Mr. Elkins' Weekly Wrap

Friday, April 14, 2023

Week of 4/10 - 4/14

Hey Panda Family,

You didn't miss a beat! Great job transitioning back from Spring Break and hitting the ground running. This week I got to compete with 4th graders in 99Math, I worked on geoboards with 5th graders to make shapes based only on properties, and I got to witness one of our Kindergarteners finally break through and tap out CVC words correctly (watching kids learn to read is the best)! So proud of your hard work and dedication. Have a great weekend! 🐼

Here are the Weekly Wrap updates for this week:

New Updates

Staff Meeting: Next Tuesday, April 18, we will have our monthly staff meeting in the Media Center @ 3:30. Please see the agenda below:

Good News & Prizes
Field Day Information - Ms. Fox
Summer School Information - Ms. Gardner
EOG Retesting Plan
Inchy Bookworm Vending Machine
SEL PD - Todd Rich
Good of the Order

Time to Celebrate 🙌: Please join me in celebrating these staff members and one volunteer!

Congratulations to Ms. Ashley Bowman! She got engaged over Spring Break. We are so happy for you!

Congratulations to Ms. MaryBeth Flynn! She is one of five district finalists for Classified Employee of the Year. The winners will be selected at the WS/FCS Core Awards Banquet in May.

Congratulations to Mr. Jason Rubley! He is one of five district finalists for Volunteer of the Year. The winners will be selected at the WS/FCS Core Awards Banquet in May.

Congratulations to Ms. Kathy Jensen! She will be retiring effective June 1st.

Thinking of You: Please keep these staff members in your thoughts and prayers. If I ever leave anyone out, please forgive me and gently let me know. Thank you!

Ms. Flynn - her brother unexpectedly passed away this week. We are praying for you and your family.

Ms. Murray - her husband lost his battle with cancer this week. There will be visitation only this Sunday from 2:00-4:00pm at the Belews Creek Fire Department.

Second Step Lessons (K-5 teachers): Please make sure you continue to work to complete all 20 Second Step lessons with your class by the end of the school year. These lessons have great social and emotional strategies and they are a great resource for Morning Meetings.

Restorative Conversations: When students have a rough behavior day, whether they get a PAW form or have to spend time in the office, remember to welcome them back when they return. This restorative piece is good for both the student and the adult. Consequences and correction is important, but so is love and forgiveness. Both are necessary for growth and improvement. I know patience can sometimes wear thin on all of us (myself included) by 4th Quarter, but thank you for working hard to make sure this doesn't keep us from our restorative approach.

Certified Teacher Survey (please complete if your haven't): It is time to start planning for next school year! If you are a current K-5 teacher, please complete the following survey to let me know your preference of grade level to teach for next school year (if you are retiring you don't have to complete this survey). Please do not select the same grade level for all three choices 😉 Here is a link to the survey - Teacher Preference Survey 2023-2024

April Drills: Fire Drill will happen next week.

Mentee Visit: Please help us welcome Ms. Gaines, the AP from Smith Farm, on Thursday, April 20th. She is Mrs. Gardner's mentee. They will visit classrooms in the afternoon.

PBIS Updates: Please see the PBIS updates below.

Friday, April 21- Dress up in your favorite pattern or animal print
Wednesday, April 26 - Panda Pride Day

The Mouse & the Motorcycle Read Aloud: Here are all of The Mouse & the Motorcycle. Feel free to show to your students at your leisure.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Letter and Chapter 1

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 2

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 3

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 4

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 5

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 6

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 7

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 8

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 9

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 10

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 11

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 12

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 13

Media Updates (from Ms. Epperley): Here are the updates from Ms. Epperley in the Media Center.

Bedford Falls Book Fair May 1-5; Family Night Thursday, May 4; 5:30-7:00pm
Media Specials next week: K-1 bring Clever cards & 2-5 bring Chromebooks.

Important Items from Last Week

EOG Dates: Please mark the following EOG Testing dates on your calendar. Detailed schedules and further information will come at a later time. Reach out to Ms. Lloyd with any questions.

Friday, May 26 - ELA EOG
Tuesday, May 30 - Makeups
Wednesday, May 31 - MATH EOG
Thursday, June 1 - Makeups
Friday, June 2 - SCIENCE & R2A
Monday, June 5 - Makeups
Tuesday, June 6 - Makeups
Monday, June 12 - Remediation (more information to come)
Tuesday, June 13 - Retesting (more information to come)
Wednesday, June 14 - Retesting (more information to come)

Celebration Dates & Times: Here are the end of year grade level celebration dates and times. Feel free to share with your parents.

Monday, June 5 @ 11:30 - 2nd Grade
Tuesday, June 6 @ 10:00 - 1st Grade
Tuesday, June 6 @ 11:30 - Kindergarten
Wednesday, June 7 @ 10:00 - 3rd Grade
Wednesday, June 7 @ 11:30 - 4th Grade
Thursday, June 8 @ 10:00 - 5th Grade

Print Shop: Y'all have done an amazing job utilizing Print Shop! So much that we have used our entire Print Shop budget for this school year. Have no fear, we still have plenty of budget left on our Toshiba allotment, which are the office copiers. Please send all copying needs to the office for the remainder of this year and anything you want to prepare in advance for next school year. Please refrain from using Print Shop for the remainder of the year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Owens.

Sports Day (from PBIS): Sports Day is coming on Friday, April 28! High schoolers from East Forsyth will be coming to guide our students through some fun activities (cheer/dance, soccer, softball/baseball, basketball, flag football, relay races, drama/theater, and LEGO building).

K-1 students will participate in one event from 12:15-12:45. Their cost is 60 Paw Bucks.
2-5 students will participate in two events, lasting from 1:15-2:20. Their cost is 125 Paw Bucks.

Numbers and student activity choices are due Thursday, April 13. (This is the week we come back from spring break. If possible, please take care of this before spring break.)

K-1 teachers will find their name on the spreadsheet (linked below). Click your name, then enter your students' names and their top two choices of activities. (They'll only participate in one activity, but the goal is that it will be one of their two choices.)
2-5 teachers can follow the same procedure as K-1 (listed above), except students will pick their top 3 choices, OR they can have their students who are participating complete this Google Form: https://forms.gle/hvxd2ktJUQXWdHT47. (Please do the spreadsheet or the Form, not both.)

Sports Day spreadsheet (use the arrows at the bottom to scroll over to your name):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1r296rTwLjD7QMGF3FoMb2EsX5SDKyFM3wfGChArbJ_w/edit?usp=sharing

All classes will have indoor recess on Sports Day.

The following adults will be needed to supervise Sports Day (12:15-12:45, 1:15-2:20): Bolchalk, Bowman, Lloyd, Vaden, all K assistants.

If we have to use the rain plan, all classes will eat lunch in their classrooms on Sports Day. More information about a rain plan will be communicated only if needed.

PBIS Dress-Up Days: Please see the information below about the upcoming dress-up days.

PBIS's next dress up day (animal/animal print) will be moved to Friday, April 21 due to spring pictures. It is free for all students.

The May 2 dress up day (Hawaiian/luau) is free for all students to participate.

We hope you will join us in dressing up for these days (and for Panda Spirit Day on April 26's Early Release)!

Campus Beautification Map: Please see the linked map from the staff meeting - Campus Beautification Map

Blocked Days: May 30 - June 9 will be blocked days due to EOG testing. I will not be able to approve any Personal Days during this time. We will need all hands on deck. If you have already reached out to me about needing time off during these weeks due to specific obligations, then you are good. If an emergency occurs, please just come talk with me and we will try and work something out.

Pam Mason - LETRS: Teachers who are required to complete LETRS may sign up with Pam Mason for an additional half-day to work on their coursework. Please review the days that are available and get with Ms. Mason to schedule it. We hope this helps give you some extra time to complete this professional development. Here is Ms. Mason's schedule - Pam Mason's Schedule

Sub List: Here is the most up-to-date substitute list, Pam Mason's availability, and the direct link to Frontline. Please use these resources to find a sub in case you have to be out. Please reach out to Ms. Owens if you have any questions.

Substitutes

Pam Mason's Schedule

Frontline

Upcoming Dates:

April 17 - PTA Meeting @ 6:30

April 18 - Staff meeting @ 3:30

April 18 - PTA Spirit Night @ Jersey Mike's

April 20 - Welcome Ms. Gaines, Mrs. Gardner's mentee from Smith Farm

April 20 - Kindergarten screening

April 21 - PBIS presents...dress up in your favorite pattern or animal print

April 22 - PTA Yard Sale 7:00 - 12:00

April 25 - SCC & Wellness Committees meet @ 3:30

April 26 - PBIS presents...Panda Pride Day

April 26 - Virtual IF meeting- 8:30-10:30 - Gardner

April 26 - Early Release Day PD @ 1:45

April 27- Gardner @ Sedge Garden for Area Principal meeting 8:30-12:30

April 27- Elkins off campus

April 28 - Elkins off campus

April 28 - PBIS Sports Day

Friday, April 7, 2023

Week of 3/27 - 3/31

Hey Panda Family,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring Break filled with fun and some relaxation! Only one more quarter left in the 22-23 school year. We can do it! 💪 Enjoy your last few days and I look forward to seeing you next week!

Here are the Weekly Wrap updates for this week:

New Updates

Return from Spring Break: As we return from Spring Break, I wanted to share some advice to help make the last nine weeks as productive as possible. Let's finish strong! Here are my six tips to have a successful last nine weeks.

Review classroom & PBIS school expectations the first day back from Spring Break (and review them each day during the first week back)

This will help your students get back in the school mindset and it will set the tone for the last nine weeks that you still have high expectations for student behavior

Prioritize Morning Meetings every day!

Even if it is just 5 minutes, make sure you continue to have a consistent Morning Meeting for your class each day. This helps foster your relationship with your students, gives them time to share, and it helps establish the classroom family unit that will have them working together until the very last day of school.

Maximize your time each day

As we have discussed in PLTs, find pockets of time each day to drop in review questions and keep their skills sharp. You could ask them a review question before they line up for lunch/recess, play a quick review game during snack time, or even quiz them while they are waiting to leave in the afternoon. All of these "down times" are great for spiral review.

Fill your colleagues/teammates bucket

The last nine weeks can be very busy and demanding. Make sure to fill your colleagues/teammates bucket. This could be sending them a kind text, getting them an unexpected treat to make their day, or writing them a sweet note. These small gestures are sometimes just what we need to get through the day! Let's take care of each other 😊

Relationships are key! Love on your students :)

This is one of the areas that y'all make me the most proud! Continue to build and foster relationships with each one of your students. The more they know you love them, have patience with them, and care about them - the more they are going to try and work hard to be successful for you (especially on the end-of-year assessments). They want to make you proud!

Know that you make me SO proud

I fully know that I have high expectations for our school, our students, myself, and our staff. I see the amazing potential in each of you and each of our students - and I only want the best for all of us. With that being said, I know how hard all of you work and I am so thankful for your commitment to our kids. Please don't ever think you aren't "doing enough". Each of you does more than enough every day, and that is what makes me so proud. It takes a special team to move a school in the positive direction we are going - and that is all because of you! 🐼

Certified Teacher Survey: It is time to start planning for next school year! If you are a current K-5 teacher, please complete the following survey to let me know your preference of grade level to teach for next school year (if you are retiring you don't have to complete this survey). Please do not select the same grade level for all three choices 😉 Here is a link to the survey - Teacher Preference Survey 2023-2024

K-1 students will participate in one event from 12:15-12:45. Their cost is 60 Paw Bucks.
2-5 students will participate in two events, lasting from 1:15-2:20. Their cost is 125 Paw Bucks.

Numbers and student activity choices are due Thursday, April 13. (This is the week we come back from spring break. If possible, please take care of this before spring break.)

K-1 teachers will find their name on the spreadsheet (linked below). Click your name, then enter your students' names and their top two choices of activities. (They'll only participate in one activity, but the goal is that it will be one of their two choices.)
2-5 teachers can follow the same procedure as K-1 (listed above), except students will pick their top 3 choices, OR they can have their students who are participating complete this Google Form: https://forms.gle/hvxd2ktJUQXWdHT47. (Please do the spreadsheet or the Form, not both.)

Sports Day spreadsheet (use the arrows at the bottom to scroll over to your name):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1r296rTwLjD7QMGF3FoMb2EsX5SDKyFM3wfGChArbJ_w/edit?usp=sharing

All classes will have indoor recess on Sports Day.

The following adults will be needed to supervise Sports Day (12:15-12:45, 1:15-2:20): Bolchalk, Bowman, Lloyd, Vaden, all K assistants.

If we have to use the rain plan, all classes will eat lunch in their classrooms on Sports Day. More information about a rain plan will be communicated only if needed.

PBIS Dress-Up Days: Please see the information below about the upcoming dress-up days.

PBIS's next dress up day (animal/animal print) will be moved to Friday, April 21 due to spring pictures. It is free for all students.

The May 2 dress up day (Hawaiian/luau) is free for all students to participate.

We hope you will join us in dressing up for these days (and for Panda Spirit Day on April 26's Early Release)!

April Drills: We only have a fire drill this month.

Thinking of You: Please keep these staff members in your thoughts and prayers. If I ever leave anyone out, please forgive me and gently let me know. Thank you!

Ms. Rinfrette - had to have her appendix removed over Spring Break. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

The Mouse & the Motorcycle Read Aloud: Here are the first ten chapters of The Mouse & the Motorcycle. Feel free to show to your students at your leisure.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Letter and Chapter 1

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 2

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 3

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 4

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 5

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 6

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 7

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 8

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 9

The Mouse and the Motorcycle: Chapter 10

Media Updates (from Ms. Epperley): Here are the updates from Ms. Epperley in the Media Center.

Congratulations
to the Battle of the Books team! We finished in 3rd Place for the entire district!

3-5: Bring Chromebooks to media next week

Shout-Outs: Shout-out to Ms. Epperley and Ms. Jones for leading our EBOB team to a 3rd Place finish in the district finals! 🏆

Important Items from Last Week

EOG Dates: Please mark the following EOG Testing dates on your calendar. Detailed schedules and further information will come at a later time. Reach out to Ms. Lloyd with any questions.

Friday, May 26 - ELA EOG
Tuesday, May 30 - Makeups
Wednesday, May 31 - MATH EOG
Thursday, June 1 - Makeups
Friday, June 2 - SCIENCE & R2A
Monday, June 5 - Makeups
Tuesday, June 6 - Makeups
Monday, June 12 - Remediation (more information to come)
Tuesday, June 13 - Retesting (more information to come)
Wednesday, June 14 - Retesting (more information to come)

Celebration Dates & Times: Here are the end of year grade level celebration dates and times. Feel free to share with your parents.

Monday, June 5 @ 11:30 - 2nd Grade
Tuesday, June 6 @ 10:00 - 1st Grade
Tuesday, June 6 @ 11:30 - Kindergarten
Wednesday, June 7 @ 10:00 - 3rd Grade
Wednesday, June 7 @ 11:30 - 4th Grade
Thursday, June 8 @ 10:00 - 5th Grade

Campus Beautification Map: Please see the linked map from the staff meeting - Campus Beautification Map

The Mouse & the Motorcycle (Ms. Jones): Over spring break, our families will finish reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. We’ve been enjoying this Panda Read Aloud since January and it’s been so much fun! We plan to celebrate the end of the book with a Motorcycle Cruise-In on Friday, April 14th from 3:30-4:30 pm. We are seeking motorcyclists to attend this event. Volunteers will stay with their motorcycle as students and their families stroll around checking out the awesome rides! Please share the following with potential volunteers:

If you can help us by attending with your motorcycle:

1. Register as a volunteer at wsfcsvolunteers.com

2. Sign up to be there at bit.ly/PGEMotorcycles

3. Arrive at the school between 3:00 and 3:15 pm on Friday, April 14th so we can get everyone set up by our 3:30 start time. We will use the north parking lot

(OPPOSITE from the car rider line).

Thanks so much for helping spread the word!

Staff Playdate (Ms. Flynn): Save the date for our next staff playdate opportunity: Wednesday, April 12th @ 3:30.

Make a little time for yourself, put everything on pause to PLAY….Reply to meflynn@wsfcs.k12.nc.us if you have any games you would like to play or have any questions. More details will follow.