Principal's Message, 10-9-20
Dear Stough Families,
I hope that your week has gone well! There are many items for focus in the coming weeks as our students' daily schedules will diverge across our school. The WCPSS Return-to-Campus Guide has lots of answers to some of the most common questions (health screenings, social distancing, cleaning, etc.) as some students return to campus. We will continue to update you with Stough-specific information as things evolve. Please stay tuned to each weekly message for important updates.
1. Next week is a five-day week of virtual learning for all students.
2. Plan B Transition, Virtual Academy, Calendars, Remote Learning Days:
- All Families received a School Messenger earlier this week with Plan B Cohort information or Virtual Academy confirmation. We learned that some siblings did not receive a separate confirmation. Don't worry. Siblings are assigned to the same cohorts.
- As noted before, if you would like to change from Plan B to the Virtual Academy, please put this request in writing to our data manager, Mrs. Zetocha. (bzetocha@wcpss.net) This option is available for families who are not yet yet comfortable or able to transition to in-person learning under Plan B guidelines.
- We are not able to add more Plan B students at this time. A survey from WCPSS will be sent to families in November so that you can make a choice (in-person or VA) for the second semester.
- At Stough, students in Plan B are actually divided into only TWO cohorts (1 or 2). This means that our Plan B transition calendar will vary slightly from the District's. Thus, we have adapted the District's calendar to make our own. I would save this Stough-specific calendar file as it will guide us through January 16. It's a bit complicated (like everything else these days!), but I will clarify who should be attending for each week in every Friday message.
- On the calendar, there are several asynchronous "Remote Learning Days" throughout the rest of the semester. Here's a link from the District for more details about what these days will look like.
- Stough will be adding one Remote Learning Day to finish the first quarter. Thursday, October 22 will be a day of asynchronous learning. This will allow our teachers to continue with the daunting task of planning for multiple learning platforms. We may also use this day for Quarter 2 Materials Distributions. Look for more information in next week's message.
- I made a mistake in last week's message regarding dates for the District's plan for transitioning students back to in-person instruction. Regional Programs, and younger students (K-3) on Plan B can begin to return the week of October 26 (Cohort 1 only).
2a. One of the most common questions I am receiving involves scheduling for when students return. Our leaders and teachers are continually working to create a schedule that provides an equitable learning experience for students in-person and for those learning from home. We are working to ensure that each student still connects with his/her current teacher daily. There are a few instances where our grade level teams will share the instructional load to more effectively address all learners in all settings. This collaboration is tricky, and we appreciate your patience as we unpack these details for you in the coming weeks.
3. This week in The Positivity Project, we studied OPEN-MINDEDNESS. Next, we'll begin learning about the Other People Mindset (OPM) element of being present and giving others our attention. Here's a note about this from P2:
This OPM element means that when I’m with other people, I’m present and give them my full attention. A deliberate focus on being present is so important today due to the increasing number of distractions vying for our time and attention. Phone calls, text messages, emails, social media notifications all have the formidable capacity to pull us away from the present moment and what’s most important – our relationships with other people. How dangerous is this to our well-being and the fabric of our society? Very.
4. Here's a note from our art teacher, Mr. McCue:
Help us raise money for our school!
arttoremember.com
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5. Our fifth graders enjoyed a virtual Blue Grass assembly this morning. For the recording of the performance along with fifth grader questions for the performers, click here.
6. Here are the PTA Updates:
Important Dates
Oct. 13 - Mandarin Parent Virtual Meeting, 8:00 (link below)
Oct. 15 - Virtual Fun Run begins!
Oct. 20 - Fundraiser at Two Roosters Ice Cream at Greystone Village, 12:00-9:00
Vision Martial Arts Fundraiser
One of our Stough families is offering an amazing deal for new students at Vision Martial Arts. For $69, you can sign up for 6 weeks of classes (virtual or in person) and receive a uniform.
$65 of your enrollment cost will go right back to the PTA!
This is a great way to try out a new skill and get moving! Click the form to sign up! https://vmanc.wufoo.com/forms/z1jj0go710sle8i/
Fun Run
Find all the information you need for the Fun Run on our PTA Events page:
https://stoughmagnetpta.weebly.com/volunteerevents.html
Tea Collection Fundraiser
The more you shop, the more we raise! Use code SDF20STOUGH at checkout on teacollection.com now through 10/12 to get 15% off your order - plus, 15% of your order will be donated back to Stough Elementary PTA. Shop now: www.teacollection.com
Mandarin Immersion Parent Group Meeting Info
Zoom Meeting
https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/95713690345?pwd=a3lJem52eTJod01GOGlrNmZxN2M3dz09
Meeting ID: 957 1369 0345
Passcode: 898550
This meeting will take place at 8:00pm via zoom. The guest speaker is Erin Ament. Here is more from Erin and what to expect from the meeting.
I have a Kindergartener and Second grader this year at Stough. And I have a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Arizona. Most recently I taught for three years at the College of William and Mary before deciding to stay at home with my kids. My area of specialization is Language Acquisition and Phonetics. This year those of us working from home and/or helping with virtual school are getting exposed to much more Mandarin than we would in a regular year. For me that means I am even more curious about how the kids are learning and how this is going to work for them. So I will be talking with you about that and about what it takes to become bilingual. Plus I would like to say a bit about how children learn language compared to how adults do so, and how learning multiple languages affects the brain. Mostly I hope to answer your questions about what is happening developmentally with our children as they learn Mandarin, and why giving them this opportunity, even in these complicated times, is a very good thing. Please email me (goodament@gmail.com) with specific questions if you have them and I will do my best.
Thank you to our Fun Run Sponsors!
Bliss Body Yoga
Broughton, Wilkins, Sugg & Thompson PLLC
Kicks TaeKwonDo
Kitchen & Bath Galleries
https://www.kandbgalleries.com/our-team/north-hills
Musicians Learning Center
https://www.themusicianslearningcenter.com/
Olde Raleigh Financial
https://olderaleighfinancial.com/
Orkin
https://www.orkin.com/locations/north-carolina-nc/raleigh
Vision Martial Arts
Have a great weekend,
Chris Cox, Principal