Weekly Update 2/4/21 Facebook Live with Mrs. Skinner
Facebook Live Transcript from Mrs. Skinner 2.4.21
Hello, and good afternoon!
It's Mrs. Skinner, our Media Specialist, here today to share some great books that I love for February -- Black History Month.
About Black History Month: As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois before him, believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort.
My favorite author, Pam Munoz Ryan, has my #1 most favorite book to share with students. It’s not just a black history book, it’s a great history book to me.“When Marian Sang” tells the story of Marian Anderson, arguably one of the world’s greatest opera singers, and her life as a child prodigy, singing in church, but unable to sing in most venues in the U.S. due to racial prejudice. It wasn’t until she moved to Europe, studied under a famous maestro, and was known well-enough around the world, to get the attention of Eleanor Roosevelt and sing on Easter Sunday 1939 at the Lincoln Memorial. It’s a wonderful book, a moving story, and even better when you show kids the video on YouTube as well.
Another great book is “One Crazy Summer” by Rita Williams-Garcia. This story is set in the summer of 1968, in Oakland, California. Three sisters fly from New York to California to get to know the mother who left them years before. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and think… one of my favorite combinations in books. You should also checkout Rick Riordan Presents “Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky” by Kwame Mbalia and Trumaine McCaskill's "A Child’s Dream".
Face to face instruction resumes February 15, 2021, with Cohort 2 rotating through the building first.
Also, this week is School Counselor’s Week! Let’s send a shout out to our awesome counselors, Mrs. Jacinta Estes and Mr. Michael Wray! Thank you for the many ways you make our school even Moore!!
Thanks for listening... as many of you know, I could talk books for hours. If you’re interested in the titles I’ve displayed, please consider purchasing one or more for your personal collection.
Also, these books may be placed on HOLD and checked out through our school library…. If you need help with putting books on hold, I can certainly help with that, too. Many families have been using the Books on Hold system since the beginning of the year. If you do hold books, I will fill the order, bag up the books, and leave them out by the lobby doors for you to pick up. I’ll also take back library books, ELA books, etc… just drop them off!
Thanks,
Sarah Skinner (sgskinner@wcpss.net)
Did you catch our weekly Facebook Live video? If not, you can view it here- https://fb.watch/3t2ewU9xO2/
2/4/21 Weekly Family Updates:
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The Lions Park Community Center in Raleigh is hosting a Black History Month essay contest for students in grades 6th -12th. Visit https://raleighnc.gov/news/2021-01-27-black-history-month-essay-contest for detailed information.
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Some students will be taking the Middle of Year i-Ready Diagnostic test starting Friday, February 5. The 6th graders will be first on Fri., followed by 7th grade on Tues. Feb. 9, and 8th grade on Wed. Feb. 10. The majority of students will test during their 6th & 7th periods. Students will be notified by their teacher if they will be participating in this testing.
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Yearbook: We still need your pictures! Every student that submits pictures for the yearbook will be entered into a drawing that will be held at the end of February. You can email pictures to mooresquareyb@gmail.com or upload them to https://images.jostens.com/415464728 (The UID is 415464728). You can purchase a yearbook here.
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Did you miss picture day and are unable to attend makeups on 2/24? You can now take your own portrait picture and load it directly to Jostens to be included in the yearbook! An email with the instructions was sent to all parents that we have on file in PowerSchool.
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Dreambox: Students are expected to complete 5 lessons weekly on the Dreambox learning platform. This is to reinforce skills being taught in class as well as close learning gaps due to the pandemic. Any student that completes at least 5 lessons each week, will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card to Bojangles, Cookout, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-a, or Starbucks. There will be one winner per grade level per week. Please encourage your child to complete their lessons! They are able to access the platform through their Rapid Identity- WakeID Portal.
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Comfort Zone Camps is a national nonprofit organization that provides a safe and fun place for kids grieving the death of a parent, sibling, or significant person in their life. CZC offers FREE 3-day weekend camps, family camps, and virtual programs. All programming empowers children to grieve, heal, and grow in healthy ways. For more information please check out the flyer.
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We need subs! Our district has recently launched a campaign to recruit substitute teachers. Our subs receive training, work flexible hours and earn bi-weekly pay and incentives based on the number of jobs they pick up. If you have an interest in supporting our schools and shaping bright futures, visit wcpss.net/subs to learn more.
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Meals will be free for all students through June 2021. Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost for all students who are learning in-person within the school, as well as students who are remote learning, including students in Virtual Academy. Meals will be served via the service method that is chosen by the principal and cafeteria staff. In addition, meals will continue to be served at curbside feeding sites listed at wcpss.net/food. Meals are limited to one breakfast and one lunch per student per day, and students do not need to enter their student ID to receive meals.
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Families in need of free or reduced-price meals should complete a meal benefits application. Although an approved application is not required to receive free meals through June 2021, school system education funding for students depends on meal benefits applications being completed. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for next school year can be found at School Meals/Free/Reduced Meals. Applications can be completed online at MySchoolApps.com, or a paper application can be requested by calling 919-588-3535.
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We know that with all of the calendar changes, it can be hard to keep up! Our website remains the best place to get information. You can view our school events by week or month. Click on "Our School"-"Calendar and Bell Schedule"-"Instructional Calendar" or "School Calendar" to see the entire month. The weekly calendar, along with our Twitter updates, can be found on the main "Home" page. Important changes and announcements will be placed in the top green banner https://www.wcpss.net/mooresquarems
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Ms. Bumsted has created a Donors Choose project to hopefully bring a ukulele program to Moore Square next school year! You can view the information here.
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WCPSS is offering Restorative and Community Building Circles over the next few weeks and opening it up to families and caretakers. View the flyer for more information. En Español
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8th-grade families: February begins high school Open Houses and Curriculum Nights. Please view the link for the events for your high school.
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Coming up this week: Apex Friendship on Feb. 8th, Heritage on Feb. 10th, Southeast Raleigh and Wake Forest on Feb. 11th
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Magnet and Early College results come out on Feb. 23rd
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Mrs. Estes will be in 8th grade Science classes on Friday, Feb. 26th to talk to 8th graders about HS registration and graduation requirements. Please email Mrs. Estes at jestes2@wcpss.net if you have any questions.
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Wake Forest University is currently accepting applications for Summer 2021 programs! Their Summer Exploration Program provides current 6th- 8th graders with the opportunity to explore the world of STEM while learning more about Wake Forest University. Middle School students can explore on-campus (pending future public health guidance) or online in one of our five new and exciting STEM-themed Adventures while receiving mentorship from Wake Forest staff and undergraduate students.
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Their Adventure Options Include:
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