The Circle
Fall 2012
Quarterly Newsletter for Parents & Students
Volume 11, Issue 1
Inside this issue:
Principal’s Message 2
Inside Story 2
Guidance/Media Center 3
Art & Early Childhood 4
New Faces at TCS 5
Congratulations 6
PTO 7
Fall Festival Pictures 8
Donuts for Dads 9
Safe Routes to School 10
Search for The Children’s
School at Sylvia Circle and
look for our “Children
around the World” icon!
During school year
2012-2013, Rock
Hill School District 3 is implementing
a district-wide focus on a one-to-one
computing initiative titled iRock:
Learning Anytime, Anywhere.
The goal is to have a personal iPad
or technology device in every student’s
hand to use at home and at
school to:
Instill wonder
Promote critical thinking
& Promote discovery
Construct meaning
Spark new insights
Promote creativity
Customize learning
At The Children’s School, students
are using iPads in each classroom as
a personal technology tool that provides
them with an opportunity to
learn anytime, anywhere. Literally at
their fingertips, students are investigating
and discovering Language &
Math, Science, and Cultures in other
parts of the world through Apps selected
by the Teacher.
The District believes
that the
Gold Standard
device is the
iPad, so if you
are considering
purchasing a
technology device
for your student, the iPad is recommended.
Our District will continue
to provide classroom technology tools
for our students, but our hope will be
for each student to have a personal
device.
For more information, visit:
Special Ed Student utilizing
technology to discover
through use of an iPad
http://irockanytimeanywhere.com
If you would like to sign up to receive your newsletter via e-mail, please e-mail Mrs. Beth
Harris at bnharris@rhmail.org
From our
Mrs. Jacqueline Jones
Page 2
Unveiling of the
new bike rack
National
Walk to School Day
“The human
hand allows
the minds to
reveal itself.”
-Maria
Montessori
Wow! The school year
has gotten off
to a great start and we
have now settled into the routine of educating
your children. As I walk the halls daily, observe in
the classrooms, attend events and interact with
students and staff, I am continually amazed by
the quality of work that is being done by students
and faculty. The Children's School at Sylvia Circle
is a great place for students and adults who work
with them. I am proud to be associated with such
a fine school!
The Leadership Team has worked collaboratively
to review data to develop our School Improvement
Plan. In the last few weeks, we have finalized
our School Improvement Plan. This year we
are focusing on 4 areas: Future Focus
(integrating the use of the iPad to enhance instruction),
Quality Work (closing the achievement
gap among students), Nurturing Environment
(implementing character education and enhancing
school-wide procedures), and Shared Vision
(maintaining a commitment to integrate Montessori
with fidelity).
Walk to School Day on October 3rd was a huge
success! Thank you to the many families and
staff that joined us for this International Walk to
School Day to promote pedestrian safety and a
healthy lifestyle.
We appreciate the Parent-Teacher Organization
(PTO) and their continued support and fundraising
efforts. This year they have organized schoolwide
t-shirts sales and iPad protective cover
sales. On October 20th, we had a fabulous Fall
Festival filled with lots of family-fun activities and
the weather was perfect for the event. Please
continue to support the PTO and their efforts to
promote student achievement through fundraising.
The School Improvement Council (SIC) has also
been very active this school year. In conjunction
with the Rock Hill Bicycle Club and Safe Routes to
School they organized the unveiling of our new
Bike Rack Sculpture. It was designed and created
by a Winthrop University Art student from Finland,
Anastasia Netrebine. Our new bike rack is proudly
displayed next to the Upper Elementary playground.
In the spring, the SIC will work with the
staff to host a Family iPad Night. In the upcoming
months, you will be receiving more details about
this event. It will be a great opportunity for families
to interact and see firsthand the impact of the
iPad in the classroom.
As we approach the end of the nine weeks, teachers
are in the process of scheduling and conducting
parent-teacher conferences. This is a great
opportunity for parents and teachers to meet and
discuss individual student progress. We are striving
for 100% face-to-face parent contact, so
please make every effort to attend your scheduled
conference.
As we are preparing for the upcoming Presidential
Election, we will have an election at The Children's
School at the end of November. In an effort to
promote school pride and community, we will be
voting for school colors and a school mascot. In
the next few weeks, you will receive a letter requesting
nominations for school colors and a
school mascot. Please return your nominations by
the deadline as we will compile information for the
ballot. Our students will have a unique opportunity
to vote using the same voting machines that
are used for community elections. Stay tuned for
more details!
Its hard to believe, but we are already gearing up
for our School of Choice application process. On
Thursday, November 15th, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00
p.m. at Sullivan Middle School, we will have a
district School of Choice Fair Night. If you know
any families that are interested in finding out
more about our wonderful school, please encourage
them to attend. In February we will have our
School of Choice Night at The Children's School.
I look forward to working with each of you more
and continuing on our current course together for
a successful school year. Should you ever have
any questions or need to speak with me, feel free
to contact me via email at jgjones@rhmail.org or
call the school at 803.981.1380.
Jacqueline G. Jones, Principal
Page 3
The COUNSELOR’s
C o r n e r
Mrs. Cash
Parents,
Welcome back to an exciting new
year here at the Children’s School!
We have had a great start! As the
guidance counselor, I am enjoying
meeting you and your amazing children!
I am very proud to announce our
new Student Council Members
(fourth and fifth grade students):
President: Hannah Benfield
Vice President: Zevi Hefner-Gibson
Secretary: Ella Claire Moody
Parliamentarian: TJ Robertson
Historian: Ashley King and Tobyas
Baxter
We will also be having Class Representatives
at each student council
meeting. These students are:
Abby Phillips
Elizabeth Valverde
Kyla Eloi
Carmen Jennings
Robert Dacus
Juniya Pendergrass
Chyna Baldwin
Aanyiah Rainey
Javan Kehr
Jeremiah Harper
Robert Billings
Daylin Fewell
Ethan McCormick
Devin Jones
Character Traits that are taught during Classroom Guidance:
September: Acceptance
October: Fairness
November: Appreciation
December: Compassion
“The more that you
read, the more
things you will
From the Media Center
Mrs. Charlotte
know. The more that
you learn, the more
places you'll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can
Read With My Eyes
Shut!
Fall Book Fair, Nov. 20-30, in the media center. Sponsored by
Cardinal Lane Book Fairs of Charlotte. Volunteers are needed for all
days. Please see Mrs. Charlotte if you can help.
Tues., Nov 20 - 10am-2pm only —Special Preview sale for parents (or adult
guests) only
Mon., Nov. 26 - preview day for classes
Tues - Fri. noon, Nov. 27-30 - buying days for students.
AR Home Connect is the page the students can access from home that contains the
AR Book Finder, where you can see which books are available. There are over 300,000
tests available to us! https://hosted299.renlearn.com/47933/HomeConnect
art
Page 4
It’s fall!! Hallelujah! We are having
so much creativity going on in
the art room. Finger paint, watercolors,
oil pastels, ink…do you get
the picture (pun intended!)
Please make sure your child has a
cover up to put on for art days…or
at least not wear their “good”
clothes. Those are the kid’s
words!
For those new to our school, I’d
like to tell you about our Dear Soldier
campaign. Every year since
9/11, our school has sent CARE
packages to American troops in
either Afghanistan or Iraq. Each
child in the school draws a picture
and /or makes a card. Our families
send candy, chips and all sorts
of treats. The Student Council,
Mrs. Cash, Nurse Amanda, Mrs.
Finley and I then place them in
shoe boxes and mail to the Middle
East right after Thanksgiving for
Christmas delivery. Some of the
items we have placed in the soldier’s
boxes have found their way
to village children. Together we
make a difference in the lives of
those who sacrifice so much for us.
They are touched by the words of
our children and the outpouring of
support from our families. If you
would like to contribute to our effort,
please place the items in a
bag with my name on it and I’ll
make sure they make it into the
CARE packages. The following are
some ideas for items to send to
me…please note we can’t send
canned goods or homemade
treats:
Individual bags of chips, pretzels,
Pringles, cheez-its, Slim Jims, any
kind of candy, gum, mints, tic-tacs,
puzzle books, paper, pens, Sports
Illustrated magazines, small containers
of Baby Wipes, Chap-Stick,
batteries, Pre-Paid Calling Cards
(International), Snickers Candy
Bars are the favorite!
Take care and please know it’s a
true pleasure to work with your
children.
With Warm Regards,
Laura Ashe
Art Teacher
Ms. Ashe
Early Childhood
“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or
quote from the story here.”
Our school year has
gotten off to a great
start! We have been
busy practicing procedures
and the importance
of rules. We
are exploring our environment
with our five
senses and we have
been practicing counting
to 25. We have
also been identifying
and analyzing 2D and
3D shapes. We enjoyed
our field trip to
Black's Farm with our
K4 and K5 students as
we learned about ani-
mals and harvesting
crops. Remember to
fill out your monthly
reading tree log.
Mrs. Page and Mrs. Thompson’s class enjoying a hayride
FARM FUN
New Faces at TCS Page
5
Ms. Celeste, Early Childhood Teacher
I am the newest Early Childhood teacher. I was a
substitute for Richland School District One in Columbia,
SC for five years and I only took positions in
Montessori classrooms. I earned my Montessori Certification
in May of 2012. I am an active volunteer. I
feel that I have found my place in the classroom. I
was recruited from the volunteer mothers when my
children were small. I love children in all shapes,
sizes and descriptions.
My two surviving sons are Christopher, 13 and Timothy,
12. They are both in middle school. We are a
musical family as they play many instruments. We
have an active church life. Outside of the classroom I
enjoy walking, cooking, reading, and scrapbooking.
Cooking for teenaged boys is a must. Baking is a
pleasure that I like to share, because I should not eat
the entire batch of cookies. We are enjoying being
included in the Rock Hill community. I get good tips
from my students. Our family agrees that we have
not met any strangers since our move.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
11/9—Muffins for Mom (7-7:45 am)
11/12—Spirit Night @ Zaxby’s
11/14—Late Start Day
11/15—School of Choice Fair
(Sullivan Middle School)
11/21-23—Thanksgiving Holidays
11/28-30—4th Grade @ Camp Thunderbird
12/4-6pm—Parent iPad Meeting and
General PTO Meeting (South Pointe)
12/4 6:30 pm—Holiday Program @
South Pointe High School
12/20-1/2/13-Christmas Break
Mrs. Elmore
Lower El Assistant
to Ms. Wilson
Mrs. Robinson
Assistant to
Mrs. Gayton
Mrs. Danise
Exceptional
Student Ed Assistant
Mrs. Angie Elmore has lived in Rock
Hill her whole life! She married her husband,
Ron, 26 years ago on Valentine’s
Day. They have two sons, Josh (20) who
attends Emory University, and Jake (16),
who attends South Pointe High School.
Mrs. Elmore enjoying boating and fishing
and riding around in her family’s ‘69 Camaro.
Mrs. Elmore attended Winthrop University,
where she earned a Business Degree.
She has spent the last 10 years in the Rock
Hill School District as a Kindergarten Assistant
at Richmond Drive Elementary
School.
Mrs. Melanie Robinson is excited
about becoming a part of the staff at The
Children’s School. She enjoys working
with children and watching them learn.
Mrs. Robinson has been married to her
husband, Terry, for 29 years and they
have three children, two daughters and
one son. She enjoys event planning, catering,
band competitions, and competitive
cheerleading competitions. She also
enjoys sports, due to her husband being
an umpire and an official on the district
and college level for four sports.
Mrs. Robinson joins The Children’s
School after being employed with Rock
Hill Schools as a substitute and as a long
term substitute.
Mrs. Danise Simpson is a native of
Rock Hill. She and her husband, Walter,
have been married for 17 years. They
have one daughter, Janaye, who is a senior
at Rock Hill High School.
Prior to joining The Children’s School,
Mrs. Simpson working for Rock Hill
Schools as a substitute for two years.
Prior to that, she worked for seven years
with adults with disabilities.
Congratulations
Page 6
Mrs. Watts' 4th and 5th grade GT
students entered a poster contest
sponsored by the York County Soil
and Water Conservation District
with the theme "Soil to
Spoon." Students discussed the role of soil to life on Earth and designed
posters to illustrate how vital soil is to all. Ashley King and Hannah
Benfield were awarded Honorable Mention in this contest, Cole Bitting
was awarded 2nd place and the overall winner was Courtney Stuart,
who received a $25 Visa gift card and had her poster entered in the state
contest. Congratulations to these students!
Safety Patrol
York County
Soil and Water
Conservation
Contest
The following students
have been selected
as members
of the
Caption describing picture
or graphic.
2011-2012 Elementary
Honors Choir of
Rock Hill Schools:
Kyla Eloi
Jada Rouse
Brianna Porter
Ty’Jaiah McMullen
KK
Fire Safety Contest Winners
Back Row (L to R)-Jade Gant, Sinclair Canty, Catherine Wellborn,
Zevi Hefner-Gibson, AaNyiah Rainey, Robert
Billings, Ty’Jaiah McMullen, E'Mari Jones.
Kieralyn Walter
5th Grade
Jadyn Wright
1st Grade
Second Row (L to R)-Chyna Baldwin, Carmen Jennings, Avery
Hart, Riley Forsythe, Kieralyn Walter, Abby Phillips, Mary Price
Pitts, Chloe Edwards
Front Row (L to R)-Dalton Smith, Cole Bitting, Jalen Harper,
Hannah Benfield
“Children must be taught how to
think, not what to think.”
― Margaret Mead
I hope you all had a wonderful summer break. We have
many activities planned this year and I thank everyone
that has taken the time to help volunteer and be involved
in not only your children’s success but the school also.
Activities that support our school:
• Fall Festival
• T-Shirt Sales
• Invest In Your Child
PTO Spotlight
We held our Fall Festival this year in which we added some of the successful
Bingo fundraising ideas and it was a great success. Thanks to all
volunteers who helped with this and all other fall fundraisers.
The PTO website is still up and running! Please visit our site at
www.thechildrensschoolpto.org. We’ve posted fundraising results, meeting
minutes, financials reports, volunteer forms and other information on
the site.
Newly designed
TCS Spirit T-Shirt
Please mark your calendars for the Pumpkin Fun Run April 26, 2013.
This is a fun time for parents and children alike. Last year amazed us
with all the support and the fun that the children had being able to run
in the halls and not get in trouble. They loved it.
If you’d like to volunteer to help, please see myself, a PTO board member
or any faculty/staff.
Thank you for your support of our children,
Hope Craig
PTO President
Briarcliff767@yahoo.com
www.thechildrensschoolpto.org
Check your grocery items, clip those box tops, and help our school earn
money. Every box top is important!! Remember, no out of date box
tops.
This cycle ended on October 22nd, and the class who gathered the
most, and turned them in on time, will win an ice-cream party!
Keep clipping! We will have another contest in the Spring!
FUN
FALL FESTIVAL
iPad Raffle Winners
donuts for dads
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