Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
News (from the Yahoo Group)
April 10, 2013
Hello Carnage families,
I hope everyone had a fabulous spring break! It is time for a PTSA newsletter.
We have a lot of information to share with you this month. I’m sorry this didn’t get out in time to remind you of the Breakfast with the Principal which was supposed to be this past Tuesday. I thought I sent it but was having intermittent internet problems at my house and it seems it didn’t go. Please plan to join us for the last Breakfast of the year on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 am in the media center.
First and foremost, we are still in need of volunteers to fill several critical PTSA board positions and committee chair positions for next year. They include:
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Spirit wear committee chair
- Teacher appreciation committee chair
- Teacher grant committee chair
Please consider volunteering for one of these positions next year. Without a treasurer, we cannot have a PTSA. The PTSA supports teachers, students and parents in many important ways. If you feel you can contribute, please email me at bethayres.ptsa@gmail.com
There will be a PTSA board meeting Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 pm in the media center. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the open positions, please feel free to attend this meeting to find out more.
The PTSA will be sponsoring a magazine sale fundraiser to raise money for technology purchases for the media center. The fundraiser packet will come home with your child on April 16. Please be sure to ask your child to share the packet with you. If you already purchase magazine subscriptions, please consider renewing them through this fundraiser. Even if it is not quite time to renew, renewals now will simply add issues on to the end of your existing subscriptions. Or take this opportunity to subscribe to a new magazine. There is a booklet in the packet that you can use to provide names and addresses of family members that may want to purchase or renew subscriptions. These booklets will be collected April 17 and 18. The fundraising company will send a one-time mailer to these addresses at no cost to you. Magazine orders are due by April 26. All booklets and orders should be turned in to the media center staff.
In more media center news, Poet’’s Coffeehouse will be running in the media center April 23-25. This is the 14th year for this very delightful event. The library will be fixed up like a beatnik style coffeehouse as a venue for students to perform their original poetry and songs with their peers. There will be refreshments and music playing.
And yet one more piece of media center news (Can you tell I’ve been talking to Ms. Morgan a lot lately? Smile ): The spring book fair will be held May 10-17. Finally, Case 21 tests are coming up. Dates are:
- Reading: April 9-10
- Math: April 11-12
- Science: April 16-17
Sincerely,
Beth Ayres
Carnage Magnet Middle School PTSA President
January 6, 2013
Hello Carnage families!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday break!
I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you back to school in the new year and to share some information regarding school happenings.
- The next Breakfast with the Principal will be Tuesday, January 8th 7:30-8:30 am in the media center. Please join us for open discussion with Ms. Johnson.
- Carnage PTSA is one of two winners of the Healty Lifestyles grant funding related to the 5th annual Wake PTA Healthy Lifestyles 5k which was held in November. As a winner, we received a $300 grant to be spent on health-related initiatives in the 2012-2013 school year. The PTSA is currently discussing plans for use of this grant.
- Thanks to all those who participated in Reflections this year. We do have a winner at Wake County level. Camilla Crane has won 3rd place in Literature. Congratulation to Camilla. We are so proud of you. All entries have will receive certificates from the county and will be displayed in the media center.
- Mr. Shumay has created a Donors Choose project to fund 2 mobile Samsung Chromebook labs for the school. The purchase of Chromebooks will allow greater student access to develop essential technology related skill sets that are transferable to today's workforce. Activities including research, productivity, robotics, webdesign, digital photography, global sharing, collaboration and sharing increases access to world viewpoints helping to inspire global thinkers and problem solvers. To help fund this project, please visit the Donors Choose website at http://www.donorschoose.org/project/creating-chrome-connected-classrooms/932690/\ .
- High School Parent meetings are coming up in February and are scheduled for February 5th at 6:30 pm and February 7th at 8:30 am.
- The Carnage Science Fair will be January 31. Please see the Carnage web site for more information.
- Carnage will conduct its 3rd annual Scripps Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 9 at 7:45 am. The school winner will compete in the Regional Spelling Bee at the McKimmon Center.
That's all for now,
Beth Ayres
Carnage PTSA President
bethayres.ptsa@gmail.com
December 2, 2012
Hello Carnage Parents!
I feel remiss in taking so long to send out a newsletter from the PTSA. In my defense, I was simply swamped in September and most of October with the GoPlaySave book fundraiser which, by the way, was a grand success! The fundraiser resulted in over $6500 profit and the PTSA is already busy funding teacher grants, teacher appreciation events and extreme room makeovers. Thanks to all who participated and supported this effort.
I'd also like to share some other news and details of PTSA and school happenings.
- Please join us at the next Breakfast with the Principal which will be held Tuesday, December 4, 7:30-8:30 am in the media center. Come out and meet our new principal, Pamela Johnson who starts on December 3.
- We'd also like to remind you to clip Box Tops for Education and send them to school. There is a bin in the main lobby for dropping of donations. Please put them in a sealed plastic baggie first.
- Another easy fundraiser for the PTSA is shopping! Please remember to link your Harris Teeter, Target and Food Lion cards to Carnage so that a portion of your shopping dollars return to the school. The websites for each of those businesses have a link for you to link your card.
- The Holiday Book Fair is Nov. 30 - Dec. 7 in the media center. Volunteers are still needed to assist with the sale. Please contact Ms. Morgan cbmorgan@wcpss.net if you are able to help.
- The Winter Dance is Friday, Dec. 7, 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Admission is $5 and tickets and permission slips are required for attendance.
- Student Council is now holding a canned food, book and shoe drive. Items will be collected in homeroom through Dec. 14.
- Carnage yearbooks are currently on sale. The order number is 10484. Books can be ordered from YearbookOrderCenter.com or by calling 1-866-287-3096. A flyer with information is available from your child's homeroom teacher or from the main office.
That's all the announcements for now.
Thanks for reading!
Beth Ayres
Carnage PTSA President
bethayres.ptsa@gmail.com
October 28, 2012
Hello Carnage students and parents
We are collecting entries for Wake County PTA Reflections 2012-2013. The theme is "The Magic of a Moment..." The last day to submit the entry is Nov 12 2012.
Please review the general rules, rules of the art categories and fill-in the form and drop your art work with the completed entry form by November 12th 2012 at Carnage office. There are six arts categories – dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography and visual arts. Students may enter in one or more arts categories.
Below is the link from where you can get more details, general guidelines, guidelines for each category and entry forms. The guideline for each category and entry form can be found under Resource/Information category https://sites.google.com/site/wakepta/programs/reflections-1
Please contact Shikha Srivastava with any questions. If sending email, please put "Reflections 2012-2013" in the subject line for quick response.
Thank you,
Shikha
Contact: Shikha Srivastava
email: "shikha@nc.rr.com"
October 23, 2012
Hi Carnage Families -
Three times a year, the Carnage Student Council conducts service projects to benefit different agencies in our community. Our Fall/Halloween project is beginning and we'd like to invite all students to participate!
Beginning on Wednesday and continuing through Tuesday, October 30th, the student council will be collecting the following NEW items:
- Crayons
- Colored pencils
- Coloring Books
- Drawing Tablets
- Game Books
All donations will be given to the WakeMed Children's Hospital located a few minutes from Carnage on New Bern Avenue to be given to current and future patients.
Thank you for remembering this project when shopping at the Dollar Tree or your favorite discount store. Please have your child drop their donations into the large box marked "Halloween Drive" in the office. Any questions? Please contact Stephanie at scavem@bellsouth.net
Thank you and enjoy the Fall -
Carnage Student Council
October 16, 2012
PTSA Membership forms and cards are going home the week of October 15th. Currently, our student enrollment is over 1200 students and right now we only have 200 PTSA members. Please support our school by joining the PTSA. Membership is just $7 per person and is open to all staff, parents and students. Many thanks to those who have already joined.
Another way to support Carnage is by contributing to our Phantom Fundraiser. Although our major fundraiser (GoPlaySave coupon books) was successful, we offer the Phantom Fundraiser as an opportunity, for those who are able, to donate additional money to our PTSA. The great thing about this fundraiser is that 100% of your donation is tax deductible and 100% of it stays here at Carnage and is used to fund teacher grants, help with technology upgrades and offer cultural arts experiences for our students. Please refer to the “Phantom Fundraiser” box in the middle of the Membership form to make a contribution. Completed membership forms and donations should be returned to your student’s homeroom teacher. Remember, behind every successful school, is a strong PTSA!
Thank you for your support!!
October 10, 2012
Letter regarding parent input meeting for selection of new principal can be viewed here.
Thank you to all who came out to the meeting yesterday evening to provide input regarding characteristics we would like to see in the new principal. We had a very productive discussion and good feedback was provided.
If you couldn't attend the meeting, but would like to provide input on the traits you would like to see in the new principal please email Rose Anne Gonzalez, Central Area Superintendent at rgonzalez@wcpss.net by this coming Sunday. She intends to begin interviews soon with the goal of recommending a candidate in November who will start December 1.
Beth Ayres
Carnage Magnet Middle School PTSA President
October 2, 2012
Volunteers are needed to help in the media center on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Interested parents please contact the media center coordinator Ms. Cyndi Morgan at CBMORGAN@wcpss.net.
Thanks!
October 2, 2012
Hello Carnage Families,
At this morning's PTSA meeting the minutes from the PTSA meeting in May were reviewed. Open positions on the PTSA board are noted on the roster. Spiritwear order form will be sent home soon.
September 18, 2011
Hello Carnage Families,
WOW! What a great response to our fall fundraiser! Thanks to so many of you who participated. We hope to have some totals to report at Tuesday night's (Sept. 20) Executive Board meeting in the media center at 6:30 p.m. and look forward to moving forward with our plans for the year! As a reminder, anyone is welcome to attend the PTSA board meetings, which are held monthly. We will be discussing the possibility of holding some of those meetings in alternate locations or times, as well as potentially via conference call or web conference. Any of those decisions will be made public in advance of our meetings.
Our PTSA General membership meetings are held four times a year and will be held at school. Our next General meeting is Tuesday, November 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the media center at school.
Our fall membership drive is continuing. You can find a membership form on the PTSA website at http://carnagems.wcpss.net/ptsa/forms.php Memberships are $7 each – the cost goes to support our PTSA as well as state and national PTA efforts on behalf of all school children. Please send completed forms and payment to your child's homeroom teacher or drop off in the office.
A few other items of interest to share:
- WCPSS has added one last meeting regarding the new Student Assignment proposals for tomorrow night, Monday, September 19, at Millbrook High. Media coverage has indicated that these sessions have not been well-attended, so please try to attend if you want to share your thoughts or find out more.
- WCPSS reports that they have made some changes to the student assignment draft based on the feedback they've gotten. Read more at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_sept12_feeder/
- Many parents who attended last week's Open House sessions were pleasantly surprised to find that we have a home for all those Box Tops for Education you've been clipping all summer. A bin is located just inside the front entrance by the office on the left. We have a deadline coming up at the end of October! (If you shopped with triple coupons at Harris Teeter this weekend, you may have gotten some bonus Box Tops – send those too!)
- Hospitality Chair Stephanie Moore is looking for additional volunteers to help with teacher appreciation events throughout the year. Please contact her directly at scavem@bellsouth.net if you would like to find out more.
- Look for regular updates with news from our PTSA and from our school.
I look forward to a great year!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
julieghenry@yahoo.com
September 8, 2011
Hello Carnage Families,
I hope you and your student(s) are getting settled into the school year! We had a good turnout at last week's PTSA meeting and are off to a good start. I have attached the meeting minutes at the end of this message and hope you'll take the time to read through them to find out what we are doing. But first, a few "breaking news" items:
*Open House Events are coming up for all students. Open Houses will allow you to visit each of your child's classes to get a feel for how their school day progresses. The time in each class will be brief – just enough for teachers to give you an idea of their expectations for the class and your student. If you'd like more time with the teacher(s), ask about scheduling a conference for another time. Conferences are not just for problems! Computers also will be set up for volunteer registration.
- Thursday, Sept. 8 6th grade from 5:45 to 7:50 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 12 7th grade from 5 to 7 p.m
- Monday, Sept. 12 8th grade beginning at 7:30 p.m.
*Our PTSA Entertainment Book fundraiser will end on Monday, Sept. 12. ALL BOOKS AND ORDERS MUST BE TURNED IN BY MONDAY. If you are on the fence about buying a book because you don't think you'll use it, remember it's much more than a restaurant book:
- 14 coupons for $2 off an adult movie admission at Regal Cinemas – that's a $24 savings and 6 date nights!
- Buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deals at Raleigh Little Theatre, Playmakers, and Carolina Ballet. (ticket prices range from $20 for theatre to more than $50 for the ballet)
- Active entertainment options include BOGO golf green fees ($39 savings), BOGO paintball admission ($20-$25 savings), BOGO roller and ice skating admission ($4 to $6.50 savings), and half off deals on bowling!
* The WCPSS Student Assignment task force will hold three more information sessions in the coming week for parents and residents to learn more about the plan. These sessions will run from 6:30 to 8 pm:
- Thursday, September 8 at Southeast Raleigh High
- Tuesday, September 13 at Broughton High
- Thursday, September 15 at East Wake High
*Wake UP Wake County is hosting several Wake County School Board candidate forums. Elections will be held for seats in Districts 3,4,5,6 and 8, so many of you will be electing or re-electing representatives from your districts. If you are unsure of your district, check out this map http://www.wcpss.net/Board/maps.html See a list of upcoming candidate forums at http://www.ettend.com/id=1496/upcominglist
*In other Wake Board of Education news, the board heard a presentation on transportation at yesterday's meeting. Transportation officials said that less than 1 percent of routes this year are longer than 90 minutes, and all but one of those 23 long routes is by choice to a magnet school. According to the data, about 66 percent of all routes are 30 minutes or less in duration, from the first stop to the last stop. Board member John Tedesco introduced the idea of making all magnet school bus routes into express routes. Pros and cons were discussed, but no recommendation was made. I look forward to seeing many of you at Open House events. If you have not already joined the PTSA, you may download a membership form from the PTSA website.
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
CARNAGE MAGNET PTSA MINUTES
Tuesday , Aug 30, 2011, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue : Media Center , Carnage Middle School
PTSA President Julie Henry welcomed everyone to the meeting.
The minutes of the meeting held on May 25, 2011 were approved.
Julie highlighted the PTSA's activities last year. The PTSA held activities in the following: Teacher Classroom grants for musical instruments, teaching aids, weather station , books for classroom libraries; Technology grant for installation of smart boards; Monthly teacher appreciation activities; Family spirit nights; "Breakfast with Principal" events; grade-based information sessions for parents; Scholastic book fairs; 8th grade graduation; Wake PTA Council's 5K; spiritwear and student agenda sales. Parent volunteers also served as proctors during end of grade tests.
TREASURER"S REPORT
Former treasurer Joe Baker handed over documents to the current treasurer
Alli Dass and an audit was conducted. Joe Baker reported that about $2,500
was carried over to the current year. The amount from membership dues,
phantom fund raiser , spiritwear sales and agenda sales were being tallied.
At the end of the year, PTSA contributed $5,000 towards technology grant
towards the purchase of smart boards for classrooms. Part of the grant
came from proceeds from the spring coupon book fundraiser.
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL
Mr.Schwenker gave an update on the current school enrollment, open houses,
afterschool clubs, student assignment plans and new Wake county policies
in Middle school math placement .
The enrollment currently is at 1,178 students. Mr. Schwenker is looking
at hiring staff based on the requirements. Most class sizes are under
30 per class. The open houses for the different grades are as below (**Note that these dates have since changed):
- 6th grade – Thursday , Sep 8th , at 5:30 PM
- 7th grade – Monday , Sep 12th at 5 PM
- 8th grade – Monday , Sep 12th at 7 PM
The blackboard pages for the teachers are accessible from the school's website. Mr.Schwenker specified that Ms. Hahn has volunteered her time for an after school club in Robotics, provided parents / employers can fund that club. Interested parents should contact Ms. Hahn. The start dates for the other afterschool clubs/ activities will soon be available on the school website and lists will be provided at Open House events. Mr. Schwenker also answered questions about the student assignment plans proposed by Tony Tata, Wake County's Superintendent. He encouraged parents to keep abreast of the student assignment process and the community information sessions that start on Wed Aug 31st (at Middle Creek High). The latest information about the community information sessions can be obtained from http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_august29_info_meetings/ According to the plan, for those students who will be applying for high school or seeking a different school next year, the preregistration for 2012-2013 and the application for Round 1 of schools will take place in Dec 2011 and not in Feb 2012. Mr. Schwenker explained that new policies for middle school math placement that will take effect next year have been drafted. The students will be placed in a class based on recommendations from EVAAS based on the scores obtained in elementary school. Math options for 6th graders will be 6th grade math, advanced 6th grade math, and pre-Algebra. More information can be obtained from the WCPSS's web site. http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_aug30_algebraI/draft-math-placement.pdf Mr. Schwenker explained that the quarterly assessments proposed last year by the WCPSS will not be in effect this year.
CALENDAR OVERVIEW
The Google calendar on school's website has the proposed PTSA meeting
dates, breakfast with Principal dates , portrait picture date, dates
of various students' events listed. Julie explained that the PTSA is
planning to offer Cultural Arts programming on early release days this
year. 'Career day' is also held on an early release day.
COMMITTEE INTRODUCTIONS REPORT
- FUNDRAISING / SPIRITWEAR
Fundraising Chair Arden McFarland gave an update on the ongoing Fall fundraiser. Some of the orders and some of the 'Entertainment' 2012 books have been returned. Arden thanks those parents who have already placed orders and hopes that this fundraiser will be a successful one. The fundraiser ends on Sep 12th by which time either the orders or the books have to be returned. The teachers are helping with the collection of the orders from the students. Arden is seeking help from any parent volunteers in picking up the books from the classroom or totaling orders etc., anytime, either before school or during school hours. - MEMBERSHIP
Membership VP Kristi Harden could not be present at the meeting. Terry Crudup, who is helping Kristie, updated that the parent mixer for the 6th graders was a great success and many membership applications were handed out. Terry also stated that the committee is developing some ideas for additional member recruitment to reach this year's membership goal of 400 PTSA members. - COMMUNICATIONS / WEB
Carol Matsumura updates the Google Calendar on the school's website with all the school events and the PTSA events. - TEACHER APPRECIATION / HOSPITALITY
Stephanie Moore seeks help from parent volunteers with either their time or help with baked goods etc during the monthly teacher appreciation events. - MEDIA CENTER
Media Coordinator Cyndi Morgan had put together a list of online resources for the students, in the form of a bookmark. The library catalog can be accessed from the school's website and clicking on 'Media center ' / 'library catalog' link - OTHER ACTIVITIES
The first 'Breakfast with Principal' will be on Oct 4th (7:30 AM). More details about the event will be available soon.
Julie reminded that many employers like Cisco, Glaxo, IBM offer matching contributions for the volunteer hours.
There are plenty of opportunities for volunteering – spiritwear orders, newsletter, fall fundraising, teacher appreciation / hospitality, painting, room makover for a classroom. If interested, please contact Julie.
Julie requested parents to send in the 'BOXTOP' coupons.
Julie encouraged parents to take part in the Wake PTA Council's 5K run to be held on Nov 20th at Wakemed Soccer Park. More information will be coming soon. - APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET
Julie explained in detail, every item in the PTSA's proposed budget for 2011 - 2012 that was listed. The budget was amended to reflect expenses from product fundraising and income from prior year's carryover, the teacher grant and technology grant. The amended budget was approved.
After discussions about transportation, ideas for the Technology grant, and PE programs, the meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m.
Raji Shanmugam
PTSA Secretary
August 2, 2011
Hi Carnage Families,
The new school year is almost upon us! If you have been by the school over the summer, you know that staff has been navigating around construction crews that have been busy installing the infrastructure for a new air conditioning system. The new system will not be installed until next year, but I am assured there will be A/C when our kids start classes in a few weeks.
The school website http://carnagems.wcpss.net/index.php already has Meet the Teacher dates and supply lists posted so that you can take advantage of tax-free weekend and start getting your student ready. Your PTSA has been busy this summer getting ready as well, making plans for a great year ahead. I hope that you will consider getting involved with PTSA and with school activities, and encourage you to make a point of registering as a school system volunteer at the beginning of the year. Wake County has produced a Back to School Guide with lots of helpful information you can see at http://www.wcpss.net/2011_back-to-school/BacktoSchoolfinal.pdf
This year, the PTSA is conducting our major fundraising drive at the beginning of the school year. In addition to our membership campaign, we will be selling Entertainment Books, so if your family usually purchases a new book each year, please consider buying it from Carnage. In response to many parent requests, we also will have a phantom fundraiser this fall for families that prefer to make a direct donation. The funds we raise through all of these efforts will help set our budget for the year.
So where does our money go? During the 2010-11 school year, your PTSA sponsored the following projects:
- Teacher Classroom Grants – including classroom libraries, teaching aids, a weather station, and musical instruments
- Technology Grant – our fundraising efforts allowed us to donate $5,000 toward the installation of additional Promethean boards (smart boards) in our classrooms
- Parent Information Sessions on the new math curriculum, Wake County's Early College high schools, transitioning to high school, and a meeting with our school board representative, Keith Sutton
- Monthly Teacher Appreciation Activities
- Monthly "Breakfast with the Principal" events
- Improved PTSA communications, including the yahoo group, an enhanced PTSA website and calendar
- Spirit wear and student agenda sales
- The Botany Club's campus improvement activities
- Two book fairs
- Participation in the Wake PTA Council's PTA 5K and the county wide Spelling Bee
- Eighth grade graduation festivities
Our role as a PTSA is to advocate on behalf of children and families so that our children can be successful in school and ultimately, in life. I believe two ways we accomplish our role are by keeping parents informed about activities at our school and in the community that impact our children, and building a supportive relationship with our teachers and staff. I welcome your participation in our PTSA and look forward to a great school year ahead!
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
Carnage Magnet Middle PTSA President
May 30, 2011
Hello Carnage Families!
At our final PTSA General Meeting of the year, the following officers were elected for leadership in the 2011-2012 school year:
President: Julie Henry
Vice President of Membership: Kristi Harden
Secretary: Raji Shanmugam
Treasurer: Alli Dass
A new set of universal bylaws also was approved. The bylaws were developed by the North Carolina PTA and are intended to be used by all PTA units in the state.
We will post the meeting minutes to our PTSA website, but I'd like to draw special attention to Mr. Schwenker's explanation of new testing policies taking effect next school year AND the new proposed student assignment plans:
- Mr. Schwenker explained a county-wide change to testing/assessment practices for next year. In 2011-2012, students will participate in quarterly assessments that will last for two days each in addition to EOGs at the end of the year. The idea is to better track students' progress throughout the year. Testing dates will be set by the county.
- Mr. Schwenker also answered questions about the new assignment plans released on Tuesday by Superintendent Tata. He encouraged parents to watch the videos on the school system website because they offer more explanation of the plans. http://assignment.wcpss.net/ He noted that the proposals also include expanding the magnet program among elementary schools to include Creech, East Garner, and Fox Road as magnet schools. The current plans do not specify the impact on middle and high schools, but those details are said to be coming soon.
Please note this information from the WCPSS website regarding the assignment hearings this week:
Tuesday, May 31 at Enloe High, Millbrook Magnet High and Athens Drive High
Wednesday, June 1 at Panther Creek High and Knightdale High
Thursday, June 2 at Wake Forest-Rolesville High, Garner Magnet High, Sanderson High, Cary High and Holly Springs High
These meetings are for informational purposes. They are designed to share information about the two proposed plans with the community. Comment cards will be available and collected, but this meeting is not a public forum. Citizens who do not have Internet access and who are unable to attend the community information meetings may call the school system's customer service center at 919-850-1600 during regular business hours to obtain details about the proposals and submit their comments. Comments on the two proposals will be accepted through June 12.
Your newly elected PTSA leadership will be meeting soon to plan activities for the coming year. If you are interested in participating in any way, or if you have a particular interest, please contact me at julieghenry@yahoo.com
Have a wonderful and safe summer!
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
May 17, 2011
Hello Carnage Families!
For many families, EOGs mean the end of school is near! We are winding down our PTSA year as well and will have the final general PTSA meeting of the year next Wednesday, May 25, at 6 p.m. in the media center. On our agenda will be election of officers for next year and the adoption of new uniform bylaws for local PTA units, as developed by the North Carolina PTA. You can read more about the bylaws at this link http://www.ncpta.org/pta/bylaws.html We still have an opening for PTSA secretary and will accept nominations from the floor.
Also on the agenda for the meeting will be a discussion of Transportation issues for the coming school year and some brainstorming about ways parents can be involved in advocating for streamlined or more efficient routes. I also hope to have some information about two new assignment plans proposed by Superintendent Tata that will be released on May 23. So there are LOTS of reasons to attend! Students are welcome.
Book Fair
The Summer Breeze Book Fair will be May 20-27 in the media center.
Teacher Appreciation
Thanks once again to Stephanie Moore and a cast of volunteers for their terrific support of our teachers and staff this year. Teacher Appreciation Week was a big success!
Spring Fundraiser Books Still Outstanding
Our spring fundraiser is over, but many students have not yet returned their green booklets or payments. Please check your child's backpack to see if a packet is buried at the bottom and purchase or return it as soon as possible. With the proceeds from this fundraiser, we anticipate being able to add one more Promethian board for use at our school. Thanks for your support!
It is hard to believe that this school year is almost over. Thanks to all of our Carnage families for your involvement in our school, whether through PTSA, arts boosters, athletics, volunteering your time at school or on field trips, or by simply providing encouragement and support to your child.
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
April 5, 2011
Hello Carnage Families!
As I rode to work this morning, I heard a song on the radio called "I Hear Voices." No scary images here – the song was about the voices of the people who had influenced the songwriter's life, and the words of wisdom and advice they had passed on to him. I started thinking of who those people have been in my life and what I most remember about them. If you had to list some of those influential people in your life, aside from family, chances are good you might add a teacher's name to the list. I can think of several – including some of my children's teachers – that have passed on words of wisdom I have remembered as a person and as a parent. As we approach the end of school, we have some good opportunities to let our children's teachers know how much we appreciate their positive words and influence on our children. Please take some time to show your appreciation.
Teacher Appreciation
May 2nd - 6th is National Teacher Appreciation Week. The PTSA will be celebrating all week with small tokens of appreciation. As part of our celebration, we'd like to repeat our successful gift card campaign. If you can donate a $5 gift card or make a contribution toward the purchase of a gift card, please e-mail Stephanie Moore at scavem@bellsouth.net.
Time is Running Out to Register as a Volunteer
If you plan to participate in a field trip or proctor for EOGs this spring, you will need to be registered as a volunteer in Wake County Schools. Registration is open on Mondays at any Wake County School through April 25. Call the school office 856-7600 for details.
Fundraiser Starts Friday!
Along with their report cards, students will bring home their spring fundraiser packets on Friday. The packets will include two "Savings Spree" booklets that are filled with coupons for restaurants, movie theatres, and retailers specifically selected for Carnage families. Each booklet costs $20. Please take a few minutes to look through the booklet to check out the great deals! Students who sell at least one booklet by Monday will get a free stainless steel water bottle and those who sell two booklets within the first week will be eligible to win a pizza lunch with two friends. As always, if you do not wish to participate, please simply return the packet to school. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to support the purchase of additional Promethean interactive white boards for our school. Check them out at http://www.prometheanworld.comhttp://www.prometheanworld.com
Nominations Being Accepted for PTSA Leadership
We are looking for a few good men and women to serve as PTSA leaders during the
next school year, including the very important positions of Secretary and Treasurer.
We also are in need of several other committee leaders, including the critical
position of Membership Chair. If you are interested in serving and would like
to know more about specific responsibilities, please contact me at julieghenry@yahoo.com.
Check Out Our Website!
Thanks to the great work of webmaster Carol Matsumura, you can now connect to our Google Calendar directly from the Carnage home page http://carnagems.wcpss.net/index.php Just click on the little green box that says Event Calendar. In the PTSA section of the website, you'll also find links to some wonderful EOG Resources gathered for us by our Media Specialist Cindy Morgan.
Proctors Needed for EOGs
Mr. Schwenker's phone message reminded us that LOTS of proctors are needed to help during EOG testing in May. If you are able to give some time, it is an important job. Without proctors, the tests can't be given! Help is needed on May 13, 17, 18, 19 and June 1. If you can help, please contact Travis Duncan at tduncan@wcpss.net. Many companies, including state government, offer volunteer leave with pay.
Box Tops Bring Big Bucks!
Those 10-cent Box Tops for Education really add up. Coordinator Diane Pulley reported that we collected enough to earn more than $737 this year, thanks to your great response! Submissions have ended for this year, but please keep collecting so we can start off with a bang this fall!
Get Set To Welcome New Families to Carnage
Mr. Schwenker reported that Carnage had the second highest magnet application rate of any school in Wake County (Enloe was first)! He anticipates our student population will be about 1,200 this fall. Many of those new families have been visiting Carnage this week and we look forward to welcoming them into active participation in the PTSA and in our school.
Thanks for your support!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
March 14, 2011
Hello Carnage Families!
Having missed a few weeks' worth of messages, I have lots of news to report:
Teacher Appreciation
Monday, March 14, the PTSA is providing healthy snacks for the staff as our monthly appreciation activity. Thanks to all of those families that are donating and volunteering each month. If you would like to lend a hand one Monday afternoon a month or send in a food donation, please contact Stephanie Moore at scavem@bellsouth.net Look for details soon about plans for a weeklong staff recognition in May.
Breakfast With the Principal
This month's Breakfast with the Principal will be this Thursday, March 17, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. As always, you are welcome to bring any questions you may have, but Mr. Schwenker plans to provide some information about EOGs. Please take advantage of this great opportunity to talk with your principal! Breakfast items and juice will be provided.
Don't Forget to Register As a Volunteer
If you plan to participate in a field trip or proctor for EOGs this spring, you will need to be registered as a volunteer in Wake County Schools. If you have not already registered, don't wait until the last minute! Registration is open on Mondays at any Wake County School through April 25. Call the school office 856-7600 for details.
Wednesday is Pizza Night!
Eat Papa John's Pizza this Wednesday, March 16, and help Wake County Schools! The Wake County Corporate Operators and Franchisee of Papa John's Pizza will be donating 20 percent of the proceeds from their March 16 pizza sales to WCPSS schools to support technology in the classroom. So be sure to buy enough for the entire family (and tell your neighbors!).
Teacher Grants Approved
During our February Executive Board meeting, we approved another round of teacher grants. I'm very excited at the creative ways that teachers are planning to use the funds to support student learning. A list of grants is included at the end of this message.
Fundraiser Will Support Techology
At the February meeting, we also approved a spring fundraiser to raise additional funds for the purchase of at least one more Promethian Interactive White Board for our classrooms. These boards are a great teaching tool and are becoming increasingly common in classrooms across Wake County. http://www.prometheanworld.com/
Our fundraiser will kick off April 8. It will be a coupon booklet that has some great deals from local restaurants, movie theatres and other merchants. Look for more information to come soon!
PTSA - There is a Place for You!
Do you have ideas about what you would like to see going on in PTSA? Would you like to be part of the planning? We will soon begin putting together our slate of officers for the coming year and more ideas and parent representation are always welcome. Please contact me if you are interested at julieghenry@yahoo.com
Here's a little perspective for your next trip to the gas pump. Wake County Schools estimates that it will purchase 1.3 million gallons of gas between Feb. 1 and June 30. Check out this cost savings WCPSS realized on gas prices: http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_mar9_diesel/
Have a great week!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
Spring Teacher Grants
Shumay, Ning membership for classroom Social Media
Jerread,Upper level Spanish reading books
Johnston,Choral Music Theory Texts
Cross,6th grade classroom library
Heyward,6th grade Science Eco-Mystery Novels
Crowder,Classroom library and dry-erase boards
Izzard, Educational Support Materials for Students with Disabilities
Pellas, Percussion equipment (mallets)
Quigley,Novels for Grey Matter Elective
Taylor, DVD sets for History of American Music elective
February 8, 2011
Hello Carnage Families!
Just a few notes for the month of February:
Our PTSA Executive Board will meet this Thursday at 5:30 in the media center. We will be reviewing the second cycle of teacher grants and discussing fundraising opportunities for the fall. Anyone is welcome to attend. Kids are welcome.
Next Monday, February 14, the PTSA is hosting a Chocolate "buffet" for our monthly appreciation event for teachers and staff. Thanks to the volunteers on our Teacher Appreciation committee for their dedication and support. If you would like to be a part of our ongoing appreciation activities, please contact Stephanie Moore at scavem@bellsouth.net
High School Information Session: Parents will have two opportunities to gain valuable information about high school, thanks to our wonderful guidance counselors. The dates are February 15 at 6 pm or February 18 at 8 am in the Carnage Middle School auditorium. Please plan to attend one of these sessions since we will be covering information about high school registration, high school graduation requirements and college entrance requirements.
Spirit Wear is still available for purchase. Limited styles and sizes of this year's new spirit wear are still for sale. An updated order form is available on the PTSA section of the Carnage school website. Download the new form and get it to the school office with your payment. Drop it in the black box marked PTSA under the computer sign-in kiosk.
We will have a Breakfast with the Principal event this month, but we're working on a date! Look for another email soon.
Do you have ideas about what you would like to see going on in PTSA? Would you like to be part of the planning? We will soon begin putting together our slate of officers for the coming year and more ideas and parent representation are always welcome. Please contact me if you are interested at julieghenry@yahoo.com
Have a great week!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
January 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
Dear Carnage Families,
Wow, is it almost February already? As our kids start a new quarter at school, I am struck that we have some pretty important "new beginnings" happening this month. At Carnage, our eighth graders will begin getting information about high school course registration, spring sports start to crank up, and of course, we begin a new quarter of learning.
On the county level, we welcome a new superintendent to the helm of the Wake County Public Schools. Anthony Tata will be sworn in as superintendent on Tuesday, February 1 at 4 p.m., marking what I sincerely hope will be a new beginning for the Board of Education. I have not used this forum as a pulpit to express my personal opinions and do not intend to start now. I hope, as I'm sure you all do, that Mr. Tata (pronounced TAY-tuh) will use his leadership experience to work with the school board and guide our school system with integrity and commitment to supporting our teachers and principals toward a collective goal of high achievement for all students.
I also hope that you will continue to set a great example for your child by paying attention to the work of the Board and perhaps most important, to what is going on in your child's classroom. As we learned from Mr. Schwenker in our first Breakfast with the Principal event, you are always welcome to request a conference with your child's teacher or the team. You can do that by contacting the team directly through School Notes or by contacting the school office.
Your PTSA continues to do good work in supporting our teachers and staff. We are beginning a second round of teacher grants, made possible by your membership dues and contributions. And our hospitality committee is planning a special chocolate-y treat for teachers in honor of Valentine's Day.
I'm also proud of our efforts to keep parents informed. We had a good turnout for the 6th grade parent information session last week on changes to the math curriculum. We will be posting the informational power point on our website very soon. Look for news to come very soon of an 8th grade parent information night on high school registration and our next Breakfast with the Principal date.
Other news of note:
Raising Achievement & Closing Gaps: Empowering Parents,
Students, and Community Members Summit
February 5, 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Enloe GT Magnet High School
http://www.wcpss.net/isd/racg/
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
PTSA President
January 10, 2011
Happy New Year!
We have a lot coming up this month, including our first Family Spirit Night, focused on the new math curriculum. That will be on Tuesday, January 25, beginning with dinner at 5:30. We are looking for 6th grade parents to coordinate a meal and an activity for students during the parent presentation. Our goal is to provide some informal time for families to meet each other and teachers during dinner before the program. We'll be doing similar events for 7th grade in February and 8th grade in March/April. If you are interested in helping, please contact Felicia Watson, graylynn147@gmail.com, 919-649-8166.
Weather permitting, we'll have our second Breakfast with the Principal this Thursday, January 13, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. We'll have the Transportation Manager from Enloe High School on hand to answer questions and talk with us about bus issues, and of course, Mr. Schwenker will be with us to answer any questions you may have. We'll also have a brief PTSA business meeting, as that is our regularly scheduled general PTSA meeting. Donuts and coffee will be provided.
If you are not already signed up for weather alerts from Wake County Schools, visit this link to find out how you can be among the first to know any news on early dismissals or cancellations because of weather this winter. http://www.wcpss.net/signup/newsletters/login
Thanks to those parents who were able to come out last Thursday to hear from School Board Member Keith Sutton. He represents School Board District 4, which includes Carnage and most of the other magnet schools. We had a good discussion, which I will try to recap here by topic:
Reassignment
The board is considering some adjustments to the final year of the multi-year assignment plan approved in Feb. 2009. With the opening of Walnut Creek Elementary School and the reassignments of more than 2,600 elementary age students, WCPSS staff is recommending reassignments of approximately 1,100 middle school students and just under 1,000 high school students to align feeder patterns as part of the board's focus on proximity and stability for students. Some Carnage families already have been notified by letter that they could be affected by these changes.
When asked by parents whether he was concerned about Walnut Creek Elementary being a high poverty school, Mr. Sutton said that he was not concerned about that, but that he is concerned that the school will be a "racially identifiable" school and is interested in exploring some "non-traditional options" to increase its appeal. For example, he is advocating for a change from Walnut Creek's planned year-round calendar to a traditional calendar, and is also hopeful the school can adopt a science and technology focus to increase its appeal.
He did indicate his support for the magnet program, stating that a primary goal of the magnet program when it was started was to ensure diverse student populations.
Mr. Sutton encouraged families that have concerns about reassignments or their impact on the magnet program to attend the public hearing on Wednesday, January 19, at Southeast Raleigh High and share their concerns with board members. He said that it is preferable for parents to attend the hearing in the district where their school is located, but if you cannot attend on the 19th, please try to attend another meeting.
You can read more about the proposal at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2011_jan6_assign_proposal/ You might find it interesting to read the original announcement about the plan at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2009_feb3_assignment/
New Superintendent
As of our meeting on Thursday, Mr. Sutton had not yet met Superintendent Anthony Tata, who is scheduled to start working on January 31. Mr. Sutton shared with us that while he is concerned about Mr. Tata's lack of education experience, he looks forward to hearing Mr. Tata's ideas on ways to improve the system. Here is a link to a story on WRAL about a meeting Mr. Sutton hosted on Saturday with Mr. Tata and folks at Saint Matthews AME Church in Raleigh.
Budget Issues
Mr. Sutton is on the board's Finance Committee, which will meet this week to begin looking at more than 400 community suggestions on ways the school system can save money. He said some suggestions have included charging a fee for student activity buses and for school athletics. You can still make your suggestions at http://www.wcpss.net/budget/2011-12-suggestions/
Fall School Board Elections
Mr. Sutton told us that he does plan to run for re-election this fall when his term expires. Five school board seats will be on the ballot, including that of Board Chair Ron Margiotta. School board districts will be redrawn this summer as a result of the census, so he encourages families to pay special attention to see if they are in a district affected by the elections.
Upcoming Events at Carnage (this week's events subject to change b/c of weather):
- This week (January 10-14), Student Council is conducting a Penny Drive to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Students should bring their coins to their homeroom for collection.
- Monday, Jan 10: Audition workshop for Spring Musical, Oklahoma! 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Basketball Games: Ligon vs. Carnage (Home)
- Tuesday, January 11: Musical auditions
- January 13 – Basketball Games: Dillard vs. Carnage (Home) Dance Concert at 7 p.m. FREE admission
- January 18 – Visit from Newberry Award Winning Author Jacqueline Kelly. She will be at Carnage from 1:30 to 3:00 speaking and signing her new book, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Students get a 20 percent discount on the books. Pre-order forms are available in the school office. Read more about Ms. Kelly at http://www.jacquelinekelly.com/
Stay warm!
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
December 13, 2010
Happy Holidays to all Carnage Families!
What a wonderful reception for and from our teachers and staff today at the Holiday
Dessert hosted by your PTSA! Special thanks to Hospitality Chair Stephanie Moore
and a wonderful team of volunteers who created a beautiful setting and prepared
a lovely array of goodies for our teachers to enjoy. And thanks to many more
parents who contributed gift cards for our teachers and staff, all 112 of them!
I can't tell you how many of the teachers commented on what events like these
have meant to them this year. In these difficult economic times, it is important
for us parents to remember how much a kind word and a simple show of support
means to our teachers.
I also was able to present grant awards on behalf of the PTSA to 10 teachers. At our December executive board meeting, we reviewed and approved almost $2,000 in grants for instructional support to PTSA member teachers who applied for assistance. Thanks to your financial support of the PTSA, we will be offering another grant cycle in January. Please see a list of the teachers and awards at the end of this email.
Quick notes for upcoming events:
- This Wednesday, Dec. 15, is the second WCPSS Papa John's fundraiser. Order pizza anytime during the day or night and a portion of the proceeds will support our schools. A similar fund-raiser in October raised $5,233 for the school system. Proceeds are split evenly among the 163 Wake County public schools.
- Thursday, Dec. 16, is our second Breakfast with the Principal from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. Representatives from WCPSS Transportation Department will be on hand to answer questions and share information. While I am not sure if we will solve all of our transportation challenges, I am hopeful that this will be a good opportunity for us to learn and share our ideas for improvements to benefit our children.
- Spirit wear orders will be delivered on Thursday and should go home with students on Friday. If you are available to help Spirit Wear Chairs Allison Hudson and Lisa Evans with packaging orders on Thursday afternoon, please email me at julieghenry@yahoo.com
- Enjoy the arts at Carnage! Our Band Concert is Tuesday night (12/14) and the Strings Concert is Thursday night (12/16).
-
Visit our yahoo calendar or check out the calendar on our home page for more
information on events at our school. http://carnagems.wcpss.net/ptsa/calendar.php
Grants Awarded Dec. 2010
Cheryl Zelek, AG Coordinator and Teacher Resource
Books on Differentiation Strategies for Teachers' Library
Joni Cross, 6th grade
Books for the 6th grade Language Arts department
Pat Weber, 7th grade
An electronic weather station to support the Science curriculum
Matthew Pellas and Elizabeth Taylor, band
New percussion equipment to replace damaged equipment and add new instruments
Linda Stewart, Special Education
Books for the classroom library for student use in the classroom and for check-out
Sarah Shanks, 7th grade
Materials to support hands-on learning about geography
Pam Outlaw, Math Intervention
Individual dry erase boards for student use in the classroom
Elaine Hampton, 8th grade
Books for a classroom library for student use in the classroom and for check-out
Ann Chapoton-Genna, Math
TI503SV Calculators for a calculator lending program for students
Winifred Marecheau, Strings
Video Recorder to tape student rehearsals and performances
Amy Stahl, AUIII Teacher
Books for classroom library for student use in the classroom
I hope you and your family enjoy the winter break and look forward to a great 2011 at Carnage Magnet Middle!
Sincerely,
Julie Henry
PTSA President
November 30, 2010
Hi Carnage Families,
I hope you all had a restful holiday weekend. It was hard to get up on Monday morning and back into the school routine!
A few items to note as we head into December:
*This Thursday, Dec. 2, at 6:15 p.m., we will have a PTA Executive Board Meeting in the media center. We will be reviewing Teacher Grant Proposals. Any PTSA member is welcome to attend.
*If you haven't ordered spirit wear, we have extended our sale until Thursday (12/2) night! If you would like to place an order, download a form from the PTSA portion of the Carnage website http://carnagems.wcpss.net/ptsa/forms.php and get it to the school office with your payment. There is a black box marked PTSA under the computer sign-in kiosk where you or your child can drop your order. We will order a LIMITED number of extra shirts, so if you know you want one before the holiday break, place your order NOW!
*We will have another Breakfast with the Principal (BWP)on Thursday, Dec. 16, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. We hope to invite someone from WCPSS Transportation to talk with us. Look for an update on that next week. We had a good turnout at the last BWP and great conversation with Mr. Schwenker, so plan to attend. Free coffee and donuts!
*THANKS for your wonderful support in sending in gift cards for teacher appreciation! You may still send in contributions; if we have any extras, they will be used for future teacher thank you events.
*This year, the student council is organizing an extraordinary science fair for Carnage. If your child is interested in science, they might want find out more details. Information packets are can be downloaded and registration forms are available from the science teachers. Please go to the website for more information. https://sites.google.com/site/carnagesciencefair/home
*Don't forget the Book Fair next week! And check the Google Calendar on the Carnage PTSA home page for the latest on activities at Carnage.
*The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) and Wake County Financial Aid Advisor Program will sponsor workshops on Financial Aid for college for parents and students in Wake County. The workshops begin at 6:30 p.m.
Financial Aid Workshops
- December 7 at Sanderson High, 5500 Dixon Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609
- January 5 at Panther Creek High, 6770 McCrimmon Parkway, Cary, NC 27519
- January 11 at Knightdale High, 100 Bryan Chalk Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545
- January 20 at Cary High, 638 Walnut Street, Cary, NC 27511
More details at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2010_nov18_financial_aid_workshops/
EARLY RELEASE ON FRIDAY! Be sure to ask your child about Career Day and the fun activities they got to do as their Box Tops reward!
Happy December!
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
November 14, 2010
Hi Carnage Families,
What a great turnout at our first Breakfast with the Principal (BWP) last Wednesday! Thanks to the
parents who came out and especially to Mr. Schwenker, who fielded lots of questions on subjects ranging from the math
curriculum to study skills. One important piece of advice for parents that came out of the meeting: you don't have to
wait for a problem to schedule a teacher conference. It is a great way to get to know your child's teachers and to
feel more connected to what is going on in the classroom. Mr. Schwenker also told parents he is working with teachers
to improve communication between the classroom and home. We had a brief discussion of transportation issues and plan
to continue that discussion at the next BWP. Look for a date to be announced soon.
Have you ordered spirit wear yet? T-Shirts and hoodies make great holiday presents for your kids or anyone who wants to support Carnage. Pre-orders for the new Spirit Wear designs will be accepted by the Carnage PTSA through November 23. See designs and download an order form at http://carnagems.wcpss.net/ptsa/index.php
There is lots going on this week at and related to Carnage:
Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. (Auditorium)
Annual Parent Meeting for the Academically and Intellectually
Gifted program. Ms. Zelek asks that you bring your child's Differentiated Education Plan and
Course Plan which came in the report card. A makeup session will be Tuesday,
Nov. 23 at 8 a.m. Questions? czelek@wcpss.net
Nov. 18 6:30 p.m. (Media Center)
Our first Family Spirit Night! Come early for a cookout dinner (Hot dogs $2,
Hamburgers $3, Chips and drinks $1 ea and veggie options available) at 5:30
and stay for the program about Wake County's Early College programs, including
the new STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) High School and the
Wake Early College of Health and Sciences. A representative from the WCPSS
Magnet Office also will be on hand with tips on the application process.
Nov. 21 (Sunday)
The Wake County PTA Healthy Lifestyle 5K Run at WakeMed Soccer
Park in Cary. The race begins at 3:30 pm. Packet pick–up is from 12:30 – 3
p.m. You may still register at www.wakepta5k.org
Nov. 15, 16, 18 and 22.
A fourth community workshop (Nov. 22) has been added for parent
input in to the WCPSS 2011-2012 student assignment process. School administrators
will provide a brief introduction to 2011-12 school assignment issues and then
participants will take part in small group discussions hosted by WCPSS Growth
and Planning staff.
Among the topics for discussion: assigning students to the new Walnut Creek
Elementary for 2011-12; approving traditional calendar application changes
for 2011-2012, and addressing overcrowding concerns for schools projected to
be at or above 112 percent. As an FYI, the following schools were noted in
a recent Board of Education work session to be overcrowded: Holly Springs High
School; Carnage, Heritage and Leesville Road middle schools; and Cedar Fork,
Dillard Drive, Douglas, Farmington Woods, Forest Pines Drive, Hodge Road, Joyner,
Lacy, Stough and Wiley elementary schools.
Dates and times:
- November 15, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, at Millbrook Magnet High at 2201 Spring Forest Road in Raleigh
- November 16, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High at 2600 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh
- November 18, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, at Cary High at 638 Walnut Street in Cary
- November 22, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, at Garner High at 2101 Spring Drive in Garner
You may register online beginning November 10 to participate in the community engagement meetings. There will be on-site registration the night of the event beginning at 6 p.m. To pre-register, visit: http://www.wcpss.net/signup/assignment/
But wait! There's more!
Coming up:
Career Day - Friday, Dec. 3.
Parent volunteers are still needed to come and share information about their
careers. The event runs from 7:15 to 9:35 a.m. All grade levels will participate.
For more information, or to volunteer, contact Ms. Campbell at pcampbell@wcpss.net or 856-7612.
The Fall Scholastic Book Fair is Dec. 6-13. Volunteers are needed, especially for afternoon shifts. Contact Ms. Morgan at cbmorgan@wcpss.net or 856-7612/856-3762
One final note:
The media center would like help in paying for magazine subscriptions for students.
If you would like to help, you may write a check to the Carnage PTSA and designate
Media Center Fund on it. Drop it in the PTSA box in the school office or mail
it to
Stephanie Raymond(PTSA BOX)
Carnage Middle School
1425 Carnage Drive
Raleigh,NC 27160
Have a great week!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
julieghenry@yahoo.com
November 8, 2010
Carnage Magnet Middle School PTSA
General Meeting 11/4/10
Welcome – Julie Henry, PTSA President, called the meeting to order at 6:25 p.m.
Treasurer's Report:
Treasurer Joe Baker reported that the PTSA currently has a bank balance of $8387.48.
Agendas have been purchased, membership dues have been paid to NC PTA (which
includes National PTA dues), and the PTSA insurance has been purchased. Expenses
thus far in the year have been minimal; the PTSA has extended an invitation to
teachers to submit for classroom/program grants. Grant applications are due November
19.
Message from the Principal
Principal David Schwenker reported on and answered questions about several items
of interest:
*recruitment for next year's magnet students is going well. Two open houses have
been held for students from Washington and Fuller, which are traditionally strong "feeder
schools." In addition, students from those schools will be invited to
a Holiday Festival on Dec. 17 featuring Carnage's arts programs. Tours are being
offered every Wednesday for prospective students and families.
Interested families should call the school office to register for a tour.
*SPAN – he said that core class teachers are expected to update SPAN at
least every two weeks. Elective classes may not be updated as consistently, but
he is encouraging teachers to use it for electives as well.
*Telephone communications – in response to parents' concerns about improved
communication, he is working with grade level teams to start regular phone message
updates by grade.
*Other communications efforts by teachers include: yahoo groups and a newsletter
with report cards. Mr. Schwenker told parents if they are not hearing from teachers,
they are welcome to contact him with any concerns.
Teacher email addresses are posted on the Carnage website.
Committee Reports
Spirit Wear:
Allison Hudson reported that new spirit wear order forms will be going home in
student report card envelopes. Order
forms also are available on the PTSA portion
of the Carnage website. Photos of the new designs will be posted soon. Orders
are due by Nov. 23, with delivery expected before the holiday break.
Communications:
Website Coordinator Carol Matsumura has added a Google calendar to the PTSA portion
of the Carnage website. She reported the following:
• The Google calendar has been updated with lots of November events.
• A "News" page added that has the Yahoo Group news.
• Breakfast w/Principal event information is up on the main page
Yahoo Group Coordinator Raji Shanmugam reported that there are 327 members of
the Carnage MS Yahoo group. Raji is updating the yahoo group calendar as well,
which includes a reminder feature to all parents who are enrolled in the group
for school activities. Invitations have been sent to all of the teachers and
staff to join as well.
Raji also reported that she set up a separate yahoo email account for parents
to submit concerns about transportation issues, but has gotten only a few responses.
The PTSA will be sharing these issues with Mr. Schwenker in hopes we can make
progress in reducing lengthy bus rides for students. The email address is carnagebwp@yahoo.com
Julie Henry reported that a newsletter would be going home in report card envelopes with PTSA and school news.
Family Spirit Nights:
Julie reported that the first Family Spirit Night will be Nov. 18, beginning
with a cookout dinner from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by presentations on WCPSS'
Early College programs, including a new program set to open this fall called
STEM. STEM is an acronym that stands for the four content areas that this school
will focus on: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is a joint
project between the Wake County Public School System, NC State
University, and the NC New Schools Project. You can read more at http://stemec.wcpss.net/ STEM
will be Wake County's second Early College program. We hope to have a representative
from Wake Early College of Health and Sciences as well.
Family Spirit Night coordinator Felicia Watson is working with school counselors
to plan dates for grade-level based Family Spirit Nights beginning in January.
Hospitality:
Julie reported that Stephanie Moore and a team of parents are sponsoring monthly
teacher appreciation activities as part of the Monday Professional Learning Teams'
meetings. Parents are volunteering to send in baked goods and other snacks. November's
event will be Nov. 8. Stephanie is planning the next event for Dec. 10. If parents are
interested in helping, they can reach Stephanie at
919 632 5985 or scavem@bellsouth.net.
Box Tops:
The response to the Box Tops appeal has been greater than expected, so we are
on track for a banner year for Box Tops fundraising. Chair Diane Pulley has posted
collection boxes just inside the front door of school. Students have earned their
reward for this quarter and are planning special activities for the Dec. 3 early
release day. Mr. Schwenker reported that one highlight for 8th graders will be
a staff vs. Carnage basketball game.
Other Activities
Breakfast with the Principal
Mr. Schwenker and the PTSA are hosting the first Breakfast with the Principal
on Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center. Refreshments
will be served and parents are invited to come and meet the principal and get
to know other parents.
Grade-level activities
The PTSA budget includes money for grade-level activities that have
traditionally been held at Carnage, including a 6th grade social. This year,
the staff decided to use the October early release day for the 6th grade social,
so that did not involve an expenditure of PTSA funds. Those funds will remain
in the PTSA budget. The PTSA also hosts the annual 8th grade end of year celebration.
Mr. Schwenker reported that the first dance of the year, which was sponsored by Student Council and open to all students, was very well-attended.
Meeting Dates/times
Julie reported that the next PTSA meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 6:15 p.m. in the school library. It will be an Executive Committee meeting, but any parent is welcome to attend.
The January meeting, which is a General Membership meeting, will be held on Thursday, January 13. The PTSA will be extending an invitation to School Board Member Keith Sutton to attend and speak about school board activities.
The meeting was adjourned at 7 p.m.
November 2, 2010
GENERAL PTSA MEETING THIS THURSDAY, NOV. 4 AT 6:15 p.m., followed by the Drama Dept's fall production of Anne of Green Gables at 7 p.m.
Hi Carnage Families,
Welcome to a new month and a new quarter! This year, our PTSA is focused on community building and I am proud to announce two programs this month to help us toward that goal.
On Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the media center, we will be hosting our first Breakfast With the Principal. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians to come and enjoy casual conversation with Mr. Schwenker. There is no formal program, so I encourage you to come to meet and talk with other parents and to ask questions of our principal. If you are not able to attend, but have questions, you are welcome to submit them to me at julieghenry@yahoo.com. I'll try to get answers posted in the group email following the event.
On Thursday evening, Nov. 18, we'll have our first Family Spirit Night. Dinner will be available from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (cost TBD), followed by a presentation on Wake County's newest high school, the Wake NC State STEM Early College High School, which will open next fall. It's never too soon to think about high school! STEM is an acronym that stands for the four content areas that this school will focus on: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is a joint project between the Wake County Public School System, NC State University, and the NC New Schools Project. You can read more at http://stemec.wcpss.net/ STEM will be Wake County's second Early College program. We hope to have a representative from Wake Early College of Health and Sciences as well.
Volunteers are needed for our media center. Our Media Assistant /Tech Contact, Ms. Butler, will be out in November and there will be no sub to help Ms. Morgan. She would greatly appreciate extra parent volunteers. While you're checking your calendar, see if you can help out with the Scholastic Book Fair Dec. 6-13. Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons are available!
You may reach Ms. Morgan at cbmorgan@wcpss.net or 856-7612/856-3762.
Other dates to remember:
November 21 – Wake County PTA Healthy Lifestyle 5K Run at WakeMed Soccer Park (early bird registration ends Nov. 8 at www.pta5k.org)
December 2 – PTSA Executive Board meeting 6:15 p.m.
January 13 – PTSA General Membership meeting and program (TBD)
Look for more PTSA news and information in your child's report card envelope. Report cards come home on Friday!
Julie Henry
Carnage PTSA President
October 17, 2010
Hi Carnage Families,
If you havent looked lately, check out the PTSA pages on our website. We are updating them and working on bringing our calendar up to date with school activities as well. Thanks to our great parent volunteers who are coordinating our Yahoo group site and our website! If you have expressed interest in volunteering and have not been contacted, please let us know at carnageptsa1011@yahoo.com. We still have committee positions to fill and there is always room for more parents to be involved in the PTSA!
And it is not too late to join the PTSA! You can download a membership form from the PTSA section on the school website: http://carnagems.wcpss.net/ptsa/forms.php or pick one up in the school office. Forms and payment can go in the black PTSA lockbox under the student sign in kiosk in the office.
Bus Troubles?
At the last PTSA board meeting, we discussed transportation issues, specifically
long bus rides for our students with Mr. Schwenker. If your family is struggling
with lengthy bus rides, please share your concern (and specific information about
route, time and your student) by sending an email to carnagebwp@yahoo.com. Your
PTSA will compile the information to share with our principal.
Wednesday is Pizza Night!
Eat Papa John's Pizza this Wednesday, Oct. 20, and help Wake County Schools!
The Wake County Corporate Operators and Franchisees of Papa John's Pizza will
be donating a portion of their proceeds from their October 20 pizza sales to
WCPSS schools. They will calculate the average sales from the last three weeks
of Wednesday sales, and then donate 20 percent of October 20's sales above that
average. All donated funds will be divided evenly among each WCPSS school and
deposited in principals' discretionary accounts.
Help Wake Schools Literacy Project
WCPSS is hoping to collect 5,000 easy-to assemble kits for promoting literacy
among elementary-age children by this Saturday, Oct. 23. Drop kits off at the
Carnage office and the PTSA will deliver them to a WCPSS collection site. The
kits will be distributed by our elementary schools to students who have been
identified for being at risk of not being on reading level this year. You may
have supplies at home!
Items needed to assemble one kit:
- One two-gallon plastic zip top bag
- New or gently used picture book for read aloud (Click here for suggested titles)
- Notebook spiral-bound or composition book
- 8-pack of crayons
- Pencil Glue stick
- Blunt scissors
- Pack of 100 3x5 index cards
Carnage Parent-Teacher-Student Workday Oct. 23
All families are invited to participate with Carnage's botany classes in a special
Saturday workday to clear invasive plants from along the Little Rock Greenway.
The workday will run from 9 a.m. to noon and all age groups are welcome (including
younger and/ or older siblings). It's a great way to earn service hours and
help your environment! If you can't lend a hand, consider donating some bottled
water or juice pouches for the event. Contact Carnage teacher Jodi Knapp for
more details at jknapp@wcpss.net.
You Could Be A Winner!
Is your child interested in the environment? Check out the N.C. Office of Environmental
Education's listing of contests and awards available to students and teachers. http://tinyurl.com/dfzb3e
Don't forget! There will be an Early Release this Friday, Oct. 22. Dismissal is at 11:45.
Have a great week, everyone!
Julie Henry
PTSA President
