Friday Updates August/September 2008

Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
August 29, 2008

Thank you all for an awesome first week of school. Your efforts to implement our new behavior system have already paid dividends. I have had the best time giving out eggs and seeing your students’ faces light up (even 5th graders). Please remember that everyone should be giving out about 3 eggs per week. If you have not yet given an egg, I think you will find that it is just as much fun to give an egg as it is to get one.

Enjoy the three day weekend!!

“You learn something every day if you pay attention.” ~Ray LeBlond

Next week
Monday 9/1 – Holiday – No School

Tuesday 9/2 – PBS lesson (Playground – Safe), Information home with students (safety letter, Fall Festival letter, Boy Scout info)

Wednesday 9/3 – PBS lesson (Playground – Outstanding), Volunteer breakfast
Thursday 9/4 – PBS lesson (Playground – Accountable), NC Wise Reports training (required for new classroom staff, optional refresher for others) 3:15-4:15

Friday 9/5 – PBS lesson (Playground - Respectful)

Week of 9/8 - 9/12 – (9/8) 3rd grade pretest (9/9) 3rd grade pretest , Staff meeting (9/10) 3rd grade pretest (9/11) 3rd grade pretest , Technology workshop (SchoolCenter – Adv. Skills) (9/12) Boy Scout class visits for (1st – 5th grades, 12:00-2:30, 5 minutes each)

Looking ahead
September 4 – NC Wise Reports training (required for new classroom staff, optional refresher for others)
September 9 – Staff meeting
September 16 – SIT meeting, Boy Scout night
September 19 – Picture Day
September 22 – K-2 Curriculum Night
September 23 – PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum Night
September 30 – Copyright workshop
October 10 – Southwest Fall Festival

Duty Schedule (during the first week, everyone will help with morning and afternoon duties)
Breakfast – Burke, Sereika, East

Bus – Council, Baker, Dease, Beard, Barr, Vance, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Williams
Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Thank you for the good job during our first fire drill. I have had a few questions about procedures for a fire drill. If your students are at specials, EC, ESL, etc., that teacher is responsible for keeping your children safe and you are responsible for keeping yourself safe. Also, as far as I know, there is no need to turn in class rosters after a fire drill. Please use your rosters to account for children during the drill and for your records.

-If you are enrolled for one of the Piedmont Triad Educational Consortium workshops, please give Nellie a hard copy of your registration confirmation. She will find your subs for those workshops

-Please remember to turn in your transportation lists to Mr. Keener and your class schedules to Ms. Cressman.

-We still have several staff members who continue to need our support. Please remember: Debbie Dosek and Pat Taylor.
-Mrs. Larson has said that lots of people have wanted to help Pat Taylor with getting giftcards. She and Vicki Crutchfield are collecting money for anyone who wishes to contribute.


Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
New Southwest staff – Great job during your first week of school at Southwest!
Car and Bus duty folks – Thanks for helping us get our students here and back home safely.
Office staff and helpers – Thank you for your adjustments to make our school office run as smoothly as possible.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
September 5, 2008

This year has gotten off to a great start in many ways. We are, however, still ironing out some wrinkles in our various schedules. You have been asked to be flexible in many ways and you have done so with grace. Thank you for your patience and willingness to try some new ways of doing things even when it might mean suffering through some growing pains. One of the goals in scheduling this year is to make sure that our EC and ESL students get exposure to the grade level Math and Reading standard course of study AND their individualized pull-out instruction. This means that they may miss a science or social studies lesson. We believe (and research supports) that “double dipping” in Reading and Math will pay dividends over time.

“You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things.” - Mother Teresa

Next week **1st and 2nd grade guidance classes begin this week**
Monday 9/8 (Day 4) – PBS lesson (Arrival/Dismissal – Safe), 3rd grade pretest

Tuesday 9/9 (Day 5) –, PBS lesson (Arrival/Dismissal – Outstanding), 3rd grade pretest , Staff meeting

Wednesday 9/10 (Day 6) – PBS lesson (Arrival/Dismissal – Accountable), 3rd grade pretest

Thursday 9/11(Day 1) – PBS lesson (Arrival/Dismissal - Respectful), Principals’ meeting, 3rd grade pretest , Technology workshop (SchoolCenter – Adv. Skills), “9/11” Tribute video on channel 2 @ 9:00, 11:00, 12:00, 2:00

Friday 9/12 (Day 2) – PBS review, Boy Scout class visits for (1st – 5th grades, 12:00-2:30, 5 minutes each)

Week of 9/15 - 9/19 – (9/15 Day 3) (9/16 Day 4) SIT meeting, Boy Scout night 6:30-8:00 (9/17 Day 5) (9/18 Day 6) (9/19 Day 1) zone 7 meeting, Picture Day, International day of peace – moment of silence @ noon

Looking ahead
September 9 – Staff meeting
September 16 – SIT meeting, Boy Scout night
September 19 – Picture Day
September 22 – K-2 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 23 – PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 30 – Copyright workshop
October 7 – Naglieri non-verbal aptitude test for all 3rd graders who are not AG or LD
October 10 – Southwest Fall Festival

Duty Schedule (during the first week, everyone will help with morning and afternoon duties)
Breakfast – Burke, Womble, Letourneau

Bus – Council, Baker, Dease, Beard, Barr, Vance, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Williams
Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-On Tuesday, our letter regarding who has permission to “sign out” students will go home. Please collect these and return them to Kim Skinner when all of your students have returned the sheet. These are extremely important so remind your students to return this information quickly.
-Please remember to turn in your transportation lists to Mr. Keener and your class schedules to Ms. Cressman.
-We still have several staff members who continue to need our support. Please remember: Debbie Dosek and Pat Taylor.
-Mrs. Larson has said that lots of people have wanted to help Pat Taylor with getting giftcards. She and Vicki Crutchfield are collecting money for anyone who wishes to contribute.

Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
SW staff – Great job during the beginning of PBS – keep earning those eggs (and giving them away)!
Can-Do Winners – Congratulations to Mrs. Sutcliffe’s class (780) and Ms. Moore’s class (360).
EC/ESL staff, counselors, Debbie Herrin, Erika Coffield,others – Thank you for your work to get ready for testing, etc.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
September 12, 2008

This week we will begin to have our morning announcements on the in-house TV. Mrs. Bowser and many others have worked hard to get the system set up for this exciting change. Please turn your classroom televisions on at 8:00 and turn them to channel 26. Since we do not yet have 100% of our televisions working, we will initially broadcast on both the in-house video system and the intercom. If you experience technical difficulties with the broadcast, please let Mrs. Bowser know. Thank you to Mrs. Bowser and friends for your efforts to ready!

“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” - John W. Gardner

Next week **1st and 2nd grade guidance classes begin this week**
Monday 9/15 (Day 3) – PBS lesson (Cafeteria – Safe), Morning announcements begin on TV (channel 26)

Tuesday 9/16 (Day 4) – PBS lesson (Cafeteria – Outstanding), Progress reports, SIT meeting, Boy Scout night 6:30-8:00, PTA board meeting 7:00-8:00

Wednesday 9/17 (Day 5) – PBS lesson (Cafeteria – Accountable)

Thursday 9/18 (Day 6) – PBS lesson (Cafeteria - Respectful)

Friday 9/19 (Day 1) – PBS review, zone 7 meeting, Picture Day, International day of peace – moment of silence @ noon

Week of 9/22 - 9/19 – PBS Bathroom lessons (9/22 Day 2) K-2 Curriculum night 6:00-7:30 (9/23 Day 3) PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum night 6:00-7:30 (9/24 Day 4) (9/25 Day 5) Technology facilitator meeting (9/26 Day 6)

Looking ahead
September 16 – SIT meeting, Boy Scout night
September 19 – Picture Day
September 22 – K-2 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 23 – PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 30 – Copyright workshop
October 7 – Naglieri non-verbal aptitude test for all 3rd graders who are not AG or LD
October 10 – Southwest Fall Festival

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Biggam

Bus – Council, Baker, Dease, Beard, Barr, Vance, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Williams
Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Our letter regarding who has permission to “sign out” students has been sent home. Please collect these and return them to Kim Skinner when all of your students have returned the sheet. These are extremely important so remind your students to return this information quickly.
-Please remember to turn in your transportation lists to Mr. Keener and your class schedules to Ms. Cressman.
-We wish Nancy Frye well as she moves to Old Richmond Elementary School. Thank you Nancy for your service to Southwest. You will be missed.

Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
SW staff – Great job during the beginning of PBS – keep earning those eggs! Give egg counts to Kim Cressman
Can-Do Winners – Congratulations to Mrs. Hipp’s class (964) and Mrs. Currie’s class (874).
Beth Bowser – Thank you for your work to get ready for TV announcements and for our “new” library.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
September 19, 2008

This week, our PTA board met to discuss this year’s plans with how they will support our school. We are extremely blessed to have the level of parent support that we have at Southwest. Our PTA is full of strong leaders and hard workers which is a recipe for strong support. They did, again, approve over $10,000 in teacher reimbursements ($130 for a fulltime teacher and $60 for halftime). In addition, they pledged more funds to improve our media center collection while also discussing other projects to improve our school. They are extremely hopeful that the Fall Festival will allow them to take on even more projects. Please remember to join our PTA to thank one of our PTA board members.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” - Henry Ford

Next week
Monday 9/22 (Day 2) – PBS lesson (Bathroom – Safe), K-2 Curriculum night 6:00-7:30

Tuesday 9/23 (Day 3) – PBS lesson (Bathroom – Outstanding), PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum night 6:00-7:30

Wednesday 9/24 (Day 4) – PBS lesson (Bathroom – Accountable)

Thursday 9/25 (Day 5) – PBS lesson (Bathroom - Respectful), SAT team training, Technology facilitator meeting

Friday 9/26 (Day 6) – PBS review

Week of 9/29 - 10/3 – PBS lessons (9/29 Day 1) Principal training (9/30 Day 2) Principal training, Noche Hispana (10/1 Day 3) Jump Rope Assembly 8:20-9:00 K-5 (10/2 Day 4) OLSAT test for 2nd grade/selected 5th grade, Teacher of the Year banquet (10/3 Day 5) OLSAT test for 2nd grade/selected 5th grade, Principals’ meeting

Looking ahead
September 22 – K-2 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 23 – PBS committee meeting, 3-5 Curriculum Night (6:00-7:30)
September 30 – Copyright workshop **This is required for all staff unless you have other training**
October 7 – Naglieri non-verbal aptitude test for all 3rd graders who are not AG or LD
October 10 – Southwest Fall Festival
October 14 – Flexible benefits meeting @ 3:00
October 16 – Flexible benefits meeting @ 7:15

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Weiss, Aikins

Bus – Council, Baker, Dease, Beard, Barr, Vance, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Williams
Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Our curriculum nights are Monday and Tuesday. The agenda will be as follows: A short PTA talk, I will introduce each teacher, PRT and assistant and then dismiss you to your rooms and then give a short talk, Debbie will speak and then dismiss parents to the grade levels. Grade chairs, please send me a brief description of what your grade will do with parents and where you will meet with them.
-Please remember to complete your attendance by 8:30 every morning.
-We wish Nancy Frye well as she moves to Old Richmond Elementary School. Thank you Nancy for your service to Southwest. You will be missed.

Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
SW staff – Great job during the beginning of PBS – keep earning those eggs! Give egg counts to Kim Cressman
Can-Do Winners – Congratulations to Mrs. Tilley’s class (341) and Ms. Winter’s class (273).
Brian Vest, Kathy Lawrence, Amy Atkins and others – Thank you for your patience in working with some challenges this year.


Southwest Elementary School
Friday Update
September 26, 2008

Our major PTA fundraiser for the year, the Fall Festival, is only 2 weeks away. Our PTA is extremely hopeful that the Fall Festival will allow them to take on even more projects than the ones mentioned during Curriculum Nights. Thank you for all of your work so far to help communicate with parents and collecting monies that have already been sent in through your classrooms. You have also been instrumental in helping to organize helpers for the activities for the festival. Although we have numerous volunteers lined up, Mrs. Kit Browning has let me know that there are still some 1 hour shifts that need to be filled. Please continue to help to recruit volunteers and even volunteer yourself if you are able. These last 2 weeks we want to really get our students excited about the Fall Festival so that it will be as successful as possible. Thanks for all you do!

“Compete against yourself, not others, for that is who is truly your best competition..” - Peggy Fleming

Next week
Monday 9/29 (Day 1) – PBS lesson (Hallway – Safe), Principal training

Tuesday 9/30 (Day 2) – PBS lesson (Hallway – Outstanding), Principal training, Copyright workshop – required, Noche Hispana (Curriculum Night information for Hispanic parents. Please feel free to join the committee!)

Wednesday 10/1 (Day 3) – PBS lesson (Hallway – Accountable), Jump Rope Assembly 8:30-9:00 K-5

Thursday 10/2 (Day 4) – PBS lesson (Hallway - Respectful), Teacher of the Year banquet

Friday 10/3 (Day 5) – PBS review, Principals’ meeting

Week of 10/6 - 10/10 – PBS lessons Classroom (10/6 Day 6) Kinder classes – Lewisville Fire Dept. (10/7 Day 1) 4th grade to Hiddenite, Principals meeting, High Yield Strategies training (10/8 Day 2) Ms. King’s and Mrs. McGhee’s classes to Dixie Classic Fair (10/9 Day 3) Computer workshop-Photostory (10/10 Day 4) Fall Festival

Looking ahead
September 29 & October 27 – Diabetes training available at Central Office
September 30 – Copyright workshop **This is required for all staff unless you have other training**
October 7 – Naglieri non-verbal aptitude test for all 3rd graders who are not AG or LD
October 10 – Southwest Fall Festival
October 14 – Flexible benefits meeting @ 3:00
October 16 – Flexible benefits meeting @ 7:15

Duty Schedule
Breakfast – Burke, Sereika, East

Bus – Council, Baker, Dease, Beard, Barr, Vance, Burke, Hauhuth

Car riders – Morning – Hancock, Salamanca, Chamra
Afternoon – Caller – Lee, Williams
Inside – Brown, Crutchfield, Armbruster
Outside – Powell, Green, Tsolis, Merritt, Baldwin, Winters
Hall – Everhardt (computer lab), Hauhuth (gym lobby)
Parra (Music Hall), Alexander (Blue Hall), Allen (Auditorium Lobby)

FYI/Reminders
-Congratulation to Sally Merrill who added a new grandson to her family this week. Zachary Ryson Benfield was born 9/22/08, is 22 ½” and weighed 9 pounds 11 ounces.
-Please take the time to welcome our new ESL assistant, Sandra Garcia, who started with us on Tuesday.
-Please remember both Becky Drummond and Donna Williams who’s mothers have been ill this week.

Staff Stars (There are too many good deeds to list them all. Over the course of the year, I would like to recognize as many as possible)
SW staff – Great job during the beginning of PBS – keep earning those eggs! Give egg counts to Kim Cressman
Can-Do Winners – Congratulations to Mrs. Tilley’s class (341) and Ms. Winter’s class (273).
K-5 teachers – Great job with curriculum nights.