Hawk Happenings
January 2024
From the Principal: Bring on a New Year!
Happy New Year Families!
This year seems to be just flying by! I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday break. December was a shorter month here at Halmstad, but we had several highlights including:
The PTO Holiday Party
Attending the movie at Micon
The Holiday Store (I hope you enjoyed your gifts)
Our Holiday Sing Along
Shopping for the Spirit of Christamas
I am grateful for all of the volunteers and staff members who help make these events happen for our students. Your time and talents are greatly appreciated.
January brings us the start of the new year. You might recall seeing Fastbridge test scores at Parent Teacher Conferences. We begin the second round testing at the beginning of the month. It will be a good measure for our students and staff to see how we are doing this year.
To help your child do well, I ask that you help get your child back into a healthy sleeping routine. Study after study shows us how quality sleep is as important to a child as eating healthy food or brushing teeth. If your child doesn’t want to go to bed after a long holiday break, feel free to say Mr. Lowe is making you 🙂
Important Information Regarding Drop Off in the Morning
I’d like to take a moment to speak plainly about our drop off situation in the morning. There have been some near accidents and upset drivers. I tried to get the buses to drop off where you currently do and was informed by the bus company and the district that the buses need to use the area in front of the school. We are going to have to continue with our current drop off system. This area is school property and is where all drop offs should take place unless you’re late. Below are some tips to make drop off improve.
Use your turn signal to enter the dropoff area. This lets the vehicles that are already parked know that you’re entering.
Whenever possible have your child sit on the passenger side of the vehicle. That way your child never has to walk behind or on the side of your vehicle where traffic is moving.
Use your turn signal to exit the dropoff area. It lets the vehicles behind you know you need the space to leave and lets them know more space is opening.
Have your child’s clothing and backpack ready. Coats, hats, mittens, even shoes can be on and ready to make the line faster and keep the traffic moving.
Pull down further. If your child isn’t ready or you plan on walking your child to the playground, we ask that you pull down toward the end of the drop off area. This allows more cars to pull in and is only a few more steps for you.
If you do pull down further, have your child use the second gate door by the two orange cones. Again it is a little farther away from the school, but still opens directly to the playground. There is less traffic there, making it easier for you to leave. I will make sure the gate is open for you.
Set your alarm for five minutes earlier. When we are in a rush we make mistakes or get more irritable. This can lead to accidents.
If you're going to be late, you can drop off at the front door after 7:40. This way Heidi can see your child and make sure they are checked in properly.
End of the Day Pick-Up
Remember to contact Chippewa Yellow Bus more than 24 hours in advance at 715-726-2454 if you have any bus changes or requests. The school can't authorize bus changes.
ALL changes need to be called in to the Main Office and not to the teacher in case there is a sub in the room that day. That number is 715-726-2415.
O.O.P.S.
Over time you may have received a message from Infinite Campus about your child’s behavior. These came in the form of either a major Office Disciplinary Referral (O.D.R.) or minor behavior notice. Whether or not the behavior was considered a “major” or a “minor,” the notification stayed in the students’ permanent records in Infinite Campus. As a school we have decided to replace the “minors” with new O.O.P.S. slips.
Why the Change?
O.O.P.S. stands for Other Opportunity to Practice Skill. The purpose of the change is to:
Continue to inform parents about behaviors that students need to change.
Teach students appropriate strategies to change them here at school.
Help students learn to become more independent and improve their skills.
As a bonus those behaviors will not stay in the students’ records in Infinite Campus.
What Do I Do If My Child Brings Home an O.O.O.P. Slip?
As a parent you would talk to your child about what skill they need to improve, what they will do better next time, and sign the back. Again, these are minor behaviors that we want students to improve, but still want parents to be aware of. The slip should be returned to school and a short conversation will take place with your student and the adult who filled out the OOPS form to set your child up for success.
What about Major Behavior Referrals (O.D.R.s)?
Major behavior referrals will still be recorded and sent by Infinite Campus. Your child’s teacher or Mr. Lowe will contact you if your child receives a major Office Disciplinary Referral.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or Mr. Lowe with any questions. Thank you families.
Important Dates
January 1, No School Holiday Break
January 2, No School Holiday Break
January 19, No School for Students-Staff work Day
Recess Dress Protocol
Temperatures 50 degrees or higher
- No jacket required
If the temperatures are close, send your students outside with their long sleeves and pants; if the temperature rises to 50 degrees, the students can put their items in the classroom line just like they do with their backpacks in the mornings.
Temps 32 - 50 degrees
- Outerwear required (Outerwear is defined aS a hoodie, sweatshirt, 1/4 zip, fleece, windbreaker, jacket, etc) Just cannot be the student's base layer. Students should also be wearing pants.
Students may wear shorts in the building during the colder months. They should put pants on when they go to recess if temperatures are below 50 degrees
Temps below 32 degrees
- Winter jacket required
If snow is on the ground students are to wear snow pants and boots at all times in order to play in areas other than the blacktop. If students do not wear snow pants and boots with snow on the ground they will be required to stay on the blacktop.
Temps below -6 degrees
- Indoor recess
Amazing Hawk Award
Latex Allergy
Cardinal Learning Center
Start and End Times
The recess bell will ring at 7:30.
Students will enter at 7:35.
Morning meeting and breakfast will begin as soon as students settle in to class.
Our school day ends at 2:35.
Contact Address of Students / Parents / Guardians
This will prove extremely important should an emergency arise.
Please keep phone number(s) and email address(es) current. Parents and/or guardians are able to do this via the Parent Portal.
Breakfast and Lunch
You can find the menus by going to the link included here. Be sure to choose the level that the child is in to see the correct menu.
Breakfast cost: 0.35
Lunch cost: $2.25
To see if you qualify for free/reduced breakfast/lunch, go to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and look for "Applications/Forms" or call the office and we can send the appropriate form home in your child's folder.
From Nurse Caitlin
Health and Wellness Message:
Just a friendly reminder as it is that time of year where viral and bacterial illnesses are on the rise and we are in cold and flu season. Please help remind your children to cover their coughs/sneeze into an elbow, Kleenex, or sleeve. Wash hands often! If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Handwashing is always the preferred method, but if unable use hand sanitizer until you are able to wash with soap and water. Follow these steps:
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
WINTER HEALTH TIPS
Exposure to cold can lead to injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia.
Follow these tips to keep your children safe in cold weather:
Dress your children appropriately before coming to school. The air temperature does not have to be below freezing for your child to experience cold emergencies such as hypothermia or frostbite. Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
Dress your child in layers so they can adjust to changing conditions from indoors to outdoors.
Most of your child’s body heat is lost through their head, so they should wear a hat, preferably one that covers their ears.
Mittens provide more warmth to a child’s hands than gloves.
Your child should wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping their feet warm and dry and to maintain their footing in ice and snow.
Sick Procedure:
Keep your student home if any of the following apply:
Temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours before medication (Tylenol/Ibuprofen)
Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours
They have been diagnosed with a contagious illness (e.g.; strep throat, pink eye) and have been on medication for less than 24 hours if medication is required
They have an unexplained rash
Bus Information
Realiving
PTO Update
Your participation in the organization is welcome and encouraged! There are opportunities for everyone - small roles and bigger roles. PTO members and its officers meet every third Thursday each month during the school year.
PTO President - Casey Levrich halmstadptopresident@gmail.com
PTO Vice President - Alicia Bowe halmstadptovicepres@gmail.com
PTO Secretary - Liz Tice halmstadptosecretary@gmail.com
PTO Co-Treasurer - Kyrah Klika and Jerrica Richel halmstadptotreasurer@gmail.com
Social Media Coordinator - Jerrica Richel
Fundraising Coordinator - Amber Vetch
Events Coordinator - Jamie Chavez
Halmstad Elementary
Email: lowerj@chipfalls.org
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/halmstad/
Location: 565 East South Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Phone: (715)726-2415
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chippewafallsschool/
Twitter: @ChippewaFallsSD