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Principal's Message 4/1/24

 

Good Evening, Stallion Families!

I hope all of our students, staff, and families found some time to enjoy the break from school.  Now that you are rested and refreshed, it’s time to launch the final season of the 2023-2024 school year!  Welcome Back!

For our families who celebrated holidays this past week, I want to wish you “Happy Purim!”, “Ramadan Mubarak!”, and “Happy Easter!”  I am looking forward to returning to school on Monday.  Not only is it April Fool’s Day, but this is also the week we are learning about humor with our Positivity Project lessons.  It’s always a fun day!

 

Upcoming Events

  • April 1-30, 2024- Occupational Therapist Appreciation Month

  • April 1-5, 2024- National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week

  • April 3, 2024- Spring Picture Day

  • April 4, 2024- School Library Media Coordinator Day

  • April 10, 2024- Teacher Work Day- No school for students

  • April 24, 2024- Student Led Conferences (4:30pm-7:00pm)- more info to come

 

Shout outs!

  • I have been waiting for this week all year!  This is the week we celebrate my partner in all things leadership, our Stough Elementary School Assistant Principal, Ms. Maggie Mariella!  Go Maggie!  Go Maggie!  It’s YOUR week, Maggie!  Please take some time to let Ms. Mariella know how much we love and appreciate her!  Maggie- I wouldn’t want to do this work without you.  Thank you!!

  • On Wednesday of this week we are celebrating Ms. Amy Galvan, our Stough Elementary Media Specialist.  Amy does so much to support our community and we are grateful for the many years she has chosen to make Stough her work home.  Thank you, Amy!  We appreciate you!

  • April is Occupational Therapist Appreciation Month.  We have an entire month to celebrate our amazing occupational therapist Ms. Natalie Taylor-Gyll.  Ms. Taylor-Gyll is so wonderful… it might just take all thirty days to celebrate!  Natalie, thank you for all you do for our community.  We appreciate you!  🙂

 

Positivity Project: April 1-5: Humor




Single Subject Acceleration (SSA)

  • The Test Request window for Single Subject Acceleration or SSA at Stough will be open from April 1- 12.  

  • Please use the district link to request testing:  https://www.wcpss.net/domain/20929.

  • Please email Dr. Cecconi-Roberts with any questions. (lcecconi-roberts@wcpss.net)

 

WCPSS Pre-School Services

  • The Wake Pre-K Collaborative Partners will host a community Pre-K application event Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at The Early Learning Center, 5008 Memory Road, Raleigh.

  • Pre-K is free for eligible families. The child must turn 4 by Aug. 31 and must reside in Wake County. Families can visit wakesmartstart.org/prek to learn more.

  • The April 6 event will provide families with support completing the application.

  • Staff will also be available to offer developmental and language screenings.

  • Parents should bring the following:

  • Copy of Birth Certificate

  • Proof of Wake County Residency (Copy of current utility bill OR current lease)

  • Most recent documentation of all family income (one month worth of paystubs (two months worth if paid monthly), 2023 1040's OR 2023 W2's

Kidz Art

  • KidzArt drawing classes Session 4 begins on Apr 16. Every week is a new project and returning students are welcome! Classes meet on Tuesdays at 4-5 pm in the Art Room for K-5th grades students. 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.

 

Student Engagement Survey

  • In the spring, students in the 5th grade will be asked to complete the annual WCPSS Student Engagement Survey.  I will confirm the exact dates of the survey in next week’s principal’s message.

  • The survey includes questions about teacher-student relationships, relevance of school work, and future aspirations and goals.

  • The results of this survey help schools monitor their School Improvement Plans, and help the district track student perceptions about their educational experiences. 

  • You can click here to review the questions included on this survey  and click here to review results of the survey from previous years.

  • If you have any questions, or if you would prefer your child not complete the survey, please contact your child’s teacher by Friday, April 12, 2024.

  • If you have any questions concerning the content of the survey, please contact the Wake County Public School’s Data, Research, and Accountability Department at wcpssdataaccountab@wcpss.net

Spring is Here!  Let’s talk about dress code.

  • One of the best measures of how much your child has grown over the winter is the fit of their clothing come springtime.  All of the sudden, shorts and shirts that fit last summer are too short, too tight, too small.  I know how busy and hectic morning routines can be.  I want to remind you to be intentional about looking at what your child is wearing, especially if you have an older elementary student.  Please make sure students are appropriately covered with no exposed undergarments or bare midriffs, even when they remove layers of clothing like hoodies or jackets.  Thank you!

 

Cell phones

  • We are beginning to see an increasing number of students using their cell phones during the school day.  The expectation is that students do not have cell phones on campus.  With that said, I do understand they are needed for safety reasons in some situations.  Please speak to your child about cell phones expectations.  We are not going to search for cell phones.  If a cell phone rings during class, or if a student has a cell phone out of their book bag during the school day, we will follow protocol:

    • First offense- teacher confiscates a cell phone and turns it into administration.  Cell phones will be returned to students at the end of the day.

    • Second offense- teacher confiscates a cell phone and turns it into administration.  Cell phones will be returned only to a parent/caregiver.

    • Third offense- teacher confiscates a cell phone and turns it into administration.  Cell phones will be returned at the end of the school year.

 

EOG Testing

  • End-of-Grade Tests will begin on May 30, with the last day of testing on June 12.  Please plan accordingly.  

 

Substitute Teachers

  • Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  I am excited and grateful!  A good number of you have reached out to me to gather information about becoming a substitute teacher.  Remember, we can use you for any amount of time… as little or as much as you have to give.  To make this process easier, these are the steps to follow.

    • The Wake County Public School System has a process.  You can find it here.  https://www.wcpss.net/subs

    • Once WCPSS has cleared you to sub, and you have gone through orientation, please reach out to our lead secretary, Ann Coventry (acoventry@wcpss.net).  She will help you get set up in the system to accept sub jobs here at Stough.

 

Stough Magnet Elementary PTA

  • PTA Communications: 

    • We endeavor to send a newsletter at least once every two weeks. You can find our newsletter for the week using this link.   

    • Want to see the latest in your browser instead of your inbox? The Stough PTA Events & Updates page is a great place to see what's going on at the moment. There you can scroll through our current announcements, see links to volunteer signups, event dates, and more! 

    • Like always, we continue to post the highlights here in the Principal's Weekly Message.

  • Spring is around the corner

  • We have lots of events and volunteer opportunities coming up as we look to warmer weather! Staff Appreciation Week, Super Kids Day, Fifth Grade Promotion, Spring Auction & More! Get in on the planning now. We'd love to have your voice and help! Email us at stougpta@gmail.com to share your thoughts and interest.

 

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Jodi Lay 

Principal, Stough Magnet Elementary School