School Newsletter: Week of January 30 - February 3, 2023

Important Dates:

✔️February 8th: 6-8 Ski Trip

✔️February 9th: 1/2 Day Teacher Workday Dismissal times: K-3 11:00am, 4-6 11:15 am, 7/8 11:30am

✔️February 10th: Teacher Workday

✔️February 13th: Board Meeting 5:30pm at Elementary School  DCC

✔️February 14th: Wear red or pink!

RAP (Renaissance Association of Parents) Corner:

Volunteers are need to help on Fridays to do ice cream orders for each class.  

If you are interested in volunteering please contact RAP at [email protected]

New Attendance Form:

Please see email from Mrs. McMiller.

Please see the new attendance form under the parent resources tab of the school's website: https://www.arsnc.org/parents

Reminders:

✔️ Please do not send pop/soda, energy drinks, or anything in a can to school with your student for breakfast or lunch. 

✔️ K- 8 Uniform Policy: (Per ARS Student Handbook)

ARS has a Board approved student uniform policy. If a student is not wearing appropriate school attire, administrative staff will either allow the student to select uniform clothing from the school clothes closet or call parents and ask them to bring the appropriate clothing for their child to school as soon as possible. 

All uniform and non-uniform clothing should be in good condition and free of any rips, frays, and/or holes. A patch under a rip or hole is not acceptable. 

Tops: 

Any t-shirt, polo shirt, long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt with an ARS logo or emblem created by ARS uniform companies and/or sold by ARS. Students are not allowed to wear sports jerseys (including those jerseys, and t-shirts associated with the local recreational teams) except on the designated special dress days. Strapless tops, spaghetti straps, tank tops, and shirts revealing the mid-drift or shirts/sweatshirts that are long enough to cover the students bottoms are not permitted. Shirts must be free of obscene images, words or drug/alcohol/tobacco branding, or paraphernalia.

Bottoms:

Any khaki material pants/slacks, shorts, skirts, capris, cargo pants, or skorts in the colors tan, navy.  Black bottoms will only be permitted for this school year but will phase out and no longer be permitted during the 2023-2024 school year. Skirts, skorts, and shorts have to be mid-way between the top of the thigh and the top of the knee. Leggings or tights may be worn under skirts, shorts, or skorts. No jeans, denim, leggings, yoga pants, pajama pants, fishnet stockings, or joggers should be worn as uniform bottoms. 

Jackets/Outerwear: 

Approved ARS jackets and sweatshirts can be worn in the building. Hoods of jackets/sweatshirts may not be worn inside the school building. Any non-ARS jacket or sweatshirt should be stored in a book bag, cubby, or locker. 

Shoes: 

Tennis shoes are required K-8 on days students have PE.

Headwear:

Bandanas, stocking caps, toboggans, beanies, scarves, baseball caps/hats, and other headgear are not permissible unless a special dress day is designated or approved by the principal for a religious purpose. Headbands can be no wider than 3 inches. 

Non-Uniform Days: 

On days students are permitted to dress out of uniform, it is expected that all clothing is school appropriate and follow all guidelines outlined above. Leggings and yoga pants may be worn with long tops reaching at least 1 inch below the inseam of the pants.  Pajama pants, fishnet stockings, and pants with excessive holes or rip should not be worn.

✔️ K- 8 Cell Phone Policy: (Per ARS Student Handbook)

While in school or involved in school-related activities (before/after school, field trips, etc), students may not use their cell phones for any reason including but not limited to, making phone calls, sending or receiving texts, visiting social media sites, or taking pictures or videos. Cell phones carried to school should be put into the student’s locker or book bag from 7:30 am until they are dismissed and outside of the building. Caution should be used during dismissal if a student is trying to contact their ride or walk across the street to their car. 

If a student is using their cell phone without permission, the teacher or staff member will ask for the cell phone and a parent/guardian will be contacted to pick it up from the front office by the end of the day. 

Teachers may allow cell phones in certain cases and in certain school trips but that will be shared as necessary.

Needs:

✔️ Kleenex
✔️ White Card Stock
✔️ White Copy Paper

Backpack Program Needs:

✔️ Individual snacks

✔️  Mini bottle waters

✔️  Granola bars 

✔️  Apple sauce

✔️  Fruit snacks

**We are providing snacks to several kids daily along with weekend bags. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Congratulations Red Ticket Winners!

Lucy Johnson

Eleanor Batz

Landon Shinn

Ryder Hedrick

Nora Widener

Malachi Murdock

Ella Hager

Logan Fleischaker

Jovi Dulin

Keyla Contreras-Jaimes

Hadleigh McNabb

Shane Stevenson

Shia Thao

Val Dominguez

Merritt Tuck

Jaxon Sarno

Sofia Martinez

Lilly Elkins

Tila Stokes-Siplin

Ryder Smith

Harley Clodfelter

Maggie Montgomery

Kenzlie Madant

Brandon Doby

Roy Medina Lobo

Raelynn Head

Max Kofke

Sadie Fortune

Great Opportunities for ARS Students:

Theatre Statesville Presents Disney Aladdin Jr

Welcome to Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tail! Aladdin and his three friends, Babkak, Omar, and Kassim, are down on their luck until Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and the Genie who has the power to grant three wishes. Wanting to earn the respect of the princess, Jasmine, Aladdin embarks on an adventure that will test his will and his moral character. With expanded characters, new songs, and more thrills, this new adaptation of the beloved story will open up "a whole new world" for your young performers!

Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, audiences' spirits will soar with excitement over magic, mayhem, flying carpet rides, and songs from the Academy Award-winning score. 

SHOW DATES:

April 20th, 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th, & 29th at 7:30p

April 22nd & 29t at 2p

SHOW LOCATION:

Cornerstone Christian Academy at 650 Glover Street, Statesville, NC

FREE online Cooking Matters At Home Classes

A new series of FREE, online Cooking Matters at Home classes begin soon in NC

Find out more: FREE online Cooking Matters At Home Classes

Volleyball Sheriff's League Sign-ups

Registration for the 2023 Iredell County Sheriff's Athletic League will OPEN on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 08:00am and remain open until Friday, February 10, 2023, at 05:00pm.

ANY child living in Iredell County between the ages of 9 and 15 is eligible to participate in the league.

The Iredell County Sheriff's Athletic League (ICSAL) focuses on providing Iredell County youth with competitive activities which teach athletic techniques. We place a high priority on anti-gang and drug education during every practice. We want to provide quality coaching, fundamental skills building, and a competitive environment while giving our youth life tools that will help them grow into productive members of our community as they grow older.

The games will be played at Statesville High School, located at 474 North Center Street in Statesville.

THE ICSAL warmly welcomes the participation of adults who would like to volunteer as a Coach. Adults can complete the same form provided for players and mark it as Adult or Coach.

A Coaches Meeting will occur before practices, beginning on Monday, February 27, 2023. The meeting will be held at Iredell County Sheriff's Office located at 231 Constitution Lane in Statesville.

PRACTICES will begin on Monday, March 6, 2023.

Games have already been scheduled for 2023 on the following SATURDAYS: April 8, April 15, April 22, April 29, May 6, and May 13.

FINAL TOURNAMENT will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

To register your athlete, go to www.iredellsheriff.com. Click on "How Do I'. A blue box will appear, move the cursor to the lower right-hand side, click "Sheriff's Athletic League" and complete the Registration Form and the Medical Release Form. Once you complete and submit the forms, you will receive a confirmation email. IF you do not receive an email, the registration did not go through.

REGISTRATION IS FREE.

If you have any questions, please call the Iredell County Sheriff's Office at 704-878-3180 or email [email protected].

Who's Who:

Mr. Jim Duffey: Executive Director K-8

Mrs. Danielle Cusick: Elementary School Principal K-3

Ms. Amanda DiGangi: Assistant Principal & Curriculum Director K-8

Mrs. Tai McMiller: School Counselor K-8

Dr. Maria Rector: Exceptional Children Director K-8

Mrs. Sandy Durham: Administrative Associate ES 

Mrs. Brianna Massey: Administrative Associate MS

Mrs. Emily Greene: Administrative Associate IS

Mrs. Anita Waugh: Administrative Associate/HR K-8

Mrs. Kathy Shipman: Student Data Manager

Mrs. Kelli Houston: School Nurse

Mr. Doug Griffith: Technology Director K-8

Ms. Tina Farewell: Before and After School Director  K-8

Mr. Dereck Baker: Athletic Director grades 6-8

RAP (parent volunteer organization): [email protected]

Care Values:

Thank you to all our students who are following our Core Values of ARS IS EVERY day!

A for Academic Excellence,

R for Respect,

S for Safety,

I for Integrity,

S for Support.

Academic Excellence: Do your best 100% of the time.

Respect: Respect yourself, peers, staff, school, and community.

Safety: Keep yourself and others physically and emotionally safe.

Integrity: Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Support: Find ways to help support your peers, school, and the local community.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to ensure a standard of academic excellence by providing a nurturing environment that allows each child to reach their fullest potential as students and citizens.