September 21st, 2023

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Accessibility: Upcoming Dates for September: Sept 18-26 | Scholastic Book Fair, Sept 21 | Student Led Conferences - Evening Hours, Sept 21 | Board Meeting, Sept 22 | Student Led Conferences - No Classes - Morning Hours, Sept 25 | Title I Parent Meeting - Zoom Option, Sept 26 | Title I Parent Meeting - 5:30pm In Person, Sept 26-27 | Picture Days, Sept 29 - Development Committee, Sept 29 - Parent Dialogue Series - In Person


Student-Led Conferences

Student-Led Conferences are upon us! For parents of younger students, this first conference will be teacher-led, but you can look forward to your young scholar presenting their own work in the spring!

How can you make the most of this time with your student/ student’s teacher:

  • Write down any general questions you might have ahead of time.

  • Consider diverse voices, ideas, and perspectives as equally valid.

  • Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

  • Embrace a mindset that promotes learning.

  • Seek opportunities to celebrate and share in gratitude.

  • Bring concerns to the table with curiosity and compassion.

Here is an article to learn more about the educational philosophy behind the Student-Led Conference.


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Accessibility: PARENT DIALOGUE SERIES FIRST SESSION IN PERSON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29th at noon.
There’s no quick or foolproof way to talk about the complexities of race with your child(ren). But, it’s a conversation all families need to have, no matter your race, background, education or experience. Let’s get started, continue, or expand the conversation together.
Click Blue/Teal/Purple (Left on Desktop) Graphic for RSVP form.

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Accessibility:

Curious about Evergreen Acedemically/Intellectuall Gifted program AKA A. I. G. Program?

Click on the Purple and Gold Graphic (Right on Desktop) for a program overview and qualifying criteria.


How does Title I Affect Me?

Please join one of the meetings to learn about Title I funds at Evergreen. We'll discuss funding, staffing, interventions, and collaborate on ways to involve parents. Learn more about Title I here.

Sept 25th, 12pm on zoom or

Sept 26th, 5pm in person at Evergreen


Accessibility: Volunteers Needed to assist with ushering students to and from class, distributing paperwork, etc. Sept 26 & 27. Click the Graphic to sign up.

Photography provided by brenphotography.net


Social Emotional Learning Skill: Self Regulation

This month in K4 Guidance Lessons we focused on Feelings and Coping Strategies to use to get ourselves regulated and ready to learn. Self-regulation is likely to be a word that you will hear during the school year at some point. Are you familiar with this term? Self-regulation means that you can manage your emotions when they are strong. In order to help your child develop this skill, try practicing a strong emotion (like sadness or anger). Work with your child and discuss techniques to regulate their emotions to regain control and maintain composure even when their emotions are strong. Techniques can include: breathing, turning your feelings into song, counting, connecting with the earth, and movement. What are your favorite self-regulation techniques?

Accessibility: Breathing Skills: 1. Slowly trace a star shape breathe in as you trace one side of an arm. Hold Breath at the tip of each point, and release breathe as you trace your way back to the center. 2. Trace a figure eight, breathing in for one loop and switching at the center to breathing out for the second loop. Pretend there is a flower (or muffin) in your hand, bring it to your face and deeply inhale through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. 4. Picture of a pufferfish. Breathe in through your nose, puff out your cheeks like a pufferfish, breathe out through your mouth.

Accessibility: Grounding Skills: 1. Look for 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can smell, 2 things you can feel, 1 thing you can taste. 2. Count up to ten, Count down from ten. 3. Hold water in both hands and take slow sips. 4. Squeeze a ball, wait for it to expand, and squeeze it again. 5. Shake a glitter bottle and watch it settle.


Take advantage of this Free Webinar Series Airing in October

Earlier this year, Attorney General Stein convened leaders from across North Carolina to discuss the challenges facing our youth and strategies to help keep them safe – and following that event, several parents noted that they wished there was a way to share this important information with others who are concerned about our kids. To do so, the NC Department of Justice is organizing a series of webinars targeted to parents, caregivers, and those who work with youth.

This series – Protecting the Next Generation of North Carolinians – will address four specific topics, one per each brief session, and at each, we’ll convene experts to provide background information and practical tips to help keep NC kids healthy and safe. We’ll cover topics including online dangers for youth, safe gun storage, and youth substance use. More information on the series is available here

The series kicks off in October with Keeping Kids Safe at School, at Home, and in our Communities with Safe Gun Storage.

  • Wednesday, October 4 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

  • Speakers include NC Department of Public Safety Deputy Secretary William Lassiter, Raleigh Police Department Lieutenant Billy Gartin, parent advocate Baker Burleson, and Attorney General Josh Stein

  • Register here


Accessibility: Thank you! Abby and Jon Stoian, Christopher and Josef Rupp for participating in last weekend’s workday and being the change we wished to see on campus!

Thank you! Mary Bulan and Kiera Mulvey Bulan, Little Farm, Black Mountain for sharing this beautiful space and hosting a super sweet social event to raise money for the Evergreen Fund!


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Breakfast! Available each morning in the foyer! No need to pre-order, $2.75 will be charged to your MPP account, unless you qualify for free/reduced lunch, then there is no charge! Click on the pink graphic for the weekly menu.


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A Note from Kellam, Teacher Appreciation Coordinator: Fearless Parents, School has started and our brave teachers and staff are back to give our kiddos their best. Let’s show them how much we care by giving them a special treat once a week (preferably Thursday) in the staff lounge. Click the graphic for a sign-up form.

September 14th, 2023

September 14th, 2023


 Unlock Benefits for Your Child and Support Our School - Complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application!

Have you taken a moment to complete the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Application for your child? If you haven't already received an email from the school regarding your child's status, we encourage you to apply today.

Completing the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Application benefits not only your family but our school community as well- your participation directly contributes to our school's funding. It enables us to provide quality education, resources, and opportunities that benefit all students through Title I funding and other grants, which are based on the number of students eligible for the Free/Reduced Price Lunch Program.   

Please take a moment to complete the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Application. Your efforts will make a significant difference, ensuring that every child has access to the support they need.


Title I Parent Meeting

Please join one of the meetings to learn about Title I funds at Evergreen. We'll discuss funding, staffing, interventions, and collaborate on ways to involve parents.

Sept 25th, 12pm on zoom or

Sept 26th, 5pm in person at Evergreen



PLEASE take the time to RSVP to the email linked to the graphic below if you are planning to attend the workday on saturday!

 
 

Mon. Sept 18th - U-Pick Picnic @ Little Farm, Swannanoa Field
6pm-8pm

Come fill your house with flowers to celebrate the transition of the seasons and support the school!

You’re invited to pack a picnic and join us for a U-pick Picnic event hosted by Mary and Kiera, Evergreen parents, and owners of the beautiful Little Farm, Black Mountain!

If we have enough RSVP’s we will have someone there to do face painting and add a few other fun stations!

RSVP for directions to their Swannanoa Field location and enjoy an evening among the blossoms and among friends!

Participants are encouraged to bring a donation for their bouquets and a portion of the proceeds from the evening will benefit the Evergreen Fund. Cash, Venmo, and Square payments accepted, but let’s try to have cash on hand to reduce the fees to the middle man!

Bring: Picnic seating and a fully stocked pic-a-nic basket, sun protection and plenty of water, jars or vases, pruning shears, snips (there will be some containers and tools, plus non-potable water available).

Leave: Pets at home, please!

Many thanks to Mary and Kiera for this beautiful and fun kick-off to our fundraising endeavors!

Do you have a venue or a fun idea for a fundraiser? We’d love to hear from you! Pitch your ideas here!



Childcare During Conferences

If you need child care during conferences on the 21st or 22nd, you may bring them to EverAfter. This is free of charge! Due to conferences being split between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, we have two different plans for each day. 

For Thursday afternoon, the 21st, we will host drop-in care on the Lower Playground and Multipurpose room from 3:55-5:45. We will not be available after 5:45PM, as EverAfter closes at 6.

For Friday morning, the 22nd, we will host drop-in care in the Gym.

Do not just send your children though; you, the parent, need to come in, speak with EverAfter staff, and sign them in and out. You MAY NOT just send them to wherever you see other kids. It will take a few minutes to sign them in, so please plan accordingly, so you are not late to your conference time--your child's teachers' time is both valuable AND limited! We also ask that if you prefer not to use EverAfter, please keep your children with you, or just outside of whatever classroom you are conferencing in. Unsupervised kids will be sent back to their parents or to the main office. Thanks for keeping kids supervised and safe!

Alternately, if you need all day care for your child on the 22nd, and you are registered for EverAfter, please refer to information in the EverAfter Newsletter dated 9/14.

For questions, please reach out to EverAfter Director, James Wilson.


Dinner Time Family Conversation Starters

To get the conversation flowing as your family gathers for dinner, a great tool to utilize is conversation starter questions. This is a fun way to grow social skills by encouraging turn taking, looking/facing towards the person speaking, and staying on topic. After asking your child a question, have them ask you the same question. You can also help your child to practice their language skills and articulate their words by encouraging them to use good speech sounds while asking/answering questions, and modeling correct grammar and sentence structure. Here is a link to a printable resource for getting those conversations started!



September 7th, 2023

September 7th, 2023

Dear Evergreeners,

I never imagined Evergreen would feel so much like a home. This time of year has so many familiar rhythms in planning for the start of school and the energy of staff returning to campus and readying for students and families. The anticipation and excitement of orientation and the first days of school reminds me of how excited my own children were to begin Kindergarten at Evergreen with Ms. Heather so many years ago - hard to believe my kiddos are already practically adults! 

When I joined the Evergreen community in 2006, I didn’t expect I would stay for long, and certainly didn’t think that I would love this community so deeply as I do today. I remember immediately being struck by how well everyone knew each other and by how much care and love went into each person - staff and students alike. I am continually in awe of this community and the ways that people reach out and support each other. For many of us, it has been a seriously tumultuous few months. The depths of grief in the losses in our community alongside the uncertainty of transitions has left many struggling. And, what I see every day in this struggle is extra compassion, people checking on each other, connecting authentically, smiling, crying, hugging, laughing together. This love, this support, is why I’ve stayed and what I want to be sure continues as part of the fabric of the community. We all thrive when we feel supported, feel valued, and feel belonging. Even when things aren’t as hard, please keep doing these same things for each other - they matter.  

 

I feel privileged to have been part of this community for so many years and in a variety of capacities - parent, academic support teacher, and 5-8 Associate Director before my current position - and having these experiences helps ground me in my new role. I’m grateful for your trust in me as we navigate this transitional period, one with grief and heartache intermingling with happiness, laughter, and compassion, as a strong and connected community. 

Thank you to each one of you for making Evergreen as special as it is, and thank you for working with us to improve our community and working to ensure that all of our kids are thriving and learning how to improve the world through their actions and words.

For all of you, but especially those of you who are new, my door is open. I would love to hear about your kids, learn about your family, your work, what you’re passionate about, and how Evergreen feels for you. Can we have coffee? Chat in the parking lot? Take a walk on the trail? It is my hope that you all find the same sense of home as I have at Evergreen. Let’s keep supporting each other and finding joy in our days, perhaps even in the traffic line! Who knows when a rainbow unicorn will be directing traffic. ;)

PS - a few housekeeping things:

  • Back to school illnesses, including Covid, are popping up all over school and in the wider community. Here are the guidelines we recommend for when to keep your child home from school. 

  • We will be using texting more often this year for communications - please make sure you have opted in to receiving texts by texting YES to 87569. We’ll send out a test text early next week. 

  • Join us on Sept 11th at 6:15pm for a special screening of The Big Payback - a movie about the reparations journey followed by a conversation co-led by the Racial Justice Coalition and Building Bridges

  • Tired of sitting in traffic? Consider carpooling. Fill out the interest form to get more info.

August 31st,  2023

August 31st, 2023

Enjoy and Honor the Labor Day Weekend!

In the spirit of life-long learning: Below are two links to learn more about why we celebrate Labor Day. The link on the left is more appropriate for the K-4 crowd, while the link on the right is more appropriate for a middle school or adult audience, has a more inclusive narrative, and includes some great continued learning resources. Please note: In the video on the right there are two relatively tame ‘curse words', that, in all honestly, will probably NOT shock a middle school audience. But you may want to preview the links before sharing.

We also want to acknowledge that many in our community do not have the privilege of a long weekend.


Sept 10th - Back to School Social

The Sunday after the Labor Day holiday weekend is our annual Back to School Social! There will be games and activities on the field. In the interest of simplicity we are asking attendees to bring fruit or something crunchy and salty to share!

Exciting news: This year handcrafted Buggy Pops will be there! Buggy Pops are $4/pop and that includes tax. Cash or card accepted. Dairy free and gluten free options will be available

We are looking for volunteers to help facilitate activities!

Sign up Here!




Mon. Sept 18th - U-Pick Picnic @ Little Farm, Swannanoa Field 6pm-8pm

Come fill your house with flowers to celebrate the transition of the seasons and support the school!

You’re invited to pack a picnic and join us for a U-pick Picnic event care of Mary and Kiera, Evergreen parents, and owners of the beautiful Little Farm, Black Mountain!

RSVP for directions to their Swannanoa Field location and enjoy an evening among the blossoms and among friends!

Participants will bring a donation for their bouquets and a portion of the proceeds from the evening will benefit the Evergreen Fund. Cash, Venmo, and Square payments accepted, but let’s try to have cash on hand to reduce the fees to the middle man!

Bring: Picnic seating and a fully stocked pic-a-nic basket, sun protection and plenty of water, jars or vases, pruning shears, snips (there will be some containers and tools, plus non-potable water available)

Leave: Pets at home, please

Many thanks to Mary and Kiera for this beautiful and fun kick off to our fundraising endeavors!

Do you have a venue or a fun idea for a fundraiser? We’d love to hear from you! Pitch your ideas here!



Meet the Counselors: 5th-8th Grade Counselor

Hello everyone, my name is Hunter Holland (she/her) and I am the new 5-8 Counselor! I just recently graduated from Western Carolina University with my Masters in Counseling as a licensed Professional School Counselor and waiting on my Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate license to go through. Before accepting this position at Evergreen, I had experience as a wilderness therapy instructor, teacher assistant, substitute teacher, life skills instructor, and behavioral support specialist. I feel like I have won the occupational lottery by becoming a part of this Evergreen community!

 

Just a little more about me:
I was born and raised in rural West Virginia and moved to the Brevard area in 2017. I met my husband, James, working in the wilderness and we found our dog, Huckleberry, wandering the gravel roads in Dupont. We spend most of our time out in the woods backpacking, climbing, car camping, or hiking. Don’t get me wrong, I also love the modern conveniences of a hot shower, clean bed, and conditioned air!

Please reach out to me by email, or by phone P: 828.298.2173, Ext. 1204, if you have any questions or concerns. My office hours are 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday. You can also check out my Parent Hub if you are curious about our counseling program

Meet the Counselors: Interim K-4 Counselor

Hello! My name is Katy Truxall and I am the interim K-4 School Counselor until Annie gets back in December. I am currently in my internship semester in the counseling program at Western Carolina University and will be graduating with a Master’s degree in December. I am filled with excitement to get to know your kiddos and serve this wonderful community at Evergreen Community Charter School. 

I grew up in Miami, Florida and moved to the mountains of WNC 14 years ago. Before going back to school in 2016, I was a massage therapist for over a decade.

An ideal day for me looks like lying in my hammock next to a rushing river while working on a crochet project. I also love spending time with my adorable pets and going on fun adventures with my fiance. I’ve been a gamer since my Grandad gave me his Commodore 64 when I was a kid. These days I don’t have as much time for gaming, but when I do I am playing games like Diablo, The Forest, League of Legends, and Final Fantasy 7 The Remake.  

Please reach out to me to connect with any concerns or questions you may have regarding counseling services. You may have the most success reaching me by email or call 828.298.2173, Ext. 1312. My office hours are Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. Check out the k-4 Counseling Parent Hub for more information about services and resources.  Looking forward to an amazing school year!


Silver Linings : Celebrating 25 Years with a Wolf Pack Throwback!

Time for another Wolfpack Throwback. Check out this 10th Anniversary Video! Teachers and Admin discuss the beginnings of the school and how we got to our current campus. Bonus: Baby Ms. Deidre and Baby Ms. Marni!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead