The Bobcat Blaze
April 12, 2024
+++We Are AC Moore STRONG+++
SCHOOL VISION
A.C. Moore Elementary School is committed to fostering productive citizens by ensuring all learners achieve their personal best in a supportive, creative, intellectual, and culturally diverse learning environment.
SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
A.C. Moore Elementary School stakeholders will collaboratively use research-based, data-driven, and arts-infused instructional practices to empower and encourage all students to achieve their personal best.
STAFF CORE VALUES
Passion: Embracing and nurturing our school community
Intentionality: Purposeful, Present, & Prepared
Accountability: Growth Over Ego
Student Pillars of Leadership: PreK - 2
Respect
Cooperation
Community
Responsible
Self-Control
Caring
Trustworthy
Student Pillars of Leadership: 3rd - 5th
Respect
Collaboration
Citizenship
Responsible
Self-Discipline
Empathy
Integrity
APRIL
- April 15th - SIC Meeting - Virtual - 6pm
- April 18th - Poem In Your Pocket Day
- April 20th - Bobcat Benefit - 6:00pm
- April 22nd - Spring Book Fair Week
- April 22nd - PTO Meeting - 5:30pm
- April 23rd - Interims Go Home
- April 24th - Spring STAR Testing - Reading - K-5
- April 25th - Bobcats on Board - Lets Aim For 100% Attendance
- April 25th - Spring Individual Picture & Class Picture Day
- April 25th - Spring Fling - 5:00pm
- April 26th - Early Release Day @ 11
- April 26th - Fitness Fun Run
- April 29th - Field Day
- April 30th - STAR Spring MATH Testing - K-5
Principal's Message
Happy Friday Bobcat Families!
We have had another great week here in Bobcat Country. Thank you for always trusting our staff to do what is best for your students. Please ensure you are checking students' take-home folders, Class Dojo, homeroom newsletters, and our school newsletter often. These are the methods in which we communicate pertinent information. There are many events and important dates approaching and we want to ensure you do not miss out.
Thank you to all parents who completed the State Climate Survey on behalf of AC Moore. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to reviewing the anonymous results in the Fall.
Have a great weekend Bobcats!
Reporting An Absence
Need to report an absence to Mrs. Thorpe? Use the following link:
Please note if you are using the form to notify Madolyn Thorpe of upcoming absences related to family trips, you must first email Principal Aldridge (laquana.aldridge@richlandone.org) for prior approval or the absences will be marked unexcused.
Flashback Friday
Our students and staff are treated daily to "The Bobcat Beat" which is our school's morning news program produced and anchored by AC Moore students alongside librarian Jessica Warren. One special part of Friday's news show is FLASHBACK FRIDAY where students get to see photos of themselves at work throughout the week. We will post each Friday's edition in The Bobcat Blaze. See if you can spot your Bobcat at work!
April Book of the Month: My Poet
Please see the following attachment for information regarding this month's book of the month.
Bobcat Fun Run
Please see the information attached regarding this year's Bobcat Fun Run. Your students will come home with a hardcopy as well as these permissions slips need to come back ASAP if you want your student to participate.
Rising Kindergarten Orientation
Paws & Pages - From Librarian Mrs. Warren
Spring Book Fair
Our Spring Book Fair will be here April 22 - 26! Please look for the preview flyers that will be sent home next week for a sneak peek at the selection of books that will be available for purchase. You can now set up an eWallet account for your student to purchase items at the book fair. It is like purchasing a gift card and allows students to shop without keeping up with cash and change. To set up your eWallet account, please click the link below.
***The book fair will be open during Spring Fling so we hope to see you out on April 25th!***
If you would like to donate money to help fund books for our students who cannot afford to shop at the book fair, please click the link below. It will be added to an eWallet account for Mrs. Warren and she will make sure students who are unable to make a purchase get to choose a book.
End of the Year Reminders for Library
It's hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the end of the 2023-2024 school year! Please be mindful of the following dates for library.
May 6-10: Last week to check out books from the Library
May 17: All books due back to the library for the year
Mrs. Warren will begin sending notices home next week for overdue books. Please help your student locate any missing books so they can be returned by the final due date. Thank you!
Blazers Needed for News Crew
Did you know that ACM has a daily news show for students called the "Bobcat Beat?" I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with 4 crews of talented 5th graders who meet me on their scheduled week to record the news show which is then sent out to our teachers to view with their class each day.
I would love to enhance the professional quality of our news broadcasts and need your help! Our news crew would greatly benefit from the donation of gently used, clean blazers for our recording sessions. These blazers will not only add a polished touch to our broadcasts but also instill a sense of professionalism among our students. If you have any small blazers that are no longer in use but still in good condition, we would be incredibly grateful for your donation. Please send any donations with your student to the attention of Mrs. Warren. Your generosity will contribute to the success of our news program and provide valuable opportunities for our students to develop essential skills. Thank you!
Note: You can view each Friday's edition of the Bobcat Beat (with our special "Flashback Friday" segment) linked in the Blaze. Be sure to check it out each week!
Community Literacy Opportunities
There are many opportunities to engage in literacy outside of school. Here are a few things coming up!
All Good Books Storytime:
Every Saturday at 10am
Mrs. Warren will be leading Storytime on 4/13.
Richland Public Library:
There are many events that you can take part in throughout the month at all locations of the library. Click the link below for a full calendar of events. you can filter the results by location and/or audience to see what's available near you!
Superintendent's Book Club Challenge Results
Congratulations to all of our students who have met the Superintendent's Book Club Challenge! New participants are in italics at the bottom of the grade level lists. Final grade level winners are bolded.
5th Grade
Jonah McClimans (top 5th grade reader- 6,063)
Ethan Miles
Reet Modgill
Kalani Scales-Inabinet
Molly Shearer
Gabe Yahya
Emma Flach
Silas Grace
Saunders Linden
Hiram Rudell
Molly Shearer
Cameren Boyan
Miracle Estrada
Lucy Rankin
Gabriella Banks
Kinsley Scott
Gabriella Banks
4th Grade
Victoria Arreola Loaiza (photo taken)
Matthias Gilbert (photo taken)
Erny Inek (photo taken)
Tallon Moody (photo taken)
Bryson Smith (photo taken)
Lila Stonestreet (photo taken)
Dyuthi Sudheer (photo taken)
Hooper Wallace
Jackson Watson (photo taken)
Kareem Evans
Dakota Harris (photo taken)
Sanaia Turner-Hill
Gabby Galvez Rivero
Tallon Moody (Top 4th Grade Reader- 6,746)
Jonah Owens
Carter Rice
Andrew Walker
Trinity Williams
Camden McCauley
Hank Fields
Morgan Avant
Ivy Germain
Esther Lopez Aguilar
3rd Grade
Queen Evans
Praise Chea
Webb Reardon
Maddie Flach
Luke Horton
Nell Wallace
Joshua Pimentel Flores
Dennis Ayala (Top 3rd Grade Reader 2,082)
Kristian Brazier
Charlie Brewer
Ke'Aira Jeffcoat
Mi'King Woodson
2nd Grade
Rahini Chaudhuri (Top 2nd Grade Reader 1,975)
1st Grade
Stella Fields
Chase McQueen
Maggie Smith
Wilder Tennis
Driscoll Lindenburg (Top First Grade Reader- 9,593)
Aintik Manna
Scarleth Ayala Maldonado
Lauren Bonds
Ivy Hall
Thorin Hill
Rowan Linden
Walker Linden
Aishat Lateef
Kindergarten
Gavin Oree (Top Kindergarten Reader
Abdulmaleek Abioye (1,555 minutes)
Sanai Harris
Ann Malone Summers
Sofia Taskina
PreK
Danis Akimaliev
IO Conway
Aryan Kumar
Crosby Thompson
Destiny Andrews
Shivansh Raut
Maxine Sullivan
Noemi Velasquez-Lopez
Camden Wright
Yangbo Zhang (Top Pre-K Reader 1,754)
Delilah Ligon
Arts In Action: The Music Message
This week, our Bobcat Chorus students represented A.C. Moore at the Bloom for the Blues Dreher cluster event. We are so proud of them!
Our Bobcat music groups will be performing soon at Spring Fling on April 25th at 5:00 PM and at our Spring Music Concert on May 2nd at 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Mark your calendars!
2024 - 2025 Academic Calendar
Attached is the approved academic calendar for the 2024 - 2025 school year.
PTO Bobcat Benefit
See the flyer attached regarding information for the annual PTO Bobcat Benefit. We hope to see you there on Saturday, April 20th at 6pm.
Boys & Girls Club Info
Norman Arnold Boys & Girls Club registration is open now for the next school term for the afterschool care (Community Membership 24-25). The fee is $25 per member. You have to register by April 15th, 2024. The price will change after that date.
Register online @ https://portal.begreatacademy.com.
Ms. June C. Booth
Campus Director
Norman Arnold Campus
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands
1100 South Holly Street
Columbia, SC 29205
Cell 803.767.3567
Office 803.343.8753
Fax 803.252.9413
Celebrations
Congratulations to 5th grader Reet Modgill for earning several awards at the USC Regional Science Fair. One of her awards includes 1st place in the Biological Science Plants and Animal category.
Arts in Action: Visual Arts
Congratulations to Lucy Rankin, & Kalani Scales-Inabinet whose artwork was selected for the South Carolina Art Education Association: Central Region Youth Art Month Show!
The Central Region Youth Art Month exhibit is located in the community gallery at the Richland Library Main on Assembly Street through March 30th.
A special Congratulations to Lucy Rankin who won: Second Place in the Elementary Division. Her artwork will now move to the State YAM competition.
We are so proud of our creative and hard-working Bobcats!
YMCA News & YMCA Summer Info
Hello AC Moore families,
Attached is the March newsletter for Y-Club afterschool. Please note a few important things:
The last day of Y-Club for the school year is Friday May 24th. There will be no Y-Club the last week of school (May 28-31) in order to train our summer camp counselors.
There IS early release programming available on April 26.
Additionally, please see attached biography and join me in welcoming Miss Natalie Woods! Natalie is the new Youth Development Coordinator downtown, and is working closely with me to assist in office and on-site to make our youth programs even better for the kids.
Catie Young
Youth Development Director
YMCA OF COLUMBIA
Downtown YMCA & Jeep Rogers YMCA
(P) (803) 683-2308
Community News
My name is Antonia Davis, and I am the Midlands Regional Manager for the Equity & Excellence in Education Parent Support Program at Columbia Urban League. Our program aims to unite, educate, empower, and uplift parents through education, support, and awareness to improve their child’s success. We serve parents with students in K5-12th grade.
The Equity & Excellence In Education Parent Support Program staff has a virtual Accommodation and Accessibility “Understanding IEPs and 504 Plans” Bootcamp session on April 25th via Zoom from 6:00 pm.-to 7:30 p.m.
During the Zoom, parents will connect with the Family Connections of South Carolina and other parents and will learn more about:
- An introduction to special education support for students of all ages
- Information on how to navigate the special education process.
- Key terms and the components of an IEP
- Roles of Individual Education Program (IEP) team members
- An overview of 504 plans, how they differ from an IEP, and tips for becoming a more knowledgeable and active participant in your child’s educational meetings.
Let's spread the word to our communities and get parents involved more for their child's success. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through this email and share it with the community
Thank you,
Antonia Davis, MPA
Midlands Regional Manager
Equity & Excellence in Education Parent Support Program
Columbia Urban League, Inc.
1400 Barnwell Street
Columbia, SC 29201
803.799.8150 ext. 123
PTO Volunteers Needed - Monthly Breakfast Cart
Interested in donating your time or some morning meal items to the monthly breakfast cart for our staff? The PTO needs you! Please use the following link to help out: https://signup.com/go/nBxKeXC
AC Moore Spring Fling - Save The Date
SAVE THE DATE - 5th Grade Meet-Up
Connect with Us
Website: www.richlandone.org/Domain/26
Location: 333 Etiwan Avenue, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 343-2910
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acmooreelementary
Twitter: @ACMooreBobcats