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Mr. Corey's Weekly Message - 5/2/25

CONNmunity!  Here is your weekly Principal Message [warning, it’s full of lots of information, please read to the bottom and don’t skim this time (smile…..I know some of you like to just skim…..!!!)]  

Thank Yous & Celebrations!

- On Saturday, April 26th from 9-11am, a team of volunteers joined the PTA to transform our front garden bed and plant native flowers. In the words of our PTA president, “It’s amazing what 2 hours can do”.  See for yourself:

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

May 5th - 9th is Teacher Appreciation Week and we are VERY grateful and thankful for all of the staff that serve in the role of providing instruction to our students!!!!!! 

I said it last week, and I think I should repeat it this week…… We are in the final stretch, the 4th Quarter.  Hold on to your seat, because these weeks usually seem to fly by. I encourage you to remain optimistic and reflect on the why and end result, when it gets tough.  Students may experience a little fatigue but continue to remind them that THEY CAN DO IT and THEY ARE RESILIENT!!!  

CONNival was a HUGE SUCCESS!

If I start to name names, I will get myself in big trouble.  However, we should all stop and take time to reflect and appreciate the enormous labor of love that CONNival was.  From the logistics and scheduling details, to the programming/planning of activities, to designing/marketing/publicizing and execution of the event, our students and families came out in large numbers to play, eat, reconnect, and meet new faces.  I had a wonderful time.  According to our count, there were 793 people in attendance!   

Hiring Updates

Until it is officially approved by the WCPSS Board of Education, we are not able to announce names but know that we have tentatively secured teachers in multiple grade levels and support positions for the 25-26 school year.  We have a few more weeks of interviewing and will continue to push forward until we have all positions hired.  Please be patient until we officially release the information.

 

Conn PTA Updates

 

  • Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5 - May 9! Be on the lookout for ideas in your student’s weekly folder on how we can all celebrate our “superhero” teachers and staff!  All information about the week can also be seen here: https://www.connpta.org/programs/hospitality
    Please donate to the GiftCrowd (available at link above) - all donations will be split among teachers and staff at the end of the week and they can pick the gift card of their choice!
     
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    -Thank you to everyone who showed up on April 26th to clean up our front garden bed!
     
    -We had a wonderful CONNival!  Thank you to all of our volunteers for making our event a success.  And a special thank you to Katy Pacheco for leading and organizing this amazing event. 

 

Conn Foundation Informational Session - May 8th 

We are in the preliminary stages of forming a Foundation for Conn ES, which will serve to support the work of Conn Magnet Elementary School of Entrepreneurial Design in addition to the wonderful work that the PTA is doing.  The functions of a PTA and of a Foundation are not identical.  To learn more about it, please review the following Informational Flier and spread the word.  I have also included a personal message from the parent volunteers who are spearheading this initiative below: 

At Conn Elementary, we believe every child deserves a classroom filled with opportunity, support, and the personal attention they need to thrive.

However, like many public schools in North Carolina, we’re facing significant challenges—budget cuts and a shortage of qualified teachers and instructional assistants. Our educators are doing their best, but they can’t do it alone.

That’s why we’re launching the Emma Conn Foundation — a non-profit, community-driven initiative designed to directly address these challenges.

By raising funds specifically for staffing, salaries, and educator support, we aim to ease the strain on our teachers and ensure all Conn students get the quality education they deserve.

We’re kicking things off with an informal, public Info Session and Launch Event at 5:30pm on May 8 at Pelagic (RSVP), and we’d love for you to be a part of it.

This is your chance to learn more about the foundation, the work we’ll be doing, and how you can help create lasting change for our school and our kids!

This is just the beginning of something truly impactful, and we can’t do it without the support of our community. Your involvement — whether it’s through volunteering, spreading the word, or donating — will help us build a stronger, more sustainable future for Conn Elementary.

We hope to see you on May 8 as we take our first step toward making a difference! 

Chelsea Eshraghi, Kaitlin Spencer, & Stephen Taylor
Emma Conn Foundation

Problem Solved!  - Accessing Homework Resources to support learning at home

After much perseverance, we have been provided with a solution to help families gain access to homework resources for families.  Try clearing your browser history, cache, and cookies, or try accessing the site using an incognito/private browser window?  Sometimes stored data can interfere with how a website loads and using a fresh session can resolve the issue.  

If needed, here are some quick guides based on the browser you're using:

Clear Cache and Cookies:

Open an Incognito/Private Window:

Once you have followed these steps, see if you can access Homework Resources page.

Reminders

Parents, guardians, and community members of Conn Magnet Elementary School of Entrepreneurial Design,  thank you for engaging with me in my second “Conn ES Principal & Parent Coffee Chat” on Friday.   I would like to invite you to my third and final chat for this year on Friday, May 16, from 9:15 – 10:00.  During this time we will continue to discuss topics and questions that are important to you.  Feel free to bring your favorite morning Cup O' Joe (coffee) or hot tea or water. In order to help me focus the conversation, please complete the form 7 days prior (by May 9th).  Here is the link https://forms.gle/b2J9RJ7LLqTYYdiL6

Please follow the expectations outlined in Volunteer Training. Volunteers support school-designated needs but are not WCPSS staff. You may come across confidential student information (e.g., identification, behavior). Sharing such information if you are not the legal guardian violates FERPA and may result in losing volunteer privileges.

We value your help—please stay in compliance. Any disciplinary concerns should be reported to administration, who will address them per district guidelines and best practices.

 

Illuminating Connections for Alignment,

 

Mr. John Corey

Proud Principal of Conn Magnet Elementary

 

Important Dates to Remember/Reminders 

  • May 7th - 1st Grade Field Trip to NC Zoo

  • May 16th - 3rd Conn Principal Coffee Chat

  • May 26th - Memorial Day [No School]

  • June 3 - EOG Math (3rd, 4th, & 5th)

  • June 4 - EOG Reading (3rd, 4th, 5th)

  • June 6 - EOG Science [5th only]

  • June 12th - 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony [10:00-10:45]

  • June 13th - Last Day of School