August 27, 2018
Exploris Grade 8
What a great end to our week! Students and staff had a GREAT time at Falls Lake on our canoe adventure on Friday. Huge thank you to ALL parents who helped us get there and back safely.
See highlights from the Japanese exchange visit here!
Parents & Students, join Exploris 8th Grade Remind to receive last minute updates and reminders. Here are the instructions.
Parents – Outward Bound first payments are due August 31. If you need a scholarship application please go ahead and submit those ASAP.
NEXT FIELD EXPERIENCES –
- Activate Good’s 9/11 Day of Service Walnut Creek Stream Clean Up & Study Waiver Driver Sign Up
- Don’t miss the Zebulon Wastewater Treatment Plant 9/14 Waiver Driver Sign Up
CARPOOL: It is super helpful if you place a piece of paper with your child’s name and grade on your dashboard during carpool. Also, if you’d like to avoid the carpool rush, plan on arriving at 3:20, instead of 3:15 or earlier.
Volunteers/Donations Needed:
- Thank you for the frisbees! We’d love some new indoor potted plants, 7th generation cleaner, brooms and dustpans, and sports equipment (football and soccer ball).
- 9/11 2:50 Pick Up – Drivers Needed @ Walnut Creek and Crabtree Creek Sign Up
- 9/14 Drivers Needed – Don’t miss the Zebulon Wastewater Treatment Plant 9/14 Cori and Shannon’s Crews 11:45am -2pm; Jessie and Adrian’s Crews 12:45-3pm. Sign Up
Attendance Reminders:
- When your student is absent, please remember to email attendance@exploris.org and your child’s crew teacher.
- When checking in to the system, be sure to use your child’s legal name
Club Updates:
Science Olympiad CLUB – First Meeting Monday Sept 10th at 3:15 pm in 7 North
At Science Olympiad, kids compete with partners in a track-meet style science competition. There are 23 events that are all science related build or study events. Prior to the tournament, kids are studying or building with their partners. Team meetings will be held every Monday from 3:15 – 4:30 pm to build team spirit via mini competitions and to also allow some study time as the year moves along. We also need all the help we can get from parents & older siblings to help coach one or two events. Registration forms will be available in early September for students who are eager to choose their events and partners prior to our first meeting. We have 3 or 4 new events this year that some students may want to try. Helene & Emily in 7th Grade will be Science Olympiad coaches. Here is the short description of this year’s events.
CAM DOCENTS: Calling all art lovers and lovers of First Friday! Our Exploris CAM Docents Program is preparing to kickoff for the Fall season! Exploris has a strong relationship with the Museum for Contemporary Art and Design in downtown Raleigh. Each year we ask interested students to apply to become CAM Docents. The Docent Program allows students the opportunity to participate throughout the year in the art exhibitions being featured at CAM. Students spend 5 weeks (once per week) training to become speakers of art, at which point they select one piece which will become theirs to focus on. Students will spend 2 hours on First Friday’s (beginning in the Fall) discussing art, the artist perspective as well as their own, and the piece that they have chosen, with those visiting the museum. The CAM Docent program allows our Exploris students to become Ambassadors of Art for the downtown Raleigh community.
Docent Trainings will be held every Monday from 3:45-5:30pm at CAM. Training will begin September 10th. We will meet in 6 East at Exploris Middle School and walk to CAM together! ALL interested students are encouraged to apply. Complete all parts of this APPLICATION or ask your crew teacher for a copy. 2018-2019 CAM Docent Program Applications are due TUESDAY September 4th and should be turned in downstairs in the 6th grade office to Shawna. If you have any questions please contact Shawna Scipione (sscipione@exploris.org)
FOSSIL CLUB will start Tuesday, September 11, from 3:15 to 4: 15 pm. Any student interested just needs to show up in 6th East at 3:15 pm. We will be meeting every Tuesday to learn about fossils and meet Paleontologist Dr. Terry “Bucky” Gates. We will be collaborating with him in a citizen science project: Shark Teeth Forensics, and other projects. Questions? Please contact Juliana Thomas- jthomas@exploris.org .
Dungeons and Dragons Club will begin Thursday, August 30 3:15 – 4:15. Cris Preble (Exploris mom) will be the clubs advisor. Please meet directly after school in 8 South. Questions? jayandcris@nc.rr.com
Yearbook
Yearbook applications are available here and due Friday, August 31! Turn in to Jessie in 8th grade.
Cross Country Update
Parent meeting on August 28th beginning at 4:15 (immediately following practice). Should only last 20-30 minutes. Medical forms are due August 28th Athletic Participation Form here
We need help!! We need runners and drivers, and water and snacks. All parents are encouraged to help out throughout the season. Sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49A9A928A46-runwith
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49A9A928A46-drivers
Pick up after practice is in the back lot at 4:15. On days there is a meet, runners will need to be picked up at the location of the meet (4:30)
Cross Country Schedule
Practice every Tuesday and Thursdays unless there is a meet.
September 4th 4:00 Purple White meet @ Anderson Point Park
September 6 (possibly a meet at Endeavor- 4:00)
September 13 No Practice; Curriculum Night at the middle school campus
4:00 September 18 – Wake County Jamboree at Wake Med Soccer Park
3:15-4:15 September 20 – FINAL Practice
4:00 September 25 – Home Meet at vs. Triangle Cross Country; (Anderson Point Park)
4:00 September 27 – Away meet Meet vs. Cardinal Charter @ Bond Park in Cary
****Team parents are Debbie and Evan Kane Please contact them if you can help or if there are general questions. evankane@gmail.com debtkane@gmail.com
SPIRITWEAR ORDER: 1. Print and complete the attached order form, and send in to the school. (If you can’t print, contact Carolee or Mary Margaret for an order form.) 2. You MUST prepay for your order, which you can do online by visiting the STORE OR send your cash or check to Carolee or Mary Margaret in an envelope labeled with your name, your child’s name, and “Spiritwear Payment.” Questions? Please email Kimberly Harris at kimberlyannharris@yahoo.com
Fundraising for Outward Bound -Coupon Books 2018-2019 Coupon Books are our first fundraiser for Outward Bound. Our 8th grade students have sold over 300 coupon books for the last three years making this one of our most productive fundraisers. We want to get books to you beginning August 13 so that you can get a jump on the many marching bands and churches distributing books this summer. You sign out books 3 at a time. You can sell books in person or online. There are Chapel Hill books, Tri-Area books, and Raleigh books. For every book your child sells he/she receives $13.50 as a credit toward Outward Bound. If we sell 300 books as a class each student gets $15 per book. Many more perks and deals are detailed in a letter that has been attached! To put it simply, if you sell 10 books then you get two free books and get to keep 100% of profit.
Fundraising Capacity:
| 3 books sold | 12 books sold (2 at 100% profit for you) |
| 3x$15= $45 toward Outward Bound | 10x$15+ 2($30)
$150+$60= $210 toward Outward Bound |
Pick Up
| Wednesday, August 15th to Wednesday September 19th | Students can pick up books at school daily as needed. (Books are checked out in groups of three unless a larger number is arranged through a parent.) |
| Coupon Book Outward Bound Fundraiser Officially Closes
Wednesday, September 19th! |
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THIS WEEK
| Monday 8/27 |
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| Tuesday 8/28 |
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| Wednesday 8/29 |
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| Thursday 8/30 |
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| Friday 8/31 |
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| Next Week |
Important Dates (Exploris CALENDAR):
Tuesday, September 11 – Activate Good Stream Study/Clean Up
Wednesday, September 12 – Fall Picture Day Middle Campus
Thursday, September 13 – Curriculum Night Middle School
Friday, September 14 – Zebulon Wastewater Treatment Plant
Wednesday, September 19- Coupon Book Sales Close
Fall Break – September 28 (3:15pm) – October 8 (8am)
Thursday, October 11- Parent University – High School Planning
Friday, October 19 – Early Dismissal/Portfolio Conferences
Friday, November, 9 – $500 in payments or credits toward Outward Bound Due
Monday, Nov. 12 – Veterans Day – Holiday
Wednesday, Nov. 14 – Design for Change Culminating Event
Friday, November 16 – End of First Trimester, Teacher Workday
Thanksgiving Break – Thursday, Nov 15 (3:15pm)- Tuesday, Nov. 27 (8am)
Friday, December 21 – Early Dismissal
Winter Break – Friday Dec 21 (12:15pm) – Monday, Jan 7 (8am)
Friday, Jan 18 – FULL PAYMENT toward Outward Bound DUE ($875)
Monday, Jan 21 – MLK Holiday
Friday, February 15 – Early Dismissal
Monday, Feb 18 – Teacher Workday
Friday March 8 – End of Second Trimester, Teacher Workday
Monday, March 11 – Teacher Workday
Spring Break – Friday, April 12 (3:15pm) – Tuesday, April 23 (8am)
Outward Bound – April 22 – 26 (please note we will depart at 7AM the Monday after Spring Break)
Friday, May 24 – Teacher Workday
Monday, May 27- Memorial Day Holiday
Friday, June 7 – Graduation (10:30 am), early dismissal
Friday, June 8 – End of Third Trimester, last day of school
8th Grade Contacts
Sharon Cuffe, scuffe@exploris.org
Jessie Francese, Jfrancese@exploris.org
Cori Greer-Banks, cori@exploris.org
Shannon Hardy, shardy@exploris.org
Paula Mancini, Pmancini@exploris.org
Adrian Findlay, adrian@exploris.org
Eugene Wheeler, ewheeler@exploris.org
Who’s Who?
Cori Greer-Banks – Crew, Humanities, Expedition
Jamie Butler – Art
Sharon Cuffe – Exceptional Children’s Teacher
Michelle Duncan – School Counselor
Adrian Findlay – Crew, Math, Expedition
Jessie Francese – Crew, Humanities, Expedition
Shannon Hardy – Crew, Math, Expedition
Jill Hemingway – Interventionist
Paula Mancini – Exceptional Children – Teaching Partner
Mary Margaret Moffitt – Development Coordinator, but mostly just about anything you need!
Carolee McLinnahan – Administrative Assistant – Attendance
Michelle Parkerson – Associate Director of the Middle School (6-8)
Ellie Schollmeyer- Executive Director
Oliver Smith – Health and Wellness
Eugene Wheeler – World Language
RESOURCES:
Parent and Teacher Organization
- Join PTO – much, much help still needed! LINK
- 2018-2019 Carpool Form ; 2018-2019 Carpool MAP (Password: 1997*)
- Spiritwear – LINK
- Lunch Orders – LINK
Clubs and Extended Care Program:
- Allies – Mary McWay
- Basketball – Mary Mcway & Kristi Pettibone
- Cross Country (Aug-Oct) – Adrian Findlay & Sharon Cuffe
- Crossfit for Kids – Chenelle Miller info@raleigh-crossfit.com
- Contemporary Art Museum docents – Shawna Scipione
- Dungeons & Dragons – Cris Preble
- Science Olympiad – Helene and Emily
- Fossil Club –Juliana Thomas
- Green Team – Devon Rose
- Minecraft (October-March)– Jason Stegall
- Model U.N. – Cori Greer-Banks
- Junior Tarheels History Club – Cori Greer-Banks
- Improv (Nov-Jan) – Jeri Donovan Livengood
- Soccer (Jan-Mar) – Shannon Hardy
- Yearbook – Jessie
- Student Ambassadors – Paula Mancini
- Battle of the Books – Devon and Loren
- Japanese Exchange (August Visit) – Cori Greer-Banks, Lisa Ferrando
- German Exchange (Spring Visit) – Maggie Gargan & Emily Felker
Clubs in need of sponsors:
Exploris 8th Grade 