August 22nd, 2024


 

New Parent Social - Tuesday, August 27th @ 5:30pm

First year at Evergreen?
Joined in the middle of the year last year?
Want to welcome new families to the school?
Join us on the field Tuesday evening from 5:30pm-6:30pm.


Unexcused Absences during the first 40 Days means cuts to important funding!

Please do not make any plans that would mean your child/ren will miss any of the first 40 days of school.

This is a change from last year when it was the first 20 days.

Evergreen’s funding for the next school year is determined by the highest daily attendance of either the first or second month of THIS school year.

For example: If you schedule a trip where a student would miss 5 school days, Evergreen would lose approximately $2,250 of school funding! And, that's just state funding. Buncombe County also bases yearly funding for the school solely on attendance during the first 40 days of school.

The First 40 Days are: August 20th (Orientation) through October 21st.


My School Bucks

Every student needs to be registered for a My School Bucks account. If you have not already done so, set your account up today. Need help? We have important info for EverAfter families and families who use the School Lunch Program on our Payment Portal Page, along with reference guide about setting up AutoPay.

Fees for the 24-25 school year have been uploaded. IF you have applied for financial assistance and it has not been confirmed and applied to fees, please do NOT pay your fees until that process is complete.


Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks

Access to affordable, nutritious foods is key to student success! Being able to offer Free and Reduced Meals through the National School Lunch Program, and securing access to healthy food for all of our students is an important value of our school. Make sure you fill out your Free and Reduced Price Lunch Application below.

One of the nice features of the My School Bucks App is that you can add funds to your students’ meal account/s for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.

With older students consider including them when you’re setting up your monthly allotment, occasionally monitor their use of those funds, and help them learn how to stay within a given budget!

 

Thursday Treat Tradition

It’s a tradition handed down from parent group to new parent group: Thursday Staff Treats.

If you would like to participate in this parent-led initiative, sign up here, and plan a Thursday treat that:

-covers roughly 50 people
-is tree nut/ peanut and strawberry free (severe allergies).

Last year people brought: bagels, fresh fruit, garden fresh offerings, hard boiled eggs and cheese and veggies, quick breads, babka, donuts, muffins, cornbread, yogurt bar, quiche, etc..

Parent Organizer Kellam brought an amazingly fun spread for the inaugural week!


We Are Crew, Not Passengers,
Working Together to Get to our Destination


The Dogs of Evergreen School Year Wall Calendar

Pre-Order your Dogs of Evergreen School Year Wall Calendar!
This August-July Calendar comes with school breaks, teacher work days, and holidays pre-loaded.
It also features handy QR Codes to get you to school resources quickly. Need to fill out the Absence Form to let us know your student isn’t coming today? Scan the QR Code beside Katie’s doggo, Bintang, on the inside back cover and >boom<, there you are!

$17.50 during the pre-order, $20 after printing.



Get into Adventure!

Do you use aluminum cans in life? Do you want to help support our Adventure Program? If the answer is yes to both then we’re looking for you. Our Cans for Climbing program is a major fundraiser for Evergreen’s Adventure Program that is easy to participate in. All you need to do is drop off any aluminum cans you have in the Cans for Climbing Trailer located right by our buses.

We’re looking for volunteers to support the Adventure Program. Throughout the school year there are a variety of opportunities to get involved ranging from driving with Ski and Snowboard Club to being a Mountain Bike Coach.

All year we are looking for parent volunteers on Monday mornings, 9am - 12pm, to help with our climbing wall and ropes course. These volunteers help belay and guide our students through these high impact activities to support our students’ growth. We're also looking for assistance with our Cans for Climbing program. When our trailer is full, we need help driving it to our local metal buyers. This volunteer option could be a one time help or a regular engagement.

If interested in either of these options, please let our Adventure Coordinator, Ethan, know!



Welcome back Evergreen Families! We hope you have had a summer full of fun, rest, and meaningful connection. Speaking of connection, we are looking forward to welcoming and connecting with new and returning students and families alike. We can’t wait to kick off a new school year filled with excitement, learning, growth, and laughter in the halls! 

As your school counselors, we will be working closely with your student(s)’ grade level team(s) to promote social-emotional learning and provide support to students throughout the year. Be sure to stay tuned into the Scoop Counseling Corner, where we will share weekly parenting tips, resources, and more to support your student(s) this year. If you’d like a question answered or concern addressed in future editions, reach out!

Hunter Holland, LCMHC-A
5-8 School Counselor
828.298.2173, x1204

Contact:

Annie Mast, M.A.Ed., NCC, LCMHC
K-4 School Counselor & Behavior Support
828.298.2173, x1312



Valuing The Voice: A Listening Circle

Part of our Mission Statement is that we value the voice of every member of our community.

A new regular feature of the Scoop is going to be the Valuing the Voice segment. Please look for this opportunity to offer your thoughts on different Evergreen Topics.

We ask that you please stay on topic for the week. We welcome constructive criticism as well as celebrations.
We also ask that you consider the following questions before hitting submit:

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

This week’s topic is: Parent Orientation

What questions do you still have after orientation? Where do we have room for improvement? What did you take away that you were not expecting?

Please keep in mind that this is feedback and as such may not illicit an immediate response. Feedback will be taken and forwarded to concerned parties, or condensed/combined to paint a overall picture of parent opinion at future meetings.


Purchase a book for the library, or use it as a book recommendation list for your next library trip!

Did you know that 10% of each Artsonia purchase is donated to the school.

Download the app and start scanning your receipts at checkout!

 

Our school id number is 10713

 

August 15th, 2024

Evergreen Family Orientation

Orientation is next Tuesday! Look for a separate email coming soon with parking instructions and more details!

Kindergarten -4th Grade

8:30-9:30 am General Orientation - Students in Classrooms, Parents meet in the gym

9:30-11:30 am Classroom Orientation and Potluck Social, Parents and Students in Classrooms

5th- 8th Grade

1:00-2:00 pm General Orientation - Students in Classrooms, Parents meet in the gym

2:00-4:00 pm Classroom Orientation and Potluck Social, Parents and Students in Classroom

Potluck
Sign-Ups

Click on your grade level below to sign up for the potluck!

Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade


Please review the Parent Orientation Slideshow before attending.
Returning Parents: please review to see what changes you can spot!


Unexcused Absences during the first 20 Days means cuts to important funding!

Please do not make any plans that would mean your child/ren will miss any of the first 20 days of school.

When students are absent during the first 20 days of the year, Evergreen’s funding is impacted for the remainder of the school year.

For example: If you schedule a trip where a student would miss 5 school days, Evergreen would lose approximately $2,250 of school funding! And, that's just state funding. Buncombe County also bases yearly funding for the school solely on attendance during the first 20 days of school.

The First 20 Days are: August 20th (Orientation) through September 17th.

Missing Orientation Day or days within the first week could also mean risking your spot at Evergreen. So much information about your new classroom and the school year will be shared during orientation. In addition, the first week of school is used in the classroom to create a classroom culture that students will use throughout the school year. That is why it is mandatory.


Financial Assistance

If you need financial assistance for the 24-25 school year (EVEN if only for bigger End of Year Trips), please complete this form: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST.
Paper forms are available in the main office.

If there are any extenuating circumstances, please detail them in the notes section (ie. your income was higher for 2023 on your tax return but your situation has changed).

Important information - PLEASE READ:

  • Please apply now even if you ONLY need financial assistance for your child's end of year trip

  • Deadlines:

    • October 31, 2024 (to be retro to August)

    • December 31, 2024 (for assistance starting from request date)

    • All year for families that experience a change in their financial situation at any time during the school year

  • Evergreen cannot at this time offer 100% assistance but we do offer several different levels between 80% assistance and 34% assistance

  • School lunches - Financial assistance does not apply to school breakfast & lunches - please contact Sarah Shah regarding free & reduced lunch

My School Bucks

We have moved to a more efficient, easier to use payment system which also features an app that you can install on your device.


Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks

One of the nice features of the My School Bucks App is that you can add funds to your students’ meal account/s for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.


With older students consider including them when you’re setting up your monthly allotment, occasionally monitor their use of those funds, and help them learn how to stay within a given budget!

Access to affordable, nutritious foods are key to student success! Being able to offer Free and Reduced Meals through the National School Lunch Program, and securing access to health food for all of our students is an important value of our school.

Breakfast will be available each morning at the entrance to the school. Breakfast is free for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch, or $2.75/student for those who do not qualify.

We provide lunches. This year we are working with a different company, but it is the same chef who has been providing us with fresh nutritious meals for the past two years. And yes, we are still featuring Macaroni Mondays. Lunches are free for those who qualify for free /reduced lunch, or $5.75.

Snacks are available in the front office.


Look for an email from our Nutrition Director, Sarah Shah with more details on menus/ordering.



New Volunteers must have a background check on file with the school. Please button below to complete.

Sign up to Volunteer

Evergreen is grounded in the philosophy that all community members will work together to ensure the success of each child at Evergreen. We are crew. We depend on volunteers.

Families are encouraged to find a variety of ways to contribute their time and talents to fulfill their monthly volunteer commitment. Please select one or more of the Parent Committees or Board Committees that fit you best.

Volunteer hours can also be filled with individual equity work or equity work in the larger community. This can include equity trainings, neighborhood book clubs, etc.

Each family member should complete their own survey. Please feel free to share with local grandparents, or other chosen family members who want to be more involved.

Please Log Hours! Hours can be logged per occurrence or cumulatively (ie. I spend 1 hour each week washing and folding classroom rags, there are approx 36 weeks in the school year so I can log 36 hours once, or I can log 1 hours each week) 

Believe it or not: This accounting can actually help us as we are writing grants because we can show a community that is invested in our collective work! 

BOOKMARK this link to the Volunteer for ease of use!


Community Builders

August 29th : 6-7:30pm
The Meadow @ Highland


The Dogs of Evergreen School Year Wall Calendar

Pre-Order your Dogs of Evergreen School Year Wall Calendar!
This August-July Calendar comes with school breaks, teacher work days, and holidays pre-loaded.
It also features handy QR Codes to get you to school resources quickly. Need to fill out the Absence Form to let us know your student isn’t coming today? Scan the QR Code beside Katie’s doggo, Bintang, on the inside back cover and >boom<, there you are!

$17.50 during the pre-order, $20 after printing.


Welcome the The Counseling Corner

Did you know: Evergreen has two wonderful school counselors. Annie Mast serves grades K-4, and Hunter Holland serves our 5th-8th grade population. Our counselors are committed to weaving Social Emotional Learning into our classrooms and assisting our student population in meeting their personal and academic goals.


Visit their home on the web to learn more about our counseling program.

In future issues of The Scoop, Annie and Hunter will use this space to provide resources, share workshops available to the community, and feature thoughtful articles on issues that many families navigate: as the school year begins, during the holidays, during standardized test weeks, and other times of high stress.

Annie (left) and Hunter (right)


Become a Nurturing Member of the Evergreen Community by making a Monthly or Quarterly Contribution of any amount!

Feeling relief after eliminating that pre-school/daycare/full time care expense?

As you consider your evolving childcare budget, please consider making a monthly or quarterly donation of any amount to support our school!

Splitting your gift into monthly or quarterly installments makes it easier to allocate a meaningful amount. And our easy to use Givebutter donation software makes regular giving a breeze!

Help our school thrive with your donation of any amount!

 
 

Purchase a book for the library, or use it as a book recommendation list for your next library trip!

Did you know that 10% of each Artsonia purchase is donated to the school.

Download the app and start scanning your receipts at checkout!

 

10713

 

June 6th, 2024

Dance your Cares Away, Worries for Another Day, Let the Fraggles Play
Down at The “Welcome Summer!” Dance Party at the Grey Eagle

This event is open to the public. Bring your friends and family for dancing, face painting, fairy hair and fun!

Equity Tickets

If price is a major obstacle for you to attend, we’d rather you attend! We are offering sliding scale, donation based access to the event at the door. Just bring cash, or show a receipt for a donation through the event’s website.

https://givebutter.com/c/WelcomeSummer

Raffle Item from Half Wright Studios, “Laurels of Asheville”

Silent Auction - Bidding is Heating Up!

New items just keep popping up!

Check out the fun and exciting offerings from Evergreen Families and local businesses!

You can also pre-order raffle tickets through the Silent Auction Site. When you preorder them, we will fill them out here so there’s no need to spend time at the event scribbling all your info on the back of a tiny ticket!

Raffle Items will only be available at the event so get your tickets now!

Pre-Order Raffle Tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the door!


Moving up Ceremonies

Add these and all other Evergreen events to your calendar and never miss a beat!

Click on either image for the school’s Google Calendar and look for the (+) bottom right!


Returning Evergreeners: Unexcused Absences during the first 20 Days means cuts to important funding!

Please do not make any plans that would mean your child/ren will miss any of the first 20 days of school.

When students are absent during the first 20 days of the year, Evergreen’s funding is impacted for the remainder of the school year.

For example: If you schedule a trip where a student would miss 5 school days, Evergreen would lose approximately $2,250 of school funding! And, that's just state funding. Buncombe County also bases yearly funding for the school solely on attendance during the first 20 days of school.

The First 20 Days are: August 20th (Orientation) through September 17th.

Missing Orientation Day or days within the first week could also mean risking your spot at Evergreen. So much information about your new classroom and the school year will be shared during orientation. In addition, the first week of school is used in the classroom to create a classroom culture that students will use throughout the school year. That is why it is mandatory.



Action Needed: Please Tell the County Commissioners not to cut Funding for our Nurse

Without county funding Evergreen is at risk of no longer having a nurse on campus. Please get involved and email our representatives!

BCHHS Director: Ellis Vaughan <ellis.vaughan@buncombecounty.org>

Click here to email our County Commissioners.

Did you know that last Thursday alone Nurse Amy saw 20 students in her office?!?
— Kelly, Student Services

A note from the Evergreen Business Office and EverAfter on your child care payment records:

As some of you may have heard, Evergreen will not be using MyPaymentsPlus next year. We are moving to a new system that will roll out in July. Since we've used MPP for EverAfter, before school, and summer camp, many of you have records there that you may want or need come tax time next April, or for FSA and dependant care reimbursements.You will lose access to your MyPaymentsPlus account on June 30th, so if you will need those records, please make sure to log in and get them once all remaining fees have been paid for this year. Evergreen will export what information we can before we also lose our access, but that may not include all of what you need. 

Reminder - All Fees are Due by June 12th, 2024

Please login to MyPayments Plus and pay your fees by the last day of school and download any information you may need for tax season now!

If you have questions or need assistance please contact our Business Manager Extrordinaire, Beth Rankin.


25 Anniversary Edition Shirts On Sale Until June 12th

Celebrate 25 Years with T-Shirt savings! Five Dollars off our popular 25th Anniversary styles.

Tees can be picked up in the Development Office, or contact Lynni for alternate delivery options!

$5 EARTH DAY SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE!

Click either picture to see current inventory and claim your size!


Invitation for Feedback and Summer Resources

Summer is officially upon us! Congratulations Evergreen Community, we have successfully completed another wonderful school year!

In addition to our school-wide programming and staff trainings, each year the counseling department aims to offer several parent education workshops on relevant parenting and wellness topics. This school year, we noticed a decline in attendance to these events and we are eager to modify our future offerings to increase parent/community engagement!  We invite you to please take a moment to share your input by completing this Parent Education Events Survey, so that we can plan upcoming parent education opportunities that meet our families’ interests and needs.

A few closing remarks from your school counselors…

From Annie:

It was a beautiful heart-gift to return from maternity leave in January to such a warm welcome. In a season of life so full of change, new experiences, and unpredictability, coming “home” to Evergreen felt like the grounding strategy I didn’t know I needed! It has been so nice to feel firmly “planted” here in the Evergreen community and as excited as I am for summer break, I will be equally as excited to return in the fall for another year of nurturing our elementary students’ growth!

From Hunter: 

I can’t believe it is already JUNE!! This has been a year full of opportunities to step up to challenges, create space for continual growth, and to celebrate successes! As a first year counselor, I am excited to take all I have learned over the past 10 months and return next year with renewed energy and creative ideas for evolving our middle school counseling program. My heart is filled with gratitude that I have had the privilege to work with this community of 5th-8th grade students, families, and staff. 

Lastly, please click the following link for a List of Summer Resources that may be beneficial for your family over the summer and beyond!

Have a great summer full of rest, rejuvenation, and fun!  We can’t wait to see you all in August 🙂

~Annie & Hunter


Summer Reading for Adults!

The Cultural Disciples Book Club will pick back up in August. You can join in by reading these books over the summer.

 
Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony.
— Brendan Slocumb, The Violin Conspiracy

Purchase a book for the library, or use it as a book recommendation list for your next library trip!

Did you know that 10% of each Artsonia purchase is donated to the school.

Download the app and start scanning your receipts at checkout!

10713


May 30th, 2024


Moving up Ceremonies

Add these and all other Evergreen events to your calendar and never miss a beat!

Click on either image for the school’s Google Calendar and look for the (+) bottom right!


One more day to Reach our goal:
23K In the Month of May

Evergreen Community Charter School receives 25% less funding from state and federal agencies than a traditional public school.

That’s where the *community* part of our name comes in. We rely on the support & generosity of our community.

We need to raise 23K in the Month of May. Please click the Donate Button to check out our new, secure donation software and see how easy it is to Give to Evergreen with GiveButter.

  • $5 would offset the cost of a lunch

  • $25 would offset the cost of a box of paper

  • $50 would offset the cost of filling up the bus’ tank

  • $100 would offset a professional development course

If everyone reading this gave $33 today,
we would reach our goal!
If that amount is a stretch,
*any* amount will help us get across that goal line!


“Welcome Summer!” Dance Party at the grey Eagle

https://givebutter.com/c/WelcomeSummer

Text your Evergreen besties and make a plan to celebrate the end of the school year at the Welcome Summer Dance Party and Fundraiser!

Afternoon Vibe:

The Party Kicks off at 3pm with a Kid Hop Dance Party!

You might know Sagan from Mondays behind the Reception Desk, or EverAfter, but did you know they have a Radio Show called RadioActive Kids on AshevilleFM? Meaning they have a wide variety of awesome kid friendly tunes to spin for you and your tiny dancer!

The Grey Eagle Taqueria will be open until 7pm to delight with their platanos, nachos, and of course tacos!

This event is open to the public. Bring your friends and family!

Evening Vibe:

6pm- Beginner’s Salsa Dance Lesson

Emily and Marco of SalsaAVL will be providing Beginner Salsa Instruction for the first hour of the evening. They will also include some bachata and merengue in the mix. The lesson will be taught so that partnered or unpartnered dancers can enjoy learning to dance!

7-10pm - Welcome Summer by Dancing the Night Away

The dance floor will open again at 7pm for an all ages dance party with DJ Spirit Animal. Bring the kids or leave them with a sitter, y’all decide. Try out the moves you learned in the lesson, or do your own thing!

Silent Auction - Bidding Opens Tomorrow!

Some exciting new items just dropped! Like a Week-long stay at an oceanfront condo, East Fork Pottery, and Energetic Healing in Nature- a guided hike and healing experience!

The Silent Auction will open tomorrow at 8am! If you have not already, take a moment to Register to Bid and check out the fun and exciting offerings from Evergreen Families and local businesses!

You can also pre-order raffle tickets through the Silent Auction Site. When you preorder them, we will fill them out here so there’s no need to spend time at the event scribbling all your info on the back of a tiny ticket!


Yearbook Ordering Deadline Tomorrow!

Be sure to order a yearbook for the 2023-2024 school year. Ordering happens on the My Payments Plus page, in the Events & Activities section for each student.

Other Summer Reading!

The Cultural Disciples Book Club will pick back up in August. You can join in by reading these books over the summer.

 
Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony.
— Brendan Slocumb, The Violin Conspiracy

End of Year Accounting: Time to Settle Up!

Reminder - All Fees are Due by June 12th, 2024

Please login to MyPayments Plus and pay your fees by the last day of school.
(Don’t forget to order the yearbook if you’re needing one!)

If you have questions or need assistance please contact our Business Manager Extrordinaire, Beth Rankin.


25 Anniversary Edition Shirts On Sale Now

Celebrate 25 Years with T-Shirt savings! Five Dollars off our popular 25th Anniversary styles.

Tees can be picked up in the Development Office, or contact Lynni for alternate delivery options!

$5 EARTH DAY SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE!

Click either picture to see current inventory and claim your size!


Maintaining Social-Emotional Skills and Good Mental Health During Summer Break

For kids, summer break is usually a time to kick back and relax, but for some, the change in routine can be disconcerting. Children who are neurodivergent or who may be navigating anxiety, depression, or other mental health related issues may find that summer break takes them away from the “safety” of their school routines. These kids may actually experience increased anxiety when summer break begins. Parents may also struggle as they try to balance work while making sure kids are happy and fulfilled all summer.

In fact, a study by the American Physiological Society found that people are more likely to have higher levels of stress hormones in the summer than in winter. Summer weather can wear our bodies down physically. Extended periods in heat can cause sleeplessness, lethargy, lack of appetite and dehydration, all of which can lead to challenging behaviors and anxiety. That’s why it’s important to take a proactive approach to maintain social-emotional and mental wellbeing this summer. 

When we approach summer break with intentionality around preserving social, emotional, and mental health, we increase the likelihood that transitions into and out of summer break will be smooth, and students and their families will be ready to start the new school year feeling connected and rejuvenated. Creating structure through schedules, planning fun activities, making time to connect with others, enjoying time outside, making quality family time a priority, and finding a healthy balance between downtime and planned activities are all strategies that can help ensure a fun, meaningful, and restful summer. 

Follow the links below for more tips and strategies for creating a balanced, fun, and restorative summer break. We are almost there! 

Additional Resources:

ChildMind: Strategies for a Successful Summer Break

Student Mental Health Over Summer Break

Curious B.E.I.N.G.S: Social Emotional Learning Activities for Summer

Move This World: 14 SEL Activities for Summer


Purchase a book for the library, or use it as a book recommendation list for your next library trip!

Did you know that 10% of each Artsonia purchase is donated to the school.

Download the app and start scanning your receipts at checkout!

10713