Terrapin News
October 2022
This newsletter can be translated
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Hello Terrapin Families,
Relationships are how people connect to one another in our schools, our communities, and our world. We focus on the importance of relationships during the month of October knowing the positive outcomes these relationships have on our students when they experience those deep meaningful connections. Children who experience strong relationships are more likely to feel safe to learn, grow, and develop not only academically but socially and emotionally as well. Through relationships, children learn how to think, understand, communicate, behave, express emotions, and develop social skills. In Sun Prairie we prioritize social-emotional development and learning on a daily basis. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships: respect for others, practice social skills, make responsible choices and connect to the community is one of our adopted SEL standards. Research has shown a strong link between social-emotional development to cognitive areas such as information processing, language, perception, and much more.
Ways that families can support and develop deep meaningful relationships with their children:
Say “I love you” often- everyday no matter their age.
Set boundaries, rules and expectations- Children need structure and guidance as they grow and learn about the world around them
Listen and empathize- Connection starts with listening. Acknowledge your child’s feelings, show them you understand, and reassure them that you are there to help with whatever they need.
Play Together- Play is so important to a child’s development. It is the tool through which children develop language skills, express emotions, foster creativity, and learn about social skills.
Be available and distraction-free- Setting aside just 10 minutes a day to talk with your child, without distractions, can make a big difference in establishing good communication habits.
Eat meals together- Eating together as a family can often lead to great conversation and bonding time with your child
Create parent-child rituals: One-on-one time with your child can strengthen the parent-child bond, build up your child’s self-esteem, and lets them know that they are special and valued.
Happy October!
Michael Marincic, Principal
608-478-5101
Burrachos Share Day
Wednesday, October 5
4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
SCOTS Meeting (in person or virtual)
Tuesday, October 11
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Token Springs/Zoom
Caregiver/Teacher Conferences
Thursday, October 13
Friday, October 14
*please watch for an email from your student's teacher for signing up
No School
Friday, October 14
Picture Retake Day
Wednesday, October 19
Token Springs Spooktacular
Friday, October 28
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Helpful Links
- Please visit the Token Springs website for 2022-2023 Recess & Lunch schedules
- For further details about days off this school year, please visit our 2022-2023 school year calendar
School Picture Retake Day
SPASD has partnered with Empire Photography to provide school photos this year. For details on ordering your school photos, please see the Token Springs School Picture Day flyer. Didn't receive your picture day proof email link for the first picture day? Contact customerservice@empirephotos.com.
Token Springs Reminders
Door Buzzer
When visiting the school, please continue to use our door buzzer system (located at the far right of the main entrance with a red sign). This is a district-wide protocol that will continue to help ensure the right people are in our building for the right reasons. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!
Lost & Found
Our lost & found is overflowing! Please ask your student(s) to check for their belongings.
Token Springs Clubs
Fall clubs are up and running! Check out the Clubs & Activities webpage for further details on how your student can be involved.
Planning on Chaperoning or Volunteering?
Are you planning on chaperoning field trips or volunteering at Token Springs this year? Criminal background checks are now completed online. If you have not had a criminal background check completed in the last 3 years, please take a moment to fill out the online criminal background check.
Did you know?
It can take up to two weeks for your background check to be approved. If you are planning on chaperoning any upcoming field trips or volunteering in the school, please take a moment to fill out the online criminal background check so that you are ready to go when these events occur.
Winter is On the Way!
With colder weather soon to come, please make sure your student(s) are dressed appropriately for outside recess! Please make sure to put your student's name on anything that could be taken off at school.
- Hats
- Gloves or Mittens
- Fall/Winter Coat
- Boots (don't forget a change of shoes for afterwards
SPASD Winter Guidelines for Recess
Students will stay indoors during inclement weather or when the air or wind chill temperature is at or below 0°F. The school principal will check local weather websites for temperature and wind chill factors.
Stay Connected with the SPASD App
What is SCOTS?
SCOTS or the School Community Organization of Token Springs is the Parent Group here at Token Springs. PTA... PTO... SCO... Same thing. Parents coming together to build a sense of community around our school. We organize events for afterschool, help show our appreciation to our dedicated staff, and can help facilitate things the school can't (like connecting parents via a voluntary directory).
We are a 501(3)(c) non profit. We are run by volunteers. We have a 5 member board this year (most in Sun Prairie, woot woot!), we have amazing volunteers that run Book Fairs, design Spirit Wear, create haunted houses, organize a Terrapin Trot, put together the Yearbook and so much more.
So if you have an event idea, email us at tokenspringssco@gmail.com and we will help make it happen. A Ga Ga Ball Tournament? A sidewalk chalk contest? A snowball fight? Bring the idea and we'll bring the resources and manpower to make the event happen. Our meetings happen the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 at Token Springs AND via zoom.
2022-2023 Officers
President - Amy Knock
Vice President - Kim Waetjen
Treasurer - Corine Friday
Secretary - Christy Tubbs
Parent Liaison - Brent Hyden
Burrachos Share Event
SCOTS Meeting
Tuesday, October 11 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
This meeting will be held in person in the LGI as well virtually via Token Springs/Zoom
Token Springs Spooktacular
We will have the haunted house and games and crafts inside the school. We will also be hosting the trunk or treat for families in the teacher parking lot in the back of school. Ideally, we are hoping for about 40 stops there. We also are encouraging family-friendly costumes to be worn to the event.
If anyone is interested in volunteering for the event, here are the opportunities https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b44acab22a3f85-token2.
One and Done Fundraiser
The Token Springs SCO is hosting one completely optional, no pressure fundraiser this year. This is a convenient opportunity for our caregivers and families to do just that: make a contribution and be done for the year.
One of the core missions of our organization is to build a sense of community within our school and throughout the Sun Prairie area. The SCO will utilize the funds raised to support our students and community with giving back and hosting some of our most successful events including the Terrapin Trot, Spooktacular, and Spring Fling to mention just a few!
This fundraiser also eliminates any other fundraising efforts through the year, and the donation requests that go along with them.
SCOTS hosted this fundraiser last year, and after helpful feedback on how to improve, we have set a fundraising goal of $10,000 this year.
To help understand what these funds are used for, we wanted to provide a snapshot of the cost of the events we have sponsored in the past as well as some we are hoping to provide in the future. This money goes directly to support these costs:
Spooktacular: $300
Terrapin Trot: $3,500
Spring Fling: $3,000
Movie Nights: TBD
Paint Nights: TBD
Thank you in advance for your support! We greatly appreciate all of our caregivers and the amazing support we receive from each and every one of you to make these events possible.
Terrapin Trot 2022
Bus Tags
Bus drivers will do periodic checks to make sure students are eligible riders so it is important that your child can prove they are a rider. Students must have their bus tag, a photo of their bus tag, or the ability to show the driver their transportation information in Infinite Campus.
National School Bus Safety Week
October 17-21, 2022 is National School Bus Safety Week. This is the ideal time to reinforce bus safety rules among students, express gratitude to your bus drivers for their hard work, and thank them for transporting your child to and from school safely everyday. For more school bus and student transportation safety tips, click here.
Bus Evacuation Drills
Per state law, the district is required to practice bus evacuation drills twice a year. The bus evacuations will be held the last week of October. Buses may be delayed on these days, so please be patient. An email will be sent to parents once the dates are set.
Student Employee Excellence Award Nominations
The BEP High School Student Employee Excellence Award is the reward program run by the Sun Prairie Business & Education Partnership (BEP) to recognize Sun Prairie students working in area businesses who are demonstrating the workplace skills business leaders value. Nominees for this award are honored by members of the BEP, who surprise students while at work. Each student receives a special certificate and gift card for exemplifying the skills, habits, and attitudes needed in the world of work.
Please contact Nancy Everson (nmevers@sunprairieschools.org) or Betsy Butler (babutle@sunprairieschools.org) if you have a student employee you would like to recognize. Or you could use this link to directly make a nomination: https://tinyurl.com/BEPEmployeeRec22-23
You do not need to be a member of the BEP to nominate an employee.
The Sun Prairie Business & Education Partnership (BEP) is an organization that works in conjunction with Sun Prairie Area Schools to provide opportunities for students to better understand and be prepared for the world of work. Join us in “uniting schools and businesses to help students prepare for their futures” (our mission), while networking with fellow BEP business members and Sun Prairie educators, “preparing and supporting today's students for tomorrow's workforce” (our vision).
Token Springs Elementary School
Website: https://www.sunprairieschools.org/token-springs-home
Location: 1435 North Thompson Road, Sun Prairie, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 478-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TokenSpringsElementary/
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION
No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expressions, and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession, or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur.
(SPASD District Policy JB
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.
NEW NOTICE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES ON SEX DISCRIMINATION, THE DISTRICT’S TITLE IX COORDINATOR, AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING OR FILING A COMPLAINT OF SEX DISCRIMINATION
The Sun Prairie Area School District (“District”) does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that the District operates. Title IX’s requirement not to discriminate in any education program or activity extends to cover, but is not limited to, District students, certain admissions processes, and District employment. To access the relevant policy and procedures you can go to the District’s website. For inquiries regarding how Title IX and the federal Title IX regulations apply to the District please contact the District’s Title IX Coordinator, (the Director of Student Policy & School Operations, 501 S. Bird Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590, 608-834-6624 or by email at titleixcoordinator@sunprairieschools.org.)