Read, Rest, and Run Third Grade Parent Involvement at West Clayton Elementary January's Friday the 13th was a lucky one for third grade students at West Clayton Elementary who like sleep-over activities away from home. Around 6:45 p.m. on that evening students returned to school for a series of activities the third grade teachers are calling "Read, Rest and Run." These activities are part of West Clayton's Parent Involvement Program and embrace specific goals of the school's improvement plan for the 2005-2006 school year. Students began the evening with musical movement hosted by Frank Potochney and Chris Kiser. Potochney and Kiser teach physical education and music respectively. While the students were involved in the gym, their parents were participating in an EOG information meeting with Hannah Youngblood, the district's Accountability Director. The second stop for third graders was the school's media center where the third grade teachers, Media Coordinator Jeanne Mochel, and Chris Kiser led the students in reading-based activities involving music, rhyme and poetry; non-fiction, news, current events and history; legends, fables, and moral stories; fiction, fun and jokes; and free reading. Each center also placed emphasis on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to society. Teachers and students retired to their classrooms for other activities the teacher deemed appropriate until the teachers called "lights out" for their own students. Students were picked up by their parents the following morning at 8 a.m. in order to enjoy the long weekend with Monday's holiday honoring Dr. King. For more information, please contact Suzanne Phillips, Third Grade Lead Teacher or Dorlisa Johnson, Assistant Principal at (919)553-7113. Three Meadow Elementary students named national winners in McGruff Contest Fifth graders Alex Crenshaw, Cayce Nilsin and Dylan Weber have been selected as national winners in the McGruff the Crime Dog 25th Birthday Card Contest. The focus of the activity was drug and violence prevention. School Counselor Karla Denning led the activity during Red Ribbon Week, held the last week in October. Winning entries may be viewed online at www.mcgruff.org. For more information, please call Karla Denning, School Counselor, at (919)894-4226. Congressman Bob Etheridge Visits South Smithfield Elementary School Congressman Bob Etheridge spoke to the fifth graders at South Smithfield Elementary School on Tuesday, January 17. His message focused on the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin. The purpose of the message was to inform students of the historical significance of Benjamin Franklin and the impact of his contributions on society. For more information, please call Kathy Hamilton at (919) 934-8979. Also at South Smithfield Elementary: Guest Artist to work with students at South Smithfield Elementary School Artist Bryant Holsenbeck will work with all students in Pre-K through fifth grade during scheduled art classes. Holsenbeck will be teaching students how to use recycled materials to create decorative paste papers to design books. Classes will take place the week of February 6-10 in the school's art room. For more information, please contact Tamara Carpenter in the Art Department at (919)934-8979. Clayton Middle School receives praise for helping Hurricane Katrina victims Clayton Middle School received a thank you letter for the art kits its students put together for students in Louisiana affected by Hurricane Katrina. Items for the kits were collected in October and shipped to Abita Springs Elementary School in November. A copy of the letter is available from the school. For more information, please contact Deborah Coates at (919)553-5811, Ext. 448. ESL Graduates share success with other ESL students (photos attached) On Dec. 21, 2005, several graduates from Smithfield-Selma High School returned to share their stories with fellow ESL students. Nereida Arguijo, a 2003 graduate; Eduardo Bautista and Gabriela Galindo, 2004 graduates; Eusebio Montoya, a 2005 graduate; and Jose Morales, friend of Neredia and a senior at Fresno State University, all came and shared words of encouragement and support for education. The former SSS students are attending colleges or are in the work force around the country and were excited about the opportunity to come back and share the positive experiences they are having thanks to staying focused and completing school. Ms. Massenburg, ESL teacher, invited these former ESL students and graduates of SSS, to come and speak to current ESL students in an effort to encourage all students to strive for success. It was an opportunity to show that dedication and hard work do pay off. For more information, please call Assistant Principal Michael Taylor at (919)934-5191. Buster the Bus Visits Meadow School (photo attached) Mrs. Sharon Fogleman, assisted by Buster the Bus, presented Meadow School with a bus safety program on Friday, December 9, 2005. Students in grades K-3 learned about the "danger zones" and other important topics such as safe boarding and unloading tips. Meadow bus drivers and Mrs. Pope joined Ms. Fogleman in singing The Wheels on the Bus. Picture: Cassidy Barefoot in Mrs. Wise's kindergarten class gets acquainted with Buster before the program started. For more information, please contact Mrs. Wise at (919) 894-7064. West Clayton Elementary Students Learn How Pennies Can Pay for Cancer Research Students at West Clayton Elementary are participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Pennies for Patients/Pasta for Pennies program, a student council sponsored community service project where students donate their spare change to fund blood cancer research and patient aid programs. School administrators appreciate the value of having students work with a goal of helping others. "Our students' involvement with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society teaches them that they can make a difference in the lives of others," said Assistant Principal Lee Bryan. "This is a wonderful program for us to take part in, and the expected results of our student's efforts will benefit an outstanding organization." For more information, please call Lee Bryan at (919) 553-7113. Moscow Nights to be Presented at McGee's Crossroads Middle School Moscow Nights, an Artists-In-The-Schools program, is being presented to 6th graders at McGee's Middle School from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the school cafetorium on January 25th. Moscow Nights offers audiences an entertaining and authentic glimpse into Old Russia through music, song and dance. The music of Moscow Nights is predominantly authentic, traditional Russian folk music. The repertoire is centered around masterpieces of Russian folklore and represents the diversity of the culture, ranging from gently humorous songs, to elaborate lyrical suites, to pulsating dance numbers. The program is broad and varied with audience participation through clapping and learning Russian songs and words. For more information, please call Charlene Bowling(919) 894-6003.
