The Pine Bough
Pine River Elementary School Newsletter, December 2018
December Calendar
Holiday Memories
Dear Pine River Families,
More than a month before Christmas, stores were decorated and Christmas songs were being played continuously on one of our local radio stations. Thanksgiving quickly merged into Black Friday, and here we are in the midst of the commercialized Christmas fray. Experts in child development tell us that what our children most want and need is much different than the extensive list of expensive items on a Christmas list. Instead, children most need our presence, not our presents.
My hope for all of our Pine River families is that the Christmas season will be relaxing and joyful. You and your children deserve special moments of time shared with one another. Rather than focusing on material gifts, here are some ideas for giving your children the gift of time:
- Give your children quality time devoted specifically to them. Children need your attention, and baking cookies, playing a board game, or watching a Christmas movie are ways to enjoy time together and promote optimal childhood development.
- Set realistic expectations for gifts. For some families, this means limiting the number of gifts. Help your children understand how much is “enough” when it comes to presents.
- Evenly pace your holiday season. Choose holiday events carefully as not to overwhelm children or add to Christmas stress. Focus on events in which children can savor the sights and sounds of the season, like attending a holiday concert or viewing Christmas lights. Arrange to spend time with loved ones during which your child can nurture relationships with family and friends.
- Continue old family traditions and start new ones. When your child looks back on memorable Christmases in the future, it will not be the gifts that will be remembered. Instead, your child will remember what you did as a family, such as cutting down the Christmas tree, attending Christmas Eve church services, visiting relatives, or donating time to help a local cause.
Remember, the greatest gift parents can give their children is the feeling of love and security. A loving relationship with family builds an environment of trust in which children can thrive. Your love and attention teaches your child that s/he is important and unique, builds self-esteem, teaches your child positive social skills, and builds communication skills. Those are certainly gifts we all want for our children!
May you all have a happy holiday and the best upcoming year yet! I hope you continue to collect moments, not things, in 2019!
Wishing you the gifts of the season —Peace, Joy, and Hope!
Rachel Card, Principal
Caring Kids!
Super Speller
Truman Jarsma won the K of C Spelling Bee for 5th grade. He also placed 2nd overall for grades 4-6. Congratulations, Truman!
Science Fair
Haylee Mills was Principal for a Day!
Thank You to Our Volunteers!
Thank you to our PTO Board, which includes President Tiffany Bean, Vice-President Kari Mills, Treasurer Jodie Randall, and Secretaries Becca Graebert and Caitlin Middel!
Thank you to our parent and staff volunteers for putting on a very successful Fall Festival.
Thank you to Becca Graebert for organizing the Scholastic Book Fair during Parent Teacher Conferences!
Thank you to Charlotte Shafer for bringing the Craft Loft to Pine River for a Painting Party!
Thank you to Kim Secord and Rebecca Stein for organizing the Holiday Family Fun Night!
Thank you to Kacy Kern for organizing the Santa Shoppe!
Thank you to all who volunteered at the aforementioned events! Many hands made light work and bring joy to our Pioneers!
Smartphones and Tablets are Causing Mental Health Issues in Children
Parents are working to raise their children in an environment quite unlike the one they experienced growing up. A significant difference is the presence of screens for our children growing up in the digital age. Unfortunately, new research is revealing that children as young as two are developing mental health problems because of smartphones and tablets. Spending hours staring at a screen can make children more likely to be anxious or depressed. This could also be making them less curious, less able to finish tasks, less emotionally stable, and less able to regulate their self-control.
Although teenagers are most at risk from the damage of devices, children under the age of 10 and toddlers are also being affected. Researchers from San Diego State University and the University of Georgia report that time spent on smartphones is a serious, but avoidable, cause of mental health issues. "Half of mental health problems develop by adolescence," professors Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell said. "There is a need to identify factors linked to mental health issues that are [able to be changed] in this population, as most are difficult or impossible to influence. How children and adolescents spend their leisure time is [easier] to change."
According to the research, even a moderate use of digital devices for four hours is associated with lower psychological well-being than one hour a day. Children under five who are high users are twice as likely to often lose their tempers and are 46 percent more prone to not being able to calm down when excited. Among 14 to 17 year olds, more than 42 percent of those in the study who spent more than seven hours a day on screens did not finish tasks. About 9 percent of 11 to 13 year olds who spent an hour with screens daily were not curious or interested in learning new things.
Professor Twenge said her study, one of the largest of its kind, backs the American Academy of Pediatrics' established screen time limit, which is one hour per day for children aged two to five. It also suggests a similar limit, about two hours, for school-aged children and adolescents.
Here are five tips to keep technology use balanced and healthy for your family:
TIP ONE: CREATE A FAMILY TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Make clear the devices that can be used, when they can be used and have a plan for monitoring usage and safety that is age appropriate for your child. Set clear consequences for not following the policy. Don’t reward children with technology time that exceeds your established time limit.
TIP TWO: BE AN EDUCATED ROLE MODEL
Monitor your own electronic use and model the balance of technology time you want your children to achieve. Follow the policy you set for the family. Children are tech savvy, and parents need to be clued in to the latest games, apps and social media that appeal to their children.
TIP THREE: DESIGNATE TECHNOLOGY-FREE ZONES
Establish restricted areas in your home such as family meals and children’s bedrooms and restricted times such as family social activities. Many children lose sleep to homework and after school activities and screen time should not add to their sleep deficit. Direct face-to-face communication is still our best tool in the family.
TIP FOUR: DESIGNATE TECHNOLOGY TUNE OUT TIMES
Schedule regular family time in the evening and/or on weekends without screens. These times allow for quality interactions, playing games, cooking, and being physically active together. Encourage children to plan or choose the activities for this time. Children need to preserve the art of relaxing and observing the world around them.
TIP FIVE: TALK TO OTHER FAMILIES
Collaborate and let other families know what you are doing. Inquire about their family policies. Work as a community to support one another in helping children find the balance between tuning in and tuning out.
Sources:
Jean M. Twenge, Gabrielle N. Martin, W. Keith Campbell. Decreases in Psychological Well-Being Among American Adolescents After 2012 and Links to Screen Time During the Rise of Smartphone Technology. Emotion, 2018
Dr. Susan Sirota, Pediatrician and Assistant Professor for Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Curriculum Connnections
What's the DEAL?
Healthy Recipe of the Month
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium marinara sauce
- 4 small zucchini (6-7 inches each)
- 16 slices pepperoni
- 16 small mozzarella balls, thinly sliced (or use small mozzarella cheese slices)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Spread sauce in an 8-inch-square baking dish. Make crosswise cuts every ¼ inch along each zucchini, slicing almost to the bottom but not all the way through. Carefully transfer the zucchini to the baking dish. Fill the cuts alternately with pepperoni and mozzarella. (Some cuts may not be filled.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake the zucchini until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drizzle with oil and top with oregano. Serve with the sauce.
Recipe from Eating Well~http://www.eatingwell.com/video/7619/how-to-make-hasselback-zucchini-pizzas/
November Pioneers of the Month
All of our students strive to be motivated learners, as well as model citizens. Each month we will honor students from each class who exemplify the following qualities:
Academic
- Student prepares for classroom activities.
- Student approaches learning with enthusiasm.
- Student has made steady progress in the classroom.
- Student has been working to his/her potential.
- Student completes all assignments and homework.
- Student has a good work ethic and is diligent.
Leadership/ Citizenship/ Character
- Student demonstrates respect of self and others.
- Student assists others in need.
- Student shows acts of kindness.
- Student demonstrates a positive attitude.
- Student displays good conduct.
- Student is a positive role model by example.
- Student participates and puts forth full effort in all areas.
- Student follows school rules.
Kindergarten
Ms. Duda's Class: Isabel Wisswell-Stevens and Maxwell May
Mrs. Schneider's Class: Brett Romzek and Serena Komarowski
First Grade
Mrs. Jensen's Class: Russell Randall and Elaina Brasty
Mrs. Wise's Class: Lainy Floer and Nathan Baker
Second Grade
Mrs. Kenyon's Class: Brooke Vitale and Ethan Brinker
Mrs. Williams' Class: Riley Jabe and Noah Phelan
Third Grade
Mrs. Koprivica's Class: Reese Robinson and Levi Bean
Ms. Peterson's Class: Josie Poppe and Nathan Phillips
Fourth Grade
Mrs. Huston's Class: McKenzie Martin and Jude Langell
Mrs. Ursitti's Class: Amaya Graebert and Blake Green
Fifth Grade
Mrs. Beach's Class: Graham Allam and Grace Askew
Mr. Griffin's Class: Dane Robinson and Lily Hack
Mrs. LaParl's Class: Caden LeBar
Mrs. VanderMeulen's Class: Nolan Felax
Pioneer Code of Conduct
Kind,
Courteous,
Respectful,
Responsible,
and always Safe!
Mission: The mission of the Pine River school community is to work collaboratively, providing an enriched curriculum that allows for intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative growth in a positive and safe environment, empowering all children to become productive lifelong learners.
Pine River Elementary is dedicated to the belief that all students can learn and achieve through the combined efforts of the staff, parents, students, and community.