Question of the Week

Parents,
One of the ongoing activities we do on hall is our question of the week.  Each week, we post a question on the bulletin board and give everyone on hall (and sometimes those from off hall) a chance to answer, then we share all the answers at hall meeting.  People are allowed to answer anonymously if they choose.  This week, as we wrap up the trimester, we would like to take an opportunity to share this tradition with you.  So here is our parent question of the week (the students answered this one a few weeks back, and I think it was one of the most interesting):
Why were you given your name?
You are welcome to include a story about who you were named after, what your name means, who chose your name, why you were given your middle name or a nickname, or anything else that relates.  We interpret our question broadly.  I hope you all enjoy answering as much as the students do.  If I get enough responses here, I may share then with the girls at hall meeting one week.

State Fair Trip

We had a great time on our trip to the NC State Fair!  I would like to give a big shout out to Mr. Rash for driving the bus so we could all go in one trip.  Thanks Mr. Rash!  You are the best!  Below are some of our pictures (yes, Julia did win a giant banana and there was a camel that you could feed and pet).  I am very disappointed that there are no pictures of food....

 Scott won 3rd place for his samurai cross stitch picture! So proud!

 There is a person in that tree...

 The aftermath-they were all so sleepy!

Study Break Sign-Ups Updated

Hey All,

I am re-posting this updated list of study breaks so that everyone can find it more easily and see what is still available.  Thank you again for being so generous and signing up for so many of these dates. We have had a wonderful variety of snack, and the girls look forward to seeing what we will have each week.  If you want to sign up for an empty spot, please just leave a comment or email me and I will edit the list to reflect new sign ups.
Thanks again!

October 23rd - Doug and Debbie Blew
1st Tri Exam Dinner: October 29th - Linda Reed
1st Tri Exam Dinner: October 30th - Tracy Cornell
November 6th - Tamara Vallery
November 13th - Penny Smith
November 27th - Marilou Wheeler
December 4th - Lee Smith
December 11th - Rose Ann Ruggiero
January 8th - Kevin and Kamilla Smith
January 15th - Elise Hoffman
January 22nd - Holly Dimig
January 29th -
February 5th -
2nd Tri Exam Dinner: February 7th - Collyn Gaffney
2nd Tri Exam Dinner: February 11th -
March 5th - Doug and Debbie Blew
March 12th - Penny Smith
March 19th - Tracy Cornell
March 26th -
April 9th -
April 16th -
April 23rd -
April 30th - Theany Chhak
May 7th -
May 14th -
3rd Tri Exam Dinner: May 20th -
3rd Tri Exam Dinner: May 21st -

Hall Olympics

Last week before extended, all of campus participated in the Hall Olympics including events like "Doughnut on a String", a pentathlon relay, tug of war, dodgeball, and a trivia contest.  We had events roughly twice a day and the students signed up to participate where they were interested.
Though 3rd Bryan was not the overall winner, I am proud to say that we took first place in the "Doughnut on a String" eating contest (Go Annie!), placed third in tug of war, and tied for second in the pentathlon relay.  What was most impressive to me however is the fact that 3rd Bryan had 82% participation.  I am so proud that everyone made the effort to go out and be a part of the events, and I will be doing something special to celebrate those who participated.
Enjoy the pictures below of Annie with her first place prize (the stuffed unicorn is much classier than those silly medals), and of Marcy and Alex participating in the "Soaking and Sharing" event.

October Hall Calendar

Below is the copy of the hall calendar for October!

State Fair

Parents,
I wanted to let you all know that we will be taking a hall trip to the NC State Fair on October 20th, leaving NCSSM about 10am and returning to campus by 6pm.  For those of you who have never been to the fair, there are a ton of educational exhibits, arts and craft, and fun rides and food for the students to enjoy.  Though you certainly can spend plenty of money at the fair, you can also enjoy many of the exhibits for free.

Though the hall is unable to pay for the whole cost of admission for every student, we are asking that they pay $5 and the hall will cover the rest of the cost.  This is a couple dollars lower than the normal admission price, and we hope this little bit will help more students be able to attend.  Aside from admission, students are responsible for paying for any food, ride tickets or souvenirs they want (students can buy discounted sheets of ride tickets in advance if they are interested by going to Northgate Mall or ordering online).

We are asking that students sign up this week by giving their $5 to one of the RLAs on hall before Friday at noon.  Anyone who signs up by Friday at noon will be guaranteed a spot and a ticket for our trip.  If students decide after Friday that they want to attend, we will take people on a first come, first served basis, and they will be responsible for buying their own admission ticket.

For more information about the fair, please visit their website at http://www.ncstatefair.org/2012/index.htm.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Josten's Packets

Parents,

Below is an email that was sent to all students regarding the Josten's packets that everyone received to bring home with them this extended weekend.  Hopefully this will give you all the information you need, but if you have other questions, please feel free to contact me or Belinda Cagle (whose contact information is at the bottom of the email below).

This week you will receive a Jostens order package from your SLI to take home with you over the September 28-October 1 extended break.  This will be an opportunity for you and your parents to jointly review the order information and decide on the Jostens items that you plan to purchase.  Please be sure to hold on to your package since there are no extras.

JUNIORS:  The Jostens package that you will receive is for your class ring.  There is no requirement that you purchase a class ring during your junior year, however, many students do.  The order package includes ring design information and an order form with required $50 or $80 deposit information.  In order to insure the delivery of class rings to you before your departure for the winter break, representatives from Jostens will be on campus in the student commons area near the cafeteria 5:30-7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 3 to collect your class ring order.

SENIORS:  The Jostens package that you will receive is for graduation products and class ring order information.  When making your graduation product selections, keep in mind that NCSSM only requires graduates to wear cap, tassel (not the souvenir tassel), gown, honor cord, and a special medallion which is provided by the school.  Any other items that you choose to purchase to commemorate this special occasion are optional and at you and your parents’ discretion.  A deposit of $60 is required at the time your order is placed, unless you are only purchasing a cap and gown unit.  Representatives from Jostens will be on campus in the student commons area near the cafeteria 5:30-7:00 PM on Thursday, October 4 to collect your graduation products and class ring orders.

A make-up date for ring and graduation product orders is scheduled for 5:30-7:00 PM on Thursday, October 11 in the student commons area near the cafeteria.  If you have a schedule conflict on all of the dates that Jostens will be on campus to collect orders, please let me know so that I can facilitate getting your order placed.

If you or your parents have questions, please contact me at cagle@ncssm.edu or 919.416.2960.