Cottonwood News
Dec. 1st, 2016
Next edition of the Cottonwood News--January 9th, 2017
News and Notes
Andover Pre-K will available on a first come, first serve basis for the 2017-18 school year. Starting at 9 am on Friday, January 13th, you can sign up for Pre-K at Prairie Creek Elementary. Students must reside in Andover USD385 and be 4 years old as of August 31, 2017. Space is limited. Sessions are held Monday-Thursday, either 8:25-11:35 or 12:25-3:35. Transportation is available. Applications will be available at www.usd385.org (District Information)
Winter Recess—Recess is held outside whenever possible. We all need fresh air and the chance to run around. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for cold weather. Coats, hats, and gloves are sometimes a must!
Lost & Found—Please check the Lost & Found before the holiday break. There are many jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes and other miscellaneous items. Any unclaimed items will be donated to charity.
Emergency School Closing Notification
If USD 385 needs to announce the closing of some or all schools in the district for any emergency reason (including weather disruption, fuel problems, etc.) the media outlets listed will be notified. Generally, the decision to close will be made by 6:00 a.m. In the event school is closed, cancellation would apply to any scheduled event for that day to include evening programs or activities, conferences, or meetings scheduled before or after school. School messenger will be used to contact families in the case of closure, so please make sure we have current telephone numbers in Powerschool. If school remains open, parents who choose to keep their children at home should notify the appropriate school to request an excused absence.
Andover Advantage Foundation Needs Your Help
Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl
The annual Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl took place on Wednesday, November 9, 2016. The contest is open to students in Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota. There were twenty-three, 5th grade teams and twenty-seven, 6th grade teams for a total of fifty teams. A school trophy and individual ribbons are awarded to teams that place first and second in both the 5th and 6th grade divisions. The quiz is a self-scoring, computer contest of 100 multiple-choice questions. Areas covered include math, geography, government, sports, spelling, science, literature, English, history, general information and just plain fun trivia.
Points are awarded based on how fast the question is answered, as well as, on accuracy. No adult assistance is allowed! The sixteen fifth grade selected students scored 1047 points. They placed fourth in the Andover district, seventh in the Great Plains 5th grade competition; and twenty-first overall in the 5th and 6th grade Great Plains Division. Cottonwood Team members included: Bradley Hansen, Bethany Horst, Kyler Johnson, Colin Milne, Luke Neugent, Geremi Onentia, Milan Loyle, Caroline Bailey, Joshua Suazo, David Gott, Carmen Ruiz, Gabrielle Day, Lilliana Bohlken, Ling Le, Abdulrahman Shargawi, and Jay Harpstrite. Ms. Olsen, the Extended Learning Program Teacher, sponsors this activity. Congratulation to the Cottonwood Elementary 5th grade Quiz Bowl Team.
Counselor Corner
The December Counselor theme is Generosity. Generosity is the virtue of not being tied down by concerns about one's possessions. Generosity leads to charity and forgiveness. Please ask your child what this means to them.
School Supplies: If your child is running out of school supplies and you need assistance please contact me at Cottonwood. faustm@usd385.org
Parenting Tips for the Holiday Season: During the holiday season spend extra time with your child. Help them to truly understand the reason for the season. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the materialistic aspect that we forget to teach the kids the real meaning. Share stories of your childhood, talk about old holiday traditions and create new ones.
It is easy to be Thankful for the good things. During the Holiday’s remember all the things that you have to be Thankful for.
-Be thankful that you don’t have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be nothing to look forward to.
-Be thankful when you don’t know….it gives you the opportunity to learn.
-Be thankful for the difficult times….during those times you grow.
-Be thankful for limitations….they give opportunities for improvement.
-Be thankful for a new challenge….it will build strength and character.
-Be thankful for mistakes…they will teach valuable lessons.
The holiday’s can be a difficult time for some children. Let me know if you are seeing signs that your child is struggling. I would be happy to help in any way that I can.
Marcie Faust-Cottonwood Counselor/LPC/NBCC-316-218-4620 ext. 2 faustm@usd385.org
From the Nurse's Office--Mrs. Tauke and Mrs. Clopton
Also a reminder on district policy, if your student has a fever or has vomited, they must remain at home until he or she is fever free/ vomit free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
Old man winter seems to finally have hit us, make sure your student have hats, gloves and warm coats. Please continue to talk with your students about hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
From the Library--Mrs. Ohlund
Full STEAM ahead!!! For the next few weeks, we will be working on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities in the library. STEAM allows for the creative connection for students who may be out-of-the-box-thinkers. We will be working on designing, measuring, creating and recycling origami. Many thanks to the Andover Advantage Foundation (AAF) for providing the funding to make these activities possible.Be sure to ask your student about our activities.
Be sure to check out the Cottonwood library webpage. You and your student will find the world book, the card catalog and AR book finder. If you have any questions about our library program, please don't hesitate to stop by or give us a call.
Mrs. Ohlund and Mrs. Klaassen
PTO News
PTO is an important part of our Cottonwood community. We meet monthly to share ways we can work with teachers to improve the educational experiences of our students. Please plan to join us January 10th @ 6:30.
Peachjar
Our schools use Peachjar as a means of sharing information with the community. Peachjar is an “electronic backpack” system where schools post calendars, activity information from enrichment providers, and school letters. This system is used exclusively for distribution of school-approved fliers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose.
Communication
School website: http://cottonwood.usd385.org/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CottonwoodElementary
PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cottonwoodelementarypto/
Andover Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndoverSchools
Cottonwood Twitter: https://twitter.com/CottonwoodElem
Teacher Facebook pages:
Mrs. Defebaugh https://www.facebook.com/MrsBrackeen/?fref=ts
Mrs. Fox https://www.facebook.com/foxin5th/
Mrs. Gallagher https://www.facebook.com/mrsgallaghers5thgradeclass
Mrs. Burrus https://www.facebook.com/burrust/?fref=ts
Mrs. Plank https://www.facebook.com/Mrs-Planks-Fourth-Grade-1490196337947267/?fref=ts
Mrs. Rich https://www.facebook.com/emmonsa/?fref=ts
Ms. Wright https://www.facebook.com/wrightces/?fref=ts
Mrs. Hachen https://www.facebook.com/HachenHighlights/?fref=ts
Mrs. Davis https://www.facebook.com/dayswithdavis/
Mrs. Highfill https://www.facebook.com/highfill2nd/?fref=ts
Mrs. Barscewski https://www.facebook.com/Mrs-Barscewskis-First-Grade-1295655550474548/?fref=ts
Mrs. Kindle https://www.facebook.com/kindle2014/?fref=ts
Ms. McKenna https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=ms%20mckennas%20first%20grade
Mrs. Hanna https://www.facebook.com/MrsHannasKindergarten/?fref=ts
Mrs. Wilson https://www.facebook.com/Wilsonart2015/?fref=ts