Telra Telegram - March 21, 2025
- sharilynstrain
- Mar 21
- 8 min read
Our Light the Night Dance is tonight for 6-9th graders and much more is happening at Telra!
Math Counts - Telra Institute wins State Championship!
Intent to Return - Tell us that you're coming back!
4th and 5th Grade Game Night - 3/28; 4-6pm - new time!
Drama Club - Props Needed! - Help us and also let us know you're coming!
Lands End Outfitters - Uniform Sale!
Parties & social events on the horizon - Culture Fair and Arts & Crafts Festival dates and more!
A Note from the Principals
Dear Telra Families,
We are officially in our third and final trimester of the 2024-2025 school year! Where has the time gone? Before we know it, we’ll be gearing up for year-end activities and soon after, back to school.
2nd 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 2nd trimester report card, please be sure you click on the report card labeled Trimester 2. If you have any questions about your child’s grades, please reach out to their teacher directly. They will be happy to help!
As we round out of the school year, we have a few reminders for families. We have recently noticed an increase in students, particularly in younger grade levels, bringing toys and Pokémon cards to school. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, these items have become a distraction in classes which is impacting student learning. Students also have been trying to trade these items with each other, resulting in hurt feelings and regrets when a treasured card has been traded away. Please help us by having your children keep these things at home. If students continue to bring these items, they will be kept at the office for a parent to pick up.
Additionally, we love having parents visit for lunch on your child’s birthday! Please keep the following in mind.
If you would like to join your child for lunch on their birthday, please email frontdesk@telra.org one week in advance. This will allow us to ensure we have seating available at the birthday table.
This is a time for parents to spend with their child. Other students must remain seated with their classes.
Bringing in a special birthday lunch or treat to eat with your child is fun and exciting. However, no food may be brought for other students. Thank you for helping us keep all students safe! Please note that birthday lunch with your child is the only time you may bring in fast food during the school day for lunch. Fast food cannot be dropped off at the front desk to be delivered to your child.
Additionally, please remember to complete the intent to return to Telra for the 2025-2026 school year. Directions for this can be found below. Please complete this by March 28th to reserve your space for the fall.
We have an exciting time of the year coming up! Be on the lookout for more information coming soon about upcoming events, field trips, and more!
Principals Ozer and Rearick
Math Counts State Championship
On Pi Day, 2025, the Telra Math Team won the championship at MATHCOUNTS NC State Finals! This is only Telra's 2nd year participating in the largest middle school math competition in the country, and we've already made our presence felt.
Telra had 3 of the top 5 individuals in the State and the countdown round runner up. Out of about 150 participants, all 7 Telra students were placed in the top 50.
We are proud of this team for their hard work and dedication!
Intent to Return
It's that time of year where we thank you for being part of our community this year and ask about your intent to return to Telra in the fall. We understand that job changes, relocations, and other family circumstances can drive these decisions as well as individual preferences regarding academic, extracurricular, and social opportunities for your child(ren).
Below, you'll find directions on completing the Re-Enrollment process in Alma. We ask that you complete this by Friday, March 28th to reserve your space for the fall.
Log into Alma and find Alma Start: When you log into https://telra.getalma.com you should see your children's names and grade levels for the 2024-2025 school year. Next to their name, you'll see a link for Alma Start. Click on it.
Complete the intent to return form: Once in Alma Start, you should see icons for each of your children enrolled at Telra in the current school year (2024-2025).
For each one, click on Begin New Process.
Select the Current school year
Select "Intent to return 25-26" form to launch that Process.
You’ll then see that on the “Active Processes” screen. Click on the Intent to return 25-26 process to complete the required forms.
You’ll be asked to answer Yes/No regarding your intent to continue with Telra in the fall.
Click "Complete" and on the next screen, click "Submit"
You’ll know you are finished when you are returned to the “Active Process” screen and you see that the Intent to return 25-26 process is in the “Staff Review” stage with “nothing to do”
Repeat this for each child at Telra.
Wait:
That's all you can do for now. Telra staff need to review and confirm your responses. Alma Start will show that the intent to return process is under "staff review"
If you are not continuing at Telra, that's all you need to do. If you are rejoining us next year, we'll push you into the Re-registration process.
Start the Re-registration process: (for those continuing at Telra)
Towards the end of March, when you log into Alma Start, you'll see another Active Process Re-Registration 25-26
The first stage of this process is completing Information updates. This is where you can inform us if you want to update your email, phone number, address, or emergency contacts. We also ask you update your child's health information and transportation plans. Complete these forms and click submit.
The next stage of this process is Certifications. Click through to read, understand, and type your name as your signature for each of them. Once again, click submit when you've completed all this.
You're done. The next steps are for Telra staff to transfer all your information into the new school year. Nothing more for you to do!
4th and 5th Grade Game Night - 4-6pm on 3/28
We are excited to offer our amazing 4th and 5th graders a game night at Telra! Our event is on 3/28 at 4pm and we will be playing board games!
Only Telra 4th and 5th grade students may attend. Please RSVP for your child HERE no later than 03/26/2025. If you have more than one 4th or 5th grader, please fill out one form for each child.
Photographs of the event may be taken and used for internal Telra purposes (like the Telegram and yearbook) as well as for social media posts. By choosing to attend, you are granting Telra rights to use photographs and or video recordings of your child.
The students should stay after school and their Dismissal should be changed to "Game Night". Pickup is at the front of the school no later than 6pm. Popcorn or Chips will be provided, and students are asked to bring their own water bottles.
We need more volunteers for this event, so please sign up via this link to help!
Drama Club - Final Stretch for our Tale of Two Cities Production!
Our Drama Club production of "A Tale of Two Cities" will be on Friday, April 4th at 7pm and Saturday, April 5th at 6pm. Please come support our thespians and enjoy the show! Tickets are $5 at the door, and you can help us gauge our attendance numbers by letting us know you're coming!
Help!!!! We need props!
As the students are working diligently to prepare for their performance, we find ourselves in need of some props to enhance their experience. We have created a list of the props we require, which are included in this sign-up genius. Alternatively, you can contribute some of the items by buying them off our Amazon Wish List. Please help make this production a success!
Telra Culture Fair
We are thrilled to announce that our school will be hosting a Culture Fair event on April 1, 2025, and we would love to invite you and your family to join us in celebrating the wondrous cultures that make Telra such a vibrant community.
What is the Culture Fair?
Our Culture Fair offers an exciting opportunity for us to come together, share our unique traditions, and celebrate the many cultures that make up our school. It's a day to learn from each other, foster mutual understanding, and deepen our appreciation for the diverse backgrounds that enrich our community.
While traditional elements like cuisine, dance, attire, and celebrations from around the world will be a highlight of the event, we also recognize that culture is not limited to these practices. Culture is also shaped by the passions, interests, and identities that make each of us unique.
How You Can Participate
We invite you to participate in the Telra Culture Fair in whatever way feels meaningful to you. Whether you'd like to share a piece of your culture, showcase a tradition or hobby, or simply attend and enjoy the festivities with your family, your presence will be deeply appreciated. We welcome volunteers to help with organizing activities, setting up tables, or contributing in any other way that interests you. Your involvement will make a significant impact on the experience we create for our students and the entire Telra community.
If you'd like to participate or volunteer, please review the available slots and sign-up here. Should you have any questions or need more information, feel free to email karly.lucas@telra.org.
Federal Funding Note
With the recent headlines surrounding the Federal Department of Education, several families have reached out to the school inquiring about possible impacts. While we have no crystal ball and we try to stay out of politics, we have considered scenarios and want to set Telra Family minds at ease.
Federal funding comprises around 2% of the Telra budget. These are transfer payments for things like school nutrition and special education that come via the State. We do not anticipate any disruption to these funds, but even if such a disruption occurred, Telra is not overly reliant on this funding and it shouldn’t affect our school operations in the short term.
Longer term, if some funding programs devolve to States, the most likely scenario is that the amount of Federal transfers to NC will slightly increase (from some reduction in federal overhead), and the State will have some more autonomy in how it distributes these funds to schools. Whether that leads to an increase or a decrease for Telra depends on what kind of formula NC deploys in allocating these funds to schools. We wouldn't expect the State to implement any formula that leads to any schools being significantly worse off than today; they usually include "hold harmless" provisions to minimize funding reductions.
For now, the Telra team will just watch, wait, and continue to invest in our capabilities to deliver an outstanding education for our students. And as the landscape changes, we will adapt to position ourselves for success.
Newspaper Club
Calling all budding journalists! Hone your writing skills while reporting on the latest news, events, and student perspectives at Telra. Join the school newspaper and become a voice for our school community! Open to all interested 7th, 8th, and 9th graders afterschool on Thursdays. Note, this is a change in meeting day of the week.
Let us know if you are interested here: Newspaper Club Interest Form
Lands End Outfitters
25% OFF School Uniforms through 4/11!
Check out their sale here!
High school updates
Did you miss our high school transition presentation last month? We've posted a recording in case you want to learn more about what makes Telra's high school special and what kinds of courses our 9th graders will be taking in the fall.
Site construction for the high school has begun. You can follow progress at: https://www.telra.org/our-location
Upcoming social events
Remember to find all this on our Telra Events Calendar.
Friday, March 21 - Light the Night Party for grades 6+
Friday, March 28 @ 7am - All Pro Dads Meeting
Friday, March 28 @ 8:30am - Coffee with Leadership
Friday, March 28 @ 4pm - Game Night for 4th & 5th grade
Tuesday, April 1 - Culture Fair
Friday April 4 - Drama Performance "A Tale of Two Cities", 7pm
Saturday Apr 5 - Drama Performance, "A Tale of Two Cities", 6pm
Sunday Apr 6 - Charlotte Hornets, Night at the Hive, 1pm
Thursday May 1 - Arts & Crafts Fair, 5-7pm
Friday May 9 - 5th Grade Movie Night
We'd love volunteers to help organize these events! Let us know by clicking below.
Light the Night is On!
