News from the Nest

• Monday, September 25th - Fun Run Kick-off Assembly at school
• Wednesday, September 27th - Weaverwood Tryouts after school (3rd & 4th only). Permission Form in English & En Espanol.
• Monday, September 24th - Friday, September 29th - NBHS Homecoming & Spirit Week *more info to come!*
• Friday, September 29th - Homecoming Parade on Main St.
• Monday, October 2nd - Optional Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
• Tuesday, October 3rd - Required Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
• Friday, October 6th - Fun Run! *Register today! *Sign up to volunteer!
• Monday, October 9th - Fall Picture Day
• Thursday, October 12th - 6:15 pm - PTO Meeting @ Weaverville Primary
• Tuesday, October 17th - NBMS Homework Diner - 5-6:30pm
• Tuesday, October 31st - Early Dismissal (12:25 pm). All students served lunch.
  

District Calendars

• 2023-2024 Academic Calendar- English

• 2023-2024 Academic Calendar- Romanian

• 2023-2024 Academic Calendar- Russian

• 2023-2024 Academic Calendar- Spanish

Log into MYBOOSTER.COM to get started!

Read more information about Fun Run below!

FUN RUN PROGRAM IS HERE!

Fun Run Information!:

Our annual Weaverville Blackhawk Fun Run Fundraising program is here and our students and staff are so excited! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together.

️ Log into MYBOOSTER.COM TODAY to get started! ️

Each child who simply registers will earn a prize! This event and your participation will help our schools reach our goal of $50,000 for students & staff!

Thank you for supporting our school - we are grateful for our amazing school community! We can’t wait for the Weaverville Blackhawk Fun Run where our students will be able to earn money for each minute they participate! That’s right, we are shifting to a per minute vs a per lap incentive, so let’s get excited and support our students as they move and groove in this awesome activity challenge! (Please note all “per minute” donations will be assumed a 35 minute commitment!)

Interested in volunteering for the event? Sign Up here to help make this day amazing for the kids!

Key Dates!

• Monday, September 25th- Fun Run KICK OFF!!

• October 6th - Fun Run

If you'd like to volunteer for Fun Run before or during the event (or both!), you can sign up here:

Fun Run Volunteer Sign-up

If you'd like to volunteer for a PTO Committee, sign up here:

PTO Committee Sign-up

Becoming a volunteer requires an application and a background check. We have two levels of volunteers. A "Level 1" volunteer can volunteer in our building, but can not be alone with students. A "Level 2" volunteer might work more closely with students, for example in a reading or math group, or supervising students on a field trip. If you want to attend field trips with your child, or if you want to volunteer in our school during the school day, a volunteer background check is required. The button above has all the information you need to guide you through the process.

If you have been an approved volunteer before, please know that you must update your application annually. You should get a reminder email to update your information each year.

Ms. Ashley Mendoza has access to our list of approved volunteers. Ashley.Mendoza@bcsemail.org.

Next week is Bus Ridership Week in North Carolina. Each year, the state determines transportation funding for school districts by how many students ride the bus both to and from school. According to Jeremy Stowe, Director of Transportation for Buncombe County Schools, Bus Ridership Week is crucial for our school system to get an accurate snapshot of which students could need bus transportation at any time of the year.

State funding for school transportation is determined by three factors: the total number of buses operating, total expenditures, and the number of students riding buses, and that number will be determined September 25-29.

“We are encouraging students to ride the bus as many days as possible during the week of the count,” said Jeremy Stowe, BCS Transportation Director. “Since the needs of our families could change throughout the year, we want to ensure that we’ll have the resources available to accommodate all of our bus riders!”

We are launching our Fun Run fundraiser on Monday afternoon during an assembly with all students. Our amazing Weaverville Schools PTO manages this event, and students will come home asking you if you have registered. You can easily register at www.mybooster.com. Once you register, the next steps are pretty easy! Teachers will putting together incentives for each class based on how many donations they can get.

This week is also Spirit Week in North Buncombe! North Buncombe High School's Homecoming game is this Friday night, and the parade is Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm. The parade will come down Main St. and end at Weaverville Elementary.

Here are the Dress-up Days for Spirit Week:

• Monday: Sports Cartoons-Wear your favorite sports jersey!
  
• Tuesday: Cartoon Characters-dress as your favorite cartoon character (no masks)
  
• Wednesday: Early Morning Cartoons - PJ Day
• Thursday: Colorful Cartoons-
• 2nd grade: dress in green
• 3rd grade: dress in red
• 4th Grade: Dress in blue
• Friday: Blackhawk Pride-dress in Blackhawk Pride!

This week is also Bus Ridership Week! If your child has a bus assignment, please take time to use that awesome free transportation this week! Our district gets funding for the number of kids who ride during ridership week!

North Buncombe Middle School is a United Way Community School this year. One of the goals of the program is community building. NBMS is hosting "Homework Diner" on Tuesday, October 17th from 5-6:30 p.m., and it is open to all schools/students in the NB district. There will be teachers on duty for homework help if needed, or families can just enjoy a FREE catered meal and play some games.

I'd also like to open up our school to parents having lunch with their children if you wish to! Here are some things you need to know if you plan to have lunch with your child:

• Please do not bring outside food such as fast food and/or sodas into the school cafeteria.
• Please arrive on time to get a visitor's pass before you go anywhere else in the building.
• Please do not walk to the classroom after you check in. Report to the lunchroom hallways five minutes before your child's scheduled lunch time.
• Let the teacher know ahead of time.
• Please plan to eat in the cafeteria with your child. We do not have spaces set up for parents to bring their child somewhere else for lunch on our campus.

Please note that any outside food brought in for special snacks or birthday treats cannot be consumed until the last student has been served lunch. This will be at approximately 12:30 PM. Should you desire to bring in a special snack for your child’s birthday or another event, please coordinate this with your child’s teacher so as not to conflict with our lunchroom policies. In addition, any food brought into the school to be shared with students must be store bought with ingredients listed. Please allow school staff to distribute snacks due to their knowledge and understanding of students’ allergies and dietary needs. Our school also encourages healthy snacks and choices. Please refer to the School Wellness section in this handbook for more information.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Mary Nichols

Previous Weeks' News from the Nest

• August:
• What does the Science of Reading mean for parents?
• September:
• Expert Answers to Family Questions About Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Fluency

MUSIC: Everyone is having a great time in music! We are practicing finding and keeping the steady beat, listening to a variety of music (check out “Awkward Annie” by Kate Rusby, and “The Java Jive” by the Ink Spots!) as well as playing singing-games like (2nd Grade) “Frog in the Meadow” and (3rd Grade) “Son Macaron.” 4th Graders got their RECORDERS and are excited to serenade their families with the dulcet tones of “Hot Cross Buns.” Check out the information sheet they are bringing home, and thank you for being patient as they figure out how to make this instrument sound, if not good yet, not painful! (Soft air, y’all, soft air)

ART: Art is off to a great start! This year, we've started with exploring drawing, and students have learned about silhouettes and profiles. In the coming weeks we will be learning about several artists, including Laurel Burch, and Keith Haring. Students are looking forward to next month as well, as October will be "inktober" in the art room.

MEDIA: In the media center we have been working on how to find books that we are interested in, fiction by the authors last name, and non-fiction by looking for the topic on the shelf signs. Next week we will be working on how to pick Just the right Book.

PE: The start of PE this year we are working on learning how our bodies work (spatial awareness) and our locomotor movements by playing games that incorporate these skills such as our warm up Partner Run, as well as our games “Musical Hoops” and “Line Tag”.

• Please do not enter our car line from Main St. in the mornings or in the afternoons. Please use Yost St.
• Please do not check your child out between 1:55-2:55 so that we can have a safe and calm dismissal for students each day.
• Please always let us know in writing if there is a transportation change for your child.
• Please let us know by 1:00 pm if you are changing your child's regular dismissal procedure.

Don't forget that our students, staff, and visitors have access to masks all day long. We have regular 3-ply masks and KN95 masks available. Masks are available in the front office, and we have reminders at hand-sanitizing stations that you can get a mask in the front office.

If a student requests a KN95 mask, we must have parent permission since it is considered a respirator. Parents must complete the Voluntary Respirator Use Form and sign and return. Here is a link to the form. If a student requests a KN95 mask, and we do not already have the form on file, we will email it to parent/guardians for you to sign.

Ingles:

As we start another school year, remember it's time to link your Ingles Advantage Card to Weaverville Elementary School. This must be done each year to ensure the benefits from your card will support our school! Ingles Tools for Schools makes a huge difference in our school. Thanks for your support.

https://www.ingles-markets.com/tools-for-schools-link

Other Ways to Support WvES While You Shop:

• Publix: www.plublix.com/partners
• Amazon Smiles: www.smile.amazon.com
• Box Tops: www.boxtops4education.com
• Harris Teeter - www.tie.harristeeter.com

The information below are parts of our Student & Families Handbook. It's important that our families know all the procedures and safety expectations. I'll leave these in our News from the Nest for a few weeks

ALL parents and visitors to campus must sign in at the office and obtain a visitor sticker (or a volunteer pass if applicable). Please note that you must sign in even if you are only visiting the cafeteria. Your cooperation in helping us to follow Central Office policy and ensuring the safety of all children is expected and appreciated.

If you have an appointment or scheduled time to be at school in the morning, and wish to walk in with your child, please still plan to follow the established procedure of coming to the office, signing the visitor registry, and obtaining a visitor tag.

Visitors will only be allowed to visit a classroom if the visitor has scheduled the visit with the teacher beforehand or if the visitor is a scheduled volunteer.

Students must be in attendance for more than half a day (11:30 a.m.) to be counted present for the day. On a two hour delay, the half day mark is considered 12:15. On a three hour delay, the half day mark is considered 12:45. Students arriving at school after 7:55 AM must report to the office and to sign in. Tardies will only be excused if accompanied by a medical (doctor or dentist) statement or if excused by the principal. These notes/statements should be presented to the office staff when signing in. Upon returning to school from an absence, students must bring their teacher a parent note or medical statement (doctor or dentist) giving the reason for the absence.

Our day starts promptly at 7:55 am. Please work together as a family to have your child arrive on time, with time to get settled in their classroom, and ready to learn at 7:55 am. If your child plans to eat breakfast at school, please do your best to have them arrive with time to eat before lessons begin at 7:55 am.

Check your child's grades, attendance, and more! Email powerschoolteam@bcsemail.org and our BCS staff will email you a link, login, and password for your account. If you email this week, please be patient as they respond to many requests, especially right before school starts.

You can also manage your contact information through parent portal.

Email Dawn.Flanigan-Bryson@bcsemail.org, WvES Data Manager, to check your Powerschool settings and contact information.

Safety is one of my top priorities, and I want to be very clear with all of our families about the ways we will keep our students safe on our campus. The following procedures and expectations are in place with safety in mind. Please support our staff and students in keeping our campus safe by following these expectations at all times.

• All visitors must check in each time with no exceptions. You'll get a badge to wear, and you must wear the badge at all times. If you do not have the badge on, our staff will politely ask if we can help you, so please be kind to staff in response.
• Visitors are only allowed to visit a classroom if they have a scheduled appointment with the teacher. We want to protect the instructional time of all students.
• All doors will remain locked at all times.
• Please do not enter the front door unless you have been buzzed in by an adult. It may seem easy to slip in with someone else who is being buzzed in, but please help us keep our safety practices in tact by following this simple request.
• If you are already inside the school, please do not open the front door for others. Please allow our office staff to safely screen each person entering the building.

Please follow this "Multi-visitor Entrance Procedure:"

1. If you have buzzed in and are being screened and you notice another visitor is arriving, please don't hold the door and allow anyone in without being screened first.
2. If the other visitor is 15 feet or less from the door, please buzz in and be screened together.
3. If the visitor is more than 15 feet from the door, please buzz in and ensure the door is closed completely after you enter.

We certainly want to encourage politeness, and we also want our visitors to understand that it is unsafe to hold doors and allow visitors in without being verified by front office staff first. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

School safety is the most important component of our day. We know we must balance safety with having a welcoming school building so that parents and community members can be part of our school. Please help us do this by honoring these safety protocols about entering our building.

Parents are invited to eat with their child in the cafeteria; however, as a courtesy to other students, we ask that you do not bring outside food such as fast food and/or sodas into the school cafeteria. Parents should arrive at school in time to get a visitor’s pass and report to the lunchroom hallway five minutes before the scheduled lunch time. Please always let the teacher know ahead of time if you plan to eat with your child.

Parents are invited to have lunch with their child at the end of September. Please wait for an announcement from the principal that parents/family can come to school to have lunch with their child.

A monthly menu will be posted in the classroom and the daily menu will be read during morning announcements. Occasionally there will be a menu change due to late deliveries or snow days.

You can find links to BCS menus here: https://www.buncombeschools.org/page/menus-and-pricing

Please note that any outside food brought in for special snacks or birthday treats cannot be consumed until the last student has been served lunch. This will be at approximately 12:30 PM. Should you desire to bring in a special snack for your child’s birthday or another event, please coordinate this with your child’s teacher so as not to conflict with our lunchroom policies. In addition, any food brought into the school to be shared with students must be store bought with ingredients listed. Please allow school staff to distribute snacks due to their knowledge and understanding of students’ allergies and dietary needs. Our school also encourages healthy snacks and choices. Please refer to the School Wellness section in this handbook for more information.

• Free/Reduced Lunch Application: www.lunchapplication.com
• Please do not check your child out between 1:55-2:55 so that we can have a safe and calm dismissal for students each day.
• Please always let us know in writing if there is a transportation change for your child.
• Please let us know by 1:00 pm if you are changing your child's regular dismissal procedure.

Phone: 828-645-3127

Address: 129 South Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787

Email:

Mary Nichols - Principal (Mary.nichols@bcsemail.org)

*Please email both office staff if you have a dismissal change.

Dawn Flanigan-Bryson - Data Manager (dawn.flanigan-bryson@bcsemail.org)

• attendance
• student information/records
• immunizations
• enrollment

Ashley Mendoza - Head Secretary (Ashley.mendoza@bcsemail.org)

• general inquiries
• money questions related to school
• bus questions