in the building
October 20 - Staff Meeting @ 3:30
October 22 - End of 1st Quarter
October 23 - Teacher Workday
October 26 - PreK students return
October 27 - SCC & Wellness Committees meet @ 3:30
October 28 - Report Cards due to Admin/Ms. True to review
October 30 - 1st & 3rd Grade Open House
November 2 - EC Separate setting & K-3 students return
November 2 - 4-5 Teachers return to work in the building
November 3 - No In-Person School (Election Day) - Remote Learning Day
November 3 - 4th & 5th Grade Open House (more info to come)
November 3 - PBIS & MTAC Committees meet @ 3:30
November 4 - First Flex Wednesday
November 5 - K-2 Students will be required to return Chromebooks (Option 1 students only)
November 5 - Instructional PD @ 3:30 (topic TBD)
November 6 - Report Cards go home
November 10 - SIT @ 3:30
Let's work on hitting the reset button between home and school. Watch this teacher's video with some good ideas to help with the social and emotional well-being of your students and families :)
