Halmstad Hawks Gazette
September 2018 Newsletter
From the Principal
Hey Hawks!
This is Head Hawk Mr. Pilloud writing to you from the nest! I am so excited for the next school year, I can hardly control my tail feathers. In addition to our new theme, we have loads of fun and excitement planned for you this year. It could very well be the Best Year Ever!
A couple of reminders for families:
If you pick up your child afterschool at door #7, please only park in designated areas. If these are full, feel free to park along the road or in the parking lot across the street (That is what I would do.). I realize this may mean a few extra minutes, but it will greatly reduce congestion and could reduce frustration and door dings.
Same goes for dropping off your child. Please be patient and drive slow as we have a congestion problem in the morning in front of school. Have your child exit the vehicle on the passenger side so when they get out, they are stepping onto the sidewalk. By them getting out on the driver’s side, it places them in potential danger from cars driving by!
I hope you like the new format we are using for our monthly newsletter. It should be more user friendly, especially those using smartphones.
Please always feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Please help me make this school the best ever.
Thank you,
Mr. Pilloud
Registration for each Student
Online Registration for the 2018/2019 school year
Once again Chippewa Falls Unified School District will have online Registration. Please complete the online Registration as soon as possible. Each school will have a laptop available in the office for completing the process if you don’t have internet access. You will need to have your parent portal set up to complete this process and find out who your child's teacher is for the coming up school year.
Online registration will need to be completed and submitted
before your child will be permitted to go on any school related
field trips for the 2018/2019 school year. Click on the link to register now: https://chipfalls.infinitecampus.org/campus/olr2/coreOLR/portal/OLRProcessMain.xsl?x=olr2.coreOLR.PortalOnlineRegistration-portalTabInformation&applicationMode=admin&mode=main
If you need help with your Infinite Campus Parent Portal please call our districts help desk at 715-726-2413.
Important Dates
September 13, 2018-Thursday 5pm. PTO Ice Cream Social
September 20, 2018 PTO meeting 5pm in the Halmstad Library
September 18, 2018 5:30-7:00pm 1st Grade family night! All Halmstad first graders and their families are welcome to attend! We will be having a pizza dinner, games, and prizes! Please watch for more information coming home about this event in your child’s folder! We hope you can join us for an evening of fun!
Septermber 21, 2018 Early release. Students are released after lunch at noon
October 4th, 2018 from 5:30-7:00PM Halmstad Elementary will be having a family night! All Halmstad kindergarten students and their families are welcome to attend! We will be having a pizza dinner, games, and prizes! Please watch for more information coming home in your child’s folder. We hope you can join us for an evening of fun!
Bus Deviation Forms
Bus Deviations Forms
Your child will need a bus deviation form if they are riding the bus and getting dropped off anywhere other than their home address. If you think your child will be using this bus deviation more than once please write AS NEEDED on the top right corner. You can pick up bus deviation forms from the Chippewa Yellow Bus Company or the Halmstad Office.
After school YMCA kids will need bus deviation slips to get bused to the YMCA on early release days. If you have any questions please call the Halmstad Office at 715-726-2415.
Volunteering or Chaperoning a Field Trip at Halmstad??
Volunteering or Chaperoning a Field Trip at Halmstad???
If you are planning on volunteering or chaperoning a field trip this year please complete a Background Check and School Volunteer Agreement. A School Volunteer Agreement needs to be completed every year, and a Background Check needs to be completed once during the time your child is at Halmstad. Click here for a link to the volunteer https://staff.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/board/hr/block3.aspx
Welcome New Staff To Halmstad and Staffing Changes
New Staff
Grace Potratz- Special EducationLori Burns -Health Assistant
Renee Parrish- Kindergarten Teacher
Staff Changes
Elizabeth Rust has made the switch from Kindergarten to first grade and Heidi Olson has moved from the Health Assistant to the Administrative Assistant position.
NO FLIP FLOPS AT SCHOOL FOR SAFETY REASONS
News from the School Nurse- Kerrie Smithberg
Welcome back to a new year! This is the time of year we tend to see an increase in illnesses in our student population. We would like to remind parents and guardians the guidelines the CFAUSD school nurses follow in regards to keeping your child home if they are not feeling well.
Temperatures over 100.8 degrees. Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medicine before they can return to school.
Vomiting and diarrhea in the last 24 hours: if the vomiting and diarrhea happen more than once that day or they are associated with fever, your child must stay home from school.
An unexplained rash: anytime a rash is associated with fever, the student may not come to school until fever is gone for 24 hours without medications. Sometimes a rash is a sign of a contagious disease such as chickenpox. Sometimes, rashes are not contagious, but are uncomfortable and itchy from contact with something the child is allergic to.
Red or crusty eye lids or drainage from eyes: are often symptoms of conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. Not all pin-eye is contagious. However, until we know for sure, we must have a note from the doctor stating the condition is not contagious, or until the redness and drainage are completely gone, your child must stay at home. Students with pink-eye that requires antibiotics may return after 24 hours after starting them.
Headache, cough, sore throat, or congestion severe enough to interfere with attention to school work are recommended to stay home from school
Flare ups from asthma, that would make it difficult to work at school
Please keep the health office informed when your child has been diagnosed with a contagious illness and/or has not been feeling well.
PHYSICIAN’S NOTE FOR LIMITATIONS/RESTRICTIONS: Please remember that if your child has any limitations or restrictions to participate in gym or recess due to illness or injury, a physician’s note is required. If an end date is not indicated on the initial note, we will require a note when restrictions are lifted. This is to ensure the safety and health of your student.
CLOTHING: The health office is in need of children’s clothing, especially pants, sizes 5-8, both boys and girls. We are also looking for gently worn tennis shoes to have available for students if they forget to bring in their own shoes. If you have any you can donate, please send them in to the health office. Thank you.
VISION SCREENING: Vision screening will be done at the elementary schools the end of September-beginning of October. This year the Lion’s Club will be assisting and screening all grade levels. Screening will be done with a Spot vision screener. This device looks like a camera. The camera takes a picture of your child’s eyes and detect certain vision problems including far-sightedness, near-sightedness, blurry vision, and astigmatism. Screening dates are:
October 2nd—Stillson
October 3rd—Jim Falls
October 4th—Hillcrest
October 5th—Southview
October 8th—Halmstad
October 9/10—Parkview
Click on the link to see more from Health Services
https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/NursingServices.cfm
News from the Office
There are just a few reminders for parents:
- School starts at 7:48am any student arriving after that will be marked tardy
- If you student is ill or needs to be out for any reason please call the school at 715-726-2415 before 8am. You can always leave a detailed message on the answering machine with your name, students name, and reason that they will be out of school.
- Try and make appointments for you child after school, but if you must pick them up early, please make a note on the students daily sheet or message the teacher. You can also call the school at 715-726-2415.
- If you need to make different travel arrangements for your child after school please try and call the school as early as you can. No transportation changes will be made after 2pm unless it is an emergency.
News from the Office
Counselor's Corner
Halmstad Elementary
Sherry Jasper
School Counselor
Phone: (715)726-2415 x3504; text : (715)255-0446
Welcome to the new school year. Every new year is an opportunity to make a difference in the future of a child. I hope you will welcome me on this journey.
School Counselor
I’m Sherry Jasper. I’ve been privileged to be in this building long enough that former students are now sending their kids off to school. This is a great school where staff, students and families work together.
Working with our students, I see so much promise. Every child has much to give. Every child will also have bumps and moments of struggle. I will do what I can to support your child every day.
When I’m not at school I may be volunteering for Girl Scouts or other community groups or spending time with family. My family enjoys being outside, watching the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, reading and watching our son Joe’s activities.
Most semesters, I also have UW-Stout School Counseling graduate students. Being with us is their opportunity for hands-on, supervised learning. They give a lot to our students, staff and school community.
The Chippewa Falls Comprehensive School Counseling Program
is continually being revised to meet the needs of students. The program focuses on the unique learning, personal/social and career needs of students at each of our three levels of schooling: elementary, middle and high school.
Today’s Elementary School Counselor:
*teaches Guidance in each classroom on a regular basis
*provides short-term counseling/support to small groups of students and individuals at student, teacher and/or parent request
*collaborates with parents & teachers
*coordinates programs which directly impact student achievement, social-emotional well-being and careers
We welcome your input and interest. School Counseling Services are for all children and provided by caring, healthy adults working together. The best program has input from both school and home.
Family and Parenting
Be sure to watch for information from Shannon Larson, our Family and Community Resource Coordinator. Shannon’s focus is assisting families so that kids can learn. Shannon is available to help families find resources and support in a variety of ways.
Individual and Small Group Counseling
Individual appointments for children who are experiencing a change or any kind of problem are scheduled throughout each day. Please contact us as you feel your child would benefit.
Recess appointments are available to all children on or around their birthday or half birthday. Children who sign up for a birthday appointment during recess choose what they would like to do. This is an informal way for them to know about the guidance office and for me to get to know them better.
Small Groups are scheduled during months when Guidance class is not taught, during intervention times and as needed. Groups form around a common theme such as family change, friendship, behavior or study skills. Small Groups are for all children. Parents receive a note when your son or daughter is in a multi-session group.
Guidance Classes
All students in grades 1-5 receive four guidance instruction units during the school year. Each unit of instruction is four lessons in length. To get to know kindergartners and provide them with continuity, weekly guidance lessons, 20 minutes in length, occur throughout much of the year.
Second Step is a character, social-emotional education program that all students in grades K–5 experience, taught primarily by their teachers and supported by guidance. Making friends, managing emotions, and solving problems—to set them on the path for social success and academic readiness is Second Step.
Please ask your child about “Guidance class.” Parent interest creates student interest and increases learning.
New Students
Students new to Halmstad will meet with the School Counselor for orientation activities and may continue to meet periodically throughout the year.
4th Grade Planning Conferences
Fourth grade guidance curriculum focuses on student learning and careers. Students analyze how they learn and why they’re learning and share with parents during 4th Grade Planning Conferences in early spring. Students, parents and counselors will also have planning conferences in Middle School and 10th grades.
PTO
President – Russell Stacy (halmstadptopresident@gmail.com)
Vice-President – Open (halmstadptovicepres@gmail.com)
Secretary – Bridget Stargardt (halmstadptosecretary@gmail.com)
Treasurer – Kristine Basom (halmstadptotreasurer@gmail.com)
Halmstad Ice Cream Social on the playground at 5pm
Our first meeting will be September 20 at 5pm in the Halmstad Library.
We are looking for volunteers, especially coordinators for some of our programs we run and also for a vice president.
Please collect and drop off in the lobby or Halmstad: Milk caps, Box Tops and Pop Tabs.
Safety Drills
The Chippewa Falls School District is very concerned about the safety of all Students. Fire drills, Severe weather drills, and all school lockdown drills are practiced at various times.
Fire Drills - Schedule one each month, weather permitting. Information is recorded for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce in Madison and sent at the end of each school year.
Severe Weather Drills - Practiced in the spring of the year. Students kneel down on the floor, covering their heads until the all-clear signal is given.
School lockdown Drills - Held at least twice a school year. The students practice the drill to become familiar with the routine. Classroom doors are locked, the lights are often turned off, and students are instructed to remain silent until the all-clear signal is given.
It is important to talk with your children why we have these drills. If you have any questions regarding these drills please contact the school office.
Resource of the Month
Resource of the Month
Shannon Larson, Family Support and Resource Coordinator
715-720-3750
Your Journey Together
A 12-week parenting class for those looking to enhance their parenting experience
*How to raise children who are socially and emotionally mature
*How to build skills for school and life
*How to encourage “bounce back” in the face of the adversity (resiliency)
*How to enjoy parenting as opposed to just getting through the moments
*How to build a support network
Wednesdays, September 12-November 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the Family Support Center
The class is free and confidential. Free childcare is provided!
For more information or to register, please call the Family Support Center at 715-723-1138.
Screenings for all 3 and 4 year olds
Speech and Language/Early Childhood Screening for Three and Four Year Old Children
The Chippewa Falls Public School District is hosting a screening for all three and four year old children who live in the Chippewa Falls School District. If there are concerns regarding your child’s speech, language, or general development, please plan to attend this screening.
Please Note: All four year old children attending BB4C will be screened for speech and language at their BB4C site. Those BB4C screenings are done each fall.
When: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Where: River Source Family Center 403 N. High St.,
Chippewa Falls Time: 3pm to 6pm
No appointment is necessary for the screening. Screening should take approximately 15 minutes depending upon the number of children attending. Come anytime within the times listed above. Please contact Vicki Johnson, SLP at 715-726-2414 ext. 5040 or Ann Seibel, SLP at 715-726-2414 ext. 3032 with any questions.
Annual Notice of Special Education Referral and Evaluation Procedures
ANNUAL NOTICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
REFERRAL AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Upon request, the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private (including religious) schools, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district.
A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made.
Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides.
Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Please contact the following when you have a referral:
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District
Linda Hanson, Special Education Office (715)726-2414 ext. 3002