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Writer's pictureJamie Miller
Aug 20, 202319 min read

ACS Weekly Newsletter 8/20/23

Good afternoon, Coyote Families!


We have completed another successful week at ACS! Our kindergartners had their first full week, and I am sure they are exhausted! We have continued to focus on building a vibrant classroom community for our students by establishing routines and building a strong foundation for the year ahead. Our dedicated team of teachers has been working diligently to ensure that each student feels welcomed, safe, and supported within the school community. Through collaborative discussions and activities, we are encouraging students to connect, communicate, and support one another. Creating this type of learning environment sets students up for the most success socially and academically. Your involvement and support in reinforcing these values at home will greatly contribute to the positive and inclusive environment we are striving to create. Let's work together to nurture a strong sense of belonging and respect among our students. Thank you all for your continued support.




Please read through this post for important


information and updates.




Warm regards,


Mrs. Miller, Principal






SCHOOL HOURS

8:15 - 3:15: M, T, TH, & F

AM CARLINE: 7:45 - 8:10

PM CARLINE: 3:15 - 3:45


8:15 - 1:15: WEDNESDAY

AM CARLINE: 7:45 - 8:10

PM CARLINE: 1:15 - 1:45







MONDAY & FRIDAY SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS:

Every Monday & Friday are School Spirit Days! Wear your ACS apparel or purple & gray and show your Coyote pride!



**IMPORTANT ACS CARLINE HIGHLIGHTS**

*Scroll down for a thorough explanation of carline expectations.

  • We double stack on Kronbergs for AM and PM carline (far right side and the middle).

  • We MUST keep the inside lane (far left lane) clear so that cars and emergency vehicles can go around carline traffic. Once you enter our campus from Kronbergs, a third car line lane opens up.

  • Follow directions of carline staff, our SRO, and our carline volunteers (who have been given directions from the SRO and administration).

  • DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT arrive for carline before 2:45 (12:45 on Wednesdays). It creates issues and causes cars arriving on time to be backed up to Jimmy Kerr. This could cause problems for the school with the City of Graham.

  • Please DO NOT stop or park on Jimmy Kerr. Doing so interferes with traffic on Jimmy Kerr, and you are at risk of being ticketed by the Police Department. We understand that this is frustrating, given that it is likely due to people arriving at carline too early.


Here are some logistical tips that will help things run smoothly:

  • Be sure your child knows their teacher's name.

  • Remember that students must use the passenger's side only to enter and exit cars during AM and PM carline. This ensures they step onto the sidewalk and not into the path of a car.

  • Students should be unbuckled and ready to exit the car when they get to the zone.

  • During PM carline, please pull into our parking lot or around to the front (out of the flow of carline) to assist with buckling if needed.

  • Students were allowed to be walked in on their first staggered start day. Please prepare them that they will NOT be walked in starting Monday, August 14. We promise that we will get them to their class, where they will be safe, loved, and cared for. (*Kindergarten families who were just accepted and did not have the opportunity to attend Open House and a staggered start day will be allowed to park and walk their student in and meet the teacher.)

Please review the update diagram for carline:


ATHLETICS


Our Attractions sports fundraiser is off to a great start! We have had great support so far!


Here is a quick guide to help support our fundraiser!


1. If students do not wish to purchase the book or participate in a fundraiser, please make sure that they return the book to their teacher.


2. If you purchase a book, you can keep the book that came home. If additional books are sold, please indicate on the order form, and we will send additional books home with students.


3. Payments should be made by EZ pay (Online Pay), Cash, or Check.


4. Please email dlong@alamancecommunityschool.net if you have any questions.



Important Dates to Remember:

  • 8/22: 3rd Grade Reading BOG

  • 9/4: Labor Day (no school for students and staff)

  • 9/15: Progress Reports go home

  • 10/6: Parent-Teacher Fall Conferences

  • 11/3: End of First Trimester




A MESSAGE FROM PTO

Thanks to everyone for supporting our Zaxby's Night this month! We raised $295.31 with your help! We have another yummy fundraiser coming up this week as well... Did someone say yeast rolls? That's right! Texas Roadhouse will be a corporate partner with ACS PTO again this year. Tuesday, August 22, from 3:30-9:00, stop by the Burlington Texas Roadhouse for dinner--dine-in or takeout! Just drop your receipt in the bucket, or ask your car hop to put your to-go receipt in the bucket for you to make your purchase count.


Don't forget our first Quarterly PTO Meeting this Wednesday, August 23, from 6:00-7:30. Join us to review our 2022-2023 activity, to hear about our goals for the first half of the year, and to share your feedback and ideas! We look forward to meeting you in person!


Upcoming events:

Texas Roadhouse Night--August 22, 3:30-9:00 at 1651 Glidewell Dr, Burlington location

Public PTO Meeting--August 23, 6:00-7:30 pm at ACS

Skate Night--August 28, 6:00-8:00 pm at RollABout Skating Center


*These dates are also posted on the main page of the ACS website.


GENESIS ATHLETICS NEWS

  • After School and Early Release Wednesday pick-up will now be from the back side of the school. Read your email for further details.

  • Information Meeting in the Gym, 8.22.23 at 6 pm for Extracurriculars.

  • Reminder we are strictly a nut-free program.

  • Participants should have an afternoon snack, water bottle, and book to read.

  • Genesis Athletics is our on-site Before and After School contracted provider: https://www.alamancecommunityschool.net/before-after-care-program

  • Check out other Extra-Curricular program offerings HERE. Registration opens next week.

  • Check your emails for details about before and after-school logistics.

  • For more information, you can email: genesisathleticsnc@gmail.com



***The following information was in previous newsletters and is included below for your convenience and for families receiving their first ACS newsletter.


HOT LUNCH ORDERING


  • ACS does not have an on-site cafeteria. Students eat in their classrooms or picnic outside when the weather permits. Students must either bring a lunch from home or order in advance from our hot lunch ordering service.

  • Students should also bring a reusable water bottle every day, filled with water only, which can also be refilled at our bottle-filling stations.

  • When planning for your student’s snack and lunch, please be mindful of ACS’ Policies for Snack and Lunchtime, as outlined in the Parent Student Handbook & DO NOT send in sodas and colorful juice drinks from fast food restaurants.

  • Parents and students are encouraged to pack a healthy lunch and snack. When a caregiver brings an outside lunch for their student, drinks must be provided in a spill-proof container. Examples include reusable water bottles, individual milk bottles, juice “boxes,” and single-use bottled water. Traditional fast food cups with lids and straws are particularly prone to spilling and making sticky messes and will, therefore, not be delivered to classrooms. In an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles and limit excessive sugar and caloric intake, sodas, sweet tea, sports drinks, and the like are highly discouraged during the instructional day.

  • All students are encouraged to bring a water bottle and fill up at the bottle-filling stations.


HOT LUNCH ORDERING


We partner with My Hot Lunchbox as our hot lunch program. Order lunch from a wide variety of options provided by your student’s favorite local restaurants.


Our lineup of vendors this year is:


Monday - La Fiesta

Tuesday - Subway

Wednesday - Hwy 55 Burgers of Mebane

Thursday - CiCi's Pizza

Friday - Smithfields Chicken & BBQ


**Just a reminder, the deadline for ordering is 12:00 noon the day before each lunch delivery.**


FREE & REDUCED LUNCHES

  • Even if your child received a Free or Reduced lunch last year, you MUST complete a NEW application for the 22 -23 school year.

  • To apply for ACS Free and Reduced Price School Meals, you must:

  • Physically pick up an ACS Household Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals at the ACS Front Office.

  • The applications include very detailed directions that will be located in the front office.

  • Complete the application and return it to the front office for review.

  • Even if you anticipate that your student will be participating in our Free or Reduced Lunch program, you will need to provide a lunch for your student until your application is reviewed and you receive a confirmation regarding eligibility and the date your student/s free or reduced lunch will begin.

  • You can either send a packed lunch from home or you can order from MyHotLunchbox (see information above).


**Please be mindful that it will take approximately 2 weeks to review and process your application from the time you submit it to the Front Office.**

  • You may pick up the applications during regular school office hours.


NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION FOR THE 23/24 SCHOOL YEAR


NEW FORMS NEEDED FOR 2023-24: STUDENT HEALTH ACTION PLANS & MEDICATION AUTHORIZATIONS


  • If your student has (or will need) a school Health or Action Plan please make sure to have the plan updated and ready to turn in at the start of the school year. Even if your student had a plan for the 2022-2023 school year, a new plan must be reviewed and authorized by the student’s healthcare provider and submitted to ACS for the 2023-2024 school year. There are a few frequently-used health plan and action plan forms available on the Documents and Forms page of the ACS website and linked below. Health plans should be submitted to the front office when students return to school in August.

  • Students requiring medication administration at school, including the use of inhalers and Epi Pens, must also have a Medication Authorization Form completed by their healthcare provider on file for each new school year. These completed forms should be submitted to the front office prior to the student needing to receive medication at school. Please find the link for the ACS Medication Authorization Form below.

** Please note that Alamance Community School is not a part of the Alamance-Burlington School System and we cannot act upon a completed ABSS form.


Related Links:

We also have copies of these forms in the school office if you need a printed blank copy.

We are here to help if you have any questions or concerns about authorizations or health action plans, please contact the school office at:



SUPPLY LISTS FOR 2023-24



2023 - 2024 SCHOOL CALENDAR


Please make note of:

  • Fall Break; Winter Break; & Spring Break and the Summer Break - Be sure you schedule any vacations/trips around the dates that school is not in session.

  • The First Day of School for Students is: August 8, 2023

  • The ACS 23-24 Calendar is available on the school website under Parents > School Calendar & Schedules


“COYOTE PACK” FACEBOOK GROUP


Current & NEW families, be sure to join our Official ACS "Coyote Pack" Facebook Group. In addition to our newsletters and teacher communications, we use this page as another way to communicate important information during the school year. The ACS Coyote Pack FB group is a positive way to connect staff and parents/caregivers to foster good communication so we can continue to build the caring and inclusive community that so many of us want for our students, staff, and families. The ACS Coyote Pack FB group is the place where you can ask questions and our staff & involved families are able to answer questions and provide correct information. Families NEW to ACS are welcome to join as soon as they complete their registration in SchoolMint.


Request to join today: ACS COYOTE PACK FACEBOOK GROUP



ACS CARLINE INFORMATION


**Please remember that the AM & PM carline will run slower the first few weeks of school with many new families & students, in addition to new staff. They are all learning the procedures, rules, traffic patterns, etc. We will make adjustments on our end to improve safety and efficiency and we will need your help, support, and patience.**


AFTERCARE VAN PICK UP

  • Please complete the After Care Van Pickup Form & let your student’s teacher know if your child is getting picked up by an outside After School program. Additionally, it is important that you communicate any changes in PM pickup to the teacher as well as to the After School program your student attends (this includes Genesis, our on-site provider).



CARLINE TIMES, & TARDY PROCEDURES


MORNING CARLINE & TARDY PROCEDURES

  • Morning carline is from 7:45 - 8:10

  • Students should be in class BY 8:15 & ready for Morning Meeting

  • To be in class by 8:15 and ready for Morning Meeting, your student should arrive in the carline queue no later than 8:10 to be dropped off at school.

  • If you arrive at 8:10, It takes a couple of minutes to get in line, pull up to the zones, & drop off your student. Then, it takes approximately 3 - 4 minutes for students to walk from the drop off zones to their classrooms (especially those that are upstairs).

  • An 8:10 (& no later) arrival, ensures students are in their class by 8:15, ready to learn!

  • If you arrive after 8:10, you will need to pull around to the front office and walk your student in. If your student is walked in before 8:15, the will not be counted tardy. However, once it is 8:15, all students will have to be signed in and will be marked tardy.

  • A designated carline staff member has been directed to set an alarm on their phone for 8:10 to ensure that all of us, staff and families, are held accountable for following the carline and tardy procedures.

  • A parent/guardian MUST accompany students into the office if asked to pull to the front.

  • Parents/guardians are not permitted to walk students to class with the exception of the first day of school for kindergarten students ONLY.

AFTERNOON

  • Afternoon carline is from 3:15 - 3:45 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday and from 1:15 - 1:45 on Wednesday.

  • Early pickups should be made at least 30 minutes prior to dismissal which is 2:45 on M, T, TH, & F and 12:45 on Wed.

  • Cars may line up for the afternoon carline 30 minutes before the school day ends. This means that families MUST NOT line up BEFORE 2:45 on M, T, TH, & F and BEFORE 12:45 on Wed. This is for safety reasons, and because our school is growing and will have additional cars, we MUST avoid a line extending into the main road.

  • The carline will be blocked off with cones for afternoon recess. The last class finishes recess at 3:00 PM & 1:00 PM on Wednesday.

  • Cars need to be able to use Kronbergs Court to pick up students for appointments, etc., so the entire road cannot be blocked!

  • If you arrive more than 30 minutes before dismissal, you may be asked to leave and return when it is time to line up for the afternoon carline. We are not doing this to be difficult, so please do not get angry with the SRO or a staff member.


CARLINE SIGNS & YOUR STUDENT’S UNIQUE CARLINE NUMBER

  • Students are assigned a unique number that will be their own personal carline number throughout their time at Alamance Community School. We use an app to help facilitate our dismissal process. So to help dismissal run most efficiently and for the security and safety of your student, you need to have and protect this carline number. If someone has your student’s carline number, it communicates to our carline staff that that person is cleared to pick up your student through the carline.

  • We have printed 2 signs per student and these are the only 2 signs we will provide for you this academic year. Each student will be given 2 carline signs either at the Open House event or if you do not attend the Open House, they will be given to them on their first day of school. If the carline signs get lost, destroyed, or you need more than 2 signs, please make your own (see instructions below).

  • All returning/current ACS students will have the same carline number as last year.

  • All parents are to have their student’s carline sign/s displayed in the PASSENGER SIDE of the car windshield/window for the AFTERNOON carline.

  • The carline number that you are given when your student/s begin school at ACS will always be their number throughout their school career at ACS.

  • Carline signs & numbers are customized per student for safety and for our afternoon carline app, so you must use and keep track of the sign we provide.


MAKING YOUR OWN SIGN

  • The most important information on your student’s carline sign is their name, carline number and grade level. If you need to make your own sign, please write legibly and include this information (See the example). It is also helpful to include their teacher’s name, but not necessary. To help us enter your information quickly, please make sure your sign is large enough and legible to be read from the front of your vehicle.



CARLINE RULES & TIPS:

  • In the morning and afternoon, there are unloading and pick up zones/stations marked with orange cones with a staff member at each cone where students are dropped off or picked up.

  • In the morning & afternoon, stop at the cones located in the left and middle lanes. Do not proceed to the unloading zones until the staff member at STOP & GO directs you to do so.

  • When you are directed by our STOP & GO staff member, you will pull up for drop-off or pick-up.

  • There are unloading and pick up zones/stations marked with orange cones along the sidewalk beside the gym with a staff member at each cone where students are dropped off or picked up. Pull all the way up to the first available cone and come to a complete stop. A staff member will open the car door and your student can exit or enter the vehicle.

  • As you wait in the MORNING carline, have your child get their backpack, lunchbox, etc., so they are ready to be unloaded once you pull up to the unloading zones.

  • If your child cannot unbuckle or buckle, you MUST pull ahead of Zone 1 (orange cone) to the area designated as the OVERFLOW ZONE, so you can lean into the back seat and buckle them. DO NOT get out of your car to do this. If you need to get out of your car, pull around into the parking lot.

  • DO NOT stay in the loading or unloading zones (with the orange cones) to buckle or unbuckle your child. A staff member will ask you to move up to the OVERFLOW ZONE so that we can keep the carline moving. A staff member cannot buckle your child due to liability issues. You will need to assist them with unbuckling or buckling. We strongly encourage you to begin teaching your children how to do this on their own since it is dangerous for you to get out of your car, at any time, even in our OVERFLOW ZONE. Another option is to follow the carline driveway around the building to our parking lot and then you can buckle your child.

  • In the AFTERNOON, if a driver does not have a carline sign with the QR Code AND does not know the student’s carline number, they may be asked to pull to the side until a staff member is able to look up the student’s carline number or directed to the front office, so that we do not slow down the line.

  • DO NOT get out of your cars to load (or unload) book bags into your trunk. A staff member will direct you to get back into your car and pull up to the OVERFLOW ZONE. This is a SAFETY CONCERN, but also slows down the carline. Bookbags, etc. need to go into the vehicle (or out of the vehicle) with the student.

  • In the AFTERNOON, if you want to pull around and go into our parking lot to reload bookbags, you are welcome to do this.

  • DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONES during the AM & PM carline. This is a huge safety concern and a staff member will ask you to put your phone away. Be focused and alert! There are many people on campus during arrival and dismissal times.

  • We have a School Resource Officer (SRO) that will help direct morning and afternoon carline traffic.

  • Please be kind and listen to staff as they help ensure the safety of our community.

  • To ensure students are safe and so that teachers and staff can fulfill their duties, at 3:45 on M, T, TH, & F and at 1:45 on Wednesdays, all remaining students will be taken to the Genesis Athletics After Care Program and families will be charged a late pickup fee. The fee for late pickup is $10 for the first 30 minutes and then $5 for each additional 30 minutes.

  • The Overflow Zone is intended for rare occasions & to do something quickly. If you must go to the Overflow Zone, put on your hazards so the car behind you knows you are not ready to exit. Overflow is now past all of the zones and around the corner at the side door.


NOTE: Each time a car needs to go to the Overflow Zone, it slows the carline down by 30 seconds. If 10 cars need to go to Overflow, this adds 5 minutes to our carline.



RULES OF THE ROAD: KRONBERGS and JIMMY KERR

  • For the AM & PM carline, when you turn onto Kronbergs Ct., create 2 lines. One should be on the right side and the other in the middle. Keep the far left lane free.

  • Pull into the shortest of the 2 lanes and/or follow the SRO’s &/or ACS staff member’s directions.

  • We MUST keep the inside lane (far left lane) clear so that cars and emergency vehicles can go around carline traffic.

  • Once you enter our campus from Kronbergs, a third car line lane opens up.

  • For cars that are ready to exit the Zones, please pay attention to the staff member at the zone and if they are directing you to go around another car.

  • Please DO NOT stop or park on Jimmy Kerr. Doing so interferes with traffic on Jimmy Kerr and you are at risk of being ticketed by the Police Department. We understand that this is frustrating, given that it is likely due to people arriving at carline too early. We cannot stress enough how important it is for people not to line up too early.



TOP SIX THINGS TO HELP CARLINE SAFER, RUN FASTER, & MORE EFFICIENT:

  1. In the morning, as you pull up to the staff members for drop off, make sure your student is unbuckled and ready to quickly get out of the car with all their items. In the past, we have noticed that some families pull down past our entrance to get their student ready before entering the carline which is a great strategy. Teach your child how to unbuckle and buckle themselves.

  2. All students need to exit & enter their car, on the right hand side beside the sidewalk. We do not want children exiting or entering cars on the left. This would put them in the middle of the carline lanes - this is for THEIR SAFETY!

  3. DO NOT get out of your vehicles. We do not want adults walking in the middle of the carline exit lanes. Again, this is for YOUR SAFETY.

  4. PAY ATTENTION to staff members directions & stay off your CELL PHONES.

  5. DO NOT go around another vehicle unless you are directed to do so by a staff member.

  6. In the afternoon, make sure your carline sign is displayed in the PASSENGER SIDE of the car windshield/window. A lot of time is saved when our staff entering in carline numbers for zone pick-up doesn’t have to stop and ask for carline numbers or radio for a student to be called to a zone or to the overflow zone via our intercom system, because a car doesn’t have their carline number.



CARLINE & TARDIES


  • Students should be in class by 8:15. Be sure that you are entering the carline by 8:10 to ensure your child isn’t tardy.

  • To be in class by 8:15 and ready for Morning Meeting, your student should be dropped off in the carline no later than 8:11, since it takes approximately 4 minutes for students to exit their vehicle and walk from the drop off zones to their classrooms (especially those that are upstairs). If your child arrives at 8:11, you will be directed to the front office.

  • A designated carline staff member has been directed to set an alarm on their phone for 8:11 to ensure that all of us, staff and families, are held accountable for following the carline and tardy procedures.



EARLY DISMISSALS


  • You cannot check out your child early to avoid afternoon carline. Students miss instructional time and Early Checkouts can also accumulate like tardies. By the second or third week of school, our carline will run like a “well-oiled machine” and will not take very long.

  • Once everyone knows the procedures, when carline starts, it takes no more than 15 minutes for a car at the back of the line to pick up their child.

  • If your student has a legitimate afternoon appointment, they must be picked up 30 minutes BEFORE dismissal (2:45 on M, T, TH, & F or 12:45 on Wednesdays).

  • Teachers and students are working right up until it is time to pack-up to go home.

  • As stated in the Parent-Student Handbook, early dismissals from ACS are considered tardies and are subject to the ACS Attendance and Tardy policies. Therefore, an early check-out is counted as a tardy.

  • Please try to make appointments for your child outside of school hours; however if you must pick your child up from school early for a legitimate reason, you need to notify your child’s teacher and the front office by emailing the teacher and the frontdesk@alamancecommunityschool.net, in advance.

  • The latest time a child may be picked up for early dismissal is 30 minutes prior to the regular dismissal time.

  • Please schedule your appointments accordingly and be mindful that students may not be dismissed after these times. You must have your Photo ID to sign a student out.


RECESS & AFTERNOON CARLINE

  • The carline is blocked off with cones for afternoon recess, so students can use our portable basketball goals, etc.

  • The last class finishes recess at 3:00 PM & 1:00 PM on Wednesday. Therefore, please arrive on campus for afternoon carline no earlier than 2:45 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday and 12:45 on Wednesday.

  • Furthermore, cars need to be able to use Kronbergs Court to pick up students for appointments, etc., so the entire road cannot be blocked. We also need to ensure that emergency vehicles can get through if needed.

  • If you arrive more than 30 minutes before dismissal, you may be asked to leave and return when it is time to line up for the afternoon carline. We are not doing this to be difficult, so please do not get angry with the staff member.


AFTERNOON DISMISSAL REMINDER

  • All staff - teachers, the front office administrative assistant, teacher assistants, and administrators are busy with the AM & PM carline.

  • During these times, it is “all hands on deck” and there is only one staff member in the front office during these times.

Morning: 7:45 - 8:15 & Afternoon Dismissal: 3:05 - 3:45

  • The front office staff member needs to be available to address urgent needs (emergencies), manage the intercom system for the carline (this is how we call students to the overflow zone), and attend the phone.

  • We ask that you not call or come to the office during these times, unless you have an emergency.

  • Teachers cannot meet during the AM & PM carline. Please send an email to your child’s teacher to schedule a meeting.

  • Early pickups should be made at least 30 minutes prior to dismissal which (by 2:45 on M, T, TH, & F and 12:45 on Wed).


CLOTHES BIN

  • You may have noticed the large green Clothes Bin that is located just before our entrance beside Kronbergs Court. The bright green bin is our “go-to” for a convenient way to recycle our clothes, shoes and textiles. Every pound that is recycled via our bin supports ACS! So, Clothes Bin is a Green Initiative That Earns ACS “Green”.

  • Most of the clothes, shoes and textiles discarded in local landfills could have been recycled. So, grab a garbage bag, fill it with hope and drop it off at the ACS Clothes Bin and support our school.

Below are the items that you can recycle and place in the Clothes Bin:

  • Clothes such as pants, jeans, skirts, dresses, suits, shorts, shirts, tees, tanks

  • Outerwear such as coats, jackets, gloves, hats, scarves

  • Footwear such as shoes, boots, heels, sneakers, sandals, socks, tights

  • Undergarments such as bras, underwear, slips, camisoles

  • Accessories such as hats, belts, ties, scarves, headbands

  • Handbags, wallets, totes, luggage, backpacks, briefcases

  • Linens such as towels, sheets, comforters, blankets, tablecloths


SPECIALS TEACHERS’ WISH LISTS:


STEM


MUSIC


GLOBAL CONNECTIONS


ART


SEL (Social/Emotional Learning)




NOW HIRING FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR








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