PSRC Monthly Newsletter

Your source for PSRC happenings

February 1, 2024

February is Black History Month, Love the Bus Month, National Children's Dental Health Month, Heart Month and CTE Month.

Quote of the Month

"Character is power." - Booker T. Washington

News around the District

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Lumberton High student is U.S. Presidential Scholars Program state nominee

A local student has been selected to move forward as a nominee in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Chloe E. Hammonds, a Lumberton High School student, has been selected by the NC Department of Public Instruction Presidential Scholars Nomination Committee to advance as a state nominee in the next round of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

“Chloe represents the best of North Carolina’s students based on her outstanding scholarship qualities in the General Education or CTE category,” according to a letter from NCDPI officials on behalf of State Superintendent Catherine Truitt.

Hammonds shared words of excitement for the nomination.

“I am beyond excited about the opportunity being presented to me. When given the chance to represent my county and the area where I am from, I am quick to jump on it. I am exceedingly proud of where I am from, and I hope to progress to the next round of the scholars program," Chloe Hammonds said in a statement.

Southside-Ashpole ponies win Judges Award in robotics competition semi finals

On December 9, three teams from PSRC competed in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Semi-Finals Robotics Competition at NC A&T University in Greensboro.

Our own Southside Ashpole Elementary School ponies took home the Judges Award, and teams from L. Gilbert Carroll Middle School and Rex Rennert Elementary School showed a lot of improvement in just one week.

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PSRC ECHS robotics team featured in FIRST NC Robotics Newsletter

PSRC Board of Education Meeting Highlights

Click here to read highlights from the January 11, 2024 meeting of the PSRC Board of Education.

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Pre-K registration flyer Apply for Title I Pre-K for the 2024-2025 school year by April 8!

Applications for Title I Pre-K for the 2024-2025 school year are now being accepted. Applications can be picked up from your school of choice during the regular school day and should be returned no later than April 8, 2024.

Se están aceptando solicitudes para Pre-K del Título I para el año escolar 2024-2025. Las solicitudes se pueden recoger en la escuela de su elección durante el día escolar regular y deben devolverse a más tardar el 8 de abril de 2024.

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LJHS Technology Club brings home Future City Competition Core Value Award

Lumberton Junior High School students brought home the Core Value Award from the Future City Competition Saturday in Raleigh.

Students from grades 7-8 who are part of the school’s Technology Club participated in the competition held at N.C. State University’s McKimmon Center.

“Future City is a hands-on cross-curricular educational program that brings STEM to life for students in grades 6 through 8,” according to the Future City website. “Using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and project management skills, students showcase their solutions to a citywide sustainability issue.”

This year’s challenge was to design and build an all-electric city addressing all the needs of a bustling Puerto Rican community in 2124 called Eden formerly known as San Juan.

LJHS student Heylin Perez Hernandez said the event “expanded my creativity and my leadership skills.”

“The project was a lot of fun,” said LJHS student Kahlil Isaac. “I was scared when I got to Raleigh … but everyone seemed to like our ideas. In the end, I thought it was very cool that we won an award. I am going to do it again next year and tell my friends to join.”

Nurse's Corner: February is National Children's Dental Health Month

Greetings from School Health Services,

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. During this time, School Health Services encourages families to help students develop and practice healthy dental habits.

"Oral health is essential to general health and well-being. Oral disease can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, and learning. The three oral conditions that most affect overall health and quality of life are cavities, severe gum disease, and severe tooth loss," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"On average, 34 million school hours are lost each year because of unplanned (emergency) dental care, and over $45 billion in US productivity is lost each year due to untreated dental disease," according to the CDC.

Thus, encouraging regular dental visits is important for students. Regular visits allow dentists to detect any problems early, and those problems can potentially be treated quickly and more effectively.

Let's work together to stay healthy.

Join our Parental Advisory Committee!

Robeson County Parental Advisory Committee flyer

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This is your invitation to join our District Parental Advisory Committee, affectionately known as the "Robeson County P.A.C."

Our Parental Advisory Committee will represent the voice of PSRC parents/caregivers and students in our district. Collectively and individually, this committee will act as a sounding board and resource for our district's initiative to build and maintain family-school partnerships in alignment with the strategic plan and our Title I Parent and Family Engagement Plan.

The role of the committee is to provide advice and assistance to the district regarding any matter relating to programs and services in order to help the district attain its goal of providing all students with the best education possible. It will also serve to inform, encourage, and provide opportunities for parents and community members to be involved in the planning and improvement process.

I am very excited to get the ball rolling with the P.A.C for the upcoming school year, if you accept this invitation please complete the Google form here.

Should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Brendalyn Thompson

Family Engagement Specialist

Public Schools of Robeson County

Office Number: 910-671-6000 ext. 3560

Email: brendalyn.thompson@robeson.k12.nc.us

Upcoming Events

Thursday, Feb. 1 - PSRC Board of Education Policy Committee Meeting - https://youtube.com/live/QZXIippwfHU?feature=

Thursday, Feb. 1 - Optimist Day

Feb. 5-9 - National School Counseling Week

Wednesday, Feb. 7 - Periodic Table Day

Wednesday, Feb. 7 - Send a Card to a Friend Day

Thursday, Feb. 8 - National Kite Flying Day

Friday, Feb. 9 - Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

Feb. 12 - 16 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Week

Monday, Feb. 12 - 100th Day of School

Wednesday, Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day

Thursday, Feb. 15 - National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

Friday, Feb. 16 - Optional Teacher Workday (Required Workday for PSRC ECHS)

Saturday, Feb. 17 - Random Acts of Kindness Day

Monday, Feb. 19 - Presidents Day

Tuesday, Feb. 20 - National Leadership Day

Saturday, Feb. 24 - Robeson Planetarium and Science Center Public Shows

Tuesday, Feb. 27 - National Retro Day

Wednesday, Feb. 28 - Half Day for Students/Half Day Required Teacher Workday (PSRC ECHS is not included in this Required Half Day Teacher Workday and Half Day)

Thursday, Feb. 29 - District Family Engagement Night - Southeastern Ag Center - 6 p.m.

ROBESON PLANETARIUM AND SCIENCE CENTER TO HOST FREE SHOWS ON FEB. 24

Saturday, February 24th, the planetarium will be open for programs at 11:00 am, noon, 1:30, and 2:30 pm. The program: Perseverance Explores Mars! NASA swag and stickers will be given out.

Admission is free. To reserve a spot for your family, please call 910-671-6000, x3382. Leave a message with the following information: your name, the number of your party, and which program you want to see.

The program is free, but reservations are required.

We are located, temporarily, at 100 Hargrave St., at the PSRC Central Office. Doors open 10 minutes before the program begins, so you and your family can interact with the science center.

*Please note that attendance is capped at 25 people per program.

Join us on Feb. 29 for the Heart S.T.E.A.M. District Family Engagement Night

Greetings, PSRC Family,

Join us for a heartfelt Family Engagement Night with a sweet spin. February is Heart Month which means it is the perfect time to bring some heart science to your home.

Families will team up to build functioning heart models out of items we have around the house. This will help us discuss how the heart functions and heart health.

During February we also celebrate African American History Month, and we will hear from some special guests to pay homage to our families.

Please save the date and join us on Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Southeastern NC Agricultural Events Center, located at 1027 US-74 ALT in Lumberton.

You may register through the following link: https://forms.gle/Rm8cXeCDycKihqLv5

You DO NOT want to miss this!!

All PSRC Family Engagement Nights are free for students and their families, we believe in creating spaces for families to learn and grow through hands-on educational experiences.