Happy Friday to everyone and I hope you have enjoyed this day off and have found a cozy place to be while the cold rain does what cold rain will do.  Hopefully, weather will clear up over the weekend and we will all be able to get out and about on Monday when schools will be closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Today a group of us visited McCarthy-Teszler in Spartanburg, a school that serves a population similar to ours here at Washington Center.  We had a good trip and got lots of good ideas to think about.  They have a much bigger building than we have, and they serve 100 more students than we have here, so we are not just alike but there was definitely much we could learn from them.

At school this week, therapy dogs visited and we received news of another computer being funded by “Donors Choose”.  We are closing in on our last two computers, and then we will have put together enough money to refresh everyone that needed to have a technology refresh.  Four more of our teachers have posted computers on “Donors Choose”, so if you are looking for a way to donate to us, that would be a great choice.  You can get the link to “Donors Choose” from teacher websites.  Training for the new computer program is scheduled, and devices are already being distributed to classrooms.

This week and next classes are continuing to get out to have meals in restaurants, to shop and to go bowling.  Also, next week, on Tuesday at 1, we have SIC; and hopefully, you all know that these meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend.  On Friday, Progress Reports will be sent home.

We have lots coming up in the next few weeks.  On January 28 and 29 we will be having Science Days and students will have an opportunity to participate in experiments, to mine for gems, to pet puppies and kittens from the animal shelter and to interact with Roper Mountain’s Star Lab.  Then on February 3, the PTA will be hosting a parent workshop and lunch.  The guest speaker will be Alisa Bentley from Family Connections of SC and she will talk about Medicaid options and procedures for accessing Medicaid benefits.  Please send back your invitations so Sharon Russo will know how many people to expect.  On February 4, PTA will meet and on February 12, our 11^th and 12^th grade students will be treated to a Valentine Pageant with volunteers from Shannon Forest Christian School and Brashier Charter High School here to serve as escorts.

One last thing --- Linda Thigpen asked that remind folks to register your BiLo bonus card for Washington Center, as we can get points used for classroom materials.  You may register at www.bi-lo.com-HometownEducationRewards.  Washington Center’s code is 54477.  We were able to order several items from Bi-Lo this week, and teachers appreciated the free gifts. 

That’s it for today.  Have a great weekend and remember----- no school on Monday.