Davidson Elementary School PTO

December 2010/January 2011
NEWS
635 South Street • Davidson, NC 28036 • 980-343-3900 http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/davidsonpta/
DAVIDSON ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
The principal’s corner
Dear Davidson
Families,
Fall is a time when
families and friends
take the time to reflect
and give thanks for all
the wonderful things in
their lives. As I reflect
about all that I am
thankful for, my foremost thoughts are of
the heroes of Davidson Elementary. Those
heroes take form in the teachers, support
staff, parents and of course the children who
make DES such a unique and special place.
I am thankful for a team of teachers and
support staff that consistently exceed
expectations as they plan and implement
instruction. Their dedication to each and
every student is evident on a daily basis.
Our teacher’s professional development is
underway and teachers are using strategies
to ensure that quality, rigorous instruction is
consistently provided to students.
I am thankful for our parents who, without
exception, provide support in all areas of
the school and community. Whether they
are fundraising, tutoring, coordinating social
events to bring us together as a school,
or providing “goodies“ to our teachers to
let them know they are appreciated, their
positive presence is always felt.
As we go into the New Year, I am especially
thankful for all the dedicated people that
have stepped up to sponsor a club and
coordinate some exemplary opportunities
for our children at DES. Most of our
clubs are in place and exciting things
are happening! We have two registered
competition teams and a club team for
our Odyssey of the Mind group. Math
Olympiad and Chess Club are underway.
Girls on the Run ran their 5K and completed
another wonderful season. Equally exciting
is the upcoming music performances and Art
Fest events that help instill an appreciation
for the arts in our children. The list could go
on and on, as we list all those individuals
that are willing to contribute their time and
talents to make DES the wonderful family
that it is.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Terry Hall
News from your PTO
Dear Parents, Staff Members and Friends,
What a wonderful time of year…. one of
celebration and thankfulness for what we have and
what has been accomplished; one of anticipation
for all that will come and what can be.
What would Davidson Elementary be without the
many acts each one of us makes — but ALL done
to keep our community strong, growing and full of
wonderment?
Thank you, our Davidson Elementary
army of volunteers! You, who give so
enthusiastically in the classrooms and on the
Eco-trail; design and service our clubs; make our
staff happy and appreciated every month; man
the Circulation Desk in our Media Center; count
laps towards our childrens’ first 10Ks (and even
Marathons!); work from home to prepare articles
for our newsletters, weekly E-news, Media press
releases; collate flyers for our Thursday Folders;
snap keepsake photos for our Yearbook; secure
cultural events to broaden our students’ horizons;
input data for our many committees’ needs, write
grants or find sponsors for our Student Directory
and TOTP program to keep our costs down.
Thank you, our unbelievable Davidson
Elementary parents! You, who give so much
of your time, energy, and money and who bring
us new ideas and initiatives to make our small
community even more interesting, safe and inviting
for our children.
Thank you, our fabulous TOTP sponsors
and Student Directory advertisers! You,
who help us reach and fund our educational goals
each year!
Thank you, our Davidson Elementary
students! You, who attack each day with such
willingness and such trust in the knowledge that
hard work, kindness, and an open mind will bring
great things.
Thank you, our Davidson Elementary
administration, staff and teachers! You,
who treat each child with respect and dignity, a
welcome smile and a deep desire to help us reach,
stretch and explore.
In some ways, our school year has just begun! We
hope you will mark your calendars and save the
date for so many exciting Davidson Elementary
events to come:
• February 4th: Girls Night Out Dance
• February 11th: Boys Night Out Movie Event
• March 14-17th: Spring Book Fair
• March 26th: Run Too Overcome 5K
• April 7th: ArtFest
• Mid-April: Charity Challenge Basketball Game
• April 29th: Bingo Night
• May 19th: Spring Musical
• May 31- June 2nd: Field Days
We wish you the happiest of holidays and hope
that all your New Year’s hopes and dreams come
true for you and your family in 2011!
Your DES PTO Board
Boosterthon launched DES fundraising
to new heights in November!
Thank you! Thank you to all of our students,
teachers, parents and donors for making the
Boosterthon Fun Run program a HUGE success
and more importantly, lots of fun! The pledges
our students secured have been overwhelming
in support of our school. In order to reach our
goals, please make sure your child has
collected and submitted all pledge money by
the December 2nd due date to his or her
teacher.
DUE TO THE JANUARY 21st TEACHERS’ WORKDAY, THE PTO BOARD MEETING
HAS BEEN MOVED TO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH.
PLEASE COME AND JOIN US IN THE MEDIA CENTER AT 6PM.

Have you heard about the 212˚ Attitude?
211˚ is certainly HOT, but add just one degree and you’ve hit the boiling point…that additional one degree can make all the difference!
Here are 3 of our magnificent Davidson Elementary Staff who took the challenge to push themselves that one extra degree towards Excellence!
Carla Kingsbury, Instructional Assistant
Swiftly moving from room
to room or task to task, Ms.
Kingsbury can usually be
found carrying her signature
green basket. So, what is
in there you might ask?
Since Ms. Kingsbury is a
kindergarten instructional
assistant, she is assigned
to more than one teacher and does not have a
permanent home or classroom. Thus, this basket is
her “home away from home,” or “office” if you will.
Since she is constantly “on the go,” some joke that the
basket contains a source of renewable energy!
After a fulfilling career with the Vocational Services
Department where she worked with brain injury
patients, Ms. Kingsbury entered the education
field. Although the career paths are different, Ms.
Kingsbury claims that many of the same teaching
concepts can be applied to her current students,
resulting in those wonderful “light bulb” moments
when a child has “cracked his/her own code” on
how he/she learns best.
When not working with students, she can be found
assisting in the cafeteria, carpool line or helping
Mr. Smith with the many student council-sponsored
activities. This constant willingness to be flexible and
to fill in wherever needed has been recognized and
rewarded by her peers this month.
When not at work, she enjoys reading and spending
time with friends and family, especially her husband
Hale and children, Caitlyn and Jacob. And, like most
of us, she enjoys a good laugh and cites laughing
as the remedy to a stressful day! She has enjoyed
these past five years at Davidson Elementary and
is honored to be on staff at a school that strives for
excellence continuously.
Robin McLennon, 3rd Grade Teacher
You only need to spend
a few minutes with third
grade teacher Ms. Robin
McLennon, to understand
how important teaching, her
students and her colleagues
are to her. Although reserved
in nature, her passion for her
students and for teaching
comes through loud and clear! It is this passion and
love for children that led her to pursue her Masters
in Education after many years in business. A proud
native of Guyana, South America, Ms. McLennon
moved to the United States when she was just 17 to
pursue an education. She is now the proud holder of
not one, but two degrees and is on her way to a PhD.
Described as the “queen of differentiation,” she has
a unique way of using a variety of assignments,
activities and assessments to provide the opportunity
for each child to learn and grow at his/her own
level. She believes that each student possesses the
ability to achieve his/her best potential, and doesn’t
accept less. This perseverance and commitment to
the individual needs of each child have been noted
and recognized by many, thus earning her special
recognition this month.
In addition to teaching, Ms. McLennon is also very
involved with Student Council and is a member of
the Intervention Team which identifies ways to assist
children who are struggling academically.
In her free time, Ms. McLennon especially enjoys
spending time with her husband Leon, and her
children Kalonji Diop and Ezenma Kione. Her
hobbies include reading, traveling and shopping.
Thank you Ms. McLennon for dedication to your
students and colleagues and for going the extra
distance this past month and always!
Teri Brooks, K/1 Teacher
One can not walk down the
200 wing without noticing
Ms. Brooks’ classroom which
radiates happiness, creativity
and joy. One parent
describes her as being “a
model of caring, frivolity, and
dedication.” With 32 years
of teaching experience and
a National Board Certification under her belt, she
has taught hundreds of children and has left a lasting
impression on every one of them. In addition to
academics, she has taught important life lessons that
will remain with them long after childhood!
“The more that you read, the more things you will
know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll
go.” This quote by Dr. Seuss, a favorite author of
Ms. Brooks, illustrates her passion for reading and
the importance of instilling a love of reading in each
one of her children. She believes that reading and
learning can be fun and has created a learning
environment that is comfortable, inviting and
whimsical. On many occasions, she has transformed
her classroom into an adventurous learning
environment representing the quarterly unit of study.
Ms. Brooks gushes when she describes the moment of
epiphany when a child “gets hooked” on reading or
writing or when she witnesses students working with
each other in a nurturing and caring way.
She is a member of both the Grant and Technology
Committees, is the K/1 grade level chair and is a
member of the COMPASS team. And, as many of
you know, Ms. Brooks hails from Alabama and is
not shy about her allegiance to her home state and
the University of Alabama. When not traveling to
Alabama to visit her daughter Meg, she is home
enjoying the company of her husband Steve and
sons, Todd and Mick.
ArtFest 2011
Dessart with the Arts d April 7, 6—8pm
Save the Date — Make plans to join us for ArtFest, April 7th, as we take a sweet turn this year and celebrate all of the
Arts at Davidson Elementary. As you stroll the hallways of art, the evening will also include singing by all grade levels,
a drama performance, poetry, photography and a serenade by the 4th Grade Recorder Club. Come join us for “dessART”
(punch and treats), enjoy the voices and artistic talents of our children, and bid on some fabulous Performing Arts
packages from local and regional artists.
Volunteers will be needed. Your PTO Room Rep will be contacting you soon with details. You may also contact Beth
Wentzien at bwandwtw@bellsouth.net, Kiki Strodel at kikistrodel@yahoo.com or Shea Olson at olson_mark@bellsouth.net
for more details and to learn how you can be a part of this magical celebration.

The DES Music Program
has an active
December on tap!
Our children’s voices will take to stage
and streets this month with several
performances.
December 4th: The 4th and 5th Grade
Honors Chorus, comprised of 20 voices,
will perform at Christmas in Davidson
on Saturday, December 4th from 6:45
- 7:15PM on the steps of the Davidson
Library.
December 8th: The 2nd Graders will be
singing some holiday songs during Family
Night of the Scholastic Book Fair on
Wednesday, December 8th at 6PM in the
DES Gym.
December 16th: And the 3rd Grade and
2/3 Multiage classes remain hard at
work rehearsing for the holiday musical
“Once on a Housetop” to be presented
immediately following a brief DES PTO
Membership Meeting on Thursday,
December 16th at 6:45PM in the DES
Gym.
With a cast of more than 150 performers,
“Once on a Housetop” is a festive and
lively production honoring the various
December holiday celebrations. Students
auditioned in October for a wide variety
of roles, ranging from narrators to soloists
to dancers to actors portraying the key
players associated with the holidays of
Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Los
Posados. Rehearsals began in earnest in
November and the students are excited
and ready to make their public debut.
Don’t miss any of these special
performances!
J
Looking for a tax deduction?
More NEWS YOU CAN USE
Girls on the run
The DES Girls on the Run (GOTR) club is ready to jingle
and jog in this year’s Presbyterian Hospital Jingle Jog 5K
Fun Run on December 11 in downtown Charlotte. Two teams of
15 girls in the 3rd - 5th grades, along with their 5 coaches, all other
Charlotte area GOTR clubs and up to 4000 additional runners, will hit the streets at
8:15AM. Each runner gets a jingle bell to tie onto their shoe so it sounds like Santa’s
sleigh as their feet hit the pavement!
The DES teams are coached by teachers Tina Brock, Lindsay Hannum, Dana Higgins,
Myrna Rosas and volunteer Sarah Atkins. GOTR combines training to participate in a
non-competitive 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts and
a community service project. The goal of the program is to encourage positive emotional,
social, mental, spiritual and physical development. A specifically designed curriculum
attempts to change a girl’s budding notion that how she looks is more important than who
she is. The DES GOTR club is one of more than 150 clubs in the US and abroad.
The Jingle Jog brings to a close GOTR’s Fall season. The Spring season starts in February
and will culminate in May with the Girls on the Run 5K Fun Run in Charlotte.
TAKE OUT TUESDAYS
TAKE A BREAK FROM THE
KITCHEN!
Most people will tell you that the month
between Thanksgiving and Christmas is
crazy — too much to do and too little time.
To simplify life a bit during that time, the PTO
has created “Take Out Tuesdays,” a series
of four Spirit Nights at area restaurants from
which a portion of the day’s proceeds will be
donated back to DES. The first Spirit Night
will be hosted by Prosciutto’s Pizza at exit 28
on November 30th, followed by Restaurant
X on December 7th. Donato’s Pizza will host
December 14th,
and we’ll finish up
on December 21st at
Chili’s down at exit
25. So take a break
from the kitchen,
enjoy dinner with
friends, and help
raise money for
the school all at
the same time.
See you there!
Remember the DES Tiger Fund! When you give to your school through
the Tiger Fund, you know that 100% of your donation, and any
matching funds, go directly to help our kids. Thank you for all you do
each and every day and for your support throughout the year!
The tiger times
The staff of The Tiger Times, DES’ student
newspaper, will celebrate the publication of
the first issue of the school year on Tuesday,
December 14 at 8AM in Mrs. Fraser’s
classroom. The Tiger Times staff will deliver
the newspaper to classrooms that afternoon.
There are two publications — one specifically
for grades K-2 and one for grades 3-5.
More than 33 staff members have been hard
at work conducting interviews, gathering
information about things happening around
DES and Davidson and writing up the
articles. The vision of The Tiger Times is to
keep DES students informed and entertained
about the different things that are happening
in our school and community.
The Tiger Times meets every Tuesday
morning at 8AM; new reporters in the
4th and 5th grade are always welcome.
Interested students should obtain a Tiger
Times permission form from either of the club
sponsors, Mrs. Fraser or Ms. Stroud and start
attending the Tuesday morning club meetings.
Lobby Guard: Three
Days Only!
To make the process of checking in at the
school easier and faster, register to create an
automatic account! Simply bring your driver’s
license to the Lobby Guard machine in the
Main Office and we’ll get you registered.
Registration will be available for three
days only — January 11-13, 9-10:30AM,
11:30AM-1PM and 3-3:30PM.

More NEWS YOU CAN USE
TOTP: tracking our miles across the usa
Can you believe we already have some marathoners?! Way to go Tigers - KEEP ON
RUNNING!! With nearly 6500 miles behind them, they have crossed the entire country.
On their return trip, Mr. Rabb is taking the kids to different landmarks on the map in the
gym. They swam about a mile in the Pacific Ocean and then headed up to Oregon and
into Washington. The Tigers then turned back east at Seattle and went to Glacier National
Park in Montana and then south to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Where
will they go next?
Thank you to our wonderful
sponsors who help make the
TOTP program a huge success.
Marathon sponsors, Artisan
Custom Homes and Cashion’s
Quik Stop, provide the children
with the awesome t-shirts and
marathon keychain. 10K
sponsors, Mary Lib Richards
and Julie Lopez with Prudential
Realty, provide the 10K
keychain. Children who
achieve more than one
marathon will receive a ball
cap and keychain from our Multi-marathon sponsor, McIntosh Law Firm. What all of these
sponsors mainly provide though, is support of a program that emphasizes the importance
of children being physically active. We are so appreciative of them and they are proud
to be a part of the fantastic TOTP program. Please check your child’s backpack for the
benchmark keychains!
Welcome new families!
Since the beginning of the school year, several
families have joined DES. If we haven’t had
a chance, we’d like to welcome you with
a packet of information that will start your
year off right. Please contact Emma Butler at
emmabutler5@yahoo.com and Summer Pharr
at summerpharr@yahoo.com.
Save the Dates!
Girls Night Out
Mark your calendars girls and get ready
to walk the red carpet and dance the
night away with your best guy! This
year’s “Girl’s Night Out” is set for Friday,
February 4th from 7 - 9PM. Hope to see
you there!
Boys night out
Mother/Son Pizza and Movie Night is
Friday, February 11th from 6 - 9PM at
the Elementary School. Get ready for a
fun night out with mom!
Contact us!
PTO BOARD MEMBERS
Krista Riley, President
kristariley@bellsouth.net
Tammy Forthofer, Vice President
tforthofer@mi-connection.com
Kristen Coupal, VP Fundraising
kmcoupal@hotmail.com
Gennine Davis, VP Fundraising
gennine@bellsouth.net
Jackie Noble, VP Communication
jacob97@bellsouth.net
Michele Trovato, VP Community
Building Events
mctrovato@hotmail.com
Greta Wolff, Secretary
gretawolff1@gmail.com
Debbie Barteldt, Treasurer
debbiebarteldt@yahoo.com
Beth Cashion, Member at Large
bethcashion@gmail.com
Terry Bentley, Member at Large
terrykbentley@yahoo.com
Juliet Bowden, Technology Advisor
jbpta678@gmail.com
Terry Hall, Principal DES
terryc.hall@cms.k12.nc.us
Newsletter designer
Katie Barker
katie_kgb@hotmail.com
Wrap Up Holiday Shopping
at December Book Fair
Stock up on great gifts for the readers on your list at
the December Scholastic Book Fair, December 6-10
in the DES Media Center. Proceeds from the Book
Fair will be used to support Media Center programs
and purchases throughout the year.
The Book Fair hours are: Monday, Tuesday &
Thursday 8:30AM - 4:30PM; Wednesday 8:30AM
- 7PM; Friday 8:30AM - noon. Students will have 2
opportunities during the week to come to the Book
Fair with their classes. Please note that the Media
Center will be open during its usual hours for students
Looking for great gifts?
The school store will be open until 9:30AM
on Wednesdays and Fridays during the month
of December for parents to shop. These special
extended hours come just in time for the holidays.
Check out our selection of pens, pencils, pencil
cases, folders, erasers, pencil grips, notebooks,
jump ropes, and sketch pads. All of these items make
great holiday gifts for your
children or their friends.
The store is located in the
lobby area outside the
cafeteria.
to check out materials before Winter break.
Definitely make plans to attend the special Family
Night on Wednesday, December 8 from 5 - 7PM —
food will be available for purchase in the cafeteria,
the 2nd Grade Chorus will perform at 6PM in the
gym and a special check presentation will be made
to the Davidson Library officials from the DES “Are
You Ready to Read?” reading challenge.
For information or to volunteer, please contact Terry
Bentley (704-896-6772 or terrykbentley@yahoo.com).
AND...Shop online at over 100 popular stores like
these: Lands’ End, Target, and Pottery Barn at no
additional cost to you and earn cash for DES. First
register at www.btfe.com and designate Davidson
Elementary as your school. Second, start your online
shopping at the Box Tops Marketplace and click the
link to the online store of your choice.
DES receives a donation of up to 8% from your
qualifying purchase. Remember to put this site as a
favorite on your computer to help you remember to
start online shopping at the Box Top Marketplace!

December 2010
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
1 2 3 4 5
National Handwashing Awareness Week
December 5 - 11: Practice the 4 Principles of
Hand Awareness and remain healthy this
season! Keep your family healthier, visit
www.henrythehand.com for more information!
Nightly events 6-9pm; parade 1pm Saturday
honors chorus 6:45 Saturday — library steps
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
holiday
cookies
for staff
slt meeting
4 – 5pm media center
take out tuesday
restaurant x
pledges due
mid quarter
reports
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
take out tuesday
donato’s pizza
5-8PM
FAMILY NIGHT
At the book fair
holiday book fair: M, T, Th 8:30AM-4:30pm; W 8:30am-7PM; F 8:30am-12pm
5-7pm
Latta visits
4th grade
Latta visits
4th grade
Holiday program &
PTO meeting
6:45pm Gym
9am-noon
girls on the run
jingle jog
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
take out tuesday
chili’s (exit 25)
5-8pm
Winter Break
9am-noon
HOLIDAY MARKET!
please keep saving
those box tops!
27 28 29 30 31
No School
HIP character trait of the month
honesty: Be truthful in word and action.

January 2011
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
1 2
Be on the lookout for
new winter programs offered by
the Town of Davidson on their
website www.d-Recs.org.
please keep saving
those box tops!
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
school
reopens
9am-noon
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
slt meeting
4–5pm media center
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Martin Luther King
Holiday
NO SCHOOL
Lobby Guard registration — 9-10:30; 11:30-1; 3-3:30
Latta visits
2nd grade
pto room rep meeting
9:30-11AM cafeteria
Latta visits
2/3 multi-age
PTO meeting
6–7:30pm media center
class pictures
Latta visits
2nd grade
Latta visits
3rd grade
Teacher Workday
NO SCHOOL
ODYSSEY OF THE MIND
SPONTANEOUS FAIR
CHARLOTTE LATIN
9am-noon
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Have you linked
your vic card yet?
Looking ahead...
2/3 Staff Appreciation: Our Teachers Are Souper
Report Cards Issued
2/4 Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
Club Pictures
Girls Night Out Dance
2/7 SLT Monthly Meeting – 4PM Media Center
2/8-10 Math Fair
2/11 Boys Night Out Movie Event
2/12 Latta Fairy House Event – 9-4:30PM
2/17 PTO Meeting 6PM in the Media Center; Deadline to order Yearbook
2/18-21 Teacher Workday/President’s Day
2/23-25 Fifth Graders: Washington, DC Trip
caring: Show concern for the wellbeing of others.
HIP character trait of the month