October Newsletter 2017
Woodbury Elementary School
Always Choose Kind....
Dear Woodbury Families,
It’s officially fall! October brings to us beautiful colors and cooler temperatures, though these past couple weeks have been reminiscent of summer for sure! We have settled into our routines and classrooms and are working hard as a school to build capacity toward our theme this year of “Always Choose Kind.” As we shared in our kindness spirit week, Aesop wrote that “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Lots of times we falsely believe that it’s only the big acts that matter. Not everyone can hand out hundred dollar bills, but everyone can say a kind word or do a simple and free kind action. Saying good morning, giving a compliment, or a simple smile can go a million miles and make an impression on the heart. Kindness is powerful, contagious, creates a positive culture, and is truly calming. Small acts of kindness don’t often make the headlines. And that is just fine because practicing kindness should not be for capturing attention or the limelight, but simply because it feels good to do. We teach kindness by embedding it in our day and modeling it for others. When we practice kindness, we shine the light on others. I love the power and emotion that the video below brings and the emphasis on how children may be small, but they can be mighty. If there is anything we can commit to as human beings, kindness is certainly it!
This year we have also committed to strengthening our already strong culture and climate. Our overall focus is for students to develop a better understanding and awareness of expectations that have been set throughout classrooms and common areas. The Woodbury Way is to be safe, kind, and responsible in all that we do. Expectations communicate specific standards of behavior and communicate how students treat each other as opposed to procedures or rules that communicate how students operate in the school setting. The behaviors described help support making Woodbury a positive place to live and learn for all students. Research has shown that designing and implementing expectations at school, and at home, significantly influence behavior and learning. Common expectations clearly communicate that school is a place for learning and will give students a structure to help them feel that school is a safe and a predictable place (Marzano). Classroom teachers have taken the time to brainstorm what it looks like to be safe, kind, and responsible throughout our school. They are posted in common areas in the building and will be revisited throughout the school year. The simple framework of being safe, kind, and responsible is easily remembered by students and makes problem solving and reinforcing expectations more powerful in being able to refer what we have all committed to together. We hope that you will spend some time going through the success guide with your child and return the form that was included on the back page. We appreciate your support in continuing to improve our family and student-centered culture.
October brings us many things to look forward to! Be sure to join us for National Walk to School Day on October 4th and our PPA BBQ on October 12th. It also brings us the end of the 1st quarter! Progress reports came home recently and parent-teacher conferences are coming up on November 2nd and 3rd. That sure went fast! Wishing you all a peaceful fall filled with Chicago Cubs post-season victories, football, warm pumpkin spice lattes, and cozy sweater goodness in all that you do.
With kindness,
Mrs. Kern
PPA BBQ Fundraiser
We have an active parent group and they will be sponsoring the annual BBQ fundraiser on October 12th. I hope everyone will plan on purchasing tickets. The PPA's fundraising efforts help us to provide many extra activities for our students. Without the PPA fundraising, we would be unable to provide many special opportunities for our students.
Dinner choices are Pulled Pork Sandwich Meal with Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Dessert and a drink (if dining in) for $10 or a Hot Dog Meal with Potato Chips, Dessert and Drink (if dining in).
We need your Third grader's help!
News from the Nurse
FLU SEASON:
Flu season is around the corner! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone in your family who is 6 months and older. While the timing of flu season is unpredictable, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against influenza virus infection.
You have the power to protect your family against flu this season. Get yourself and your family a flu vaccine. Fight the Flu!
Visit www.flu.gov for more information.
HEAD LICE PRECAUTIONS:
This following information is being distributed as a precautionary measure to curtail and/or control any head lice outbreak in our district.
Since cases of head lice are always a possibility, we recommend all parents check their child’s head regularly once a week.
The following signs may indicate the presence of lice in your child:
- Persistent itching of the head or the back of neck
- Scratch marks on the scalp
- Nits attached to the hair – grayish white eggs visible to the naked eye difficult to remove from hair shaft unlike dandruff or hair spray flakes
Lice are easily transmitted by close physical contact. They can also be transmitted by sharing head coverings, combs and brushes from an infected person.
If your child has lice, please contact the school nurse. Immediate treatment of all cases is the best way to contain an outbreak. Your child(ren) will be rechecked before returning
to class.
THERE IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF……EXCEPT NOT TREATING IT PROPERLY AND PROMPTLY!
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in this matter. I am excited to be your School Nurse for Woodbury and also Prairie View. I look forward to working with you to help support a healthy and safe learning environment for all our students! Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Lauren Hoyt RN, MSN
School Nurse
Take Your Parent to PE Day!
Kindness Spirit Week
NATIONAL CUSTODIAL WORKER’S RECOGNITION DAY is October 2nd
Arrival & Saying Goodbye:
As students adjust to their morning routine and a new school, sometimes saying goodbye can be hard to do. Reassuring your child that they will see you later and saying goodbye at the door or on the playground will help build their independence and allow them to learn to cope with emotions about separation. We have lots of adults on hand to help your child navigate the building and start their day. This also helps teachers begin the routines of their day more smoothly with their students.
In addition, please note that we do not have playground supervision in the morning until 7:45. Please do not drop students off or release them from your vehicle until an adult is present. It is important to us that our students are safe.
Lunch Card Negative Balance Policy for WWW
Please be sure to keep up with your student's lunch balance. Notes are sent home weekly to those students who have accumulated a negative balance on their lunch account. Any student with a negative balance will not be allowed to purchase milk and snack time. Students with a balance of -$5.00 or more will be given the "Cheese Sandwich" lunch option until the balance has been taken care of. We try and make every effort possible on our end to avoid this happening with any student, but your help is needed as well.
You can check your student's balance online at the district web page www.sandwich430.org under the Lunch Program Link section. If your student reaches -$5.00 we will contact you and the above provisions will be put into place.
Mobile Dentist Dates
Haskin: 11/06/2017
H.E. Dummer/SMS: 2/22/2018
Woodbury: 3/15/2018
Prairie View: 3/16/2018
Electronic Devices & Personal Items
Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: The possession and use of cell phones and other electronic devices, are subject to the following rules:
- They must be kept out of sight and in an inconspicuous location, such as a backpack, purse, or locker.
- They must be turned off during the regular school day unless the supervising teacher grants permission for them to be used or if needed during an emergency.
- They must not be used in any manner that will cause disruption to the educational environment or will otherwise violate student conduct rules.
- Cell phones with cameras are not permitted in bathrooms or locker rooms. The taking, disseminating, transferring possessing or sharing of obscene, pornographic, lewd, or otherwise illegal images or photographs, whether by electronic data transfer or otherwise on school grounds, or at any school function, is prohibited.
We also ask that personal items such as toys, trading cards, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. please remain at home or in backpacks unless a specific request is made by the teacher to bring those items to school (show and tell, star of the week, etc). Many of these items often become a distraction during the school day. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items of personal property and electronic devices brought to school.
Debt Service Extension Base (DSEB)
Always Choose Kind
Email: jkern@sandwich430.org
Website: www.sandwich430.org
Location: 322 East 3rd Street, Sandwich, IL, United States
Phone: 815.786.6316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woodbury-Elementary-School-175306045839116/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @Woodbury430