Fred A. Olds Weekly Update: May 4th
24-25 Olds ES Family Campus Guide or https://bit.ly/OLDSFAMILY
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, May 6th - Character Breakfast
May 5th and 8th - Letterland Day at Pullen Park (WCPSS Event)
May 5th to 9th - Teacher Appreciation Week
Wednesday, May 7th - Walk and Roll to School day
Tuesday, May 13th - Kindergarten Orientation
Friday, May 16th - Spring Fling and Art Show
Growing and Glowing at Olds!
This past week, like every week this year, our teachers have been glowing and growing! Whether it is by trying new instructional activities, going above and beyond for students, or helping other teachers, they show their best! This coming week is TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK! Please show our incredible teachers how much they are appreciated this week!
WCPSS Parent Survey
We are halfway to our goal of 80% participation on the WCPSS Panorama Parent Survey. Please help us reach it by completing it before it closes on May 16th. This information is critical in knowing how to best serve our community.
Survey Link: surveys.panoramaed.com/wakecounty/family
Survey Information: Please be sure to select “Olds Elementary School” as the school when you begin the Survey. The Survey should only take about seven minutes to complete and must be completed in one sitting. After pressing the “Submit” button, you should see a “Thank You” screen.
Walk and Roll to School on Wednesday!
Families and school staff will meet at two locations and walk to school together! Meet at Isabella Cannon Park or Pollock Place Park on Wednesday, May 7th at 7:35 am and join the walking/biking parade to Olds Elementary. We ask that students meeting at either location have an adult or approved member on their walker tag to help facilitate their walk to campus.
Location 1 - Isabella Cannon Park - 2601 Kilgore Ave, Raleigh, NC 27607
Location 2 - Pollock Place Park - 3226 Merriman Ave, Raleigh, NC 27607
The Olds' Walk & Roll Parade is a wonderful way to celebrate the joy and independence of walking, biking & rolling to school. We're excited to bring our school community together to bring awareness to our safe routes to school and get our kids moving before the school day. Most of all, let's have fun!
Yearbooks Available for Purchase
Now's the time to purchase your child's yearbook! You can refer to the flier sent home in Tuesday folders or go to https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016052151643383 to purchase. Please consider donating a yearbook when you purchase one for your child.
Lost and Found Pictures
Parents, please review these pictures to see most of the current items in the lost and found. There are a large number of items included, please make sure you retrieve your items as soon as possible.
Pictures can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e_5EJdUvJeXUD-vnggPcWK2SOKcIY5Cx/view?usp=sharing
Kindergarten Orientation
If you have a rising Kindergarten student, please join us on Tuesday, May 13th at 9 am for Kindergarten Orientation! An email was sent to those families who have already enrolled. If you have a rising Kindergartener or know someone who does, please make sure they are enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year.
Letterland Days at Pullen Park
WCPSS’s annual Letterland Days at Pullen Park is an exciting, interactive event where young learners experience the world of Letterland—an engaging phonics program that turns letters into characters with stories, songs, and hands-on activities. This is a perfect event for Kindergarten through 2nd grade students and pre-school aged children.
Join on May 5 or May 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pullen Park to meet Letterland characters, and to participate in hands-on arts and crafts and literacy activities! Admission into the park is free and ride tickets are $2. Register to attend here. Learn more here.
Save the Date: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony
Parents of 5th grade students, please save the date and time for this year’s Promotion Ceremony. The Ceremony will begin at 9:30 am and doors will open at 9 am for audience members to arrive on Thursday, June 12th. Last week a misprint stated May 12th, please disregard that previous date.
PTA Updates
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher appreciation is THIS WEEK, May 5-9. The PTA plans to shower our teachers and staff with lots of love this week, but please reach out to your children's teachers and let them know you appreciate their hard work and dedication to our school and students! A handwritten note is a wonderful gift!
Spring Fling Art Show
The upcoming Spring Fling Art Showcase is a chance for students to shine through creativity! All 2D and 3D artwork will be accepted by Ms. Johnston from May 5–14. Each submission must include the artist’s name, class, and title of the piece. Artwork will be proudly displayed on May 16 at 6:00 PM on the Olds Auditorium Stage, and can be taken home at the end of the event.
Parents, please encourage your budding artists to participate—this is a wonderful opportunity for students to express themselves and share their talents with the school community!
Please address any questions to Katie Johnson kebishop212@gmail.com or Brittany Hodorowicz Brittany2578@gmail.com.
Additional Note For Parents
We’ve had an issue after school with students pulling down the sculptures in the butterfly garden. Please help us keep our school grounds in beautiful condition by monitoring your child closely. If your child is picked up by a caretaker, please share this information with them as well. Thank you!
Advocacy Update
The 2025-2026 state legislative session is underway and several bills impacting public education have been introduced. A couple to pay attention to are:
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HB 806 - Public School Operational Relief - would eliminate class size limits for K, 1, 2, 3 and reduce the amount of required licensed teachers to only 50% of the teachers in a school, bringing traditional public schools down to the level required of charter school staff.
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HB 636 - Promoting Wholesome Content for Students - allows censorship of school libraries and allows any person in the community served by the school district to file legal action against the district.
For a complete list go to Legislative Updates – Public Schools First NC
Additionally, the NC Senate has already introduced and passed its budget plan, which includes just a 2.3% raise for teachers and 1.25% raise for school employees – both increases fail to match inflation. In a recent press release, Dr. Shaneeka Moore-Brown, NCPTA President, said “This budget overlooks the real needs of our schools and public school families, opting instead for shortsighted policies that undermine the well-being of our educators and students. The Senate’s budget . . . fails to recognize the vital role that education plays in the future success of our state and our children.”
Although the Senate has already passed its proposed budget, they will have to negotiate with the House to reach a final budget so there is still time to advocate for changes. The NCPTA created a sample letter you can use to contact your state Senator to encourage them to invest more in our school. The letter is here and you can find your legislators here. The House’s budget plan is expected soon.
Book Giveaway
Heads up: Olds will be collecting books for a free summer book giveaway again this year at the end of May. There will be collection boxes at school the week before the event. We accept picture books through YA novels (no board books or workbooks). Contact Amy Weinberg (amy.weinbergnc@gmail.com) with questions or to arrange an early book drop off.
Follow Us On Social Media
To keep you updated on exciting events, important announcements, and ways to get involved in our school community, we invite you to follow our PTA on social media!
Find us on:
- Facebook: Old’s Elementary PTA
- Instagram: @oldselementarypta
By following us, you'll stay in the loop about upcoming activities, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support our students and teachers. We love sharing photos from events, helpful resources, and community news that benefits our families.
PTA Calendar
Click here to access this year’s PTA calendar of events!
Spirit Rock
Interested in reserving the spirit rock? Click here!
Please continue to visit our website at www.wcpss.net/oldses. As always, please reach out to the main office should you have any questions or need additional information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kristen McCollum
Your Proud Principal
