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ANNOUNCEMENTS
JUMP-A-THON
Jump-a-thon pledging is off to a great start! As of Tuesday, we're already at $3652 in online pledges. Each day we get closer to hearing those jump ropes clicking on the ground! As one of our biggest fundraising events of the year, the support goes toward MASC (McNear Art & Science Center), Teacher Supply Fund, Garden, Performing Arts programs, future field trips and so much more.
Teams O'Brien, Wilson and Elliot are currently in the lead, with several other classes close behind. Go McNear! It is worth noting that Team O'Brien contains our newest additions to the McNear family, our TK'ers!
Remember, every student in the class that raises the most money gets a prize. Send those fundraising emails and get ready to have fun!
If you have not done so already, please pick up your pledging packet. This packet not only includes information about the event and fundraising but also your jump rope. The actual event will take place during the week of October 12-16th. Your teacher will connect with you for your class date and time as it gets closer.
Your child will jump rope as many times as possible within a set time with their class (via Zoom) during the Jump-a-thon week. Our job is to help them raise pledges for their jumping. We are encouraging distance pledging this year, to avoid unnecessary physical interaction outside your household.
You can submit donations that you collect in your packet when you turn it in eventually, and there is also our online option. The online site tracks how much money each class has raised so far in real time, so let's have some friendly competition. Go teams!
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WALK & ROLL TO ANYWHERE MONTH THIS OCTOBER!
We may not be walking or rolling to school right now, but physical activity is even more essential to health during these challenging times! This October, we challenge you to build knowledge about bicycle and/or pedestrian safety, the environment, and your community while Walking & Rolling to ANYWHERE!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL WALK & ROLL TO ANYWHERE MONTH:
1. JOIN US ON WALK & ROLL TO ANYWHERE DAY!
- On ANY ONE DAY during the FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER, choose a destination to walk, bike, scooter or skateboard to. It can be ANY destination, whether it is to your school campus, a local park, a store, a friend's house, or just a walk around the neighborhood and back to your home!
- Fill out our WALK & ROLL TO ANYWHERE SURVEY to share when, where, and how far you walked or rolled with us.
- Your survey results will be shared with your school to discover how many kids walked & rolled, how far kids from your school traveled, how many carbon emissions were saved, and which teacher had the highest percentage of student's who walked & rolled that week!
2. COMPLETE AND SUBMIT OUR OCTOBER CHALLENGE ACTIVITY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ICE CREAM GIFT CARD!
OCTOBER BINGO & SAFETY POSTER CHALLENGE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Download the BINGO Challenge Sheet: English PDF Spanish PDF
- Do as many activities as you are able to during the month of October, crossing them off the sheet when completed. (note: you do not have to achieve a "BINGO" to be complete)
- Optional: Enter our Safety Poster contest for an EXTRA chance to win!
- Submit to Safe Routes to School, as directed on the 2nd page of the Challenge Sheet (may be submitted via email or the mail), postmarked by Friday 11/6/20.
- ALL submissions (Bingo Challenge & Safety Poster Contest entries) will be entered into a drawing for an ice-cream gift card.
- Winners of our Safety Poster contest will ALSO receive a "I *heart* Walk & Roll" t-shirt, and winning posters will be displayed on our website.
- Winners will be announced in November, and gift cards/t-shirts will be mailed directly to winners.
BINGO ACTIVITY ONLINE RESOURCES (Top To Bottom, Left To Right On BINGO Sheet)
- Pedestrian Safer Journey Video & Quiz
- Bicycle Safer Journey Video & Quiz
- Responsible Walking & Bicycling "Roll" Model Pledge (PDF, English/Spanish)
- Bicycle Hand-Signals How-To Video *
- ABC Bike Check How-To Video*
- Big Tadoo Puppet Crew Album: A Breath of Fresh Air, The Walk & Roll Solution (Soundcloud)
- Sample Sensory (Mindfulness) Walk
- NHTSA Walkability Checklist (English) (PDF, Spanish unavailable at this time)
- Overdrive.com (bike book search) AND our list of recommended books related to bicycling & walking!!
- Helmet-Fitting How-To Video*
- Sample Chalk Obscacle Courses (YouTube Video from Chicago Parks) (YouTube Video from Starler Sisters) (YouTube Video from PEWhileHome)
- How to Fix-a-Flat Tire Video* (short)
- Fix-a-Flat How to Video (longer, by ParkTools)
- Navigating Intersections How-To Video*
- Power Pedal Position How-To Video*
- Locking Your Bike Properly How-to-Video*
- Google Maps
- Air Pollution Lesson Plan (PDF, try with an adult instructor, to complement & extend upon air pollution calculations)
Questions? Email Safe Routes to School
AMAZON SMILE
Amazon will give us a percentage of what you spend on their site, and all you have to do is sign up for Amazon Smile. Since we are relying more heavily on online delivery these days with the pandemic, now is the perfect time to sign up for this!
Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price of everything you buy on Amazon, at no additional cost to you. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up fast if we all sign up as a community.
It's so easy to sign up: just go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and select "McNear School PTA" as your charity.
UPCOMING DATES
PTA Meeting
Monday, October 5th at 6:30 PM
via Zoom
Adoption of new By-laws, click here.
Jump-a-thon
Monday, October 12th - Wednesday, October 16th