PTA CONNector
Parents, educators, and students working together to build a stronger school community
May 2010
Principal’s Message
Dear Conn Families,  Each May, I ask that parents submit letters
With less than thirty days left in the school year, we
have already begun planning for the 2010-2011
school year. New magnet families are visiting and
our PTA has begun the tedious budget process.
Before we know it, June 10 will be here and we will
make our trek to the post office to mail your child’s
report card. At the risk of getting too far ahead of
ourselves, let’s all remember what lies ahead in the
month of May – potentially the most important and
exciting month of our entire school year.
As indicated on our May calendar, the End-of-
Grade (EOG) reading and math tests are scheduled
for Monday, May 17, Tuesday, May 18, and
Wednesday, May 19 for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. The
5th graders only will take the Science EOG on
Thursday, May 13. Here are several important
reminders as we begin the testing season:
• Teachers have prepared our students by
teaching the Standard Course of Study all
year – there is no need for last minute
cramming!
• The EOGs begin immediately after our 9:05
bell – please make sure your student is on
time everyday but especially on these days.
• Our annual “Do Your Best” celebration is
scheduled for the week of May 3 -7. During
this time, we remind students of how they
can prepare for the tests – get a good night’s
sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at
school on time. We put a great deal of
emphasis on our expectation that students
“Do Your Best”. Students should attempt to
answer all questions and use all of the
allotted time on each test day.
• As soon as we receive student score reports
and compile that information, we will send
home a letter informing you of your
student’s performance. In the event that your
student needs to retest, you will be
contacted.
describing your student’s characteristics and
learning styles if you believe that special
consideration should be given to his/her class
placement next year. Please note that specific
teacher requests will not be accommodated.
The administrative team and grade levels will
work together to create class rosters that support our
entire student body. If you choose to submit a letter,
please do so by Friday, May 28. You may bring the
letter to the office or email it to me at
dkearney@wcpss.net.
Thank you for your continued support of our
school this year. Our teachers are especially
appreciative of the many ways you demonstrate
support like attending field trips, sending in supplies
and snacks, and attending parent conferences.
Please join our PTA this week as they honor all
Conn Educators the week of May 3 – 7 with a
variety of special treats!
Diann P. Kearney
Conn Elementary Principal
President’s Message  
Isn’t it amazing to realize this school year is
winding down? So much has happened since we
started the year off last August. It’s obvious that
our kids have grown physically, some one size, but
many several sizes in the clothes they wear now. I
love thinking about how much our kids have grown
on the inside, too.
As my term as President ends, I am amazed at
how many of our PTA activities have contributed to
their growth. From sponsoring artists in residence
programs for every grade level, organizing math
tutors and reading coaches to help struggling
students catch up, to helping get new books for the
Media Center, and yummy teacher snacks for staff
meetings, we’ve made the Conn experience so
much fuller for every student.
PTA has certainly strengthened the Conn
family atmosphere too. CONNivale in the fall,
Family Fun Night in the winter, and Pizza and
Pizzazz in the spring, have provided family fun and
memorable interaction between school officials,
students and their families.
As you reflect on this school year, I invite you
to think about how you might be able to do more for
your child’s school next year. Whether you work
full time or are a stay-at-home parent, the PTA has
plenty of ways to satisfy your desire to help support
Conn Elementary in a way that fits with the rest of
your busy family life.
Some PTA roles are performed entirely from
home. Many positions require less than one hour a
month. Do you like to work outside? Are you good
with numbers? Do you know how to work a
popcorn machine? The opportunities to make a
meaningful difference are always there!
To see the PTA in action, come to our Board
meeting this Monday, May 10, at 6:15 in the Media
Center. It’s an informal, efficient group of men and
women dedicated to making sure Conn meets the
needs of our students.
If you can’t make the meeting, but have an
interest in finding out more, fill out the information
on page four of this newsletter and return it in your
student’s Tuesday folder. Feel free to contact Linda
Davis (821.7602, lgd919@nc.rr.com) or Carmon
Pullen (376-0844, carmonellen@yahoo.com) with
questions.
Even a small amount of time means so much in
the lives of our children. Thank you for being an
important part of their successful school experience.
Linda Davis
Conn Elementary PTA President
The Counselor’s Corner
EOG Test season is upon us. It is time to begin
helping your child mentally and physically prepare
for the end of grade tests. Some students are excited
about the opportunity to show off what they have
May 2010 CONNector  
learned through the school year. Others, however,
will be less enthusiastic and experience some
anxiety regarding the test. Some level of
nervousness before a test can be motivational.
However, too much stress and anxiety can interfere
with your child’s ability to perform on the test. The
seven strategies below will help your child manage
his or her stress and give their best performance on
the end of grade tests. These strategies were
presented to the parents at “Do Your Best Night” in
April.
• Keep it simple and consistent.
• For a week or two prior to the test, do what
you always do. This creates mental balance
and alleviates excitement. Avoid new
hairstyles, new clothing, and special trips that
could be distractions or cause the child to be
self-conscious during testing. Special treats
and rewards are best given after the testing
week. Try to make the week as normal as
possible.
• Allow 8-10 hours of sleep. A tired body means
a tired brain. He or she should get 8-10 hours
of sleep for several consecutive days prior to
the test.
• Provide a healthy breakfast. Eat a healthy
dinner the night before as well. Limit sweets
and caffeine on the night before and the day of
the test. Provide a breakfast that is familiar to
avoid stomach and digestion problems.
• Make sure they are on time to school. Arriving
well before 9:05 is ideal. Rushing makes it
difficult to relax and concentrate.
• Protect them from emotional strain. It is
important not to over-expose children to
television news, adult conversations,
arguments or other situations that may pull on
their emotions. It becomes difficult to
concentrate on the test when psychologically
draining problems are on the mind.
• Practice Relaxation Techniques. The students
learn four techniques at school to use to get
themselves relaxed in a stressful situation.
These techniques are: (1) Deep breathing, (2)
Muscle relaxation, (3) Positive self-talk, (4)
Mental Imagery. Practice these skills with
your child and remind them to use them during
testing.
 •Give lots of reassurance. Children need to
know that you will be proud of them for trying Conn PTA Joins
their best, not depending on their test score.
The EOGs are important, but in the grand Great Schools in Wake Coalition  
scheme of the child’s life, it is certainly not the
most important. Help them keep a positive and At the March 25, 2010 PTA General Meeting,
persevering attitude about the test. the PTA membership voted unanimously to join the
As we say at Conn, Do Your Best! Great Schools in Wake (GSIW) Coalition.
If you have questions or concerns about test The group’s vision is to build a growing
readiness, please contact Robyn Faison at 856-3028. coalition of Wake County parents, students,
Robyn Faison taxpayers and civic organizations, with a goal of
School Counselor strengthening education throughout Wake County.
The coalition brings together a broad group of
Wake residents who wish to advocate for all
Media Matters students in the public school system and educate
April  brought  National  Poetry  Month  and  Pocket  parents, taxpayers, and residents about public
Poetry Day and our students were busy reading, writing,  school policy and initiatives.
and  sharing  poetry!    Everyday  began  with  a  poem  on  Below is a list of their current school and non-
CFN:  the  first  week  from  famous  poets’  websites,  the  profit membership. To get more information about
second  week  from  Conn  staff  members,  and  the  last  this group, their frequent community forums, and
two  weeks  from  Conn  students.    Students  shared  how to get your free membership as an individual,
favorite poetry, original poetry, and reminded us of our  their website is:
responsibility to the earth on Earth Day. 
For National Library Week, students and staff were  http://wakeupwakecounty.
challenged  to  check  out  and  read  a  book  from  the 
media  center.    To  commemorate  their  rise  to  the  com/cms/greatschools#J.
challenge,  they  proudly  signed  their  name  on  the 
“graffiti  wall.”    By  the  end  of  the  week,  the  wall  was 
filled with names of students and staff. 
As the school year winds down, it’s time to step up 
looking for misplaced books and returning books to the 
media center.  We will again have the “Race to the End” 
contest  to  reward  those  classes  who  return  all  their 
books.      Please  help  your  student  return  all  books  by 
Wednesday,  May  27.    Watch  the  Tuesday  folder  for  a 
list of books checked out to your student.  If you cannot  ¾ WakeUP Wake County
locate a book, the cost is printed on the notice.  Please  ¾ YWCA of the Greater Triangle
make checks payable to Conn Elementary.  ¾ Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African
Another thank you to the parents and PTA for their  American Children
support of our media programming through the annual  ¾ Harriet B. Webster Task Force for Student
Success
Book  Fair,  author  visit,  volunteers,  and  monetary 
¾ NAACP—3 Wake Chapters
contribution  to  purchase  the  books  our  kids  want  to 
¾ BiggerPicture4Wake
read.    Thank  you  also  for  encouraging  your  student  to  ¾ NC Justice Center
explore the wonderful world of reading through books,  ¾ Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial
magazines, and websites.  Please continue to read over  Alliance
the  summer  break.    Our  Wake  County  Public  Libraries  ¾ Social Action Committee of the Unitarian
are  bursting  with  the  latest  books  and  wonderful  Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
programs to engage any child.  ¾ Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association
Happy Reading! ¾ Real G.I.R.L.S. Leadership Academy, Raleigh
Brenda Shore, Media Specialist ¾ North Carolina Housing Coalition
Kathie Rozar, Media Assistant ¾ NC Social Justice Project
¾ NC Policy Watch
May 2010 CONNector  

 
 ¾ League of Women Voters of Wake County
¾ NC Association of Community Development
Corporations
¾ Fox Road Elementary PTA
¾ Stough Elementary PTA
¾ Hunter Elementary PTA
¾ Action for Children North Carolina
¾ Raleigh Grad Swings
¾ ProTrain LLC
¾ St. Matthew AME Church of Raleigh
¾ Wake Coalition of Rim Schools
If you answered yes to these questions, you
may be our next PTA President-elect or Treasurer!
If you can’t quite swing all the meetings, it will be
okay because you will have a back-up in place. Use
your volunteers and delegate the rest!
If you have any interest or know someone who
does, please contact Carmon Pullen. Her email
address is carmonellen@yahoo.com. Her phone
number is 376-0844.

¾ Conn Elementary PTA Conn PTA Volunteer Form

¾ A Word to Move On Name:
¾ Raleigh First Baptist Church
¾ JTW Antiracism Team--UUFR
¾ Fairmont United Methodist Church
¾ Concrete Homes NC
¾ Methodist Federation for Social Action Phone:
¾ NC Student and Parent Advocacy Group
¾ University Park Homeowners Association
UPHA
¾ Pullen Park Neighborhood
¾ Triangle East Chapter, 100 Black Men Inc.
¾ Pakistan American Coalition for Education
Email:
¾ Cameron Park Homeowners Association
UPHA
¾ Peace and Justice Mission Group of Pullen
Memorial Area(s) of Interest:
¾ Social Justice Ministry, Community United
Church of Christ PTA Board
¾ Cameron Village Neighborhood Association Holiday Shop
¾ Brooks Elementary PTA
Hospitality
Literacy Night
Conn PTA Needs You!!
Room Parent Coord.
Do you have ten minutes a day? Ten minutes a
day lets you stay in contact with the PTA Board via School Store
email. School Spirit Merch.
Can you get to school for ten minutes each
week? Walk inside the building during a carpool run Family Fun Night:
or over lunch. Ten minutes a week lets you check Yearbook:
the PTA mail, sign a check or ask a question.
Do you have an hour in the evening every six Other: _______________________________
weeks or so? One hour (okay, maybe two) will let
you meet with the board in person, get updates and
create new plans for PTA activities.
Can you arrange a 30-minute meeting during
the school day once a quarter? Thirty minutes will
let you meet with the principal. Remember, the
school day starts early, so you can still be in the
office by 9:00 a.m.
May 2010 CONNector  

 
 CONN PTA – OFFICER/BOARD MEMBER SEARCH
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Name Description

Help President with PTA activities throughout the year. Work on NC PTA awards program.
President Elect
CURRENT: Dakeisa Parker STATUS: NEEDED

Coordinate recruitment campaign for PTA membership and volunteers. Maintain parent volunteer database.
VP/Membership
CURRENT: Melissa Madrid STATUS: NEEDED

Inform PTA of the distribution of funds; maintain financial task for PTA.
Treasurer
CURRENT: Toddi Steelman & Joe Sinsheimer STATUS: NEEDED

COMMITTEES

Name Description

HOLIDAY SHOP Manage holiday store for our students to purchase holiday gift merchandise, schedule class shopping visits
with teachers; recruit volunteers to assist students with shopping. Committee needed Nov-Dec
CURRENT: Linda Davis STATUS: NEEDED

HOSPITALITY Organize refreshments at CONN events, such as Open Houses, Family Night, etc.
CURRENT: STATUS: NEEDED
Organize activities to promote reading and to engage our students in the joy of reading.

LITERACY NIGHT CURRENT: Pam Hartley STATUS: NEEDED

ROOM PARENT Manage room parent database and provide to all teachers and staff. Committee needed 1st quarter
COORDINATOR
CURRENT: Carol Lawson STATUS: NEEDED

SCHOOL STORE Manage school store for our students to purchase inexpensive school supplies. Committee needed when
parent is available to work the store. It can be a small as 1 morning a week. NEEDED

SCHOOL SPIRIT Order and sell CONN merchandise to support our PTA and show our school spirit.
MERCHANDISE
CURRENT: Mary Williams STATUS: NEEDED

Organize a fun night for all CONN families and staff to occur on a Friday night in February. Committee
needed in December – February
FAMILY FUN NIGHT
CURRENT: Jared Ollison STATUS: NEEDED

This is a 5th grade module. But will need a parent help to work with a professional company to produce the
annual yearbook containing student and staff photographs.
YEARBOOK
CURRENT: Mary Williams STATUS: NEEDED

STUDENT DIRECTORY Maintain student directory database. Print and distribute copy to all students by December.

CURRENT: Adrienne Berney STATUS: NEEDED

May 2010 CONNector  

 
 2009-2010 Conn Elementary PTA
HOME CELL
PTA CONTACTS NAME PHONE PHONE EMAIL
President Linda Davis 821.7602 210.4420 lgd919@nc.rr.com
President-Elect Dakeisa Parker 803.2035 264.7744 blakedakeisa@hotmail.com
VP Fundraising Julie Thomas 434.9690 thomasja@us.ibm.com
VP Membership Melissa Madrid 255.5219 Melissamadrid1@yahoo.com
Secretary Dionne Lester 792.2442 dlesterpta@nc.rr.com
Treasurer Toddi Steelman 513.0408 271.2844 Toddi_Steelman@ncsu.edu
Asst. Treasurer Joe Sinsheimer 821.9487 jsinsheimer@nc.rr.com
Butterfly Garden Christine Murphy 832.3298 345.1807 tomeichenberger@bellsouth.net
Communications Reid Serozi 807.1878 reid@serozi.com
CONNector Julie Snee 210.5586 jsneeze@gmail.com
Cultural Arts Peggy Hayes 870.0599 522.7995 peggy@peggyhayes.com
Soo Keith 834.1811 soo@sookeith.com
Lisa Ferrando
(Staff Liaison) 828.3534 lferrando@wcpss.net
Fall Carnival – Lisa & Rob
CONNivale Vanderberry 872.0741 271.4350 lvanderberry@nc.rr.com
Family Spirit Night Jared Ollison 247.4478 jso94@hotmail.com
Green Team Jeff Cherry 878.6177 915.1012 pakbakr@hotmail.com
David Thome 834.2735 215-0420 thome10@bellsouth.net
Holiday Shop Chrissy Pressley 834.6488 368.3856 cjpressley@gmail.com
Hospitality Capricia Conyers 833.1732 Capricia.conyers@yahoo.com
Legislative Matthew Brown 834.6488 askmisterbrown@yahoo.com
Literacy Night &
Campaign Pam Hartley 428.0992 pamhartley@earthlink.net
Media Center Kelly Turner 846.9317 kelly@mcbug.net
Room Parent
Coordinator Carol Lawson 761.1013 clawson2@aol.com
Parent Classroom
Liaison, K-2 Carmon Pullen 376.0844 291.8803 carmonellen@yahoo.com
Parent Classroom
Liaison, 3-5 Jaime Baker 231.9878 931.1478 bakers5@bellsouth.net
Positive Behavior
Support Mary Williams 846.5019 mawatwilliams@aol.com
Reflections Kelly LeVoyer 833.2297 kelly.levoyer@sas.com
Betsy Alexieff 524.8936 betsy_alexieff@ncsu.edu
Room Parent Coord. Carol Lawson 761.1013 cdlawson2@aol.com
School Store Daphne Shuler
School Spirit Merch. Mary Williams 846.5019 mawatwilliams@aol.com
Student Directory Adrienne Berney 828.5599 awberney@bellsouth.net
Teacher Apprec. Susan Robson 212.8733 luvoureducators@yahoo.com
Yard Sale Gabriella Corter 833.2078 827.3681 magicrabbit@nc.rr.com
Yearbook Mary Williams 846-5019 mawatwilliams@aol.com

May 2010 CONNector  

 
 May 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Bell Schedule: Interims Issued “Do Your Best”
M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 Assembly 2:30
W – 9:05 – 2:45

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
EOG Testing EOG Testing EOG Testing EOG Testing EOG Testing -Green Team Grounds
PTA Board Meeting PTA 4th Q Showcase Work Day 10 – Noon
6:15 PTA Mtg. 6:00
Showcase: 6:30

16 17 18 19 20 21 22
EOG Testing EOG Testing EOG Testing

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30 31
SCHOOL
HOLIDAY
 June 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Bell Schedule: 1 2 3 4 5
M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 Conn Achievers Do Your Best Field Day Field Day RAIN DATE
W – 9:05 – 2:45 K & 1: 9:30 Celebration (3rd, 4th,
2&3: 10:15 and 5th recess) Volunteer Luncheon
4&5: 11:00 11:00-1:00
Media Center

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
PTA Board Mtg. 6:15 5th Grade Class Day Last Day of School Teacher Workday Teacher Workday
10:00 5TH grade vs. Staff
Kickball 10:00 PTA Luncheon for
Variety Show Teachers
1:15 K-2; 2:30 3-5

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30