Even though I knew it was coming, my heart almost broke on Friday when Governor Cooper announced that the school buildings will be closed for the remainder of this school year. What a strange time! I am so grateful to the Swifty Creek staff for keeping us connected with all their resources and Google Meets during this time. Although it isn't the same as being together in our building, it is wonderful to see my child smile so bright when she interacts with her teachers and friends.
The Coffee and Conversation with Mr. Propst and the Admin Team went well on Tuesday. If you are having challenges with remote learning, please know that the staff are there to help you! Check the office hours for all our staff! Or send an email to Mr. Propst at [email protected] or Mrs. Smith [email protected] and they will get you what you need! Also another coffee and conversation is planned, so stay tuned for that information.
We hope everyone is doing well! If you need anything, please reach out! We love to hear from you.
Have a good week,
Your PTA Executive Board
Marie, Deborah Killion, Lauren Nicholls, and Delores Ragsdale
FaceBook / PTA Website Posts This Week
If you are a follower on FaceBook, here is the schedule for posts this week.
- 5:30 You Can Do It! A little motivational (maybe funny post) to start YOUR day.
- 8:30 Readings from the teachers
- 12:00 Updates from Specialists -- except on Wednesday, when we have Brighter Together Wednesday.
- 4:00 Wonder from Ms. Smith
- 5:00 Activities from Marbles Museum
Please note: We know not everyone is on social media, so we will also have most of this information daily on the PTA Website. Unfortunately because of copyright issues, we cannot post the videos of the teachers reading books, but everything else should be available. We want everyone to have an opportunity to participate!
Do you have something special that you want to share on our FaceBook page? We'd love to see what your family is doing. Send your content to Marie Dexter at [email protected].
Positivity Project (P2): Purpose
This week in the Positivity Project, students will be learning about the character strength of Purpose.
What It Means
You have beliefs about the meaning of life and your life’s purpose. You seek to be part
of something greater than yourself.
Why It Matters
Having a clear sense of purpose in life, and a belief that you’re connected to a larger meaning, gives individuals strength. It allows them to persevere and find courage in
trying circumstances, or lead with kindness and love even when it’s not reciprocated.
On a group level, purpose can be a powerful aligning element. It gives people a reason to continue on in hope and optimism, despite difficult circumstances. The sense of
connection between people further strengthens their individual resolve and focus, which fortifies the group. When a group of individuals believe in something higher than themselves, their work can be exponentially greater.
Deadline for Ordering a Yearbook
DEADLINE TODAY!
If you are interesting in ordering a yearbook for this school year, the deadline for a school delivery (in other words, free shipping) is today. You can still order a yearbook after that date, but you must pay for shipping to your house.
Yearbooks can be purchased from TreeRing at tr5.treering.com/createAccount/1015281241841003
With school closed for the rest of the year, we didn't order many extra yearbooks for purchase, so if you would like a yearbook, you need to order one.
You might be wondering how you are going to get the yearbook you ordered. Sarah Wohlmann, our yearbook chair, and I are discussing yearbook distribution. So don't worry. If you ordered a book, we will get it to you. The yearbooks go to print on Monday and we should receive them around the end of May so stay tuned.
If you order a yearbook after today, you will need to pay to have it shipped to your house. But that's the great thing about using TreeRing! You can always order later and have it shipped directly to you!
Friday: Food Collection Macedonia Church 8-10am
Wow! Last week, your generosity truly blew me away. The ladies at Macedonia church were also moved by the generosity of our community. Many of us had tears in our eyes as we packed food bags last week. It was so overwhelming (in a good way, of course!)
We will be back at Macedonia Church next Friday from 8-10.
Here are some high need items for next week:
- Food Lion gift cards
- salad fixings -- bags of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, celery (wrapped in cellophane bags), what do you put in your salads?
- peanut butter
- stuffing
- Kleenex
- paper towels
- cleaning supplies
- fresh produce -- cauliflower (wrapped in cellophane bags), bags of green beans
- shelf stable milk
- canned meats such as canned ham
- snacks -- cheezits, goldfish
- microwavable popcorn
- diapers -- size 1, 3, and 5
Other items:
- chapter books -- Magic Tree House, Diary of a Wimpy kid, Bad Guys, etc.
- activity books
- puzzles
- games
You can still donate online in these ways:
- Amazon Wish List: http://tinyurl.com/scesFood
- Venmo account: www.venmo.com/Marie-Dexter-1
- Purchase online and deliver (or ship) to Marie Dexter, 4021 Brook Cross Dr, Apex, NC 27539
Virtual Teacher Appreciation Week: We are Brighter Together!
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4 - May 8! Let's celebrate all our teachers do for us. Each day will have an opportunity for your family to participate.
- Monday -- "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet". Create a name poem for your teacher and IA. For example, Ms. Lipe -- L = loving, I = intelligent, P = pretty, E = excellent
- Tuesday -- Draw a picture of your teacher's favorite flower or landscape (such as the beach, the mountains, a sunset).
- Wednesday -- Dress in your teacher's favorite color.
- Thursday -- Send a virtual hug. This could be as a photo or you could draw a picture of you sending a hug.
- Friday -- Write a Thank You letter to your teacher.
If you don't know your teacher's favorite flower or color, don't worry! We are gathering this information in a Google Doc. I should have more blanks filled in later this week.
Virtual Field Day: May 8
Ms. Graves is working hard on our virtual field day on May 8. You can find all the resources you need at
http://swiftcreekeswcpssnetptahtml.weebly.com/virtual-field-day.html
PTA News: Officer Elections for Next School Year
This week, the NC PTA announced a change to the uniform by laws concerning virtual meetings and voting. In the past, all voting must occur in person. None could vote by phone or through a virtual platform.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NC PTA has revised the by laws to allow for virtual meetings. As a result, even though schools are closed, PTAs will be able to hold a virtual meeting to hold elections for the upcoming school year.
We are currently working on a date for our meeting. When we notify you about this meetingn, we will also have a slate of officers for you to review.
If you would like to nominate someone for an officer position next year, please send your nomination to our Nominating Chair, Sarah Lewis at [email protected].
Saying Thank You to Health Care Workers at Wake Med
We want to show our gratitude and appreciation for the workers on the front line at our local hospital at Wake Med. We invite you to participate in letter writing and/or artwork that we can deliver to the staff at Wake Med. This will help the students practice writing and explore their creative side as well as lift up our community.
Wake Med asked that there not be any demographic, personal emails, or addresses on the letters and limit the art work to an 8.5 X 11 sheet. It is also asked that no religious affiliation is mentioned. You can drop off your art work and letters at the school.
***IMPORTANT NOTE: *** The orange drop box has been temporarily removed from the front of the school. (We think someone accidentally took it inside.) We will let know you when it is back in place.
If you have any questions about this project, contact Georgianne at [email protected]. Thank you, Georgianne, for organizing this!
Ways You Can Help the Creek!
Did you know that you can still help the Creek earn money?
- Box Tops: Collect Box Tops from packages or scan your receipt to earn money digitally. https://www.boxtops4education.com/
- Amazon Smile: Simply use this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/57-0788188
- Coke Gives. Enter the code on your bottle top and help us earn 5 cents for each drink. These codes are also on the inside of cartons of cans. Remember to select Swift Creek in Raleigh when entering your donations: https://us.coca-cola.com/give/
Pictionary with Swifty?
Would your child (or family) be interested in participating in a game of Pictionary with Swifty? We will have our first "experiment" on Friday at 7:00pm.
To participate, sign up at https://tinyurl.com/scesPictionary. If the slots fill up and you are interested, please let me know.
We will email you the Google Meet information later this week.