Overton Parent Newsletter

Mission Statement: The Overton staff, in partnership with students and families, will provide a safe and orderly environment in which all students have the opportunity to achieve academic success and to develop the character, which will enable them to become responsible members of a global society.

Vision: Each child a success! Education makes you a Super Hero!

Habit of Mind:       Creating, imagining and innovating:  Try a different way! Generating new and novel ideas, fluency, and originality.

The morning program will highlight famous Americans and their contributions to our society. These people tried a different way. All human beings have the capacity to generate novel, original, clever or ingenious products, solutions, and techniques if that capacity is developed. Creative human beings try to conceive problem solutions differently, examining alternative possibilities from many angles. Creative people take risks and frequently push the boundaries of their perceived limits (Perkins 1985). They are intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated, working on the task because of the aesthetic challenge rather than the material rewards. Creative people are open to criticism. They hold up their products for others to judge and seek feedback in an ever-increasing effort to refine their technique. They are uneasy with the status quo. They constantly strive for greater fluency, elaborations, novelty, simplicity, craftsmanship, perfections, beauty, harmony, and balance.

Students demonstrate this quality when they show an “ can” attitude when trying new things. Another example is when they “think out of the box”. Encourage your child to brainstorm and think of new ways to do things. Have them try a different way! Ask your child to find a creative solution to a problem.

battle of the books

A prime example of creating, imagining and innovating is Mrs. Green’s thinking. Mrs. Green thought out of the box and created time for Battle of the Books training during students’ lunch time. The students bring their lunch tray to the media center where they have a working lunch discussing books.      These are 21st Century Skills.

Music for February

During the month of February Mr. Johnson and the Mini Funk Band will provide music from various African-American artists. Food Lion Student of the Month

Food Lion Student of the Month                Satavia Martin from Mrs. Zimmerman-Clark’s classroom is our Food Lion Student of the Month. Satavia is a sweet young lady. She has really improved her attitude about learning this year. Math is her favorite subject. She loves pizza, football and cheerleading. She plans on being a nurse. 

Now Accepting Applications

The Rowan-Salisbury School System’s Title 1 program is now accepting applications for children to enroll in pre-kindergarten programs to be held at North Rowan and Hanford Dole  Elementary Schools.

The programs are scheduled to start in August of 2012. Transportation will not be provided, however, students who live in the Hanford Dole and North Rowan attendance areas will be permitted to ride the regular school bus.

Eligibility:

• be 4 years of age on or before August 31, 2012
• demonstrate an educational need
• have a completed application returned by March 2, 2012

Applications may be picked up in the school office Monday through Friday, during school hours 

or at the Title 1 Parent Resource Center, 314 N. Ellis Street, Salisbury, NC; Monday through Friday form 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

For more information, contact Dixie Dalton, Title 1 Parent Coordinator at 704-630-6106.

HONORS CHORUS

 On February 15th the Honors Chorus will perform for the District Faithbased Breakfast.

Congratulations to Ms. Yelvington and students who will do an amazing job representing Overton!

Matching Funds Grant

Thanks to the PTA fundraising efforts and the district Matching Funds Grant. Projectors for the Promethean board have bulbs that last only 300 hours. We are replacing 12. 5 document cameras were ordered and 14 iPads. Each staff member will have an iPad to assess student progress in reading and math.

Overton 2012-13 Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Ms. Ashley Dohme, Overton’s 2012-13 Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Dohme came to us from Florida. Ms. Dohme is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She has taught elementary school for seven years. Overton has had the fortune to have Ms. Dohme for two of those seven years.

Looking for Family Activities?

February 18th 5:00 p.m. Planetarium Show – More Than Meets the Eye

Have you ever looked through a telescope at a distant planet or nebula and been disappointed? The beautiful images made by spacecraft or large observatories make us think that is what we should see through our backyard devices. This show, with original artwork compares typical views seen through backyard four and eight inch telescopes to photographs from observatories and spacecraft. Join us at the Margaret C. Woodson Planetarium on Saturday, February 18^th at 5:00 p.m. for More Than Meets the Eye.

Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.  Admission is $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for guests 12 and under.  The planetarium is located at 1636 Parkview Circle in Salisbury.  Park and enter in the back of the building accessible from Lilly Avenue.  For more information, contact Horizons Unlimited Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 704/639-3004.

STUDENT AND PARENTS DONATIONS

The Overton family did a great job raising funds for the Fun Run. They raised $5,828.72.       

SPONSORS                                                        TOTAL:  $7,250.00

•Ruscho - $500

•Ralph Ketner (Catawba School of Business) - $250 •Alan Rutherford CPA - $100

•Argentum & Company - $100 •Just The Thing - $100

•Walser Technology - $100 •Willard Thompson M.D.- $100

The money raised has been rolled against a Matching Funds Grant for an additional $10,000.00. 

The funds will purchase  additional technology for classroom instruction.

School Improvement Team

School Improvement Team meetings are open to all Overton stakeholders. The meetings are on Mondays at 2:30 p.m. Minutes of the meeting are posted on Overton website.

The dates of the meetings are:  December 19th, January 30th, February 20th, March 19th, April 16th, and June 4th.

Overton Science Fair 2012 

Parent Communication/Conferences

Communication is an essential part of the educational program. We feel it is very important for parents to keep in close contact with their child's teacher concerning his/her progress. Please remember to schedule a conference in advance so a time that is convenient for all can be established, i.e. before or after school and during teacher planning periods.

What is RTI?

RtI is a 3-tiered system of increasingly intensive interventions for students who are struggling academically. Several elementary schools in Rowan county are piloting this program, with the eventual goal of having all elementary schools follow this model.

•How does RtI work? Universal Screenings- Each child is screened for academic skills in reading, math and writing three times during the school year. Each child is given a percentile ranking in particular skills based on their performance in those screenings. Students who fall below the 25th percentile are referred to RtI by their classroom teacher.

Tier I- Students who fall below the 25th percentile start at Tier I. At this tier, the teacher contacts the parent to ask the parent to do extra practice in the child’s areas of deficiency at home. The teacher also differentiates instruction during the school day to meet the student’s student kill. CIS volunteers can also work with students on activities at this level to help in deficient areas. After six weeks, the student is reassessed. If the student has made progress, he may stay at Tier I or move out of the program altogether. If he has not shown progress, he moves to Tier II. Tier II- Interventions become more intensive, often requiring support staff to work with students. At Overton, Tier II students are referred to Title I’s WaterforI program. Students go twice a week for 30 minutes each time. At this tier, the teacher will assess the student every other week to monitor their progress toward their goal. After six weeks, all data is examined to determine if the student is making progress and needs to remain at Tier II or move to Tier III.

Tier III- This is the most intensive level of intervention in the RtI program. Students work in a very small group (no more than 3 students with similar deficiencies) with an intervention specialist 3-5 times per week for 30 minutes each time. The Student Assistance Team meets with the teacher to determine what interventions should be used with this student. This

tier lasts for eight weeks, with a student’s progress monitored twice a week. If a student has not shown improvement at Tier III, the are moved to Tier IV. Tier IV- All data from the RtI process is given to the Exceptional Children team, and the child is entitled for EC services. These services are a by product of the RtI program, not the goal.

Ways to Help Overton

Please check your cereal, cake mix boxes, flour bags, and other grocery items to see if they have the logo for "Box Tops for Education." If you see this logo,please cut it out and send it to school. Please enroll your Food Lion MVP Card (MVP Rewards) to Overton Elementary by going online to www.foodlion.com , then “MVP Rewards” and then Rewards r MVP Cards”. Enter your 12 Cards MVP Card Number. Next enter Overton Elementary’s code 214002Elementary  local Food Lion store and purchase Food Lion Brand, Healthy Accents, Home 360, Nature’s Nature On the Go Nature  Smart Option and Taste of Nature products. A portion of the sales will be awarded to the school.!

Please provide Overton's ID number (70062374) while shopping at Office Depot. Overton receives 5% of the purchase. Please link your Target card to Overton and a percentage of your purchase will go to the school.

Parent Communication/Conferences

Communication is an essential part of the educational program. We feel it is very important for parents to keep in close contact with their child’s teacher concerning his/her progress. Please remember to schedule a conference in advance so a time that is convenient for all can be established, i.e. before or after school and during teacher planning periods.

Board of Education Policy 5-18 School Volunteers

Rowan-Salisbury Schools relies on the efforts of volunteers to provide services and support our mission statement. We value their involvement and appreciate their hard work. Volunteers have a right to be treated respectfully and with sensitivity to their particular strengths, capabilities, limitations and needs.

The Board of Education recognizes that volunteers are an asset to the schools and make many valuable contributions to children and teachers. Volunteer services should supplement the school program and should not be considered as a substitute for paid professional and paraprofessional staff. .

All volunteers who routinely work directly with children must be recommended by the principal and approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources prior to volunteering. Only when the initial screening process has been satisfactorily concluded will the volunteer be allowed to begin volunteer services.

A background check will be used as one of the screening tools. Potential volunteers must sign a consent form for the Rowan-Salisbury School System to request a background check. Potential volunteers may also be screened for offenses that occurred outside of North Carolina, which would be considered an indictable offense in the state of North Carolina.

The records will be accessible only to the superintendent/designee(s) involved in reviewing the criminal history or other personnel who have obtained prior permission from the superintendent/designee. The Criminal Records History will be filed in a locked, secure place.

Volunteers, under no circumstances, are to transport students or their families in private vehicles.

Volunteers are expected to respect and maintain the confidentiality of information about participants, volunteers and staff gained through the role or presence as a volunteer within the Rowan-Salisbury School System.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools reserves the right to not accept a volunteer’s services or to tervolunteer olunteer at anytime.

Volunteers must also go through a volunteer training with Communities in Schools. The dates for the trainings are listed below:

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS 2011-2012 TRAINING DATES

Location is 204 E. Innes Street with parking in the back

Communities in Schools has a part-time liaison, Crystal Kelly, at Overton this year. This will help with quick placement of volunteers.