DOUGLAS
DRAGONEER
Douglas A+
Creative Arts & Science Magnet Elementary School
Week of September 17 - 21
DOUGLAS
DRAGONEER
Douglas A+
Creative Arts & Science Magnet Elementary School
Upcoming Events
Sept 18 Parent Information Night, 6:30 pm
Sept 21 Early Release Day, 12:30
Sept 24 NO SCHOOL – teacher workday
Sept 25 Reading Workshop,
7:00 pm
Sept 26 Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A, 4-8 pm
Oct 9 Meet
the Specialists & PTA Mtg, 7:00 pm
Oct 23 Arts Night and Dinner
Magnet
Corner
Installment #2: An A+ Place to Be!
Now
that you know that Douglas is different from other schools, let’s talk about
why we teach the way we do. Douglas is
part of the A+ Schools Program based at The University of North Carolina at
Greensboro. The A+ Schools Program was
established in 1995 by the Kenan Institute for the Arts. Douglas became a
member of the A+ School network in the summer of 2000. During a five-day, whole-staff training, we
learned that the A+ Program is grounded in the philosophy that education is a continuous
cycle of teaching, learning and assessment where the arts play a central role
in how children learn. As an A+ School
we are provided with on-going support and staff development through the A+
Network.
There
are nearly 100 A+ Schools in North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Michigan,
North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and even a pilot school in London. All A+ Schools share the same
characteristics, also known as the A+ Essentials. Some of these include collaborative team planning, experiential or
hands-on learning, integration of the arts and academics, and a high level of
parent and community involvement.
As
an A+ School, we still teach the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, but
use an interdisciplinary teaching approach and offer daily integrated arts
instruction. We use Howard Gardner’s
research on Multiple Intelligences to provide children with many varied
opportunities to learn and show what they know. Kids are smart in many ways, and at Douglas we strive to reach
each unique child to provide them with a learning experience that they will
remember long after they’ve left us!
A+
Essentials? Find out more about the A+
Essentials and what they look like at Douglas in next week’s installment: Essential Evidence.
Tues., Sept. 18th, 6:30pm
- in the
gym -
Tomorrow night, Sept. 18th, beginning at 6:30pm is Parent
Information Night. This is a meeting for parents/guardians only.
Childcare will not be provided. Parents will be
introduced to the school staff and the PTA Executive Committee at a
meeting beginning in the gym. The PTA budget will be presented for
approval and the PTA Dragon Fire Campaign will be unveiled. Come a few
minutes early to join the PTA, buy a car magnet, or order our NEW Douglas
Cookbook! After our initial business, parents will be able to attend
classroom sessions with teachers to hear about curriculum and classroom
procedures, events, etc., for this year. We hope to see you here!
DRAGON
FIRE!
What in the world is the DRAGON FIRE Campaign? Come
find out at Parent Information Night!
School
News
Reading Workshop
Would you like to help your child learn new
things and explore new worlds? Come and learn how to help your child
read! This workshop is for parents who are interested in helping their
children learn to read and learn to read well. Find out what
questions to ask and what prompts to give so that your child will succeed in
reading!
Join our Douglas Reading Teachers on Tuesday, Sept.
25th at 7pm, to learn how to help your child. Contact Mrs. Hill at
881-4894, or via email at rchill@cwpss.net for
more information. Spanish translation will be available.
Meet the Specialists
Join us on Tuesday evening, Oct. 9th, at 7pm in the
Media Center for our PTA meeting and "Meet the Specialists"
event. Our Magnet Coordinator, Ms. Burrows, will be on hand along
with our Specialist teachers to introduce themselves and give parents some
insight into how children learn through their Multiple Intelligences.
Check out the cover
design and help select the cookbook title at Parent Information Night Sept.
18! We will be taking orders that evening. Cost will be $12.50 per
book or $10.00 per book if you buy more than one. Don't worry if you
aren't able to order then... Order
forms will be sent out school wide in the Monday folders on September 24th.
Box Tops! Saving "Boxtops" is
tradition at Douglas! General Mills contributes cash to schools
that participate. The money adds up, so collect all year long and send in
marked 'BOXTOPS'. There are certain months where classes compete to win a
class contest!
General
Mills cereals, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Kleenex, Bisquick, Nature
Valley, Yoplait, Old El Paso , Totinos, Scott, Huggies, Gardettos, Hamburger
Helper, Ziploc and others all have BOXTOPS!! Just cut out and
save up for the contest or send in any time.
Visit Boxtops4education.com
for more great ideas to earn cash for Douglas or just to get recipes,
coupons, on-line shopping or kids activities.
Harris Teeter VIP Card Link
Do you have a VIP card
from HARRIS TEETER? You know, one of those keychain tags or cards they
scan to give you discounts? If so, you may link your card to Douglas
and every time you purchase certain items, Harris Teeter gives us money.
Yes, CASH! It costs you nothing and takes nothing off your
discounts. Just ask at the store for them to link you to Douglas or go to
their website Harristeeter.com and click on "Don't forget to relink today".
Our code is 2294 (Mary P. Douglas). Call Susan
Steltenpohl (788-0941) for help or to have it done for you!
Tennis Balls?
The third grade
teachers need used tennis balls to put on the bottom of chair legs in the
learning cottage. Tennis balls help cut down on the noise in the
classroom. If you have tennis balls that you no longer need, please bring
them to school. You may leave them in the main office. If you are
able, please cut an X in the tennis balls so that the chair leg may be
pushed through the ball. Thank you! Questions? Contact Alice
Spickard 877-0490
Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A!
Come right after school on Wednesday, Sept. 26, to
Chick-fil-A at North Hills. Celebrate fellowship and fun for Douglas at
our first Spirit Night of the year. From 4 to 8 pm, you can present a
small flyer your child will receive at school and a percentage of your purchase
will go to Douglas. Also the class with the most participation wins a
nugget party from Chic-fil-A! Just take a sticker that night and
place it on the poster next to your teacher's name! If we are lucky we
may even get a visit from the Chick-fil-A COW!! Remember, we'll be there
until 8 pm, so come early or late!
Spirit Nights are always fun and exciting and this one has
potential to be one of the best. Thanks to all those involved who've
helped promote and make this event happen!!
Hello parents! My
name is Wendy Jabs, and I’m the new art teacher at Douglas Elementary. I am very excited to be part of the Douglas
team! Please stop by to introduce
yourselves.
If any parents/guardians are interested in volunteering in
the art room, the students and I would LOVE to have you come in and join
us. Please email me at wjabs@wcpss.net , or send a note regarding
your availability. Also, make sure you
are registered with the office to volunteer.
The art room also has some classroom needs. Any donation of the following items would be
greatly appreciated! Pencils, erasers, black felt tip markers
(fine and thick), Sharpie markers (black), construction paper, sidewalk chalk,
baby wipes, kids’ magazines (especially with pictures of animals), glue sticks,
and newspapers for covering tables. We
also need small simple games like Jenga, blocks, pick up sticks, and jump
ropes. (We will go out to play on our
courtyard occasionally, for a few minutes at the end of class, if our
work is done and we have behaved well.) You may drop the items off in the art
room or send them with your child in a bag
labeled for the art room. Thank
you!