April 30th School Messenger

Trailblazer Families,

This is your principal Mrs. Graf.  :)  Happy Tuesday!  I want to take a moment to give you few reminders:

* Talent Show rehearsal has started.  The schedule has been posted on the blog as well as the school website.  All students participating as a main act or a transitional act should attend.
* Thursday morning at 8:00 is the Student Council meeting.   All grade level representative should meet in the Media Center at 8:00. 
* This Thursday is our Parents Are Connected Night!  This is a special night for all families and students in 3, 4 and 5th grade.  Come learn about how you can prepare your child for the end of grade assessments or EOG's.  Also there is an incentive for students who attend this meeting with an adult.  Students who come to this special evening will receive a ticket to attend a "special event" in the gym with Ms. Williford on Friday morning during arrival time.  The night begins at 6:00 p.m. 

Additionally, looking to next week:

* Teacher Appreciation Week begins.  Please visit the PTA website or my principal's blog for a list of events that our wonderful PTA has planned.
* May 9th is Kindergarten Orientation for all parents who have a rising Kindergarten child. 
* May 10th is Early Release.  We will begin dismissal at 1:15 p.m. 

That's it Trailblazers.  If you have any questions about this information please call the school at 919-890-7333 or visit the Principal's Desk blog.  Have a great evening! Mrs. Graf

PTA Board for the 2013-1014 School Year

Congratulations to the  newly elected  2013-2014 PTA Officers President - Michelle Mendler VP Communications - Michelle Cobb VP Programs - Carrie Causey VP Ways & Means - Heather Burgin Treasurer - Claire DiBlasi Secretary - Lynn Maruna

2011-2012 BRES PTA Officers  President - Michelle Mendler VP Communications - Jenn Giancola VP Programs - Thu Washington VP Ways and Means - Heather Burgin Treasurer - Thaihien Hicks Secretary - Susan Naylor  Follow our Blog! Like us on Facebook! Please email us! Follow us on Twitter!

Congratulations to the  newly elected  2013-2014 PTA Officers President - Michelle Mendler VP Communications - Michelle Cobb VP Programs - Carrie Causey VP Ways & Means - Heather Burgin Treasurer - Claire DiBlasi Secretary - Lynn Maruna

2011-2012 BRES PTA Officers  President - Michelle Mendler VP Communications - Jenn Giancola VP Programs - Thu Washington VP Ways and Means - Heather Burgin Treasurer - Thaihien Hicks Secretary - Susan Naylor  Follow our Blog! Like us on Facebook! Please email us! Follow us on Twitter!

Congratulations to the newly elected 

2013-2014 PTA Officers

President - Michelle Mendler

VP Communications - Michelle Cobb

VP Programs - Carrie Causey

VP Ways & Means - Heather Burgin

Treasurer - Claire DiBlasi

Secretary - Lynn Maruna

BRES Staff Appreciation Week

Trailblazer Parents,

Our PTA is planning a wonderful week of appreciation for our teachers.  Read below to find out more information. 

 

May 8-15^th

Recognizing Classroom Teachers & Teacher Assistants

Students can bring in special handmade notes, gifts, pictures, yummy treats and/or flowers from your garden May 8-15th. Parents/ Guardians may also write notes of appreciation to the teachers during this time.  Please do not feel you need to purchase items for this week.

            Tues. May 9^th & Thurs. May 14^th 

            Recognizing Specials Teachers

The PTA is also asking students to bring in special handmade notes, gifts, pictures, yummy treats and/or flowers from your garden for the specials teacher they have on Thursday, May 9^th  and Tuesdays, May 14^th. 

Below are some activities planned by the Hospitality Committee:

Wednesday,  May 8^th: Coffee/beverage  Bar and Bagel Breakfast

Thursday, May 9^th:   Goodies in mailbox

Friday, May 10^th:  Early Release Super Salad Bar Luncheon w/ Strawberry Shortcake

Monday, May 13^th:  Goodies in the Mailbox

Tuesday, May 14^th:  Goodies in the Mailbox

Wednesday, May 15^th:  Ice Cream Social

Teacher Appreciation Contest!

Hey Trailblazer Parents,

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week!  We LOVE our teachers here at BRES and our students are the first ones to share how much they appreciate their teachers! 

Check out this contest that your child can enter to show appreciation.  You can be CREATIVE with the entry:  a song, poem, dance...you name it.  The winner will receive something for the class and the teacher will get a special gift as well!

http://www.wcpss.net/blog/2013/04/teacher-appreciation-week/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wcpss%2Fma+%28Morning+Announcements%29

Please let me know if you have any questions. :)  Mrs. Graf

NC STATE UNIVERSITY Summer Reading Skills Programs

Information regarding the NC State University Summer Reading Programs were sent out in Friday folders.  If you have any questions regarding how the programs can support your child, please call 1-800-978-9596. 

Banks Boomers/Chorus Practice Resumes Tomorrow: April 30th!

Ms. Loftin is back from track out.  Chorus practice will resume tomorrow, April 30th and will continue every Tuesday until the Talent Show on May 30th.  Practice is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. in the Music Room for the following Tuesdays:

April 30th, May 7th, May 14th, May 21st and May 28th.

Please call the school at 919-890-7333 or email Ms. Loftin at lloftin@wcpss.net.  Thanks! Mrs. Graf

Talent Show Update & Rehearsal Dates

Talent show rehearsals begin this week!  A note was sent home from Ms. Loftin last week.  All students performing are expected to be at every rehearsal.  This is the only way to ensure that show will be the best it can be.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Loftin at lloftin@wcpss.net.

Tuesday, April 30th:  4:15-5:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 2nd:  4:15-5:15 p.m.
Tuesday, May 14th:  4:15-5:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 16th:  4:15-5:15 p.m.

Dress Rehearsal:  Tuesday, May 28th 4:15-6:00 p.m.
Talent Show:  May 30th 6:30 p.m.  (Acts need to be here at 5:45 p.m. to be ready to perform.)

Parents Are Connected Night: This Thursday

Come join us at BRES for a review session on the upcoming EOG.  This night is especially designed for all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students.  Teachers at each grade have prepared a presentation and activity for you and your child.  The session is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on May 2nd.  Come on out and learn about how to be prepared for the upcoming end of grade assessments. 

Student Attendance

As we approach warmer months and a time that some families take vacation, please keep in mind that it is imperative that your child is present in school regularly. It is also important to remember to have all students attend school from "bell to bell." Bell to bell is the time that covers the entire school day. School attendance is critical to the success of a student. Parents should continue to avoid picking up their child up early or dropping their child off after the tardy bell. Emergency situations or circumstances that occur on rare occasions are understandable. In order for us to ensure that we successfully educate all students, let’s work together to ensure that that we honor our instructional time in order to maximize student learning. Your assistance with this is greatly appreciated.

A glimpse into Mrs. Torrey's Reader's Theatre performances

More Reader's Theatre

I had the opportunity to step into Mrs. Vaughn's classroom for their performances as well. Students were so excited. Check out some of her students performing "The Ugly Duckling."

Reader's Theatre in Second Grade

Mrs. Hughes' class invited parents and family members to class today to watch their Reader's Theatre performances. Students worked all week to prepare their short plays for reading. Students learned about recounting stories, including fables and folk tales from diverse cultures, and determined how to identify their central message, lesson or moral; which is one of the fourth quarter essential reading objectives from our Common Core curriculum. Check out the great pictures of Mrs. Hughes' students performing their fables this morning!

April 25th School Messenger

Good evening Trailblazers,
This is Mrs. Graf with several announcements for you.  I want to remind our carpool parents to be mindful our neighbors on Chambers Road particularly doing our carpool times.  I am asking that you do not block their drive ways during carpool arrival and dismissal.  It is our goal that carpool line moves fluidly once the afternoon bell rings but we do not want to block access to our neighbor's driveways.
Get out your calendars: 
*May 2nd is our Parents Are Connected Night!  This night is especially designed for our parents and students in 3rd-5th grade.  Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers have prepared presentations and activities just for you to support your child in being ready for the end of grade yearly assessment.  The session is from 6:30-7:30 p.m. 
*May 8-15th is Teacher Appreciation Week.  Our PTA is planning wonderful events for the teachers and we are so excited to support and thank our wonderful teachers for the great work that they do.  More information is coming soon from our PTA. 
*May 9th is our Kindergarten Orientation Night for all parents of rising Kindergarten students.  Please join the kindergarten teachers, our PTA, supplemental services and the Y to learn about a typical kindergarten day, curriculum expectations and how you can support your child in making the transition to Kindergarten.  We will meet in the Multipurpose Room from beginning at 6:00 p.m.
*  May 9th is also our PTA Board Meeting at 1:30 p.m. 
* May 101th is Early Release.  Dismissal for students will be at 1:30 p.m.  If you plan to change transportation for your child, please send in a note or call the office by 10:00 a.m. 

That's it Trailblazers!  Please call the school at 919-890-7333 if you have any questions about this information or visit our school website and click on the Principal's Desk icon to see this information.  Have a great evening! Mrs. Graf

A hot muggy day here in Raleigh, but a beautiful day at the beach!

Our fourth graders on tracks 1 and 2 met at school at 5:30 a.m. this morning to head out to Kure Beach for a day of hands on learning. The students were so excited they barely remembered to say good bye to their parents! At 5:45 a.m. the students were loaded onto two charter buses along with the parent chaperones. I wished them all well and gave reminders to be respectful, be responsible and be safe (Banks Best!) Ms. Mueller, Ms. Halsey and Ms. Liaise did their final head counts and checks as the movie started playing. I waved and waved to the students as the buses pulled away right at 5:58 a.m. The day began two minutes ahead of schedule.

All day the teachers have sent me pictures. I promised I would blog them before they headed back to Raleigh. Check out at fourth graders at Fort Fisher, Kure Beach and the Carolina Ocean Studies program.
I will be meeting the students back at the school this evening. I can't wait to see their faces and hear all about their day of learning!

This field trip is just another example of how our students and teachers at BRES blaze the trails of learning success!

Single Subject Acceleration

Trailblazer Parents,

The AIG department is introducing a new policy on Single Subject Acceleration.  Below you will find information concerning the new policy and guidelines for qualification and implementation.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks, Mrs. Graf

Single Subject Acceleration(SSA)

Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) allows students to accelerate in reading or math for the 2013-2014 school year.  Students seeking to SSA should consistently perform 1-2 grade levels above his/her current grade level in literacy skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and/or mathematics.

Process for SSA for 2013-2014 school year:

1.       Parents or teachers submit a written nomination to Sarah Foxworth, AIG Teacher, at sfoxworth@wcpss.net.    Please include your student’s full name, grade and requested subject for acceleration by Wednesday, April 24, 2013.

2.       School Based Committee for Gifted Education (SBCGE) will convene and collect portfolio items during the week of April 22, 2013 .  Portfolio items will include benchmark scores, teacher work samples, and grade level assessments.  Additionally, all students will be administered the benchmark for course to be skipped by April 30,2013.

3.       All portfolios will be sent to Central Services for evaluation and recommendation no later than May 1, 2013.

4.       Parents will receive written notification from Central Services.  If portfolio is approved, students must have an aptitude score of >95% and above grade level achievement of > 98% to meet requirements for SSA.

5.       Appropriate tests, according to the SSA criteria, will be administered at a central location.  The test sessions will be held on Saturdays during the month of May 2013.  Specific information will be sent along with a Consent for Evaluation upon approval of the student performance portfolio.

Reminders about our events this week! (Please note the tracks for the field trip)

Trailblazers,
Welcome back track 4!  We are so happy that you begin your 4th quarter of school this week.  Track 3 went out to enjoy their last break of the school year.
***Tomorrow we will have Holly Harps' in our building for our Cultural Program sponsored by the PTA.  We are excited to able to offer this wonderful learning opportunity for our students and we thank the PTA for being able to support this event.
***This is just a reminder about our General PTA Meeting and our first Family Fun Bingo Night tomorrow beginning at 6 p.m.  Come on out and vote on our PTA officers for the new school year, play bingo with your family and enjoy some time with your greater Trailblazer community.  We will be in the Cafe beginning at 6 p.m. 
***Friday, the 19th we will see 4th grade tracks 1 & 2 off on their field trip to Fort Fisher.  Parents please may sure you have good communciation about picking up your child on Friday evening.
***I  posted on the school website and the Principal's Desk blog that there was a misprint regarding the date for our annual talent show.  The recent newsletter that came home had April 25th listed as the Talent Show date, but the actual date is May 30th. 
***Finally, we received our Case benchmark asssessment data for the 3rd administration.  I am so proud and excited to share with you that we are making academic gains at each grade level with our students.  I am certain that our students are experiencing success in their classrooms.  I will post additional details on the Principal's Desk blog so that you can celebrate our academic success with us. 
***All of this information has already been posted to the school website.  If you have any questions, please call 919-890-7333.  Have a great evening! Mrs. Graf

Come one come all to BINGO at BRES!

It's a two day count down....come on out to BRES on Thursday evening, April 18th from 6-8 p.m. for our first annual BINGO Family Night! 

Please join us for a FUN night filled with lots of prizes and chances to win BIG! You are welcome to bring your dinner with you and eat in the Banks Road Cafeteria while playing Bingo, and there will be drinks and snacks available to purchase.

 

Along with playing FREE Bingo, there will be items to be raffled off such as: 

*KINDLE FIRE

*$100 Gift Card to Great Wolf Lodge

*NC Symphony Tickets

**Must be present to win!**

Raffle ticket prices: 1 for $5 or 5 for $20

 

For us to make sure we have enough Bingo supplies for everyone to play, please reply to this email and let us how many will be attending by Wednesday, April 17th.

 

 

PTA BOARD ELECTIONS: Thursday, April 18th at 6 pm

The PTA will have the 2013-2014 Board Elections just before Family Fun Night. There is currently no one running for the Secretary position at this time. If you are interested in running for Secretary or any other position, please contact Jenn Giancola at nc4colas@gmail.com. 

Quick description of the Secretary position:

*Attend PTA Board meetings monthly or as scheduled.

*Record minutes of all meetings, General and Board.

*Maintain a file of important documents.

*Attend & help with school wide programs & fundraisers.

PTA Board Positions: 

President, VP Programs, VP Ways & Means, VP Communications, Secretary, Treasurer.

Do you know about Parent Academies?

Trailblazers,
Here is information related to the WCPSS Parent Academies.  These are free classes that cover various topics.  The classes are open to all parents and offer support ranging from how to help with homework, wha the Common Core means for your student to understanding more about Special Education.  Here is information regarding the upcoming sessions for this week.  I know it is short notice, but I just received this today!  I hope some of you will decide to attend and take advantage of this great support. 

Support your child's academic and social success with FREE Parent Academy classes.  All classes are held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Millbrook High School on Tuesdays, Reedy Creek Middle School on Wednesdays, and Knightdale High School on Thursdays.  To register, visit www.wcpss.net/adult-edu or call 919-431-7411.  Childcare is provided for children ages 4-13 for free.

Apoye el e`xito academico y social de su hijo con clases gratuitas en als Academia de Padres.  Las clases se ofrecen desde las 6:30 p.m. a las 8:30 p.m. los martes en Millbrook HS, los miercoles en Reedy Creek MS y los jueves en Knightdale HS.  Para registarse, visite a www.wcpss.net/adult-edu or llame a 919-431-7411.  Habra cuidado de ninos para las edades de 4 a 13 por gratuitas.

What's Up? 

Identify and Protect Your Child against Bullying
4/16, 4/17, 4/18
Register:  http://bit.ly/BullyO

?Que Pasa?
Identificando y protegiendo a su hijo contra el acoso
Inscribase: http://bit.ly/BullyO

Have questions? Preguntas? Call me at 919-890-7333.  Thank you, Mrs. Graf

Correction to the Talent Show Date

Posted on April 9, 2013

by cgraf1

Trailblazers,
The PTA newsletter and our Google calendar had this Thursday, April 11th listed for our BRES Talent Show.  This is an incorrect date.  Our talent show is scheduled for May 30th.  We apologize for any inconvience this may have caused.  Thank you.

April is Autism Awareness Month

As a graduate of Meredith College I recieve alumnae emails.  I had forgotten about the wonderful work that Meredith does with children with Autism until this email hit my inbox.  Read below for information regarding their MAP program at Meredith.

April is Autism Awareness Month by Meredith Alumnae

April is Autism Awareness Month.  To lean more about autism and the Meredith Autism Program, known as MAP, please visit their website by clicking here.

The Meredith College Autism Program (MAP) provides full time treatment services for children with autism.  MAP is a specialized early intervention, teaching and behavior modification program for young children with autism and their families.  The Meredith Autism Program started as part of research originally funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

The mission of the Meredith Autism Program is to provide a behavioral intervention in which children with autism can develop to their fullest potential, provide experience and education in the field of autism to undergraduate students, while validating and expanding the current research.

As promised....learning and teaching in Ms. McLaurin's room!

I just spent wonderful time in Ms. McLaurin's classroom this afternoon. Students were working on writing in response to non-fiction texts. Ms. McLaurin and the class read a book about blue whales. They identified facts about blue whales, discussed what blue whales had in common with other mammals including humans and then made a list of facts about blue whales. The students were engaged and had all eyes on Ms. McLaurin as she walked 100 feet from her playground door, through the hall, into Ms. Garvey's room, out her classroom door, over the sidewalk and down two steps into the bus loop to model the length of the blue whale!!!! Students were amazed that a mammal could be that HUGE! After the students developed a list of facts about whales they were empowered to travel back to their seats to write about the blue whale. Students immediately grabbed their pencils and a clean sheet of paper and began to put the "lead to the paper!" What wonderful writers we have here at Banks Road Elementary. These students were excited to share their new learning with their teacher and I know that they will be heading home to share this knowledge with their parents as well! Here are a few pictures of the learning and teaching process. Enjoy!

Learning and teaching highlighted in two classrooms today....

One of the best aspects of my position as Principal is getting into classrooms and seeing the learning and teaching process in action. Today I was in Mr. Gordon's track 2 classroom and Mrs. McLaurin's track 3 classroom. Wow! These two Kindergarten classrooms are rocking and rolling with learning and teaching today. In Mr. Gordon's room students were reading a non fiction book about spiders. Mr. Gordon transitioned the students from reading and learning facts about spiders to writing and sharing their newly acquired non-fiction knowledge! Students worked independently to write one to over five facts about spiders. Students used resources such as the word wall, personal word walls and "sounded out" words to support their writing. Mr. Gordon and his instructional assistant, Ms. White circulated throughout the classroom from table to table assisting students in their writing process. Students were so engaged and excited to write about spiders. Check out these photos of the learning and teaching process in action in Mr. Gordon's classroom today! More about my visit to Ms. McLaurin's room to come....

Author Visit is coming.....

Upcoming! Children's Author Chris Rumble Visiting BRES! 

I am excited to share that children's author, Chris Rumble, will be visiting Banks Road Elementary next Thursday, April 11th, 2013.

Chris is the author of the popular series, "The Adventures of Uncle Stinky." His hilarious text and comic book style illustrations keep readers coming back for more!

When Chris visits BRES next Thursday, our Trailblazers will participate in his "Reading Pep Assembly." During this time, Chris will use music, art, & his endless enthusiasm to excite our students about reading! Students will learn songs about reading set to familiar tunes; watch Chris as he creates illustrations; and hear excerpts from Chris' books!

 

Want to learn more about Chris Rumble?  Follow this link to Ms. McCool's Media Center Blog:  http:/./banksroadmedia.weebly.com/

 

(Thanks to Ms. McCool for this entry!)

Book Drive begins...

Last year one of the most memorable moments for me as the principal was traveling out to a nearby neighborhood and distributing hundreds of books to children ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers!  We partnered with the YMCA program and they drove us out on the Y bus to a neighborhood where much outreach is needed.  Our schools pulls students from this neighborhood so it was project that really was near and dear to my heart and the hearts of many BRES staff members.  In a matter of three hours we distributed books by the armful and boxful to students and their families!  Additionally, we distributed reading comprehension strategies in both English and Spanish to our families to strengthen the school to home connection.  Once again, the BRES staff family is coming together to collect books for these students and we need your help.  Everyone has a book or two that they have already read sitting on a shelf.  If this is the case, please send it in with your child for our book drive.  We will take gently used books from board books, chapter books, series or whatever you have.  Did you just stock up on new books during our Book Fair?  Go around and collect the books from last year that your child has already read for the book drive.  We will take them and distribute them to students in need of literature!  Have questions or want to learn more about this book drive?  Email me at cgraf1@wcpss.net or call me at 919-890-7330. 

No practice for Banks Boomers...

Hey Banks Boomer Families,

Ms. Loftin will be tracking out the weeks of April 15th and April 22nd.  There will not be practice for the Boomers during these two weeks.  Practice will resume the week of April 29th.  Thank you.   

Kindergarten Community Service Project a great success!

Trailblazers,
I am so proud of our Kindergarten students.  This year as a school we worked to increase our service projects and "pay it forward" to our immediate community and beyond!  In February and March our Kindergarten students learned about dental health.  Kindergarten students also collected dental health items for donation.  I am proud to share with you that over 147 items to the Salvation Army for distribution to those in need!!!!  Thank you to all of you who contributed to this service project.  It was a lesson for our students that has the potential to reach so many! 

Your Proud Principal, Mrs. Graf

April Important Dates

April here and so are the showers...the rain didn't stay long this morning and the day turned out to be pretty beautiful.  Just as beautiful as the learning and teaching going on at BRES today!  I was lucky enough to be in five classrooms today.  I observed students using iPods to access factual information on the Civil War in fifth grade, students identifying elements in a story that help them visualize and deepen their comprehension of the text in second grade, and students working through the writing process using graphic organizers to plan writing pieces all the way to using Word to publish their final drafts and insert photos to support their writing piece in special education.  Additionally, I was able to see students practice multiple skills in PE where stations were set up for students that included dribbling a basket ball, kicking a soccer ball with the appropriate inside the foot technique and participating in tossing to improve their aim!  Not to mention the team work that the stations naturally presented to students!  At last but not least, our third graders were deepening their comprehension through teacher guided reading and creating timelines on the computers for their biography projects!  Learning and teaching doesn't take a break here at Banks not even on April Fool's Day!

Learning and teaching will continue all month and so will the opportunities for you to join us here at BRES!  Please see below for important dates you will want to add to your Google Calendars and Smart Phones!!

April 9th:  Picture Day Tracks 1 & 2  Bring your best smile!
April 17th:  Holly Harps, Grades 2 & 3 Cultural Arts Project
April 18th:  General PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room  (This is a special event!  We will nominate and vote on PTA Office positions as well.  Come out and play Bingo for FREE and enjoy some family time with other BRES families!  There will be popcorn and baked goods for purchase as well!)

Talent Show Results

We searched high and low to find the students to participate in our BRES Annual Talent Show.  The Judges deliberated and decisions have been made....check out the list below!  Additional students have been contacted by Ms. Loftin for participation as Transitional Acts.  The show is sure to be great with talent like this!

Talent Show Acts

Dylan Ferrell- Guitar

Gretchen Sargent/ Hannah Poplin- Clogging

Amy Smith- Acapella

Austin Monk- Guitar

Erin Wenzel- Irish Dancing

Kiera Wenzel- Lyrical

Ryan Seamon- Singing

Kesa Ferguson- Piano

Shim Ferguson- Piano

Jacob Chancy- Marshal Arts

Jillian Felman- Singing

Merrick Graf- Singing

Morgan Hamilton- Singing

Mckenna Graf- Singing

Jimmy C, Andrew S- Pogo Sticks

Abigail Chacona, Jada Fox- Cheer Dance

Vincent Cruz- Whistel

Madi Blackmon- Gymnastics

Emma Jone, Jaila Greene- Sing and Dance

Crystal Delaguila- Piano

Mary Amelia S, Katelyn L, Josie- Dance (Gymnastics)

Cameron Hair- Tap

Krista Norris, Leah Racey- Lyrical

Max Rucker- Marshal Arts

Sarah Ziese, Callie Wolff, Emily Milham (K), Brenna Dixon (2^nd)- Cup Song

Savannah T, Haydon T, Mia G, Alison R, Lauren L- Dance and Band