Exploris PTO News

10/18:PTO Meeting Wed.,School Pictures, Volunteers Needed

Monday Minute for October 18, 2021:

  • PTO Meeting this Wednesday
  • Volunteers needed for Fall Festival
  • School Pictures this week
  • Elementary Cleanup
  • Pulsera Project- on sale now!
  • School Directory Online
  • School Announcements
  • Calendar
  • Spirit week- October 25-29
  • Annual Fund
  • Amazon Smile

You’re Invited!

Please join us on Wednesday, October 20 for the second general PTO meeting of the 2021-22 School Year. We’ll hear an Exploris School Update from Josh Corbat, learn more about parent volunteer hours at Exploris, discuss the Fall Festival and other upcoming events, and more. The meeting will last one hour on Zoom. Everyone in the Exploris community is invited! Here’s the Zoom link:

PTO Meeting – WEDNESDAY at 6:30! Join us

Topic: Exploris PTO Meeting
Time: Oct 20, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/99736871524?pwd=SExYTmx0V0swclVteitWRHRSV2ZPdz09

Meeting ID: 997 3687 1524
Passcode: 363938

Volunteers Needed on October 29 for the Exploris Fall Festival!

Volunteer Signup Here!: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084fa5a62ca1f94-exploris5

The Exploris PTO is planning an outdoor event for our entire school community. Get your costumes ready because this will be festive fun for our everyone! Crew Parents from each grade will sponsor an activity. If you’d like to join the Slack workspace to be on our planning team or volunteer with one of the grade levels, please email Brook at volunteer@explorispto.org or Dana at ptopres@exploris.org.

Please RSVP on our Facebook Event Page: https://fb.me/e/2FQnfZQ1T

Picture Days THIS WEEK:

Amy Ames will be back with us to take school pictures on Tuesday, Oct. 19th at the elementary school and on Wednesday, October 20 at the middle school.  All students will have their picture taken on those days for the yearbook, and families will have the option of purchasing photo packages.  October 22 there is the opportunity for Photo shoots – family mini sessions.  Sign-up Genius link

Elementary Cleanup!

Thank you to those parents who helped this week clean and organize the Elementary campus’s shared spaces.  A team of parent volunteers are spending one/two mornings a week cleaning, organizing, building cabinets, decluttering, and making parts of the campus more user friendly.  If you have time and would like to help, please sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084fa5a62ca1f94-friday
Thank you to:Claudia GuerreroSunita Murty-GamiAngela SchlukbierBrooke HedrickJessica Roberts

Pulsera Bracelets – 

The Pulsera Project- Bracelets with Benefits!

Get your bracelets at carpool, October 18 through November 1 at Exploris. $5 cash.

Over next two weeks our school will be partnering with The Pulsera Project, a fair trade nonprofit organization that seeks to empower, inspire, and educate people in Central America and the U.S. The Pulsera Project provides sustainable, well-paying work opportunities for nearly 200 artisans in Nicaragua and Guatemala, most of whom make colorful hand-woven bracelets, or “pulseras” in Spanish. The project then creates a market for their artwork by partnering with schools across the U.S. Pulseras will be sold for $5 here at Exploris, and the proceeds will be invested in a wide range of social impact programs in Nicaragua & Guatemala.

We hope this will be a highlight of the school year as students engage with the beauty of Latin American culture while lending support to these skilled artisans and their communities!

Use this link to sign up for a time to help sell PULSARA bracelets (you can only sign up for one slot).

https://explorispto.org/directory/directory21-22
The Exploris School Directory 2021-22 is now online!

Use the directory: *Protected: Exploris School Directory

The was emailed to the PTO email list on October 14 and October 18. Please make sure you are receiving emails from the PTO by subscribing to our blog. Visit the website explorispto.org and enter your email address where it says “Enter your email address to sign up for the PTO mailing list. By following you’ll receive our regular “Monday Minute” emails plus occasional announcements.”

Important Updates from Exploris
Exploris Newsletter October 2021 (1)Download
  • Yearbooks are on sale now! The Exploris Yearbook staff is working hard on this book to highlight the 2021-22 school year. The yearbook is for all grades, K-8. Buy early for the lowest prices of the year! Buy Your Yearbook at Jostens
  • Exploris COVID Protocol Flowchart: LINK  / Free Covid testing
  • Students can refer themselves to a counselor.  LINK
  • Substitute Teachers Needed – mparkerson@exploris.org

SEEKING EXPLORIS AMBASSADORS! Duties of Ambassadors:

  • Lead tours of the school to adult business leaders and visitors from the community
  • Represent the school in meetings and presentations, both in the school and in the community
  • Act as role models for other students and in the community

To be an Ambassador for Exploris Middle School you:

  • Must be in the seventh grade, eighth grade, or have been an ambassador at Exploris Elementary 
  • Must be articulate and comfortable with groups of people – whether adult or peers
  • Must be willing to train to make sure the Exploris message is correctly conveyed
  • Must automatically make up any work missed due to leading tours or presenting
  • Must be able to show enthusiasm while still being knowledgeable about the work being done at the school 
  • Must be able to maintain composure in a professional setting

If you are interested, please return a copy of your application to Paula (pmancini@exploris.org)

APPLICATIONS DUE OCT.21st 

Important Dates (Exploris CALENDAR):

  • Tuesday, October 19- Elementary School Picture Day
  • Wednesday, October 20 – Middle School Picture Day
  • Wednesday, October 20- General PTO Meeting, 6:30pm on Zoom
  • Friday, October 22 – Teacher Workday for Portfolio Conferences
  • Friday, October 22 – Photo shoots – family mini sessions.  Sign-up Genius link
  • October 25-29- Spirit Week! See below
  • Friday, October 29- Fall Festival! 5-8pm at Exploris Elementary Campus
  • Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day – Holiday
  • Friday, November 12 – Flex Day – ASYNCHRONOUS FOR STUDENTS
  • Friday, November 19 – End of First Trimester
  • Monday, November 22 – Tuesday November 23 – Teacher Workday
  • Friday, Nov 19 (3:15pm)- Monday, Nov 29 (8am) – Thanksgiving Break
  • Friday, December 17 – Early Dismissal
  • Winter Break – Friday Dec 17 (12:15pm) – Tuesday, Jan 4 (8am)

Wish our October Birthday babies a Happy Birthday!

  • 10/1 – Adrian Findlay
  • 10/15 – Michelle Butterworth
  • 10/16 – Carol Evens
  • 10/29 – Matt Moreland
  • 10/29 – Jacquetta Zimmerman

THE EXPLORIS ANNUAL FUND DRIVE IS UNDERWAY!

DONATE HERE: https://exploris.kindful.com/

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 30- Giving Tuesday!

EXPLORIS SOCIAL AT LYNNWOOD BREWING CONCERN

We recently kicked off this year’s Annual Fund Drive. The goal, as always, is to raise $100,000 from 100% of our families. ANY amount is OK! Donations can be monthly or one time, and are tax deductible. Donations make a real and meaningful contribution to our school, used for areas such as:

  • Funding the annual budget of the Parent-Teacher Organization
  • Funding grants for teachers above and beyond normal classroom supplies
  • Purchasing food for families in need
  • Filling in gaps in materials or software not covered by the school budget

Please check your Exploris emails for more information.

Thanks for reading,
Kimberly Harris
Chair, Exploris School Foundation

Remember to shop with AmazonSmile! It’s easy to support The Exploris School!

Shopping for a Halloween costume or candy on Amazon? Start your shopping at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-1719653, or with AmazonSmile activated in the app, and they’ll donate 0.5% of the eligible purchase price!

  • Visit smile.amazon.com
  • Sign in with the same account you use for Amazon.com
  • Select your charity- The Exploris School
  • Start shopping! Remember to checkout at smile.amazon.com to generate donations for Exploris.
  • Tip: Add a bookmark to make it easier to shop at smile.amazon.com.
  • How to use AmazonSmile using the Amazon app on your mobile phone:
  • Open the Amazon Shopping app
  • Navigate to the main menu (=)
  • Tap on Settings and then select “AmazonSmile”
  • Select your charity and then follow the on-screen instructions to turn ON AmazonSmile in the mobile app
  • Once AmazonSmile has been activated in your app, future eligible app purchases will generate a donation for the charity you have selected.
  • Note: The tablet app is not yet supported. Please visit smile.amazon.com/onthego to learn more.

If you would like to submit information for a PTO blog post, please email your text (copy ready), photos, and links to Dana Deaton at news@explorispto.org.

Thanks for reading!