PTA CONNector
Parents, educators, and students working together to build a stronger school community
NOVEMBER 2009
Principal’s Message
Dear Conn Families,
Our Wednesday schedules changed at the start of the
school year to provide teachers time to operate as a
collaborative community of learners. Every Wednesday, we
dismiss at 2:45 (or at 1:15 on early release days) and grade
level and department teams meet to use data, professional
experience, and best practice to meet the academic needs of
all students. These professional learning teams (PLTs)
benefit from this uninterrupted time and from the support
of other members of our staff. Title I, Special Programs,
Intervention, and Specialists teachers support grade level
PLTs by meeting on a rotating basis to discuss their work
with specific students. Administrators rotate through the
PLTs to answer questions and to make sure that all
necessary resources are in place. Together, our school staff
supports the learning and academic achievement of all
Conn students.
The grade level chairs of 3rd and 5th grade, Ms.
Stephanie Anolick and Ms. Meredith Jarrett, report the
Wednesday early dismissal time to be very valuable for
their PLTs and their students. Ms. Anolick reports that the
3rd grade team gathers to review student performance and
to discuss how they can better meet the needs of students
through reteaching of key concepts. Ms. Jarrett reports that
the 5th grade team used student assessment data from the
beginning of the quarter to gauge student instructional
needs in math. The team agreed that they could better
support student learning if they divided the 5th graders into
groups based on their performance.
As PLTs continue to meet over the course of the
school year, they will focus on meeting topics that our
administrative team has outlined in addition to the ongoing
topics they have identified that are unique to their team.
Each PLT maintains an agenda and record of their meetings
and submits those to our Instructional Resource Teacher
(IRT), Ms. Christy Story, for review and input. Ms. Story
and the administrative team discuss these records and
identify ways we can better support grade levels and
individual students. We solicit assistance from other
teachers within our building and from county specialists.
As we solidify our PLT meeting agenda and action
record, we will make these available on our website. We
want you, as parents, to have a better understanding of how
we are utilizing our time together on Wednesdays. We are
sure you will agree with our teachers that this time is
valuable and positively impacts our students’ performance.
Diann P. Kearney
Conn Elementary Principal
New School Board Majority
What Does It Mean?
By Matthew Brown
As you know, on October 6, four new members were
elected to the Wake County School Board. They
campaigned on a platform of “neighborhood schools” and
minimal reassignment of students. The new school board,
which will convene on December 1, will have a majority –
five out of nine members – that espouses this philosophy of
student assignment.
What remains to be seen is how the school system
administration will carry out the goals of the new school
board. Some have expressed concern that Conn’s
wonderful magnet program, and its wonderfully diverse
mix of students, are likely to be affected. While these
concerns are justified, change is not likely to be immediate
or drastic, for the following reasons:
1. The school board members are aware that the
Wake County School System is very highly regarded
nationwide, and they will not want to be responsible for
damaging that high regard;
2. The magnet program has been an essential element
of our school system’s success;
3. None of the new members of the school board
have called for the elimination of the magnet program;
4. The Wake County community, including the
business community, has strongly supported our magnet
schools and diversity program for the last 25 years, and will
not abandon it lightly or quickly;
5. Any major changes would require major
reassignment of students, which is what the new school
board members campaigned against.
And, most important to keep in mind is that election
posturing is much different from actual governing.
Elections engender simple, bold pronouncements;
governing requires carefully considered solutions to
complex issues. We will now enter a phase of consideration
and debate. Various philosophies, models of student
assignment, even models of education, will be examined
and discussed by parents, educators, and community
leaders. Sometimes the debate will be congenial and
sometimes it will be heated.
The bottom line is that all sides will have to find
common ground and move forward. Our duty in this
process is to make our voices heard wherever we can. We
have worked hard to achieve a good learning environment
for all our children, and we must continue to work to
preserve it.
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 We must remain open-minded; change can be good.
Each of us should find constructive ways to participate in
the upcoming process, keeping in mind that the goal must
be the best educational experience for all of our children.
Matthew Brown
Conn PTA Legislative Chair
Fundraising News
MYCOKEREWARDS: If you have Coke rewards in a
mycokerewards account, then you can donate them directly
to the school. If you don't have an account, send in your
codes to your teacher and we can enter them for the school.
Codes are found on most Coke products.
THINK GREEN: We are participating in the Harris Teeter
Together in Education "We Think Green" Contest. Collect
plastic shopping bags from ANY STORE and send them to
school through November 10th. Our school has a chance
to win up to $1,000!!
Julie Thomas
Vice President, PTA Fundraising
Meet Conn’s Administrative Intern
Hello Conn Parents and Families!
There are only a few “new” faces around Conn this
year, and I am one of them! It is my privilege to serve as
Conn’s Administrative Intern this school year as I complete
the final requirements for my Masters in School
Administration at UNC-CH.
I have taught in both the traditional and year-round
calendar school settings, and when searching for an
internship placement I knew that I wanted the magnet
school experience - I don’t think I could have found a
better school! I look forward to working with you and your
child this school year.
Leslie Taylor
October 13, 2009 Scholar Night
Parent Questions, Conn Staff Answers
1. What outcomes have come about with the
Wednesday afternoons with the teachers’ meeting
groups? What is the feedback? Teachers have
shared positive feedback regarding Wednesday PLT
(Professional Learning Teams) meetings. Teachers
appreciate the time and opportunity to collaborate,
review current data, and develop an instructional plan
to meet the needs of all learners; those needing support
as well as those exceeding expectations.
November 2009 CONNector  
2. How do modules work? Modules are specific
learning units designed to reinforce the required NC
Standard Course of Objectives at a grade level. Most
grades offer twelve modules in which students rotate
through every six weeks. Each module lasts
approximately three weeks. A detailed list of grade
level modules is located on Conn’s website.
3. Is the magnet program at risk with all of the
changes? It is uncertain how the recent changes will
impact WCPSS magnet programs. For the 2009-10
school year, Conn remains focused on learning and
teaching and will continue to closely align our
instructional program with the NC Standard Course of
Study and our magnet theme components: technology,
active learning, communication, and community
involvement.
4. Will Spanish be added back for K-2? Spanish is an
integral part of our magnet theme. All third, fourth,
and fifth graders receive Spanish instruction twice a
week. Wake County Schools projects student
enrollment for the following school year in the late
spring. We will closely monitor the projections and
work with the Magnet Programs Department to re-
establish the K-2 Spanish position.
5. I have a first grader. Why do I read to her for 20
minutes instead of vice-versa? It is important for
parents to read to their children to model good reading
skills such as fluency and proper pronunciation.
Listening to adult readers is an excellent way for
students to begin to model good reading habits and
skills. You could share the reading experience by
taking turns reading a sentence or paragraph.
6. Why is it that students do great work during the
school year, but on the EOC their minds go blank?
That is the million dollar question! Teachers
contemplate this after every EOG, yet refuse to believe
that the student doesn’t know the information. Most
students begin taking the EOG with enthusiasm and
excitement, yet find themselves warn out by the middle
of the assessment. The EOG is a test of endurance;
students must be taught to tackle the test with
confidence. It is important for teachers to provide
students with opportunities to practice test-taking skills
to increase their confidence without placing too much
emphasis on “the test.”
7. What are some resources parents may utilize to
help students adapt to the assessment process? The
NC Department of Public Instruction website has
excellent test preparation resources for students to
practice. You could also contact your child’s teacher
or the IRT to obtain additional resources. The most
important preparation for all students is paying
attention in class, completing assignments, and asking
questions if the information doesn’t make sense.
8. Why are students not grouped according to
reading levels? For example, another student on a
higher level helps the lower level using a study
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 buddy system. All Conn teachers deliver a balanced
reading program incorporating modeled, shared,
guided, and independent reading experiences.
Teachers work collaboratively with students on all
levels when developing and practicing a skill. Students
are grouped according to their reading level for short
periods of time during the reading block (20 minutes)
to practice a reading skill at their level. Many of our 3-
5 classrooms share reading buddies with K-2
classrooms.
9. Does any teacher have a “Hooked on Phonics”
program that he/she is willing to let me use? I have
a struggling reader. Please help!!! Contact your
child’s teacher to discuss your concerns. He/she will
be able to provide you with resources to reinforce
phonics skills at home. You may also schedule a
meeting with one of our literacy teachers to discuss
your concerns. They, too, have many resources and
materials to support sound/letter identification
strategies and word recognition skills.
10. Is there a teacher willing to start a small reading
group in the morning (say from 8:30-9:00) for
struggling readers? (Maybe twice a week) I know
this is done in the 4th quarter, but I want to know if
it can start now or maybe 2nd quarter. We will begin
a Title 1 tutorial in the spring. Specifics regarding this
opportunity will be announced soon. Talk with your
child’s teacher regarding your concerns and
suggestion.
11. Why are students promoted to the next grade level
when the student hasn’t mastered basic skills?
There are many factors contributing to the decision to
promote/retain a student. A student’s academic
development is as individual as his/her height and
ability to achieve mastery at many things. While
mastering basic skills is important, the
promotion/retention committee, comprised of teachers
and administrators, looks carefully at each child’s
academic, social, and emotional development. Each
decision is made with the child’s best interest in mind.
If a child is promoted to the next grade level without
completely mastering the current grade level
objectives, specific interventions are provided to the
student to support his/her acquisition of skills.
12. How can learning be tailored to fit a student’s style
of learning? Some people are visual or hands-on
learners, for example. At Conn, students are provided
with many opportunities to learn a skill through a
variety of ways. As an “active learning” school, we
seek ways to reach all students through their distinct
learning styles.
13. My daughter has a number of concerns about
bullying (as she refers to it) at Conn and says it
wasn’t that way at her former school. Are other
students/parents complaining about it and what, if
anything, is being done to address it? Ms. Faison,
Conn’s guidance counselor, along with the PBS
November 2009 CONNector  
(Positive Behavior Support) team will begin educating
teachers, parents, and students about bullying. Many
students use the term interchangeably with bothering
and pestering. Ms. Faison will work with students and
teachers to review the difference and provide students
with acceptable ways to respond to their classmates
should they find themselves in an uncomfortable
situation. Please encourage your daughter to inform
her teacher immediately, if and when another student
is bothering her.
14. At the high school level, we’re beginning a lot of
discussion around grading practices…Is that
happening at the elementary level, too? Elementary
schools in Wake County are leading the grading
discussion. All elementary schools have moved to a
standards-based grading system designed to measure a
student’s mastery of each academic objective. Students
are assigned a level (1, 2, 3, 3*, or 4) indicating his/her
understanding of the objective. Behavior/conduct and
work habits are assessed separately and do not affect the
student’s overall “grade.” Middle schools and high
schools are beginning to see the benefits in the standards-
based system and have begun discussing ways to carry
some of the practices to the secondary level.
Academically Gifted News
Scheduled Explorer units and criteria can be found on
Conn’s Academically Gifted website which is accessible
through Conn’s home page at connes.wcpss.net. Once
there, select class pages, AG, Explorers.
Kindergarten Jr. Explorers have been busy describing
plot sequences and analyzing the motives of various
characters in classic children’s literature. They have been
using adjectives when describing characters in their character
webs and can use prepositional phrases when referring to the
position and actions of each character.
First and second grade Jr. Explorers have been solving
math problems using strategies such as drawing pictures,
estimating, using calculators, creating tables, looking for
patterns and creating number sentences. The students have
been working on place-value as they continue to refine
their skills in adding and subtracting. Both grade levels
have also been making conjectures about adding and
subtracting even and odd numbers and using mental
computation to add multiples of ten.
Third grade Explorers have been using their
estimating and problem solving skills during a unit on
Economics. Teams of third graders have formed toy
automobile corporations. The teams have had to write
“checks” to pay for necessary goods and services and
determine a fair price for their products that would cover
overhead costs and sufficiently compensate their labor
force. Through our simulation, the students have stumbled
across several economic concepts such as monopoly (one
team cleverly bought out all of our wheels), specialization
of labor, and bartering.
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 Fourth grade math students have been learning about
parallel and perpendicular lines, finding perimeter and area
of plane figures and developing fluency with multiplication
and division.
Fifth grade AG students have been busy in both math
and modules. In math class the students recently finished
creating posters demonstrating the connection between
fractions and decimals and are currently creating three-
dimensional scaled models. The students are using their
understanding of scale and measurement in their study of
landforms during our module time as well. Teams of
students are designing experiments to determine the effects
of slope, floods and vegetation on landforms using their
knowledge of measurement and the scientific method.
Nancy A. Hanley
Academic Gifted Specialist
Media Matters
Destination Book Fair was a great success for our
children, teachers, parents and media center. Thanks to
your generosity with One For Books, many students took a
book of their very own home to read and value, teachers
received popular books for their classroom collections, and
the media center picked several “hot” titles to add for
student check out.
Due to your generosity in purchasing books and other
items for your children, our students will benefit from the
$2,442 we earned to purchase books for the media center.
Check out the Media Bytes bulletin board for other book
fair statistics.
Kindergarten has been busy exploring the media
center, learning just what it means to borrow a book. If you
bring it back, you get another one, free!!
First grade has begun evaluating nominees for the
North Carolina Children’s Book Award 2010. Each class
has set criteria for an “award winning book” and after each
book is read, we judge its merits against these criteria.
Watch Media Matters for our choice! Wonder if our votes
will match other children in NC?
Third graders are exploring poetry, learning where to
find it on the shelves. Soon they’ll be completely independent
in locating materials in the media center. Technology is
assisting fifth graders with dictionary skills! In-house videos
lead them through the lesson in a classroom center and then
they practice, hands-on, what they’ve learned.
Remember, even if you’re not a fan of Captain
Underpants or Wimpy Kid, your child is READING and
loving it!!! Take time to read to them every day!! Fostering
that love of reading will lead them to a lifetime of learning.
Kate DiCamillo (author of Because of Winn
Dixie, Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Tale of
Despereaux, Mercy Watson series, etc.) has a new book
coming out and was interviewed on NPR. The link below
can take you to her interview and allows you to read the
first chapter of The Magician's Elephant. Check it out at
www.npr.org.
Brenda Shore, Media Specialist
November 2009 CONNector  
2009 Fall Book Fair Thank You
We hit a home run with this year¹s Scholastic Book
Fair, the most successful in school history!
It was so exciting to watch Conn students and their
families share their enthusiasm for books. Proceeds from
the fair will be used to buy books for Conn¹s media center.
Generous contributions to the One for Books program also
added books to classroom libraries and put books in the
hands of dozens of students who would otherwise have
gone home empty-handed.
Thank you to all the Conn students, families, and
staff—and especially to a fantastic team of volunteers--for
making this fair the best yet!
Kelly Turner
Media Center Committee PTA Chair
CONNivale is Here!
The place to be this Saturday, November 7th from 1-
4pm is the annual Fall CONNival. This year’s event
promises to be better than ever with returning favorites and
new adventures.
Games, like the 3-legged race, soccer shootout and tic
tac toss will encourage our competitive side. And
everyone’s a prize winner! DJ John Ross will keep us
movin’ and groovin’ with today’s hit tunes. The craft area
will surely inspire artists of all ages. A very special
addition will be creating a Conn parachute that Coach K
will use in his class. You can also get your face painted or
create your own hacky sack. Bring a t-shirt from home and
tie dye it with Ms. Phillips.
Thanks to our school’s participation in fundraising
with Innisbrook, they will provide a Bounce castle.
Everyone who sold 10 items or more in the Innisbrook sale
will receive a wristband for unlimited access.
Come hungry because there will be tasty treats galore.
The PTA will have drinks and carnival snacks. The 4th
grade is holding a fundraiser with Chick-fil-A for their field
trip fund. Hank the Hot Dog man will be back, too.
This year we are adding a new raffle section to our
ever-popular Teacher Treats and Silent Auction. It will
feature Grown-Up Goodies and Kids' Treats to try and win.
Your gift donations for the raffle will greatly help in
making this successful. Small items of toys, board games,
crafts, gift cards, books and knick knacks will be assembled
into specialty packages for grown-ups and kids. Let your
imagination run wild as you pick and choose your donated
items. Please deliver your donations to school, marked for
the Fall Carnival by tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 4th.
To volunteer or donate, contact Lisa Vanderberry
(lvanderberry@nc.rr.com) or Chrissy Pressley
(cjpressley@aol.com). Don’t miss out on the fun!
Lisa Vanderberry
Chair, Fall CONNivale
4

Attention Title I Parents
Are you looking for strategies to help your child with
reading? Are you looking for activities to help with
fluency, comprehension and word work?
Then come to the Title 1 Make and Take Workshop
where you have the opportunity to visit 3 stations where
you can make and take home reading activities. Please
make sure you and your family are registered to come to
the workshop by letting your child’s Title 1 teacher know.
What: Title 1 Make and Take Workshop
When: Thursday, November 5th at 6:15pm-7:30pm
Where: The Conn Cafeteria
Who: For Title 1 students and their parents or
guardians who have already registered
A light dinner will be provided and you get a
homework pass for attending the event. We hope to see you
there!
The Title 1 Team
News from Yearbook Committee
You are invited to CONN-tribute to the Yearbook.
Our theme this year is “Cool Student Information” and the
“CSI” experts would like you to CONN-tribute a CONN-
pliment for your student, teacher, or to the school over all.
Watch your Tuesday folders for the form with pricing
information and due date.
Mary Williams
Chair, PTA Yearbook
Third Grade Update
We have begun our module rotations and the students
are engaged and completing lots of hands-on activities.
Please ask your child what he or she has been learning in
Science. Several excursions will be occurring in the
upcoming weeks. Please sign and return permission slips in
a timely fashion.
Thanks to all parents who attended Scholar Night. It
was a great success!
Please remember that the weather has changed. Please
allow your child to wear a jacket or a sweater to school.
Also, please help your child remember to return their
Tuesday folders on Wednesday.
November 2009 CONNector  
In Math, your third grader is describing and
identifying two- and three-dimensional figures.
Multiplication and elapsed time is in our near future. In
Literacy, we are making words, learning new W.O.W.
words, and learning about what strategies to use if we come
to something that is confusing or that we do not understand.
We have launched our Writer’s Workshop and we are
composing narratives. Please be sure to check our team
website and blackboard for updates and upcoming events.
There are also many educational resources that are aligned
with the skill objectives we are teaching. If you have any
questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or
email your child’s classroom teacher. This quarter has been
filled with incredible learning opportunities with many
more to come!
The Third Grade Team
Conn Family is GREEN
Thanks to those of you who have voted “NO” in your
Tuesday folder, saying you do NOT want a hard copy of
each month’s newsletter. We are reducing our paper
purchase in November by 35%! If you have NOT voted in
your Tuesday folder yet, take a moment to do so right now.
Let’s see if we can reach 50% next month!! Vote NO!!
Conn Community Night 
Wed. Dec. 2 
4 – 8 pm 
 
Join  us  at  Chick‐fil‐A  at  North  Hills  for 
dinner  and  to  connect  with  other  Conn 
families. Conn Elementary will receive a 
portion  of  the  sales  generated  that 
night. 
 
Thanks  again  to  everyone  who  attended 
October’s dinner at Jason’s Deli.  
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 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 sookeith@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

November 2009 CONNector  
6
 
 November 2009
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 Conn Achievers: 6 7
-PTA Board Meeting K&1 9:30 Fall CONNivale
Bell Schedule: 6:15 pm PICTURE DAY 2&3 10:15 1 – 4 p.m.
M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 Note: Tuesday folders 4&5 11:00 -Magnet Fair – S.E.
W – 9:05 – 2:45 will go home Thursday -Interims/Report Raleigh HS
11/5 with report cards Cards Issued 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

SCHOOL
HOLIDAY

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
-Green Team Grounds
Work Day 10 – Noon

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

TEACHER SCHOOL SCHOOL

WORKDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY

29 30

7
 December 2009
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Bell Schedule: 1 2 3 4 5
M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 - Early Release 1:15 - School Picture Make-
W – 9:05 – 2:45 - Conn Community Ups
Early Release Day Night – Chick-Fil-A at
12/2 9:05-1:15 North Hills 4-8 p.m.

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
-PTA Board Meeting Conn Holiday Shop
6:15 pm Conn Holiday Shop Conn Holiday Shop 9 am to 3 pm Conn Holiday Shop
Conn Holiday Shop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. AND 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 4:30 – 6:00 pm

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
-PTA General -Green Team Grounds
Meeting – 6:00 pm Work Day 10 – Noon
-Conn Showcase
6:30 pm

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
TEACHER SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL
WORKDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY

27 28 29 30 31
SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL
HOLIDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY HOLIDAY