A note from Mr. Abel…

Parents,

Thank you for your help with the car line in the afternoons.  Since the first day of school, we have shortened the wait from over an hour – to just under 30 minutes!  We appreciate your patience and cooperation.  With everyone working together, we can make the line move quickly and safely.

Several parents have had suggestions about ways to improve the flow of traffic and we considered all of those.  The current system was implemented with guidance from county traffic engineers and the sheriff’s department.  Given the speed at which we’re now moving, we feel like things are going about as good as can be expected – especially considering the length of our parking lot and the number of students dismissing at the same time.  We are very grateful that Woodruff Rd Christian Church is allowing us to use their parking lot every afternoon.  That overflow space saved us.

Some have suggested moving all students to the gym before dismissal.  There are several reasons why that would be difficult.  Moving all students to the gym with their backpacks would be very crowded – without a lot of room for aisles to facilitate student exit when they are called – and a long walk to the loading area if we were trying to keep enough cars in line.  Additionally, our volleyball team practices in the gym several afternoons a week right after school – and basketball will start later.

At present, we’re going to keep moving things the way we are – and review as needed.  We have yet to do a rainy day dismissal.  That always throws an interesting twist on the traffic line since we don’t have a covered walkway near the car line.

A few reminders:

Please pull as close to the car in front of you as possible.  When Mrs. Wall asks cars to move forward – before the kids are dismissed – we can add 8-10 more cars to the line.

Please pay attention to traffic flow on Bell Road.  School personnel and parent volunteers are usually there 15-20 minutes before dismissal. However – if the line is full, parents can begin filling the line in the church lot.  THANK YOU to the drivers who did that this week.  We were late getting to the road and the double line had already formed in the church lot. That was perfect!

Pay attention to those of us directing traffic.  We are attempting to have a low impact on our neighbors.  We may hold you for a few minutes in the overflow lot to allow traffic to leave the apartments, to let a bus go by, to let cars into the bank, etc.  Our overall goal is to move you all into the line as quickly as possible and we very much appreciate everyone’s positive attitudes and willingness to work through the kinks.

Finally, one of our parents, Tom Connolly, is organizing parent car line help.  If you would like to help out in the afternoons, you can contact him – or call the office – and we’ll get you involved in the solution.  Thanks Tom for taking on this project!

Tom Connolly’s contact information is sirthomaspc@gmail.com or 864.616.1616.

Please help LCMS earn extra money by enrolling in the following grocery store programs:

BI-LO BOOSTERPLUS – MUST RE-ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM EACH SCHOOL YEAR!

Take a LCMS enrollment barcode to any Bi-Lo store to enroll (or re-enroll) your Bonuscard #.

There’s a copy of the enrollment barcode on Langston’s website under Parent Information/Download Forms.  Shop with your Bonuscard after enrolling and Langston earns 1% of all your purchases!  Last school year, 72 Bonuscards were enrolled, and we earned $495.00.

BLOOM BREEZE CARD – No year-to-year enrollment necessary.  Apply for a Breeze card at any Bloom store & put the LCMS CODE 00778 on the application.  Have a Breeze card already?  Call 866-55-BLOOM to link the school code with your existing card.  So far, 45 cards have been enrolled.

PUBLIX PARTNERS KEY CHAIN CARD – No year-to-year enrollment necessary.  Take a Publix key chain card with LCMS’s barcode # on the back.  Barbara Myers has them in the front office.  Use it every time you shop at any Publix store.  We have plenty, so take as many as you want!

LANGSTON’S NEW SCHOOL STORE OPENS ON SEPTEMBER 7^TH

Parents, do your students tell you that they have run out of something they absolutely have to have that day…while you are taking them to school?  Teachers, are students coming to class unprepared?  The answer to both of these problems is Langston’s NEW School Store. It will be open Mon-Fri from 7:50 to 8:20, and is located at the entrance of building B where students are dropped off.

The function of the school store is to help supply students during the school year with basic items and some “fun-stuff” all at reasonable prices.  A copy of the Price List will be posted on the school’s website.  Students (with the help of a few parents) will work the store.  If you signed up at Open House, you will be contacted sometime during the school year.  Schedules will be made monthly, and working the store will count as community service.  If you have questions or want to help, please contact Leslie Royaards @ 268-2088 or Lroyaards@bellsouth.net.

Prayer Group If you are a mom or dad (or grandparent or caretaker!) of a Langston student, you are invited to come and pray for the students, faculty and staff of Langston.  What a privilege it is to meet together to lift up the needs of our children, their teachers, and all those who work hard to make Langston the wonderful school that we are so thankful for. The Langston Prayer Group meets every Tuesday (when school is in session) at 8:30.  We start at 8:30 and we end at 9:30. You can come in when you drop off your student and leave by 9:30 to go on with your day!

On Tuesday, August 31st at 8:30, we will have a kick-off meeting with coffee and refreshments.  This will just be a fun and informative meeting.  Coming to this meeting does not commit you, but it will inform you!  We will meet in the “George Washington” room, which is across from the library.  Come in the main entrance, turn left, and look for the face of George Washington on the wall!

If you have questions, you can contact Susan Goodbar at 288-6397 or sgoodbar@live.com.

Langston Calendar Please check the website calendar often.  The link is http://www.langstoncharter.org/about-langston/calendar.html.  You can get there through our homepage also, under Parent Information.

T Shirt Hoodie Day T Shirt/Hoodie Day will be announced to the students.  Here are some pointers to remember.

• Any Langston T-shirt is acceptable.
• Girls must tuck in t-shirts to skort/pants.
• Girls wearing pants and tucking in a t-shirt must wear a solid black or brown belt.
• Langston t-shirts are worn with uniform skorts/shorts/pants, belts, proper shoes and socks.
• Langston t-shirts that have been signed or written on are not acceptable.
• Remember- t-shirt/hoodie day is different every week; it will be announced to students. We do not always have t-shirt/hoodie day on Friday.

Absences/Tardies If your child is late to school please come in the front door and sign them in.  If they were absent, please send a note in with your child, explaining why they were absent.  A note from the doctor or a note from the parent will do.  If your child misses a class, check the teachers’ websites for information or assignments,

Volunteer Opportunities The following volunteer opportunity was accidentally left off of the chart that was emailed earlier today.

Butterfly Garden

Grace Magera reafs@charter.net

Mrs. Magera needs volunteers to help coordinate students willing to replant the butterfly garden and maintain it over the year. She is also looking for someone to co chair with her, and chair the committee next year. Please email her if you are interested in serving on her committee or co chairing her committee.

The Langston Volleyball Team won their first match last night against the Greenville Homeschool Team.

Congratulations Ladies!!

Picture Day…August 24^th is Fall Picture Day.  Students should be in their uniforms.

T Shirt/Hoodie Day…T Shirt and Hoodie days will be announced to the students by Mr. Abel.  They are not always on Friday, and Friday is not automatically T Shirt and Hoodie Day.

Absences/Tardies…If your child is late to school you must come in the lobby to sign them in.  Tardies are not excused unless the student has a doctor’s note.  If your child is absent from school, please send in a note explaining why they were absent.  If you did not take your child to the doctor, you may write the note yourself,

Take Out Lunch…TOL will begin on Monday, September 7^th.  More information will come home with your student before we begin serving lunch.  Thank you to all of the moms who came to the meeting today.  We couldn’t do this program without you.  If you couldn’t make this meeting, there will another one on Monday, beginning at 8:40.  Email Chris Stogner,christianalee@charter.net, for more information.

Volunteers…Look for an email to arrive next week about volunteer opportunities.  The email will include information about upcoming events and how to volunteer for the various activities.

Car Line and Parking Lots…Thanks for your continued patience with car line.  Please remember to stay off of your cell phone in the line, and to write your child’s name on a piece of poster board.  Please do not use any private parking lots when you come to Langston.  The paved parking lot behind the BB & T belongs to the bank.  The gravel area belongs to Langston.

Early Dismissals… If you need to get your child before the end of the school day, please be here before 2:30, Monday through Thursday, and before 1:00 on Friday.  We cannot do early dismissals within 30 minutes of the end of our day.

A HUGE Thank You! to all of the parents and students who have helped us move out of our building on Roper Mountain Rd. Over the last two weeks, we have had two “moving out” days and several clean up days.  We appreciate all of the hard work loading 4 semi trailers and cleaning up the building before we leave.

Please keep in mind that we will be MOVING IN to the new building on Saturday July 10th. ( See the previous post for details.)  More help is needed!  Mark your Calendars and plan to join us.  You’ll get a chance to see the new school and help the teachers put their classrooms together as we pull everything out of those trailers and into the buildings!

Langston Parents,

Another memorable year is complete, and it is time to relax and enjoy the summer … well, not quite.  There are a number of critical things that must happen over the next month for our transition to the new building to become reality:

• Loading Day (9-12 AM, June 19) – We will be loading 4 tractor trailers (thanks Thunderbolt Services!), disposing of unneeded materials, and removing decks and stairs from the portable units.  Many strong arms and backs are needed for loading, dollies are needed for moving furniture, boxes, etc.  Folks with carpentry skills and tools are needed for disassembly of stairs and decks.  Pickup trucks or trailers are needed to haul waste.  Please reply directly to Sam Sims the coordinator for this activity (sam.sims@viteinc.net ) if you can help.

• Cleanup Days (See below for dates) – Folks are needed to touch up walls with spackle and paint, general clean up, removal of any remaining materials … we need to leave our current facility in good shape!  Please reply directly to Kelly Weekes the coordinator for this activity (kweekes@langstoncharter.org ) if you can help.

• Any day before June 19^th- dig up the basketball goals and the archery backstop poles
• June 15- 8am-10am- take down classroom flag brackets, cork strips in hallways- bring cordless screwdriver; large baggies for hardware
• June 17^th or 18^th- wash plastic picnic tables
• June 21, 22, 23- dump/Goodwill days- if you have a truck we will have labeled piles that need to go to the dump or Goodwill
• June 24- 8am-12pm- Spackle holes, touch up painting, general cleaning- bring spackle, spackling knife, paint brush, roller, pans, small container for paint, rags

• Unloading Day (9 AM -1 PM, July 10) – We will be moving any unneeded equipment to the gym and unloading 4 tractor trailers.  More strong arms and dollies are needed to do this, and more pickup trucks are needed to haul empty boxes and other unwanted materials.  This is your chance to see the new building up close!  Please reply directly to Scott Zemitis the coordinator for this activity (szemitis@bellsouth.net ) if you can help.

• Liquidation of Surplus Furniture (TBD) – People are needed to assist with sales of surplus furniture from both the old and new facilities.  Unwanted items of value will be moved to the gym for liquidation.  Please contact Lisa Stevens directly if you can help with these events (lhstevens@charter.net ). It is anticipated we will hold two sales, one at our current location and a second at Palmetto Prep.

Parents and students, please keep track of the hours you work. They will count toward your community service hours for the fall quarter.

I speak for the entire Langston Board when I say that we are thankful for our passionate and supportive parents.  So “Thank You” in advance for the strong response that you are sure to deliver!

Sincerely,

Scott Zemitis

Langston Charter Middle School Board Vice Chairman

There will be no school on Monday, May 31^st.  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we will dismiss at noon.

Textbooks…Please help your children search the house carefully for any textbooks or computer discs that need to be returned.  The school is held accountable for all textbooks and we are currently engaged in an inventory process to check in all state-owned materials.  Any missing item results in a charge to the school.  We appreciate your help in getting all materials returned by Tuesday June 1^st.

Missing Calculator…We are searching for a missing calculator that is part of a school set.  It is a blue and yellow TI- nspire calculator that says School Property on the keypad.  We believe that a student mistakenly put this in his/her backpack at the end of a class period.  If you find this, we would be very grateful for its return.  It is part of a set that was purchased after a year of Chick-fil-a biscuit sales by Mrs. Lorick and the math department.

Yearbooks will be distributed on Tuesday.  We still have a few left for sale at $50.00.  Please pay Mrs. Myers if you would like one.

Field Day is Wednesday, June 2^nd.  Thursday is the last day of school.

Used Uniform Resale is Wednesday, from 12:00 until 2:00.  This is a cash only sale.  If you would like to volunteer to help, please email Leslie Fite at drewfite@aol.com.  Volunteers may shop at 11:30, before the sale opens, and the hours will count towards next year’s first quarter.

Parking for the resale will be limited in our lot.  You may park in the lot next door, walk over to the back of our building and take the stairs up to the auditorium. If you are approaching Langston from Roper Mountain Road, pass the school and turn left into the next parking lot.

Dress Code…On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, students may wear their uniform shirt or a Langston T Shirt.  They do not have to wear uniform shorts, but shorts must come to the knees, not have an elastic waist, and may not be mesh.  Pants/shorts should be in good condition with no holes. Athletic/basketball/running shorts are not allowed.  Students do not have to wear their uniform shoes, but they do have to wear shoes with a closed toe and heel (tennis shoes).  Sandals and flip flops are not permitted.

From Mrs. Weekes…Mrs. Weekes has a zip up jacket found after the 8^th grade party.  AND- She has a ball cap found after Relay for Life- brand new, probably bought at the Relay event. Please have your child check the lost and found (located on the hallway to the library, building A) next week; if your child owns the zip up jacket or ball cap please have him/her see Mrs. Weekes.

Sports Teams…Please email Mr. Abee at scprogram@bellsouth.net, if your student is interested in being a part of a Langston Volleyball team, a boys’ basketball team, or a co-ed golf team. Check out www.GreenvilleJTT.com for information about a fall and spring co-ed tennis team.

Boston Pizzeria…On Monday, May 31^st, proceeds from sales will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network.

The 2010 Summer Reading Lists are posted on the website.

CLICK HERE to access the lists.

The Spring Book Fair continues through this week (until Friday May 21st).  A lot of the selections available at the fair are appropriate for summer reading.

Copies of The Patriot Wore Petticoats are available at the fair.  This is required reading for all new Langston students.

Used copies of The Patriot Wore Petticoats are being collected for the school library.  If you have a copy that you would like to donate, please send it to the office.

Langston Middle Raises Over $11,500.00 for Relay For Life!

Relay for Life…Relay for Life is tonight, at JL Mann High School, from 7:00pm until 10:00pm.  Students may stay later with parental supervision.  Langston’s responsibility for the students ends at 10:00 pm.  Look for the green and white striped Langston tent, we are number 34.

Calendar… http://www.langstoncharter.org/about-langston/calendar.html

Please check the school calendar regularly.  Events are posted to the website calendar as they get scheduled.

8^th Grade Party…The 8^th grade party is at LivnNsidout on Friday, May 21, from 6:00pm until 9:00pm.  Students must have already purchased their tickets.

Used Uniform Sale…The annual used uniform sale will be on Wednesday, June 2^nd, from 12:00 until 2:00pm, with the pre-sale for volunteers at 11:30am.  We will take clothing in on Tuesday, June 1^st, from 11:30am until 1:00pm, and on Wednesday, June 2^nd, from 8:00am until 8:45am.  You may bring your uniforms to the auditorium during those hours. When you drop the clothing off, it should have a small index card safety pinned to each item.  The tag should be on the left shoulder of shirts (right if you are holding it up and looking at it).  It should have the following information on the card:

1. Name

2. Size (including husky, slim, etc)

3. Price (we will provide a guide on pricing shortly)

4. A “D” in the right hand corner of the card indicates that it can be donated if it does not sell.

Everything should be on hangers except boy’s shorts.

BoxTops…Please bring in all of your BoxTops by May 28^th.  Some of them will expire in June, so we would like to send them in now.

Book Fair…The Book Fair opens Monday morning!  Family Night is Tuesday, from 4:00 until 7:00.  If you make a purchase during Family Night it counts towards Community Service Hours.  The Summer Reading List will be posted to the website shortly.

Teacher Appreciation…Thank you all again for helping with our wonderful teacher appreciation week.  Some, but not all, of the people we would like to thank are Mrs. Guthrie, Mrs. Goodbar, Mrs. Gillespie, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Holmes.  If you helped, and I left your name off of the list, I apologize; there were so many people who helped that I’m sure I forgot to include someone.

Pass Testing…This is a reminder to parents that your child will be involved in the state’s PASS testing program May 11-14, 2010.  We ask for your cooperation so that students will perform to the best of their ability.   Student test results will be included in your child’s permanent record and are an important part of the school’s report card.  Please help the school and your student in the following ways:

1. Please see that your child gets plenty of rest on the nights before the testing takes place.
2. Please see that your child eats a nourishing breakfast prior to coming to school for testing.
3. Please make every effort to have your child in school and on time.
4. Please see that your child brings at least two #2 pencils to school, as they are required for marking test answer sheets.

Please feel free to call if you have any questions.  Thank you for your cooperation.

End of Course Testing…The Algebra 1 end of course test will be on Tuesday, May 18^th.  The English 1 end of course test will be on Wednesday, May 19^th.

Meet The Candidate Night…Meet the Candidate Night was a huge success! It was the first time all Republican and Democratic candidates have shared a stage.  It seems everyone was in agreement that it was a worthwhile and informative evening.  Thank you to the 160+ parents and students who attended.  The Greenville News attended and wrote an article; a copy is posted on the bulletin board outside the auditorium.  Special thanks to the students who led the event, and did a superb job of writing and delivering their own speeches:

Rashed Abdel-Tawab Welcome  

Hannah Bailey – Pledge 

Matthew Causey – Time Keeper 

Omar Abdeladl introduced Dr. Christina Jeffrey

Lindsay Douglas introduced Senator David Thomas

Lukas Einhorn introduced Solicitor Trey Gowdy

Jonah Goodman introduced Congressman Bob Inglis

Matthew McDowell introduced Mr. Jim Lee

Sydney Shaw introduced Mr. Paul Corden

If you missed the forum you can learn more about these candidates by visiting their websites.

Trey Gowdy:   www.TreyGowdy.com

Bob Inglis: www.InglisforCongress.com

Christina Jeffrey:   www.christinajeffrey.com

David Thomas: www.Thomas2010.com

Paul Corden:   www.cordenforcongress.com

James Lee: www.jimleeforcongress2010.com

Thank you…Thank you to everyone who helped make Teacher Appreciation Week so much fun for all of us.  There are so many of you who spent your time and money letting us know that we are appreciated.  We all feel very fortunate to be working at Langston with such a supportive group of parents.  We would like to say a special “thank you” to Mr. Spellman, who donated much of the food and drink we enjoyed this week.  Thank you Buck Wall for mowing the lawn!

Book Fair Volunteers Are Needed…The Spring Scholastic Book Fair (to promote summer reading) is just around the corner.  It will run from Monday, May 17, to Friday, May 21.  Setup is Friday, May 14.  Volunteers are needed for various shifts.  See available openings on the schedule that was sent in a separate email.  We need more people for the shifts before school (7:45 to 8:30), the late morning/lunch hour shifts (10:30-12:30) and Tuesday’s Family Night (4:00-7:00).   ANY shift on the schedule with a number and no name is available!  If this schedule doesn’t fit yours, let us know, and we’ll work out times that are convenient for you.   If you would like to help, please contact:  LESLIE ROYAARDS at Lroyaards@bellsouth.net or 268-2088.

8^th Grade Party and Field Day…The party and field day are each $10.00, cash only please.  Please give the money to your student to turn in to their homeroom teacher.  We cannot take the money at the office; the students must turn it in during homeroom.  Check the website calendar for dates of events and payment due dates. http://www.langstoncharter.org/about-langston/calendar.html

6^th Grade Car Wash… The car wash scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled.  There were not enough volunteers signed up to work.

Relay for Life…Our Relay for Life assembly will be on Friday, May 14^th, from 12:30 until 1:30.   The Friday evening event will be at JL Mann High School on that same Friday, from 7:00pm until 10:00pm.  Students may stay later with parental supervision.  Langston’s responsibility for the students ends at 10:00 pm.  See the bulletin board for more information on the event and how you may earn service hours.  http://www.langstoncharter.org/bulletinboard/

Used Uniform Sale…The annual used uniform sale will be on Wed. June 2^nd, from 12:00 until 2:00pm, with the pre-sale for volunteers at 11:30am.  We will take clothing in on Tues., June 1^st, from 11:30 until 12:30, and on Wed., June 2^nd, from 8:30 until 9:30am.  You may bring your uniforms to the auditorium during those hours. When you drop the clothing off, it should have a small index card safety pinned to each item.  The tag should be on the left shoulder of shirts (right if you are holding it up and looking at it).  It should have the following information on the card:

1. Name

2. Size (including husky, slim, etc)

3. Price (we will provide a guide on pricing shortly)

4. A “D” in the right hand corner of the card indicates that it can be donated if it does not sell.

Everything should be on hangers except boy’s shorts.

Got your walking shoes???

What: RELAY FOR LIFE

When: Friday, May 14th 7pm-10pm (A parent may stay longer with his/her child, but Langston’s responsibility for the event will end at 10pm)

Where: JL Mann High School Track

Why: To raise money for the American Cancer Association

Community Service Hours:

• Students

1.  Stars- 1 hour for every 3 stars you make and turn in to your leadership teacher by Friday, May 14th.

Stars need to be made out of posterboard (any color), at least 6 ‘’ in size,

Decorate the star in memory of, or, in honor of, someone you know that has had or has cancer

OR a slogan that promotes curing cancer, supporting cancer research…

Decorate with colored markers, glitter, stickers, use your imagination

We need LOTS of stars to decorate our tent!

2. 1 Hour of community service for each hour you stay at Relay for Life

3. 1 Hour for donating a snack or 6 pack of water

Last names beginning with:

A- M- bring a snack to share

N- Z- bring a 6 pack of water to share

• Parents

1. 1 Hour per 2 cans of colored hair spray paint donated for the assemble Friday afternoon, May 14^th

2. 1 Hour of community service for each hour you stay and chaperone at Relay for Life

Relay for Life Assembly: Friday, May 14^th, 12:30-1:30

• Boys-Shave your head and raise $100.00, Mrs. Lisa Stevens will match your $100 donation. Money must be turned in by Monday, May 10^th
• Girls- Donate your hair to Locks of Love and raise $100.00, Mrs. Lisa Stevens will match your $100 donation. Money must be turned in by Monday, May 10^th
• Spray Paint your hair- permission slip and $5.00 must be turned in by Thursday, May 13^th to your leadership teacher

Sign Up Sheet to Walk:

• Leadership teachers will have a sign-up sheet with times
• Sign up under the times you want to walk the track at Relay for Life
• Our team needs to have someone walking the entire time we are there
• We will bring the sign-up sheets with us the night of the event