From the Abernethy Office

Well, it has been such a nice run of 5 days of uninterrupted school weeks. However, we do have Spring Break right around the corner. It never fails to feel like we just settled into a good spot when we have an interruption, or a break in school. But don't worry, when we come back, we will be right back at it!

Some of you may have seen the district email that came out last night regarding new start times for K-5 schools next year. It has been something that has been on the table in conversations, but has not been anything that was official, until last night. I do not like sharing information that has not been confirmed, or made official as things are always changing. I was hesitant to spread the word until we knew for sure that it was actually going to happen, and last night PPS decided to officially share the information.

Here is the district information that was sent out last night for anyone who has not seen it.

Beginning next school year, we added 15 instructional minutes for elementary and middle school students and provided all middle school students with a seven-period day. Accommodating these changes while supporting 410 minutes per week of teacher planning time and aligning our transportation systems requires us to adopt common start and stop times:

• At K-5 schools, students will now start at 8:00 AM and end at 2:30 PM

• At K-8 schools, all students will start at 8:45 AM.

• K-5 students will end at 3:15 PM.

• 6-8 students will end at 3:30 PM

• At middle schools, students will now start at 9:15 AM and end at 4:00 PM

• At high schools, students will now start at 8:26 AM and end at 3:30 PM

More particular variations of these schedules (e.g. early-dismissal or late-arrival) will be available in the coming weeks on your school’s website. Multiple Pathway to Graduation schools (alternative, charter and treatment schools) develop their own schedules and will be sharing those later.

This means that Abernethy will begin at 8:00am next year and will be dismissed at 2:30pm.

The part that is mentioned, but specific information has not been shared, is around the once a month early release. As it stands now, early release will happen once a month and our school will be released at 11:45am. I am telling you this now, knowing that there may be a change, but at this point in time, that is what we are going with.

I am attaching the PPS calendar for the 2024-25 school year.

Do you want to help out, but can't make it into the school? Do you love math, but don't want to run small math groups? Do you love math and want to be a part of something math related within Abernethy?

Well I have the perfect opportunity for you!

I am looking for a parent volunteer who wants to help run a math challenge program at Abernethy!

I am looking to start up a Math Challenge program at Abernethy, but I am in need of a partner. There is no need to be in the building as it would all be behind the scenes working with setting everything up and helping organize the distribution, collection and organization of all the student work.

Check out the website below and see if you would be intereasted. If so, please email me at mdunn2@pps.net

Program Description

This is a chance to make your very own dance! Nicole will show you how. Using fun and uplifting activities that break it down, every day students will explore one aspect of dance: body action, space, energy, and time. Then Nicole will show them how to combine the segments. By the end, the students will have a dance they can perform.

Dance is an excellent platform for social/emotional learning. It can be done individually as a form of self expression or in small groups to focus on collaboration.

Artist Biography- Nicole McCall

Nicole is an energetic and upbeat dance teacher known for her vibrant style. Having nurtured students as a studio owner and instructor for over 20 years, she now brings her passion into schools using creative dance as a kinesthetic classroom tool.

Today we had our yearly school Lock Down Drill. It is always hard to think of the reasons why we have to practice this drill, but we do, and we did. The school was very well prepared and all students and staff members did just as they should have.

Like I said, I do not like the fact that we have a need to practice this drill. The safety of all our Abernethy students is one of our top priorities and it is better to practice the drills than not. I am attaching an article that can help you talk to your students about the drill if you are finding some anxiety or questions coming home.

Hello Abernethy Families.

THANK YOU to those who have already made a donation. It’s now running through Friday, March 22nd.

Last week some people were having trouble with the donation website. If it’s not working for you please go to this link and click on 'Donate to a Specific School or Program' and then choose 'Abernethy Elementary' from the drop down menu it should work.

https://fundforpps.org/donate-index-impact

We have raised $29,000, about 50% of the Annual Appeal’s fundraising goal of $60,000! The money raised will help ensure enrichment programs, literacy and instructional support for our students. All donations to the Appeal will go towards the Fund for PPS. This fundraising helps support teacher positions.

Ask if your employer offers donation matching. Many employers match employee charitable donations. The Fund for PPS’s tax ID for matching purposes is 84-2040549. Be sure to ask them to indicate it’s for the ‘Abernethy Foundation’.

Thank you for your participation and showing your support for the Abernethy community!

Sincerely, 2023/2024 Annual Appeal Chair,
Beth Schuenemann

We have had 100 responses for our survey! Thank you to all that have completed the survey! If you have not done so please fill out the PTA survey here.

Our survey will close March 22nd.

While you do not need to be a PTA member to fill out the survey, you will need to be a voting member to approve the incoming budget. To become a PTA member please click here.

The PTA hosts general community meetings throughout the school year in the Abernethy Auditorium. All families are invited to attend and childcare is available in the cafeteria for in-person meetings.

To make participation in PTA Meetings as accessible and inclusive as possible, we will be hosting a HYBRID MEETING. All PTA members will be able to vote, ask questions, and participate in discussions whether they are in person or attending via Zoom. In person attendance is still preferred if you are able, but if virtual attendance works best for you and your family then please join us however you can! The link to join the meeting is here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89264936549?pwd=N1NHRnVocXM4V1g4N0kzMWRvMWt6Zz09

This meeting will include an important discussion regarding our current BUDGET GAP. PTA leadership will provide an overview of our current financial situation, which includes the reality that we are not on track to meet our goal for the Fund for PPS. The Fund for PPS fundraising (through the Annual Appeal and the Auction) is what Ms. Dunn uses to fund teacher and/or staff needs that are not met by PPS. The discussion during this meeting will go into more detail about how the Fund for PPS works, what the purpose of fundraising for the Fund is, and whether/how the PTA can try to bridge any shortfall in fundraising for staff. One option that is being explored is to transfer general PTA funds that are being held in reserve from excess fundraising in past years into the Fund for PPS in order to meet our budget goal. If you would like to learn more or want to let the PTA know your thoughts and feelings on this proposal and fundraising in general, please join us at the meeting!

Note: only PTA members may vote on motions. Community members must sign up for PTA membership at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Roll call is taken at each meeting. Members must be present, in person or remotely via Zoom, to vote. In order to vote at this Community Meeting, you must be a PTA member no later than 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

One of the easiest ways to support our kids’ physical education (and the environment) is by recycling redeemable cans and bottles through BottleDrop.

Blue redemption bags are always available in the front office, and the PTA also delivers bags to your home! Simply email our BottleDrop coordinator with your address and the number of bags you'd like.

To date, we have raised more than $4,500 to purchase PE equipment through BottleDrop. Thank you, Abernethy Community! Please see the PTA website for more information.

The eagerly awaited annual Fun(d) Run is making a comeback! This April 17th, we're calling on all our spirited young runners from Kindergarten to 5th grade for a day filled with joy, jogging, and generosity. With our ambitious goal to raise $30,000, every stride taken will directly contribute to enhancing our educational environment, including books for teachers, essential supplies, community events, and bolstering reading programs.

📅 Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, April 17th, 2024

• Weather: Come rain or shine, nothing will dampen our spirits!

• Participants: An exclusive event for our students from Kindergarten to 5th grade.

• Objective: To gather support for our cherished educators and their programs, blending fun with fundraising in the best way possible!

💡 How You Can Make a Difference:

• Warm Up for the Run: Students, get ready to flex those muscles and showcase your school spirit on the track!

• Support through Pledges: Stay alert for upcoming communications on how you can contribute to our fundraising efforts. Remember, every penny counts and brings us closer to our goal.

• Amplify the Excitement: Help us create a buzz by sharing information about this event within your circles. A larger audience means more support for our young runners and the noble cause they represent.

We'll be sharing more details about registration, the day's schedule, and how you can pledge your support very soon. Join us in making the 2024 Fun(d) Run a record-breaking event. It's more than a race; it's a united effort to enrich our school's educational offerings. We're excited to cheer on our young athletes at the starting line and witness their incredible determination and spirit!

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

As you read books with your students or have conversatoins around your home, ask your students some questions about being Knowledgable. Here are some ideas of questions that you can ask.

Questions When Reading Books

• Did the character knowledge impact their actions? How?
• How did the character’s knowledge affect other characters and/or events?
• How did the character’s curiosity help or hinder events?
• How did the character analyze and evaluate the new information they discovered?

Everyday Questions

• What is the connection between curiosity and being knowledgeable?
• Why does failure help us become more knowledgeable?
• How does being reflective increase knowledge?
• How can you become more knowledgeable?
• How does knowledge impact our actions?
• How does knowledge impact our ability to relate to people and events around us?
• What is the relationship between knowledge and curiosity?
• What is our responsibility to be knowledgeable, especially if we have Google to help us answer so many questions?

According to the National Women's History Museum, Women's History Month began as a week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California.

In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women planned the first "Women's History Week" in 1978 and timed it to coincide with International Women's Day. The idea spread to other local communities in the state and across the country.

In 1980, an association of women’s groups known as the National Women's History Project successfully lobbied for national recognition from President Jimmy Carter, who issued a proclamation that year recognizing the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.

President Ronald Reagan continued the tradition until 1987 when Congress designated the entire month of March as Women’s History Month with the passage of Public Law 100-9. Since then, every president has issued annual proclamations designating the month.