Hello everyone! The weather certainly surprised us at the beginning of this week. Once again, our incredible staff showed how much they care about our students and families. We thank them for always putting our children first -- for keeping them safe and warm and helping them transition back to school. On Friday, Wake County Public Schools sent an email to families about the possibility of additional bus driver shortages this week. The rise in COVID numbers mean that many of our bus drivers are unable to drive their routes. Please check your child's bus status every day. The direct link to the Swift Creek bus routes is www.wcpss.net/Page/1899. Please note that if buses are not running this will mean an increase in carpool traffic, which could make the lines a bit longer. I know our staff will do what they can to get us through the line as efficiently and safely as possible, but definitely allow yourself a few extra minutes, especially in the afternoon. We will not have our January PTA meeting this Tuesday, Jan 11. We hope to have a virtual awards ceremony for the Science Fair on Thursday evening; however, due to illness, we might have to postpone that event to a later date. An announcement will be made when our plans are finalized. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding during this challenging time. We hope your family is staying safe. If there is something that we can do to help your family during this trying time, please let us know. We are #BetterTogether! Have a good week! Marie Dexter [email protected] Deborah Killion [email protected] Sarah Wohldmann [email protected] Dana Boyer [email protected] Lauren Nicholls [email protected] HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK
Where's the Bus? from WCPSSParents, This is a message for parents of school bus riders. Due to driver shortages, we encourage families to check the status of your child’s bus daily starting Monday morning at www.wcpss.net/busupdate. ***Direct link to Swift Creek route is www.wcpss.net/Page/1899*** In addition to checking the bus update page, you can also track your child’s bus using the Here Comes the Bus app. As many of you know, significant bus driver absences, caused primarily by the impacts of COVID-19, have affected transportation services since the return from Winter Break. There were more than 150 bus driver absences yesterday and today. Even before these absences, our transportation department was operating with more than 100 driver vacancies. The combination of these factors has forced the cancellation of some bus routes in the past week. More than 100 routes had to be canceled this morning. We deeply regret the disruption this has caused to families. Our transportation staff will continue to do their very best to serve as many routes as possible even as they face this challenge. Due to the unpredictable nature of pandemics, and the increased infections caused by the Omicron variant, we do not know how much longer service will be disrupted. You will receive updates about any important developments related to the status of our driver workforce as they become available. We appreciate your patience and understanding. -- Wake County Public Schools THE POSITIVITY PROJECT: PrudenceThis week, students will continue learning about the character strength of Prudence. WHAT IT MEANS You plan for the future and achieve your goals by making careful everyday choices. WHY IT MATTERS Prudence supports effective individual self-management. Whether aspiring for an athletic record, academic grade, or purchasing a car, foresight and planning are necessary. However, long-term goals – even with a plan – can only be obtained by overcoming those impulses and desires that steer you away from your goals. Prudence provides the wisdom to know which character strength to leverage, at which time, to achieve your desired end state. On a group level, prudence is crucial – especially today, as shortsightedness has crept into many parts of life. Prudent individuals will produce a prudent society. And, as always, we need leaders who can think long-term and create the world we want our descendants to inherit. Check out the new Family Resources section. The password is P2. CLEAN OUT YOUR BOOK SHELVES AND HELP US COLLECT 2022 BOOKS FOR WAKE UP AND READ: Deadline is Wednesday, Jan 19If you haven’t brought books in yet, it’s not too late! We are still collecting books until January 19th. Our school goal is 2022 books for children in need! Here is how you can help!
To learn more about WAKE Up and Read, please visit www.wakeupandread.org. If you have questions about this project, contact Mrs. Chadwick at [email protected]. DONATE ITEMS TO THE ART AND MUSIC ROOMSDo you have used gift cards? Turn them in to Dr. Barr and she will use them to create guitar picks! Mrs. McIntyre is looking for LOTS of different items for the art room. Check out the pictures below. Send these items to school with your child. Be sure to label them "Mrs. McIntyre: Art Room". Donations to Macedonia United Methodist Church's Food PantryMacedonia United Methodist church is looking for donations to restock their food pantry this January. The food from this pantry is distributed weekly to 9 Swift Creek families in need. Donations can be dropped off at the church on Saturdays 8-10am. Or you can contact Marie Dexter to pick up your donations or to donate through Venmo @Marie-Dexter-1. Sign up to help at www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4badaa23abf58-swift15 An Exciting New Resource for Teachers: Tools4SchoolsOn Tuesday, Jan 18, WakeEd Partnership, a local non-profit, will have its grand opening for a free classroom supply warehouse for teachers. This warehouse will be in Crossroads, which is very close to the Creek! You can learn more about it at https://www.wakeed.org/tools4schools/. MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Happy New Year! Welcome back to the Creek for the first school day of 2022! We hope everyone had a joyful, relaxing Winter Break and now you are recharged and ready to take on the rest of the 2021-22 school year. With COVID numbers rising during the holidays, Wake County Public Schools sent several emails about updates to COVID protocols. If you did not receive these emails, I have copied and pasted them to the end of this newsletter. We will return to in person instruction on Monday. FYI, there is a Wake County School Board meeting this Tuesday, Jan 4 at 5:30pm. I am sure that Wake County will send another message after that meeting (they typically do). A quick fun fact ... Did you know that 2022 is the Creek's 90th anniversary??!?!? It is amazing that our school community has been around for so long. We are one of the oldest schools in Wake County. Look for celebration activities later this year! We look forward to getting back into a regular routine this week! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any PTA board member. Marie Dexter [email protected] Deborah Killion [email protected] Sarah Wohldmann [email protected] Dana Boyer [email protected] Lauren Nicholls [email protected] Highlights this Week
THE POSITIVITY PROJECT: optimismThis week, students will continue learning about the character strength of Optimism. WHAT IT MEANS You expect the best from the future and work to achieve it. WHY IT MATTERS For individuals, optimism is correlated with success in work and play, mental and physical health, and strong social relationships. Optimistic people are planners and goal setters. Due to their future oriented mindset, they are often hard working, conscientious, and able to overcome obstacles. On a group level, optimism is crucial to group success. Optimists are strong leaders. They find meaning in hardship and can create a vision for the future. They look at potential obstacles as opportunities, rather than threats. Optimists are inspiring; their example is contagious. And, by sharing and achieving their vision – despite setbacks – they help us all achieve more. Check out the new Family Resources section. The password is P2. Time is Running out to Enter the (Virtual) SCIENCE FAIRHey Parents! Time is running out for your child to participate in this year's science fair. Details for the Science Fair, including online registration, can be found on our PTA website: http://swiftcreekeswcpssnetptahtml.weebly.com/science-fair.html Important dates for the Science Fair:
CLEAN OUT YOUR BOOK SHELVES AND HELP US COLLECT 2022 BOOKS FOR WAKE UP AND READWe are halfway through our Wake Up & Read book drive, and you have donated an amazing amount of books that will go directly to other Wake County children who don’t have books at home to read! We are excited to announce the top 3 classes that have donated so far! Our third highest class for book donations, with 132 books, is Mrs. Coles’ Class! Our second highest class for book donations, with 137 books, is Mrs. Wade’s Class! And our #1 top donating class so far in the book drive, with 161 books donated, is Mrs. Phillips’ Class!!! Our grand total of donations for the entire school is….1, 027 books!!! That’s incredible! If you haven’t brought books in yet, it’s not too late! We are still collecting books until January 19th and we have a new school goal! Since we are about to enter the year 2022, our goal is to collect at least 2022 books for children in need! Thank you for your teamwork, generosity, and for showing that Other People Matter! Sincerely, The Swift Creek Service Club Here is how you can help!
To learn more about WAKE Up and Read, please visit www.wakeupandread.org. If you have questions about this project, contact Mrs. Chadwick at [email protected]. Weekly Wellness: New Year's ResolutionsDoes your family create New Year resolutions? Here are some great tidbits from Healthy Lifestyles chair, Lisa Kropliak at [email protected]. Resolution Jar Each family member writes on small pieces of paper all of their New Year resolutions. Then everyone reads them aloud to their family and then places all them all in the jar. You can re- read them a couple of months later to stay on track or recognize it’s ok to not meet your resolutions or to change it. Then on New Years Eve or day the next year, everyone reads their resolutions from the year and talks about all they accomplished or still want to focus on. Then repeat for the year a head! We can also recommend this for families. When you write down your goals, there’s a greater chance you accomplish them. Help Creating Resolutions for the Kids Need ideas for attainable resolutions for your kids? Check out this article for ideas for each age group. www.womansday.com/life/a38505784/new-years-resolutions-for-kids/ Donate Items to the Art and Music RoomsDo you have used gift cards? Turn them in to Dr. Barr and she will use them to create guitar picks! Mrs. McIntyre is looking for LOTS of different items for the art room. Check out the pictures below. Send these items to school with your child. Be sure to label them "Mrs. McIntyre: Art Room". Recycling Opportunities at the CreekWas one of your New Year resolutions to be more environmentally friendly in 2022? Well, our Recycling Chair, Megan Holler at [email protected], can help with that! SCES PTA has the ability to collect for a variety of specialty recycling programs: 1. TerraCycle’s squeezable pouch program – squeezable pouches, of any brand, with caps on. 2. TerraCycle’s snack wrapper program – foil lined snack food bags. 3. NexTrex’ plastic film program – bags, bubble wrap, overwrap, and other stretchy plastic. 4. Crayola’s ColorCycle program – markers and highlighters. How You Can Participate: Collect your recycling materials and drop off a Megan Holler's house OR drop off your recycling items at Macedonia United Methodist church on Saturday mornings from 8-10. (This is when they are collecting items for the food pantry.) If you have plastic film for the NexTrex program, you can drop off your bags OR weigh the amount of plastic that you have to recycle and email that weight to Megan. Then take your bags to your local grocery store for recycling. For questions about the TerraCycle programs at Swift Creek, or to join the recycling committee, please contact Megan Holler at [email protected]. Mark Your Calendars
This Week in Pictures: Swifty EditionSwifty has been very lonely at the Creek over the past two weeks! He asked me to send this special message to our students and families. He can't wait to see everyone on Monday! Wake County Public Schools Email: COVID-19 isolation and quarantine requirementsAs of Dec. 31, 2021, per revised guidance from CDC and the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit, the following changes have been made to the district’s COVID-19 health guidance related to quarantine and isolation requirements. Note that there are no changes to district face covering guidance at this time. Testing Staff and students who have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status should get tested and isolate from others while waiting for a result. (If testing is not possible, follow the guidance below as if you are positive.) Isolation requirements Staff and students who test positive, regardless of vaccination status, and:
Quarantine requirements Staff and students who are exposed to someone with COVID-19, and:
Exceptions Per the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit guidance, individuals who are not fully vaccinated after close contact in a classroom or other school setting if masks were being worn appropriately and consistently by both the person with COVID-19 and the potentially exposed person do NOT need to quarantine. Additional resources Information for families is available on wcpss.net/whentoreturn. Additional information regarding isolation and quarantine requirements can be found on pages 14-16 of the StrongSchoolsNC Toolkit. WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS EMAIL: COVID-19 Safety Protocols, Vaccinations, and TestingWCPSS families, As we prepare for our return from the holiday break, help us remind children of the importance of COVID-19 safety protocols. Face coverings, hand washing and keeping as much distance as practical from others will be important. Health officials also continue to emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated to reduce the spread of infection. We strongly recommend anyone get tested in the days immediately prior to returning if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or believe you have been exposed to the virus. New locations for COVID-19 testing sites have been added during the holiday break and can be found using your address or zip code. Sign up for a COVID-19 test today. In addition, Wake County Public School System, in partnership with MAKO Medical, will begin offering weekly, on-campus COVID-19 testing for students and staff. COVID-19 testing is an effective way to reduce transmission, especially when layered with other precautionary measures. For families that have multiple students at multiple schools, you must fill out an individual form under the student's individual school. We will expand testing to all schools in 2022. Your school will notify you when testing will begin. Register for in-school COVID-19 testing now. We look forward to a safe and enjoyable return for all as we begin 2022. Camp Invention will be Back in June!Mark your calendars! The amazing Camp Invention team with Director Monica Coles will be back from June 20-24. Both of my girls loved this camp. My youngest is already registered for this year's adventure. You can register at invent.org/camp! Multicultural Events for Jan 2022To help emphasize our diversity, the National PTA has created a multicultural calendar for the 2021-22 school year. Here is the calendar for Jan 2022. Take an adventure and learn about a new holiday for your family this month!
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New Building WCPSS Site on Project Details for Swift Creek Renovation Events, Parent Feedback The Positivity ProjectLearn more at P2 at Swift Creek. AwardsArchives
November 2023
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