The Eagle's Call π¦
Friday, March 1st, 2024
From Principal Tim Huber
Families,
We have an exciting week coming Monday with the start of the book fair and the Coin Craze competition and fundraiser! Students can begin bringing coins and bills to contribute to their grade level on Monday. Please be sure to take advantage of the book fair evening hours on Wednesday March 7th from 4:30-6:30pm.
Special Request of All Parents/Caregivers: After recent increase in cell phone access related incidents (both in and out of school) involving Harris Creek students, I am requesting that all parents and/or caregivers consider further restricting their child's access to cell phones and social media. Elementary school students have not yet developed mature decision making skills that prepare them for safe and appropriate cell phone and social media use. One strategy used by many parents and caregivers is to take their child's cell phone each evening at a specified time and take it to their own bedroom for overnight charging. Please consider this strategy and others to ensure your child does not use his or her phone inappropriately.
Reminder - Until March 8th only: WHEN STAFF IS PRESENT: students will be allowed to exit vehicles early before the bell rings so that the line can begin moving before 8:45am. This will help the most possible students arrive to class on time. Beginning March 11th, we will resume regular AM carpool where students will stay in their vehicles until the bell rings at 8:45am. Thank you!
Today and always, thank you for your continued support of your children and our school. Together, we will help our children SOAR to reach their greatest potential!
Email: thuber@wcpss.net
Website: https://www.wcpss.net/harriscreekes
Location: Harris Creek Elementary School, Forestville Road, Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone: 919.217.5100
Facebook: facebook.com/HarrisCreekPta
From Art Teacher Kim Demartz: I am pleased to announce that next week ( March 4-8th) we have an exciting event happening at our school! It is being made possible through our generous PTA and the ARTISTS in SCHOOLS grant program through United Arts of Wake County.
Mr. Dave McDonald, illustrator, author and comic strip creator, will be doing a week -long ARTIST in RESIDENCE program with the six FOURTH GRADE classes. They will work to create their very own comic strips utilizing their illustration skills with creative writing, storytelling, plot sequences, and character development, while integrating the NC social studies curriculum referencing geographic regions and state symbols.
Thank you to the FOURTH GRADE TEAM for their cooperation & expertise, ADMINISTRATION for encouraging the arts with our students, PTA & United Arts for their continued arts funding.
Learn more about Dave McDonald's work at his website: https://www.davemcdonald.com/
[NEW + UPDATED] Spring Run Club - Registration Open Now! πββοΈπββοΈ
[NEXT WEEK] Spring Book Fair and Spirit Week: March 4th-15th π
Please use the button below to sign up to volunteer during our upcoming book fair. Volunteers assist with book fair operations such as the register and stocking books. Thank you!
[UPDATED] PTA News π€
Although opportunities to attend meetings and to volunteer are available and will be offered, it is not a requirement for PTA membership. Please consider joining the PTA and supporting our school in whatever capacity you are able.
- [NEW] Coin Craze Begins March 4th! The grade level with the highest total wins a special treat
- [NEW] Yearbook Pre-Order - use button below to place your order, yearbooks are $20
- [AMAZON WISH LIST] Help Stock The Teacher's Lounge! π
- Join the PTA
- Upcoming PTA Meeting Dates: 4/16 at 6pm
- Teacher Breakfasts/Lunches: 4/18/24, 5/13/24, 6/27/24
- PTA Angel Fund: Please consider a donation to fund field trips for other Eagles! Click the link to donate: all donations go towards funding individual students for future field trips
- Check out the School Spirit Wear Online Store!
- Follow the Harris Creek Elementary PTA Facebook page
[REMINDERS] For 5th Grade Families
- 5th Grade Ad purchase is due today March 1st - purchase an ad HERE
- 5th Grade Baby Pictures are due today March 1st
- Rolesville Middle School Open House is Thursday March 7th! (see graphic below)
[NEW] Single Subject Acceleration Nomination Window Open β
Single Subject Acceleration
Students meeting qualifying criteria in grades K-7 can take advanced academic content in mathematics or English Language Arts through Single Subject Acceleration (SSA). This ensures opportunities for appropriate levels of academic challenge. Only students who are currently enrolled and attending a WCPSS school during the open nomination and testing window are eligible to be considered for SSA.
Test Requests for the 2023-24 school year must be submitted during your schoolβs calendar request window. No late requests will be accepted.
Year-Round Tracks 1 and 3: February 21 - March 5, 2024
- Year-Round Track 4: March 11 - March 22, 2024
Year-Round Track 2: April 1 - April 12, 2024
Testing Windows for 2023-2024 school year.
Year-Round Tracks 1 and 3: April 1 - April 12, 2024
Year-Round Tracks 2 and 4: April 22 - May 6, 2024
Tracks 1 and 3
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeT6odlztqX2mjSryNhmL7BZKtwEujZBuCD-3jWMe1yf2Kj1w/viewform
(form for tracks 2 and 4 coming soon!)
Parent Information Slideshow- CLICK HERE
[FAMILY RESOURCE] How Can I Help My Child With Math? π―
The second half of the school year can be a time of exponential academic growth for students! When it's time to help your child at home, be sure to use the below linked Google Site to support you.
Families: please use the below linked Google Site to access math curriculum information and resources for all grade levels K-5th. Information and resources are grouped by unit and lesson. To find out which unit and lesson your child is currently learning and/or which unit/lesson they need more practice with, please contact your child's teacher.[SAVE THE DATE] Eagle Fun Fest 2024! πͺ
Additional Carpool Tags Available For Purchase π
If you are a first time carpool user, you can stop by the front office to get 2 carpool tags for free.
School Meals Info π΄ π½
Apply for Free and Reduced Price Meals ππ΄π
Click this link for full details: Free/Reduced Meals. Please allow 10 business days for processing. For every student that turns in the free and reduced meals application and qualifies, the school also receives federal funds that benefit the students and teachers at the school. If you have not completed a free or reduced-price meal application and think your child may be eligible, pick up an application at your childβs school or apply online.
Cafeteria Menus: Menus are available on the interactive website, MealViewer.
- School Cafeteria Angel Fund: Our school cafeteria maintains a special account for when students forget to bring money for school meals on a day here and there. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please send cash or check in with your child or drop it off at the school with Cafeteria Manager Rachel Shepard. Thank you for your generosity!
MySchoolBucks App: With a MySchool Bucks account paying for school meals is easy. Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com or call (855) 832-5226 to enroll. You'll need your child's Student ID number, available in your registration materials or at your school. Once your account is established you may:
- Securely deposit funds to your child's account
- Check balances
- Set spending limits
Questions about applying for free and reduced meals:
(919) 856-2920 (English)
(919) 588-3535 (English and Spanish)
Volunteer Registration and Volunteer Opportunities π€
You can complete the application from home and on any device!
Click the button below to access the application form. Thank you in advance for registering to be a volunteer!
District policy regarding volunteers can be accessed here.
Transportation Reminders ππ
Please read the linked document in it's entirety.
ID Checks Take Place in The Front Office
Family members who do not have a carpool tag will be required to park (disabled spots) and come into the front office to have their ID checked to verify they are a student contact. This is a return to pre-pandemic procedures and to address staffing shortage. In addition, cars without carpool tags will remain in the carpool line rather than advance past the cones. If you need a new carpool tag, please come to the front office anytime during school hours. Thank you!
Students May Not Be Dropped Off Until 8:45am
Please be reminded of the expectation that students may not be dropped off until 8:45am. Students may not line up at the front door.
Carpool Efficiency Reminders
Please remember to pull forward as far as possible in both AM and PM carpool, have your student(s) open their own door, and put on your hazard lights if assistance is needed (AM). If needing to help your child get in the seat, please pull forward and into a parking space so that the line can keep moving. Thank you!
Please Display Carpool Number Tags Every Afternoon
In order to ensure an efficient carpool process, please remember to hang carpool number tags to display clearly from your vehicle's rearview mirror. Please reference the image below for proper placement. This is a critical step to ensure students leave their classrooms and come outside to the correct location on the sidewalk to be picked up. Thank you!
Bus Tracking App
Please use the Here Comes the Bus app (App Store or Google Play Store) to monitor the location of your studentβs bus and when it is approaching his/her stop. To sign up: https://herecomesthebus.com/parents/get-started/ . The WCPSS school code for school bus tracking is 67500. You will need to use your child's student ID number as well.
You can also follow @HCESBuses on Twitter to confirm when your child's bus leaves campus each afternoon.
Student Technology Need-to-Knows for Families π»
REPLACEMENT CHARGER POLICY
Each student is issued a charger with their Chromebook. If that charger breaks, or goes missing, we will replace it at no cost to you ONE time. After that, Media and Technology Committee along with HCES Administration, has determined it is necessary to pass along replacement costs to the students.
At this time, if your student loses or breaks their second charger, they will need to see the tech office. They will be advised to have you pay a $20 replacement fee on our payment portal (Online School Payment) to receive a new charger. Use the button below to order
For safety reasons, it is not advised to order your own replacement as standards must be met for wattage, manufacturing guidelines etc. Once paid for, we will handle securing a charger for your student.
Please note: we have a running record of all replacements that have been made to date that will be used to determine eligibility for a replacement charger.
WCPSS Technology Webpage: Acces information regarding:
- Smartphone/Device Safety
- Consent For Technology And Digital Resource Use
- Technology Related Policies
- Student Device Program
- Online Safety at School
- Online Safety at Home
- Digital Wellness
Reminder: Students should restart their WCPSS devices once per week.
Restarting also can resolve many other common issues impacting student devices. Always restart a WCPSS device before contacting the Help Desk. Thank you!
Need someone to talk to? Call the Parent Stress Line: 1.800.632.8188
Parents Helping Parents (PHP) prevention philosophy is grounded in a self-help model based on the belief that parents are capable of developing their own solutions when given the space, encouragement, and community resources that they need. Thus, it is the parents themselves who decide the direction a conversation will take during a Parent Support Group meeting or Parent Stress Line.
β
Through a combination of trust, mutual support, honesty, and collective wisdom, involvement with PHP can become the foundation for a parent's own personal growth and change.
Health and Wellness Reminders β₯
General health guidance can be viewed here: https://www.wcpss.net/Page/168
How to Easily Set Your WCPSS Communication Preferences
We recognize that you may be receiving a large volume of communication and we want to make sure you always see the information you need the most!
Set your SchoolMessenger message preferences by creating a SchoolMessenger Parent account. With this account you can select what information you receive and how you would like to receive it. You can create your account by downloading the SchoolMessenger app on your mobile device or go to https://go.schoolmessenger.com/.
Notes:
- Use the email address entered for your student in PowerSchool to sign up.
- Most messages from Mr. Huber and WCPSS are sent as email and text using the General School Info broadcast.
- To receive text messages, text YES to 67587.
- For more information and instructions on how to create an account, visit: https://www.wcpss.net/schoolmessenger.
Upcoming Dates to Remember π
- Mar 4-15: Spring Book Fair
- Mar 5: No School For All Students All Tracks - Teacher Workday - Primary Election Day
- Mar 6-13 - Spirit Week
- Mar 6: Statewide School Tornado Drill 9:30am
- Mar 6: Book Fair/Family Night Open 4:30-6:30pm
- Mar 8: Track 1 Last Day Before Track Out
- Mar 8: End of Quarter 3 for Track 1
- Mar 10: Daylight Savings starts
- Mar 11: Track 2 returns
- Mar 29: No School All Tracks - Good Friday Holiday
- Apr 1-5: Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
- Apr 26: SAVE THE DATE: Eagle Fun Fest (rain date May 3)
- May 29: SAVE THE DATE: Voices of The Creek Spring Concert - 6:30pm
- Jun 3: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 1 Celebration 10:30am
- Jun 26: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 3 Celebration 11:00am
- Jun 26: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 4 Celebration 1:00pm
Harris Creek Elementary School π¦
Website: https://www.wcpss.net/harriscreekes
Location: Harris Creek Elementary School, Forestville Road, Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone: 919-217-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarrisCreekPta
Twitter: @harriscreeekelem