January Look Ahead

Staff will return to Polenta Elementary on January 2nd for a workday.  Students will be welcomed back on January 3rd.  We have several days to mark on your calendar.  We will observe the holiday Martin Luther King Day on January 16th, and there will be no school for students or staff.  January 25th marks the end of the second grading quarter, so the 26th and 27th will be workdays for staff.

News from our PTA

The PTA would like to thank all families for their support so far this year.  The first half of the year has been a huge success.  If you missed the General Assembly on December 13th, here is the video showcasing some of the things parents, staff, and our PTA have accomplished together.

Transportation Change?

If you have a transportation change, please let our office know.  You can fill in the form Transportation Change that is found permanently on our website for changes that only effect a child's transportation for a day or two.  For permanent changes to your child's transportation, please contact our office at 919-989-6039.

We'll See You in 2017

We hope all of our families have a wonderful and safe winter break.  We will see everyone January 3rd, 2017.  Until then, we wish all of our families Happy Holidays.

Polenta Marketplace

Over the next few weeks, our 5th grade student entrepreneurs will be advertising for their small businesses.  The annual marketplace allows students in 5th grade to design and create a small shop to sell goods or services that they have created.  The Marketplace will be December 14th all day in the gym.  Our students hope all of our families and members of the community will support their efforts in raising money for local charities and come to shop at the Polenta Marketplace.

PTA General Assembly

The PTA has a General Assembly Meeting for all families to attend on December 13th at 5:45 pm.  The meeting will be brief to go over budget details and give a progress report on goals for this school year.  For ease to parents who are also attending the chorus and strings concert that evening, the meeting will be help in the cafeteria.

December Look Ahead

Progress Reports go home December 7th for the second quarter. We have a spirit night on the 13th at City Barbeque. The school will dismiss early on December 16th, allowing the school to be secured before the break.  December 19th through December 30th there will be no school for the winter break.

Opportunities for Participation in December

There are so many things happening in December.  We want to highlight the special events that parents can attend.  December 12th is the International Puma Fair, where parents and children can come to Polenta at 6:00 pm to learn about different cultures and countries.  December 13th is the chorus and strings concert at 6:00 pm.  December 14th is our annual Polenta Marketplace, selling goods and services from 9:00 to 3:00 during the day.

Happy Thanksgiving

We want all of our families have a nice Thanksgiving Holiday break.  Polenta will be closed Nov. 23-25.   We hope that all those traveling will be safe.

Parent University: Literacy

We want to invite parents to learn about children's literacy.  Parents can learn strategies for early readers from our Curriculum Coach.  There are two opportunities to participate:  Nov. 16 at 10:30am or Nov. 17 at 6:00pm.

November Look Ahead

We have a lot of special days on this month's calendar.  November 8th is an early dismissal day, so dismissal procedures will begin at 1:45pm.  There is no school this month on November 11, 23, 24, or 25.   In additional to schedule changes, we have many events taking place this month.

End of 1st Quarter

The first quarter ends on October 28th.  Report cards go home November 8th for 1st - 5th grade students.

Artists in the School

PTA has sponsored three different artist groups to perform for our students this year.  Each grade level will have a time this month to watch a performance because of the fundraising efforts of our PTA and generosity of our families and Johnston County Arts Council. Grades  ​K-1 will have a performance by Zak Morgan. Grades 2-3 will have a performance by African American Dance Ensemble.  Grades 4-5 will have a performance by Transit Vocal Band.

Parent University - iReady

Do you want more information about your child's i-Ready?  We will have a Parent University at Polenta for parents to learn about the benefits of students growing through the i-Ready program. We will have three days this upcoming month for parents to choose from: November 1st at 5:30pm, November 2nd at 10:30am, or November 3rd at 6:00pm.   Please register to attend (using the Parent University flyer sent home) so we are able to prepare a copy of your individual child's i-Ready report to use during the information meeting.

New Dismissal Time

Our new dismissal time will be 3:55 pm, starting October 24th.  This allows students to attend school an additional 10 minutes each day to make up for time missed.

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is October 24 - 28.  Each day students will show their support for this national campaign.  Polenta has decided to promote this event by having a Red Ribbon Spirit Week. Students are asked to come dressed a specific way to show support for the program:

October Preview

Looking ahead to October, you want to be sure to plan for some of the events taking place.

Teacher Websites

We are currently experiencing technical difficulty that is preventing teachers from accessing their websites to do additional updates.  Teachers will update as soon as possible, but until then, they will email or send Remind 101 or post to Class DoJo if there is classroom related information that you will need.

Puma Prowl Collection

The Puma Prowl is the fall fundraiser for PTA to raise money for our school.  Please turn in your sponsor sheet and money October 19th, or before, for our Puma Prowl. Money should be turned in by October 24th to be eligible for the raffle prizes.

Fall Book Fair

This fall our media center will have a Bedford Falls Book Fair.  The book fair will be open October 18th-24th.  Parents are welcome to shop with their child during the classrooms' scheduled times.

Blood Drive

Polenta Elementary will host a Blood Drive for the American Red Cross on Tuesday, October 18th. This is part of our Polenta Gives Back Program, which allows staff and community members to participate in ways to give back to our great community.  Please schedule an appointment between 3:00 - 7:30 if you would like to be one our our donors.

Puma Prowl Update

Due to the rainy weather in the forecast, we have made the decision to move the Puma Prowl Fun Run scheduled for Friday, October 7 into the gym.  This will change the times for each grade level.

Puma Prowl

The Puma Prowl is our fall fundraiser, which is sponsored by the PTA to raise money for Chromebooks and playground equipment.  The Puma Prowl is a Run/Walk A Thon that students will participate in on October 7th.  Students will collect pledges or flat donations for their participation in the event, where they can run or walk up to 35 laps.

Transportation

All transportation changes must be submitted in writing.  Please complete our Transportation Form to make changes.  Parents can choose several forms of transportation:  bus, carpool, and daycare van.

Progress Reports for 1st Quarter

On Wednesday, September 28th, teachers will send home a progress report for the first quarter grading period.  Only students in 1st through 5th grades will receive a paper report. Please be sure to review the information on the progress report, sign the document, and return it to the teacher.

Early Release September 23

There is an early release scheduled for September 23rd.  Dismissal procedures will begin at 1:45 pm. There are several end of day transportation changes and other changes that all families should know.

Picture Day Reminder

Monday, September 19, is picture day for all students.  These pictures will be used in the yearbook.

Assessments in September

If your child comes home talking about a test, don't be alarmed.  The "tests" are really assessments that the teachers use to monitor student academic growth.  These assessments are also used to help teachers provide individualized and group instruction.

September Preview

We have so many exciting events in September.  Fall pictures are September 19th, and those pictures are used for the yearbook.  We have an early release schedule on September 23rd.

Welcome Kindergarten and PreK Students

We are very excited to welcome our youngest students this week.  Our PreK and Kindergarten students will be joining our carpool and bus transportation as they attend school.  Carpool and bus dismissal may take additional time for a few days while we ensure that our youngest students are on their correct transportation.

First Week Welcome

We want to welcome all of our 1st grade - 5th grade students, starting August 29th.  The doors are locked until 8:20 am.  If you arrive early and need to walk supplies down to your child's classroom, please gather on the walkway to the front door.

Clubs and Teams for 2016-2017

We have an interest form for students to sign up for the clubs and teams available in the 2016-2017 school year.  We have many clubs and teams for our 3rd - 5th graders.

Orientation to Meet Teachers

Our 2016-2017 school year orientation will be August 25th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.  This orientation is for students in grades 1st - 5th.  Families are encouraged to visit the school during that time to meet the teacher, bring in supplies, and complete orientation paperwork.

Supply List

Our 2016-2017 supply list has been sent home with report cards.  We will also post a copy on our website for access. Thank you for purchasing the items that will help your child work successfully in their next grade.

It's Summer 2016

Thank you for an amazing school year!  Have a safe summer.  We hope to see many of our families in the community over the summer.

Last Day 2015-16

Report cards go home on the last day of school, June 8.  Also, it is an early release day, so students will be released, starting with carpool, at 1:45.  The lunch schedule is different because of the short day, so check classroom websites for specific lunch details.