Important January Information

Get out your Smart phones and mark your calendars for the following important dates for January:

January 1st:  Happy New Year!  Holiday-No School
January 2nd:  Welcome back to school students on Track 1, 2 and 3!
January 10th:  First Grade In House Field Trip Tracks 1 & 3
January 10th:  General PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room along with Student Character Education Awards Celebration
January 18th:  Second Grade In House Field Trip Tracks 1 & 3 High Touch, High Tech!
January 21st:  Observance of Martin Luther King Day: No School
January 24th:  Title I PAC Night 6:30 p.m.
January 22nd:  Welcome back Track 4!  Enjoy your track out Track 3!
January 25th:  Second Grade In House Field Trip Tracks 2 & 4 High Touch, High Tech!
Week of January 27th:  Interims Go Home for students on Tracks 1 & 2
January 27th:  ACCESS Testing Window Begins
January 30th:  Book Fair Begins!


Please email me or call the school with any questions about our important January dates. 
Happy New Year, Mrs. Graf

Closing out 2012!

Trailblazers,

It is almost the end of the December and with the end of this month comes the end of the year of 2012.  Time has gone by so quickly over the past two quarters here at Banks Road Elementary.  We have so much to be thankful and appreciative for I thought I would share a few successes and accomplishments with you:

• bright and beautiful students to work with every day
• the safety and well being our students, staff and families
• caring and supportive parents
• professional and dedicated teachers who engage students in learning every day
• a wonderful, supportive and active PTA organization
• a Pre K program that surrounds our youngest Trailblazers in learning and love in order to prepare them for academic success in Kindergarten
• a positive and focused School of Focus Committee supporting and guiding us in our efforts to close the achievement gap
• a hard working custodial crew that keeps our building looking brand new
• Teacher of the Year for BRES Ms. Christie Bethel on staff
• our work in developing our own Character Education program
• Banks Boomers led by the wonderful Ms. Loftin
• raising over $12,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and Research
• reaching High Growth and receiving the School of Distinction Award
• implementing successful Writer in Residence and Artist in Residence programs
• a new Student Council organization led by our very own Ms. Blackmon and several other staff members
• a professional and helpful office staff
• the academic growth of our students
• the professional growth of our teachers and supplemental staff members
• carpool ending by 4:15 most days
• a beautiful campus maintained by our hard working PTA committee members and parent volunteers

and so much more!  Thank you for all that you have done to make the first half of our school year and the last half of the 2012 memorable and successful.  It is an honor to the Principal of such an outstanding school and to have such a supportive school community! :)  Mrs. Graf

Box Tops Update

Here is the final count for Box Tops!  Congratulations goes out to the following teachers and students:

• 1st Place:  Ms. Brown with 1512 boxtops!
• 2nd Place:  Ms. Parker with 1327 boxtops!
• 3rd PLace:  Ms. Bishop with 1132 boxtops!
• Honorable Mention goes to Ms. Bethel's class with 1024 boxtops!

Wow!  We had 4 classes collect over 1,000 box tops!  Thanks to everyone who clipped boxtops and sent them in.  This is wonderful.  :) Mrs. Graf

A message from Dr. Gainey

Trailblazer Parents,

Here is a message from Dr. Gainey, our Interim Superintendent of WCPSS.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding school saftery here at BRES.  Safety is our top priority.  Thank you, Mrs. Graf

A message from the Superintendent about school safety

Dear WCPSS students, parents and community:

Our hearts remain heavy today as we continue to extend our thoughts and prayers to the community of Newtown, Connecticut, in light of Friday’s tragic events.

I want to assure all families of the Wake County Public School System that safety and academic success are our top priorities for every student.

WCPSS has taken numerous steps to enhance school security at every school site and to strengthen emergency response planning and preparation. These measures include:

• Site-specific school safety plans
• Crisis-response measures
• Annual training and regular drills
• Law enforcement presence and close monitoring of schools
• Full-scale drills with law enforcement and emergency responders

In addition, our WCPSS security team and district leaders are reviewing emergency operations plans and procedures in light of this tragic incident. At the school level, principals will be reviewing their site-based crisis plans and protocols with their school staff members.

As we assess school safety, our schools and district-level staff will be reviewing not only our crisis-response planning and training, but also day-to-day security at our 169 schools.

We know that during this time, children may be worried about their safety and the safety of their loved ones. To assist parents in speaking with their children about these concerns, we have posted guidelines from the National Association of School Psychologists.

The well-being of every student is of the utmost importance to me, to our 18,000 employees, and to our school families. Let us continue to work together toward our common goals to ensure that every school is a safe, engaging learning environment that brings out the best potential of every student.

Respectfully,
Dr. Stephen Gainey
Interim Superintendent
Wake County Public School System
Download a copy of Dr. Gainey’s letter >>
Read our previous blog post, For parents: Reassuring your child in times of crisis >>

Banks Safety and Security

Trailblazer Parents,

The BRES school community expresses their sorrow to families and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary and the Newtown community.  Today, we welcomed back our students with smiles and hugs.  We also found comfort in following our normal routines for the day.  In the wake of the events of Connecticut, our students may have questions about the events or may want to share their thoughts.  If your children express anxiety  or concerns about safety, we will address it on an individual basis and not through whole class discussions.  Please do not hesitate to contact our school counselor, Esther Wu (919-890-7325 or ewu@wcpss.net), our school psychologist Lisa Occhipinti (919-890-7342) or me (919-890-7330 or cgraf1@wcpss.net) with questions and concerns.   

I want to share that safety and welfare of our students is our number one priority.  Wake County Public School System has a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan in place.  Every school also has its own emergency plan.  Staff and students are familiar with their roles and responsibilities during an emergency, and practice them through drills.  Our school staff and district-level staff work in collaboration with WCPSS security, local law enforcement and other crisis-response agencies to provide a safe learning for our students on a daily basis. In some emergency situations, it may be necessary for a school to be on lockdown. 

Below is information regarding lockdowns:

What is a lockdown?
A lockdown is a precautionary measure in response to a threat directly to the school or in the surrounding community. In a lockdown:

• All school activities are moved indoors.
• Depending on the type of lockdown, interior and exterior doors on campus are locked.
• No one is allowed to enter or exit the building.
• Parents may not come to the school during a lockdown.
• Parents are also discouraged from calling the school directly. Additional calls hinder the ability of staff to respond to the primary task: keeping everyone safe.

There are three lockdown codes at WCPSS:

• Code Red – used when there’s a direct threat to the school or in the immediate area of the school
• Code Yellow – used when there’s a danger in the surrounding community, i.e. police searching for a criminal suspect in the area
• Code Green – used once the lockdown has been lifted

How will I know if my child’s school is on lockdown?
Once a lockdown is put into place, police and school administrators work together to first ensure the safety of everyone on the school campus. Once the situation has been stabilized, a phone message, email and/ or paper letter will be sent to parents to inform them that the school was placed on a lockdown, the nature of the incident, and about how long the lockdown was in place.

In larger emergencies, such as a Code Red lockdown or lockdowns that affect numerous schools, WCPSS will take the following steps to notify you:

• dispatch an emergency phone message
• update the WCPSS Facebook page, Twitter account (@wcpss) and the WCPSS home page
• notify and update the local media as the situation develops.

Emergency phone messages are sent to phone numbers that parents have provided to the school. Letters are usually sent home with students at the end of the day, or the following day if the lockdown happened close to dismissal.

Our hearts go our to the families and the community involved in this tragic incident in Connecticut.  Ms. Livengood, our school staff and I will continue to take measures daily to maximize constant supervision of our students.  Take care, Mrs. Graf

Banks Boomers perform at Crabtree Valley Mall

I am here with the Banks Boomers preparing for our performance at 5:00 p.m. We have our Boomers on the risers and are getting ready to spread holiday cheer to the busy mall shoppers!

Student Assignment Update

Trailblazer Parents,
The information below is from the WCPSS website regarding the newly passed student assignment plan.

Board Adopts 2013-14 Student Assignment Plan

The Wake County Board of Education adopted a Student Assignment Plan for the 2013-14 school year during its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 11. Under the plan, every student will be assigned to a school based on his or her home address. To offer continued stability for families, the plan includes minimal reassignments, as well as the opportunity for students to stay with their current schools if they are happy there. The plan offers sibling priority and families also will have options for traditional-calendar schools and year-round schools. Beginning December 12, 2012, any student who enrolls in WCPSS for the first time, or moves from another Wake County address will be assigned to a school based on this new assignment plan. Updated maps and an address look-up tool will be available soon for parents to preview their base school assignments. View a brief video explaining the plan - (YouTube - 3:00min) WCPSS will host four upcoming information sessions on the plan: Thursday, December 13 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Salem Elementary School, 6116 Old Jenks Road, Apex   Monday, December 17 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wildwood Forest Elementary School, 8401 Wild Wood Forest Drive, Raleigh   Tuesday, December 18 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. East Garner Elementary School, 5545 Jones Sausage Road, Garner   Wednesday, December 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Joyner Elementary School, 2300 Lowden Street, Raleigh Visit our WCPSS internet website to view more details on the plan, view Frequently Asked Questions, see a list of key dates,and more.

Banks Movie Night a Success!

What a wonderful night tonight! We had a great time tonight at our PTA sponsored movie night. We held our December PTA meeting tonight as well. A big thank you goes out to the PTA for supporting this event. Thank you to our Trailblazer students and parents for coming out and spending the evening with us here at BRES. Check our pictures of our full house tonight:

Banks Boomers Perform at Crabtree Tomorrow Night!

Come one, come all to the Banks Boomers caroling performance at Crabtree Valley Mall tomorrow evening beginning at 5:00 p.m.  Our Boomers were invited to carol at stations across the mall.  The Boomers will meet upstairs across from Sears.  Please be sure to wear a white shirt and jeans.  Students can also add holiday hats or winter wear to their outfits.  The new t-shirts are in!  Ms. Loftin passed out the t-shirts to all students who prepaid today.  She will bring the t-shirt to the mall for students who have not yet had an opportunity to purchase their shirts.  Take a look at the t-shirt below!

Just in time for our Crabtree performance and our second Winter Program on the 19th!

BRES Girls on the Run Participants Celebrate End of Season with a 5 K

This Saturday our Trailblazer participants in the Girls on the Run program will take part in the Reindeer Romp 5 K at the Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary. Our BRES coaches are excited and our girls are even more excited to run in this race.

GOTR registration is still open until January 4th for students who may be interested in the second semester expire nice. Please email Ms. Blair for more information at eblair@wcpss.net. We are in need on one more coach as well. The coach position is open to any interested parent or teacher! If you love to run, walk, exercise and promote well being, this is an opportunity for you!

Community Helpers Visit Scheduled for our Youngest Trailblazers

This Friday the Fuquay Fire Department will visit students in Ms. Braydich's Pre-k class. This visit will be a culminating activity for the unit of study. Ms. Braydich and our students are excited about this visit. Pictures will be posted soon!

Carpool Update

Hip, hip. hurray!  Carpool ended by 4:02!  Our carpool team is working hard to expedite the process and shorten the time in the carpool lane.  :) Great job Trailblazers!

Banks Boomers are "alternates" for the Pieces of Gold Program

The Banks Boomers auditioned with great success this past Wednesday at Sanderson High School.  The group did an outstanding job with vocals, dancing and instrumentals.  We found out that we didn't make the program by one act, but we received wonderful and positive feedback from the judges!  The Boomers are the alternate for the program should any other group be unable to fulfill their performance obligation.  We are extremely proud of the Boomers and Ms. Loftin for the quality of the audition, the time and effort they have all put into chorus this school year thus far!  Way to go Boomers and Ms. Loftin! 

ALL Aboard! on Wednedsay, December 12th

All aboard the BRES PTA train!  Please join us for our PTA meeting at 5 p.m. on December 12th and then stay for Family Fun Movie Night beginning at 6:00 p.m. when doors open.  The movie will begin showing at 6:15 p.m.   The PTA will be showing a holiday movie and giving out one free bag of popcorn per person.  You may bring additional snacks and drinks for your family.  You may bring a sleeping bag for seating on the multipurpose room floor.  Come ready for bed in your PJ's as long as you follow school dresscode!
 

Banks Boomer Pieces of Gold Audition Update with NEW location

We have just received notification about the new location for the Pieces of Gold audition tomorrow. 

The auditions will be held @ Sanderson High - 5500 Dixon Drive (just off Millbrook Road)
The 2nd entrance will take you towards the Stadium & be the most convenient to auditorium entrance.

Please call the school with any questions you may have at 919-890-7333.  Thank you.

Banks Boomers Audition Update

Parents of Banks Boomer Students (4th and 5th Grade Chorus Students):

We still have not been given a location for tomorrow's Pieces of Gold audition at 4:50 p.m.  As soon as we have been assigned a location, we will update the blog and the school website.  We will also do a school messenger with location information.

Also, our t-shirts have not arrived.  There is still a chance they will be delivered tomorrow.  If so, Ms. Loftin will distribute the shirts to each student.  She will bring the t-shirts to the audition for track 1 students who are meeting us. 

If the shirts do NOT arrive, please wear a plain white shirt to the audition.  Thank you.

Please call the school if you have any questions regarding the audition, 919-890-7333.   

Banks Boomers Update: Pieces of Gold Audition CHANGE

Parents of students participating in the Banks Boomers (4th adn 5th grade chorus) Pieces of Gold audition tomorrow, December 5th:

We have just been notified that the audition scheduled for tomorrow at Daniel's Middle School has been changed!  The audition time remains the same at 4:50 p.m. but the location is NOT yet determined.  Ms. Loftin is waiting for more information.   As soon as the new location is determined and sent to Ms. Loftin, we will post this information on the blog and the website.  I am sorry about the inconvenience. 

Please call the school if you have any questions.  Thank you. 

School Assignment Update

Thank you to the parents who are asking about the Student Assignment Plan.  I know that you are all anxious to know this information.  At this time I do not have any new information to share with you.  Here is information that I have taken from the WCPSS Student Assignment Page at http://www.wcpss.net/parents/student-assignment/2013-14.html below:

Student assignment for the 2013-14 school year is currently under consideration by the Board of Education. To learn about the current student assignment proposal, read our blog post. We anticipate that a decision will be made by December 11, 2012. We will update this page with the appoved plan when it becomes available.

Magnet Schools

The magnet school application period will open in January 2013. The address-look up tool is available for interested parents. Look up your magnet options here.

As soon as I receive updated information, I will update the BRES website as well as send out information on the blog.

Leadership Academy Deadline Approaching

Last year was the first year WCPSS offered the Leadership Academies as an option for our rising 5th graders.  Many of our families applied for admission into the Young Men's or Young Women's Leadership Academies.  If you have additional questions, please feel free to call the school.  I will answer your questions or get you in contact with the right person who can!

The deadline to apply for the Early College or Leadership Academy schools is December 3, 2012. Start your application online.

Carpool Perspective... Insight from the "Inside"

My blog information is typically informative and filled with classroom photos, activities, upcoming events or academic updates, but today my posting is about the carpool process to give an insiders perspective of safely loading 300 or more students each and every day in vehicles.  I have posted about carpool before and asked for your patience at the beginning of the school year and every time tracks 1 and 4 are together.  Our line about doubles when these two tracks are together and therefore the time to wait in the carpool line is longer.  Today I tackle the question of "why can't the students come out at 3:45 p.m. when the bell rings?" Great question being posed by our parents. Let me give you the inside perspective of of the multiple purpose room during carpool:

At 3:40 p.m. the bell rings indicating to teachers and students that all carpool students need to report to the multipurpose room for dismissal.  Students are supposed to be ready when the bell rings (packed up and ready to exit the classroom).  Students exit classrooms and are supposed to immediately report to the multipurpose room.  We generally have three quarters of the carpool students in the multipurpose room by the the 3:45 dismissal bell.  Occasionally students are not ready (not packed up) or do not immediately report to the multipurpose room (stop in restroom or visit an "old" teacher.)  Once in the multipurpose room student are asked to sit in grade level lines quietly and listen for their carpool numbers. The staff on duty begins to call numbers and direct students to their assigned cone.  The expectation is that students would hear their number and immediately jump up and line up behind their appropriate cone.  Once the students have been called to all of the cones then line then proceeds to head out the carpool dismissal loop.

While doors are opened and students are being loaded in the outside loop, students are continually being called to report to a cone.  The process should continue smoothly in this manner.  "Hiccups" occur when students report to the wrong cone, don't hear their number being called at all, cars decide to pull around one other and the numbers become out of order or a student hasn't reported to carpool and we need to call the classroom for him/her to report to the loop.  These hiccups lengthen the carpool dismissal time. 

The staff inside and out works extremely hard to run the carpool lane as efficiently as possible each and every day.  It is our goal to place each and every student in your cars safely.  In order to do that, I need your help.  Please talk with your child and reinforce carpool expectations, such as listening for their numbers, immediately coming out of the multipurpose room when their number is called and waiting in an orderly fashion at the carpool cone for their vehicle.  Additionally, I have shared before our expectations of not using cell phones once the carpool lane begins moving.  Often times, parents are pulling up to the loading cone and they are engaged in a conversation on the phone.  We all know that our attention is compromised when we are on the phone and driving.  We do not want to jeopardize our student's safety.  I receive many phone calls and many parents share their concerns with me during carpool about cell phone use once the line is moving.  Lets give our best effort to not use cell phones once the line begins moving.

Thank you again for your support with this matter and know that we will continue to work very hard to maximize our carpool line for you this year.

Teacher Feature: Ms. Emily Barnes

Once again, Teacher Feature is back!  I would like to introduce to our Trailblazer family Ms. Emily Barnes.  Ms. Barnes joined our teaching team and will be working with students in all grades as the track 4 Resource Teacher.  She is excited to be a part of our education team and believes in helping students reach their highest goals.  This is Ms. Barnes sixth year teaching and her third year in Wake County.  She graduated from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida where she started her teaching career in Duval County.  Ms. Barnes misses the beaches of Florida, but loves the changing seasons and friendly people in North Carolina.  She enjoys spending time with her family and going to her children's sport events.  Ms. Barnes has a dog named Daisy that is a little mix of everything!  Welcome Ms. Barnes to Trailblazer Territory! 
 

Barnes and Nobles Book Fair a Success for All

Ms. Loftin accompanies the Banks Road Boomers in song.

Banks Boomers in action!

Banks Boomers led by school music teacher Ms. Loftin perform at Barnes and Nobles in Cary.

Thank you to everyone who turned out at Barnes and Nobles in Cary on November 15th.  Thank you to Ms. Stephenson for sharing student artwork inspired by the artist Matisse.  Ms. McCool led our Trailblazer students and families through the Scavenger Hunt and a big thank you goes out to Ms. Loftin for her work with the 4th and 5th Grade Chorus.  We announced the long awaited name of our chorus as well....Congratulations goes to our Banks Road Boomers for their premier performance of their Pieces of Gold audition song, as well as, a preview of songs that our chorus has been mastering for upcoming performances.  The night was a success as you helped our Media Center raise over $600.00 for new books.  Thank you for your support in making this night to remember for our students and a success for our school! 

Cultural Arts well underway at BRES!

If you haven't been in BRES school lately, you are missing out!  Along with great learning and teaching our students are having wonderful opportunities to observe and participate in various cultural arts activities.  Our Silk Banner Project has wrapped up and we are now in the final stages of the work.  Ms. Stephenson and our PTA joined forces to bring Leni Newell a nationally recognized artist to BRES to collaborate with our students and leave a visual legacy here in the front foyer of the school.  Look at the pictures below for a glimpse at the banners in progress.

A group of students in Ms. Yanez's class listens to Artist Leni Newell about color choice.

Ms. Livengood checks out the plan for the banner. 



Ms. Perrone, parent volunteer  leads a group through the color dying process of the banner.



I check out the work of the banner with a group of hardworking students from Ms. Blackmon's class.

Adding just a bit more color to this banner. 



Ms. Stephenson, Leni Newell and a group of students begin the design work.  

 A big thank you goes out to Ms. Stephenson, our PTA, Artist Leni Newell and our Fifth Grade Trailblazer Students for their hard work and efforts in making this project a success at BRES!   

Emily Blair: 2012 Grant Recipient

Congratulations to Ms. Emily Blair!  Our English Second Language teacher was honored Friday, November 16th by the Bright Ideas Wake Electric Membership Corporation.  Ms. Blair's grant was selected from hundreds of entries across the state of North Carolina.  The grant focused on increasing the language of our limited English proficient students through the use of 21st century skills.  The grant totaled $1, 500.00 and will be used for technology products for our ESL program students. 

The funds for the Bright Ideas grants come from WEMC members who agree to round up their light bill to the nearest whole dollar through the Operation RoundUp program. For example, if the bill is $190.91 – the bill will be rounded up 9 cents to $191.00. These pennies add up to major dollars. Partial funding also comes from the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, located in Raleigh, NC. The NCEMC consists of a family of corporations formed to support the state’s 27 electric cooperatives.

Wake Electric is a non-profit electric utility serving over 36,000 members in parts of Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance, and Wake counties.

Be on the look out for Ms. Blair in the News and Observer in the next couple of weeks!  For now, check out the photo of Ms. Blair and me at the awards luncheon.  Way to go Ms. Blair Trailblazer Teacher Extraordinaire! 


Congratulations Ms. Blair! 



Speaker Stacey Bess

 Keynote Speaker Stacey Bess shared her inspirational teaching story at the luncheon on Friday.   Nobody Don't Love Nobody is the story of young Stacey Bess's first teaching assignment, the only job she could find, at The School with No Name. In a small shed behind a community homeless shelter Stacey Bess taught Kindergarten through sixth grade to children with no homes and little hope, an experience that effected a profound change in the teacher as well as her students. Stacey discovered that by teaching and modeling love, self-worth, personal power, and courage she could reach children who had previously been labeled unteachable. These children have grown into living proof that Stacey's methods work. Her memoir Nobody don't love Nobody inspired the Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie "Beyond the Blackboard."

Thanksgiving Break

I hope everyone had a wonderful time over Thanksgiving Break. On Wednesday I was able to step into many classrooms where learning had taken on various activities including math concepts and social studies.  Students were excited to share their knowledge of the Mayflower and the hardships of the first colony peoples.  Kindergarten through second grade students were sharing the many things in their lives that they are "thankful" for.  I enjoyed loading the students in carpool on Wednesday and listening to the stories of how they made their crafts and who they would be visiting over the holiday break. 

Ms. Livengood, the office staff, our teachers and custodial staff are all thankful for our Trailblazer students and families.  When we partner together we create a wonderful school.  Thank you for all that you do for BRES.  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Break. 

Want to learn more about the origins of Thanksgiving with your Trailblazer student?  Click here... http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/thanksgiving-day. 

Common Core Information: New Standards= high expectations for all students

It's here and we have been talking about it, but how much do you know about it...the Common Core Curriculum?  BRES teachers are using the Common Core Curriculum in lesson planning and instruction each and every day.  These new guidelines describe the essential skills and knowledge that students master annually and provide parents with a clear and common understanding of what their child is expected to learn and know.  If you have had an opportunity to volunteer in a classroom lately then you have seen that student learning and teacher instruction has changed.  Students are working to solve real life problems or situations with a given data set for example or students select a topic from various options to research, learn and present in the classroom. Students are actively taking on the role of the learner in Kindergarten to 5th grade.  Teachers are taking on the role of the preparer, organizer, guide and leader in the classroom.  Want to see an example of a common core lesson?  Click to here to see Lauren Brooks, Enloe Math Teacher Lauren Brooks teach a Common Core math lesson during the Wake Education Partnership Education Summit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1BT63-hTdI .  Additionally, follow the links below to learn more about the Common Core Essential Standards  http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHuntInstitute#g/u  and demystify myths about the Common Core click here http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CoreFacts.pdf. 

 

Lastly, click here to see real WCPSS educators and teachers share about the common core http://www.wcpss.net/what-we-teach/curriculum/.  Still have questions, please call the school at 919-890-7333 and we can help you. 

Veterans Day 2012

Banks Road Elementary will be closed on Monday, November 12th in observance of Veterans Day.  I hope that many of you were able to attend the parade in downtown Raleigh on Saturday.  We have several military families at BRES and I want to thank them for their service to our country.  To find out more about the origins of Veterans Day please follow this link:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/veterans-day

To read more about the Raleigh Veterans Day parade, please follow this link:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49771742/ns/local_news-raleigh_nc/t/raleigh-parade-ceremony-honor-veterans/

Family Fitness and Fun Night a Success

Last night was OUTSTANDING Trailblazer families!  We had a wonderful turnout of students, families and teachers at our Family Fun and Fitness Night.  Our vendors were great and offered helpful information to all.  A big thank you goes out to Mr. Rex Anderson, Trailblazer parent for spearheading this event and our PTA for their support with this event.  The only thing that would have made night PERFECT would have been a visit from Rameses the UNC Mascot!!!  It's OK though, I was able to pull it together and take a picture Mr. Wuf!  Ms. Livengood was thrilled to see Mr. Wuf last night!  We are a house-divided up in the office! I know you can throw tomatoes at me but I have to stay true "blue" to my alma mater!

Check out the action shots from Family Fun and Fitness Night yesterday evening!

Mr. Wuf joined in for Zumba!

Our very own Jessi led the Zumba session!  Way to go Ms. Jessi!

Demonstrations were a hit!

Everyone loved the yoga session!

Take a look at the Zumba action!

Kids Voting a Success at BRES

Educating our students in academics is only one facet of teaching here at BRES.  Educating our students to become informed, active and responsible students is also a part of our responsibility.  Our students had the opportunity to participate in the KidsVoting NC program yesterday.  Students were given a ballot with the candidates for President of the United States.  Students went to the polls to make their candidate selection and then placed their ballots in an official ballot box.  The ballots were tallied and then taken for official count to the public library where the information will be sent to the KidsVoting Program center.

Anticipation was in the air as students from our Pre-K program all the way to 5th grade filed into the Media Center to cast their vote.  While waiting in the voting lines I was able to interview several students.  I asked, "Have you made your decision about who you are voting for?" and "How did you gather information about our candidates to help you determine your decision?"  Here are a few of the student responses:

• "My Grandpa told me who to vote for!"
• "I watched the commercials!"
• "I looked on the Internet!"
• "I watched a lot of the news with my parents.  They made me watch it!"
• "I read the newspaper, but I don't know if that was good information."
• "I watched the debate.  One candidate kept interrupting the other when he was talking so that's why I am voting for _____!"

We were able to talk about the power of persuasion, how each of us has a personal preference and that voting can be private if you don't want to share who you support or very public if a person wants to posts signs in their yard.  Our teachers did an outstanding job of embedding this important historical event into the Common Core curriculum expectations in the classroom.  Students were reading about electoral votes, the swing states and how our government has two primary parties.  Our KidsVote NC program was a great opportunity for students to reinforce the very processes and concepts they were learning about in the classroom.  

Check out the pictures from our polling station in the Media Center.  Thanks to our parent volunteers to supported students in obtaining ballots, giving directions, collecting and counting the ballots!  Thanks to Ms. Reed for organizing this event for our school!

Ms. Laise's class getting directions on how to complete the ballot.

Ms. Parker's class reading over the ballot and making their candidate selection.

A group of students celebrating their voting!

Students decorated the voting booths for this event!

Mr. Bethel's class receiving ballot instructions.

Ms. Parker's class receiving their ballots to vote. 

The votes were tallied and carefully counted twice!  Here are the results for the 2012 Presidential Election by the students at BRES:

President Obama received 301 votes
Candidate Romney received 291 votes
Candidate Johnson received 12 votes
5 votes were considered invalid as they were marked with more one selection.

This election was very narrow and could have gone either way all morning!

FFFN is one Day Away!

Family Fitness and Fun Night is one day away!  Tomorrow evening is our Family Fitness Night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Come join us in the Multipurpose Room to learn about healthy, safe and actively lifestyles for the whole family!

All of the activities are FREE!  There will be activities for all ages, live demonstrations, useful information, door prizes, NCSU Wuf mascot, the Chick-fil-A Cow...and so much more.  Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes so you can have a great and safe time!

I'll be there with my family and I hope to see you there with your family!  Let's get movin' down the Trail of Success at BRES! 

Artist in Residence: Leni Newell

We are proud to share that we begin our Artist in Residence this week with Leni Newell.  "Leni Newell conducts popular, successful and highly sought after residencies in over 150 schools since 1993.  The strength of Newell’s highly successful and motivating residencies comes from her love of both teaching and children, which allows her creativity to inspire students and staff alike" (taken from Leni Newell's website at http://www.leninewell.com/Leni_Newell_studios+gallery/Residencies.html.)  Our PTA is supporting the funding for this residency.

Leni has worked with schools across the district and her silk banners hang in school foyers, media centers and down hallways in numerous schools.  Our fifth grade students will be working with Leni to create banners for our front entrance foyer.  These banners will dress up our entrance and compliment our school building colors.

We are extremely excited to be collaborating with Leni Newell this school year.  As our students begin work with on the banners I will post pictures and give you an update.  For additional information on Leni Newell and to see photos of banners in other WCPSS schools please follow this link:

http://www.leninewell.com/Leni_Newell_studios+gallery/_Banner_Residencies.html

Safety Reminders: Carpool

Parents thank you for your support with carpool now that Tracks 1 and are back in together.  Our average end time of carpool is 4:10 p.m. although there have been a couple of days when we went until 4:15 p.m.  The line is much smoother and more and more students are quickly responding when their number is called.

I want to remind everyone that once our line gets moving that we need to honor the no cell phone zone expectation.  There are times when cars are moving to pull under the awning and our drivers are talking on phones and not giving full attention to our students moving about and heading to their vehicles.  Our first priority is safety in carpool and we want to deliver each child to you safe and sound. 

Additionally, I want to remind you to please have your carpool tag with you.  If you do not have your tag we will ask you to pull around and sign your child out at the office where they can verify your picture ID with your child's green information card. 

Thank you so much for supporting our safe and orderly carpool process!

Holiday Kindness Reminder: Forms Due November 9th

Our active PTA celebrates the BANKS Belief: Kindness counts this holiday season.  Help bring kindness into the lives of some BRES students and their families by helping to fulfill their special holiday wishes. 

If you, your company, your civic club or your church are interested in sponsoring a child in need by purchasing three gifts or giving a monetary donation, please complete the donation form available at the school.  The forms are due back to your child’s teacher by Friday, November 9th.

The PTA is coordinating our Holiday Assistance Program and they will contact you with details. Thank you for your kindness ! 

JDRF Walk Update

JDRF is back for tracks 2 & 4 this Thursday.  Our hallway is lined with paper shoes as parents, students and community members are pledging their support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  We will have our walk beginning at 9:20 a.m. with 3rd-5th graders on track 2 & 4 and 10:10-10:55 with K-2 students on tracks 2 & 4 on the back track.  Our first round with tracks 1 & 3 raised over $6,000.00!  This was awesome!  I am hopeful that we will hit the $10,000.00 mark with the support of our track 2 & 4 families and community members.  I will update you soon with pictures and a final donation amount after the Thursday!  Go Trailblazers!

Banks 4th and 5th Grade Chorus Update

Since July we have been brainstorming a name for our 4th and 5th Grade Chorus.  We have asked our students and teachers and now have a new name for our chorus.  I am pleased to announce for the first time the Banks Road Elementary Boomers!  

The Boomers have been practicing their instrumental and vocal pieces in order to perfect our selection for the Pieces of Gold audition on December 5th.  We are waiting for our assigned time to report to Daniel Middle School for our audition.  Our Boomer students will need transportation to Daniels Middle School on December 5th.  Please contact Ms. Loftin at lloftin@wcpss.net with any questions you may have about this audition.

Students report every Tuesday and Thursday morning to rehearse with Ms. Loftin in the music room or on stage in the multi-purpose room.  Ms. Loftin has developed a blog where she posts pictures, information and updates for our Boomer students and families. Please visit her site at any time for up-to-date information: http://banksrdmusic.blogspot.com/

Additionally, our students have been asked to perform at Crabtree Valley Mall on December 13th at 5:00 p.m.  Ms. Loftin will be sending home information about this wonderful opportunity.

And last but not least, we would love to present a unified ensemble for our Pieces of Gold audition and for our future performances by having a Boomers t-shirt made for the group.  Ms. Loftin has sent home information about purchasing t-shirts.  The t shirt fee of $10.00 is due Tuesday, November 13th.  T-shirt will be ordered Tuesday and should be in within one week. 

We are excited about our progress of our Boomers and can't wait to show off their skills at the Barnes and Nobles Book Fair on November 15th with a preview of our Pieces of Gold audition selection.  The book fair begins at 6 p.m. and the Boomers are scheduled to perform at 7:00 p.m. 

I hope you will join me at this premier event for the Boomer's. 

November 6th Late Arrival

Just a reminder that we will have late arrival on Tuesday, November 6th.  Students will be welcomed into the building at 10:45 a.m. and instruction will begin at 11:15 p.m.  Additionally, the 4th and 5th Grade Chorus will meet for practice at 10:00 a.m.  tomorrow morning. 

Please call the school should you have any questions about this information.  Thank you.

Family Fitness Night is Coming!

We are into November and we have wonderful things planned for our students and Trailblazer families!  Mark your calendar for November 8th.  It's our Family Fitness Night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Come join us in the Multipurpose Room to learn about healthy, safe and actively lifestyles for the whole family!

All of the activities are FREE!  There will be activities for all ages, live demonstrations, useful information, door prizes, NCSU Wuf mascot, the Chick-fil-A Cow...and so much more.  Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes so you can have a great and safe time!

I'll be there with my family and I hope to see you there with your family!  Let's get movin' down the Trail of Success at BRES! 

So much to write about....

Well having so many good things to tell you about is wonderful, right?  Here goes:

The Fall Festival was OUTSTANDING!  We had a good turn out of Trailblazer families, the food was good, the entertainment was great and there was plenty of fun to be had all evening.  This night could not have been possible with out the hard work and diligence of our PTA and parent volunteers.  A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped make Friday night a success.  I can't wait for next year! Check out the pictures below!



Entertainment provided by elementary and middle school students



At 5:30 there was line to get tickets to get in and start having fun!

Ms. Laise brought Paul out for fun at the Festival!

 

The Kara family out for festival fun!



Face painting was a hit for all children.  Our very own 5th graders provided their face painting talents.

 



Bowling allowed for students to practice gross motor skills.

The hay maze provided friendly competition for students of all ages. 

Face painting station strikes again!

High school volunteers manned the candy corn estimating station.

Time to practice those throwing skills.

Hair painting was also popular at the festival!

Even our upcoming toddler trailblazers were able to join in the fun!

Ms. McGarry brought her little one out for Friday Festival fun!

Decorating pumpkins with Ms. Esposito and our high school volunteers was a popular station.

More pumpkin decorating

One of kindergarteners poses with her fresh face paint!

 The Fall Festival was another way the community and school come together!