Tainter Today
November 2022
Hello Tainter Families!
While October was a beautiful month with fall colors and warmer temps, November has definitely taken on a cooler weather pattern. It’s time to bring out those warmer jackets, mittens, and hats!!! Welcome November!!!
Parent Teacher Conferences will be November 15th and 17th from 4-7. There will be three options for conferences: face-to-face in the classroom, phone conference, or video conference. To choose your option please go into your Skyward account to sign up. Conference scheduling began on Monday, November 1st and the scheduler will remain open until 7:00am on Monday, November 14th. Please take some time to get signed up! This will be a great opportunity to talk with your child(ren)’s teacher about academic growth and goals for the year. If you missed the letter in regards to conferences click HERE.
4K families will not have classes on Thursday, November 17th. Your conference times will be on Tuesday, November 15 from 4:00-7:00 pm and on Thursday, November 17 from 8:00 am-7:00 pm. Please use the N9 door for your conferences.
November is a time to be Thankful. I am certainly Thankful for the amazing staff, students, and families here at Tainter. Thank you for your continued support!!
Sincerely,
Joann Walker
Principal
What's Happening in Art
The beginning of the school year has been very busy in the art room with many fun things happening! Each year I continue to be amazed with the creativity and talent of our students! It is a joy to be able to be part of their art experiences each day!
Kindergarteners learned about the art of Vincent Van Gogh and his famous ‘Sunflowers’. They painted their own sunflowers in his style. Currently we are busy making handmade beads with Sculpey polymer clay that will be fashioned into necklaces.
1st graders made a crayon resist autumn picture with birch trees. They learned the watercolor painting technique called a ‘wash’. They also made cool cats and will be using basic shapes to make scrap paper art similar to the author and illustrator Lois Ehlert.
2nd graders learned about American artist Grant Wood and his famous landscape paintings of the Midwest. They practiced how to make things look close up and far away in their drawings. They made candy corn bats and will be learning about and using organic and geometric shapes to make a collage.
3rd graders learned about the layered landscape paintings of Canadian artist Ted Harrison. They created beautiful watercolor paintings in his style. Students were all given their very own artist sketchbook that is kept in the art room and have had fun working independently in them once their projects are complete.
4th graders learned about American photographer Ansel Adams and his contributions to the art world being one of the first photographers to have his work recognized as an art form. Students worked in high detail to complete a pencil drawing of one of his black and white landscapes, using sketching and shading techniques. Currently students are creating a Fauvist inspired painting of an owl. The Fauves were a group of artists from the early 20th century who painted realistic subjects using strong, unrealistic colors.
Healthy tips from the Nurse
Time to think about and prepare for flu season! Signs and symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, fatigue, body aches, and can include sore throat. For young children it can also include vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine is designed to protect against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. Getting the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available each year is always a good idea, and the protection you get from vaccination will last throughout the flu season. It is still not too late! You can call to schedule a flu vaccination with your primary care provider and many pharmacies offer flu vaccinations as well. Another option this year: Barron County Public Health will be offering flu vaccinations FREE of charge to Rice Lake Area School District students on Tuesday, 11/15/22 and Thursday, 11/17/22 from 4-6pm at the Administration Board Room located at 30 Phipps Avenue.
In addition, you can take everyday preventive steps like eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading influenza to others.
Yours in health!
Tina King, RN, BSN
Elementary School Nurse
Warrior Way Wall of Fame
Tainter Library
During November, students will learn about some very gigantic balloons and the person responsible for creating them through a biography and extension activities.
Please remember, your child(ren)’s library books are due each week on their library day.
New Face at the Elementary Schools
Hello! My name is Cassandra Clark and I am the new Attendance Coordinator for Haugen,
Hilltop, and Tainter Elementary Schools. My overall goal as the Attendance Coordinator is to
help students and families build a positive relationship with school attendance early in their
education journey. I understand that parenting can be a challenge, which is why a big part of my
job is to provide any additional support and resources to elementary aged students and their
families to ensure their needs are met. For the last 10 years I’ve worked with children and
families in various programs focusing on strengthening family relationships, community
connection, and violence prevention and education. I am looking forward to connecting with
students and their families to support them in being successful both in and out of school. Please
reach out if you have any questions or are looking for additional support. You can contact me
directly at clarkc@ricelake.k12.wi.us or calling/text: 715-651-3886.
A little bit about me: I live in Cameron with my husband, Jordan, two daughters, Bria and Ari,
and a sassy cat named Barley. My favorite season is fall so I am really excited that the weather
is starting to cool down just a bit. My family’s favorite fall activity is going to the pumpkin patch to
play in the corn pit and see the cute kittens.