Telra Telegram December 4, 2025
- sharilynstrain
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
It's getting colder outside, and frosty or wet days are making it longer to get out the door. Please take the time to leave early to make it to school on time!
We have a lot of great things planned this month - field trips to enlighten the students, testing to gauge our progress, a book fair to quench their thirst for reading, and an Art Fair to showcase their talent!!! Read below to find out all about it!
Reminder - please share your photos of Telra events with us at https://bit.ly/TelraShare25-26
What's New this Week
December Field Trip Reminders - includes permission forms and chaperone sign-ups
NEW Extracurriculars starting - Lacross & Basketball; Volleyball; Chess- Sign Up Now!
Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular @ Ballantyne's Backyard
Upcoming dates
November 28 - December 30 - Carolina Holiday Spectacular
December 16 - Book Fair and Reading Corner
December 17 - Telra Art Fair and Book Fair
December 15-18 - Telra Field Trips! See detail below
Dec 19 - Jan 5 - Winter Break
Grateful Grams - Presented by the Family Council!
As we head into this holiday season, Family Council would like to take a moment to recognize the people who make our days brighter. Our teachers and staff work hard every single day to support, guide, and encourage our students. A simple note of appreciation can mean more than you know.
If your family would like to send a Grateful Gram to a teacher or staff member, please use the link below. Your message will be printed and delivered by the Family Council before we head off to spend the holidays with our loved ones. December 12th is the deadline to submit!
Whether it’s a kind word, a moment that stood out, or a thank-you for just being there, your note will make someone’s day.
Who is Family Council? YOU ARE! Every family is automatically a member. Look out for more information on how to join and become more active soon!
The Telra Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about it at in our November 2025 Telra Times! In this edition, read about:
What Is It Like to be in High School?
How to Take Effective Notes
Goodbye, Old Explores!
Hello, New Explores!
Telra High School Update
Student Spotlight: Omar Dib
K-8 Trimester 1 Report Cards
We can hardly believe that the first trimester has come to a close! We are one third of the way through the year, and we are excited to continue strong into our second trimester!
1st trimester report cards are available to view in Alma as of today. These can be seen in the Report Cards tab in Alma. To view the 1st trimester report card, please be sure you click on the report card labeled Trimester 1. If you have any questions about your child’s grades, please reach out to their teacher directly. They will be happy to help!
We want to address the importance of class performance and meaningful grades at Telra Institute. We believe that students should be placed in the most appropriate grade level and instructional groups for them based on academic readiness. This is why we have one meaningful grade per week in each course. To ensure students remain appropriately placed, there are certain promotion standards that must be met at each grade level to be eligible for promotion at the end of the school year. Grade level retention conversations begin when students are scoring below 60% in a course that is required for grade level promotion.
We understand that the topic of grade retention can be fraught, and that some schools and families have different perspectives on the matter. Some welcome giving their children more time to master material, while others are concerned about "keeping up" with an age group. At Telra, we are working to normalize the idea that every student needs to follow their own trajectory in the same way that we are normalizing mixed-age grouping for instruction.
It is important to note that academic considerations (the student's ability to access their ZPD) drive Telra's instructional group and grade-level placement decisions. Social promotion, while seemingly empathetic in the short-term, does a disservice to children in the long-term. Moreover, social promotion is not supported by North Carolina State Law (see § 115C-83.7 - Elimination of social promotion). Accordingly, Telra does not engage in social promotion.
The promotion and retention criteria discussed here apply uniformly to all students. There are no exceptions to this requirement. This means that students who may have been retained before and students who receive special services (such as Individualized Education Plans, 504 accommodations, or ML Plans) must also meet these expectations for promotion.
Book Fair and Art Fair - December 16th and 17th
We are excited to offer our Art and Book Fairs this month! Come visit us at Telra from 6-8pm on Tuesday 12/16 and Wednesday 12/17 to help us celebrate the joy of Telra! Here is what we have planned for you:
Tuesday, 12/16 - Wear your favorite festive pajamas in the evening!
Book Fair 6-8pm
Share the joy of reading through a local book store, So Much More To The Story
Reading Corner 6-7:30pm
Bring a blanket and listen to your favorite teachers read some of your favorite books!
Treats
Hot Cocoa stand!
Fun desserts and a food truck!
Wednesday, 12/17 - Support your student's creative side!
Art Fair 6-8pm
See the wonderful artwork your children have created this Fall!
Book Fair 6-8pm
A second night to purchase books and gifts for the whole family!
Dessert stand - satisfy your sweet tooth!
Snow Much Fun! Board Game Drive
Telra needs new board games to support the indoor recess that will be more frequent as the weather gets colder. Help by donating new or gently used board games! Please drop them off in the office, or visit the Family Council table at the Book Fair and receive a free gift!
December Field Trips
**We need Chaperones! See button below to sign up!**
We have an exciting list of field trips planned for our student in December! Here is the list:
K - Monroe Science Center, Thursday, 12/18/25
1st - Schiele Museum, Monday 12/15/25
2nd - Nascar Hall of Fame, Tuesday 12/16/25
3rd - Discovery Place, Monday 12/15/25
4th - Local Government, Uptown, Tuesday 12/16/25
5th - Greensboro Science Center, Tuesday 12/16/25
6th - Mint Museum, Thursday 12/18/25
7th - State Government, Raleigh, Wednesday 12/17/25
8th - CPCC Levine Campus & High School Tour, Wednesday 12/17/25
9th - UNCC Visit, Wednesday 12/17/25
10th - CPCC Levine Campus Tour, Chaperone 8th Grade, Wednesday 12/17/25
9th & 10th - UNC Visit, Thursday 12/18/25
We will require permission forms to be filled out for all students to attend their grade level field trips. Here are the instructions to access the form to fill it out:
Go to Alma Start (accessible from Alma's home page by clicking on the link below your child's name.
Click on "Begin New Process" once you've selected a student
Select the School Year (25-26)
Select "December 2025 Field Trip Permission Form"
We also need chaperone assistance for our Dec 2025 Field trips. If you are interested, please fill out the form below. Each location has a different chaperone requirement so we will select the first volunteers to submit their interest and then put the other names on a wait list. We will communicate all details with you before the event.
Meet Fred Sturgis, our new Transportation Manager!
Fred brings over 10 years of commercial driving experience and a proven record in transportation operations, safety compliance, training, and team leadership. With a Class B CDL and multiple endorsements, he is dedicated to ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable transportation for our community.
If you see Fred, please welcome him to Telra!
Student Shoutout - Sanjay Allu
Sanjay Allu (6th grader) won 3rd place in state level NC open that was conducted this past weekend in U1600 category.
Extracurriculars starting this Trimester
Telra Basketball - Additional Players Needed
We are fielding two teams in the 12U Boys MARA recreational league, sponsored by Telra! The teams practice at Telra on Wednesdays 3:45-5:15pm. We are looking for additional players to join the teams. If your student is interested, please fill out this form. The student must be aged 12 or under as of 8/1/2025.
Lacrosse and Basketball offered 12/1/25-2/16/26 - open spots available!
Amazing Athletes is offering basketball and lacrosse on Mondays from 12/1/25-2/16/26 for students in Kindergarten to 5th grade. Find out more and register via this link: Sign Up!
Volleyball
We are continuing to build our volleyball program and for the 2nd trimester our 3rd-5th grade program will be offered through Amazing Athletes. The sessions will be offered Thursdays, from 12/4/25-2/19/26. Please sign up here!
For our 6th-10th graders, we will continue our sessions on Tuesdays from 12/2/25-2/17/26. We will maintain our waitlist and open up spots as they become available. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please sign up here.
The coach holding both the Tuesday and Thursday sessions is the JV Coach at Providence High School, as well as a coach of a Club level team. We are excited to support the growth of volleyball at Telra!
Chess
Our chess program is run by the Charlotte Chess Club. Registration is now open for the sessions beginning in January.
Days/Times: Wednesday, 3:45 PM-4:45 PM
Start Date: 1/7
End Date: 3/4*
Grades: K-10
Tuition: $190.00 per student
Details and Registration: Register
(*Charlotte Chess Center follows the school calendar and only host the club on the days and times school is in session. Holidays, early release days, remote days, snow days etc. are not made up or refunded.)
Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular
If you're the type to plan ahead, you'll want to know that the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular returns to Ballantyne's Backyard from 11/28-12/30.
Telra Families can earn a 10% discount for themselves and earn 10% for the school by purchasing advance tickets and using the discount code TELRA10.
General admission starts at $9 with the discount code, but specific days/times can sell out, so plan ahead!
The Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular will transform Ballantyne’s Backyard, November 28 – December 30, into an outdoor enchanting walking trail filled with over a million illuminated lights, larger-than-life holiday installations and scenes that will dazzle all visitors.
In addition to eye-catching, twinkling lights and festive installations, guests will experience a Winter Wonderland complete with dozens of magical over-sized snow globes, hundreds of decorated trees, The Alpine Avalanche Snow Tube Slide, and a new light castle, which is a stunning 30’ x 40’ structure that visitors can walk through and explore, immersing themselves into a magical, illuminated world.
There will also be a new kids’ playground area that will provide children with a fun and engaging space. Santa will be there every night through Dec. 23. On select evenings, the festive atmosphere will be enhanced by special performances from ballerinas and other performers, adding a touch of elegance and wonder to the experience. There will be children’s activities, a Moon Bounce, and a Holiday Village complete with boutiques, shops and rotating Food Trucks offering seasonal fare.
Helping Hands - Volunteer to help at Telra!
Please sign up to volunteer for "Helping Hands" - these helpers assist Telra staff in the following ways:
General Help, on Fridays from 9-11am - completing tasks left for them in the "Helping Hands" box in the teacher workroom. These tasks may include copying papers, cutting out items, organizing the Lost and Found area, or re-shelving books in the neighborhood libraries - these are just a few examples of how you can help!
IT Help, on select Fridays from 9-11am - our IT team could use Technical Assistance updating computers as we prepare for testing. Other IT tasks may also be offered.
Art Room Help, on Mondays from 7:30-8:15am - helping the art teacher get projects ready for the day. Feel free to bring your children and they can go to BASE childcare until the school day begins.
General Help, afterschool from 4-5:30pm - completing tasks left for them in the "Helping Hands" box in the teacher workroom. These tasks may include copying papers, cutting out items, organizing the Lost and Found area, or re-shelving books in the neighborhood libraries - these are just a few examples of how you can help! Feel free to bring your children and they can go to BASE childcare while you volunteer!
Car Line Assistance - please email frontdesk@telra.org if you would like to help in morning or afternoon car line!
The Front Desk staff will assist you on where to go and what needs to be done. Please review the available slots in the link below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you for supporting our awesome staff!!!!
26-27 Calendar
Our 26-27 Calendar has been approved. Attendance is important, so please review the calendar and take this into account when making plans!
Telra Events Calendar
Check out our Events Calendar to see what is going on at Telra! New feature: You can now add the Telra events feed to your personal calendar by copying and pasting the iCal path (available at the link above) into the "add shared calendar" function in your favorite calendar program.