Bulldog Bulletin for Week of 9/2/24

Fliers will be sent home in next week's Tuesday (9/3) folders.

Addresses, Custody Agreements and Phone Numbers

​​If you have had a change or update in address, email address, custody paperwork, or phone number please contact Cecilia Sanchez via email csanchezguerrero@wcpss.net at or call the school at 919-460-3443. It is imperative that these updated are communicated to Ms. Sanchez prior to the start of the 24-25 school as this impacts our ability to effectively support our community.

Talking Points

​​TalkingPoints allows teachers to communicate with parents via text messages easily - including parents who don't speak English. TalkingPoints is a two-way multi-lingual platform that allows teachers and parents to communicate in over 100 languages. Teachers use a web or mobile application to send messages to parents who receive them in their home languages as text messages or through the parent mobile app. Parents can reply in their own languages because TalkingPoints will automatically translate it to English for teachers. The software will sync directly to parent contact information in PowerSchool. Please sign up here: Talking Points

Email

Emailing the teacher is another way to communicate. Please understand that teacher have 48 hours to respond but try to respond in 24 hours. They do not check email, during instruction, after school hours, on the weekend, or during breaks.

Smore

Mrs. Nelson will send a weekly Smore communication along side the PTA. Bi-weekly K-5 grade level teams will send Smore newsletters to families. This will include upcoming events, classroom activities, field trip details, and more.

Tuesday Folders

Teachers will send home Tuesday Folders weekly with student worker, flyers, and information. We are asking all families to return Tuesday Folders on Wednesdays or the following school day.

**Please let your teacher know what language you need materials sent home in.

2024-25 Transportation Requests:

If you are not currently registered for transportation but would like service next school year, register for service immediately. Please only request service if you plan for your student to be a regular bus rider. Students who don’t ride consistently will be removed from bus rosters. To register, go to www.wcpss.net/busrider.

Bus routes for traditional calendar students will be posted online (https://www.wcpss.net/Page/174) on August 16th. Once posted, families should confirm the location of their student’s bus stop. Bus stops change each year based on actual ridership.

A reminder that Briarcliff does not determine bus stop locations, families must make a request through transportation using this link.

Yellow Bus Delay Notification System:

This new notification system will send email and text notifications when buses are delayed, or when a bus is unavailable to pick up students. More information including parent communication and sign up instructions can be found here.

Carpool:

Please save your old carpool tags! Students will use the same tags they had last year. If you have a kindergartner coming they will use the same number assigned to their sibling last year. If you are new to Briarcliff and will be using carpool regularly tags may be picked up in the cafeteria during our Meet the Teacher event on August 23rd. Please remember, carpool tags are not required for families who only use carpool for morning drop-off.

You must get in the carpool line. We only dismiss carpoolers through the line. You must also get in the carpool line for morning drop off. No Exceptions can be made.

Carpool begins at 8:45. Students will be marked late at 9:15. Students must be signed in by an adult in the office at 9:15. You can NOT just drop off if you are late!

For afternoon pick up you must be in the carpool line no later than 4:05. Parents who are consistently late will be asked to put their student on the assigned bus in order to allow staff close the building by 4:05pm.

Walker Tags

Only students assigned by WCPSS can be walkers. Students walking can NOT be picked up by a car on Pond Street. You will be told to get in carpool if you try parking on Pond Street. This is a huge safety hazard.

Changes to AfternoonTransportation

If your child requires a change to PM transportation this must be done prior to 1:00pm. Families must 1-call the office, 2-send a Talking Points message and 3-email. This allows the front office staff ample time to ensure that this change has been communicated to both students and staff.

If you need to pick up your student early from school it must be done by 3:15. There are no exceptions. At 3:15 families will be instructed to go through carpool. This allows us to ensure safety as we approach the end of our instructional day.

Meal prices for the 2024-25 school are noted below.

• Breakfast Cost--$1.75
• Lunch Cost--$3.50

Pre-Pay for Meals Online:

The easiest way to pay for school meals is to create an online account at www.MySchoolBucks.com. Please remember, you will need your child's student ID number to register. Once registered, parents may load money, set spending limits, and set-up auto-loading so that your child never runs out of lunch money.

Free/Reduced Price Meal Application:

If your family is in need of meal assistance, I strongly encourage you to complete and submit an application for Free/Reduced Cost Meals. Families in need of meal assistance must reapply every school year if they are interested in receiving meal benefits. Applications may be submitted online at https://www.wcpss.net/Page/1849. Paper copies are also available at the school.

Please remember that students cannot receive medication (prescription or over-the-counter) at school without a signed 1702 form. This includes sunscreen. The 1702 form is linked below and must be signed by a licensed medical doctor before being submitted to the school.

• Form 1702--Parent's Request and Physician's Order Form for Medication

All prescription medication must be in original packaging with a pharmacy label. Over the Counter (OTC) medications must be in the original packaging and labeled with the student's name. Medications may be dropped off at school at our Meet the Teacher event in August.

Before and after-school care will be available for students onsite at Briarcliff for the 24-25 school year. Applications and registration information for the before and after-school care programs can be found on our website at: https://www.wcpss.net/domain/11295.

Every year you are required to reregister to volunteer. We would love to have you help in classrooms, in the media center, on field trips, with clubs and more. To do this you must be registered as a volunteer. Register as a WCPSS volunteer https://www.wcpss.net/Page/55232

Reminder: Students are not allowed to bring personal devices to school. If they bring a phone, it must be kept in their backpacks and on silent at all times. Smart watches may be worn but need to be in airplane mode as well. They may not be used to play games, make phone calls and/or take pictures on campus.

Welcome back, Bulldogs!

The Briarcliff Elementary PTA is here to serve our school and our community. We aim to help our children and families, support our teachers, build connections, and let your voice be heard. We hope you’ll connect with us and get involved!

• Meetings: the second Tuesday of the month at 7pm, in-person & online!

• Email: briarcliffptanc@gmail.com

• Website: https://briarcliff.givebacks.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriarcliffPTA

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briarcliffpta

All are welcome! Join or renew your PTA membership now for the 2024-2025 school year: https://briarcliff.givebacks.com/store

Our goal? Support our kiddos, and amazing school staff, build parent connections, advocate, and give back!

A PTA membership is the easiest way to make a difference at Briarcliff. ANYONE can join – parents, teachers, students, staff, grandparents, caregivers, community members, & friends.

There are many ways to get involved with the PTA! Choose whichever ways work best for you and your family, and know that your gifts of time, money, or effort are always appreciated – and go to an amazing cause!

Here are 5 super simple things you can do right now to help:

1. Sign up for a Teacher Support committee: https://briarcliff.givebacks.com/w/tsc

2. Download the R City Rocks app to support local businesses & our school: https://www.rcityrocks.com/the-triangle/briarcliff-elementary-pta

3. Link your Harris Teeter VIC card – login and search for "2938 - BRIARCLIFF ELEMENTARY-PTA": https://tie.harristeeter.com/together-in-education

4. Use Givebacks when you dine or shop online: https://www.givebacks.com

5. Check whether your job offers Employer Match for donations.

You are invited to our first PTA meeting of the year! Join us on Tuesday, September 10, at 7pm – in the Media Center and on Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gpo-zcpo-vnk.

Come see what we’re all about, meet other Briarcliff families, and help us lay the groundwork for an amazing year! This is a voting meeting to set our priorities and budget for the rest of the school year, and we want to include as many voices as possible in the discussion. Please attend if you can!

ALL are welcome to attend, but only paid PTA members may vote – and you can vote in-person or online. (Not a member yet?)

On Wednesday, September 11, McDonald’s at 869 SE Maynard Road (map) will donate 20% of ALL sales between 4-7pm to Briarcliff.

Enjoy a meal while supporting our school! Plus, this is a great opportunity to run into your children's new classmates and their families!

There is a lot at stake for our public schools and our students in the November 5 general election. Now is the time to check that you are registered and have a valid photo ID!

The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 general election is October 11 at 5pm, and same-day registration is available for in-person early voting October 17 – November 2.

• Check your voter registration status at https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/checking-your-registration.

• Learn more about the upcoming election and voting requirements at https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting.