Forever Endeavor
Endeavor Elementary Newsletter - - December 2018
Ms. Thistle's Thoughts
Greetings!
The cold weather has set in while our students continue to learn and grow. Please remember to send along hats, mittens, snow pants, and boots with your child. Students have two recesses each day and will go outside unless it is raining, or the air temperature/wind chill is below zero.
The Endeavor PTO has organized special activities for all Endeavor students on December 10th. Planned activities include: cookie decorating, hot chocolate station, ornament station and card making. In addition, the Endeavor winter concert will be held on Thursday, December 20th beginning at 6 p.m. at the Portage High School auditorium. Thank you to Ms. Janes and Ms. Martens for all of your hard work preparing our students for this event. After the concert, a community social is being sponsored by the Endeavor PTO.
Everyone at Endeavor Elementary School would like to wish you and your family a happy, healthy and safe winter break. We look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces in 2019!
All the best to you!
Salina Thistle
Endeavor/Woodridge Principal
608.742.3494 ext. 3001
Thank you to our Veterans!
If there are more Endeavor parents that are veterans, please let us know at school. We would love to include you in the program next year.
Mark Your Calendars
December 2018
7: Creative Arts Festival Grades 3 & 4
10: PTO Winter Wonderland Holiday Activities
19: Endeavor Sharing Supper 5-6:30 PM
20: Winter Program @ PHS; 6 p.m. & community social in Commons area afterwards
24-Jan. 1: Holiday Break. No school for staff or students
January 2019
2: Return to school
8: PTO Meeting @ 4:30 p.m.
11: Math 24 tournament - Grade 4
18: Math 24 tournament - Grade 5
21: Staff Inservice Day. No school for students
Cascade Mountain Reading Log
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Students are able to get a paper copy of the reading log for
tubing at Cascade Mountain in the school office.
Office Notes
PARKING
Thank you for continuing to use the drop off/pick up lane. If you'd like to come into the building, please park in a stall and come to the office to sign in and receive a visitors pass.
ABSENCE
Please contact the office by 8:15 am if your child will be absent from school. If a phone call, phone message, or email is not received stating that your child is out by 8:15 am, safety calls will be made to ensure that your child is safe. This is for the safety and well being of all students.
PREPARE FOR WINTER WEATHER DELAYS AND CLOSINGS
If a decision is made to delay or cancel school because of winter weather, you can be notified the following ways:
- Follow @PortageCSD on Twitter
- LIKE our Portage Schools Facebook Page and this also posts on our District Homepage (www.portage.k12.wi.us)
- Infinite Campus message is sent out according to your Priority Message preferences. (Be sure to check your Infinite Campus portal settings to be sure they are up to date)
- Television Stations: WKOW 27, WISC-TV 3, and NBC 15 are notified.
- Radio Stations: WBKY/WDDC/WPDR and WOLX are notified.
Email: gohlkek@portage.k12.wi.us
Website: https://www.portage.k12.wi.us/end/
Phone: 608-587-2625
Twitter: @PortageCSD
New Infinite Campus App Available
Parents and Students:
Infinite Campus has released an updated mobile app. Go to the App Store or Google Play Store to download the new and improved Campus Parent app. Make sure your student downloads the new Campus Student app too.
Next summer 2019, Infinite Campus will be removing the old style Parent and Student portal we use today and you will use the new and improved version. Here are the links to the new portal. Make a bookmark of them for future reference.
Art with Ms. Martens
Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Martens presenting a pop art sculpture session at the Wisconsin Art Education Association conference in October.
Art students have been learning about Pop Art this last month, including famous artists such as Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, James Rizzi, Roy Lichtenstein, and Keith Haring. What fun it has been for students to create sculptures of donuts, paint tubes, candy, jumbo crayons. Younger artists fine-tuned the art of painting with watercolor and tempera.
In other art news, I am looking for volunteers to come into the Art room and take photos of artwork to upload to the Artsonia webpage. This is easy and allows parents to see their child's art in a safe space. I am at Rusch on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Lewiston on Wednesdays and Endeavor on Fridays. An hour goes a long way!
Email: martensj@portage.k12.wi.us
Music with Ms. Janes
Hello Endeavor Families!
Just a reminder that our holiday program is Thursday, December 20th at 6pm in the PHS auditorium. We have all been working very hard to get our songs and instrument parts ready!
-Miss Janes
Email: Janese@portage.k12.wi.us
Counselor's Corner with Ms. Brown
Beginning in December in the K/1 and 1/2 classroom guidance lessons, we will be learning about the Zones of Regulation. If you hear your child talk about what zone they are in, or “being in the blue/green/yellow/red zone” they are talking about how they are learning to identify their feelings and self regulate. We will also be reviewing the Zones of Regulation in the 3-5 grades. Below is a brief explanation of what the Zones of Regulation are about. If you find your child, taking deep breaths, getting a drink of water, or counting to 10, they just might be using one of the tools to help regulate their brain and body.
Zones of Regulation Information for Parents
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. -Charles Swindoll
A little bit about Self Regulation and the Zones of Regulation from the website describing it in more detail. Self-regulation is something everyone continually works on, whether we are cognizant of it or not. We all encounter trying circumstances that test our limits from time to time. If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to feel better and get ourselves to a better place. This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation (or Zones for short).
What are The Zones of Regulation?
The Zones is a systematic, cognitive behavior approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete zones. The Zones curriculum provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of, and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts.
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions; however, one has some control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings, such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, one is “good to go”. A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when one is the Red Zone, this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where one goes to rest or re-energize. All of the zones are expected at one time or another, but the curriculum focuses on teaching students how to manage their Zone based on the environment and people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, no one would think twice about one being in the Yellow Zone but that would not be same in the library.
Nursing Notes with Nurse Hon
Everyone dreads these two words, “head lice”. Head lice are a nuisance and do not spread disease. Portage Schools protocol is when students are found to have live head lice and or nits, parent or legal guardian contact will be made to notify you of the finding and to come pick your child up from school. A handout about how to get rid of head lice will be given to you at the time of pick up. A child must be treated before returning to school. Upon return to school, the child must have a head lice check in the main office. If live lice are found, the child will again be sent home. Please call the office or send a note with the type and date of treatment used. Follow all directions on the package of the head lice treatment product each time you treat.
All people in the household should have their heads checked for lice. Often, it is the adults in the house who also have head lice but are overlooked in the treatment process. Cleaning of the environment is critical. Vacuuming and washing fabric items should be done for areas the person with lice has been in the past 2 days.
The custodians have cleaning schedules for each area in our district. This process includes washing hard surfaces and vacuuming floors.
Please talk with your children about your expectations not to share hats, combs, brushes, hair items, and to be considerate of personal space. A high five is a great alternative to a hug. For students with long hair, consider a braid or holder to keep the hair pulled back. Parents should develop a routine for checking their child’s head for lice daily or at least every few days.
The school nurse is available to you as a resource, please do not hesitate to call for support and guidance. Mrs. Hon covers elementary buildings (except for Suzanne VanHoof for Muir) and may be reached at 608/742-4867, ext 4131, 608/697-4912, or honv@portage.k12.wi.us
Email: honv@portage.k12.wi.us
Library Media Center
In Mrs. Steinhaus' library class, we read The Worldwide Adventures of Flat Stanley. Has your Flat Stanley been sent on an adventure yet? We will share our Stanley adventures at the beginning of the new year.
In Mrs. Petrulis' library class we are reading the chapter book, Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls, or Does It?
In Mr. Hammer's library class we are reading the chapter book, Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key.
POSITIVELY PTO
We are looking for help with the Winter Wonderland on Monday, December 10th. There will be a number of stations to be filled for that day.
More hands=less work
Some of the stations are:
hot chocolate station with whip cream and toppings
ornament station x 2 (each student will make two ornaments)
card making
Possible picture station.
There is some before work time needed in making the Winter scene as well.
Are you able to help out? Please let the school know.
Also, please keep selling the Culver's Calendars. With the profits from this fundraiser we are able to afford the bussing for the end of the year field trips
October's Perfect Attendance
Endeavor Public Library
“Old Fashioned” Christmas – Saturday, December 1st, from 2-4pm. Let’s celebrate the beginning of this Christmas season like in seasons past. Bringing the sounds of the season will be live music featuring some of our very own Endeavor musicians. There will also be a tree lighting, ornament making, and treats to share. Plus, we will have a special guest reading some of the legends of the holiday so bring your wish list because it just might get checked twice!
Email: pfile@endeavorlibrary.org
Website: endeavorlibrary.org
Location: 400 S Church St, Endeavor, WI 53930, USA
Phone: 608-587-2902
Wyocena Community Helping Hands Pantry Christmas Giveaway
Wyocena Community Center
165 E. Dodge Steet
Wyocena, WI
December 8th
10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
No kids allowed, bring containers or bags
Available items:
Clothing, Toys, House Goods and Decorations.
Portage Community Schools District Goals
District Curriculum Goal: Each student will make at least one year of growth in each curriculum area.
District Behavior Goal: As a school community, we will increase behaviors that promote learning and respectful interactions.
District Professional Development Goal: We will provide Professional Development for staff that increases learning for all students.