Baucom Parents & Guardians,

This is Dr. Saunders with this week’s Sunday Kickoff Message.

First, our 5^th Graders Giving Back Winter hat, glove, and scarf drive wraps up tomorrow! Remember these should be new items, not used items, and we thank you so much for donating in this way this year.

PTA’s next meeting is this Tuesday night and this one will be virtual. Here is the Zoom link to use and it is open to any parent wanting to hear updates from me or the PTA Board or who might be looking to get more involved. We’d love to see you there!

Also from PTA tonight, thank you to everyone who registered for Science Expo. We had around 100 registrants this year! Registration closed last week, fyi, so if you didn’t get in this year, have your Aviator start brainstorming cool science experiments for 2023! If you did register by the deadline, but haven’t heard from Parent Lead, Kristin Kullmann, email her tonight at KristinEKullmann@gmail.com.

Next tonight, it’s never been more lucrative financially than now to serve your child’s school and our community as a substitute teacher. Even one day a week could make a huge difference. Daily rates are now $115 for non-certified individuals and $130 with certification. Please visit the district’s website HERE for information on signing up to serve in this capacity.

Next, congratulations to Claire Beahm and Evan Barnhart. Claire finished in 2^nd place in the district’s Reflections Art Contest for her photography entry titled “Friendship,” while Evan finished in 3^rd place in the same category with his photograph titled “Sunset on Jordan Lake.” We will honor Claire, Evan, and our other submission participants at the PTA’s Reflections Night in April. Way to go, Claire and Evan!

Thank you all and we’re #ClearedForTakeoff again this week, at Baucom.

Previews & Reviews

Important Links

-Please view our Annual Asbestos Notification letter HERE.

-Did you know that Kindergarten registration for 2022-2023 is well under way? Baucom families – if you yourself have a Kindergarten-age eligible little one to register, OR if you know a neighbor or family member needing to enroll for next school year, PLEASE let them know they can connect with our Data Manager, Beverly Robinson, here at Baucom anytime. It helps us tremendously to gain Kindergarten registration sooner rather than later. For instance, the district considers the registration numbers when allotting us teacher positions for the following year. Here’s the link to the WCPSS Kindergarten Registration website for your convenience tonight.

-When you check-in or check-out your Aviator from Baucom, we are now getting real fancy with it. Please bring your smartphone with you to the front doors where you will scan the QR code to access our check-in/check-out Google doc. After the necessary information has been entered, you’ll be all set and we’ll retrieve your child to either get them to class or get them to you. Don’t worry if you do not have a device that works or do not feel comfortable with this process. Mrs. Headlee or another office professional will be happy to assist you.

- We’ve been provided an exciting new resource to share with you all from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The site is called Literacy at Home and it’s one of the better resources the state has ever produced for parents. The brief intro video is linked HERE and the flyer itself is HERE. The flyer will link you to the website where you’ll find at-home literacy resources for Kindergarten to 5^th grade. I really hope you’ll make use of it, remembering that our Aviators need to spend 20-30 minutes a night reading, or being read to, each and every week.

-Please monitor your Aviator for COVID-like symptoms in the evenings and mornings before school. This may seem obvious and most everyone is doing a great job with this, but please DO NOT send them to school if they’re displaying any of the COVID-like symptoms. Furthermore, if you’re unsure what you should do, email our COVID Coordinator, Valerie Headlee, the teacher, and me to ask your questions. Mrs. Headlee’s email is vheadlee@wcpss.net and mine is jbsaunders@wcpss.net. 

Important Dates

Tuesday, January 11^th: The January PTA meeting (Meet link will be provided in the Sunday message, on the 9^th); 6-7pm

Monday & Tuesday, January 17^th & 18^th: NO SCHOOL as we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. & take a Teacher Workday