Sept/Oct 2012 Newsletter

Dear Red Wolves Family,

        This is our first PTSA newsletter for the 2012-13 academic year. I take this opportunity on behalf of your PTSA team to say how glad we are to serve the parents, students, teachers and staff of Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School. This publication is intended to provide you with information on PTSA activities, teacher/staff support and general information about school activities. 

        This is another tough budget year for Wake County Schools and the PTSA, and your support is vital to doing what the PTSA does best – supporting our staff members as they go about the business of educating our kids. Our primary source of PTSA income is the Win-Win Campaign. Just write a tax-deductible check and all your money will stay at CCMMS! (Don’t forget matching gifts if your employer offers this benefit.) This year we also offered free car magnets with membership. Have YOU joined? See the PTSA tab on the school website or just call me for a membership form.

        We have also completed the Attractions Book fundraising project, and the proceeds from that will go toward direct funding of our budget to support our teachers and their overall impact in the classroom.

        We have some great programs in place this year, including our new Parent Academies, Team Parents and some exciting partnerships planned with the Student Council. And we continue our commitment to such great programs as Science Fair, Staff Appreciation and Jellybeans Skate Night, among others. Of course, none of this can happen without volunteers. Even if you can only give a limited amount of time, there is opportunity here for you to help. I encourage you to look over the programs and committees listed in this newsletter and contact the chairs listed – OR volunteer for one of the vacancies!

        We want your voice to be heard and we want you to feel that your contributions are appreciated. I encourage all of you to get involved in the PTSA and in Centennial’s future.

Thank you for your support,

Jade Jurek, PTSA President

 

Planning for 2013 Science Fair

      Students, do you have a cool, new idea for the 2013 Science Fair?

      Some CCMMS teachers have already asked their students to begin planning for the February fair. Teachers will be handing out information and an “Initial Proposal Form” to help students begin planning their experiments. These documents include a list of helpful science fair-related websites which may give some ideas for great, fun experiments.

      The CCMMS Science Fair is really just a science museum made by kids. The students design their own experiments, using the scientific method, and present their results on display boards or laptops so that other students can enjoy and learn from their projects. Some projects even may be collaborative efforts by two students.

      If you are doing a science project for class, why not participate in the Science Fair? It is both educational and a whole lot of fun.

      Parents: Along with your support of our students in their individual projects, we also are looking for scientists and engineers to serve as judges on the day of the fair. Volunteers should contact Science Fair Chair Dan Loughlin at (919) 889-3576 or loughlin@bellsouth.net.

 

2nd Parents Academy – Oct. 29

Science Lab for Mom and Dad (and the rest of the family, too!)

        Parents – do you miss your chemistry kit from childhood? Do you dream about geology or astrophysics or nanotechnology? Or perhaps you think science left you behind when you left the classroom?

        Well, you will have a chance to learn about some of the cool stuff that science can do and get an opportunity to try them yourselves at “Science Lab for Mom and Dad,” our second Parents Academy scheduled for Monday, Oct. 29.

        Join us for some wild, wacky and fun science and engineering investigations that you may not know about. Hosted by Dr. Gail Jones, a NCSU professor of science education, these labs will be led by prospective teachers studying for their master’s degrees in teaching and the ASSIST Nanoengineering Cener at N.C. State.

        After having an opportunity to visit the science labs, parents will gather together to learn more about the school’s Science Fair. The fair is fun, education and entertaining with great prizes for winners.               

        Come learn about science – and the Science Fair, too.  Monday, Oct. 29, starting at 6:15 p.m. Bring the entire family for some hands-on fun!

 

“Internet Savvy” Parents Academy Informative and Fun

        Speaking of Parents Academy, did YOU come to the first one, Tuesday, Sept. 18? If not, you missed something good!

      The PTSA welcomed Brandon Madden of the State Attorney General’s Office to speak on “Internet Savvy: Keeping Our Kids Safe in Cyberspace.” Mr. Madden has visited Centennial before to discuss internet safety, and he is always a popular choice.

      His presentation offered terrific tips on how to talk to our kids about safety on the internet and on their cellphone.  With the rapid, almost daily changes in what is available online – and ways our kids can place themselves in bad situations – this help was really appreciated.  Centennial provides all students such information, but parents should know that, too, and be able to reinforce that instruction at home. Parents also should know how to monitor their children’s computer and cellphone use. Mostly, our kids are better prepared for technology and they know how to use it, but it is our job, as parents, to make sure they know how to stay safe. Mr. Madden’s talk gave all attendees the basics to do just that.

      In addition, Parents Academy participants also had an opportunity to swap Attractions book coupons. Since Centennial draws students from across the county, the Attractions books feature coupons from all areas of Wake County. But perhaps you don’t need coupons from Morrisville or Zebulon or Wake Forest. Perhaps you know you won’t be using coupons from a particular business. The coupon swaps offered at Parents Academies are for you.

      Three more academies, all free of charge, will be held this year, including “Science Lab for Mom and Dad” detailed above. Come join us for these fun and informative sessions. Need more information or want to help? Contact Parents Academy Chair (and Vice President) Stephaine Brooks at stephaine617@gmail.com.

 

Check Out the CCMMS Calendar 

October

Oct. 11 – PTSA Board Meeting, 7:30 a.m.

Oct. 15 – Make-up Picture Day

Friday, Oct. 19 – Early Release and Teacher Appreciation Lunch (donations sought)

Oct. 26 – Interim reports go home

Monday, Oct. 29 – Parents Academy, “Science Lab for Mom and Dad,” 6:15 p.m.

November

Nov. 1 – PTSA Board Meeting, 7:30 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3 – Jellybeans Skate Night, 1120 Buck Jones Road

Tuesday, Nov. 6 – ELECTIONS – no school

Nov. 12 – Veterans Day Holiday – no school

Nov. 16 – Interim reports go home

Nov. 21-23 – Thanksgiving Holiday – no school

Nov. 30 – Winter Dance, 3 p.m.-6 p.m., $6

December

Dec. 6 – PTSA Board Meeting, 7:30 a.m.,

Dec. 7 – Early Release and Teacher Appreciation Lunch (donations sought)

Dec. 14 – Report cards go home, Last day of quarter

Dec. 15-Jan.6 – Winter Break

 

Team Parents help in many ways

Most of our new team parents are in place and have begun their efforts to reach out to parents and school staff.  These volunteers help in many ways: communicating about PTSA programs to teachers and families; assisting on special projects, such as teacher appreciation, mini-grants and special events; gathering information for the newsletter; and providing the PTSA Board with feedback on how to better serve our school. We hope you will find them useful, and you volunteer to help.

Team Parent Coordinator – Andrea Hartzell,      aphartzell@bellsouth.net, (919) 518-0906

Tundra Wolves – Jaimi Jarvis, jaimidawn@aol.com,       (919) 261-0516

Timber Wolves – Aimee Izawa, izawa.aimee@gmail.com,       (919) 449-0995

Gray Wolves – Latonia Toms, mstonia05@yahoo.com,       (919) 791-6533

Arctic Wolves – VACANT

Dragons – Christen Borrello, christen@nc.rr.com,       (919) 323-0212

Lions – Marilyn Hickman, mhickman@nc.rr.com,       (919) 271-4169

Sea Stars – Keisa Hudson, keisa@us.ibm.com, (919) 231-6365

Pelicans – VACANT
X House – Alana Loughlin, loughlin@bellsouth.net,       (919) 661-7898

 

Do YOU know all that is happening at CCMMS?

        There are some great new things happening at CCMMS that you might want to hear about!

      Student Council kicked off last week with elections and planning for the new year. The council will be announcing plans soon and the newsletter will have at least one article from the council each time. Council members will attend PTSA Board meeting and the PTSA hopes to have some joint projects with the council as well as with other school groups.

      In addition, CCMMS has kicked off Project Unify. This program, which includes a visit from Sharon Draper, author of the acclaimed book, Out of My Mind, seeks to teach students about the power and pain of the “R” word, sometimes used as slang for persons with disabilities or just as an insult. Project Unify wants us to replace the “R” word with another “R” word – Respect. It’s not just an Aretha Franklin hit song, but something we all should remember to do, even to people that seem different from us. Students also will participate in other activities for Project Unify, including sports activities that can include everyone. Our students will be asked to sign on to this special anti-bullying effort. The entire CCMMS community will support it, too.

 

From the Principal’s Desk – Learning and Leading: One Child at a Time

It is haard to believe that we have completed the first quarter of the 2012-13 school year. We are thankful for having such a great school family. The support we receive from our parents is greatly appreciated. Our students are met each day by teachers who are among the best in the Wake County School System. As I walk through the building visiting classrooms, teachers are clearly holding high expectations for all students.

Our enrichment period has been an important addition to the instructional resources available to students. The period is 35 minutes long and addresses various academic needs of our students. Every student participates in this data-driven enrichment three times a week, spending this time to develop skills in a focused area of study.

Parents, we request your support in reviewing our school-wide HOWL (Honor, Order, Wisdom, Leadership) expectations with your child. And we continue to teach our students to apply the HOWL principles by following the Covey Habits: Be Proactive; Begin with the End in Mind; Put First Things First; Think Win/Win; Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; Synergize; Sharpen the Saw; and Find Your Voice. It is important that we continue to stress these habits with our children as they are valuable keys in their development as learners and leaders.

We also ask parents to continue to encourage our students to…1. Come to school prepared each day. 2. Participate in all academic activities, including field trips, small group projects and special presentations. 3. Maintain a positive attitude and healthy relationships with their peers and teachers.

A great resource for information is our CCMMS website – http://ccms.wcpss.net (Please note: It is “CCMS,” not “CCMMS.”) As frequent, effective communication is the key to maintaining healthy relationships, we welcome your comments, too!

Once again, we thank our awesome PTSA for keeping us informed and involved.  You are all valued and appreciated! Way to go, Red Wolves. Keep HOWLing!

– Dr. E. Morris-Bryant, Principal

 

Briefly…

 

JELLYBEANS Skate Night 

Put Saturday, Nov. 3, on hold to join your friends at Jellybeans Skating Center in Cary. This great business, located at 1120 Buck Jones Road, helps our PTSA raise money by returning funds to us as long as we bring in at least 100 participants. So bring your family and your friends to skate for our school on Nov. 3. If we do well, we will hold at least two more skate nights this year. Skate rentals are discounted for participants. Watch for more information. 

 

Painting the street red (and many colors more!) 

On Saturday, Sept. 15, 20 CCMMS students took to the streets as part of SPARKcon’s 11th Annual Raleigh Street Painting Festival. These students had a blast working alongside other middle school, high school, college and professional artists. Congratulations, students, on a street well-painted!

 

Do you carpool? 

Do you pick your child up at school and hate the long carpool lines? Do you get aggravated by parents who don’t know how to safely pick up their child in the carpool lane? If so, this is for you.

The PTSA has set up an account through Carpoolworld.com to help families find other families that they could carpool with. You can save hundreds of dollars in gas each year AND save time in the carpool line!

It’s simple! Go to the website carpoolworld.com and use the login name Centennial and the password Magnet. People are just starting to sign up, so if you don’t find another family right now, check the website weekly.

For questions, email Suzanne Newbern at s.newbern@earthlink .net.

And for those who continue to carpool, please be courteous to others and safe for everyone. Stay to the right, so cars leaving the parking lot can pass you safely. Wait your turn. And don’t let your child get into the car until you reach the marked carpool pickup area. This is for the safety of all. And most of all, be polite to the teachers with carpool duty. It’s a tough job, but we can make it easier by following the rules.

 

Wake SEIC: Helping Exceptional Students 

The Wake Special Education & Inclusion Committee (SEIC) strives to reach out to special-needs students and their families. This year, the committee has improved its website, created electronic newsletters and reactivated its Facebook page along with holding workshops geared to special education topics. SEIC also works closely with the county’s Special Education Advisory Council to make sure the needs of families are being recognized.

Want more information or to sign up with SEIC? Their web address is www.wake-seic.org and their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/wakeseic. You may also sign up for their Google forum by sending an email request to wake-seic+subscribe@googlegroups.com or click on the link on SEIC’s website.

In addition, the state’s Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, part of the state Division of Public Instruction is inviting teachers, school administrators, service providers and especially, parents of children with disabilities to the 62nd Conference on Exceptional Children to be held Nov. 14-16 in Greensboro. Online registration and additional information is available at http://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/conferences-profdev/annual-conference.

 

 

Thanks to volunteers

A special thanks to all of you who have volunteered so far to lead PTSA committees, work at events or, most importantly, serve on the board. We have especially noted that many of the Book Fair volunteers are continuing to help in the Media Center, which is appreciated very much by Media Center director Robin Willis. Those parents who donated food for the Teacher Appreciation Lunch on early release also are to be commended.  Another early release lunch is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 19. Contact Chair Freda Diaz at diaz_freda@hotmail.com to volunteer.