December+Announcements

= December Announcements =

The question of comp time for Monday has been raised, and I wanted to address it directly. Comp time has not been granted by me for any after school event – Reading Rocks, Movie Night, PTA, etc. The Baldwin handbook states that staff is required to attend two evening activities a year. I do not believe in awarding comp time because I believe that attending a couple of these events a year is an essential component of being a teacher.Teacher are salaried employees. As salaried employees, you don’t get paid for a certain number of hours, you get paid to work until the job is done. Attending a couple of events at night should not be done with the expectation of a ‘quid pro quo’ but because you are committed to your students.

Don't forget to let us know your thoughts about PD for the spring!! We need the information before you leave for winter intersession!
== The Journaling PD will be broken up into five sessions (hopefully): One for reading response journals; one for interactive math journals; one for science notebooking; one for social studies PROBES; and one for "wrapping" up. (See Roush, Keefer and Schnabel for questions about journaling workshop) You will be able to take any combination of these workshops and then add, if necessary, homework time/activity if you want the 1 ceu. == == The other PD (Phonics/Words their Way) will be for reading credit. I know ceu requirements have changed BUT ... this is a great workshop and will fall in place with everything next year and will still be a great tool for this year ...never too late to use this and it is appropriate for ALL grades levels! (See Fazakerly for questions about this workshop) ==

= **Merry (early) Christmas to Baldwin!** = = **As we head into the Christmas holiday, please be reminded to take down your Christmas bulletin boards. We will be coming around with our "Alex" awards because there is some good work going on in the classrooms unrelated to the holidays! Thanks, Helms** = = = =Coups for Troops - If you have coupons for the military hanging around in your classroom, send them on down to the counselors' office or put them in my box. Make sure teacher name is labeled on the bag/envelope. We will keep track and another prize will be awarded in April. Go ahead and send coupons as you get them, so I can forward them on. If I send them all in April, many will be expired beyond the 6 months after the expiration date that overseas allow. (I hope that makes sense.) Thanks! -Bunce=

Letters for the Buonicontis - If you or your students would like to send sympathy cards to the Buoniconti family, please get them to Bunce/Strickland before dismissal Friday, December 16.
= = = Kudos to Mrs. Horn, I really enjoyed the Christmas show last night!!! Who knew someone can do all those moves while sitting in a chair!! Go girl!! Kudos to Mr. McKinney with helping us provide services to our EC students!! Thanks a bunch!! Next, IEP progress reports should be passed out tomorrow, but no later than Friday morning to go home in report cards. As soon as I get them to be printed out, myself and Mr. McKinney will pass them out. Also as I did for 1st 9 weeks, I will have you initial for receipt of progress reports. Thanks so much!! Sn: I am housed in C-9 now, please refrain from saying the M word to me!! Lol! = = I forgot to add yesterday that if you would like for your class to participate in our multicultural events, please let me know. (T. Robinson) = = = =My most heartfelt thanks go out to the First Grade teachers and assistants, Mrs. Moody, Mrs. Garrett, and a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Frye (she helped set up and take down at the evening performance! And I didn't even have to bribe her!). I truly appreciate all your help, I couldn't have done it without you. :) Becky Horn= Dear Teachers, I have placed PTA membership forms in your boxes. Please fill them out and return them, __along with your $7__ to me [Mrs. Robinson]. We are trying to get an active association going, which means we will need plenty of Parents and Teachers involved. It would be greatly appreciated if you would make copies of the form and send them home with your parents as well. (If they ask, they may also access the form through the school's website.) When we return, we will track and reward the top classes with the highest numbers of new members. We are in the process of planning activities to help the parents feel like valued stakeholders within our school- the first of which has to do with honoring the many cultures represented at our school. If you know of any parents/ individuals/ groups who would be interested in sharing their culture, please pass their contact information on to me. You may also give them my contact information. (This does not have to be done in person as they can create Power Point or Prezi presentations, send in traditional clothing, authentic flags, CDs of their favorite music, collages of pictures, etc.) Thanks for your support in helping improve our school and community relations! T.Robinson Is this required? While PTA membership is not required, my stance is that a teacher would have a really hard time proving proficiency in the below standard without at least minimally participating in PTA (Yardis) - //**2e. Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students.** Teachers recognize that educating children is a shared responsibility involving the school, parents or guardians, and the community. Teachers improve communication and collaboration between the school and the home and community in order to promote trust and understanding and build partnerships with all segments of the school community.// = = =To those who would like to view it, the "Baldwin Christmas Choir" is on the staff shared drive. You have to have Quicktime player on your computer to view it. Currently, it is in .3gp format. If ANYBODY wants to make a copy, convert it to .avi, then put an .avi copy back on the shared drive, I will gladly stick it on the school website. Enjoy. (R.Robinson)= = = Pre-K, 2nd grade, and special 4th and 5th grade classes: start coming down to the cafeteria tomorrow at 9:20 for the Christmas Program :)  I'm sorry for the announcements :( I'm not sure why there was advertising for "Flip for Mac" in the middle.... I think Mrs. Frashure has a new part-time job selling Mac software! Haha....I should!

EducationCity directions can be found on the Instructional Resources page. Logins and passwords will be in your mailbox shortly (if I can get a printer to work). I used prezi.com to make the presentation ...  ... check it out and see what you think. (Moody)

Time change for Monday morning's Christmas program. We will start at 8:30 am. 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades start down around 8:20. See you then! = = = I cannot even begin to list all of the many people who helped make "Movie Night" the success that it was. We got exactly what we wanted - a large crowd, but not too big. Surprisingly, I heard not a single murmur of displeasure or dissatisfaction from the staff, the kids, and most surprisingly, the parents. The goal was to be out of the building by 9:00p.m. I was the last one to leave, and I was in my car by 8:53p.m. The head custodian inspected before I left and was impressed with how clean the auditorium was (and how quickly we got it that way). In a nutshell, a good time was had by all. I want to personally recognize Mrs. Hart and Ms. Pownall for their efforts with the popcorn. While everyone in attendence pitched in, these two ladies were working like the rent depended on it! Mrs. H and Ms. P, your work did not go unnoticed. Thanks for all you did. To everyone who helped, thank you for all you did. (R.Robinson) = *Like* --Polumbo = = =Please check the Professional Development page to complete a survey(s) of new opportunities for PD here at Baldwin in the spring.= = From Dr. Locklear at HR: = = = In an effort to support our local university programs and employees who are seeking additional certification, I am pleased to announce an opportunity for all employees who may be interested in getting into the MSA program at UNC-Pembroke for the Spring and/or Summer Sessions. The university is looking to start up a new cohort of students and would very much like to speak with those on your staff that are interested. Please make your staff aware of this opportunity and if they are interested in looking into the program please forward this email with the attached link. The link is to a brief contact information survey that they will complete and submit. This information will be provided to a university program instructor who will personally contact each individual regarding the program. All contact information will remain confidential with the university. The link is currently active and will close at 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2011. If you have any questions please give me a call. = = Link: [] = =

= = = = == = = ==

This is a request by the Cafeteria Staff to the teachers or assistants that stand around the trash cans while students are dumping there trays PLEASE do not let them fill a trash can up to the top and running over. If we don't see it please just let one of us know we will take care of it. Today some of the trash cans were so full that we couldn't get the bags out. We are well aware that it is our job to take care of this and we will but you could help us if they get full before we can get to them. Thank you Mrs. Peal

Posting on the "December" page and the front page is getting rather confusing. Agreed - any posts on the front page will be deleted !

If you have any questions, please let me know. Strickland
BALDWIN IS GOING GREEN! In our efforts to have Baldwin named a Cumberland County Green School, we are asking that you encourage your students to recycle at school. It can be as simple as one wastebasket designated as the "paper can"(labels coming soon), or you can really jazz it up and add other recycling sections. At the end of the day, have a student place your recycling waste in a blue bin on your hall. There will be 4th and 5th grade helpers emptying these hallway bins daily around 1:50. Thanks for your participation in making our school even better! **Where is the recycling bin in A Hall? HOW about in any of the halls????**

Spring Common Core PD available.

===Congratulations to the awardees of the first ALEX Awards ... See if you can find them on your bulletin board displays. They are gold stars that were awarded to displays of fresh, original student work. Red Ribbon week and Thanksgiving are over !===

Mr. Dincher Mrs. Frye Mrs. Roush --- Really it is Mr. Thrash. I didn't do the fancy word circle things. :) Mrs. Schnabel Mrs. Davenport Mr. Patterson Mrs. Johnson Mrs. Pope
 * Reindeer hands ... no name but great original student work.

Who did we miss? We'll be around again soon for more awards.

3rd-5th grade teachers,
=== Please check your email for a link that I sent you if you would like to sign up for a 30 minute classroom guidance lesson on "TACT." This is a concept that students understand, but have a hard time applying. ===

TERRIFIC KIDS...
=== If each grade level chair will email me the number of TK awards your grade level needs that would be great. Instead of having each teacher email me and my inbox quickly filling up, this should be much easier. Thank You 1st grade for already having this taken care of! ===

Strickland
**REVISION!** Many of you have informed me that you will be having your own holiday celebrations Thurs. afternoon. Therefore, the attendance committee will deliver popcorn bags to your classrooms for the students that have had perfect attendance with 3 or less tardies. You will need to send the **number** of students with perfect attendance and less than 3 tardies, and the **names** of students with perfect attendance and no tardies to your attendance committee grade level person by **Monday Dec. 12**. PreK and K- Polumbo 1st-Payne 2nd-Johnson 3rd-Horn 4th-Thrash Collins, Smith-Lusane,5th -Beyard You may update your lists until Wed. afternoon if necessary- however, **IF I DO NOT HAVE YOUR NUMBERS/NAMES, YOUR STUDENTS WILL NOT BE RECOGNIZED!** M. Johnson

Baldwin will be starting a Student Council after the break - read about it here -. Please discuss in grade level, and bring any questions/concerns to the grade level chair meeting on Thursday.

I will be placing a shirt order this afternoon...Monday....another order will be placed in January if you can't make this one. Thanks. J. Scott

We need someone to sign up to do the announcements the week of Jan 17th - Mrs. Frashure has Dec 12th, Mr. Scott Jan 10th, but the 17th is open. Please step in! Thank you to the teachers/classes who have already performed - it is some work, but the kids really seem to enjoy it, both performing and seeing other classes perform.

Just a reminder that if your class will not be eating in the cafeteria because of the Holiday season PLEASE let Mrs. Peal know as soon as possible. We do not want to cook a lot of food that will have to be trashed if you don't bring your students to eat that day. A couple of reminders about eating in the classeroom 1) NO FOOD PREPARED AT HOME IT MUST BE STORE BOUGHT CCHealth Department Policy, 2) NO free or reduced student should be ask for money for the food they receive that day. 3) YOU ALWAYS have to offer them to come to the cafeteria to eat lunch, if they refused that is ok but they have to be asked. PLEASE let Mrs. Peal know about this ASAP and I will answer any further questions you may have. Thank you

P.S. Thank you to Mrs. Roush for helping me with the WIKI :)

For those of you who would like to order your own cheap pennants, here's a website that sells them for $5.95: [].

Moody would like some ... I'll label an area in my room to depost them ... thanks ... Sue
 * Pringles cans (empty) Yardis will eat them if you want to provide full cans
 * Tissue boxes (empty)
 * Plastic baby food "cubes" with lids (clean and empty)
 * Cereal boxes (empty)
 * Carboard box labels with writing
 * Plastic bottle twist caps

==Please keep Mrs. Stephen in your thoughts - she was in a car accident Wednesday evening and had to be hospitalized. She expects to be out through next week. Keep Mrs. Freshley in your thoughts as well. Her sister-in-law passed away last night. It was unexpected. ==

== Diretions to Massey Hill Lions Club for Staff Christmas Party: Take Legion Road to Owen Drive. Cross over. Name of road changes to Southern Avenue. Continue on Southern Avenue until you find Delcross Street on left. Make that left turn. MHLC is at end of street on left side. Party begins at 6:30. Come with plans to have a fantastic time. ==

[[file:Newsletter 12-5.doc]]
== This might be a silly question... Parents stay with kids at the movie night, right? The ticket is for them and a guest - we assume that would be an adult for the younger ones, but it is not mandatory that an adult stays with them. ==

== As you all know, students travel and/or move during the holiday season without the schools' prior knowledge. I'd like to have as many books as possible collected before Dec. 14th. This gives us time to get them shelved. You know which students stay around town, and those students, with your permission, may keep a chapter book over the break. Thanks for your help in this matter. Media Center. ==

Upcoming field trips
4th Grade - December 5th Bus Drivers: Laberdee and Rhodes-Walker

2nd Grade - December 14th Bus Drivers: McLemore and Ford-Hill
 * Please make the necessary adjustments if your instructional assistant is being pulled to drive

Thanks, Helms

===// Howdy people. I don't know the likelihood that someone will read this, but I figure I'll post it just the same. I love chess. I enjoy it, win or lose. The only time I ever play against another human (not online) is once or twice a year when I visit my father. Outside of that, I don't know who else plays. I have a chess set [you know the cheap ones you can get for, like, 3 bucks.... yea, that one]. I'm going to move it from my house to my car so that its always near me. If any of you would like to get into a game after work one day (or multiple days), PLEASE, email me and I'll be more than happy to join you. I'm no grand champion, but I'm no slouch either, so bring your "A" game. (R. Robinson, 11/30/2011) //=== = =

PLC Schedule on Instructional Resources page. No preregistration required. No fees.

Represent you alma mater ... read !