Black Cat Bulletin
Keeping it R.E.A.L! Respect + Effort + Attitude= Leadership
May 2017
From Our Principal...
Dear families,
We are coming up to the home stretch of the school year! It's the time of year I begin to thank my lucky stars for the time I've had with your children. I feel especially lucky to have spent significant time with our 5th graders--even with their end-of-the-year enthusiasm, their are-we-there-yet mentality, and their beyond-their-years wisdom and wit, they are leaving an indelible mark on our school community and in our hearts here at WT. It's been such a pleasure to watch them grow and develop and stretch their wings, reach into new ways of thinking, and learn from their decisions. You can be very proud of the young people they are growing into. We certainly are, and they will be missed! Let them come visit when you can. We welcome them back here to their elementary home.
If you have had the opportunity to be in our school lately, you will have noticed the enthusiasm, confidence, and growth of our students--in every sense of the word! We are so proud of our students and their efforts, and we have lots more to teach them in the next couple of weeks. Help us keep them focused on their growth and their learning, right up to the last day of school! We'll keep it fun, but we are keeping our sights set on making every day count.
Yesterday began the week of Teacher Appreciation, and so many parents have contributed in a variety of ways to lifting our teachers up. For that, I wish to thank you on behalf of our staff. We started Monday with a great breakfast, and our refrigerators are stocked for a great week of treats! Many are sending in notes or other items to teachers, as well. You would not believe how much a heart-felt note, or a kind word means to a teacher. We keep those for our entire careers, often in a folder or box labeled "bright spots" or something similar that we can refer to when we need a pick-me-up. So if you're wondering what that PERFECT gift is? A sweet note telling your child's teachers what they mean to you, and/or to your child is often the best gift there is. I know those continue to be my favorite gifts from my 25+ years in education!
Enjoy these last weeks as your children grow and learn with their teachers and their friends!
Sincerely,
Katie White
principal
From Our Principal Intern...
Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is epic.
– Robin Sharma
The school year is beginning to wrap up and excitement is building in the halls. Students are eagerly looking forward to the start of summer and a fresh year. Our 5th graders anxiously await the beginning of middle school and a brand new class of kindergartners are ready to being their school careers. As we prepare for new beginnings, encourage your student to finish the year STRONG.
Review Learning
Take time this month to talk with your child about the learning which has taken place this year. Consider spending a short time each evening review key learning and opportunities your child has taken part in through the year. Remember, while academics are important and crucial in your child's development, many lessons have taken place throughout the year. Students have learned key leadership and life skills through interaction with others at school. Spend time celebrating the successes your child has encountered in the past 10 months and they challenges they have overcome!
Goal Setting
It's never too late to set a goal for improvement. Help your child set a goal for the remainder of the school year. This could be a goal to master a skill which has been particularly troublesome for them or to move to the next level with a skill they feel comfortable with. Create a plan for students to make steps towards meeting their goals and assist them as they monitor their progress. This is an excellent way to ensure students are working up to the end of the school year and taking ownership for their learning.
Thank you for all of your support this year. With your help, our students will end the year strong and greet the next year on a note of success! I look forward to seeing the learning we accomplish.
From Our Counselor...
Got GRIT??
by Kayla Marston, M.Ed.
What it is, why it’s important, and how to help your child get it.
Grit is defined as having perseverance and passion for long-term goals and working hard toward challenges, even when failure and adversity presents itself.
Grit is a “non-cognitive” skill, similar to self-control, resiliency, and curiosity.
Researchers now realize that grit is as important, if not more, than academic skills!
We know that teaching literacy and math skills are important for a student’s long- term success. But what happens when the math gets a little tricky? Or when the reading is “boring”? What keeps a student from giving up? G R I T! That’s what!
And, grit can be taught.
Here’s how to help your child develop grit:
1. Praise the effort, not the grade. When you praise the “stick-to-it-ness” of your child’s efforts, they will be more determined to continue working hard. Praising your child’s hard work will encourage them not to give up.
2. Let them struggle. As hard as it is to see your child struggle, they need to learn how to work through frustration and failure. If you swoop in and save them before they fail, they will never learn how to deal with failure, which is a part of life. While they’re struggling, praise their effort!
3. Create and talk about your own goals. If your goal is to clean the basement, repaint the bedroom, or run that half-marathon, talk about it as a family. Share what small steps you are taking along the way to meet your goal, and talk about your own struggles and how you plan to get past them.
4. Keep and model an open mindset. An open mindset is believing that things can change, that we can improve our skills and knowledge, and that we can get past challenges. Instead of saying, “I can’t do this!” you can say, “I can’t do this....yet.”
5. Find ways to challenge your child. Encourage your child to try new things, even if they aren’t sure they’re any good at it. Trying new things is how we learn from our mistakes. Give them age-appropriate chores at home. Find new hobbies and involve your child. Praise their effort along the way!
For more information about grit, check out the UPenn website, with work by Psychologist Angela Duckworth: https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/duckworth
INFORMATION
Notes From The Nurse
Hello summer!
We are fast approaching the end of the school year! I would like to remind you if your child has medicine here at the school it will need to be picked up by the last day of school May 19th. If you have filled out the medication release form allowing me to send the medication home with your child it will done so the last week of school, so please check your child’s backpack. If you have any questions please call 812-435-8736. Have a great summer!
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!
HOSPITALITY ROOM/VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION on Field Day in the Media Center
STAFF CHANGES
Staff Leaving West Terrace
New Staff
Mr. Nicholas Iaccarino will be returning to Evansville from Nashville, TN to join our 2nd grade team. We are excited to have him share his talents and experiences with us next year!
Other new staff members will be announced as they are hired if it is this school year, or closer to the fall if it is over the summer.
Gems From the Gym
As our school year is rapidly concluding, I find myself reflecting on the lessons I’ve taught my students and hoping they will remember them over the summer months. The focus this year has emphasized a “Go Challenge” for ourselves to eat foods that are rich in proteins, grains, and vitamins while maintaining a plan of physical activity every day for at least one hour a day. Our students know the “GO, SLOW, and WHOA” rules of healthy eating, they can name numerous ways to get physical activity that are fun and exciting, and hopefully the mental seeds are sewn and now growing into a desire for strong and healthy bodies that will last them their entire lifetime. I am so proud of these lessons that were taught and learned in gym class this year, as these are the lessons used forever.
During the summer months, I hope that our kids will continue to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, play outside, and have loads of fun in all of their physical activities!!
Keep it Real fun, Real safe, and Real active,
Mrs. Davis
Supply Lists
Online Ordering Option for Supply Lists
Once again, we will be offering the online ordering for school supplies. The process to order online gets easier every year! Just click on the link below and you can order your kits to be delivered right to school. THE SALE STARTS NOW AND FREE SHIPPING ENDS JUNE 5.
We will also provide the lists of items with your child's report card in case you prefer to purchase the items locally.
Easy Ordering Instructions
✓ Visit www.write-stuff.com/storefront/school/westterrace
✓ Select kit needed for the 2017-18 school year
✓ Enter student information
✓ Follow prompts to check out!
Orders placed by 6/5 ship to school for FREE.
After 6/5 will ship to home or office; standard shipping rates apply.
Last date to order before school starts July 7th.
Questions? Please contact your school coordinator: April Weyer - weyer1025@yahoo.com Phone orders accepted M-F 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST
Volunteer Applications for 17-18 School Year
Volunteer applications must be submitted each school year. To help alleviate the influx of applications in the beginning of the school year, you may want submit your application for the 17-18 school year after June 1, 2017 so that downtown can begin processing them quicker. We hope that this earlier submission time will help reduce the wait time when we return in the fall.
EVSC STEM Summer Camp
PAWS ON PARADE
1st Cooper Johnson 3rd grade Mrs. Bass
Tied 2nd Jayden Folz 3rd grd Mrs. Allen
Tied 2nd Nolan Hanmore 3rd grd Mrs. Bass
3rd Isaac Kisner 3rd grd Mrs. Allen
4th Nolan Bigham 2nd grd Mrs. Kavanaugh
5th Rowyn Weiss 1st grd Mrs. Corressell
Recycling News
Please remember to recycle your aluminum cans here at West Terrace! We have a recycle cage in the east side parking lot right next to the blue recycle dumpsters. All proceeds go to help our school!
As a reminder, we no longer collect plastic caps for recycling at West Terrace.
Thank you to everyone for helping our school!
Calendar Link--click below for calendar
Important Dates
May 1 Principal’s Day
May 1-5 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 3 6:00pm – 7:00pm Dress Rehearsal Spark Spring Concert - AIS Diamond
May 4 6:30pm – 7:30pm Spark Spring Concert - AIS Diamond
May 6-12 Nurse Appreciation Week
May 9 5th Grade Perry Heights Visit
May 9 6:30pm – 8:00pm 5th Grade Honors Banquet - Gym
May 12 Field Day
May 15 Field Day Rain Date
May 16 6:00pm – 8:00pm Talent Show Evening Performance – Gym
May 17 9:00am – 1:30pm 5th Grade Blackcat Bash
May 18 8:30-1:30 4th Grade Field Trip – Lincoln National
May 18 9:00am – 11:00am Recognition Day 5th Grade - Gym
May 19 Last Day of School
August 6 Back to School Movie Night
August 7 2nd Grade Meet the Teacher 6:00 pm
August 8 Meet the Teachers Night 1st-5:30 pm, 3rd-6:00, 4th-6:30 pm, 5th-7:00 pm
August 9 1st day of 2017-'18 School Year
Important policy reminders
Drop Off/Pick Up
Morning Drop Off
No Passing Zone
Lunch Box Bringers
Change of Plans--DISMISSAL CHANGES
Emailing teachers, texting, or other means of communication are not reliable, and we request that no transportation changes be given to the teachers during the day. Too many times teachers are called out of the building, go home ill, have a substitute, are in meetings, etcetera and the changes aren't received. We also want teachers to be teaching, not worrying that they missed an important email or text during the day. Finally, we keep record of last minute changes in the office so that we can be sure the communications are given and children are delivered safely, so please, please call the office.
Changes cannot be guaranteed after 2:00 p.m. PLEASE call before 2:00.
Lunch Accounts
MAY
JOIN THE WEST TERRACE PTA!
President: Jenny Fuquay
Vice-President: Sandi Davis
Secretary: Tera Babb
Treasurer: April Coughlin
Extended Care
As the school year is winding down and Spring Sports are starting, it is hard to believe this
school year is coming to an end. I can feel the excitement our kids are exuding getting ready for
the summer. Many of our kids are moving on to Perry Heights and we wish them the best
of luck in their new school and experiences forthcoming. For the rest of you, we hope you
have a fun/safe summer and we’ll see you back in August.
Reminder: Fees through the last day of school (May 19th) are due by the 8th to ensure our
books are closed in a timely manner and payments are properly posted. Thank you for your
support this school year. I can’t wait to see you in August and hear all about your summer
activities.
Barbara Grant
Extended Care Coordinator
Community Outreach
Jenna Hancock-Wargel Berkshire Hathaway Home Services (Click here for more information)
THIS YEAR'S STAFF
Please help us welcome the following staff members to our teams.
Here are the specific grade level assignments:
Kindergarten:
Tara Kolb, rm 32
Wendy Brunson, rm 30
Lisa Gooch, rm 33
Angela Hayes, rm 34
First Grade
Amanda Woods, rm 1
Brooke Corressell, rm 3
Mallorie Roberts, rm 6
Cindy Hamon, rm 5
Second Grade
Vera Emmons, rm 9
Carie Kingery, rm 10
Trisha Kavanaugh, rm 15
Amy Nau, rm 12
Third Grade
Janette Allen, rm 16/ Stephanie Scheu, rm 16
Robin Bass, rm 19/ Denise Strawn, rm 18
Megan Murphy, rm 23
Fourth Grade
Shelly DeWeese, rm 22/ Lindsey Stine, rm 29
Audrey Gower, rm 24/Sarah Stoltz, rm 17
Fifth Grade
Trish Toelle, rm 26/Renee Schefer, rm 27
Cassie Curl, rm 28/Simone Nance, rm 25
Special Ed
LIfeskills:
Jennifer Bennett, rm 4
Sarah Walls, rm 2
Resource:
Renae Jackson, rm 14
Shelley Patton, rm 21
Amanda Ritzert, media center
Rotation
Susan Kemper, Art, rm 8
Anne Woodruff, Music, rm 7
Peggy Belanger, Gym
Nadine Risley, Technology
Office
Katie White, Principal
Bethany Lynch, Principal Intern
April Coughlin, Counselor
Sheri Moore, Principal's Secretary
Nicole Smith, Secretary/Receptionist
Christine Hamilton, Nurse
Peggy Jewell, Media Aide