Announcements

Let’s start with a Covid update.  It’s no secret that Covid cases all around us are up.  But we also are seeing our typical seasonal illnesses, which is no surprise.  Illnesses and quarantines have our absences, both faculty and students at a high.  This week we have averaged around 15% of our students absent each day.  This number is high, but it is on the lower end of what I am hearing reported from many other schools. 

We appreciate your good communication with us and your understanding as we process how to best support families.  Our new nurse, Mrs. Hale started this week and she has already proven to be a wonderful support and resource.

Did you know that your child has set both math and reading goals for the year?  They are also monitoring their progress and thinking about what strategies they use to keep their growth going.  Students who show that they are on track for meeting their goal can participate in growth celebrations.  Please watch the video linked in the email version of this communication to learn all about our student academic goal setting, monitoring, and celebrations. 

https://www.loom.com/share/01e54791bff84cfe96d84d7f86ddc76e  

Monday is a holiday and Tuesday is a teacher workday.  Students will return on Wednesday unless the county communicates with you otherwise regarding inclement weather.  

A flyer is coming home today about some after-school club opportunities.  Enrollment begins Monday.  Please see the flyer for details.  

It’s no secret that Covid cases all around seem to be up.  I really appreciate how well you have communicated with us about positive Covid cases and exposures within your families.  It’s obvious that our community cares about each other and wants to keep each other well even if it is not convenient.  We appreciate you.

 Our students for a few months now have been eating lunch in their classrooms to reduce exposures and close contacts related to Covid.  As cases drop after returning from break we will look at transitioning students back to eating in the cafeteria.  If all goes well we plan for all students to eat in the cafe every day starting the week of January 24th.    

Typically, by now, we would have celebrated Grandparent’s Day, however, due to Covid we just have not felt good about risking our grandparents' health.  We will look toward the Spring to see if we can have a Grandparent’s Day celebration in that season. 

On Tuesday, January 11th, our School Resource Officer will be talking with all of our students about gun safety.  The video that she will use for instruction is linked in the email version of this message so you can watch it as well.  If you watch the video and don’t want your child to participate in this safety talk please email me or call my cell so I know to not send them to the assembly.  My email and cell are in the email version of this message.    

Wow, today was a fun day!  

First, thank you to our 30+ parent volunteers today that covered classes and allowed our staff to enjoy a holiday lunch provided by Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.  You all MADE IT HAPPEN!  You rock!  

We also hosted the Wingate University Softball Team today.  Their athletes played PE with our students today and shared information with them about a pen pal mentorship program that the softball team facilitates.  Flyers will come home today and Monday with students about this program.  

Progress reports should have come home with all students today.  Please check your child’s red folder for their progress report.  

This year we implemented a method to positively recognize students for showing their school expectations or PRIDE via a Pride Card and earning “Letters Above the Line”.  Now that our students and teachers have had time to teach and practice giving students ongoing positive feedback about PRIDE we will be running a school-wide celebration for showing New Salem Pride.  For our first celebration, we need you to consider donating some items.  We are in need of empty 2-liter bottles, glow sticks, string lights, and black lights.  Any donations need to be sent in no later than December 8th.  Thank you in advance for your support.

Finally, our next School Improvement Team meeting is on Monday, December 6th, virtually, at 6 PM.  The link to the meeting is in the email version of this message. 

Thank you for letting your kiddos participate in Red Ribbon Week this week.  It’s a fun annual celebration of making good choices by staying away from drugs and bullying. 

We are super excited that the Scholastic Bookfair is HERE!  Students, by the end of today, will all have had the chance to preview the books available.  Next week, November 1st-5th, students will be able to shop during the school day only.  We will not have an after-hour shopping time.  You can send money with them for books OR you can set up an E-Wallet, an easy and safe alternative to cash to make shopping easy for our students.

There is a link to set up an Ewallet on our book fair website on our Facebook page and under the Announcements tab on our NSES website or you can find the link in the email version of this message.

http://bit.ly/NSESBookFair2021

Fall picture makeup day is Wednesday, November 3rd.  If your child was absent on picture day they will have their picture taken for the yearbook.  If your child needs to retake their picture please make your teacher aware so they know to send them to the photographer on the 3rd.  See Mrs. Gina for picture questions.     

Tomorrow, UCPS is celebrating Unity Day by wearing orange.  At New Salem, we recognize the importance of showing kindness and respect to everyone around us.  Please support Unity Day by showing off that orange tomorrow.  

As we near the end of the first grading period it becomes time for parent conferences.  This is a great time to hear about where your child is excelling and where there are growth opportunities.  I am extending the window that teachers normally have to complete parent conferences because they have some other responsibilities that are competing for their time.  Conferences will be complete by November 5th.  

If you ordered a spirit shirt from PTO they want you to know that they have been ordered and are on their way. We will send orders home with students when they arrive.  

Saturday, October 23rd from 1-3 PM is a free PTO event called Fitness is Fun.  Please come out and enjoy some quality time with your child around fitness activities.  

A parent nominated our AIG teacher, Mrs. Hayes, for the Rack Room Shoes Teacher of the Year Award.  If she won it would be a great honor for her and New Salem would receive 10,000.00 to use toward the students and teachers.  Voting is easy.  Simply click the link in the email version of this message and click the blue heart button below her write-up.  You can vote one time per day and hopefully every day until the competition ends on Nov. 5th.  Please show your New Salem Pride by getting as many people as possible to vote for each day.  

https://TeacherOfTheYear2021.lndg.page/4mn5dq?sre=wwArx9hG3Rz6j  

Our World's Finest Chocolate sale was scheduled to end this Friday, but we are going to extend it one more week ONLY.  We are placing a small order for more chocolate today so contact the front office ASAP if you would like to reserve a box or two.  All money will be due to the school by next Friday, October 22nd for your student to qualify for prizes.  If you currently have any unopened boxes of chocolate that you need to return because you are struggling to sell it, please contact the front office.  

Our New Salem PTO is running a Spirit Day and Community Drive on Friday, October 15th.  Wear your school colors and support a local family in need.  See the flyer sent home or the post on their Facebook page for donation details.  

Mark your calendars for another PTO offering on Saturday, October 23rd.  Our PTO will be facilitating a “Fitness is Fun” event from 1 to 3 PM behind the school.  See the flyer sent home today for details.  

Euto Baptist Church provides New Salem with bags of food for families in need.  They will be collecting items for this ministry at their Harvest Fest on October 31st.  See the flyer sent home this week for more details.  

A green flyer also has gone home this week about families having the opportunity to get services from the Friendly Dental Van.  Please use that flyer to register and return it to us by October 25th.  

It’s Chocolate Sale time of year!!!  New Salem Elementary facilitates two major fundraisers each year - the Chocolate Sale and the Fun Run.  Both of these fundraisers help us tackle big projects.  For example, both of our Kindergarten Smart Boards are outdated and almost not functional.  Because of our successful Fun Run last year we are waiting on a quote to order new flat panel interactive boards for our kindergarten classrooms!  Your hard work and support is going right back into your students!  
Today you will see a Chocolate Sale flyer in your child’s bookbag.  The sale runs from tomorrow until the 15th.  Thank you in advance for your support.  
 
Child Evangelism Fellowship is struggling to find volunteers to run the Good News Club.  The Fall dates have been cancelled and they will try to reboot in the Spring.  

Finally, 
I sure did enjoy the Fairview Fall Festival and it was a hoot being able to hang out and enjoy your families.  Thank you for supporting our community this weekend.  

Tomorrow, September 29th is Fall Picture Day!  These pictures are the ones that will be used in the yearbook so please send your kiddo picture ready even if you don’t plan on purchasing a picture package. 

Please join your teacher for a virtual curriculum night at 6 PM on Thursday night.  Your teacher will communicate the link.  All sessions will be recorded and sent to you after the event in case you miss one.     

Friday, October 1st at 7 PM is Youth Night at Piedmont High.  Elementary and middle school students get in free with a paying adult.  Wear your school spirit wear.  Tickets can be pre-ordered in the UCPS athletics page or you can pay with debit or credit at the gate.  No cash is accepted.  

Saturday, October 2nd is the Fairview Fall Festival.  A flyer is coming home today with details.  New Salem, Fairview, and Unionville students have been practicing songs to sing together.  If your child wants to sing they need to meet Mrs. Sloan at the stage at 10:15 AM and the singing will start at 10:30.  

Wednesday, September 22 is a busy day.

At 6:45 AM - Euto Baptist Church is hosting “See You at the Pole” prayer event.  If you and your family want to participate please drive them to school, park in the front lot, participate in the event, and then drive them to the car rider line to come into the building. 

Wednesday is also an Early Release Day.  Students are dismissed at 11:00.  Lunch will still be served to all students who wish to participate

Finally, Wednesday night from 6-8 PM please join your New Salem buddies for supper at Pizza Hut in Wingate.  This is our first PTO Spirit Night for the school year.  Let’s make it a great one! 

This week schools across Union County and across the nation are focusing on friendship and making sure everyone in our school feels like a part of the team.  We are calling our week, New Salem PRIDE week.  Each day we will focus on one characteristic of New Salem PRIDE and how that characteristic can improve our ability to be friendly with everyone we come in contact.   

As a reminder, our PRIDE expectations are characteristics you told us that you wanted your kids to exhibit as they head to middle school. 

New Salem PRIDE = Perseverance, Respect, In Control, Dependability, and Excellence. 

Thank you and have a great week! 

Curriculum Night has been moved to September 30th at 6 PM and the event will be virtual.

Thursday, September 16th is a teacher workday.  No school for kiddos on Thursday.

Wednesday, September 22nd is a UCPS Early Release Day.  School will dismiss at 11:00 AM.  Lunch will still be served.  Early release days are academically important as we condense the day and focus on our core instruction.  Please make sure you send your kiddos to school on Early Release days. 

Finally,

Thank you to our PTO parent leaders, volunteers, donors, and participants of this year’s PTO Bingo Night last Friday night.  It was truly great community time. 

If you have a hard time keeping up with important dates make sure you check out the calendar on the New Salem website.  We will keep it updated this year with all our major events.  The calendar is up to date for September at this time. 

NSES Parents, 

All students this year can get free breakfast and lunch.  

There are additional lunch items that students can purchase.  Here they are so you can plan for your kids' purchases:

 Donut/Donut Holes - .80

Mini Rice Krispy Treat - .25

Mott's Juice - .80

Poptart - .60

Switch Drink - 1.25

Water (16.9 oz) - .80

Water (12 oz) - .60

Chips - .75

Hershey's/Ice Cream - .75

Snack/Cookies - .65

Yogurt/Muffins/Regular Rice Krispy Treat -.80

Our first three days of school have been great.  We are excited to see all our kindergarteners at school tomorrow which will make day four the best! 

We are also excited to be able to offer support for students if they are quarantined due to Covid.    

Our Covid Support Plan consists of three levels of support if your child is quarantined:

Tier 1 - Your child's teacher of record will provide assignments and resources for your child while quarantined via Canvas.  Your classroom teacher will connect with you to discuss the Tier 1 plan for your child.  Your child is responsible for submitting work while absent.  The classroom teacher will grade and provide feedback as work is submitted. 

Tier 2 - As an additional layer of support, we will be providing virtual after hour academic and tech support to your child while they are out of school.  You and your child can access a certified New Salem Teacher during scheduled after-hour support times. This support is ONLY for students who are quarantined.     

Tier 3 - UCPS will provide district tutors that can be utilized per parent request. At this time, tier 3 is currently unavailable. More information regarding Tier 3 support will be forthcoming.

If your child is quarantined you will be contacted by your classroom teacher and our Covid Support Plan manager, Renee Denninger.  

If you have questions please feel free to contact me. 

Tomorrow is our first day of school for all 1st through 5th graders.  

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are staggered entry days for kindergarteners.  All kindergarteners start together on Thursday.  

Car riders can be dropped off starting at 7:00 in the back side of the school.  Students are tardy at 7:30.  If you arrive at or past 7:30 please park in the front lot and walk them to the front door to sign them in late.  Tardiness is an enemy of growth.  Please be on time.   

Dismissal will start at 2:00.  

Please read your parent handbook, sign the last page, and return it to your child’s teacher in the agenda this week.  

Covid 19 cases and exposures are going to happen.  All we can do to limit its impact is to support and protect each other like a family.  Please don’t send your child to school sick.  If your child has been exposed to a positive case of Covid 19 or is positive themselves please keep them home and contact the school and ask for Mr. Ferguson.  You can also call or text me on my cell.  704-219-7980.  

We are committed to have an amazing year and we look forward to seeing your kiddos tomorrow.  Have a great evening. 

I am so proud to be a part of this community.  Many of you have reached out and asked how you can support the meal preparation for our Open House meal.  This is the meal that will be free and donations accepted for the family of Waylon Baucom.  Thank you all for offering to support us.  Here are two ways that you can support us as we prepare for Open House.  

If you would like to make a cash donation that will be used to purchase items for the meal please bring them to the school by the end of the day Monday, August 16th at 4 PM.    

If you would like to donate food items please use the Sign Up Genius link below to sign up for items to purchase.  Deliver your items to the New Salem front office no later than Monday, August 16th at 4:00 PM.  We will purchase the meat and the remainder of the food items on Tuesday.  

PLEASE make sure you use the sign-up link as we don’t want to have excess perishable items and waste resources.  
The sign-up genius link will be in the email version of this message, on our website under messages from Mr. Ferguson, and on Facebook.

Call us if you need support or clarification.  

Thank you so much for being such a loving community. Have a great evening.  

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2EA3FB6-open

This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update.  

This update is specifically about Covid restrictions and precautions.  

School at New Salem will start this year much like last year ended and we were having a great time at the end of the year last year, but with some changes based on the updated Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit and the UCPS FAQ document.  Both of these docs will be linked in the email version of this message for your to reference if you choose.

Here is what you can expect:

• Face coverings are optional for students and staff at school.  The New Salem staff and I will be placing heavy emphasis on respecting everyone’s choice to wear or not wear a face covering.  
  Students who ride the bus must wear a mask on the bus, but can remove it if they choose once they exit the bus.  
• We will be able to plan after school activities with families and clubs but with some restrictions.  
• We will social distance students 3 feet especially in group settings like lunch and assemblies.  Students will still rotate weekly between eating lunch in the cafeteria one week and eating lunch in the classroom the next week. 
• In the classroom we will social distance to the extent possible considering the size of the room, the number of students, and type of instruction needed in the lesson.
• Field trips will be allowed with restrictions.
• Visitors in the building, during the school day, will be limited to academic support such as PTO volunteers, tutors, read with U, scouting, and club volunteers.  (This is a great time to join PTO and take the time to get approved as a UCPS volunteer!) 
• We will still support parents at the front office window as opposed to coming into the front office.  
• Visitors are not allowed for lunches, classroom celebrations and other non-academic support at this time.  We look forward to this changing one day.  
• Handwashing and using hand sanitizer will still be a major focus.
• Excellent custodial cleaning of the building with an emphasis on touch surfaces will continue.    
• Our nurse will conduct contact tracing when/if we do have a Covid positive situation.  

The point of these rules are to hopefully keep as many kiddos in the building engaged and learning as much as possible.  You can expect that the New Salem team is only interested in building a wonderful relationship with your child, keeping them safe, engaging them in wonderful learning experiences, and watching them THRIVE! 

We are committed to this being one of our best years yet and I am confident that we will all work together to make that happen.  

With that said, when we release our yearlong schedule of NSES events at Open House, you will notice that we are anticipating finding ways to celebrate certain events such as Grandparents Day.  Please earmark these dates when you get them, however, I caution you that we will start with a plan, but that plan must stay flexible and could change.  I would rather start with a plan and adjust later than fly by the seat of our pants.  Please be gracious with us as we make adjustments as the future is always uncertain.   As always, I will keep you informed as we go.  

If you have Covid related questions please feel free to join our Virtual Question and Answer session on Thursday, August 12th at 5:00 PM.  The link to the meeting will be in the email message of this communication.  If you can’t make the Q and A session and have questions simply email me your questions or, better yet, just call my cell.  704-219-7980  

Regards,

-Ferg-

UCPS FAQ for Covid / Safety https://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/Page/8081

Strong Schools NC Toolkit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/media/164/open 

This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update!

The New Salem Open House event is scheduled for August 19th and it is just around the corner!  This is NOT a drop in event so make sure you keep track of your letter that tells you what sessions you are to attend.  If you need a reminder just give us a call.

Letters to our new kindergarten families will get mailed out today.  In that letter you will find a postcard to your kinder from your child's new kindergarten teacher, an assigned open house session to attend on the 19th, and your child’s assigned staggered entry day.

1st through 5th grade teachers will be mailing postcards to their students on Monday, August 16 and parents will get an email from their teacher on Wednesday, August 18th.  

You are welcome and encouraged to arrive early for your open house session or hang out after your session outside in the front lawn.  Yard games will be in the front lawn for you to enjoy.  We will be grilling hotdogs and have chips and drinks to complement.  The meals are free, but we encourage you to make a donation for the meal.  Donations of any size are appreciated.  All proceeds from the meal will be given to the family of Waylon Baucom to help with expenses related to his battle with a brain tumor.  Waylon is a rising 3rd grader and a local superstar at New Salem Elementary and we think it is the New Salem way to show this young man some love and New Salem Pride at our open house event.  Also, our amazing SRO, Deputy Gail Hicks, has organized donated baskets of goodies to raffle off during Open House for Waylon.  We will send more details out later this week about the baskets.  

Finally, let's talk Covid.  A separate message related to Covid procedures for New Salem will come out tomorrow.  After you have time to review that information I will host a Virtual Question and Answer session on Thursday, August 12th at 5:00 PM.  The link to the meeting will be in the email message of this communication.  If you can’t make the Q and A session and have questions simply email me your questions or, better yet, just call my cell.  704-219-7980  

Thank you for your time and call me if you need any clarification. 

Click here for our 2021-2022 Supply List. 

Hello Parents, 
This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update.

Recently there have been some changes in the requirements related to COVID procedures at schools.

First, Executive Order 195 and Senate Bill 220 allow schools to expand after school and weekend activities as long as they meet certain criteria such as they have to be curricular, meet a list of safety guidelines, meet a reduced venue capacity, and more.  

This is exciting news as we love anything that gets us a little more like normal.

Secondly, the NC Department of Health and Human Services NOW does not require or recommend daily COVID-19 symptom screening for all students at school entry. Schools will continue to follow procedures for exclusion as they would for any type of illness. This means that we will not be conducting temp checks in the car rider line. With this step going away, please continue to communicate with us and keep your child home when they have Covid like symptoms. 

We will continue following our other safety protocols and cleaning procedures to keep our building clean and our kids safe and healthy.    

Thank you for your flexibility as move back to normalcy.  

Have a great evening.

Following the UCPS Board of Education decision on March 15th, 2021, New Salem Elementary and all of UCPS will move all K-12 schools to five days a week for in-person learning. Additionally, students in Plan D (Fully Virtual) are being given the option of returning to Plan A (Fully Face to Face) from April 12th through the remainder of the school year. We are also allowing students to move from Plan A (Face to Face) to Plan D (Fully Virtual) at this time.

Students and parents who wish to remain in their current plan can disregard this email. 

Below are two Google Forms that are available for you to make us aware of this change. Please use one of these forms to tell us your decision. The deadline to fill out this form is Wednesday, March 24th. Click below on the form that applies to you. If you do not wish to change your child’s placement, there is no need to fill out a form. 

If you are unable to complete this form please email me at denny.ferguson@ucps.k12.nc.us or call me on my cell at 704-219-7980 so I can gather your information for the change.  

I would like to move my child from Fully Virtual to Face to Face

I would like to move my child from Face-to-Face to Fully Virtual

**If you are not changing your child’s Plan, there is no form to fill out. Please only fill out a form if you wish to change plans at this point in the school year.**

When filling out these forms, please keep the following in mind:

1. If you change your plan, your child will likely receive a different teacher for the remainder of the year.

2. All face-to-face students will continue to follow UCPS guidelines for distancing, face covering, and all other safety protocols.

3. If you have multiple students that are being changed, please fill out one form for each student.

If you have any questions, you may contact the school at any time. Thank you!

NSES Families, Please edit your calendars. Monday, April 12th is now a FACE TO FACE day and NOT a virtual day.

Come out and support New Salem at Wingate Pizza Hut! 

Kindergarten Registrations starts Monday, February 1st!

Register to one of our Virtual Open Houses by clicking here! 

Today we are kicking off our participation in the UCPS reading competition called “Books and Brackets”.  This competition is all about getting students to spend more time reading.  Our teachers will be keeping track of the number of minutes our kiddos read in school each day.  We need your help reporting what your kids read at home! Reading to your child or listening to an audiobook counts too! Please encourage them to read as much as possible.  The more minutes we read the better the chances of us advancing in the competition.  More important than the competition is the fact that research has shown that the more your read...the better you are at reading.  You can find the Google Form to report your minutes each week on our website main page, on our Facebook page, or in the email that will be sent with this message.  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScffbtNtaGul_O3le7ut9xT6r3SUEeL8OZx17wn5ZpmhxkcBw/viewform?usp=sf_link 

Thank you in advance for helping our kids read more each night.  

Mark your calendars! Spring Pictures are on Wednesday, February 24th! See more information below!

New Salem Elementary 
Spring Picture Day
February 24, 2021

SKIP THE ORDER FORM!

Pre-order your photos BEFORE Picture Day! Only students that order will be photographed. 
 

Click HERE to Pre-Order (Pre-order access will expire 48 hours after picture day)

We are committed to your student's safety!
Click the link above to see our 2020-2021 picture day process. 

Virtual students -- Please contact the front office at 704-296-3175 to make an appointment for spring pictures. 

We had a great first face to face week back from the holidays!  Safety was our number one priority and we continue to be successful with our safety procedures. 

February 1st kicks off Kindergarten Registration for the ‘21-’22 school year!  Next week we will roll out our plans for virtual information sessions for Kindergarten parents prior to the registration window opening.  Stay tuned! 

The New Salem BBQ is happening!  February 5th is the New Salem BBQ sale!  Precautions are being taken to make this sale happen with as little contact as possible due to Covid.  Plates are family size this year.  See the flyer sent home our Facebook Page or PTO Facebook page for more details.  Family meals are 30 dollars and can ONLY be purchased as pre-sales.  Buy a ticket online from the PTO Facebook Page or send your money into school with your child to purchase tickets.  Please sell tickets for our PTO so this sale will be a huge success!  When you send money in via your kiddos please make sure you say how many tickets are being purchased, include your child’s name, and if you send a check please make it out to the New Salem PTO.  Thank you in advance for your support. 

Also, our PTO members will be selling tickets at dismissal on January 19th, 20th, and 21st in the Euto Baptist parking lot. 

I am organizing a cooking team to help cook the BBQ the evening of February 4th until the sale on the 5th.  If you want to help me for any amount of time please call me on my cell at 704-219-7980 and I’ll pencil you in.  Being a part of the cook is a great way to hang out and make memories you and your kids will talk about for years. 

Parents - I need your help to double down on making sure your kids are getting virtual work done on Fridays.  That work is just as important as work done any other day.

Finally, Monday is a holiday.  There is no face to face school OR virtual school on Monday. 

Happy New Year New Salem Families!  This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update.  

On December 30th, the Union County Board of Education voted to move UCPS to full remote learning for the week of January 4th-8th.  We will return to face to face learning on Monday, January 11th.  Today all parents will get an email from their child’s teacher detailing a schedule for remote learning for Tuesday through Friday.  Teachers will be providing LIVE instruction as much as possible this week.  (In most cases where teachers are not able to provide LIVE instruction it will be due to limited wifi in their geographic location.)  When LIVE instruction is made available I want students to participate if at all possible.  That is the expectation.  However, if this is not possible, teachers will be recording the sessions and posting them to their Canvas pages.  Tuesday through Friday are important instructional days.  Attendance will be taken and work will be graded.  AIG services and EC services will also be provided remotely.  Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Larson will be communicating with their parents.    

Teachers will also be holding virtual office hours and will be available to support you this week.

It is very important that parents communicate with me and nurse Eubanks if a student has been exposed to a positive Covid case or has been tested positive for Covid.  Please contact us ASAP if this applies to your student.     

If you need support or need to report a Covid issue please call the office and leave a message.  We will call you back remotely. You can also call my cell (704) 219-7980, or email me.  

Finally, during plan C (Jan 5-8, 2021) all schools will serve curbside meals from 11 am – 1 pm Tuesday - Friday.  Meals are available to all children 18 years and younger. Each child will receive one meal and one snack, with 2 additional meals and snacks to take home at Friday’s curbside service.  

Thank you parents for your continued support and please reach out to me if I can be a support to you.

At the December 1st BOE meeting,  the Board of Education unanimously approved a calendar change.  December 21st was made a remote learning day for both elementary and middle schools.  High schools will operate as a normal school day due to exams. 

December 21st will continue to be an instructional day, however, it will be remote. 

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Ferguson.

First, I want to thank you for your efforts to keep us safe and healthy at school.  As a faculty, we see that you are mindful of keeping your kids home when they are not feeling well.  You have had our back when you see that many things are out of our hands right now.  You have functioned as the teacher and facilitator of learning at home.  And, you send your kids ready to learn each day equipped with their mask, but also with a can-do attitude.  Thank you!  We recognize and boast that we have the best parents in Union County by far.  

With that said, I need to make you aware of a face mask change that will be implemented immediately.  

On November 23, 2020, Governor Cooper updated the face-covering requirements in Executive Order 180. This update removed the exemption regarding the wearing of face coverings during strenuous, physical activities. Please be aware that effective immediately, all students ages five and up and all staff are now required to wear face coverings both indoors and outdoors, including during PE, recess, or during any other physical activities. Face covering breaks are still permissible when a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing can be consistently maintained. Face covering breaks may be taken outside or in areas where ventilation or airflow can be increased by the opening of doors and/or windows.

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. 

We are so excited that the majority of our students will be returning face to face, four days a week, starting Monday October 26th.  Fridays will continue to be a remote learning day.  

Since this has been a year of so many changes I want to go over a few updates or reminders so you will know what to expect starting Monday for Plan A students.    

More students will be riding the bus and using the car rider lines.  Please be patient as wait times in the car rider lines and bus pick up and drop off times will change.  

Student attendance is important now more than ever.  It is a fact, Covid has negatively impacted the learning of our students and we need them here at school everyday and we need them online on Fridays.  Please ensure students are present and ready to learn.  Please mind your tardies and early dismissals.  Every minute of instructions matters to our growth here at New Salem.

Friday remote learning is not optional.  Attendance will be taken based on work completion and all Friday assignments are due by Sunday night midnight.  Virtual work will be graded.  

Let’s talk safety precautions and some changes:

Our students have been eating lunch in their classroom and cafeteria on a rotation.  We clean the tables between uses and keep students spaced out, but allow students to have their masks off and socialize.  We will continue this practice.  

Students, starting Monday, will be able to use our playground equipment.  Classes will be assigned to play areas.  They will hand sanitize before and after they begin to play and also wash their hands if possible before going back to class.

In the classrooms, students will “social distance” to the extent possible given the size of the room.  We will continue to transition in the building socially distanced.  

At arrival, we will continue to temperature check and follow safety precautions.  

Parents meetings will still be virtual at New Salem.  

So, what will instruction look like?  Daily instruction, Monday through Thursday, will be back to traditional instruction as we all imagine it.  Teachers will continue to use Canvas as a tool and resource, but since our teachers are not going to be balancing face to face instruction and virtual instruction, we will be much less dependent on Canvas as an instructional delivery tool.  

Fridays will be on Canvas and students will get their instruction from on-demand videos.  Students are to watch the videos and complete the assigned work by Sunday at midnight.    

Overall, I hope the message is clear that at New Salem we will continue to keep your child’s safety our number one priority while the close second priority is seeing your child thrive academically and socially.  

Thank you for your ongoing support and I look forward to seeing you all on Monday.  

Union County Public Schools have worked long and hard to ensure that students could return starting October 26th to school four days a week while also ensuring that students could get their schooling via Plan D (full virtual) if their family decided that was the best option for their child.  In order to make these two options work we had to collaborate with our cluster elementary schools to provide full virtual teachers for our Plan D students.  Here is what to expect:  

K-1 students who selected Plan D will have a full virtual teacher from Fairview Elementary.

2-3 students who selected Plan D will have a full virtual teacher from Unionville Elementary.

4-5 students who selected Plan D will have a full virtual teacher from New Salem Elementary.

Letters will be mailed out tomorrow to all families who selected Plan D for your child.  This letter will tell you who your new teacher will be.  

At New Salem, when we shifted a teacher to teach a full virtual 4th/5th classroom it created staffing shifts in 4th and 5th grade.  All parents of 4th and 5th-grade students at New Salem will receive a letter in the mail this week letting you know how your child’s teacher/classroom placement may have changed.  

If your child receives AIG or EC services - their services will not be changed or affected by the staffing shifts.

Finally, regardless of grade, if you selected for your child to attend New Salem four days or Plan D full virtual this will begin October 26th.  

Please expect car rider delays as we will be increasing clients by 50% and we will still be conducting our safety protocols.  

 Thank you in advance for your patience and please feel free to reach out with questions.  

Fall pictures will be next Tuesday and Wednesday. Your student received an order envelope this week. Orders can easily be placed online or you can send the order with them on their next face-to-face day. All students will be photographed for yearbook purposes so remember to dress to impress. Virtual students should contact the front office at 704-296-3175 to schedule an appointment to have their picture taken. Appointments will be available on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30 – 1:30.

I want to personally thank all of the families who have already participated in our SchoolStore fundraiser! We are on our way to reaching our goal, but we need everyone’s help to make sure our teachers get the essential tools they need to help our students succeed. If your family hasn’t participated, there’s still time! This safe and easy fundraiser is 100% online so there is no face-to-face selling, collecting money, or delivering products. Participation only takes 12 minutes and your child will win fun and exciting prizes. Every student will receive a prize, just for participating. More prizes will be rewarded when goals are reached. Please help now. It really will make a difference. Thank you in advance for your support.  

9.24.2020 Message from Mr. Ferguson

This video message is part 2 of 2 a two part communication about student re-entry to school at New Salem.  Part 1 addresses students returning two days a week.  Part 2 will address students returning 4 days a week.  

Video Link

Beginning on October 26th, all NSES students will have the option to return to school four days a week.  Students will come to school Monday through Thursday.  Fridays will be a remote learning day.  The 4 days a week option is ONLY for students K-5th grade.    

Now...here is the tricky part that everyone needs to be VERY clear on.  When we go to school 4 days a week, there are only two options for families.  Your child can be PLAN A - four days a week face to face, OR Plan D - All virtual.  These options are the same for all students K-5.   

Every parent has the opportunity to pick Plan D, or select to remain on plan D during the window of Sept 25 - October 4th.  So - to be clear - regardless of the plan you are on...if you want your child to be full virtual starting October 26, you need to go to Scribbles from the UCPS website homepage, and select that option during the window of September 25-October 4th.  If you do not complete Scribbles for Plan D, you will automatically be Plan A, and your child will be expected to attend school face-to-face, 4 days a week. If you simply want your child to come to school face to face for 4 days a week starting October 26th you don’t need to take any action at all.  

If you choose Plan D there are a few details that you need to pay close attention to:

• Plan D is moving to a “remainder of the school year” commitment.  If you pick Plan D...you are staying on Plan D for the rest of the 20-21 school year.  
• Plan D instruction will be provided by a teacher who is not teaching any students face to face.  That means that it is highly likely that your child would be taught by a teacher from another elementary school in our Piedmont cluster.  

Finally, if the change of going to 2 days a week OR 4 days a week, means that you want your students to ride the bus please call Gina at the front office ASAP so that change can be made.   

Again, please do not hesitate to call the school at 704-296-3175, or me on my cell at 704-219-7980 if you need to ask clarification questions.  We are always happy to help.   

Thank you and have a great day.   

9.23.2020 Message from Mr. Ferguson

This video message is part 1 of 2 messages.  Part 1 will address students returning two days a week.  Part 2 will address students returning 4 days a week.  

Video Link

I am SO excited to be able to communicate the following information to you!  It’s a celebration that we get to have your students at New Salem more of the time face to face!  

Let me just put this out there first… Most people are already overwhelmed and when we are overwhelmed, it is hard to process change and lots of information. Please do not hesitate to call the school at 704-296-3175, or me on my cell at 704-219-7980 if you need to ask clarification questions.  We are always happy to help.   

First - Just because students are coming back more of the time does not mean that student safety takes a back seat.  The following safety precautions will not change as students come back to New Salem:

• We all will continue to rock our facemasks.  
• We will continue to temperature screen and ask parents the screening questions.
• We will continue to clean, clean, clean, clean, and clean some more.  
• Lunch at New Salem will continue to rotate between eating in their classroom one week, and then the cafeteria the next.  
• Specials will continue to be held with all touch surfaces being sanitized between classes.
• We will continue to not hold mass gatherings such as assemblies and the like.  
• Recess, for the time being, will not be on the playground since we can’t clean all those surfaces between uses.  

The major change in safety protocols will be that it will not ALWAYS be possible to keep students six feet apart as student numbers increase.  So, the rule will be that we will social distance as best as possible, given the situation.    

Now - Let’s talk about the first big positive change!  

Next Tuesday, September 29th, students will come back to New Salem two days a week for face to face instruction.  Monday is an optional workday...so there is no instruction on Monday. 

How you will know what day your student comes to New Salem is super simple. 

If your child is currently coming to New Salem on a Monday, OR on a Tuesday, then they will come to school face to face on Mondays and Tuesdays.  

If your child is currently coming to New Salem on a Wednesday OR Thursday, then they will come to school face to face on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

This process follows the same patterns at the middle and high school...so it should not create sibling issues across our cluster.  

Fridays will remain a Remote Learning Day for all students.  

Students coming to New Salem two days a week will run from September 29th until October 22nd.

During this time period, students who are “full virtual” will remain “full virtual.”  There will be no change for them during this time.  

Our teachers will be communicating with you about classroom specific adjustments that may happen when students come back 2 days a week. 

Finally, if the change of going to 2 days a week means that you want your students to ride the bus please call Gina at the front office ASAP so that change can be made.   

Again, please do not hesitate to call the school at 704-296-3175, or me on my cell at 704-219-7980 if you need to ask clarification questions.  We are always happy to help.   

Thank you and have a great day.

Wednesday, September 16th from 5:30-6:30 is the New Salem Virtual Curriculum Night.  Each grade will send parents a grade-level specific link so you can tune in.  Teachers will primarily be covering curriculum information related to what grade level standard mastery looks like for your students.  All sessions will be recorded and posted to your child’s Canvas page in case you have multiple children or in case you are unable to tune in that night.  

Every school in NC maintains a team that manages, monitors, and supports the annual plan that the school uses to improve.  We call the plan our School Improvement Plan and the team that manages it is the School Improvement Team.  

The members of this team are school staff, parents, and sometimes community members.  

This year we will meet monthly and we will alternate our meeting times.  We will either meet from 2:30-4 or 6-7.  All meetings will be held virtually.  You can find this year’s meeting schedule on our website by clicking the “Site Based Management Button.”  The email version of this message will have the link to this page at the bottom of this message.    

We welcome parents to participate.  You do not have to have a certain skill set to be part of the team, however, you must agree to support our school mission, vision, and our values that our faculty members have set as non-negotiables to be a team member at NSES.  In the email version of this message I will include a copy of our mission, vision, values, and long term goals.  

So, if you want to join this team, what do we do?

Each month we will review our school plan strategies that we set to help us reach our goals.  We assess our progress and ensure that we are staying on track to reach our goals.  If we are on track, we celebrate.  If we are off track, we make adjustments to get back on track.  We also collect feedback in an ongoing manner to make sure we are capitalizing on our strengths and downplaying or eliminating our weaknesses as an organization.  

If you would like to join this team please email me at denny.ferguson@ucps.k12.nc.us to express interest.  

Thank you and have a great evening.    

THIS YEAR’S MEETINGS

Our Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals

8.26.2020 Week 1 Reflection

This week we have reflected on week 1 of school and have made some adjustments to continually improve.

Here is what our staff is working on and what you can expect:

Quality versus quantity of work.

Accessibility

Continued Communication

Live Virtual Small group instruction

 New Salem has set a starting point standard for how much time you should be spending on instruction and practice at home on remote learning days. K-2 students would spend no more than 120 minutes working and 3-5 students should spend no more than 180 minutes working. Teachers will be focusing on producing quality instructional videos and work that should fit those time parameters. Keep in mind...this is the target and your child may take less or more time based on their level of support needed, work ethic, and other factors.

Teachers will be working diligently to make their Canvas page very navigable and that their work is easy to access and that links and assignments work.

You all have access to your teachers via email. However, in addition, your teacher will be calling you during the month of September to check in with you specifically about how school is going.

Our goal for September is that every student, by the end of September, will be in a routine of meeting with their teacher for a live virtual small group lesson in reading and math.

I hope that with these 4 targets for the month of September you will see reduced workload at home with an uptick in ease of accessibility. We look forward to continuing to get your feedback on being better every day. Finally, we are excited to form a routine of getting students online for small group instruction during the month of September, one for reading and once for math.

UCPS announces new meal option for 2020-2021

Monroe, NC—Educators understand that students need healthy meals to be successful in school. Although Union County Public Schools will offer a hybrid of in-person and virtual learning this year, meals will still be offered to all students, no matter if they are enrolled in Plan B or Plan D.

Beginning, Monday, Aug. 17, UCPS will open regional meal sites during lunch to serve students who are learning virtually and/or on remote learning days. This option is available to all students and access to the meal will be based on the student’s current meal status. These meals are only for enrolled students and those picking up the meals will be required to provide lunch or student ID numbers.

Lunch will be served Monday – Friday through a curbside pick-up model, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the locations listed below.

Cuthbertson High     Forest Hills High

Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle

Parkwood Middle     Piedmont Middle

Porter Ridge Elementary     Rock Rest Elementary

Rocky River Elementary     Sardis Elementary

Shiloh Valley Primary

Breakfast will not be served through this model and UCPS will not provide transportation. Students with special dietary needs indicated by a Diet Order form on file are encouraged to call the school where they will pick up a meal the day before to make accommodations.

In addition, below are a few reminders and updates about School Nutrition Services for the 2020-2021 school year.

• All students who qualify for free or reduced lunch will receive breakfast and lunch free of charge.

·         Students who pay for breakfast and lunch will continue to receive meals at the same prices—$2.40 for elementary school lunch and $2.50 for middle and high school lunch. Payments can be made through K12 Payment Center.

·         Breakfast and lunch will be served Monday – Thursday for students who attend school in person. Friday is a remote learning day for all students

Throughout this evening our pre-recorded open house videos will be posted on our YouTube channel, Facebook page, and our school website (please see below). Please take the time to view these videos prior to attending one of the live virtual events that your grade level will be hosting either Thursday or Friday.  See your email from your teachers for live virtual meeting details.  

Tomorrow morning and evening will the Chromebook pickup.  7:30-8:30 AM will be 2nd and 3rd graders and 7:30-8:30 PM will be 4th and 5th graders.  If you requested a hotspot you can come to either slot.  If you children in both grade spans please simply choose the option that is best for you. 

New Salem Families!

Click on your grade level below to view your grade level's Open House Video! We are so excited for this school year! #NewSalemThrives

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

AIG

Art

Music

PE 

(Students do not have to wear a mask when doing a physical activity, but they will wear their masks transitioning to and from PE/Recess.)

EC

NSES Familes,

**This update only applies to families of bus riders.** 

UCPS will be requiring parents to provide a weekly signed attestation to the bus driver before their child can ride the bus.  

To make that process easy on our parents we ask that you do one of the following first week of school.  

Complete the linked google form OR print off the form from our website, sign it, and hand it to the driver when your student rides the bus the first time.  The easiest route is to complete the google form.  

On your child’s first day at school we will send home copies of the attestation form so you will have them to complete weekly and give to the bus driver.  

Here is the link to the Google Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScO4ZoE5QzyXqtxn4ozye0vnqw0vFRlQYPPPwwNlbBCJ1ZycQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Bus Transportation-Parent Acknowledge Form-Paper Copy

Call us with questions.

NSES Families,

Click here for the Canvas Parent Readiness Checklist! A great resource with frequent asked questions and links to more information on Canvas!

2020-2021 Virtual Open House Information: 

Teachers have been assigned their homerooms and they will be emailing their families over the next few workdays.  Please do not reach out to Mr. Ferguson or Mrs. Gina to request your child’s teacher’s name as the teachers will be reaching out to you shortly. 

Open House details have been finalized.  While your classroom teacher will give you the specifics here are the basics. 

Every grade level will release a pre-recorded informational video on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 12th.  A link to the video will be emailed to you by your teacher.  As a backup, the videos will also be placed on our website and facebook page.  Please view the grade level specific videos.   

Between Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th, every grade level will invite you to LIVE virtual Meet and Greet Q and A sessions with the teachers.  Teachers will introduce themselves and then parents can post questions for the team to answer live. 

Please view the grade level specific videos prior to the LIVE virtual Meet and Greet Q and A sessions with the teachers as the video will answer many of your questions. 

Finally, we are slightly adjusting the times for the Chromebook pickup.  Here are the final times. 

On Thursday, August 13th 2nd and 3rd grade students can pick up their Chromebooks from 7:30 AM until 8:30 AM.  4th and 5th graders pick up will be 7:30 PM-8:30 PM.  If you communicated to us that you needed a Hotspot, we will have those for you at that time. 

If you are a K-1 parent and you requested a Hotspot, you can pick up your hotspot during either of the windows.  

***Slight time change: 

On Thursday, August 13th 2nd and 3rd grade students can pick up their Chromebooks from 7:30 AM until 8:30 AM.  4th and 5th graders pick up will be 7:30 PM-8:30 PM.  If you communicated to us that you needed a Hotspot, we will have those for you at that time. 

If you are a K-1 parent and you requested a Hotspot, you can pick up your hotspot during either of the windows. ***

For more information on Chromebooks distribution, click here!

Hello New Salem Parents, 

This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update about 2nd-5th grade Chromebooks for the ‘20-’21 school year.  

All 2nd-5th grade students will have the opportunity to bring a Chromebook home daily to use for instruction and educational purposes. In order for me to assign and send home a device with students on their first day of face to face school each student MUST have the two forms completed and returned. Please use the link below to submit the forms electronically. Or, if you are unable to complete the form electronically please access the forms on our website. There is only one form to complete electronically, but if you go the paper route please make sure you sign and complete both the Chromebook form and the Coppa form. Paper forms can be dropped off in the green box under the foyer at New Salem.  

Here are the links to the electronic form. Complete it as soon as possible so we can send a device home with your child on the first day they attend face to face instruction.  

https://forms.gle/4E8kmQRVS34vaFYr7 - English

https://forms.gle/ModQon5oEaHFWTwo6 - Spanish

Paper Copies

2020-2021 COPPA Letter

2020-2021 COPPA Letter-Spanish

2020-2021 Elementary Chromebook Letter

2020-2021 Elementary Chromebook Letter-Spanish

New Salem Families,

Our instructional coach, Kelly Karalunis, had baby #2 this summer and they are doing very well. She also managed to land a coaching role a few minutes from her house. We will miss her, but are so happy that she will have an additional hour a day to spend with her family (her commute was LONG!).

So, I would now like introduce you to our new Instructional Coach! Welcome aboard Mrs. Deering!

"Hello New Salem Family! My name is Jen Deering, and I will be the new instructional coach here at school. I am so excited to become a Knight! Currently, I am teaching second grade at Western Union Elementary School, where I will remain until my replacement can be found. Over my teaching career (which spans 20 years…gulp), I have learned so much about making learning fun and engaging for students, while helping them to achieve success utilizing many different pathways. As an instructional coach, I look forward to continuing to learn while supporting teachers AND students.

I am originally from Maine, where my family still lives. I married a southerner 29 years ago and was able to keep him in New England until about six years ago when the winter was so bad that we either snowshoed up our road to get to our driveway or had AAA on speed dial to pull us out of the ditch when we attempted to make it into our garage. Also, we had snow from October to May that year. That was when my husband decided a move to the south was in order. His whole family is in South Carolina, so it’s been a great move, all in all. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this heat, but central air is a beautiful thing- and the winters, I will admit, are MAREVELOUS! We are an outdoor family who loves to hike, kayak, and camp (though the poisonous snakes here have put a damper on our tent camping; I can handle a raccoon getting into our tent- a snake, not so much.) We also enjoy family game nights. Our children are mostly all grown up. Kaitlyn just got married this summer and is a police officer with CMPD. Emily is working as a marketing coordinator for a company in Davidson. Our son, Ryan, is a senior at Cuthbertson High School. We have two dogs, Bella and Gatsby, and two granddogs- Lily and Sadie. When I have spare time to myself, I enjoy reading, crafting, and blogging.

I am looking forward to an amazing year with y’all (love that phrase… so welcoming and succinct) and cannot wait to meet everyone! This is our family in a nut shell….laid back, kind of a hot mess, but full of love and shenanigans- always!"

Hello, New Salem Community.  My name is Cheryn Rowell, and I will be the new fourth grade-reading teacher.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to be a part of this awesome family.  I have lived in Union County since I was eleven.  An interesting side note is that I actually attended New Salem for a short time when I was in fifth grade.  I also attended both Piedmont Middle and High School as well.  I have a BA from Pfeiffer University and a Masters from ECU (Go Pirates).  I have spent the majority of my career teaching in the community college.  I have most recently taught fourth grade at Walter Bickett Elementary School. 

I have been married to my husband, Jeff, for 21 years.  We have two amazing children, Elizabeth and Jordan.  Elizabeth will be heading to the University of NC Wilmington this fall to major in Social Work.  Jordan will be a junior at CATA and love to cook.  We have one dog and one cat.  My hobbies include reading, spending time with my family, and working out.  I love the beach and quiet moments.

I feel strongly that in order to be successful I need to build strong, lasting relationships with your children and with you.  I do not want to be your child’s teacher for a year; I want to be your child’s teacher for life.  I cannot wait to build these lasting relationships in the new school year.

Click here for a video from Mr. Ferguson on face coverings.

Click here for an updated '20-'21 Supply List

Click here for a recorded message from Mr. Ferguson regarding the 2020-2021 school year!

Message Transcript:

Hello Parents, 

This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update.   I hope each of you are enjoying the summer and are making plans for the start of what can be our best year yet. I am sure that you are apprehensive about the future of our country, community, and the school year. It is my sincere hope that the information that I will share today, will in some way, alleviate your concerns about school.

Our current status is that Governor Cooper has placed North Carolina Public Schools in Plan "B" to start the school year. UCPS has created a plan in which every student in grades K-12 will attend one day of school for face-to-face instruction. Families will be assigned a day to attend by the school. The remaining four days will consist of remote learning.

Each family has TWO options to consider:

1. Face to Face/Remote Learning - Send your child to school (1 day for "face-to-face" learning and 4 days of remote learning) OR keep your child at home for remote learning 5 days each week with the option to return to "face-to-face" learning at any point that you deem appropriate. Your child will be assigned to a teacher and will remain with that teacher as he or she transitions back to "face-to-face" learning.
2. Virtual Learning (also known as plan D) - This option is available for students in Second through Fifth only at the elementary level. Students would learn exclusively in a remote environment. Students would be assigned to a teacher within the Piedmont cluster AND would change to another teacher at New Salem upon returning to "face-to-face"/remote learning. Families must commit to virtual learning for a minimum of one semester and would NOT be permitted to change to "face-to-face" within this period of time. I invite you to email me if you are considering this option (denny.ferguson@ucps.k12.nc.us). I would be happy to provide you with additional information.

Prior to school going out in March, our New Salem staff asked ourselves a very serious question.  We asked, “Why, as an organization, do we exist?”  The answer that we all agreed upon has become our new school mission.  We agreed the reason we exist is that “We empower ALL students academically and socially to thrive in a changing world.”  

We are working hard to create a model that allows our students to thrive regardless of the challenges that our current reality poses.   

So, if I choose “Face to Face/Remote Learning” (plan B) what will learning look like at NS?   

• Students who are “on site” will experience very small classroom ratios somewhere around 1:10 maybe even 2:10 or 3:10 when considering teacher assistants.  This will allow a higher amount of personalized education.
• During remote learning days your student will be able to access that day’s new learning in an “on demand” format.  In other words, the teacher will have videoed herself teaching the lessons and then will guide the student through the learning.  Then the student will complete a task or tasks and submit the work for the teacher to check and provide feedback.  This will all be done from ONE platform, Canvas.  (Yes, we will offer virtual parent workshops on how to use Canvas at home if you would like.)  
• During remote learning days our teachers will, on a routine rotation, conduct live remote small group instruction in reading and math.  Small group instruction beyond the one face-to-face day is absolutely key to growth.  
• Finally, teachers will maintain daily “live office hours” where students and parents have direct access for questions and work support with their teacher.    

Back to the two options…

I would recommend that parents choose the option that provides your child with the flexibility that you desire, while permitting your child to return to school when you deem it is safe for your child to do so. All students will be enrolled in a classroom at our school unless the parent opts for virtual learning. Those students will be assigned to a teacher within the school or the Piedmont Cluster (based on availability). Virtual students will NOT be permitted to return to "face-to-face" learning until the end of the semester. 

So, what’s next?  I want you to know the critical projects we are working on right now at school:  

• Teachers are reviewing the New Salem Plan B  instructional plan and fine tuning our plan to make sure our students are set up to thrive in this new structure.  
• We are collaborating with the Piedmont cluster schools to create our plans for which students come to school for face-to-face learning and on which days.  A major part of this plan is to ensure that siblings in the school and between different levels of schools are able to come to school on the same day.  Stay tuned...New Salem will be attempting to tell parents as soon as humanly possible what day your child will be assigned.  This is a beyond complex task that has many more layers than just siblings...so please give me some grace as we attempt to tackle this project.  
• I will be hosting two virtual “Kitchen Table Talks” where I will simply be available to you for questions and your input.  There is SO much information and misinformation out there.  I would like the opportunity to field your questions and you get the answer directly from the principal of your community school.  The first session is  Monday, July 20th at 6:00 PM and again on Tuesday, July 21st at 8:00 PM.  The link to connect to the meeting will be posted on Facebook and emailed out to parents the morning of the meetings.  
• I’m meeting with our PTO board tonight for a Q and A.  
• Next week I will begin rolling out model schedules of what school will look like at New Salem.  This schedule will create a clear picture for you of how our team will be working with your student during the week.  
• We are currently recreating the concept of “Open House”.  I will be surveying our PTO board on what topics our teachers can address virtually during open house to give you what you need to start the year strong.  

As you can tell, our New Salem team is not gearing up for an awkward, depressing, or frustrating year.  We are gearing up for the best year yet.  I am absolutely confident that with our team, our students, our parents, and our community, we will thrive this year.  Thank you in advance for your support.  

Please expect frequent updates as we near the kick off on the new school year!  

Finally, It is very important to me that our New Salem families have direct access to the best information you can get in a timely manner.  Please feel free to email me at denny.ferguson@ucps.k12.nc.us with any questions.  I will most likely call you back to answer your questions.  Or, you are always welcome to call my cell at 704-219-7980.  I already have parents asking lots of great questions and it delights me to serve you.

Thank you, and I will keep you in the loop as we move forward.  

Regards,

Mr. Ferguson

Hello Parents,

This is Mr. Ferguson with a New Salem Update.

I want to take a few moments to share with you the most recent updates regarding next school year.

Governor Cooper was scheduled to tell everyone today what plan we would start our school year. He is not going to release that plan today and I have not heard when he will. I fully recognize that parents need to know what direction NC is heading, but that’s out of our control. What IS is in our control is how New Salem is currently preparing for what we do know.

Our teachers have already come together, analyzed the 133 pages of restrictions provided by the state, and made draft precaution procedures for how we should do business to protect our kiddos when they return regardless of if it is “Plan A” or “Plan B”.

Later in July, after the Governor has released his plan and UCPS releases their expectations for principals, our team will again meet and create the New Salem Standard of Excellence for Remote Learning in our school. Our standards will ensure that parents of all grades know what learning will look like this year and our teachers have the resources and structures to allow them to provide excellent learning opportunities if and when we experience remote learning in the future.

I want you to know that New Salem Elementary will be planned and prepared for whatever comes our way. However, since this is all new, we anticipate and expect to make mistakes along the way, which we will leverage to make us better.

Here are a few more details you will be interested in:

*All New Salem vacancies have been filled with highly qualified and experienced teachers.

*Union County Public Schools Board of Education has revised the 20-21 calendar since the RNC is not coming to Charlotte. Please go to the UCPS website so you can see the changes.

https://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01910453/Centricity/Domain/4/2020-2021%20Traditional%20Calendar%20Revised%20June%2029.pdf

*Typically, New Salem releases a calendar of events for the school year that the school hosts, such as the fun run, Grandparents Day, and the like. Because so much is uncertain as to future restrictions we are going to hold off on scheduling school events. It is easier to add events down the road than disappoint our students by cancelling events all along. However, our school team will be considering what events can be enhanced with tech to allow the event to happen in a different way. More information to come as we get more information.

*As we learn more about the restrictions in August we will be able to make some decisions on how Open House will look this year. Currently, we just don’t have enough information to plan those events.

Thank you parents for your ongoing support.

Regards,

Mr. Ferguson

Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Ashley Hayes! Below are a few words from her so you can get to know her better. Welcome to the family! #NewSalemPride 

"Hi New Salem Knights!

"My name is Ashley Hayes and I am excited to be your AIG teacher this year! I have been in education for 17 years after graduating from The University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE!) with certifications in special education, elementary, and middle grades. I have taught 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades, and have spent 8 years dedicated to gifted education. I believe that students deserve rigorous and authentic activities to enhance their learning. Empowering my students by providing them with choice, interest-based activities, and diverse lessons is a must. I love technology and try to incorporate that as much as possible, especially since students today are digital natives.

On a personal note, I am originally from Mobile, Alabama. After college, I moved to Braselton, Georgia and married my husband, Brad. Of course he’s a DAWG fan, so football games are fun in our house. We have been in the New Salem community for two years now. Together we have three beautiful children. Brady, our oldest, is a rising 8th grader at Piedmont Middle School. We were also blessed with boy/girl twins, Anniston and Hudson, who are rising 1st graders and will join me at New Salem!
In my free time (haha), I like to spend time with my family. You can find us either at the baseball fields, on the motocross track, or outside playing. I do enjoy running, party planning, and crafting.

I am proud to be a Knight and I look forward to seeing you soon!"

Please help me welcome Ms. Lynn Courtney to the New Salem Team. She will be teaching math (which she is over the moon passionate about), science, and social studies for all of our 4th grade students next year. Below are a few words from Ms. Courtney. Welcome to the family! #NewSalemPride

"I grew up in Charlotte, and went to college at UNC Pembroke. I came back to Charlotte to teach in CMS for 9 years and now have been teaching in Union County for the last 6 years. I have taught 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades. I am getting married in July and very excited. I will have new son who is 12 years old. In my free time I enjoy watching documentaries, putting puzzles together, and watching football. GO PANTHERS! I am looking forward to a very exciting year teaching at New Salem."

NSES Fall 2020 Letter

UCPS AIG Family Letter

Click below for End of Year Celebrations!

Have a wonderful summer! 

Farmer

Page

McLemore

McSwain

Maulden

Schweiber

Whitley/Moose

N. Whitley

Medlin

Congratulations to our 2019-2020 5th Graders! We are so proud of you! 

Batten's Promotion Ceremony

Baucom's Promotion Ceremony

5th Grade Memory Video

Rising Kindergarten Families,

Click below to access our Kindergarten Parent Resources folder!

2020-2021 Kindergarten Parent Resources

Click below for information on school close out procedures at all school levels.

2019-2020 School Closeout Guidance

Mr. Edwards shares plans for New Salem's 2020 Virtual Field Day!

Click here!

The NSES Kindergarten students have been working hard throughout our time of remote learning.  In efforts to encourage students to continue working AND to reward them for their hard work, students have been participating in weekly challenges.  Their reward…the Kindergarten teachers completing a silly challenge.  Check out the most recent video of our Kindergarten teachers and some special guests completing the CrAzY Sandwich Challenge with crazy sandwich toppings suggested by the Kindergarten students.

Watch the video here!

Ms. Lodge's Weekly SEL Video 

with a special guest!

Ms. Lodge's Weekly SEL Video

Ms. Batten shares how to use MyOn--a great online resource!

Using MyOn

Ms. Lodge's Weekly Video-Flipgrid Reminder

flipgrid.com/lodge2020

Password: Lodge2020

Here is a great resource from Coach Edwards to get us moving this week!

Cosmic Kids Yoga!

Next week we will be innovating how we celebrate teachers during teacher appreciation week!  The following information is from our wonderful PTO.  I hope you all have fun and get creative with showing some love to our amazing teachers.   
 
Staff Appreciation Week May 4th – 8th

As you complete the celebrations please share your photos, videos, cards, messages in a private message to New Salem Elementary and PTO’s Facebook pages or to your classes Classroom Dojo if your teacher uses that system.

Monday Write a letter or make a video message for your teacher or other staff member 

Tuesday Show some love to our Specials teachers, Custodians and Cafeteria staff 

Wednesday Share your favorite memory of this school year 

Thursday Give your teacher something special! You can draw a picture, write a poem, sing a song, send them an E-Card to the their UCPS email address — the sky is the limit! E-mail addresses to be posted on the NSES FB page) 

Friday We’re in this Together! Make a sign for your school, teachers or other staff members.
 

5.1.2020

Message from Mr. Ferguson

This Week's Videos: SEL Corner from Ms. Lodge and PE with Joe from Mr. Edwards

SEL Corner Flipgrid

PE with Joe

Today's How-To Vidoes: These videos provided information on how to access great student resources!

Ms. Brown's Art Class

Khan Academy

Moments of Music with Ms. Sloan

Student Start Up Page

This Week's SEL Videos with Ms. Lodge 4.20.2020

Student Video

Parent Video

4.17.2020

Message from Mr. Ferguson

4.15.2020

Message from Mr. Ferguson

Future Kindergarten Knights Families!

If you need a new registration packet or if you still need to turn in your registration packet,

please email Ms. Gina or Mr. Ferguson at

gina.james@ucps.k12.nc.us or denny.ferguson@ucps.k12.nc.us.

Ms. Schweiber shares the EmpowerED Family Portal-Remote Learning Resources.

Click here to check it out! 

Ms. Lodge and Mr. Edwards has some great resources to support our mental health and to promote physical activity during this time! Check them out!

Ms. Lodge's Video

Mr. Edward's Video

WORLD’S FINEST CHOCOLATE is finally coming to an end 😊

We still need to collect money for ALL outstanding boxes.  There are two options for paying for your chocolate.

Mail check payable to:  

New Salem Elementary School

6106 Hwy 205

Marshville, NC 28103

(Be sure to indicate student name and homeroom teacher name in your check memo.)

Online payment:

There is a service fee that New Salem Elem will pay on your behalf; therefore, if you are paying for ONE box of chocolate – enter $57.36 for your payment. 

Click on link: https://osp.osmsinc.com/UnionNC/BVModules/CategoryTemplates/Detailed%20List%20with%20Properties/Category.aspx?categoryid=BH038

Click on the activity number BH038-VAR1

Indicate student name and homeroom teacher name in description box

Enter $57.36 if you are paying for one box of chocolate

Click checkout

Continue following prompts

We are still counting boxes for prizes and are mailing out prizes that can be mailed.  We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your patience and willingness to continue helping us raise money for our students.  This community always goes above and beyond!!  #newsalempride

You may direct any questions or comments with regards to this process to Cortney.mullis@ucps.k12.nc.us

Again, THANK YOU!!!

New Salem Families!

Here are some fun sites and activities teachers have found! As you find awesome things to do, please share them! This list will be updated daily!

Fun Family Links!

Facebook Challenge Day 10: Science projects! NSES Knights completed science projects today! 3.27.2020

Pic 1: Tate and his family work on a science project!

Pic 2: Caroline make raisins dance in her science project!

Facebook Challenge Day 9: Chores. NSES Knights are a big help around the house! 3.26.2020

Pics 1 & 2: Pollie helps to take care of the new ckicks!     Pic 3 & 4: Cody helps out with the trash!

Pic 5: Jordyn helps with painting her room.  Pics 6 - 8: Graham feeds his dog and helps to water the plants on the porch.

Facebook Challenge Day 8: Pets! Such cute pets! Check out Facebook for more! 3.25.2020

Pic 1: Maxton and his buddies!          Pic 3: John and his dog!

Pic 2: Zoey and Maci.                       Pic 4: Graham, his Nana, and baby goats!

Pic 5: Camden gets help on his packet from his cat, Pete!       Pic 7: Krew and his buddy!

Pic 6: Bentlee and so many animals!                                     Pic 8: Ms. Curtis's kiddos and their cat, Georgia!

Facebook Challenge Day 7: Lego Build! What cool creations! Check out our Facebook page for more! 3.24.2020

Pic 1: Lukis' cool build!                                         Pic 3: Cy and Karsyn with their Lego builds!

Pic 2: Cale and Colt work together to build!

Pic 4: Lincoln's having fun with Legos!                      Pic 6: Whoa! Those are some big blocks!

Pic 5: Danielle and Caleb show off their builds!          Pic 7: Mr. Ferguson and Tate join in the fun! 

Facebook Challenge Day 6: Virtual Field Trips/Learning 3.22.2020. Check out our Facebook page for more!

Pic 1: Ethan works on a word problem from Ms. McSwain.          Pic 3: Caroline reads from her phone.

Pic 2: Nico explores the Louvre in Paris!                                    Pic 4: Curtis uses Google Maps to learn about Brazil!

Pic 5: Izzy learns about Brazil!                              Pic 7: Addicyn writes a story about birds from Brazil.

Pic 6: Jimmy reviews Ecosystems materials!          Pic 8: Nick and Ginger write a story about birds!

Facebook Challenges for the Week of March 24-27

Facebook Challenge Day 5: Splash! Rainy Day Activities. A look at New Salem's favorite rainy day activites! Check out our Facebook page for more!

Pic 1: Ms. Curtis likes to curl up with a good book!                          Pic 3: Ms. Austin and Gately go for a walk post-rain!

Pic 2: The Farmer family has all sorts of fun rainy day activities!       Pic 4L Samuel and Sonya build a chick coop post-rain!

Pic 5: Ms. Higgins is singing and dancing in the rain!          Pic 7: Rain or shine, Curtis is working on a fence!

Pic 6: Mr. Ferguson is handing out packets in the rain!        Pic 8: Ms. Sloan hits the water after the rain!

Facebook Challenge Day 4: Outdoor Fun! This beautiful weather has everyone doing fun outdoor activities! Check out our Facebook page for more!

Pic 1: Ms. Batten and her Blue Ninja rocket!          Pic 3: Jordyn made a new friend today!

Pic 2: Alivia takes on the Outdoor challenge!         Pic 4: Isabell and Liliana work in their garden!

Pic 5: Ms. A Whitley loves to find seashells.       Pic 7: Kinsley is busy playing volleyball and soccer.

Pic 6: Kamarri's got one on the line!                 Pic 8: Lane has a beautiful location for fishing!

Facebook Challenge Day 3: Grandparents! We loved all the sweet Grandparents Pictures! Check out our Facebook page for more!

Pic 1: Ariana loves her Mawmaw because she's so funny!                                   Pic 3: Mr. Edwards' Grandparents

Pic 2: Cy and Karsyn love traveling and playing with their grandparents!            Pic 4: Kennedy--love those smiles!

Pic 5: Ethan and his PawPaw share a special bond!          Pic 7: Mr. Skipper's Great Grandma who lived to be 107!!

Pic 6: Alissa and Great Grandma Wallace at the park.      Pic 8: Abby and Hunter's Grandparents! What a fun picture!

Facebook Challenge Day 2: Show us your favorite reading corner/nook! So many comfy spots and many had siblings and pets! Love the reading together! Check out our Facebook page for more pictures!

Pic 1: Ms. Schweiber's reading spot!    Pic 3: Ms. Thomas & Logan enjoying the weather!

Pic 2: Nico found a great spot!            Pic 4: Ms. Medlin's got a comfy chair!

Pic 5: Hayden reads to her doll!                          Pic 7: Brystol and Brynley-A front porch swing is a great place to read!

Pic 6: Lincoln, Lucas, and Levi built a fort to read in!     Pic 8: Great quote in Leigha's reading corner!

Love the New Salem craftiness! Highlights from the New Salem Facebook Challenge Day 1! Check out our Facebook page for even more crafty pics!

Kaitlyn's Cake! Yummy!        Great Picture, Colton!           Kindergarten's Leprechauns   Paisley made slime!                      Mr. Skipper's Peach Cobbler!

3.20.2020

Message from Mr. Ferguson

3.19.2020

Message from Mr. Ferguson

3.10.2020 Handwashing Video

Message from Mr. Ferguson

Who Influences You?

Mr. Ferguson explains how to show your #NewSalemPride by recognizing the people who model excellence!

Who Influences You? Video