Shimek Shout Out
April 2018
A Note From the Principal
The old saying "April showers bring May flowers" is also a good metaphor for learning. Often when we are learning something new and challenging, it takes time to master the concept. Students may become frustrated and want to give up. It may seem like success will never come. A student may have to try several different strategies before finding one that works for them. Progress may be slow. But when the student finally conquers the challenge, they will be so proud! They will shine like the sun. They will want to share their success with others. Just like the weather in April may seem long and weary, a consistent, positive work ethic will pay off. May flowers and success in the classroom are the results of perseverance! Encourage your student to keep working hard and support them as they learn new and challenging concepts. Celebrate their successes, even the little ones.
We look forward to meeting our newest Sharks at Kindergarten Round Up on April 19! Please plan to attend if you have a student who will be joining us next year. And please share this information if you know of any new families. It is exciting to start planning for next year!
We will also begin our final math and reading testing at the end of the month. These screeners will help us determine if students have met the end of the year standards and are ready for the next grade.
6th grade families, please be sure to read all of the important information that your student's teachers are sharing. There are many, many events and activities coming up in May. Several of these require permission slips to be signed. If you have questions about any upcoming activities, please contact your student's teacher.
Thank you for all that you do to support our school and your students! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Elizabeth Bruening, Principal
Thank you Paraeducators!
5th Grade Odyssey of the Mind
4-6 Music Concert
Friday, Apr 13, 2018, 08:15 AM
Shimek Elementary School, Grissel Place, Iowa City, IA, USA
Kindergarten Round Up
Bike Rodeo
Preschool Registration!
Administrative Professionals Day - April 25
Parent Teacher Conferences
Jump Rope for Heart Update
This year Shimek raised $6955 of donations to help children and adults with sick hearts!!! This is the most ever at Shimek Elementary School!
Last year we had 32 people raise money online and this this year we had 61 people registered online! That was a big part of our success.
We had 6 students help raise $300 or more which I have never had as a PE teacher at any school I have been at participating in Jump Rope for Heart events. Thank you to everyone for helping out in any way to encourage our students to help others who may be suffering from heart conditions.
Students will get their other thank you gifts sometime at the end of April
Thank you again to everyone!
Mark Your Calendars
May 2 - 6th grade band tour
May 3 - Preschool Open House
May 4-10 - 6th grade School of the Wild
May 9 - PTO meeting
May 16 - 5/6 grade track meet at City High
May 29 - 6th grade graduation
May 30 - Last Day of School/All-School Picnic/Early Release
March PTO minutes - to be approved at the April meeting
Shimek PTO
Meeting Minutes
March 7, 2018
In attendance:
Jeff Allen, Brad Bolender, Bridget Brenton, Sarah Gunderson, Jill Raefield, Melissa Krishnan, Jenni Mettemeyer, Mandi Bozarth, Ben Brozene, Lyndsey Brozene, Jill Sutherland, Heather Bright, Kristen Waldschmidt, Sarah Majerus, Liz Bruening, Anne Wilmoth, Jinda Johnson, Liberty Bailey, Anna Bailey, Victoria Mueller, Elaine Allen, Jen Kirschling, Hillary Muhlenbruch
Minutes from February meeting were approved.
Principal Report (Liz Bruening)
· Liz expressed a big thank you to the PTO for coordinating the carnival and silent auction.
· Opera Iowa is coming on March 19. Around 6 parent volunteers are needed to help with scenery.
· Orchestra Iowa has been visiting younger grades for small, interactive performances.
· Spring pictures are coming up on March 30. They are not required—only if interested. Also, an all-school picture will be taken that will be available for purchase.
· Liz described the All Shimek Reads program, where the whole school reads the same book at the same time in mixed grade-level groups. Books are chosen to exemplify PBIS core virtues.
Librarian Report (Linda Johnson)
· Linda expressed thanks to the PTO for helping build out the makerspace.
· She also said thank you for the chromebooks and iPads PTO purchased.
· Linda shared some library activities that each grade is currently doing.
· In December, everyone did the Hour of Code.
DPO Report (Ben Brozene)
· DPO has not met yet this month (schedule for the 21st)
· Scholarship honorees must be in by the 9th.
· The next DPO meeting will cover topics of community building and restorative justice.
· In May, Iowa Assessment results and achievement gap will be discussed.
Budget Report (Jeff Allen)
· The carnival and silent auction have earned about $9,700 so far. When all auction items have been paid for, the total will likely exceed $10,000—similar to previous years’ totals.
· This is a big success, because admission was not charged this year.
· Jeff indicated free-will donations totalled approximately $900, for future reference.
· Jeff also said Fall Fund Raiser donations are still coming in. The effort has earned $4,600 so far, which is above the $4,000 that was budgeted.
Carnival Discussion
· Bridget Brenton said carnival was a big success. It was amazing to see the people who came together and worked hard over about 6 weeks to make it happen. As always, open to feedback and ideas for next year.
· Vicki Mueller heard people spent more on the silent auction, because there was no admission. She also heard the community aspect of the event was enhanced, since people were more likely to bring friends, family members, due to no admission.
· Jen Kirschling said holding the auction in the gym made it a lot easier to set up, and it was easier for people to access.
· There was general agreement that eliminating admission and having the auction in the gym were positive adjustments.
PTO Cabinet
· Liz mentioned the PTO cabinet needs to be organized and cleaned out. It might be a good time to get rid of any carnival items in storage that did not get used for the carnival. We need to be careful about having things stacked on top, because if they get too close to the ceiling it violates fire code.
Shimek Apparel
· Liz said she will send out an apparel order form before spring break.
· Hillary Muhlenbruch said there are fewer options this year, in order to reduce the amount of set-up / service fees required. Hillary said the items are high-quality.
Funding for Gym Items
· Last month, funding was discussed regarding items Mr. G indicated a need for: a new cargo net ($589) and 6 6x12 mats ($375 ea.). The topic was revisited.
· There were a few questions that came up:
o Whether these must be purchased hrough the district or whether they could be donated directly to the school (need to follow up).
o Is this currently budgeted? (No. It would need a vote.)
o Would the district purchase these items anyway when the new gym is built? (Unknown.)
· Jen K. said she found some items on Amazon that might work.
· Jen K. will follow up with Mr. G on questions and possible items through Amazon.
· This topic will be revisited at the April meeting.
Bike Rodeo (Mandi Bozarth)
· Bicyclists of Iowa City helps host the event. Need to contact them after we decide on a date.
· The bike rodeo was previously held after school. There was not a large turnout, and it was mostly BASP attendees who participated.
· There was discussion about whether we should hold the event at a different time to try to get more people to come (e.g., on a Saturday, or a bit later in the evening instead of after school.)
· No final decisions were made. Liz and Mandi will meet and decide on a date.
6th Grade Field Trip
· Vicki Mueller proposed taking 6th graders to Putnam Museum in Davenport.
· The total would be $307 for transportation and admission—very affordable.
· The museum exhibits tie into curriculum very well.
· This money could come out of “curriculum enrichment” on the current budget ($2,000, of which none has been spent yet this year).
· Approved by vote.
Shimek Playground
· Bridget said that after the DOJ report comes back, a group of parents will need to work together to choose items for the playground, so we might want to start thinking about what that committee will look like.
· Bridget also mentioned there are some decisions to make about the amount of PTO money that had been budgeted for playground enhancements. The large amount is currently “frozen,” because we can’t spend it until the report comes back and, further, we get some clarity around what changes, if any, the district might make to the grounds.
· Jenni M. said the district is working on a new policy that might provide more guidance.
· Some parents would like to adjust the amount to free up funds for other PTO involvement opportunities. During discussion, an initial proposal was made to reduce the amount to $30,000.
· Other parents want to keep the playground line item at the current amount.
· Heather B. referenced the PTO by-laws and indicated a majority vote at a PTO meeting would be sufficient to decide how to proceed.
· The discussion ended when it was time to adjourn the meeting. No decisions were made at this time.
April PTO meeting
Wednesday, Apr 11, 2018, 06:30 PM
Shimek Elementary School, Grissel Place, Iowa City, IA, USA
Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Kingsley Botchway II, Director of Equity, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, (319) 688-1000, botchway.kingsley@iowacityschools.org.
Shimek Elementary
Email: brandt.amy@iowacityschools.org
Website: www.iowacityschools.org/shimekes
Location: 1400 Grissel Place, Iowa City, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 688-1160