Union Chapel Elementary School

Exploring Newton's First Law of Motion - Inertia! Ms. Kim McNeill's fifth-grade class had an exciting hands-on experience today as they dove into the world of physics with experiments focused on Inertia! 🧑‍🔬💡 The students observed how objects stay in motion (or at rest) unless acted upon by an outside force, and had fun testing this fundamental concept with a variety of cool activities. From rolling objects to pulling cards from under cups, they were able to see Newton's First Law in action! Check out the awesome pictures from our classroom experiments! The future scientists of tomorrow are hard at work today!

Enjoy the Student Support April Newsletter from the school counselor, Mrs. Cindy Chavis, and the school social worker, Ms. Amy Morgan.

We are excited to announce our Students of the Month for March. These students were chosen by their teacher to represent their class based on exhibiting outstanding behavior. Congratulations to them all! If your child received a Tiger yard sign to proudly display for the month, please send in their picture so they can be recognized online.

Today is Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Paraprofessionals, or teacher assistants, do a little of everything in our school. They support classes, are assigned to specific students in special education, help with substituting and supervising students, and support the general running of the school. Paraprofessional Appreciation Day is a chance to put these workers in the spotlight and recognize the dedication they bring to our students each day. So help us in recognizing and celebrating our teacher assistants today. Pictured from left to right are: Seated: Mrs. Lindsay Hunt, Mrs. Geraldine Hunt, and Mrs. Kasurry Russell Standing: Mrs. Taylor Scott Locklear, Mrs. Jeanie Locklear, Ms. Katelynn Hammonds, Ms. Belinda Mauney, Mrs. Rene Emanel, Mrs. Amy Locklear, Ms. Tina Locklear, and Mrs. Helen Rogers Not pictured are: Mrs. Madison Locklear, Mrs. Kyndra Chavis, Mrs. Joan Scott, Mrs. Darlene Chavis, Ms. Layni Jones, and Mrs. DebbieTroutman. Thank you, ladies, for all you do.

We are excited to announce our Students of the Month for March. These students were chosen by their teacher to represent their class based on exhibiting outstanding behavior. Congratulations to them all! If your child received a Tiger yard sign to proudly display for the month, please send in their picture so they can be recognized online.

Welcome to Our School, Ms. Raven Locklear! We are thrilled to introduce Ms. Raven Locklear as our new Bookkeeper, Data Manager, and Payroll Clerk! We are confident she will make a positive impact on our school community. Ms. Locklear has experience, and we’re excited to have her on board to help keep things running smoothly! Please join us in giving her a warm welcome to the Tiger family!

FYI

The deadline for 2025 - 2026 Student Transfer Requests is April 1, 2025. Notification regarding requests will be sent in mid-to-late June. Transfer requests with incomplete mailing addresses will NOT be mailed and will result in a significant delay in notification. (We ask that you not call to confirm receipt of online transfers.) Students granted a transfer and fail to enroll in a timely manner, or withdraw from the school will have their approval revoked. Any transfer that is approved based upon false or misleading information will be declared void, and the transfer will be rescinded. Student transfers can be denied for the following reasons: 1) admission of the student would cause overcrowding of classes; 2) admission of the student would cause the school to hire additional personnel; 3) the student's prior attendance record; 4) the student's prior conduct record; and 5) other lawful reasons determined by the principal. For multiple students/siblings: a separate application form must be submitted for each student requesting a transfer. All requests will be considered individually. There is no automatic approval of transfer requests for siblings. There is also no guarantee that requests for multiple siblings will be approved at the same time. Click below for the 2025 - 2026 Student Transfer Request Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYu5iWbYP-v5pjh1ua3hhI3S8ThZ86Xkwo4Y-oGgOY5izY0w/viewform

We are excited to announce our Students of the Month for February. These students were chosen by their teacher to represent their class based on exhibiting outstanding behavior. Congratulations to them all! If your child received a Tiger yard sign to proudly display for the month, please send in their picture so they can be recognized online.

PBIS Field Trip to Lumber River State Park! Our kindergarten students had an amazing time exploring Lumber River State Park in Orrum as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) field trip! Through PBIS, students earn points for exhibiting positive behaviors, and those who reached their goal were rewarded with this incredible outdoor adventure. They had the opportunity to learn from the knowledgeable staff at Lumber River State Park, who used an outdoor science approach to engage and inspire our students. A big thank you to the Lumber River State Park staff for making this experience both educational and fun! We’re so proud of our students for earning this well-deserved reward and for demonstrating such positive behavior!

This is a reminder that there will be no school tomorrow, March 28th due to a Teacher Workday. Please make the necessary arrangements for your child.

🌟 13th Annual Star Party 🌟 📅 Date: Friday, April 4th ⏰ Time: 7 pm 📍 Location: Exploration Station Children’s Museum Event Overview: Join us for the 13th Annual Star Party, a fun, free, family-friendly evening celebrating space exploration! This exciting event takes place on the evening of Friday, April 4th, with this year's theme: Your Place in Space. 🚀✨ Activities Include: 🤖 Hands-on fun from PSRC Early College High School Robcobots competition team 🍿 Popcorn and snacks courtesy of Shea Ann DeJarnette of 4H 🔭 Telescope viewing provided by Dave Gavasci from RCC 🌌 Kinesthetic activities presented by Ken Brandt from the Robeson Planetarium to help understand space Special Features: Explore the wonders of space with 🪐 free materials from NASA 💎 One lucky family will win a prize! (Must be present to win) This event is the perfect opportunity to engage with experts in the field and learn more about the many facets of space exploration – and who will be taking the lead in the future. 🌠 Event Details: 👏 Sponsors: The event is made possible by Partnership for Children, with support from other local organizations. Don't miss out on this stellar event 🌟 – bring your family and discover your place in space! 🌌

Hello Tiger Family! It is with great excitement we share with you that Kolton Duel Oxendine in 5th grade has found great interest in kart racing. Kolton started kart racing in February 2024 at the age of 9. His karting instructor, Austin Banker, known as “Bubba” has provided him with knowledge on racing techniques to safely improve his karting skills and enjoy the sport. He has instructed him on how to maintain track cleanliness and ensure a safe and enjoyable environment. With a great team of support, we send many thanks to Austin Banker, his karting instructor, Kenny Smith Racing Engines for the motor, Allan Smith at Double Vision Motorsports for the clutches, KartSpeed Solutions for the kart setup, Bubba’s Karting Concepts and team for the awesome tires. We greatly appreciate our sponsors and the track support offered to help assist Kolton at each race. Kolton attended the 2024 Backyard Series Banquet at Triple T Raceway in St. Pauls, NC where he won the Junior 1 Championship and was awarded Junior Rookie of the Year. Receiving a championship jacket, ring, trophies, and more goodies was such an honor to him. We are hoping and praying that Kolton learns the ropes of competitive racing and continues winning races.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Let me introduce you to Jaxon Bullard. Jaxon is a fourth grade student here at Union Chapel Elementary School. Here are some fun facts about Jaxon: * His favorite animal is a lion. (RRROOOAAARRR!!!) * His favorite color is blue. (Duke blue or Carolina blue? One must choose.) * His favorite place is the Atlanta Braves Stadium. (Take him out to the ballgame.) * He likes to play baseball and learn about history. (How about learning the history of baseball?) * He wishes that God would come into his heart and save him. (He's knocking, Jaxon. Let Him in.) * He uses the word 'curious' to describe himself. Mr. Avery Strickland, Jaxon's teacher, says, "Jaxon exemplifies dedication and perseverance, constantly going above and beyond in his academic journey. Through an unwavering commitment to excellence, Jaxon tackles every challenge with resilience and a growth mindset. Jaxon's pursuit of knowledge is admirable, and it's clear that his efforts are paving the way for a bright and successful future." What a great compliment! Jaxon is featured on our Facebook page because he purchased this certificate in our PBIS Store. If your child would like to receive a shout-out on our social media pages, they can buy this opportunity using their PBIS points. We love highlighting our wonderful students.

If you haven't ordered your child's spring pictures, check out this coupon code from Lifetouch. https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=PPD_S25_Po15_US&utm_content=redeem#/

McDonald's Night Fundraiser!!! Join us tomorrow, March 25th from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Pembroke McDonald's. Come out and support this fundraiser! All money raised will go towards our PBIS program.

Ms. Kim McNeill’s fifth-grade students are having a blast with hands-on learning as they experiment with friction! Today, they’re discovering which surfaces create the most and least friction. It's amazing to see them applying their curiosity and critical thinking skills as they test different materials and surfaces to see how they impact movement. Science in action is always exciting, and we’re proud of how engaged and thoughtful our students are as they explore the world around them. Keep up the great work, fifth grade!

This past Saturday, Mrs. Tammy Sessoms and some of her amazing sixth-grade students—Julie O., Paisley H., Lumbeeona O., and Jacob L.—joined together to make a difference in our community by participating in the Adopt-a-Highway road clean-up along a stretch of highway in the Union Chapel community. This clean-up is in memory of one of our former students, Dustin Ryan Revels. We are so proud of these students for giving their time and energy to help keep our community beautiful. This project wasn’t just about picking up trash and debris, it was also about instilling values of compassion, responsibility, and good citizenship. At Union Chapel Elementary School, we are committed to not only helping our students succeed academically, but also encouraging them to grow into caring, engaged members of their community. Way to go, Julie, Paisley, Lumbeeona, and Jacob!

No School!!! There will be no school on Friday, March 28th due to a Teacher Workday. Please make the necessary arrangements for your child.

McDonald's Night Fundraiser!!! Join us this Tuesday, March 25th from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Pembroke McDonald's. Come out and support this fundraiser! All money raised will go towards our PBIS program.