Salamander News 03/02/2020
New information . . .
Best Wishes to Mrs. McKenna, Our Data Manager!
Mrs. McKenna, our amazing data manager, has taken a position with the Apex Police Department. Her last day at Salem will be this Friday. We appreciate her dedication and constant support of the staff and families at Salem Elementary.
Transportation Changes
Please communicate any transportation changes directly to the teacher in writing or by email at least one day ahead. If an emergency arises during the day that requires a transportation change, please call the school office to notify us of the change at (919) 363-2865. Please keep in mind that teachers cannot always check email or TalkingPoints messages during the day.
Book Fair Starts Tuesday!
Check with your child's teacher for more information.
Readathon Starts Monday, March 2nd!
The annual Read a Thon officially begins March 2nd. You should have received your child's personal directions for creating their Readathon page last week. If you didn't receive this, please let your child's teacher know.
Nominate a Salem Staff Member for NC School Heroes
(Vote now for one of the 12 Salem Elementary nominees or nominate another Salem staff member!)
Please consider nominating a Salem Staff member by clicking here. The winner receives $10,000 for himself/herself, $10,000 for our school, and $1,000 for the person who submitted the nomination. You can nominate a teacher or any other staff member at Salem Elementary. Every staff member plays an important role in making Salem a great place to work and learn.
Previously shared information . . .
Invitations to Attend Reading Camp for First and Second Grade Students
Some families have received an invitation for their child to attend reading camp based on IStation reading scores. We want to provide some additional details. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction determines the data source we use to invite students to camp as well as the proficiency level that is considered "at benchmark." Parents should have received information in November about how to log into the iStation parent portal to see more detailed information. If you are unable to locate the login information, please contact your child's teacher. As a school, we prefer to use multiple sources of data to give us a better overall picture of how well a student is meeting reading benchmarks, but the state determines the measure in this case. If your child has received an invitation, we would appreciate it if you would return the invitation right away to help us prepare.
Fourth-Grade Performance Task
To assess our students’ abilities to think critically, solve problems, and communicate clearly, all fourth-grade students will participate in a performance task on March 3rd for Track 1 and March 17 for Tracks 2, 3, and 4. A performance task is not a standardized multiple-choice test. Instead, the task presents students with a realistic situation or problem and includes related information. Students will be asked to read, analyze the information, and provide a written response to address the situation or problem. Students will have up to 90 minutes to respond to the task. While this task does not count for grades, it does provide our staff with important feedback. Click here to read the answers to FAQs.
Upcoming Dates
03/03-03/12: Spring book fair and Readathon
03/09: No school for students (teacher workday)
03/11, 9:30 AM: Salem Elementary PTA Meeting (open to all)
03/16: Spring Picture Day for Tracks 2 and 4
03/16-03/27: Kids' Heart Challenge for Tracks 2, 3 & 4
03/19, 8:00-8:40 AM: All Pro Dad Breakfast
04/01-04/09: Kids' Heart Challenge for Track 1
04/08: Spring Picture Day for Tracks 1 and 3
04/08, 9:30 AM: Salem Elementary PTA Meeting (open to all)
04/10: Holiday (no school)
04/24, 5:00-7:30 PM: Salem Elementary Family Picnic (all Salem families)