Principal's Message, 9-16-21
Greetings Stough Families,
It was great to see so many of you at Open House last night. I hope you were able to connect with our staff and each other. This school belongs to all of us, and I look forward to more events with you throughout the year. Here are your weekly updates:
1. Next week is a regular five-day week of school.
2. I need to use this space to reiterate that students must arrive and leave campus by approved means. We do not allow unaccompanied students to arrive or leave campus without a responsible adult. Students can ride a bus or van, use the carpool lane or have a walker pass to arrive/leave with an approved caregiver or guardian. Walker passes are reserved for families that live within the WCPSS approved "walk zone." In short, if your student qualifies for a bus stop or has magnet status, you are not in the walk zone. There should be no carpool students dropped off or picked up in front of the school during arrival and dismissal times. These vehicles are blocking our handicapped parking, which we need to have available for specific families and students.
Thanks in advance for supporting these safety measures as we progress deeper into the school year.
3. This past week in P2, we studied the Other People Mindset. Next week, we start with our first character trait, curiosity. Remember you can engage with your students at home about the weekly trait. Here's the P2 for Families letter on curiosity for you to use as you see fit.
4. Did you know that we are planning for clubs to return to Stough this year? There will be several opportunities for students to get involved before or after school with some of our staff. A few examples include:
- Gardening Club
- Running Club
- Student Council (4th, 5th only)
- Chorus Club
- Art Club
There will also be some opportunities for afterschool clubs for a cost. Here are two that are starting in October:
- KidzArt - KidzArt after school will offer drawing lessons, starting Oct 13. Class meets on Thursdays 4-5 pm in the Art Room (K-5th grades). Your child will bring home a finished artwork that he/she will be proud of each week! For more info contact Chen the owner at cjiang@kidzart.com. To register please visit www.northraleigh.kidzart.com.
- Mad Science - Mad Science Monster Mania explores the most amazing parts of science using our favorite villains! From illusions to creepy creatures, and earthquakes to underwater, you won't be fooled by their tricks after this hands-on program. Join us Wed 10/12 - 12/7 skip 11/23 from 4-5:30pm. Grades 1-5. $145
5. For kindergarten families or newcomers to Wake County, our front office is still waiting on required medical documentation from many of you. You will be receiving a letter in your child's folder today if this applies to you. Please submit the required documentation by 10/3/22. As per Wake County Human Services, students without these medical records will be excluded from school until they can be produced.
6. All schools are required to collect data on military-connected families. This year, to make the process easier, a fillable form has been created that families can complete and return via email to their child’s school.
Please download and attach this form and send it to our data manager at gbrundavan@wcpss.net.
7. PTA Updates:
Stock the Staff Lounge
PTA stocked the lounges with drinks and snacks to start the year, but our shelves are a bit bare from the summer! Please visit our registry and consider donating. Items ship straight to school and the Stough staff truly appreciates this gesture.
https://www.amazon.com/wedding/share/stoughteacherlounges
Stough Fun Run Sponsors
The annual Stough Fun Run is our largest fundraiser of the year! This event takes place during the school day (Oct. 27) and is full of fun activities for students. Each student receives a complimentary Fun Run shirt thanks to the support of local businesses. If you own a business or know one that might be interested in sponsoring, please email us at stoughpta@gmail.com.
Check out the new Hospitality Committee Website!
Bronco Tacos and Playdate- September 28
Visit Bronco Tacos on Edwards Mill road any time after 2:00pm on September 28 to support Stough PTA. Then, bring your dinner or just stop by to see friends at the Laurel Hills playground from 5:00-7:00.
Mandarin Immersion Parent Meeting
Hello new Mandarin Immersion parents and welcome back to returning Mandarin Immersion Parents! We are looking forward to another great school year. We will be hosting our first Mandarin Immersion Parent Meeting via Google Meet on Thursday, September 29th at 7 pm. The meeting will consist of PTA and staff introductions, presentation on the WCPSS Immersion pathway, Judy Ouyang presenting the Participate Learning Curriculum, and ways parents can support their students at home. We look forward to seeing you there! Here is the link for the upcoming meeting.
Topic: Stough Introduction to Mandarin Immersion
Time: Sep 29, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/vys-pdbk-gha
Calendar Link
The school calendar is being populated with school and PTA events. Check here to see what’s coming up https://www.wcpss.net/Page/343#calendar1357/20220908/month
To link the calendar to your calendar, find the "link" icon in the upper right corner.
PTA Membership
Joining the PTA is a great way to support the Stough community. PTA memberships start at $10 and require no time commitment! You will receive information on volunteer and fundraising opportunities, but there is no obligation to participate as a member. Joining allows you to vote on the budget and in board member elections. Options to join are linked here:
Fundraisers- Time to link your VIC card!
Please visit our website for directions on how to link your Harris Teeter VIC card (has to be done every year!) You’ll also find instructions on how to support the PTA when shopping from Amazon Smile. Fundraising - STOUGH MAGNET ELEMENTARY PTA (weebly.com)
Have a great weekend,
Chris Cox, Principal