Oh my! What a busy week ahead but most importantly it is Teacher Appreciation Week! Please take a moment (or 3 or 4) to thank your child's teacher this week. Don't forget our awesome specialists, TAs, and all the other teachers who touch your child's life!
Only 5 weeks left! Take a deep breath and let's go!
Marie
Positivity Project (P2): Leadership
Only a couple more weeks of the Positivity Project! This week, the students will be learning about the last character strength: Leadership.
What It Means
You value each member of your group and inspire people to do their best.
Why It Matters
For individuals, leadership is a way to achieve what you know is important, as groups of people invariably achieve more than individuals. If you want to achieve your vision for
the future, you need to inspire others to join you. As an individual’s ability to lead develops, so does that person’s confidence and sense of self-efficacy.
A group’s effectiveness and sense of inspiration is tied directly to the leader. Study after study shows that leaders (and managers) have the biggest influence on group success and morale. Leaders can be developed and it starts with character.
All Week: Teacher Appreciation Week
Our teachers are stars! Help celebrate their brilliance by participating in these activities this week.
- Monday -- Fan Mail! Students write your teacher a thank you note.
- Tuesday -- Bring in supplies from your teacher's wish list. Don't know what to get? I always hear teachers asking forpencils (apparently these are the best kind to get cause they don't jam the pencil sharpener), glue sticks, dry erase markers, baby wipes, Lysol wipes, and paper.
- Wednesday -- Students are asked to bring their teacher a homemade gift!
- Thursday -- Students are asked to bring in their teacher's favorite snack item.
- Friday -- Wear your teacher's favorite color!
Tuesday and Thursday: Math Night at Food Lion from 5:30-7:00pm
Want to help your child make the connection between math and the real world? This is a great opportunity to show your child how much math there is in the grocery store.
- Tuesday, May 7 K-2
- Thursday, May 9 3-5
If you have children across grade levels, you are welcome to attend just one night. The activities for all grade levels will be available both nights.
Wednesday: Walk or Bike to School
Exercise is a GREAT way to start your day! Join Ms. Graves in the Food Lion parking lot at 8:30. She and other staff members will lead us on a walk to the Creek. Parents are welcome to walk with us! If you are bringing your child but cannot stay, please notify a staff member.
Friday: Muffins with Mom
Thank you to all our Swifty moms for ALL they do! Please join us from 8:00-8:45 for muffins or a granola bar and fruit. This is a great opportunity to visit with your child's friends and their families.
Our Healthy Lifestyles chair, Nehal Outlaw, will also lead us in some Movement with Mom activities.
As you may guess, this is a popular event. Please allow extra time for parking. You can park in the Swift Creek park, down by the exchange club (which is past the park), or in the Food Lion shopping center.
Also, please note that the school bell rings at 8:45am. You must stay with your child until the bell rings. DO NOT send your child to their class because the teachers are getting ready for the school day.
Next PTA Meeting is Tuesday, May 14
Our last PTA meeting of the year will be Tuesday, May 14 at 6:30pm. We will be in the gym because our short meeting will be immediately followed by a Chorus concert.
We will be voting on several items in this meeting so it is very important that we have a quorum. Here are the items on the agenda.
- Vote for PTA officers for next year. Here are the nominations:
- President -- Tara Batemon
- Vice President 1 -- Marie Dexter
- Vice President 2 -- Deborah Killion
- Treasurer -- Delores Ragsdale
- Secretary -- Lauren Nichols
- Vote on the summer budget. These are the expenses that the PTA will incur between now and our first PTA meeting in Sept (when we officially approve the budget for the 2020-21 school year).
- Vote on increase in membership dues. The National PTA is planning to increase their membership fees. To cover the cost of this increase, we are proposing to raise membership dues to $8. We have to vote on this item in the last general membership meeting of the year. (Our current dues are $6.)
Need Volunteers for End-of-Grade Testing
End-of-grade testing will soon be upon us. We need volunteers to be hall monitors and we need a few proctors. If you can help, please sign up at EOG Help.
Have You Been a Watch DOG this year?
Dads, uncles, cousins, grandfathers, sign up to be a Watch DOG before the year ends. Your child will be so proud to have you at school for the day! Sign up at Watch DOGs -- You pick the day!
Let's Celebrate Our Brilliant Year: End-of-Year Picnic
Mark Your Calendars! Our End-of-Year picnic will be Thursday, June 6 from 5-7pm on the field behind the school.
Bring a picnic dinner for your family and we'll provide the fun (and the popsicles!). We need your help to make this event a success! Sign up today at End of Year Family Picnic
5th Grade Graduation Activities: Monday, June 10
Graduation day is sneaking up on us! It will be here in no time. Here is the schedule of events for the day.
- 9:30 -- Graduation in the gym
- 10:30 -- Awards in the classroom
- 11:00 - 12:30 -- Reach for the Stars Celebration on the field behind the school
- 2:00 -- Talent Show in the gym
We desperately need volunteers to help with these events. Sign up today at Post Graduation Celebration, Talent Show
Parents, Talent Show forms will be sent home (again) in this week's Tuesday folder. If your child is interested in participating, please return the form to your child's teacher ASAP. The form is also available online at http://swiftcreekeswcpssnetptahtml.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/2/2/24227387/talent_show_application.pdf
Interested in Getting More Involved Next Year?
The end of one school year means it is time to start planning for next year! Here are some ways that you can help!
PTA Membership Chair
We are in desperate need for someone to be our PTA membership chair next year. The time commitment is high from Aug - beginning of Oct, but then is fairly quiet the rest of the school year. Responsibilities include:
- Attending Meet the Teacher to sign up new members
- Sending home flyers in Tuesday folders to encourage parents to join
- Entering membership information in the NC PTA database (you can do this from home!)
- Working with our Treasurer to pay National and State PTA dues
Besides those basic responsibilities, you have the opportunity to make this position your own. You can create a membership theme, have membership drives. You get to meet so many of our AWESOME families.
If you are interested, simply reply to this email. :-)
Cougar Counter / School Store
We are at risk of not having our school store next year. Students love the school store because they can purchase necessary items, such as pencils, highlighters, erasers, and more. Very often, we make these items a little more fun, such as donut erasers or smelly highlighters. The store also helps students learn about money. (We love to sneak math in there.)
Responsibilities include:
- Having a table in the front lobby one morning at week from 8:45-9:10. (If you can't do it every week, you can create a sign up genius and ask for volunteers. They must be members of the PTA and registered Wake County school volunteers.)
- Ordering fun supplies for the kids
- Counting money and submitting expense reports to the Treasurer
This is such a great way to get to know our kids at the Creek! If you are interested in this position, reply to this email.
Garden Gnomes and Garden Parents
Over the summer, we need volunteers to help our school garden continue to grow. Families can sign up for a week of watering, weeding, and harvesting.
If you are interested, sign up at
Garden Gnome -- Summer maintenance. Please sign up for only 1 week.
Next school year, we are looking for parents at each grade level who can help our students work in the garden. If you are interested, sign up at
Garden Parent.
Mark Your Calendars
- May 6 - 10: Teacher Appreciation Week. Here is the theme for each day.
- Tuesday, May 7 5:30-7-- K-2 Math Night at Food Lion
- Wednesday, May 8 -- Walk or Bike to School. Meet at Food Lion parking lot at 8:30.
- Thursday, May 9 5:30-7pm -- 3-5 Math Night at Food Lion
- Friday, May 10 8:00-8:45am -- Muffins with Mom
- May 14 -- Play 60 for 2-5th grades.
- May 23 6-7pm -- Kindergarten Open House. Invite your friends and neighbors of incoming kindergartners.
- Thursday, June 6 -- End of year family picnic
- Friday, June 7 -- Field Day
- Monday, June 10 -- Graduation and Talent Show
- Tuesday, June 11 -- Last day of school.
Congratulations to our Distinguished PTA!
For the second year in a row, our PTA is being recognized as a DISTINGUISHED PTA by the NC PTA. Congratulations to all our parents who make this possible!!!