August 5, 2022
Dear Turner Creek Families,
I hope you all have had a wonderful week. Today we welcomed our Track 4 Kindergarten students for their first full day of instruction. I enjoyed spending time with Kindergarten families at our annual Tree Frog tea this morning.
Next week, we will welcome Track 1 & 2 families to campus for Open House. Doors will open at 5:50 pm on Thursday. At 6:00 pm, teachers will share a brief presentation from the PTA. PTA members are encouraged to be in classrooms by 6:00 to view the update and then vote on the budget for the 22-23 school year. This information will also go out to all PTA members through email so everyone has the opportunity to vote on our budget. Our PTA is already working hard to support our students and staff this year.
If you need anything at all, you can reply to this email or email me directly at ksmall@wcpss.net
**New Announcements**
Open House Flyer (linked)
Open house is coming up. We hope you can join us to learn more about your child’s class and how you can support the academic growth of your children at home this school year.
Thursday August 11
Tracks 1 & 2
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Thursday September 8
Tracks 3 & 4
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Health Guidance for the 22-23 School Year (linked)
At Turner Creek, we have had 16 cases of COVID-19 on our campus since the start of the school year. We must continue to be diligent in our use of recommended mitigating strategies to prevent the spread of disease. Click the link above to access current health guidance in its entirety.
Masks
There are no situations where masks are required in schools.
Staff and students are recommended to wear a mask in the following situations:
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Should wear a mask for at least 10 days after symptoms onset or testing positive for COVID-19, unless a mask accommodation applies (5 days for quarantine and 5 days when you return).
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Should wear a mask 10 days following an exposure to a person with COVID-19, unless a mask accommodation applies.
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Individuals at high risk for severe disease, are unvaccinated, or are not up to date on vaccines, should wear a mask in indoor settings.
COVID-19 Reporting - Required by North Carolina General Statute
Our Covid-19 dashboard will be updated each Monday with positive cases reported by families and staff from the previous week. It is important that families contact Jen Hawkins at jhawkins@wcpss.net if a student tests positive for COVID-19.
Stay Home When Sick or Not Feeling Well
Individuals who are sick, not feeling well, or have symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and get tested for COVID-19. If your child is absent due to sickness, please contact the school for details on the measures you must take before your child can return to school.
Current “when to return” guidelines can be found here: https://www.wcpss.net/whentoreturn
Turner Creek received our At Home COVID-19 rapid tests this week. Families can request a rapid test from the school for at home use. Tests cannot be sent home with students.
Current Volunteer and Guest Procedures at Turner Creek
Volunteers
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Volunteers are visitors who may or may not be alone with students at any point. Volunteers do require background checks. There are no "levels" of volunteer status. Typical examples range from a community volunteer who reads with a child to an overnight chaperone, as well as field day workers, testing proctors, and volunteer coaches. The same background check is done for every type of volunteer.
Guests
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Guests are visitors who are never left alone with students. They do not need background checks. Typical examples would include speakers, presenters and community members/parents attending a school event.
Reminder: For the 2022-2023 school year, guests will not be able to eat in our cafeteria. If you would like to eat lunch with your child, you are welcome to eat with them at our picnic tables outside the cafeteria.
Current Volunteers
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Current volunteers who were approved for the 2021-22 school year do not have to register again this year.
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Please email Amy Brooks at albrooks@wcpss.net to see if you are currently on the approved list of volunteers at Turner Creek.
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Current volunteers who were approved for the 2021-22 school year who wish to modify the schools with which they are associated should complete this Google form.
New Volunteers for 2022-23
All new volunteer applicants must register and have an approved criminal record check prior to engaging in volunteer work.
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New volunteer applicants may go to any WCPSS work site and register through wcpss.net by selecting the Community tab, and then selecting Volunteer.
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Applicants will be notified by email once their application has been approved.
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Applicants who are not approved will receive notice from Employee Relations.
Girls on the Run at Turner Creek
We’re excited to see our Turner Creek Elementary Girls on the Run (GOTR) team return this fall! The 10-week season begins the week of Sept. 12. We will have two teams: One team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays and one will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on campus.
At a time when they need it most, GOTR Programming empowers girls to practice empathy, inclusion and acceptance. The 8-week curriculum is taught by trained, caring coaches who provide innovative and inspiring ways for girls in grades 3-5 to stay connected, and put “unity” in “community”! 97% of girls felt like they belonged at GOTR, so give your girl a place to belong this spring.
One parent shared, “Physical activity is important to us as her parents, but we are much more invested in nurturing the emotional wellbeing, confidence, kindness, and teamwork right now. GOTR did a fantastic job in aiding in that.”
The price of the program is $205 per girl. This includes the 16 coached practices, all program materials, a GOTR t-shirt, water bottle, and 5K registration. Financial assistance is available via our scholarship program.
Early Bird Registration opens 8/1 at 9:30am and General Registration opens 8/8 on the GOTR website: https://www.gotrtriangle.org/3rd-5th-grade-program-details
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Program Details - 3rd - 5th Grade | GOTR Triangle Girls on the Run Triangle |
Families can use the discount code: EARLYBIRD22 to receive $22 dollars off their early bird registration.
Please contact jburdette@wcpss.net with any questions.
Positivity Project
Please see below for more information on the Character Strengths students will be learning about at school in the upcoming weeks.
Open-Mindedness
Open-mindedness means you like to consider new ideas and try new things. You examine things from all sides and don’t jump to conclusions.
Open-mindedness is the willingness to actively search for evidence that goes against one’s favored beliefs, plans, or goals. Open-minded individuals are able to weigh all evidence fairly, when it is available. They see the other side and fight the tendency to have a bias for their own views. And, rather than favoring the socially dominant views, they give attention to those that are less dominant.
Open-minded individuals are often good listeners and called upon to provide a balanced viewpoint. Both listening and the ability to deliver reasonable and practical advice are marks of good friends and confidantes. This strength helps individuals form meaningful and lasting relationships.
To practice and encourage the character strength of open-mindedness with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
Being Present and Giving Others My Attention
The Other People Mindset of Being Present and Giving Others My Attention means when I’m with other people, I’m present and give them my full attention.
This element of the Other People Mindset 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 dangerous capacity to pull us away from the present moment and, what’s most important -- our relationships with other people.
Just like plants need sunlight to grow, our relationships need attention. If we don’t give our attention to the people we’re building relationships with -- whether family members, close friends, or even distant colleagues -- we can’t build those relationships. It’s vitally important that we pick our heads up from our cell phones and truly listen to other people when they’re talking. A positive culture is built on positive relationships -- and we can’t build positive relationships without attention.
Staff’s Favorite Things (Linked)
I ask staff to share their favorite things so we can show them we care throughout the year.
2022-2023 Caregiver/Student Handbook (Linked)
Please bookmark our handbook. It will be a “first stop” as you have questions about the everyday operations at Turner Creek. This handbook will always be in “draft” form as we are in a world where change is the new norm. I hope it will be a good resource for you and your family.
Upcoming Events
Thursday August 11: Tracks 1&2 Family Engagement Night 6 - 7:30 pm
Friday August 12: Quarter 1 Interims come home for Tracks 1&2
Thursday August 18: Picture Day for Tracks 1 & 2. Track out day for Track 2
Friday August 19: Teacher Workday. No School for Students
Monday August 22: Track in day for Track 3
Tuesday August 30: Quarter 1 Interims come home for Tracks 3&4
Friday September 2: Early Release Day. Students Dismiss at 1:45 pm.
Thursday September 8: Tracks 3&4 Family Engagement Night 6 - 7:30 pm
Take Care,
Kristin Small, Principal
