Davis Drive Elementary March 11 Announcements
Hello Davis Drive Elementary School families. This is the weekly message for the week of March 11, 2018. The weather has turned colder than expected for this past week. While a reoccurrence of winter weather has been mentioned in weather forecasts, we anticipate a regular school day on Monday. We anticipate that any wintery precipitation will be north of our area. Weather impacts on our school schedule will be announced on the news media. Remember that the school system needs to consider the safety of our students throughout the school system in determining schedules. We anticipate a regular school day, but that can change based on weather. Be sure to tune into local media to listen to the weather in the morning.
For Monday, our third grade students in the following classrooms: Drager, Fussell, Ross, and Squiers -- will be on a field trip to the Agape Center. The trip is mostly outside and due to the weather, students should dress accordingly. If the school day is modified tomorrow, then the field trip will also be modified. If school is delayed, then the start time for our field trip will also be delayed. The end time for the field trip is 3:45 (after bus dismissal). Therefore parents will need to pick up students from school at 3:45 pm. Students who attend the Davis Drive After-School Program will still be able to attend the after-school program. If school is canceled, the trip will be canceled and we will work to reschedule the trip. Other third grade classrooms will go to the Agape Center on Wednesday. We suggest that student wear coats, hats and gloves for this field trip.
On Thursday, March 1, ten students from Mrs. Drager’s and Mrs. Ross's 3rd grade classes, along with twenty 5th-graders from Mrs. Nance's class participated in the NCTIES annual conference in Raleigh. NCTIES stands for North Carolina Technology in Education Society. The students were a part of the Student Showcase portion of the conference, where participants demonstrate and share a technology based project that they have done. Our students did a fabulous job showcasing the integration of our Dash and Dot robots with their Social Studies and Mathematics curriculums. Our third grade presenters “wowed” the conference goers with their own creative area and perimeter math problems that their robots were able to help solve. At the same time, our fifth grade students helped Dash and Dot lead tours through the monuments, mall and museums of our Nation's Capital as they prepared for their Washington, D.C. field trip. Another group used Dash and Dot to take observers on journeys back in time through Revolutionary War battles. Our students did an amazing job explaining all they have learned to the adults at the conference. We are proud of their hard work and learning.
With our buzz-in system for the front door, we are asking that all visitors follow a new procedure. Our school staff will respond to the doorbell by asking visitors for your name and purpose for visiting our school. Often, the school staff may recognize the visitor, but will still ask that you state your name and purpose for visiting. This procedure will ensure that we know who is visiting our school and will help or staff develop a standard procedures for answering our doorbell. We ask that each person visiting state their names. Please avoid catching the door as a person in front of you are allowed entry. The purpose of the doorbell is that each person or group of people is announced before entering the building. Also remember that all visitors should enter the building through the front door of the school. Do not visit classrooms, the cafeteria, the playground, or any area in our school without first checking in at the office. Our staff has been asked to look for visitor badges for our visitors and to question people when a badge is not visible. We love our parent volunteers but must maintain safety and follow these procedures at all times. We continuously monitor school safety and have instructed our students that “If you see something, say something.” We want our parents and school community to follow the same and inform our school if you notice a concern.
From our PTA: Congratulations to fifth grader Daniel Gavazzi who has been selected as a second place winner for Musical Composition in Wake County’s Reflections Contest. Also, congratulations to our volunteer of the year Ms. Marnie Thomas. The PTA will hold a General membership Meeting on Monday, March 12 at 7:00 pm. The meeting will provide information about our PTA budget and plans for the future. Additionally, our principal will talk about school safety. On Wednesday, our PTA will sponsor a Family Sprit Night at PDQ.
As for upcoming events:
- Kelly Lyons – Writer-In-Residence will work with our fifth grade classrooms this week. Made possible by our PTA.
Monday, March 12
- 3rd grade Agape Center field trip for Drager, Fussell, Ross, and Squiers (Students return to school at 3:45)
- PTA General Membership Meeting at 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 13
- Kindergarten field trip to Stewart Theatre
- Chess Club meets after school
- Chorus meets after school
Wednesday, March 14
- PTA Board meets at 8:00 am
- 3rd grade Agape Center field trip for Cook, Kimble, Paine, and Purdy (Students return to school at 3:45)
- First In Fitness event for selected students in grades 3, 4, and 5
- PTA Spirit Night at PDQ