Jan 215 min read

ACS Weekly Newsletter 1/21/24

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear ACS Families & Staff,

This past week was another productive week at ACS! Students were engaged in standards based lessons and activities on topics such as fractions, informational writing, economics, and folktales. Teachers conducted mClass benchmark assessments with K-3 students which will continue this week. This week IXL math benchmarking will begin for grades 3-6 and continue this week for K-2. Encourage your student to do their best on their benchmark assessments!

Please be sure to read through the entire newsletter for updates and reminders and enjoy the highlights from the week below.

Last week and the week before, students learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the impact he made as a civil rights leader and changemaker during his lifetime and beyond.
Student Council members began assisting with opening doors and greeting students during morning car line which has been a great help!
Two educators from Durham Charter School provided our teachers with professional development on Wednesday afternoon. The training focused on ways to elevate our implementation of the Zearn math curriculum.

Best,

Jamie Miller, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES:

February 8: ACS Cheer Showcase 5:30-6:00pm

February 15: Family Conference Day (NO SCHOOL for students)

February 16: Teacher Workday (NO SCHOOL for students)

February 16: ACS Tour for Prospective Families 12:00-1:00 pm

March 7: Lottery for admissions for the 24-25 school year 12:00

*Project Celebration and NC Check-in Dates are below.

2ND TRIMESTER PROJECT CELEBRATION DATES & TIMES:

March 6
6th grade at 10:30

March 8
Kindergarten at 11:00
2nd grade at 1:30
March 12
4th grade at 1:00
March 13
1st grade at 11:00
March 15
5th grade at 11:00
3rd grade at 1:30

*The Board approved the 2024-2025 calendar in November. It can be found on our website and is included here as well.

Grades 3-6 NC Check-Ins (NCCI) - Late January/Early February

NC Check-Ins (NCCI) are interim assessments that are aligned to North Carolina grade-level content standards (for reading and mathematics) and North Carolina Essential Standards (for science).

The main purpose of NC Check-Ins is to provide students, teachers, and parents with immediate in-depth action data and a reliable estimate of students’ current performance on selected subsets of content standards. Students in grade 3-6 will take these short classroom assessments up to three times throughout the school year to provide you, your student, and their teachers with information about your student’s understanding of content areas. This will help you and your student’s teacher understand what he or she knows and can do so additional instruction can be provided.

Our second round of NCCI’s will take place, according to the following schedule:

Tuesday, Jan 30: Grades 3 & 4 Reading
Thursday, Feb 1: Grades 3 & 4 Math
Tuesday, Feb 6: Grades 5 & 6 Reading
Thursday, Feb 8: Grade 5 & 6 Math
Friday, Feb 9: Grade 5 Science

REMINDERS

MUST use carline unless there are specific situations that require something different (wheelchair, child with special needs, etc.). Those situations are cleared with the front office. Not using carline because the line is long, you are late for work, etc. are not acceptable reasons to skip the carline.
YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE!
APPLICATIONS FOR NEW STUDENTS, TOUR, & THE LOTTERY:

We are now accepting applications for prospective students (NOT current students) for grades K-7 for our Admissions Lottery for 2024-25. The open enrollment application period for NEW students (students not currently attending ACS) began at midnight on January 1, 2024 and will continue through February 29, 2024 at 11:59 pm.

Please tell your friends and family that they can visit our website sections on "Our School" and "Admissions" for valuable information about ACS and the admissions process for NEW students. Here is the link for prospective NEW Families to apply: https://alamancecommunityschool.schoolmint.net/welcomeback

Students that are currently enrolled at ACS and returning for the next school year (2022 - 2023) DO NOT need to re-apply for admission.

There is one more opportunity on February 16 for prospective NEW families to tour the school. For more information and to register for the February 16 tour, please visit the following link.

https://www.alamancecommunityschool.net/school-tours

If you have a student that is currently attending ACS and they have a sibling that you would like to attend ACS in 2024-25, you MUST apply for their sibling to attend if they do not already attend this school year.

LINK TO APPLY FOR A SIBLING NOT CURRENTLY ATTENDING ACS: https://alamancecommunityschool.schoolmint.net/welcomeback

The Admission Lottery will be held virtually on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 12:00 noon. A link for the Lottery will be posted on our website as we get closer to that date.

ATHLETICS

Coed Golf Team Interest Meeting:

Wednesday, February 7 from 5:30 – 6:00 PM

If you are a 6th Grade student &/or parent, please join us for our Virtual Coed Golf Team interest meeting on Wednesday, February 7 from 5:30-6:00 PM. You can also find this and more events located on the ACS Events Calendar.

Google Meet Joining Info:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zwi-risk-dwp

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 317-932-0129‬ PIN: ‪943 188 455‬#

STUDENT COUNCIL and AMBASSADORS

This week our newly appointed student council members and ambassadors began assisting in carline. I’m sure many of you saw their smiling faces as they helped students out of cars, greeted families, and directed people into the cottage. This coming Wednesday from 2:00-4:00 pm, the student council and ambassadors will participate in our first World Changers Workshop to decide how they will positively impact our school in 2024.

We can’t wait to work with our fabulous students!

Ms. Kellie and Ms. Lane

World Changers Mentors

PTO NEWS

Monday is the kickoff of our Winter Wellness supply drive! From January 22nd through the 26th, bring in antibacterial cleaning supplies, tissues, individually wrapped snacks, and bottled water to help keep our students and staff feeling their best! Approximately 5% of donations will be gathered for use by all Coyotes in communal spaces such as Specials classrooms, Intervention spaces, and the Front Office, and all other donations will remain in your student's classroom. Each class that collects at least 30 items will earn themselves a pack of recess items selected by their grade level teachers courtesy of the PTO! See the flyer on social media or in your student's backpack for more information!

ONE ITEM = a container of individually wrapped snacks, a case of bottled water, a canister of antibacterial wipes, or a box of tissues

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Zaxby's for our dinner fundraiser last week, earning the PTO $223! Our Third Grade classes definitely came to compete, but in the end it was Ms. Tilley's class who had the most participation and earned themselves the victory!

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, January 30: Skate Night at RollABout Skating Center from 6:00-8:00pm

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2024-2025

If you or someone you know would be a good fit for ACS, please apply through our website under the ‘Employment’ tab (see link below) and email a resume to Jamie Miller at jmiller@alamancecommunityschool.net

LINK TO APPLICATION