October 2010 - Davidson Elementary School PTO

October 2010
DAVIDSON ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
NEWS
635 South Street • Davidson, NC 28036 • 980-343-3900 http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/davidsonpta/
The principal’s corner
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The school year is off to
a great start. As I walk
around visiting classrooms,
I see students engaged in
the lessons and eagerly
participating in classroom
discussions. The turnout
at last week’s curriculum
night was fantastic. Parents were provided an
overview of the curriculum to be studied this year
and information regarding classroom procedures
and expectations.
We are proud to announce that the school made
significant academic gains last year. Davidson
Elementary School has earned the Honor School of
Excellence designation, and achieved high growth
status in all content areas. We met 17 out of 17
targets on the North Carolina’s ABC report card.
The overall school composite score increased to
94.6% of our third through fifth grade students
performing at or above grade level.
As we turn our focus to this school year, we renew
our commitment to ensuring academic success
for each and every student. Our faculty and staff
recognize that we must pull together as a team
if we are to achieve our goal of making certain
that all students gain at least one year’s academic
growth in one year’s time. With the help of our
parents and community businesses, we know that
we will continue to move towards excellence.
Our before and after school clubs are part of what
makes the Davidson Elementary School experience
unique. Information will be sent home next week
regarding sign up requirements, dates and meeting
times for each of the club opportunities. Some of
the clubs offered this year include: Turning Tigers,
Chess Club, Odyssey of the Mind, Girls on the
Run, Let Me Run, Spanish Club, Yearbook Club,
Newspaper Club, Morning Muralist and Afternoon
Artists, and Technology Club.
We will continue our “HIP” character education
program this year. Our students continue to work
hard to be helpful, have integrity, and show pride
in their school. Our first celebration rewarding
positive behavior choices will be held this Friday.
I look forward to a year filled with excitement and
learning. Thank you in advance for your ongoing
support.
Terry C. Hall, Principal
News from your PTO
Dear Parents, Staff and Friends,
With the leaves turning and the sky so clear, it seems
as though our schedules are finally beginning to move
towards a much needed rhythm. After the hustle and
bustle of that first crazy month, with endless streams
of paperwork and filling out forms for what seemed
the hundredth time (!!!), I am glad to see the dust is
settling.
During Curriculum Night, due to the nature of our
fiscal year structure, I focused on our budget and
the fund-raising aspects of our PTO. We covered
the incredible success of the Tiger Fund which has
raised over $33,280 to date and how our children’s
elementary school experience would be so lacking if
we didn’t pull together as one….putting our money
and energy behind this school and therefore, helping
our teachers and administrators purchase the tools they
need to push our children to the potential they are truly
capable of….each and every day. We could not do it
without you and without each other!
”Pulling together as one.” The people power of
Davidson Elementary is infectious and humbling at the
same time. Our PTO is now 526 members strong. We
have hundreds of volunteers who have committed their
time to support our events. We have a virtual army
of parents who also help out in the classrooms, the
Media Center and sometimes, at the drop off a hat,
make copies, proctoring or trimming up the Eco Trail
paths if that is what is needed.
I have been fortunate enough to experience this power
of “pulling together as one” so often over the past few
weeks: whether it is opening an envelope to find that
Betty Carraway and each one of our tireless cafeteria
staff have filled out a membership form to join our
PTO; whether it is seeing, J.J., our school custodian,
stop his own work, pick up a shovel and with great
resolve go to help a few sweaty, frustrated parents
release a stubborn stump of growth from the teacher’s
garden they were clearing out; whether it is watching
a mother, balancing her preschooler on her hip, lean
over and pick up a crumpled straw wrapper off our
front side walk, which had innocently strayed from a
little one’s lunch box; whether it is admiring a teacher,
who, knowing a little boy is new to town, makes an
introduction to another parent so that they might find
their way more quickly to friendships found by joining
a local Cub Scouts pack.
This is indeed our power. It is what makes us, and
keeps us, unique and strong as a school. This is a
message I am so grateful that my three boys are
receiving day in and day out through the actions of
their teachers, their classmates and everyone who
makes up our DES family.
If you have an idea, an itch, a “what if” or a “way
to go!”, I hope you will not hesitate to call me or one
of our Board Members. Or come to our next “family
meeting”, the PTO Board meeting (the third Thursday
of every month at 6pm)! We can make wonderful
things happen and open great doors for
our children….pulling together as one!
Krista Riley, PTO President
PTO BOARD MEMBERS
Krista Riley, President
kristariley@bellsouth.net
Tammy Forthofer, Vice President
tforthofer@mi-connection.com
Kristen Coupal, VP Fund-raising
kmcoupal@hotmail.com
Gennine Davis, VP Fund-raising
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
Our PTO Mission
The Davidson Elementary School
PTO (DES PTO) is a volunteer-based
non-profit organization whose purpose
is to promote and support the
instructional focus of our teachers and
administrators and to advocate for
all of our children, through consistent
communication, parent and teacher
involvement and fund-raising activities.

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!
Kristie Land, Literacy Facilitator
Kristie Land is happy to
know that many of her
colleagues will reap the
benefits of her detailed
planning and extra effort
this past summer, ultimately
making their jobs a bit
easier! Beginning her
third year as Davidson
Elementary’s Academic Facilitator, Ms. Land
best describes herself as a “teacher coach.” She
quietly works behind-the-scenes setting grade-level
curriculum, developing schedules and training
teachers accordingly — in addition to anything else
she may be asked to do! Not much falls outside of
her role and she likens herself to an “extra set of
hands” for staff and parents alike, whenever a need
arises.
While many of us were enjoying the lazy days of
summer, Ms. Land spent much of her “vacation” time
planning new curriculum and developing schedules
for our wonderful teaching staff to ensure a smooth
and seamless transition into the new academic year.
Furthermore, she did it with a great attitude and with
a smile! It is this willingness to go above and beyond
(at any time) and her “extra degree” of effort that
have earned her many kudos and thanks from Mrs.
Hall, her fellow teachers and staff!
In addition to tackling literacy and math curriculum
development, Ms. Land will be facilitating science
and social studies curriculums this year — a
new challenge she accepts with enthusiasm. She
enjoys working with Davidson’s wonderful staff of
professionals and students but especially enjoys
the dynamic nature of her job which delivers new
experiences and challenges daily. Although not
regularly present in the classroom, her efforts impact
the lives of all Davidson students either directly
through curriculum or indirectly through her work
with teachers. So, next time you see Ms. Land in the
halls, be sure to thank her for her behind-the-scenes
efforts! When not roaming the halls of Davidson
Elementary, Ms. Land loves to travel and enjoys
spending time with her husband Patrick, daughter
Madison and dogs Boomer & Bubblegum!
Technology class tidbit
Every week grades 2-5 are coming to
Technology, and writing down one web
site that will help them with homework
or studying skills in the notes section of
their agendas. If you find a great website
please encourage your child to share it
in Technology class.
Patricia Spencer, Technology Specialist
“Technology-driven” is
a good way to describe
Patricia Spencer.
Recognizing that
technology permeates our
lives daily, Ms. Spencer
has spent the last four
years working with staff,
students and the PTO to
build a solid IT foundation at Davidson Elementary.
By working together, Ms. Spencer is confident
that Davidson Elementary will continue to grow
its IT base and continue to provide a “quality” IT
experience for all staff and students.
Ms. Spencer believes that quality comes with a
program that reaches out and networks with many
different departments and organizations, which is
why she has taken the lead on working with CMS,
the PTO, independent vendors and other CMS
schools to network all of the areas we need to excel
in the field of Technology. However, achieving
“excellence” sometimes requires the forfeit of welldeserved
vacation time, which is exactly what Ms.
Spencer did this past summer. Working closely with
CMS Tech, Ms. Spencer spent much of her summer
managing the installation and configuration of
new computers in each classroom ensuring that
all were operational and ready to “go” on day
one. In conjunction, she was busy managing
Davidson’s MMIS inventory and teaching an
employee at another school the inventory system.
Her persistence, constant willingness to help and
dedication this past summer earned her a second
212 award nomination! Wow…way to go Ms.
Spencer!
Although Ms. Spencer has many responsibilities,
her favorite by far is working with the students
(which is a good thing since she has the privilege
of working with every Davidson Elementary
student!). She especially appreciates their
eagerness to learn and the smiles that greet
her each day. When asked about her biggest
challenges with the program, she chuckles when
citing “flu season” and “keyboard cleanliness”
as major culprits! Even with a very full schedule
of teaching and general IT maintenance/
management, Ms. Spencer manages to carve
out extra time to chair or participate in many of
Davidson Elementary’s clubs and organizations.
So, next time you are near the computer lab,
please be sure to say hello and thank her for
her many efforts to keep Davidson Elementary
technically competitive in our highly technical
and ever-changing world! In her spare time,
Ms. Spencer especially enjoys boating and
spending time with her husband and two
children.
Linda DeSutter, EC Teacher
Exceptional Children
(EC) require exceptional
teachers, and
“exceptional” is a word
that both Davidson
Elementary staff and
students would use to
describe Linda DeSutter,
one of Davidson’s three
lead EC teachers. Exceptional because she is willing
to go above and beyond, quite frequently, to ensure
that each Exceptional Child feels safe, secure and
welcome. And, sometimes that means working
throughout the summer to accomplish such goals…
which is exactly what Ms. DeSutter did! But, she
didn’t mind at all and boasts how grateful she is to
be at Davidson Elementary and how fortunate she is
to have spent the past seven years in such a warm,
encouraging and inclusive environment.
Ms. DeSutter received her “calling” to work with
special needs children long before she became
a teacher. Inspired by her parents, who are
both disabled, she earned her degree in Special
Education. Feeling compelled to help others facing
similar challenges as her parents, she embraced
a teaching opportunity that allowed her to help
others do the same. After listening to Ms. DeSutter,
it is apparent how important her students are to her
and how important the EC program is to Davidson
Elementary. Thus, it came as no surprise that she
jumped at the opportunity to help Mrs. Hall fill open
EC teacher spots this summer. Her knowledge of the
EC curriculum and environment proved invaluable
to Mrs. Hall throughout the interview and placement
process. Understanding the specific needs of her
kids, Ms. DeSutter worked tirelessly to ensure that
each of Davidson Elementary’s self-contained
classrooms was properly staffed, organized and
ready for children to start on day one. And, thanks
to Ms. DeSutter’s efforts…they did just that!
Ms. DeSutter is excited for the future of the EC
program and for her many children. She is thrilled
that CMS has recognized a growing need and has
committed to 50 self-contained classrooms even
in the midst of recent budget cuts. She claims that
one of her greatest joys is watching her kids grow
and witnessing their progress over time. In her
free time, Ms. DeSutter can be found enjoying the
many activities that Lake Norman has to offer with
her husband, Steve and her two
daughters, Kady and Sarah.

October 2010
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Register for fall programs with
the Town of Davidson Parks and
Recreation at www.d-Recs.org
or call 704/892-3349.
Lobby Guard
9-10:30; 11:30-1; 3-3:30
Lobby Guard
9-10:30; 11:30-1; 3-3:30
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Latta visits
kindergarten
Latta visits
kindergarten
Have you linked
your vic card yet?
Tigers on the
prowl
kickoff
Lobby Guard
9-10:30; 11:30-1; 3-3:30
8am-noon
8am-noon
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
slt meeting
4 – 5pm
media center
“Celebrate the Market”
Community Picnic 12:30
8am-noon
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
PTO meeting
6 – 7:30pm
media center
last day to turn in
your box tops
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Fall pictures
Latta visits
5th grade
Latta visits
5th grade
NO SCHOOL
Teacher Workday
Parent Conferences
Downtown Halloween
Trick or Treat March
Line-up Begins at 4:45pm
8am-noon
8am-noon
Don’t be left out of
the DES directory!
If you haven‘t done so already, we invite
you to join the more than 550 parents,
teachers, and staff who have become
members of the Davidson Elementary PTO.
Your membership fee of $5 per adult helps
provide initial operating funds for our PTO.
Each paid member will receive a FREE
Davidson Elementary School Directory. Your
check (made payable to DES PTO) and a
completed copy of the 2010 DES Student
Directory form should be sent to your oldest
child’s teacher. Forms are located at http://
pages.cms.k12.nc.us/gems/davidsonpta/
2010DESStudentDirectory.
Hurry, the Directory is closing soon!
Looking ahead...
11/9 Boosterthon Pep Rally
11/9 – 19 Boosterthon Pledge Drive
11/11 Veterans Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
11/17 Staff Appreciation
SLT Monthly Meeting – 4pm Media Center
11/18 PTO Monthly Meeting – 6pm Media Center
11/19 Boosterthon Fun Run Event Day
11/23 Fall Photos Retaken
11/24 – 26 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
Easy money for DES!
ATTENTION BOX TOP COLLECTORS: Collect Box
Tops and turn them in on October 15th. It’s fun and easy to collect them.
Last year we raised over $2,500!

More NEWS YOU CAN USE
Environmental Education Programs with Latta Plantation
Davidson Elementary is fortunate to have a partnership with Latta Plantation’s
Nature Center sponsored by our PTO. Unique in the CMS school system, our
children receive science enrichment lessons taught by a trained Latta Plantation
Environmental Educational Instructor. Below is a sample of the
curriculum.
Kindergarten — Tall Trees, Little Leaves: Students
will have “tree-mendous” fun on the Davidson Elementary
Eco Trail as they examine the parts of a tree and
investigate the lives of these magnificent giants.
1st Grade — Radical Reptiles: Reptile friends from
the nature center will be introduced and students will learn what makes a reptile unique.
2nd Grade — Fairy House Habitats: Students learn about these small shelters in a
hands-on, imaginative program.
3rd Grade — A Visit from the FBI: Students become official “FBI” Investigators during this
program as they search a “crime scene” for clues about the mysterious causes of the breakdown
of living things in nature.
4th Grade — Rockin’ Out: Rocks are the basis of our planet. In this program, students will
become junior geologists as they conduct hands-on investigations into the physical properties of
rocks and minerals.
5th Grade — Web of Life: 5th graders will investigate the many ways plants and animals
are connected to each other and how all organisms work together to form an interdependent
ecosystem.
If you are interested in volunteering for these upcoming lessons, please contact: Amy Feira,
amylevalley@yahoo.com.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Kickoff!!
The countdown is officially on! We will be kicking off our very successful Tigers on the Prowl
(TOTP) program Thursday, October, 7th. We hope you will be able to walk or run a few laps
with your child during this popular event. We always have lots of “local heroes” (parents, police,
firefighters, Davidson College athletes/coaches,
community leaders, etc.) join us to help model the
joy of being physically active. You can find your
child’s class time for the kickoff on the DES website
or check their Thursday folder. We’d like to
extend a big thank you to Artisan Custom Homes,
Cashion’s, Mary Lib Richards, Julie Lopez and
McIntosh Law Firm for sponsoring the program
this year. We hope you can join your child for this
exciting event!!!
Open for business!
The school store is now open on
Wednesdays for grades K-2 and Fridays
for grades 3-5, from 8:45 - 9:10am.
Items for sale include pencils, pens,
paper, pencil sharpeners and pouches,
sketchbooks, erasers, highlighters and
rulers. Most items are priced from $.25 to
$2; sketchbooks are $8. Please remember
to send your student with small bills and
change...please no pennies (or as few as
possible!). If you would like to volunteer
to help with the store, please contact
Catherine Bragg at catherinebragg@
bellsouth.net.
des café is open!!!
The sun is out, the air is crisp, it’s a perfect
time to meet your little ones for lunch in
the DES Café! Remember to check in first
at the Front Lobby before proceeding to
the cafeteria to meet your child. Space is
limited so no strollers please! Bon appétit!
Ms. Kleinfelder’s Kindergartners enjoy “plein air” dining.
Clubs and
organizations
DES offers a multitude of clubs and
organizations that provides something for
almost every older student who wants to find
an outlet for their talents and interests. Some
of these are noted below. To learn more,
see the PTO tab on the DES website.
Student Council (2nd-5th): Emphasizes
community service and school spirit.
Girls on the Run (3rd-5th): Trains for
non-competitive 5K running events while
enhancing self-respect and healthy living.
Honors Chorus (3rd-5th): Performs at
events such as Christmas in Davidson, PTO
meetings and a year-end concert.
Odyssey of the Mind (3rd-5th):
Challenges teams to creatively solve problems
in local, state and world competitions.
Word Masters (3rd-5th): Encourages
growth in vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
Math Olympiad (4th, 5th): Grows
math problem solving skills through in-class
instruction and contests.
Safety Patrol (4th, 5th): Works to
monitor safe movement throughout the
building and are the “friendly faces” others
can go to when in need.
Tiger Times (4th, 5th): Reports news and
writes articles to entertain and inform their
fellow students.
Turning Tigers (4th, 5th): Entertains at
parades and halftime shows with jump rope
routines.
Community Service Club (5th): Uses
their time and talents to serve the school and
community.
Morning News Crew (5th): Produces
and broadcasts DES’s morning news show.
Look for more information in next month’s
newsletter about these and other exciting
clubs: Chess Club, Drama Club, Let Me
Run, Morning Muralists/Afternoon Artists,
Spanish Club, Technology Club and
Yearbook Club.
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 — October 6 - 8, 9am-10:30am,
11:30am-1pm and 3-3:30pm.