Join Our Team!

Claxton PTO is looking for additional members to help fill out our team!

Vice President of Volunteers

This member would be part of PTO Executive Board, share Site Supervisor responsibilities for VISTA Volunteer Coordinator, and coordinate PTO Volunteer Committees.

Long Range Planning Committee Chair

This member would be responsible for forming a committee to help set long range goals for Claxton PTO and make recommendations to the Endowment Committee (re: how endowment funding is used, etc.).

Corporate Sponsors Committee Chair

This member's responsibilities include recruiting corporate sponsors and establishing sponsor levels and benefits.

If you or someone you know might be interested in one of these opportunities, please contact Amanda Van Cleve for more information!

PTO Board Meeting Next Week

Please join us for the October PTO Board meeting!

All are invited to attend

Tuesday, Oct. 2 from 6-7 at Claxton

We'll be voting this year's budget and discussing upcoming events

Support LEAF in Schools and Streets

Uncommon Time:  Drumming performance/informance

With Kenny Endo & Abhijit Banerjee

Tuesday, October 23 at 11 a.m. at the Orange Peel

Tickets:  $8 adults / $3 children (email Jocelyn@theleaf.org for your reservation or purchase tickets through the Orange Peel)

Thank you Health Fair Volunteers

The Health Fair at Claxton allows us to provide recommended screenings for students, all in one day. This prevents multiple disruptions of the class schedule throughout the year for various screenings. The screening help to detect health-related problems early in the school year so that they can be addressed proactively.  

The following screenings were done at Claxton's Health Fair on September 12th:

• Dental – Grade 2 only
• Vision – Grades 1, 3 & 5 (and individual students referred by teacher)
• BMI (Body Mass Index) – Grades K-5

Hearing screenings are also conducted, but on a separate day by the Speech/Language Pathologists of Asheville City Schools.

It takes A LOT of people to hold a smooth and successful Health Fair. This year, we had 12 parent volunteers who helped make this one of our best Health Fairs ever. 

 Thanks so much to everyone who helped out!

Grounds Workdays -- Thank you!

Thank you to the wonder volunteers from the community and from Claxton who really out did themselves last week on Thursday's Day of Caring and again on Saturday.  Things look great!

PTO Mini Grants for Teachers

Teacher, have a great idea?  Parents, have a great teacher you want to support?

The PTO wants to help fund teacher projects.  We are now accepting applications for Fall mini-grants.  Applications are available now (teachers should have gotten them in your boxes, or you can download one here.  The PTO grant committee will review the applications, and recommendations will be voted on at Oct.'s PTO meeting.

Completed applications are due in the PTO box by 2:30 p.m. on the dates listed below.

For questions about your application, please contact Lockie Hunter (lockie@lockiehunter.com).

Fall 2012 deadline:  Thursday, September 27 (Grants awarded Tuesday, October 2)

Spring 2013 deadline:  Monday, February 25 (Grants awarded Tuesday, March 5)

$500 grant money available per application period, $200 max. per grant.  Max. 1 grant per staff.

Check out these pictures from Tuesday's International Dinner!

Countries represented include:  Italy, England, Spain, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, Liberia, Ethiopia, United States, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ukraine, France, Gambia, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Peru.

We at Claxton are again participating in the wonderful Art to Remember fundraising program.  This is an opportunity for your child’s artwork to be printed on a variety of well made (and reasonably priced) keepsakes -- from mouse pads and paper weights to coffee mugs and potholders. You can view the catalog of what's available now, so you know just what to order when the time comes.  

Each child brings home a “preview” magnet with your child’s artwork printed on it. If you wish to purchase the magnet you may do so. If not we ask that you please return it. You'll also get a letter explaining how the program works (including deadline dates) and a brochure featuring other items and prices.  

These items make great holiday gifts!  And this fundraiser has always been wildly popular with parents.  Art to Remember is the single largest means of funding the art program at Claxton.  Your past support has been nothing short of amazing, and I look forward to another successful year.  

For more information you may go to their website at www.arttoremember.com.  Thanks as always for all you do for Claxton!

James Cassara 

Art teacher

Claxton Health Fair -- Volunteers Needed!

We need volunteers to help students get their BMI checked and their teeth and vision checked as part of the Claxton Health Fair on September 12th! A special Monday morning training is required for volunteers helping with vision screening, please sign up as soon as possible! 

Sign up here or contact Dee Dee Allan or Elizabeth Sager for more information.

http://rootsandwingsarts.com/childrens/afterschool

Claxton Girl Scouts

Claxton has Daisies (K-1), Brownies (2-3) and Juniors! 

Daisies and Brownies meet every other Wednesday from 3:45 - 5:00 in the art room.  The first troop meeting will be help on Wednesday, Sept 12th.  Amy Sheeler, Shelly Powell and Kim Sprouse, Co-leaders.

Juniors meet every Thursday from 2:30 - 4:00.  First Troop meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 13th. Contact Yetta Williams. 

Curriculum Night -- September 6th

Please join us for Curriculum Night!  Thursday, September 6th from 5:30 to 7:00pm.

5:30-5:45  PTO Meeting
This will be a brief General Membership meeting-- Claxton families and staff are encouraged to attend this and all monthly PTO meetings (see school website for meeting dates)!  Meet this year’s PTO Board and the school’s new VISTA Volunteer Coordinator and find out how you can be involved at Claxton!

5:45-6:00  Principal’s Title I Meeting
Please join us as Claxton’s principal, Kim Dechant, gives a brief and informative presentation about school performance as it relates to Title I data.

6:00-7:00  Classroom Visits 
Visit your childrens’ classrooms and hear from their teachers about all of the exciting things they are learning this year!

Hope to see everyone there!

Day of Caring -- September 6th & 8th!

The Claxton Diggers Grounds Committee is partnering with the United Way and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce to bring a Day of Caring to Claxton!

From 9:00am to 1:00pm on September 6th and again on September 8th, volunteers from our matched partner, the Chamber, will be in attendance to work at Claxton. We will be weeding and mulching the school grounds and constructing compost bins for the school.  We're also working on plans to have other community volunteers on hand.  Can you join us?

This will be a great opportunity to bring resources from the larger community to Claxton to see the wonderful things we have going on as we continue to make our school a greener, more beautiful place!

International Potluck on September 11th!

5:30 to 7:00pm

Claxton Cafeteria

Please join us for the International Potluck!  It's a time for families and staff to come together to celebrate diversity, cultural heritage and to showcase the different cultures and countries represented at Claxton! 

Sign up to bring a dish representative of some aspect of your culture or even a flag or souvenir! Don’t have a dish to contribute? Then volunteer to bring cups, plates, utensils and napkins or to help set up or clean up! All families are encouraged to attend, we hope people share and learn from one another on this very special night! 

RSVP to Spanish/ESL teacher Gabriela Dominguez  (350-6552 ), or to our Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth Sager.

Hope to see you there!

GOTR Registration is Now Open!

Girls on the Run meets Mondays and Thursdays beginning September 10 and goes through December 6 from 2:45 PM to 4 PM. The GOTR 5k will be held on December 8. More details about the program are available on our extracurricular page, or contact Dee Dee Allan for more info and sign up today!

Claxton Kicks-off Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

This year Claxton is implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to ensure a safe school environment for all Claxton Students.  

Ms. Carter presented the program at the Ice Cream Social last week, and students were introduced to the program with skits to help them understand how power factors into bullying and how different behaviors give or take power from a bully.  Classes also teamed up with buddies from another grade for activities that will help younger kids know that they can rely on their older peers when  if they are seeing or experiencing behaviors that make them uncomfortable.

If you missed the program, please take a few minutes to review the links above, and discuss the skits and buddy activities with your child.  There will be weekly action to support the adoption of this program through out the year.  

Claxton's Anti-Bullying Rules:
Rule1: I will not bully others. 
Rule 2: We will try to help others who are bullied.
Rule 3: We will try to include students who are left out. 
Rule 4: If we know someone is being bullied, we will tell and adult at school or at home.  

From the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (c)2007 by Hazelden Foundation. Reprinted with permission. For more information visit ViolencePreventionWorks.org