Patriots Family Newsletter
Patriots STEM Elementary School, May 6-10, 2024
Upcoming Dates
- May 9th: Reading EOGs 3rd, 4th, 5th
- May 10th: 3rd Math EOGs, 5th Science EOGs
- May 14th: 4th & 5th Math EOGs
- May 21st: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony
- May 22nd: Last Day of School, Dismissal at 12pm
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6th-10th
What's Happening Around Patriots
The Science Olympiad Team & Coach Ramachandran!
Thank you to all that helped with Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad
A Fantastic 5th Grade Talent Show!
Sir Purr from the Panthers came to give test taking tips!
CCS Parent Engagement Survey
Dear CCS Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Evaluating a school’s learning environment and organization is important for school districts. Our School Quality Survey was developed so a variety of stakeholders — instructional staff, administrators, parents/guardians, and students — could assess their school and their experiences. This survey instrument includes items that each of these stakeholders can respond to, allowing for rich analysis of perceptions across stakeholder groups.
Parent feedback is one way for us to engage in an ongoing, two-way dialogue, which is a critical step to our district providing the best educational experience for all students.
This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Cabarrus County Schools is administering the survey and analyzing results. Reports will not identify individuals, and only overall data will be shown. No one in Cabarrus County Schools will know if you participated unless you identify yourself in the open-ended comments. If you have questions about this survey or your confidentiality, please contact Cabarrus County Schools at cabcoschools@cabarrus.k12.nc.us . This survey will close at 11:59 P.M. on May 9, 2024. If you have multiple children in the district, please submit a survey for each child's school.
Thank you for taking the time to provide your honest feedback. I look forward to sharing the results with you in the coming months.
Stay Well,
John Kopicki, Ed.D.
CCS Superintendent
Click this link to access the survey: https://engagewithccs.com/spring-2024-parent-engagement-survey
Lost & Found
Please remind students to look through Lost & Found. We will donate unclaimed items May 24th.
Sun Bucks
The USDA has launched a new, permanent program to provide food assistance to children and families during the summer. The SUN Bucks program will officially launch in summer 2024! SUN Bucks will provide grocery-buying benefits to qualifying families with school-aged children during the summer months when schools are on summer break. SUN Bucks is sometimes referred to as Summer EBT.
SUN Bucks benefits are issued to debit-like cards (EBT cards) that families can use to purchase nutritious food. Beginning in summer 2024, families will receive $120 per eligible child for the summer period.
Who Will Qualify to Receive SUN Bucks?
Some families will have to apply for the SUN Bucks program, but many students will automatically qualify for the program. Children will automatically qualify if they already participate in any of the following programs:
· Free or Reduced-Price (FRP) meals at school because they have an approved FRP application at school, or
· Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, food stamps), or
· Work First (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), cash assistance), or
· Medicaid with household income below 185% of the federal poverty level, or
· Foster care.
Kindergarten Registration for 2024-2025
Welcome Class of 2037!
Kindergarten registration for 2024-25 is underway. Like this post and share with your rising Kindergarten friends and families.
Register now. Click here for more info and a schedule of open house events across the district for rising kindergarten families:
School Information
New Patriots Website
This is the address of our new school website.
Lunch Visitors
For the week of May 6 - 10 students with the last names A-G may have visitors for lunch time. Visitors must be listed in PowerSchool as approved contact. If you need to add a contact for your child, please contact the main office.
If you are celebrating a birthday, store bought cupcakes may be brought in . Cakes and balloons are not permitted.
Parent Teacher Organization Links
Absences
Transportation Change Link
Lunch Benefits
Car Rider Drop-off & Pick-up at Arrival & Dismissal
Starting on the first day of school, August 10th, all car rider traffic will need to enter at CC Griffin Middle School and travel down the newly paved road into Patriots.
Buses & Staff will still use the main Patriots drive.
Cars will exit the main Patriots drive.
Here are details about the route:
ROUTE MAP
VIDEO 1
VIDEO 2
Note: In afternoon only, we will use both lanes of newly paved service road to enter Patriots.
Also, please allow CC Griffin Staff to pass through to enter their parking lot.
Parent Square Communication App
Beginning July 1, Cabarrus County Schools will use ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare syncs your contact information directly from PowerSchool and updates daily. If you are receiving this message as an email or text, there is an account established for you in ParentSquare.
If you have not verified that account, you may visit www.parentsquare.com and register. Click "sign in" at the top of the ParentSquare homepage. Once directed to the sign-in screen, look for the "REGISTER" box. To register your account, enter the email or phone number where you received this message. On your initial sign-in, you do not need to enter a password. You will create your account password after you register. You can then follow the instructions to verify your account. If you do not register your account, you will still receive emails, phone calls and texts at this number or email moving forward. However, registering will allow you to enjoy the interactive features associated with ParentSquare and engage with your school community.
Once your account is registered, please visit your account settings page where you can choose your language preference and message delivery methods. You can choose to receive messages instantly, or you may choose to receive all non-emergency messages in one "digest" email at 6 p.m. daily. All emergency or urgent messages from your school or district will override your settings and deliver those messages instantly.
Any time there is change, there will be bumps in the road. However, we believe ParentSquare gives our schools and district an innovative approach to communicating and engaging our school families. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Cabarrus County Schools Director of Communications, Philip Furr, at philip.furr@cabarrus.k12.nc.us and we will work to find a solution to your problem so you can enjoy the benefits of ParentSquare.
What is ParentSquare?
ParentSquare is a unified communication platform that offers a whole host of tools which allows district, school administrators and teachers to more effectively communicate and engage with families and students. Some features include:
- Mass notifications and Urgent Alerts with two-way communication
- Mobile application for administrators and parents (iOS and Android)
- Attendance notifications
- Teacher and classroom communication
- Direct Messaging with two-way automatic translation
- Appointment Sign Ups (parent-teacher conferences, technology pick-ups, etc.)
- Calendar and RSVP
- Volunteering and classroom supply sign-ups
- And so much more!
Parent Getting Started Guide
Guía de inicio para padres
English Introduction Video
Vídeo de introducción en español
Tips for Parents & Guardians - English
Consejos para padres y tutores - Español
Meal Payments Moving to LINQ Connect
What is changing?
K12 Payment Center will no longer be used to process meal payments. All prepaid balances have been transferred to LINQ Connect, but parents will need to create a new account on LINQ Connect. Other school payments (school fees, etc.) will continued to be payed using K12 Payment Center. FAQs for both the desktop and app versions of LINQ Connect are attached to this post.
What is LINQ Connect?
LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to:
• Make an online payment to their student’s meal account
• Remotely monitor their student’s accounts
• Set up automatic recurring payments
• Set up low balance email message alerts
• Submit an online application for free and/or reduced meals
• View online breakfast and lunch menus
How do I get started?
1. Register: Create an account at https://linqconnect.com and selecting Register.
2. Verify your Account: Verify your account by clicking on the email verification link sent to your email address.
3. Sign In: Now you can sign in at https://linqconnect.com using your email and password.
How do I add my children to my account?
You will need to add your student to your LINQ Connect account. Click on + then Type and complete the information to link your student. You will need to complete this process for each student you wish to add.
Where can I get more information or help?
Please see the attached FAQs for both desktop and app versions of LINQ Connect. Contact Maria Antunez in the Cabarrus County School Nutrition Department at (704)260-5554 for further information.
School Bus Tracking App
Here are some links to get started using this app:
How to Set Up Parent CANVAS Account
Parents can see classroom information & resources on CANVAS.
Patriots STEM Elementary
Email: amy.peters@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/patriots
Location: 1510 Holden Avenue SW, Concord, North Carolina 28025
Phone: 704-260-6230