1. education
2. school

Pals of Pinckney
Principal: Leanne Sheppard
Assistant Principal: Michael Griggs
Assistant Principal: Tiffany Henderson
Teacher Reps: Teresa Hildebrand,
Brandy Little, Missy Carras
President: Paige Lawrence
1st Vice President: Liz Potter
2nd Vice President: Theresa Horan
Treasurer: Ashley Neale
Secretary: Amanda Smith
Charles Pinckney Elementary PTO/Spring 2014 Newsletter
3300 THOMAS CARIO BOULEVARD, MOUNT PLEASANT, SC 29466
Principal’s Letter
Dear Pinckney Families,
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On May 6 -9 , your child will be taking the statewide
Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) Test. This test
is important as it measures your child’s academic performance.
As parents, I ask that you simply encourage your child, provide
a healthy breakfast, and ensure that he/she gets plenty of sleep
on the nights before testing. The students are well prepared for
this test, and I am confident they will shine!
I want to share a brief update with you about two primary
issues we are currently trying to address at Pinckney. As we all
know, our playgrounds are in desperate need of repair and
enhancements. Although we’d like to update and add play
equipment, our main priority is to address the play surface first.
Drainage issues as well as the impact of 1300 sets of feet
pounding daily on our playgrounds has made it impossible to
maintain grass or a smooth, rut-free area. As a result, we are
looking to add a more durable, artificial play surface. The cost
is tremendous, so we will begin with our worst play areas first
and see how far our money will take us. The majority of the
funding will come from the school district, however, we will also
partner with the PTO and the Park West Campus Ed Fund to
supplement the project.
The second area of concern is our ongoing traffic congestion
both on our campus and throughout Park West during arrival
and dismissal times. We have reached out to Town Council
members as well as received recommendations from Officer
Peterson of the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. The traffic
problems will not be solved overnight, but please know that I,
as well as all of the Park West campus administrators, remain
acutely aware of the traffic issues.
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(843) 856.4585
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pinckney.ccsdschools.com
In closing, I want to highlight two awards for which Pinckney
recently received recognition from the State Department of
Education. Based on our students’ performance on last year’s
state PASS Test results, our school received the Palmetto Gold
Award for exemplary performance, as well as the Silver Award
for Closing the Achievement Gap.
Thank you, parents, for the value you place on education and
for supporting your children as they bring their personal best to
us each and every day.
Warm regards,
Leanne Sheppard
PASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 6th !
ELA/Reading Test (all students)
Wednesday, May 7th !
Math Test (all students)
Thursday, May 8th!
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3rd & 5th graders will take either
Science or Social Studies. The
state determines which test each
child gets through a random
selection process. Students will
not know which test they will take
until the day of testing.
4th graders will take the Science
Test on Thursday.
Friday, May 9th! !
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Social Studies Test (4th graders
only)!
(No tests for 3rd & 5th graders)
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Morning Car Line
Reminders
It is never, never, never acceptable to unload students in the parking
lot thoroughfare. Please pull into a parking space and escort your
child safely across the crosswalk. Stopping your vehicle in the
middle of the parking lot to unload is unsafe for everyone, congests
traffic, and is highly inconsiderate to those who are blocked from
entering the lot.
Pedestrians are asked to yield to the car line. Once the car line has
pulled all the way forward and begins unloading, pedestrians can
enter the crosswalk. This helps keep traffic flowing.
Volunteer PASS Test
Monitors Needed!
May 6th -9th
The PASS test is coming!
We need monitors to help out in the hallways
during testing. All students will be tested
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Tuesday – Thursday, and 4 grade will also test
on Friday. Testing usually lasts from 7:45 –
11:00am (approximate). Please sign up in the front office or email Mrs. Zoe
Gawrych ([email protected]) if
you are able to help! If replying by email, please
include what day(s) you are available and what
grade your child is in. Thanks!!!
Barnes & Noble/Pinckney Book Fair
May 12th - 17th
All sales support Pinckney!
May 12-17th Book displays for top 10 books selected by
Pinckney students & faculty.
Thursday, May 15th 6:00 - 7:30pm - Game night and faculty reading
Saturday, May 17th 1:00 - 4:00 - Book signing with Art Collins, author
of Archibald & Jockabeb series
OUTDOOR LEARNING IS FUN!
The spring weather gives students at Pinckney a
great opportunity to use the new Outdoor
Classroom. It was constructed for the school as an Eagle Scout
project by Conor Gatton, from Boy Scout Troop 502.
The site is dedicated to Mary Furches, a former
teacher at Pinckney.
2:00 - PInckney Chorus performance, and
Pinckney Poetry readings by students
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Fifth Grade Graduation
Graduation will be held on Wednesday, June 4th in
the Pinckney gym/cafeteria. Please review the pod
schedule below. Fifth grade teachers will send out
more detailed information of their pod’s celebration
plans.
Mrs. Miller & Ms. Ward
7:50-8:30
Mr. Cragg & Ms. Fletcher
8:45-9:25
Mrs. Long & Mrs. Moore
9:40-10:20
Mrs. Dawson & Mrs. Hook
10:35-11:15
Mrs. Robertson & Mrs. White
11:30-12:10
Ms. Bell & Mrs. Shoecraft
12:25-1:05
Mrs. Crawford & Mrs. Huffman
1:20-2:00
Staff Appreciation Week
Thanks to all our parents and students for treating our staff
to a fun filled week in March!
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
ZOE GAWRYCH
3rd grade Reading Interventionist
10 years at CPES; Taught 4th grade,
reading and math intervention
What advice would you give your 10
year old self?
I would tell my 10 year old self to always
try new things, talk to as many people as
you can (to learn more about others), and
to enjoy each and every day!
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I love to read cook, and
spend time outside. I am trying to learn
more about gardening, but the deer keep
eating everything I plant!
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is actually a Bible
verse...Phillipians 4:13...”I can do all
things through Him who gives me
strength.”
What is your favorite candy?
Peanut butter M&M’s are my all time
favorite candy. :)
Rebecca Cohen
Brianna Fletcher
3rd grade Teacher, 1st year at CPE. 5
years as a teacher in NJ
5th grade ELA/Social Studies/Reading
teacher - single gender girls class
What’s the funniest thing a student has
ever said or done in your classroom?
In NJ, I was teaching my students about a
story where the main character was
making a salary for his job. I realized that
word may not have been familiar so I
asked the class if anyone knew what it
meant. I had one very eager student,
Josh, raise his hand excitedly and I called
on him. He proudly exclaimed, "It's a
green vegetable that I eat with peanut
butter!" I smiled and told him celery and
salary were two very different words but
that I really appreciated his enthusiasm!
What’s the funniest thing a student has
ever said or done in your classroom?
My first year teaching I told a student that
I'd met her mother the previous day and
thought she was beautiful. The student
responded, "Well, she doesn't look like
that in the morning."
What are you most thankful for?
I am most thankful for my family. Specifically, I am very close to my twin
sister, Alyssa, who is also a teacher in
Charleston. One of the primary reasons I
wanted to move to Charleston from NJ
was so I could be closer to my family. I
recently found out that she is pregnant
with the first baby in our family, and I am
even more thankful and thrilled to be
living in the same town as her now!
What do you do in your free time?
I am a very active person and constantly
on the go. I love to workout and try to
participate in as many physical fitness
events as possible. I've participated in a
number of races and this past February I
participated in the Boone Hall Plantation
Rugged Maniac Mud Run. I also am
loving all that Charleston has to offer - it
seems that every weekend there is a new
and exciting event to attend! What’s the most satisfying thing about
working at Pinckney?
There are so many wonderful things that I
love about working at Pinckney. From the
the first day, I was blown away by the
professionalism, kindness, and
welcoming attitude that the staff gave me.
I was also very impressed with the high
expectation in all areas, from academic to
manners, that Pinckney families and staff
set forth. The constant communication
and parent involvement is something that
I enjoy and thrive on. It is so wonderful to
get to know both my students and their
parents, alike.
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What is your favorite quote?
"It is not the critic who counts; not the
man who points out how the strong man
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena, whose face is marred by dust and
sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and
again, because there is no effort without
error and shortcoming; but who does
actually strive to do the deeds; who
knows great enthusiasms, the great
devotions; who spends himself in a
worthy cause; who at the best knows in
the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who neither know victory nor
defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt
What are some of the changes, aside
from physical, that you notice in
students from 3rd grade to 5th grade?
They become more confident. They also
can understand sarcasm :)
If you could be any character in fiction,
who would you be?
I would definitely be a character from
Harry Potter or The Mysterious Benedict
Society. I'd be Tonks from HP and Reynie
from MBS.
If you won a million dollars today, what
would be the first thing you would
buy?
More books!
Did you know?
Donations to the Park West Education Fund helped fund and support
the following programs and items at Pinckney this year?
PTO - $8,300
* A two day visit from author, Lester Laminack. Day one was for students, and day two was for Professional
Development for staff and teachers.
* Copy paper to finish out the 2013-14 school year.
ADMINISTRATION - $40,000
* Classroom movement tables
* Pivot Chairs
* Wobble chair pads
* Active Based Learning teacher salary, partial
* LEGO League sponsorships (Teams and supplies)
* All M (cubed) series math (2 classes, each grade level)
Pinckney Rock n Roast
on the Coast
The 2014 Rock n’ Roast on the Coast was a
smash!
Thanks to all of the parents and teachers who
donated items for the baskets used in the
silent auction. We appreciate your hard work
on these!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR
SPONSORS!
The Distinguished Gentlemen rocked the
house, and we earned $25,000 for the school!
HEATHER BOSSE
The PTO will use these funds to purchase
active based learning equipment for each
classroom based on teacher needs, and fund
specific teacher requests for their classrooms.
www.TheBosseAgency.com
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A note from the PTO
We’re in the home stretch! Only a few more weeks of school until summer and a time of relaxation and welcome reprieve from
the daily school routine!
It’s been an honor to represent Pinckney as the PTO President this year, and I hope you will join me in supporting our upcoming
new Board and Chairpersons. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the PTO, there are numerous ways to
volunteer whether at school or from home. There is something for everyone, and if you need some guidance in choosing, we
would be glad to assist in determining what might work best for you.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the events below, and please keep in touch with us via our Facebook Page over the
summer. Announcements and information will continue to be posted to keep everyone aware of what’s happening at Pinckney!
Have a safe and enjoyable summer, and don’t forget to keep reading!
Paige Lawrence
President, Pinckney PTO
[email protected]
Mark Your Calendars!
May 1st - Chick Fil A Spirit Night
May 6th-9th - PASS
May 15th & 16th - Drama Club
performance of Peter Pan - 7:00pm
May 26th - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
May 27th - 30th - PALOOZA
May 29th - Pinckney’s Got Talent @ 6:30 &
Art Night
June 4th - 5th Grade Graduation; full day
of school
June 5th - Half day; dismissal at 10:30am
June 6th - Last day of School (make up
day) Half day; dismissal at 10:30am
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