No School Monday - School Resumes Tuesday

Partnership Elementary will be closed on Monday, January 17th. Tuesday is a traditional calendar teacher workday, but our students will have school.

 

PTA General Meeting Input Survey

Our excellent PTA would like to know what you would like to see at our PTA General Meetings (October, February / March, and April). Please take a few moments to complete this short input survey to help our PTA board plan our future general meetings. You may access the survey at:https://forms.gle/wjpBb8BqXJGASeZv9. 

 

Magnet Applications Rising 5th/8th Graders

If you have a student currently in 5th or 8th grade who attends a magnet school, you MUST APPLY if you wish for your student to continue attending a magnet school at the next grade level. Apply at magnet.wcpss.net/apply. The deadline to apply is January 27th.  

 

Rising Kindergarten Students

If you have a rising kindergartner who will be attending school in the 2022-2023 school year, you will need to register at your base school if your older child is attending Partnership as a magnet or transfer student. Ms. Feamster (pfeamster@wcpss.net) can assist you with questions about this process. 

 

WCPSS COMMUNITY MESSAGES/RETURN TO SCHOOL GUIDELINE CHANGES

Please be sure you are reading WCPSS Community messages. They contain important and timely information. This week, new COVID requirements were announced in this message. You may read the new requirements at https://www.wcpss.net/whentoreturn.  Among the changes, a student no longer needs to be quarantined if the student is fully vaccinated (it has been two weeks since the final vaccination shot) and proof of vaccination is provided to the school.

 

Please also note the WCPSS attendance and absence information. 

Excused absences include:

• illness or injury
• a death in the family
• health care appointments
• court appearances 
• religious observance
• natural disasters
• outside educational opportunities with prior approval

Other than for the reasons above, choosing to keep students out of school that are not experiencing symptoms or have not been exposed to COVID is not considered an excused absence and will be marked unexcused. 

Meal Benefits Applications

Please consider applying for meal benefits as soon as possible.  By submitting a qualifying application, families will also support the district in qualifying for additional funds to support students and learning! Also, the NC Department of Health & Human Services is collecting student free and reduced lunch and attendance data from WCPSS to determine any additional Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) that will be issued in the coming months! By not applying for these meal benefits, you will miss the potential opportunity to receive direct P-EBT funds for your family!

 

Meals will continue to be free for all students through June 2022 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra education funding next school year. Also, this ensures your student is covered for the first few weeks of school next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits can be found at www.wcpss.net/meals. Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535. 

 

Important Dates

• January 17 - No School
• February 21 - No School
• March 5-20 - Spring Break
• April 15 - No School

May 27 - Last Day of School

WCPSS COMMUNITY MESSAGES/RETURN TO SCHOOL GUIDELINE CHANGES

Please be sure you are reading WCPSS Community messages. They contain important and timely information. This week, new COVID requirements were announced in this message. You may read the new requirements at https://www.wcpss.net/whentoreturn.  Among the changes, a student no longer needs to be quarantined if the student is fully vaccinated (it has been two weeks since the final vaccination shot) and proof of vaccination is provided to the school.

 

Please also note the WCPSS attendance and absence information. 

Excused absences include:

• illness or injury
• a death in the family
• health care appointments
• court appearances 
• religious observance
• natural disasters
• outside educational opportunities with prior approval

Other than for the reasons above, choosing to keep students out of school that are not experiencing symptoms or have not been exposed to COVID is not considered an excused absence and will be marked unexcused. 

 

Magnet Applications Rising 5th/8th Graders

If you have a student currently in 5th or 8th grade who attends a magnet school, you MUST APPLY if you wish for your student to continue attending a magnet school at the next grade level. Apply at magnet.wcpss.net/apply. The deadline to apply is January 27th.  If you have questions still remaining, attend the upcoming info session on January 12th at 10 am. RSVP here or email magnetcenter@wcpss.net. 

 

Rising Kindergarten Students

If you have a rising kindergartner who will be attending school in the 2022-2023 school year, please contact Pam Feamster (pfeamster@wcpss.net) to register your child now.

 

Report Cards

Report Cards were sent home today. Please review your child’s report card and communicate with your child’s teachers with any questions. 

 

Meal Benefits Applications

Please consider applying for meal benefits as soon as possible.  By submitting a qualifying application, families will also support the district in qualifying for additional funds to support students and learning! Also, the NC Department of Health & Human Services is collecting student free and reduced lunch and attendance data from WCPSS to determine any additional Pandemic Electronic Benefits (P-EBT) that will be issued in the coming months! By not applying for these meal benefits, you will miss the potential opportunity to receive direct P-EBT funds for your family!

 

Meals will continue to be free for all students through June 2022 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra education funding next school year. Also, this ensures your student is covered for the first few weeks of school next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits can be found at www.wcpss.net/meals. Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-588-3535. 

 

Important Dates

• January 17 - No School
• February 21 - No School
• March 5-20 - Spring Break
• April 15 - No School
• May 27 - Last Day of School

 

Holiday Break

As we close out the year 2021, PMES staff would like to send you wishes of warmth, joy, and tranquility over this holiday break. In a year filled with trials, tribulations, and uncertainties, we are truly grateful for your support.  We look forward to a healthy and happy new year as students return for the second half of the school year on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Afternoon Carpool

Please be timely and arrive at school at 3 pm for dismissal to either pick up your child at walk up or to be in the carpool line.  Our carpool line typically ends at 3:20. Students not picked up by then wait with their teachers in their classrooms until a parent picks them up. This creates difficulties for teachers when they have meetings to attend, parent/teachers conferences, etc.  Thank you for your understanding and timeliness.

 

Morning Carpool

Please wait in the carpool line as students depart their vehicles.  It does take some students a few extra moments, especially the younger ones, to get their items and exit their vehicles.  There are many cars going around the line rather than waiting. This creates the potential for accidents as we do have neighborhood cars traveling on Devereux Street during this time as well. Please be patient and wait the extra few minutes as we do not want an accident to occur. It is illegal to turn left onto Glenwood Ave from 8:00-8:30 am and at 2:45-3:15 pm. Cars making illegal left turns back up the carpool line.

 

Absence Notes

Please be sure you are sending in a note whenever your child is absent. This was a requirement pre-COVID and continues to be one now.

 

Calendar

December 20- January 3 - No School for Winter Break. 

School resumes Tuesday, January 4th

Volunteers 

PMES will be permitting volunteers to assist in the classrooms beginning in January. To maximize the effective use of volunteers, volunteers should arrange specifics with teachers before coming to school. Volunteers should sign in and out on the volunteer clipboard at the front desk. Volunteers need to wear a face covering while inside the building and should not come on campus if they are exhibiting any symptoms of illness. Volunteers need to complete the WCPSS volunteer registration process every school year. This process may be completed on any WCPSS campus and does require some processing time. We look forward to seeing you on campus. 

 

Absent Notes 

When your child is absent from school, please communicate to your child’s teacher the reason as soon as possible. We need a note from you when your child returns to school to excuse his or her absence.  If your child is ill with Covid-19 symptoms, please follow the procedures of either having an alternate diagnosis provided to us by a physician, quarantining, or providing us with a negative PCR test before he or she returns to school.   

 

Book Fair

The online Scholastic Book Fair will remain open until December 12th if you would like to shop for last minute gifts or to add to your child’s reading selections.  Please click on the link below to shop.  Proceeds will support our school. We thank you for all of your purchases thus far. https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=partnershipelementaryschool

 

Calendar

December 20- January 3 - No School

READ TO ACHIEVE INFORMATIONAL MEETING

 

Read to Achieve 3rd Grade Parent Presentation

 

North Carolina General Assembly’s Read to Achieve program is part of the Excellent Public Schools Act that became law in July 2012. The law outlines that if a third grade student is not reading at grade level by the end of third grade on the Third Grade Reading EOG, they will be invited to attend a free, district-sponsored reading camp, offered for at least 72 hours, to receive additional reading support.

Please join us for our third grade parent presentation to learn more about the Read to Achieve program.  We look forward to seeing you and helping to answer your questions.

 

DATE:  Wednesday, December 8, 2021

TIME:  11:00 am - 12:00 pm

LOCATION:  Google Meet

Google Meet joining info - see email message

 

BOOK FAIR Volunteers Needed

Our annual Scholastic Book Fair is coming, November 30th - December 2nd, and we need your help to make it run smoothly.  Please sign up to work a shift or two during our fair.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DADA72FA75-book6

 

Arrival Time - Carpool

Please consider leaving your house 10 minutes earlier to have your child arrive at school during the 8:00-8:25 time frame.  This allows your child to get unpacked for the day and complete morning work. Teachers would also like to work with your child during that precious time. We often have from 10-16 tardies per day and would like to decrease that amount as well. Every minute of instruction counts.  

 

Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Neil McEwen, one of our fifth grade teachers.  He has been nominated as the Teacher of the Year for PMES by our staff.  

 

Calendar of Events

 

• November 24-26 - No School

• November 30-December 2 - Book Fair

• December 20- January 3 - No School

 

 

No School Thursday & Friday

Just a reminder there is no school tomorrow the 11th due to the Veteran’s Day holiday. We also do not have school on Friday the 12th. 

 

Attention PME Dads- All Pro Dad’s Meeting

The first meeting of the 2021-2022 school year is tomorrow from 10:00 am -10:45 am. You will take away some great tips and resources to be the best dad you can be, and you will strengthen the relationship with your kids at the same time. Please login as your child using their WAKE ID Portal, then you should be able to join the meet.  If you have not already done so, please👉🏾RSVP: http://allprodadchapters.com/chapters/11525  

 

Books Bring us Together” - PME Reading Month 2021 

During the month of November, Partnership Elementary will be building a community around books with our first annual Reading Month.  Each week, grade levels will read the same book and participate in a community building activity related to the book’s theme. 

 

Next week our students will listen to the book Rose’s Garden written and illustrated by Peter Reynolds.  In this fictional book a girl named Rose travels the world and collects seeds in her fantastic teapot.  Rose waits, never doubting that the garden she envisions will one day come to be - even though she encounters challenges along the way.  Please ask your children about the wonderful books they are getting to experience. 

 

Parents Invited to free virtual summit for tips on student engagement, behavior support and self-care

In these free virtual sessions, parents can learn from experts who will offer strategies, solutions, and encouragement to help students and families thrive during these unusual times. This unique event is a collaboration with the National Center for Youth Issues. The first sessions will be offered on Nov. 18. Full schedule and registration links. This information will be shared with staff and families today.

Books Bring us Together” - PME Reading Month 2021 

During the month of November, Partnership Elementary will be building a community around books with our first annual Reading Month.  Each week, grade levels will read the same book and participate in a community building activity related to the book’s theme. 

 

Next week teachers will read an autobiography about a jazz musician named Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews from Louisiana.  Trombone Shorty grew up in a small suburb of New Orleans where he was inspired by his brother’s love for music.  Today Troy Andrews is a Grammy-nominated musician who tours the world with his band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. He continues to inspire hope for the next generation in New Orleans and for music lovers everywhere. Something special about Trombone Shorty is that he did not have a lot of money so in the beginning he made his own instruments.  On Wednesday our students came together and played our own “air instruments”  as we paraded around the playground to the sounds of Trombone Shorty.  

 

Meet & Greet with the Partnership Foundation Canceled

The Meet & Greet scheduled for Saturday is postponed until a later date due to expected cold and rainy weather conditions. 

 

Bus Updates:  Here Comes the Bus and Live Bus Updates

WCPSS Transportation provides families of students who ride a yellow bus to school with a free bus tracking system called Here Comes the Bus. The app allows you to see where the bus is and how close it is to your stop.   Please visit the transportation website for instructions on how to sign up: .https://www.wcpss.net/herecomesthebus. You may also see if a bus is running behind schedule by visiting the WCPSS Live Bus Updates page and clicking on Partnership.

 

Students Against Hunger Food Drive 

We will be holding a food drive November 8th - 19th to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.  Students may drop off non-perishable items in the bins located outside of the library.

 

Most needed items include: canned fruits & vegetables; canned meat; canned beans & soups; pasta & rice; peanut butter; paper products; hygiene & household items; diapers/wipes; infant cereal; Pedialyte; fruit cups; granola bars, mac & cheese cups; cackers; and juice boxes.  Thank you in advance for helping with this cause.  

 

2021 Holiday Poinsettia Fundraiser

We are partnering with Williams Plant Farm in Eastern North Carolina to provide beautiful, florist-quality poinsettias for the upcoming holiday season. These locally grown poinsettias make wonderful hostess gifts, centerpieces, or home and office decorations. You may order via our PME Online Store below or by returning the attached form to school:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sh/XPGGCtP/PMEOnlineStore  Orders are due on Wednesday, November 10th. Please make checks payable to Partnership PTA. Plants will be delivered the week of November 29 and will be able to be picked up from school. Questions? Contact Tricia (tricia.wendel@gmail.com)

 

Calendar of Events 

• November 6th -Foundation Meet & Greet CANCELED
• November 11, & 12 - No School
• November 8th-19th - Food Drive
• November 10th - Poinsettia Orders Due
• November 11 - All Pro Dad’s Meeting, 7:15-8am
• November 24-26 - No School
• November 29-December 2 - Book Fair
• December 20- January 3 - No School

 

Books Bring us Together” - PME Reading Month 2021 

During the month of November, Partnership Elementary will be building a community around books with our first annual Reading Month.  Each week, grade levels will read the same book and participate in a community building activity related to the book’s theme. 

The week of November 1st - 5th our Kindergarten through Fifth Grade students will be reading a fiction picture book titled, Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev.  This is a story about a boy that wants to join a Pet Club, but he has a very unique pet….an elephant!  When he tries to join the club, a sign has been posted on the door - Strictly No Elephants.   After he overcomes the disappointment of rejection, he begins to notice that there are other unique pets in his community that desire belonging.  In the end, these unique pet owners join together to create a club where all are welcome.  

These are some conversation starters to help you build the reading community within your home:

How do you think the boy felt when he saw the sign that said, “Strictly No Elephants”?  What would you do if this happened to you?  

In the text the boy says, “Follow me.  Because that is what friends do: Never leave anyone behind.”  Have your child explain to you how they are a good friend.  

Have your child describe the new club that the boy created. What club might your child create? Why?

 

Meet & Greet with the Partnership Foundation

Please come if you are a new Partnership family. Please come if you are a seasoned Partnership family. It has been so long since we have been able to gather and enjoy each other’s company! Flyer invitation here.

When: Saturday, November 6, 1-3pm

Where: Fred Fletcher Park picnic shelter, 820 Clay Street

Why: To meet & connect with other Partnership families and learn about the Partnership Elementary Foundation. 

 

Students Against Hunger Food Drive 

We will be holding a food drive November 8th - 19th to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.  Students may drop off non-perishable items in the bins located outside of the library. Most needed items include: canned fruits & vegetables; canned meat; canned beans & soups; pasta & rice; peanut butter; paper products; hygiene & household items; diapers/wipes; infant cereal; Pedialyte; fruit cups; granola bars, mac & cheese cups; cackers; and juice boxes.  Thank you in advance for helping with this cause.  

 

2021 Holiday Poinsettia Fundraiser

We are partnering with Williams Plant Farm in Eastern North Carolina to provide beautiful, florist-quality poinsettias for the upcoming holiday season. These locally grown poinsettias make wonderful hostess gifts, centerpieces, or home and office decorations. You may order via our PME Online Store below or by returning the attached form to school:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sh/XPGGCtP/PMEOnlineStore  Orders are due on Wednesday, November 10th. Please make checks payable to Partnership PTA. Plants will be delivered the week of November 29 and will be able to be picked up from school. Questions? Contact Tricia (tricia.wendel@gmail.com)

 

Calendar of Events 

• November 2, 11, & 12 - No School
• November 6th - Fletcher Park Partnership Foundation Meet & Greet
• November 8th-19th - Food Drive
• November 10th - Poinsettia Orders Due
• November 11 - All Pro Dad’s Meeting, 7:15-8am
• November 24-26 - No School
• November 29-December 2 - Book Fair
• December 20- January 3 - No School