Transportation Updates

Here is information regarding Transportation rom WCPSS Transportation Department. We have been fortunate not to have very many delays with our buses in the afternoons. Parents: Go online first: Most parent questions can be addressed by visiting the transportation website at www.wcpss.net/transportation. Parents are encouraged to visit the Web to view routes, find their bus stops, report a concern, or request a stop if they do not have one. Parents and schools may also view Live Updates on the site for information on morning bus routes and possible schedule changes. Please note: Routes are updated regularly online. If you have provided parents with print-outs from the website, they may now be outdated. If a parent cannot locate a child in the afternoon, he or she should: · Call the school to verify that their child’s bus has departed the school and check whether it was delayed. · Be present at the stop, or verify with a neighbor or other parent that the bus arrived, and the child did NOT get off the bus. · If the child did not get off the bus, parents may call the school or transportation at (919) 805-3030 and follow the prompts to report a missing student. These calls will ring transportation staff until 6 p.m., after which they will be answered by after-hours security. In some cases, parents may also be asked to leave a voicemail on the emergency system. When a caller leaves a message on that system, staff members receive an immediate notification so they may begin researching to locate the child. I hope you find this information helpful. Mrs. Graf

School Messenger Monday August 26, 2013

Good evening Trailblazers,

Happy Monday to you!

Thank you for coming out to support our PTA and BRES at Pelican’s on 401 this past Thursday evening. Our next Spirit night is scheduled for September 12th at McDonald’s in Fuquay Varina from 5-8 p.m.

Speaking of our PTA, the clothing drive has been extended. We are in need of specific sizes and items. Please call the school or visit the school website for this information. I appreciate your support with this drive.

Early Release dismissal went smoothly for all of our students on the bus and carpool. I know the carpool was line was long, but we made it went quickly once it started moving. Thank you for adhering to our carpool expectations . Once we dismissed the students, our staff engaged in professional development related to best practices with Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and Teacher Leader Corps. Both of these sessions will result in direct positive work with our students in the classrooms!

This week we have no before or after-school activities. Banks Boomers Chorus students there is NO practice tomorrow, Tuesday 27th due to Ms. Loftin’s track out. Boomer’s practice will pick back up next Tuesday morning, September 3rd.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events and dates:
• September 2nd: Labor Day Holiday-No School
*September 5th: Student Council 8:00 a.m. Media Center
• September 6th-13th is Spirit Week
Friday, 6th: School Spirit-Wear your BRES t-shirt or school colors of blue and green to show school spirit.
o Saturday, September 7th: Beautification Day-Come on out and help us spruce up our campus from 9-12. It’s a great way to show school spirit!
o Monday, 9th: Hat Day!
o Tuesday, 10th: Dress to Impress (Sunday Best)
o Wednesday, 11th: Patriot’s Day-Wear Red, White and Blue
o Thursday, 12th: Wacky Tacky Day- you don’t have to match!
o Friday, 13th: School Spirit –Wear your BRES t-shirt or school colors of blue and green.

• During Spirit Week bring in all of your loose change. All monies donated will go into Grade Level Fund to help offset the costs of field trips, specific classroom supplies such as subscriptions, etc. The class that raises the most money will win a Pizza Party, 2nd and 3rd Place will get Popcorn Parties.

Looking on further into September here are three “Save the Dates”:
• September 12th is School Spirit at McDonald’s from 5-8 p.m.
* September 19th: Student Council 8:00 a.m. Media Center
• September 27th is Early Release: 1:15 p.m. dismissal & Fall Festival: Join us in celebrating the five year anniversary at BRES beginning at 5:00 p.m. There will be games, the dunk tank, face painting, silent auction and more!

That’s it Trailblazers! I have posted this information on the school website and on the Principal's Desk blog. Please call the school if you have any questions. Have a great evening!
My Banks Best, Mrs. Graf

Clothes Drive Continues

We have extended our Clothes Closet Drive until Monday. We could still use some more items... - XS and Small Boys clothing - new underwear (Boys and Girls), kids size XS - M - new socks (Boys and Girls) kids size S & M - new flip flops (all sizes) - gently-used shoes (all sizes) Please check for any extra clothes around your house this weekend, or pick up an item or 2 if you are out shopping. The Clothes Closet is to help any child in need of a change of clothes at school. You can send the clothes in with your child, hand them to an attendant at car pool, or place them in the drop box in front of the main office. Thank you for your support!

Banks Best on Early Release!

Have you ever wondered what teachers do on Early Release Days after the students are dismissed?

BRES teachers are committed to continuous professional growth. We began our school year with the theme of D.O.T.S. Huh? Well in the world of education we like to use acronyms so here you go: D=data and accountability, O=opportunities to collaborate, T=tight alignment to the curriculum (Common Core) and S=strategic focus! Everything we do can be categorized under one of these four areas. You may notice that our halls are peppered with DOTS in blue and green. Classrooms have blue and green dots throughout and we are even wearing dots!

On Friday's ER our teachers continued their study of SIOP or Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. Staff collaborated to learn more about the eight components of SIOP and how it can support the learning of all students. Our study of SIOP will continue throughout the school year. SIOP falls under "S" and "T" of our DOTS. We have a strategic focus on increasing student success with the Common Core for all students. After hands on learning through a gallery walk the staff shared out how SIOP will impact their teaching and the work they do with children in the classroom each day. After delving deeper into SIOP we shifted our focus to 21st century skills with a presentation from our own teacher leaders Ms. Torrey, Ms. Rodger, Ms. Bishop and Ms. Wern who serve as our Teacher Leader Corp. They attend district trainings and come back to BRES and share their knowledge, skills and ideas with the staff. The session presented on ER day allowed for teachers to use the tool of Discovery Ed to find clips, sound bits, articles, and additional electronic resources that align to the Common Core to integrate into their lesson plans and student activities.

Check out the photos of our teachers and staff giving their Banks Best today on Early Release day!

Vote for Banks on Target Gives Back (FB app)!

Calling on all Trailblazers! Give with Target started on Wednesday the 14th. This is the program where all you have to do is vote for BRES and we will receive $1 for each vote. It's super easy---and you are probably on Facebook anyways, right? Last year our school was given a Target gift card with about $300 dollars on it. We used the gift card to buy school supplies and items for our students. Here is what I cut and pasted from the Give with Target website page: Beginning Aug. 14, guests can visit Target’s Facebook page to access the app and vote for a school of their choice once per week. Once a school has received 25 votes, Target will donate $1 per vote, with a maximum donation of $10,000 per school. Once your on FB, search "Target Gives Back" and select our school name or type in our school name. The campaign runs through Sept. 21, or until the full $5 million has been allocated, so don’t forget to vote each week and share the news with friends, family, teachers and other community members. For best performance, use a mobile device or a Google Chrome web browser to access the appPlease just log in to FB, search Target Gives Back and vote for Banks Road Elementary! Thanks! Mrs. Graf

Upcoming Parent Academy Opportunities

WCPSS Parent Academy has session being offered this week on How to Support your Kindergarten Student in School. 8/21 6:30-8:30 p.m. Reedy Creek Middle School & 8/22 6:30-8:30 p.m. Millbrook High School Both sessions will be offered in Spanish as well. Como apoyar a su estudiante de Kindergarten en las escuela 8/21 6:30-8:30 p.m. Reedy Creek Middle School & 8/22 6:30-8:30 p.m. Millbrook High School

Hot Off the Press...New Report Card Date for Track 1 Students

Parents, WCPSS teachers are transitioning to a new computer-based reporting system. Track 1 first quarter report cards will be distributed when students return from track out to ensure teachers have time to learn the new system and load grade information. Thank you for your patience during this transition. If you have any questions, please call the school at 919-890-7333. My Banks Best, Mrs. Graf

Changes on Website: Parent Page

Trailblazer Parents,We have cleaned up some items on our website. Our new and improved Parent Page is perfect for you! You can access all of the School Messengers from me, click on the link that will take you to the PTA website, or peruse the other links to learn about how to volunteer at Banks, etc. Please take a moment to visit our website "new and improved" Parent Page at http://banksroades.wcpss.net/?page_id=29 :) Mrs. Graf

School Messenger August 19, 2013

Good evening Trailblazers,

This is Mrs. Graf the Proud Principal of Banks Road Elementary School! I have a few announcements for you:

First things first, I want to thank everyone who came out for Open House this past Thursday evening. I hope that you learned more about your child’s classroom and the grade-level classroom expectations.

If you came out last Thursday, you were given our Banks Book of the Year! We have a book for every family to have in their hands and in their homes. Our teachers and staff will use this text in multiple ways throughout the school year. This is a text that you can read with your child and discuss in numerous ways. We will share more about Ms. Smith’s Incredible Storybook as the year progresses.

Picture Day is this Wednesday, August 21st for students on Tracks 3 & 4. Wear your Sunday best or your favorite outfit and be sure to bring your best smile!

Mark your calendars for this Thursday. It’s our very first Spirit Night sponsored by our PTA. Come on out to Pelican’s Sno-Balls and have a cool treat. You can come out anytime between 3-9 p.m. Don’t forget to mention that you are supporting Banks Road when you make your purchase. If it’s raining on Thursday, mark your calendars for our rain-date of the August 27th.

This Friday is our very first Early Release Day. Dismissal will begin at 1:15 for all students carpool and bus. Please be sure you call the school to notify us of any transportation changes.

Also, this is the last call regarding our PTA Clothing Drive. We are in need of several items to support students who have a spill or accident at school. A small flyer was sent home this past Friday outlining the details of our needs. Our clothing drive ends this Friday. Feel free to drop off the items in the box in the lobby, in the carpool line to one of our staff members or send in with your child.

That’s it Trailblazers! I have posted this information on the school website and on the Principal's Desk blog. Please call the school if you have any questions. Have a great evening!
My Banks Best, Mrs. Graf

Open House Success

Thank you for coming out to our 2013-14 Open House last night! We had a great evening with you. Every family that attended Open House last night received our Banks Book of the Year, Ms. Smith's Incredible Storybook and attended classroom presentations. Parents also attended the administration session on basic Banks practices for attendance, our new PBIS initiative, and school safety. Classroom teachers shared information on classroom/grade level expectations, the Common Core curriculum and classroom expectations. Home School Compacts were also distributed last night. The Compacts share our school commitments to our students and you regarding student academic growth and success. These Compacts were developed with teacher and parent input from a session held in June. Our PTA was on hand to share about upcoming events and sell Spirit Wear items.  Check out the photos below from last nights event! Thanks again for coming out! 

Mural Club is coming!

Ms. Stephenson is creating a Mural Club at BRES. The club is open to 5th grade students that have earned and maintained a level 3 in conduct in Art Class and have completed the application form and application research page. The club is an opportunity for students to work together as a team to create murals throughout the school building. The club will meet on Tuesday afternoons from 4-5 p.m. during Quarters 2 and 3. Students do not have to attend meetings during their track out. Students need to be able to commit to attend all meetings when tracked in. 

If you are interested in joining the Mural Club you may pick up an application from  Ms Stephenson. Due dates are as follows:  Tracks 1& 4 is September 9th. 

Track 3 is September 23rd. Track 2 is TBD. 

Professional Development Snapshot

This year our staff is connecting the DOTS!  We are using data, strategically using opportunities to collaborate, have a tight alignment to the Common Core curriculum, and a Strategic Focus on what our students need instructionally to succeed. We will be delving deeper into the Common Core with a whole staff book study using the text The Common Core ~Teaching K-5 Students to Meet the Reading Standards.

Ms. Stephenson is decorating our halls!

Ms. Stephenson is at it again! Our main hall is bursting with color down by the art room. Please be sure to check out the display where students learned about individuality, differences in people and how collaboration and teamwork can result in a beautiful piece of art. Thanks Ms. Stephenson for this project and all that you do for our students! 

School Messenger August 13, 2013

Good evening Trailblazers, This is Mrs. Graf the Proud Principal of Banks Road Elementary School! I have a few announcements for you: The month of August is well under way. This Thursday we will host our Open House for the new school year. Teachers are busily preparing their parent presentations. Here are the Open House times. Don’t worry if you don’t have a pen to jot this down, it is posted on the School Website and I sent it out for the posting tonight on the Principal’s Desk Blog. 2013-14 Open House: Thursday, August 15th- Tracks 1 & 3: 5:00p.m. Principal Presentation in the Multipurpose Room 5:30-6:30 p.m. Session 1 & 2 Classroom Presentations (approximately 25 minutes) Tracks 2 & 4: Principal Presentation in the Multipurpose Room at 6:00 p.m. Classroom Presentations Session 1 & 2 6:30-7:30 p.m. (approximately 25 minutes) LEP Parent Academy Presentation 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the ESL Room AIG 3rd Grade Parent Presentation: Session 1 6:30-7:00 p.m. Tracks 1 & 3; Session 2 7:30-8:00 p.m. Tracks 2 & 4 Mark your calendars for the upcoming dates: • This Friday, August 16th Track 2 students track out! Have a great break and we will see you back at school on September 11th. • Track 1 3rd Grade students begin the CogAt testing next Tuesday, August 20th. The 20th is also the Beginning of the Year EOG (BOG) for 3rd graders on Track 4. • Next Wednesday, the 21st is Picture Day for students on Tracks 3 & 4. Wear your Sunday best and your beautiful smile. • And next Friday, August 23rd is our first Early Release Day. Dismissal will begin at 1:15 for all bus riders and carpool students. It’s important for your child to know how they are getting home. If you plan on having a change of transportation, please call the office or send in a note to your child’s teacher. That’s it Trailblazers! I have posted this information on the school website and on the Principal's Desk blog. Please call the school if you have any questions. Have a great evening! Your Proud Principal, Mrs. Graf

Open House Agenda...it's this Thursday!

2013-14 Open House: Thursday, August 15th- Tracks 1 & 3: 5:00p.m. Principal Presentation in the Multipurpose Room 5:30-6:30 p.m. Session 1 & 2 Classroom Presentations (approximately 25 minutes) Tracks 2 & 4: Principal Presentation in the Multipurpose Room at 6:00 p.m. Classroom Presentations Session 1 & 2 6:30-7:30 p.m. (approximately 25 minutes) LEP Parent Academy Presentation 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the ESL Room AIG 3rd Grade Parent Presentation: Session 1 6:30-7:00 p.m. Tracks 1 & 3; Session 2: 7:30-8:00 p.m. Tracks 2 & 4: I hope to see you here Thursday night! Mrs. Graf

Mrs. O'Grady gives our Kindergarteners a preparatory lesson on technology

Just a quick note to share.... Check out Ms. O'Grady teaching our new track 4 Kindergarteners about different types of technology! 

Clothes Drive is on!

Our PTA is conducting a closet (clothes) drive! We are in need of extra small and small boys underwear and shorts specifically. We are also searching for easy to put on shorts and flip flops all sizes. You can drop off anytime to the box right outside the Front Office or give to any staff member out in carpool. Thanks for your support with this drive! Mrs. Graf

Thank you to a couple Trailblazer families and our first Beautification Day is coming...

A big thank you goes out to the Ayers family and the Milham family for helping me move a pile of soil off of the K-2 courtyard last Saturday morning. We were able to get the soil spread into a few beds and around several trees. Thanks for taking the time to spruce up our campus. Mark your calendars for September 7th. On the 7th, we will have our first official Beautification Day. Join us from 8:30 until noon to spread mulch, do some planting, weeding in some beds and overall just sprucing up the school grounds. ~ Thanks, Mrs. Graf

School Messenger August 5, 2013

Good evening Trailblazers,

This is Mrs. Graf the Proud Principal of Banks Road Elementary School! I have a few announcements for you:

First, tomorrow is Picture Day for students on Tracks 1 & 2. Wear your Sunday best and bring your beautiful smile. Parents, order forms were sent home last week for pictures.

Thank you to everyone who donated snacks for first quarter. I am so thankful for your donations.

Today was the first day of Kindergarten for students on Track 4 and for Pre-K. Our “smallest” Trailblazers are all here. They had a great day and I am so excited that we have new families joining our Trailblazer community. Our Kindergarteners on Track 4 will have their first assembly to learn about the Trailblazer school expectations tomorrow, August 6th. Please be sure to ask your Kindergartener about Blazer Bucks and Compass Coins.

Chorus Auditions are Tuesday, August 6th and Thursday, August 8th for any student in Grades 4 & 5 who are interested in auditioning for the Banks Boomers. The Banks Boomers are a group of elite students who perform at school functions this school year as well as audition for the Pieces of Gold program and participate in several off campus performances.

Ident-i-kid will be here to photograph students for Ident-i-kid cards on Track 4 this Friday, August 9th. Flyers should have gone home in Friday folders. If you are interested in participating in Ident-i-kid program, please return the application with your payment.

Believe it or not, it’s time for students on Tracks 1 & 2 to receive Interims. All students in Grades 2-5 will receive Interims. All students in Grades K-5 will receive Home Connection Letters for Parents (MClass Literacy Progress Reports). This letter is generated from the mClass diagnostic system that we are implementing this school year. “Parents, you will be receiving a mCLASS Literacy Progress Report in your child’s folder today or you may receive it via email. This progress report will let you know where your child is on important reading skills assessed over the last few weeks as indicated by the running person on the charts. You will also find activities that you can do at home to help support your child’s reading development. It would be great to share this progress report with anyone else that may be working with your child outside of the school day. Please contact your teacher if you have any questions. Thank you for your help in supporting your child’s reading growth. “

And last but not least: Be on the look- out for dates of events to come from our PTA. Our PTA is working on scheduling our first set of Spirit Nights and already planning for our Fall Festival. These are going to be great opportunities for you to come out, spend a little bit of time with other Trailblazer families and enjoy some fellowship in our Trailblazer Community.

That’s it Trailblazers! I have posted this information on the school website and on the Principal’s Desk blog. Please call the school if you have any questions. That’s it Trailblazers. Have a great evening! Your Proud Principal, Mrs. Graf

Transportation Updates

The WCPSS Transportation Department has put together information for parents regarding its procedures, contact information, important rules and safety tips. The Transportation Department Department has a new site for parents to find out information regarding bus routes and bus stops. Visit www.wcpss..net/routes to locate bus stops and route times. Route information will updated regularly.

Do you need to contact transportation? For fast service, fill out our online form at wwww.wcpss.net/bus-support or call (919) 805-3030. The Transportation Office that serves BRES is the Garner Office.

A brochure with information will be mailed to parents. Please be on the lookout or it! Thank you, Mrs. Graf

Looking for a few good Trailblazers!

Hey everyone,
I'm looking for a few good Trailblazers to help me move a small pile of mulch that has been sitting on the K-2 playground. If you can help me this weekend or after school next week, please send me an email at cgraf1@wcpss.net. If we can get a couple wheelbarrows and shovels it won't take us but 30 minutes to get this mulch spread. Thanks! Mrs. Graf