Hoofbeat News
Springfield Elementary School
December Dates to Remember
- 3rd, WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) Program @ 6 PM
- 5th, Winter Chorus Concert @ 6 PM
- 5th, Spirit Night @ Moe's
- 6th, Blue Pops
- 13th, Spirit Night @ Chuck E. Cheese
- 16th, Fifth Grade Force and Motion Science Fair @ 6 PM
- 19th - January 3rd, No School
A Message From Our Principal
SES families,
I hope that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and was able to find some time to enjoy the holiday break with family and friends! We have an exciting couple of weeks before the winter holiday break which begins on December 18. SES will be kicking off our WATCH D.O.G.S. program this Tuesday at 6:00 PM in our cafeteria. Please be on the lookout for further information if you are unable to make this meeting. Our Chorus has been working hard and are excited to perform for us this Thursday at 6:00 PM at their Winter Chorus Concert. Also, please take a moment to read about our Joy Campaign below and the opportunity to provide for families in need during this holiday season.
I want to take this opportunity, as it is my last Hoofbeat News message, to thank all of the SES students, parents, and staff members for a wonderful eight and half years. I am blessed and honored to have had this opportunity to serve as principal of an amazing school. I have learned and grown over the years and am thankful for my time as a Springfield Elementary School Colt!
Springfield Elementary School is a very special place. It has parents and staff with full hearts that care passionately about the students that enter our doors everyday. This support is what makes our students and school successful. Our students do amazing things every day. They have done a wonderful job as Colts doing their best, being responsible, and taking care of one another. Our students make our community and world a better place.
There are too many to name individually, but I want to thank all those who have served on the PTA, served as a room parent, chaperoned a field trip, volunteered in the classroom, etc. Your support for our teachers and school has been and will continue to be so important and appreciated. Thank you for your time and energy serving our school!
Parents, continue to serve as your child's advocate for their learning and growing. If you ever have a question, please contact your child's teacher for information and support. SES will continue to have a great administrative and support team to help you and your child as you need it. They are here for you and want to help.
I also want to give a shout out to the best school family in the world. The teachers and staff at SES are amazing! Parents and the community do not always get to see all the little things and the hard work that our teachers put forth each day for their 20 plus students, but I have had that privilege. It has been a joy to be part of the experience. Thank you teachers for choosing education as your profession and for the hard work you invest into the art of teaching!
Thank you again for your support for your child and our school over these past eight and half years. I will treasure many memories and relationships that have been made at SES and will carry them with me for the rest of my life. Mr. Fantone is going to do an exceptional job, and I look forward to seeing many more wonderful things to come from the Springfield Elementary School Colts. I wish all SES families and staff much happiness and success in your future endeavors and in all that life may bring. Enjoy and spread joy in the future ahead!
Sincerely,
Peter Olinger, Principal
Counselor's Corner
Trailblazer Of The Month!
Shout out to our 5th Grade Trailblazer of the month, Kamryn Byers. She has been doing an amazing job as one of our breakfast helpers and is a great leader at our school! Congratulations Kamryn!
Notes from the Nurse
7 Tips for Keeping Kids in a Healthy Holiday Routine
Winter break is just around the corner for all of the kiddos in your life, and that means it’s almost time for the holidays! While your kids are probably super excited to sleep in and not have any homework, keeping them on a regular schedule is important.
Routines are an important part of keeping your children on the right learning path. Children learn how to keep themselves organized if they establish healthy routines starting at a young age. These skills will come in handy as your child grows into a young adult and starts to take on the world. Children learn how to safely control themselves and their surroundings when they live in a structured environment. This feeling of security fosters creativity and self-expression.
1. Get to Sleep at Night
It has been proven that regular schedules help children fall asleep more easily at night. Children who have and know their schedules whine less and don’t fight when it comes time to go to bed. When kids know what to expect as they are going to bed, it reduces unexpected stress and promotes relaxation.
Don’t let your kids sleep in too much during winter break. Waking up around the same time every day and going to bed at the same time is a healthy habit for all family members. Sleep can become a regular habit, like hunger, if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. People tend to sleep better in a clean and neat environment. Part of the bedtime routine can include tidying up your child’s room to create a sense of calm and organization.
2. Good Eating Habits
Eating at the same time every day not only reduces hunger-induced crabbiness but also eliminates snacking between meals. Mealtime is a good way to introduce good eating habits. Make sure that your children are eating a healthy breakfast every day. Breakfast is important for every member of your family as it improves your concentration, strength, endurance and performance. It can even lower your cholesterol and round out a healthy diet by adding in vitamins and minerals you might not get during the rest of the day.
Turning off the TV during mealtime is also an excellent eating habit for kids to develop. Families that watch TV while they eat tend to overeat. Good routines limit fast-foods, start with small portions, don’t use food as a reward and let you stop eating when you are full even if there is still food on your plate.
The holidays come with their fair share of over-eating and sugary sweets. Use this time as a good example of why it’s important to eat healthy, even when there is an abundance of options.
3. Travel with Kids
Traveling in and of itself can be stressful. Traveling with children can be a nightmare if your child is unrelaxed and uncomfortable. Bring an item that makes your child feel safe like a stuffed animal or blanket to ease that car, plane or train ride. Remember that young children do better in the morning. Plan to do the majority of your travel in the morning and use the evenings to relax.
While it may be impossible to stick to YOUR established routine while traveling to see family, creating a new routine while you go will help your kids feel more relaxed. Sleep times and mealtimes should happen at the same time every day, even if it’s different from when you are at home.
4. Winter Activities
Your kids might get a little restless being cooped up all day instead of being at school. Plan activities ahead of time to keep your little ones’ minds and bodies engaged while they’re stuck at home during winter vacation. Try ice skating, building a fort or walking around the mall to keep them busy inside. To keep their minds engaged, try out math games, crafts, puzzles, science experiments and board games. Planning out a specific time each day during winter break to do an activity will become part of their routine while they are home.
5. Eliminate Anxiety in Children
The holidays sometimes create stress. When there is tension in the household, it can lead to a neglect of healthy activities for kids. Families who are on a regular schedule have reduced anxiety in general, and when problems do arise, it’s much easier to stick to a healthy routine. Your child already knows what is expected of them if the routine is consistent.
6. Screen Time Routines
Some kids can get in the habit of watching TV and movies all day during winter break. Limit screen time to 2 hours a day, even when your kids complain of being bored.
Studies have shown that children spend over 10 and a half hours a day on electronics, including watching TV on any device, listening to music, playing on a computer, playing video games and watching movies in a theater. Removing electronic devices, like TVs and video game consoles, from your child’s room can help squash some of that time spent in front of the TV. Setting up parental controls through TVs, smartphones and other devices can also cut down on the amount of time your child spends staring at a screen during winter break.
7. Back to School Routines
As it gets closer to back-to-school time, you can start preparing your kids for another change in their routine. If sleep schedules changed for your family, slowly adjust them back into the times they usually go to bed during school. If mealtime schedules changed, it’s important to adapt to those back-to-school times as well.
Nurse Sova
Related Arts Messages
Media Messages:
Seasons Reading to ALL!!
We are extra excited about all the great books that are being checked out from the library! Thanks for helping your students remember to return them each week! Thank you all too for your support of the library through your continuous donations of the following: starburst candy! 24 or 100 piece puzzles (used is good), any books (used or new, paper or hardback), lego pieces and greeting cards! If you get extra greeting cards this holiday season, please do NOT throw them away. Recycle them with us!! We use them for bookmarks—kids LOVE them!
Until next year, keep those pages turning!
Music:
- Please remind your 3rd and 4th grade students that they need to bring their recorders to class.
- We have our Winter Chorus Concert on Thursday, December 5th, at 6PM.
Important Information from PTA
Community Service Event--Thank you to one of our parents, Julie Miller, for organizing this event and offering us a way to help some of our own SES families. Parents can sign up for specific gifts or gift cards that will help these families. Thank you to those who have already signed up! If you have not had a chance to sign up, but would like to help bring joy to some of our SES children, click on the link below. All gifts must be returned to the school no later than Monday, December 9th. ONLY ONE WEEK REMAINING! Thank you all for making this a successful and meaningful giving program that provides support for our community!
Springfield Elementary School
Website: sfes.fortmillschools.org
Phone: (803) 548-8150
Twitter: @SESColts