PSE 101
A Guide to PSE by Parents for Parents
MORNING CARPOOL
• Remember your child has to get to school in time to
walk to class, put their things away and be in their
seat before the bell rings (and maybe eat breakfast).
• At the entrance to the school, take turns letting cars
in coming from both directions.
• The center lane is for buses only.
• Don’t block the thruway.
Hint: Carpool can be very crowded on rainy days and
the day after a long weekend or holiday.
AFTERNOON
CARPOOL
• Some people pick up every day, but you can pick your child
up from carpool anytime. Just write your teacher a note
that day.
• Be patient and accommodate parents and staff leaving the
school while lined up for carpool.
• Don’t block thruway openings.
• Remember, we are a green school. Please turn your vehicle
off when you can.
Hint: If you are leaving the school at the end of the day, try to
leave before the bell rings, it can be difficult to get out once
carpool has begun.
PSE
TRAFFIC PLAN
Use this traffic pattern
when dropping off or
picking up at PSE for the
following:
• Morning Carpool
• Afternoon Carpool
• Afterschool Activities
(jump rope team, chess
club, Girls on the Run,
etc.)
GETTING YOU IN AND OUT
• PSE is a busy place, with many volunteers and visitors
each day! Everyone must first visit the office upon
arriving on campus and everyone (including students
and teachers) must be wearing a name badge.
• Push the button by the door to gain entry.
• Have your license with you and follow the instructions
on the computer to print a visitor badge.
• You must also check out in the office before you leave.
Hint: If you forget to stop in the office, you will be chased
down and reminded!
OOPS… THEY MIGHT
NEED THIS!
• Eventually your child will leave something at
home that they will need at school that day.
• Take it to the main office, they will deliver it to
your child’s classroom.
• Get it there as early as you can, it might take a
little while for a volunteer to get it to them.
Hint: Put a sticky note on the item with your
child’s name, teacher and grade!
SNACK TIME!
• The school sees this as an important part of your child’s
day: refueling is essential for elementary age students.
Not all schools allow snacks.
• Pack foods that give your child the best nutrition for
being in the classroom and learning until they get
home or get to lunch.
• Snack and water bottle should be packed separate
from lunch.
Hint: Snack time is also work time, students read, listen to
a book or catch up on work.
LUNCH TIME! EATING AT SCHOOL
• If your child eats at school, print out the school lunch menu
for the month and let your child know what their choices
are for that day. Look for a link in the Rocket Review at the
beginning of the month.
• In order for their lunch to cost only $2.75, they MUST take a
main item, one fruit, one veggie (can take two) and a milk.
• Any other combination of items is considered a la carte,
they are priced separately and it is more expensive.
• PayPams is a wonderful parent tool, plus it follows your
child on through other CMS schools.
• Kindergarteners can only have dessert on Fridays. Several
families continue that rule past kindergarten.
Hint: You can see specific items your child has
purchased for lunch on the PayPams website.
LUNCH TIME!
PACKING LUNCHES
• Students are only in the cafeteria for 25
minutes.
• Students need to be independent during
lunch and able to open as many items as
possible.
• We are a green school, please try to
include reusable containers; less paper
and plastic.
• Lunch 101 Demo
Hint: Later in the year when your children get tired of the
same lunch items from home, jump on the internet to find
new creative ideas that kids love!
LUNCH TIME
FOR YOU AT PSE
• You are welcome to come eat lunch with your
child at PSE. Bring your lunch from home or
purchase lunch from the cafeteria and pay with
your child’s PayPams account.
• Class lunch schedules are posted on our website.
• Follow normal procedures for checking in at the
office then go to the cafeteria to meet your child.
• No outside food is allowed.
Hint: Adults can purchase tea from the cafeteria to
have with your lunch for $1.00.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
AT SCHOOL
• Order dessert from the cafeteria by filling out the form
found in the office and downloadable on our website under
“School Areas” then “Rocket Cafe” click on “Celebrate Your
Birthday With Us”. Send the form in with your child or turn
it in to the office.
• Come to school to eat with them. Older kids can go around
passing out their birthday treat to friends in their class.
• You can also sign up to paint the rock in front of the school
for their birthday. The cost is $10 and it is first come, first
serve. The sign up notebook is in the office.
Hint: If your child’s birthday is over the summer, celebrate at
school on the same day of a different month or celebrate their
half birthday.
CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS
• Each class is only allowed to have 4 parent volunteers
during the celebration. Please do not put your teacher in
an uncomfortable situation and show up for the
celebration.
• Volunteering for a class celebration is fun, but you will be
very busy the whole time, setting up then typically being at
a station.
• PSE has a strict no candy policy for the entire school
including lunches, snacks, classrooms, “treasure boxes” and
celebrations. Please do not send candy to school for any
reason including attached to Valentine cards.
Hint: If you have already worked one celebration, step back
and let other parents have a turn unless no other parents are
available and they need you.
LOST SOMETHING?
• PSE has a Lost and Found located in the gym.
Your child can go check it during the day or you
can check it when you are on campus.
• LABEL EVERYTHING!! Lunchboxes, water bottles,
coats, hats etc.
• If something is lost, first we look for a name on
the item so it can be returned, if there is no name
it gets put in Lost and Found.
Hint: Order personalized labels online
that can easily be ironed into clothing
items.
NOTES TO TEACHERS
• There are several occasions when you will need to send
a note to your child’s teacher. If they need to know the
information, don’t rely on email, they may not check it
in time.
• Examples: A change in afternoon transportation or if
your child is being picked up during the day for an
appointment.
• Always be sure to put the date on your note and sign it.
Hint: Order or print your own personalized
note pad to use when writing notes to your
teacher. Www.vistaprint.com is a good
source for cheap printing.
PSE ACRONYMS
AND LANGUAGE
TD – Talent Development
TA – Teacher’s Assistant
EC – Exceptional Children
ESL – English as a Second
Language
ASEP – After School
Enrichment Program
DOL – Daily Oral Language
AR – Accelerated Reader
RR – Rocket Review
• Rocket Café – Cafeteria
• Multipurpose Room – Gym
• Learning Village/Learning
Cottages – Outdoor
Classrooms
• Blacktop – Bus Lot
• Track – the whole area down
by the track
• Language of Civility – Using
good manners when speaking
to others
• Lobby Guard – Security System
at PSE
WHAT IS PAIDEIA?
Paideia comes from the ancient Greek word for “the upbringing of a
child.” Today, Paideia schools continue the classical ideal of an
education that fosters critical and creative thinking skills, to prepare
students to lead full lives as citizens of a democracy.
• You will hear “Paideia” often at PSE. There are so many facets to
this impressive program, it is important to learn what it all means
by visiting www.paideia.org.
• Active Learning – Rather than just making students memorize
information and recall it on tests, Paideia schools actively engage
students by teaching them to think.
• Seminar – Teaching through open-ended questions which facilitates
a collaborative, intellectual dialog about a text.
Hint: PSE is a National Paideia School. This
sets us apart from other schools and it is one of
the many reasons why we are so successful.
Be very proud of this!
EVENTS &
HAPPENINGS
• *Challenge Run (Fall and Spring) – Students are challenged to run
as many laps around the track as they can in the amount of time
allotted for their grade level. This is not a competition among
students, everyone does their personal best. Kids have water and
popsicles after, parents and siblings are invited.
• Book Fairs (Fall and Spring) – School fundraiser where several
books and other items are sold in the media center. Parents and
siblings are invited to come shop with their student’s class.
• Fall Family Night Dinner – Held in conjunction with the Fall Book
Fair, all PSE families are invited to come have dinner at PSE (pizza)
and shop at the Book Fair.
• Spring Ice Cream Social – Held in conjunction with the Spring Book
Fair, all PSE families are invited to come have ice cream, watch the
jump rope team and the percussion group perform plus, shop the
Book Fair.
MORE EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
• Rocket Art – Fall fundraiser featuring student artwork transferred onto
various gift items (key chains, pillowcases, notecards, necklaces etc.).
• Rocket Raffle – School wide fundraiser featuring creative items or
experiences from each person on staff at PSE. Raffle tickets are sold
for each item/experience, winners are chosen at random and
announced at the end. This is a popular PSE tradition with both
students and parents!
• *Gallery Walk – This special spring evening fundraiser, held at PSE
includes all PSE students. We invite families to purchase their budding
PSE artists' masterpieces with all proceeds supporting the art, music
and PE programs and PSE.
• Kid’s Night Out (KNO) – Evening fundraiser
at PSE in the winter with movies and
popcorn . Parents drop their PSE student
off to watch a movie and eat popcorn with
their friends. Grade levels are grouped
together and age appropriate movies are
shown.
EVEN MORE EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
• Reflections - Annual NC PTA student art competition open to all
students. This year’s theme is, “The world would be a better place if…”
and the art categories are: dance choreography, film production,
literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Entry into
this competition is voluntary.
• Spring Carnival – This free Saturday morning event held on our track
includes games, bounce houses, a bungee jump and food plus the very
popular Teacher Pet Parade. All PSE families are welcome.
• Field Day – Each grade level spends a school day at the YMCA Hemby
Rec. Center participating in outdoor games and activities.
• *Celebration of Nations – This popular
school wide event takes place on the
blacktop and is the culmination of each
class’ yearlong study of a specific
country. Classes parade in costume and
do a dance from their country. All PSE
families are invited.
STILL MORE EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
• Dinner Nights – Area restaurants host a night when they donate a
portion of your meal cost back to our school. Be sure to tell them
you are with PSE! Check the Rocket Review for dates and
restaurants.
• Spirit Week – Students are allowed to show their school spirit by
wearing a designated item each day. For example: your favorite
team jersey or shirt, a certain color (based on your grade), pajamas,
and on Friday everyone wears PSE shirts and colors.
• Staff Appreciation Week – A week of honoring
our staff with something each day. Parents are
asked to help resupply the classroom one day
(wipes, tissues, etc.) and to send in flowers on
Friday. Your Room Parent will coordinate this.
SIBILINGS ARE A PART OF PSE TOO!
There are many occasions when we welcome pre-school siblings at PSE. However,
they are never allowed in the classrooms for any reason. Plan on bringing anyone
in your family to the following PSE events:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Celebration of Nations
Spring Carnival
Gallery Walk
Book Fair
Ice Cream Social
Family Night Dinner
Challenge Run
Lunch Daily
If you are not sure if you can bring a younger sibling to an event, meeting, etc.
always ask. A quick call to the office or an email to a teacher is wiser than just
bringing a sibling and hoping it is ok. If it is not, you will be asked to leave.
Hint: The more exposure kids have to PSE before they come here, the more
comfortable they are when they arrive. Take advantage of the opportunities
available to bring siblings.
FUN STUFF AT SCHOOL!
School Store – You can send in money with your student to make purchases at the
School Store. Open each week Tuesday through Friday from 7:25 - 7:55 am located in
front of the cafeteria.
Cafeteria Concerts – Held three times a year during lunch, students can sign up to
perform (mostly singing and playing an instrument). Watch the Rocket Review for
dates and sign up info.
Art Appreciation – Art lesson and activity taught once a month in each classroom by a
parent volunteer.
Character Education – Lesson and activity taught one a month in each classroom by a
parent volunteer. CMS focuses on a different trait each month including respect,
responsibility, honesty, caring, justice and fairness, citizenship, courage, perseverance
and hope.
Specials – Every day classes attend a special. They rotate through art, computers,
media, music and PE (note that they are in alphabetical order).
Casual Fridays - Teachers are allowed to dress casually and many students wear their
PSE shirts or colors.
Hint: Put a calendar up and write what special they have each day. Remind
them to take library books on media days and wear sneakers on PE days.
INFORMATION IS EMPOWERING
The best way to feel empowered is to
stay informed throughout the year.
• Read the Parent Handbook posted on the PSE website.
• Read the Rocket Review. It comes out every other week.
• Read all emails from teachers and from the school. *Be
sure to sign up to receive school emails through the PSE
Listserv link on the PSE website.
• Become familiar with the PSE website and check it often
for updates.
• Check your grade level and teacher wiki page often.
Hint: Have your student show you all of the safe, educational
websites they can go to from the PSE page. Also, become
familiar with the website, www.commonsensemedia.org.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
1. PTA Volunteer Opportunities Handout
2. School Volunteer Opportunities:
– Planning Days – One day per month when teachers from
each grade level meet to plan or have in-service
instruction. Parents sign up with the teacher to teach their
student’s class for the full day or half of the day.
– Junior Achievement – One week of lessons through the JA
programs that are grade specific.
– Grade Level Specific – Each grade level has various
opportunities to help in the classroom.
Hint: Volunteer in the classroom
while they are young, there are
fewer opportunities as they get
older.
FEELING OVERWHELMED?
PSE Parent
Ambassadors to the
RESCUE!!
Sign up today or contact
Elizabeth Campbell at
ecampbell26@carolina.rr.com to be
matched with a PSE Parent Ambassador
who will answer your questions and help
you all year!