In the classrooms...
The past two weeks have seen many activities and functions at Hunter GT Magnet Elementary. Our Arts Team has put on another fantastic Orchestra Concert January 14th. Unfortunately the Band concert had to be rescheduled. The new date is Wednesday January 20th at 1:30 PM.

In Mrs. Parham's 5th grade class students wrote poems of their choice to be entered in a poetry contest. The best poems are selected to be published in an anthology, A Celebration of Poets. About 70% of students in Mrs. Parham's and Ms. Kaszycki's room were published! As a school, we received the Poetic Achievement Award, designated for the top 10% of schools. Congratulations to all of our student authors.

Join the EcoHeroes with their New Year's Resolution! The EcoHeroes are a group of K-2 students who have been working to help Hunter Elementary become more environmentally responsible. One thing that they discovered is that the cafeteria throws away 15 or so large (approx. 50 gallon) bags of trash each day. This translates into a dumpster full every 2 -3 days. Their target is to reduce the waste produced in the cafeteria. They plan to do this by increasing the recycling opportunities, encouraging packaging that can be reused and reducing the amount of material that is thrown away.

 Announcements
Student year-round surveys are included in the Monday folder. Please read and follow the directions carefully on the form. You will need your child's student ID number to complete the survey and you can complete one survey for each student enrolled in Wake County Public Schools.

All students are invited to help with the relief effort for our neighbors in Haiti. Students are are asked to donate a dollar or any amount they can to participate in various crazy dress days. Additional information is included in the Monday folder.

On Saturday January 23, Hunter will host our first day of service. Volunteers are asked to come and work on a wide range of projects which include cleaning keyboards, cleaning the elective storage room, raking leaves, cleaning windows, and painting. I am especially in need of volunteers to help paint the second floor. I will bring paint, paint trays, rollers, and a few brushes. Thanks for making this a positive experience for the student learners at Hunter GT Magnet Elementary School. We will work from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

Tips to help your child!
Please encourage children to only take the food they will actually eat.
1. How much your child actually eats at lunch. They only have 20-25 minutes to eat. Much of the waste is left-over food. Encourage your child to pack up his leftovers so that you can see how much/what he is actually eating and pack accordingly.
2. Package sandwiches and snacks in reusable containers.
3. If you don't have a sandwich container, consider wrapping it in foil so your child can recycle the foil in the plastic/aluminum recycling container.
4. Buy products with minimal packaging. Creating your own "lunchables" in reusable containers would be healthier and create far less waste. If you include a drink in a plastic bottle, please encourage your child to recycle it.
5. Think about investing in a water bottle-it produces no waste and is refilled for free.

Important Dates
• January 20 - Band Concert @ 1:30
• January 21 - Magnet Open House Tours
• January 22 - Elective Drop/Add
• January 22 Jump Rope workshops
• January 22 Book Exchange
• January 23 - Day of Service from 10:00 - 2:00 PM
• January 25 - Teacher workday
• February 1 - Report Cards home