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Watts Happenings Newsletter – Fall 2009 Issue

November 6, 2009
by Karalyn Colopy

Watts Happenings, Fall 2009, the PTA newsletter, is here!  Learn what the kids are doing, what are the teachers doing, what the PTA is doing, and what YOU can do, too!

Click here to download the Fall 2009 newsletter.

Click here to download the Fall 2009 newsletter.

Contents:

  • Parents Help Make Hispanic Heritage Month a Huge Success!
  • Recipes for Tlacoyos and other Mexican dishes
  • Just a Few Examples of Classroom Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Welcome from the PTA
  • We Won the Art Contest Again!
  • Generous Donations in a Time of Need
  • Major Science and Technology Investments
  • Primary Parents Learn About Montessori Method
  • Easy (and FUN) Ways to Support Literacy at Home
  • Exceptional Children’s PTA Comes to George Watts
  • Arts & Culture at George Watts 
Parents and Schools Working Together
  • Want to volunteer at George Watts?
  • Please Help on Grounds Day
  • Make the “Three for Me” Pledge
  • Fundraising: Much More Than Money!
  • Edible Garden: Say “Hello” and “Thanks!”
  • “Site-Based”:  Collaborative School Leadership
  • Attention: Duke Sports Fans!

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Parents Help Make Hispanic Heritage Month a Huge Success!

By Karalyn Colopy, PTA Communications Chair, and Carolina Musawwir, Parent Involvement Committee, Chair

National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept 15-Oct 15, is a time to recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans.  At George Watts, it is a perfect opportunity for teachers, students, and their families to teach and learn from each other.  Parents were invited to come to school and share any aspect of Hispanic culture to enrich the month’s celebration.

Ms. Carinder's Upper El class enjoying their food

Upper El teacher Ms. Carinder and her students enjoying their food

One group of parents organized and provided a unique experience for George Watts students – hands-on cooking lessons!  It took 8 days, but they made sure that every classroom got to participate! Classes came one at a time to the teacher breakroom to watch the women cooking – tortillas, tamales, tostadas –  various regional Mexican specialties. Then all the kids got to make and EAT their own.  Some of the students regularly help their parents with cooking these foods at their own homes and could explain exactly what to do, or translate the adults’ instructions for their classmates and teachers.  Others had never tasted thembefore, let alone prepared them from scratch.

In addition, the parents brought prepared food to treat the teachers every day.  Melissa Blalock, Montessori Coordinator, reports “We have had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted over the past few weeks thanks to these mothers volunteering their time for Hispanic Heritage Month. They have done a wonderful job with our students and are fantastic cooks!”

So for their time, talent, community spirit, and significant investment, we thank these parents:

Claudia Martinez, Juana Rangel, Juana Rosales, Liliana Aguilar, Edelmira Hernandez, Isabel Morales, Rosa Geurrero Fuentes, Alejandra, Aida, and Julia.

Thank you also to all the parents who helped with this effort by contributing additional money or ingredients.

Many other parents also took time out of their busy days to come into the school to read Spanish books, to cook for a class, or to share items from their culture with students.  So thank you to all parents who helped this month.  Our students were treated to many fun, interesting, and delicious experiences!

NOTE: For all the recipes and more photos, see http://georgewattspta.org/2009/11/recipes/

***** Recipe for Tlacoyos *****

Tlacoyos are oval-shaped cakes made of masa (corn dough), stuffed with fillings like cheese, refried beans, fava beans, or chicharron.

•    Maseca (brand of Masa de Maiz -
 corn masa flour)
•    Water
•    Salt
•    Oil
•    Cheese, e.g., queso fresco, “fresh cheese”
•    Beans
•    Shredded cabbage
•    Salsa

1. Prepare the corn dough with water and salt (according to package directions).
2. Form the dough into tortillas using a tortilla press (a simple gadget available in kitchen stores) and stuff with beans and/or cheese. Warm on a griddle and then in oil until hot.
3. Serve tortilla with shredded cabbage, cheese and salsa on top.  It’s ready!

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Just a Few Examples of Classroom Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month


Primary: Ms. Watson’s students learned the South American puzzle map and used cumin seeds and a mortar and pestle in Practical Life.  Ms. Synder’s students made cut-paper art or “papel picado.”

Lower El: Mr. Cearnal’s students studied the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans.  Ms. Vejvoda’s students learned the steps of the flamenco, a traditional dance from Spain.  Ms. Meneca Davis’s class read My Name is Maria Isabel, a story about a girl from Puerto Rico who struggles to keep her name.

Upper El: Ms. Parler’s class researched Picasso, famous Hispanic people, and the Mexican government. Ms. Carinder’s class translated and illustrated Spanish words to support their vocabulary lessons.

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Welcome from the PTA!

The PTA would like to extend a warm, mid-fall welcome to new parents!  We realize that adjusting to a new school can be stressful at times.  We invite you to contact any PTA board member with questions.

To stay in the loop, please sign up for the PTA listserv.  Contact Karalyn Colopy, Communications Committee Chair, at colopy66@yahoo.com. Also, look for us on Facebook and check out georgewattspta.org!

Our PTA membership is strong this year.  Thank you to all who have registered.  We have 111 members so far, plus 33 who have registered but not paid the $4 dues yet. And it’s still not too late to join!  Contact Kellianne White, PTA Secretary, at kellianne_l_white@yahoo.com or 342-3229.

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We Won the Art Contest Again!

2009 State Fair Art Contest 1st Place Winning Entries

2009 State Fair Art Contest 1st Place Winning Entries

Yes, George Watts won 1st prize at the State Fair Art Competition for the 3rd year in a row! Congratulations to Ms. Barnes and Upper El students Kiran Baucom, Yessica Berrera Santos, Nicholas Martelon, Laura Salazar, John Saylor, and Elizabeth Wood! The winning pieces were mixed media portraits of Barack Obama, reflecting the students’ ideas about the historical importance of Obama’s election. You can see them now in the hall outside the art room!

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Generous Donations in a Time of Need

By Karalyn Colopy, Communications Committee Chair

The school budget is tight this year.  But many parents and teachers have been helping the school through hard financial times by donating special items:

  • a new thermometer
  • a new coffee urn
  • repair of another broken coffee urn
  • replacements for the school’s 2 old broken microwaves
  • ink cartridges for the color printer
  • refreshments and materials for Parent Coffees
  • classroom snacks and supplies

“All these acts of thoughtfulness mean so much to us, so thank you all for caring and being supportive!” says Melissa Blalock, Montessori Coordinator.

Also, in September, the bouldering wall in the gym was upgraded with new handholds generously donated by Three Ball Climbing (www.threeballclimbing.com).  The new holds are shaped for children’s hands and are easier to grasp than the old holds, making the wall a more appealing activity during gym class.  Special thanks to parent-climber Carl Stearns who sought out this donation!

Finally, we thank Watts Street Baptist Church for their support of some of our Watts families through a weekend backpack program. A backpack filled with non-perishable food items will go home every Friday this school year with about 10 of our students. Each Monday the backpack is returned to be filled up again. Students were selected through teacher recommendation, with input from our school social worker. Ms. Blalock notes, “We feel very fortunate to have this support.”

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Major Science and Technology Investments

By Jane Brown, PTA President

Last year, through the PTA’s “Just One Check” fundraiser, we raised over $8,000 to boost science and technology resources.  After the fundraiser, the PTA engaged parents and staff in deciding how to best spend this money.

Early this fall, the PTA worked with Kay Ham and other school staff to identify urgent technology needs not met by the school’s own budget (like printer toner!).  We dedicated $850 for these supplies, critical for keeping the school running smoothly.  In addition, we will buy 4-6 microscopes for Upper Elementary.  Thanks to parent-scientist Alyssa Perz-Edwards for helping to select the best models!  Finally, the majority of the funds will be invested in a set of Montessori science materials for every classroom (all grade levels).  The school’s Science Committee and Melissa Blalock, Montessori Coordinator, will help select the most appropriate materials.

Thank you to all who have made these investments possible!

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Primary Parents Learn About Montessori Method

On Friday mornings in October, Primary teachers invited parents of pre-K and K students to learn about Montessori education at the primary level.  They shared ideas about Montessori philosophy, teaching methods, and examples of work materials in the areas of Math, Language, Sensorial, Practical Life, Geography, and Science.  Parents can also learn more about what skills kindergarteners are expected to master to meet NC State Standards. Download the quarterly goals at watts.dpsnc.net (click on “NC State Goals” in the right menu).  Thank you to the entire Primary Team for helping to educate parents!  Thank you also to parent volunteers for providing delicious food and take-home Montessori materials for the parents.

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Easy (and FUN) Ways to Support Literacy at Home

Adapted from www.pbskids.org
By Kisha Daniels, Arts & Culture Committee Chair

Parents are a child’s first and best teacher.  Let’s continue to support this relationship by strengthening early and independent literacy skills. Some things you can do:

  • Every day, read a variety of books, magazines, poems, etc. to your child and let your child see you read.  Not only is this great for bonding, but also it encourages an understanding of how books work, provides new information and helps your child hear how to tell good stories.
  • Play word games, board games, sing songs, make up silly words and rhymes and read billboards, bumper stickers, fast food restaurant signs, names of cars, etc. out loud.  This improves vocabulary, categorizing, letter-sound relationships, and problem solving.
  • Help your child pick books at their reading level.  Listen to them read.  If they read smoothly and understand what they’ve read, the book is probably “Just Right.” If they struggle, have to sound out most of the words or don’t understand what they’ve read, the book is probably “Too Hard.” The goal is for your child to read “Just Right” books all of the time.
  • Help them fix their reading mistakes. This builds independence.  If your child is stuck on a word, ask them questions to get them thinking on their own: What would make sense? Do you see a word you know that can help you? Try something and see if it sounds right.  Offer your help by sounding the word out or saying the word if your child has tried and still can’t get it.  If your child gets frustrated, pick an easier book.
  • Encourage your child to write everyday.  Keep a diary; write lists, notes and letters; or just draw and label pictures.

~ CAUTION ~
These ideas will spark imagination and creativity!

  1. Find books your kids like at the library. You can then use subjects they’re interested in to add new vocabulary to their conversation.
  2. Comment on new words that come up in stories, on TV, or on the radio. Use the word yourself, so they hear it in context and encourage them to use it. Even over-using the word will be fun (e.g., pick a word like ‘outstanding’ and use it whenever something is ‘good’).
  3. Think of something you all use every day and make up a story about life without it. What if there were no electricity? Or worse, no candy?
  4. Cut out lots of pictures from your kid’s favorite magazine. Pick 6 pictures at random and make up a story.
  5. Use a list format to spark their imaginations. What 10 things would monsters do on a weekend? What 10 things would pilgrims buy to take back home if they time-traveled to today? What 10 things would change if you were the new President of the World?
  6. Help them write a To Do list of things they have to get done.
  7. Help them write a Ta Da list of things they did get done. Ta Da!!
  8. Play “I Spy.” Pick an object around you and give the other players its first letter. “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… T!” The first one to guess it right goes next.
  9. Talk to them about what they’d like to be when they grow up and ask them why.
  10. Look for signs and labels, especially in your neighborhood, to show that reading for meaning (not just for fun) is important. Talk about the “environmental print” (the words around you) whenever you travel.
  11. In a new place – mall, railway station, theater – show them words like Exit and Help or Information, so they know how to find help if they get lost. If there are symbols (like i for Information), point these out.
  12. Teach them how to dial 911 and how to speak their name and address clearly. If you have a portable phone or cell phone, show them how it works. There are usually more buttons to press on those phones, so they can be very tricky for little kids.

Learn more about literacy at:
•    www.pbs.org/parents/lions/activities/literacy_tips.html
•    www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/readingstrats.html
•    www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/tipsenc/tipsencourage.htm#parents

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Exceptional Children’s PTA Comes to George Watts

By Donna Beckmann

The Durham Council of PTAs aims to have one voice advocating for the education, health, and success of all children. To that end, it has established an Exceptional Children’s (EC) PTA.  As part of this, the George Watts PTA Executive Board would like to create a school-wide EC committee.

Many parents may not understand the importance of this new committee or how it will benefit all children. The EC Program used to be known as “Special Education,” and mostly children classified as “disabled” received services. Over the years, that has changed.  Today’s EC Program serves children ranging from those with severe developmental and physical disabilities requiring multiple ongoing supports, to children identified as learning disabled or not reaching a specific developmental milestone on time and requiring services as needed. As a result, more children who need EC services now attend school – and this impacts all students. The EC Program for Durham Public Schools serves ~13% of the entire student population and has the largest departmental budget. About 70 George Watts students receive some type of EC service: some are in separate EC classrooms, some through the EC resource teacher (either in her room or the child’s classroom), and some go to weekly speech or occupational therapy. We need coordination and communication among parents, educators, staff, and the community.

At the November 9 PTA meeting, we will vote on creating this new committee at George Watts. All parents are encouraged to provide their input and support. For more information, please submit your name, telephone, and email in an envelope labeled “EC PTA” to your child’s teacher. See also http://ecpta-durhamnc.webs.com/.

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DID YOU KNOW??…

Special Olympics athletic programs are held year-round in Durham and throughout NC.  For information on programs and events, see http://www.sonc.net/

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Arts & Culture at George Watts

By Kisha Daniels, Arts & Culture Committee Chair

The Arts &Culture Committee has Picasso fever!  We are excited about the students’ visit to the Picasso exhibit at Duke’s Nasher Museum and their learning more about visual arts.  We will be working with Art Teacher Carol Barnes and classroom teachers to support a student-created “Picasso-like” mural on the playground wall.  We are looking for parents who can offer their time, expertise and donations to make the mural a success.

Mark your calendars for our Spring Arts Explosion – Monday, April 19 – when we will unveil the masterpiece and have family activities!

Also this year we will sponsor an afterschool arts enrichment program at the school, Mondays 3:30-5:00 pm.  It will be run by a great organization called Explore! www.explorebeyondschool.com.  We are working to arrange exceptional enrichments and special pricing.  We will send home a brochure outlining the available activities and costs.  We’ll offer limited scholarships, but we’d also accept contributions to sponsor a child. Please contact Kisha Daniels at 530-7690 or kdaniels@nccu.edu for more information.

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Parents and Schools Working Together

By Kim Doughty, Parent Involvement Committee

The evidence is in: when schools and families work together to support learning, everyone benefits.  Students do better in school and in life.  Parents become empowered.  Teacher morale improves.  Schools get better.  Communities grow stronger. http://www.ncpie.org/

The Parent Involvement Committee is about finding ways for parents to be involved in the school.  This is a bilingual committee that helps link parents with teachers who can use their skills.  We also sponsor events like:

  • Multicultural dinner (February)
  • Spring Carnival (April)
  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation (May)
  • Summer play dates (June/July/August)

Carnival – Saturday, April 17 – Save the date! Our fall carnival will be a spring event this year.  We’re looking forward to entertainment from Baron Von Rumblebuss and his band (http://www.rumblebuss.com/), and Peter Holsapple (http://holsapplestamey.com/).  Add in fun games and crafts for the kids and scrumptious food, and it’s sure to be a good time!  Contact Carolina Musawwir (caro_musawwir@hotmail.com or 699-1274) to see how you can help make this fun fundraiser a fabulous success.

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Want to volunteer at George Watts?

Parents are encouraged to help at school – in the classroom, cafeteria, Media Center, 
or on field trips.  Just make sure that you fill out a volunteer form first (required by Durham 
Public Schools).  If have not filled out a form this year, get one from the school office, or download one at: http://www.dpsnc.net/about-dps/forms/community-forms/volunteer-application-agreement/

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Please Help on Grounds Day 
Nov 14!

Saturday, November 14, 9:00am – Noon

We need lots of helping hands to clean up our school’s outdoor spaces – raking, planting, weeding, litter pickup, etc.

This is an annual PTA event that leaves our school looking BEAUTIFUL!  Please plan on helping Nov 14 – for just one hour, or all three!  Every bit helps!

Note: No need to fill out a volunteer form for PTA events like this.

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Make the “Three for Me” Pledge!

By Kellianne White, PTA Secretary

You can make a difference in your child’s education!  Will you promise to give at least 3 hours to the school this year? There are plenty of ways to be involved:

  • At home, help the teacher prepare projects, purchase healthy snacks or supplies for a class, or translate letters to parents.
  • At school, read to a class, attend parent-teacher conferences, help setup/cleanup for events.
  • In the community, attend school board meetings, secure donations of supplies for the school, ask your employer to allow parents to go to school during the day to help out in the classroom.

For more ideas, see http://www.three4me.com/helpful_forms.htm.

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Fundraising: Much More Than Money!

By Lara Campagna, Fundraising Committee

Fundraising is more than just dollars and cents!  Sure, money is important, but fundraising is much more: your time, your talents, and your treasure.  Every time you check homework, go to a teacher conference, help in a classroom, bake your specialty for an event – whenever you offer your unique talents and your precious time, George Watts becomes a better place for our children to learn.

Last year, parent involvement was at an all time high, and we raised over $15,000!  This year, we’ll have a number of events where you can donate your time, talents and treasure to our school:

“Just One Check” is our primary fundraiser and a great way to support the school.  Instead of several small fundraisers using 3rd party vendors, we offer Just One Check to keep it simple.  This year, a local firm, Thought Leaders Select, LLC, has donated Hurricane Tickets with premium parking to the cause!  A gift of any size qualifies you for the ticket drawing. Show your support with “just one check” and give classrooms the boost they need!

Coffeehouse Poetry Reading – November 23! Don’t miss parent-musician Peter Holsapple at the 1st ever George Watts coffeehouse! Enjoy the atmosphere while listening to our students read their own poetry along with Peter’s fun music. Please donate some baked goods to support this event!

S.O.S. (Support Our Schools): Earn money for the school by volunteering to serve hot dogs and sodas at the concession stand at Duke football or basketball games.  The school gets a share of the proceeds – several thousand dollars each year!

The Spring Carnival – April 17 – is a fabulous community event filled with games, food, enterntainment, and fun! Stay tuned for details.

To make these events successful, we need parent volunteers. Participating in any or all of the above is a great way to support our school. Can you help plan, serve or donate food? Have another fundraising idea?  Contact Lara Campagna, Fundraising Committee Chair at 688-8228 or campa058003@mc.duke.edu.

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Edible Garden: Say “Hello” and “Thanks!”

By Alice Bumgarner, Edible Garden Committee Chair

Have you said hello to the school’s new Edible Garden?  The garden, behind the school, is an open space for parents and students to enjoy, observe, touch, smell and learn from.  Thank you to the folks below for all their hard work this summer in installing the garden. This crew put in the ground a berry garden, herb garden, tea garden, pollinator garden and rain garden – about 75 perennials. Thank you!

  • Kathleen Batson & Atticus
  • Jane & Bill Brown, Isabel, Annabelle & Clara
  • Cathy Carinder
  • Patti Crum
  • Sarah Elizabeth Elkins & Hannah
  • Steve Fugikawa & Vann
  • Nathan Gaddis & Maggie
  • Lizzy Gilligan, Cordelia & Veronica
  • Sarah Holsapple & Webb
  • Sabrina & Fred Lamar, Aiden, Ethan & Eliza
  • Michael Lowry & Sophie
  • Kenneth & Jenifer Luker, Jonah, Evan & Ellie
  • Janice McCarthy, Martin Steinmeyer, Zachary 
& Julian
  • Ted Murphy
  • Carolina Musawwir
  • York Phelps, Chaska & August
  • Nate Pienkowski
  • Matt Todd, Alice Bumgarner, Annabel 
& Phoebe
  • Jazmin Varela, Carl Stearns & Raquel
  • And the students of George Watts!

(If I’ve left you off this list, please let me know. I want to thank everyone!)

And we deeply appreciate those who contributed donations. We wouldn’t have a garden without you!

  • George Watts PTA
  • Friends of WattsPrimary class in the garden
  • Burt’s Bees
  • Bountiful Backyards
  • Durham Area Designers
  • B & B Organic Topsoil
  • Dan O’Briant Excavation Service
  • Clean Water for North Carolina
  • The Rock Shop
  • Useful Plants Nursery
  • Cure Nursery
  • Soil & Water Conservation Durham
  • Seth Parfitt
  • Derek Jones
  • Bartlett Trees
  • Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership
  • Jon and Amy Roussel
  • The Crupi family
  • The Colopy family

Finally, a big THANK YOU to parent Nathan Gaddis, for volunteering to be our Garden Coordinator this year!

How the Garden’s Growing

This fall we’re working with teachers on bringing the garden into the curriculum. Each class will “adopt” the garden for a week (watering, weeding, etc.). Some classes have come out to talk about soil and weather. The garden is also a good place for programs on planting, nutrition, water conservation, cooking, composting and “locavorism.” For example, most teachers sent students to our 1st program, “Planting Day.”

Little Hands in the Garden

Primary class planting garlic

On Planting Day, students planted a Salad Garden (lettuces, arugula, carrots, radishes) and a Winter Garden (bok choy, cabbages, kale, broccoli, onions, carrots, cilantro, garlic).  The kids had fun getting dirty and making the space feel like THEIR garden. They weeded, mixed compost into the soil, planted plants and scattered straw over the beds. They examined tiny carrot seeds, learned how to create healthy soil and handle baby plants gently. Some of them tasted arugula and stevia (a natural sweetener). Most agreed that the arugula tasted “spicy,” though one said it tasted like chicken.

What’s Coming Next…

We’d like to make the space a “real” classroom by adding benches and work tables. If you’d like to help sponsor a table or bench, please send a donation in your child’s folder (with “Edible Garden” on the memo line). We’re also raising funds to build leaf and worm composts, a tool shed and more raised beds, and to buy kid-sized garden tools.  Look for more colorful signs in the garden and more plants — fig trees and strawberries.

Your Guide to the Garden

In your child’s folder you should have received a color map of the garden. Thanks to Seth Parfitt for the design and to Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership for the printing!  If you didn’t get one, download it at http://georgewattspta.org/2009/09/edible-garden-map.

P.S. The 1st NC Outdoor Classroom Symposium happened in October, drawing hundreds of people from around the state.  Our garden was featured on its “Outdoor Classrooms Tour”!

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“Site-Based”: Collaborative School Leadership

By Katherine McNulty, Communications Committee

Before preparing this article, I had no idea what the enigmatically named Site-Based Decision
Making Team was.  If you’re in a similar boat, here’s the lowdown on what has been likened to the school’s “brain.”

The Site-Based team or SBDM consists of 15 members: 7 parents, 7 school representatives and Principal Patti Crum. Its mission is to provide collaborative leadership to the school as a whole, always keeping the Montessori method front and center while meeting the many requirements of the public 
school system. It meets monthly to discuss the 
school’s status and direction and is responsible 
- along with the Board of Education – for 
effecting program and curriculum 
change at the school.  Upper El teacher 
and former chair Cathy Carinder also 
describes it as a “clearinghouse”:  
SBDM collects, processes and 
communicates information about the school’s 
goals and progress.

Watts, like all North Carolina public schools, has a state-mandated School Improvement Plan or SIP. Watts must revise the SIP annually using data from the District’s “scorecard” and other sources. Every year, SBDM sets general goals for the SIP in the curriculum areas of literacy, math, science, and family involvement.  A SBDM committee for each area then develops instructional strategies to meet the year’s goals. Throughout the year SBDM monitors progress, and by spring, it begins to identify priorities for the next year.  Some highlights of the 2009 SIP include:

  1. a focus on “best first teaching” so that each student is well prepared to advance through the curriculum,
  2. enhancing the culture of “grace and courtesy” among students, staff and parents, and
  3. continuing to create “crosswalks” between Montessori method and the North Carolina standard course of study.

Natasha Nazareth-Phelps, SBDM parent co-chair, feels fortunate to have a Montessori curriculum in a public school and participates on SBDM as a way to contribute to the school’s continued success.  “Site-based is a balance of celebrating students and staff.  Each year brings new opportunities to improve the quality of Montessori education at Watts.”

How can you be involved? Check out a meeting!  SBDM meets the 3rd Monday every month, 7pm.  Meetings are informal, with the first 10 minutes open for public questions or comments. Parents are also invited to the four SBDM committees’ meetings (literacy, math, science, family involvement).  These committees are a great way for parents to have a voice in developing the SIP.  For more information about committees, contact Primary teacher Kristen Snyder at Kristen.Snyder@dpsnc.net or (919) 560-3947.

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Attention: Duke Sports Fans!

By Angie Douglas, SOS Committee Chair

SOS – “Support Our Schools” – is made up of 5 local magnet schools whose volunteers work at the concession stands at Duke Football, Duke Men’s Basketball and Durham Bulls Baseball games to raise funds.

Last year George Watts PTA took home over $4000 thanks to teachers, parents and friends. This year we are on track to bring in over $7000… But that cannot happen if we don’t have the volunteers to work the games!

If you can pour a soda, fill a popcorn container, take an order or make change, then we have a place for you on our team! You must be at least 14 yrs old to work Duke Football or Basketball games.  Time commitment is 3-4 hrs/game.

We need your help! Please try to come to one or more of the upcoming DUKE football or basketball 
games.  Contact Angie Douglas, angiedouglas@nc.rr.com, 479-2015, or Room 106.  Thank you!!

Here are the games for the rest of 2009:
Sat Nov 14* – Duke vs. Georgia Tech, Arrive Time: 1st shift
Mon Nov 16 – Duke vs. Coastal Carolina, Arrive Time: 5:00 pm
Tue Nov 17 – Duke vs. Charlotte / Elon, Arrive Time: 4:00 pm
Sat Nov 21 – Duke vs. Radford, Arrive Time: 12:00 pm
Sat Nov 28* – Duke vs. Wake Forest, Arrive Time: 1st shift
Sat Dec 5 – Duke vs. St. John’s, Arrive Time: 1:30 pm
Tue Dec 15 – Duke vs. Gardner-Webb, Arrive Time: 5:00 pm
Tue Dec 29 – Duke vs. Long Beach State, Arrive Time: 5:00 pm
Thu Dec 31 – Duke vs. Pennsylvania, Arrive Time: 4:00 pm
* Starred games are Duke football.  All other games are Duke Men’s basketball.

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