As a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization and the NC Global Schools Network, students, staff and families at Farmington Woods Elementary will be adding a global twist to the traditional sharing of love on Feb. 14, with Love the World Day: A Celebration of Our Cultures, Our Global Connections and Our Call to Action.

The project supports our school mission to support international awareness and the development of global mindedness. Throughout the day, the entire school community will be engaged in learning and celebrating cultures represented in the school population and beyond.

The school will complete a project to support children around the world. The school has partnered with the International Red Cross and each student in the school will have the opportunity to put a Child’s Comfort Kit together that can be shared with a child who has experienced a devastating loss. Fifth- grade students have led the efforts to collect all the items needed to create the comfort kits, with the goal that all 800 students will each get to make their own bag to share. Along with the typical items assembled into these kits, students will write and include a note to the child receiving the gift to express empathy for their circumstances.

Through the local Red Cross, the school will make direct international connections with other Red Cross agencies and be able receive follow up about how the school’s work helped children around the world.

To symbolize the day’s collaborative work and celebration, each student, staff member and volunteer on campus will create a paper heart that will be put together to form a globe mosaic design. This mosaic will be a reminder of the love and caring students learned about on Feb. 14 in the school’s global community.

Thanks to Principal Winston Pierce for sharing this story with GotNews.

Smith Magnet Elementary is having an Underground Railroad experience at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday Feb. 23. During the evening, participants will journey through safe houses using a map to experience various activities. (jazz, art, dance, food, history and storytelling) At the end of the evening, fifth-grade students will conclude the program with a musical celebration.

Thanks to teacher Marnelle Bachelder for sharing this story with GotNews.

It is the timeless struggle in many families – attempting to help your child with math only to find that “math” is not what you remember it to be.  During both the first and second quarters, sixth-grade math teachers Emily Smith and Kim Kreider hosted parent math nights at Holly Ridge Middle.  The goal of these events was to walk parents through the concepts being covered during each quarter, how they are being covered, and strategies to help their children learn math.

One parent commented that “I really like knowing how my son is learning math.  It is so different from the way I was taught.”  Many other parents and students commented that it was much easier to get help at home when the teachers and parents are using the same language and methods to explain how to solve problems.  Another parent commented, “I cannot believe you guys actually made math fun!”

The sixth-grade math teachers will have another event at the beginning of the third quarter.  Parents on any sixth-grade team are welcome to attend.  The events are scheduled for 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9 and 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.  For more information, contact Emily Smith at esmith5@wcpss.net or Kim Kreider at kkreider@wcpss.net. 

Thanks to principal Brian Pittman for sharing this story.

Wake PTA Council announced the 2011 winners of healthy lifestyles grant funding based on the fourth annual Wake PTA Healthy Lifestyles 5k Run/Walk.

The winning PTAs were determined based on participation (registered runners, walkers, and volunteers). East Cary Middle School PTA was the Middle School Winner and was awarded a grant of $750. The grant funds will be spent on healthy lifestyle programming during the 2011-12 school year.

Congratulations to all who participated in the event and to all who completed their first 5k. The East Cary Middle PTA hopes that all students and staff will continue to be active through the winter months and will consider participating in additional physical activity events like the Wake PTA Healthy Lifestyles 5k Run/Walk.

Thanks to media specialist Deanna Harris for sharing this story with GotNews.