Families,

TODAY is Eagle Fun Fest! Please be sure to bring layers for your and your children as the temperatures for this evening are expected to be below 70. The Harris Creek PTA and school staff have been hard at work preparing for a fun-filled event! Please be sure to read all details below to be ready to have a great time and access our event safely.

Please pay specific attention to the updated parking plan which includes the addition of a family drop-off spot near the pavilion at the bus loop entrance (all children must be with an adult to be dropped off). Thank you to all who have sent in donations and volunteered your time!

REMINDER: All visitors to our school must have a form of ID (drivers license, passport) on their person in order to visit or to sign a student in or out. The ID is scanned at the kiosk in the front office. There are no exceptions to this security policy and it is the same at every WCPSS school. 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

We are so excited to host the community for another amazing Eagle Fun Fest Event! Given the amount of families attending and limited parking space, the parking plan has been changed to ensure safety of all attendees and access to the campus for emergency vehicles if needed.

Parking will be LIMITED to the number of actual parking spaces we have available on campus. Parking will not be allowed anywhere other than designated parking spaces with lines. This means there will be no parking allowed in the carpool loop or bus loop as in past years. Raleigh Police officers will be at each entrance to campus along with school staff to count vehicles and close the parking lots when they are full. As people leave and parking spaces become available, vehicles will be allowed in (one in/one out).

NEW: A family DROP OFF space will be available at the beginning of the bus loop entrance next to the pavilion. All children MUST be with an adult when dropped off and then can walk down the sidewalk to the event. There are no exceptions to this rule as children must be accompanied by an adult for this event.

Please make alternate plans for parking/carpool in case the parking lots are full when you arrive. Thank you for your help in making this year's Eagle Fun Fest safe!

The HCES Run Club, led by PE Teacher Coach B, recently wrapped up the spring session by reaching their goal of running over 200 miles to "Arrive" in Kitty Hawk, NC! Check out the map below which shows their route and distance run each session of Run Club. Congratulations Run Club!

This past Thursday, the Inaugural 5th Grade HCES Achievers Club visited the campus of NC State University along with club sponsors 2nd Grade Teacher Carrie Johnson, Behavior Intervention Coach Ron Bugg, and Media Specialist Laura Bonham. Students experienced a variety of exciting campus components including classroom buildings, athletic facilities, and the famous Expression Tunnel.

The primary goal of the HCES Achievers Club is to expose our young gifted students to potential careers, vocational trade schools, and college campuses. 5th grade students are nominated by their teachers to be part of this club and must commit to the following:

Academic commitment

• Complete all assignments on time, demonstrate organization, time management, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn
• Maintain 3s and 4s on their report card in all subjects

Social commitment

• Listen to teachers, maintain a positive attitude, and follow SOAR expectations
• Respect others and avoid disruptive behaviors

We look forward to continuing this incredible new club next school year for a new group of 5th grade students!

Please take a moment to fill out the Panorama Family Engagement Survey for EACH WCPSS student in your household. Survey is open April 8 - May 17! Available in multiple languages

NEW: QR Codes to scan and complete this survey will be available around the campus during Eagle Fun Fest

HCES School Counselors Jessica Krauss and Mark Speight have created this excellent resources for parents and caregivers to support their child's and their own mental wellness. Use the links below to access the video and attachments. The goals of the workshop are:

1. Understand why mental wellness is important for Elementary School Children
2. Identify mental health warning signs and how to address them early on
3. Learn ways to support your child’s mental health and wellness

We will be hosting Career Week at the Creek, from May 14th - 17th. The week will include:

• A dress up theme for each day.

• Career activities for all grade levels throughout the week.

• Career Fair on Friday, May 17th for 4th & 5th grade classes. Classes will attend the fair between 9:30 am - 12:30 pm on a pre-set schedule. More details will be shared closer to the even

Click this link or click the picture below to sign up to volunteer!

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.

• Eagle Fun Fest 4/26
• Yearbook Pre-Order - use button below to place your order, yearbooks are $20
  
• [AMAZON WISH LIST] Help Stock The Teacher's Lounge! 😋
• 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

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.

If your family needs more than 2 carpool tags or you have lost one, please use the link below to submit payment for additional tags. Tags may be picked up in the front office after payment has been processed.

If you are a first time carpool user, you can stop by the front office to get 2 carpool tags for free.

• Apply for Free and Reduced Price Meals 🍕🍴🍌

• 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 child’s 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)

  cnsmealbenefits@wcpss.net

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.

HCES Carpool Expectations

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 student’s 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.

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!

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.

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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.

General health guidance can be viewed here: https://www.wcpss.net/Page/168

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.

• Apr 26: Eagle Fun Fest 5:30-8:30pm
  
• May 6-17: Teacher Appreciation Weeks
• May 13: Track 2 Last Day Before Track Out
• May 14: Track 3 returns
• May 14-17: Career Week+Career Fair
• May 23-27: EOG Testing Track 1
• May 29: SAVE THE DATE: Voices of The Creek Spring Concert - 6:30pm
• Jun 3: Last Day of School Track 1
• Jun 3: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 1 Celebration 10:30am
• Jun 5: Track 2 returns
• Jun 26: Last Day of School Tracks 2,3,4
• Jun 26: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 3 Celebration 11:00am
• Jun 26: SAVE THE DATE: 5th Grade Track 4 Celebration 1:00pm
• July 3: SAVE THE DATE: 1st-5th Grade Meet the Teacher Tracks 1,2,3 3-5pm
• July 26: SAVE THE DATE: 1st-5th Grade Meet the Teacher Track 4 5-6pm

As Harris Creek Eagles, we SOAR!

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