Geist Gazette
December 2, 2016
GEIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Website: http://www.hse.k12.in.us/GES
Location: 14051 East 104th Street, Fishers, IN 46037
Phone: 317-915-4260
Twitter: @Geistgators
Amazing Blue Ribbon Ceremony with our students
We had some very special guests...
Students enjoy the ceremony
Notes from the Principal,
As we move into December, students will begin NWEA testing on math and reading. This test is to help inform our instruction in the classroom. Remember, there is no way to study for the assessment. Have your child get a great night of sleep and eat breakfast in the morning. Your child's teacher schedules the NWEA assessment and they will be able to communicate to you which days will be used for assessing.
I hope you have given your child the opportunity to share with you how we use technology in the classroom. Technology integration has allowed us to access more level texts and material of interest to students. Just recently we had second grade students investigating different presidents. Although we don't have a print book for every president, technology allows us to research any president. In addition, our kindergarten students were researching nocturnal animals. With the help of Pebble Go on the web, we were able to learn about MANY nocturnal animals that become active about the time we are going to sleep! Thank you for taking this journey of technology integration along with us!
December will be an action packed three weeks. We will have our fourth grade musical on December 14th at 7:00PM. This is always a cherished evening for our 4th grade families. All students will see the dress rehearsal that day. Finally we will end first semester with our winter gatherings and our community service project of collection of toiletries for those in need. Please make sure you send in your travel size toiletries that you have collected. We are excited to make up kits to pass out to those in need! It always warms my heart to see our students serving others!
November's character trait is compassion and December's is gratitude. Students are doing a wonderful job of showing compassion to others. We will be collecting food for the food pantry and duffle bags for children who are in the foster care system. We have much to be thankful for and we appreciate your willingness to help us serve our community.
I hope you all have a wonderful start to December!
Christi Thomas, Principal
Career day
Interviewing our special guests about their careers
THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL BOOK FAIR
Cold & Flu Season - Sick Child Policy
Dear Geist Families
With the change of weather, we can expect cold and flu season to begin. Please keep sick children at home until they have been fever, vomiting and diarrhea free, without being medicated, for a full 24 hours. Monitor your child’s temperature, especially if they have a cough or runny nose. Please know that we have children who attend school who are immunosuppressed. Please be respectful of their health needs and follow the above policy with diligence. Let’s have a Healthy Winter!
Your Geist Nurses
Do you have a new address?
Our school boundaries include a lot of new neighborhoods and Geist families are on the move. If you have moved or plan to move soon please remember that you must submit documentation to the school office before we can place your students on a bus route. This documentation includes items from your new home closing. Please contact the office at 317-915-4260 to ensure we have the correct information on file.
Art Room News
If your workplace has unwanted paper or card stock, please consider donating it to the GES art room. It can be of any size of color. Thank you!
Friends of the Library
Thank you and congratulations to the November Friends of the Library Club members.
Books have been donated by Brandon D., Gabe C., Hudson W., Kayla C., Cam C., Clare C., Josslyn L., Sophia M., Kemal C., Xander H., Kaan C., Tyler F., Owen P., Grace M., Allie J., Amia F.
NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ROOM
Our 4th grade students are currently preparing the musical "Snow Way Out!" to be performed on Wednesday, Dec. 14th at 7:00. Many students have auditioned for and received speaking parts and singing parts. Rehearsals are being held after school. Please refer to the rehearsal schedule for dates and times. Please look for other communications from school about costumes and stage help that is needed. Students will be playing recorders upon completion of the musical.
3rd grade students are currently working on learning notes and note names. They are preparing for the beginning of recorder playing. Recorders will be in before the year end and students will be provided with their vey own recorders, thanks to our very generous PTO!
2nd graders have been writing their own rhythm pieces and performing them on instruments in their music classes.
1st graders have been learning about notes and rhythms and have composed their own pieces using basic rhythms. They have performed with groups using body percussion to play their pieces.
GES Student Council News......
Duffle Bag Drive for Kids in Foster Care
Children in the Foster Care system get moved around quite a bit. When this happens, they typically put their belongings into a trash bag. Foster Fairies is a group that helps out foster kids during the holiday season and they are in need of LARGE duffle bags to give to each child. We are holding a duffle bag drive at GES from Monday, December 5th through Wednesday, December 14th. Please send in any gently used or brand new LARGE duffle bags!
Spirit Day- Student Council will hold a school wide spirit day on Friday, December 9th to purchase more duffle bags for this cause. Student Council members will vote at our meeting on December 2nd to determine what the spirit day will be.
GES All School Hour of Play - December 15
Thursday, December 15th will be the all school hour of play. This is because our school met our incentive goal for the Gator Gallop! The PTO says, Congratulations on meeting your goal!
When: December 15, 2016
What: All School Play Hour- Teacher picks the hour.
Where: It can be inside, outside or both.
Guidelines: No electronics/ No IPADS.
Why: We made our financial goal for interactive play time
Children can bring a toy or games from home. Again, no electronic games or IPAD games.
WINTER ROOM PARTIES - Friday, December 16
Winter Parties will be held on Friday, December 16. The class parties have been scheduled as follows:
K- 12:15-1:00
2nd and 3rd- 1:15-2:00
1st and 4th, Lifeskills and CFL- 2:15-3:00
Sign up to volunteer at http://signup.com/Group/34755766093
Deadline to sign up is December 12.
Please remember if you would like to attend the party, you MUST have an active background check on file with the school and have viewed the anti-bullying video. Siblings are not allowed to attend. As a reminder, no children will be dismissed early on the day of the party. Thank you for following our school procedures.
Please continue to collect toiletries and bags for our donations to Prevail of Hamilton County. We will begin accepting these items on Dec 5.
As always, please direct questions to your room parents and/or the RP Coordinators Melissa Haller, Stephanie Milentis or Amy Klus.
Science Fair - January 25
Science Fair 101 - Information & tools for a great science fair project
Monday, Dec. 5th, 6:30 - 8:00 PM- Café
Not sure where to start? Eliminate science fair stress! Attend this special family event where Rick Crosslin, “Mr. C the Science Man” will give you the information and tools for a great science fair project! Don’t miss the new activities this year. The meeting will be in the GES cafeteria. Cost: $5 per student. A limited number of scholarships are available for those who cannot afford the fee.
Pre-registration is required. Please return payment with the registration form to your teacher in an envelope marked “Science Fair 101” by December 2. Click here or visit the GES website to access the registration form. The school office also has forms available.
Do you need help for the holidays?
Holiday Meal - Wednesday, Dec. 14
Lunch Menus and Visitors
Click here to see what's being served in the café.
Click here for the food services website.
We love our lunch visitors! Please remember that we are unable to offer lunch to our visitors. You are welcome to bring your lunch; please no restaurant-packaged food.
Want to keep up on what's happening at school?
Geist Elementary PTO
Spell Bowl
Choir performs for Blue Ribbon Ceremony
GES staff recognized
Senator Donnelly and Congresswoman Brooks came to GES for our Blue Ribbon Celebration
GREAT JOB GEIST GATORS
Did you know?
Look for the Goodwill collection bin in our lobby. Thanks for your help!
WILL YOU RISE TO THE CHALLENGE?
Next week, we are asking all HSE Schools champions to rise! Not only do we have 24 hours to shower our schools, faculty, and staff with compliments, but thanks to this team of local philanthropist you can double your donation! Every dollar donated to HSE Schools Foundation on Giving Tuesday will be matched up to $21,000. That means double the impact for literacy, STEM, mental health, social justice, fitness, and more!
Help us reach that $21,000 goal on Tuesday, November 29 by visiting www.hsefoundation.org to make a gift of any size. And don’t forget to give a special shout out to that special teacher, coach, bus driver, counselor, nurse, custodian, or staff member.
And join us in thanking David Becker, Will Bryan, Kevin Clasen, Bud and Karen Colglazier, John and Amy DeLucia, Joe and Florie Eaton, Michelle and Greg Fullhart, The Henderson Family, Todd Huston, Jon and Kyle Kroehler, Tom and Tricia Long, Greg McDaniel, Kurt and Cathy Meyer, Tracy Mills, Mike and Paula Peterson, Gary Reynolds, Sundesh and Sneha Shah, Susan Binford Taylor, Corby Thompson, Greg and Charron Wright for their commitment to every student, every grade, every school!
Check out the Great Work of our HSE Foundation
The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation has been hard at work for you.
http://hsefoundation.org/impact
http://hsefoundation.org/what-we-do