GRAND AVENUE NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2018
Grand Avenue Elementary
Attendance - 608/643-1991
Email: contact@saukprairieschools.org
Website: www.saukprairieschools.org
Location: 225 Grand Ave., Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
Phone: (608) 643-1900
LOST & FOUND
We have a very large pile of clothes stacking up from items that have been left outside during recess or forgotten in the lunchroom, outside the classroom, etc. Please ask your child to stop by the lost and found table (outside the bathrooms by the gym) to check if they are missing any items. It really helps if we can keep this pile to a small mountain! If the items are still here the last day before Christmas Break, we will bag them up and donate. If any of these items look familiar, please ask your child to stop by and pick them up or if you would like to stop in, that would be great. Thanks for your help!
GRAND AVENUE TOY DRIVE
H.E.L.P. (Help Excite Little People)
Grand Avenue Elementary School (in conjunction with First United Church of Christ, Sauk City) is asking for your help! Please consider sharing your gently-used toys or items for teens with those less fortunate. Donations may be brought to the school and dropped in the boxes near the display case by the office. Please drop off your donations to Grand Avenue from Monday, December 3 through Friday, December 7. All items will be distributed in our community!
GRAND AVE. STUFF THE TURKEY FOOD DRIVE
Grand Avenue Elementary School held their annual Food Drive, November 12-16. We ask families to bring in donations for the Sauk Prairie Food Pantry to help out those in need during the holidays. 258 pounds of food and paper products were collected for the pantry. Also, the Grand Avenue Staff donates $10 per turkey and these donation also go to the food pantry for a total of $310.
The photo below are students from Ms. Rauls 3rd grade class holding a paper check and displaying all of the food.
5TH GRADE CONCERT
Students should be dressed in their Sunday best for the performance on Monday evening. There will also be a dress rehearsal at 1:45 on Monday, December 10th in the Commons.
Come and enjoy some fantastic music from our 5th grade students!
LUNCH MENU UPDATE
Our innovative and interactive site and mobile app make our menus more convenient and informative than ever before. To see our menus on the Web, visit saukprairie.nutrislice.com, or download the free mobile app "Nutrislice" on Google Play or the App store. You can easily view information about our daily breakfast and lunch menus. You can also see an images and descriptions for food items, as well as nutrition information. To view carbohydrate counts, simply click on the calculator symbol in the upper right hand corner of the menu page.
INJURY/ACCIDENT FORMS
GUIDANCE INFO
Counselor Connection
In November, every grade level started a new classroom guidance unit.
Third graders are learning about communication. We discussed nonverbal and verbal communication separately; however, we soon realized that neither work well alone. Therefore, we will talk about using both types whenever possible. Before Winter Break, ask your child about the seven steps to being the best passer and receiver of information, as well as how to use an I-statement when someone does or says something that causes a problem.
Fourth graders are learning about conflict resolution (people problems). We discussed why it is important to think about another person’s perspective, and how to demonstrate I-Care Listening when someone is trying to communicate with them. Soon we will review how to use I-Statements when discussing a problem with someone in order to find a compromise in resolving the conflict (win-win solution).
Fifth graders learned about the 6 Errors in Thinking and how they can lead to poor decision making. We will also discuss how to resist negative peer pressure now and in the future by setting long-term personal goals. Ask them about their “Wishes for their Future.” These will be added to their Career Portfolio that they started in 3rd grade and will be sent home at the end of the year!
Miss Sadie
School Counselor
Ponder Parenting
· You will have to constantly contend with the pressure for ever more, and even bigger, that culture seeks to impose on your children and you. It takes courage and discipline to go slow, live simply, and see clearly. But the rewards are great. What ordinary thing can you do together today? (Martin, William; The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: A New Interpretation, 1999)
E-mail Miss Sadie if you have thoughts or questions about how to accomplish this task.
sadie.sutter@saukprairieschools.org
School Breaks Food Assistance
Every year around the school break times (Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break), families from the Sauk Prairie School District have the opportunity to receive food items to help with the financial burden of needing to provide more meals during those break times. This opportunity is similar to the GSPIE snack packs, but includes items to make meals, not just snacks. The district social worker, Susan Baumann-Duren receives food donations from the community to equally distribute to families in need throughout the district.
We try to fairly distribute these items so the same families don’t receive the assistance at every break time; however, some families do receive the food more than once during the school year. The food items are brought to Grand Avenue and can be picked up by the family, or sent home with the students (this option can be very difficult for the students).
If your family would be interested in receiving meal assistance, please contact Sadie Sutter at 643-1954 or suttesa@saukpr.k12.wi.us.
UPDATED BUS INFO
The transportation of students is an essential function of the Sauk Prairie School District provided through a partnership with Lamers Bus Lines. To better ensure the safety of students, recent changes have been made that impact the dismissal change request process. Here is what you need to know about requesting dismissal changes for your child:
The district will only honor requests from a parent/guardian to change their child’s dismissal plan if the request is made before 11:00 AM on the day the change is needed. Requests made after 11:00 AM will only be accepted in cases of unforeseen circumstances. A timely request allows office staff time to notify the classroom teacher and child of the change, as well as Lamers time to accommodate those changes in their bus routes for the day.
All mid-day/4K and dismissal bus changes need to be directed to your child’s school. Please do not contact Lamers for these changes, as each school is responsible for tracking their students’ dismissals. The school is responsible for communicating any changes to Lamers.
If your child rides the bus to school in the morning and there is a change in plans, please contact Lamers directly at 460-7050. School staff is not available to respond to your change requests until 7:00 AM, which is after the morning buses have started their routes.
If a student will need to ride a bus on a day they are generally not scheduled to ride, the Bus Request Form needs to be completed by a parent/guardian. The form is available on the SPSD website at the link entitled Bus Request Form.
The bus request form applies to all students in all grades (4K - 12th Grade). If your child does not have this form to hand to the bus driver, they will not be allowed to ride on the bus.
If your child’s dismissal change does not include a bus, there is no need to complete the bus request form.
There should be one form completed per child who needs to ride the bus. Please do not list siblings on the same form.
If your child attends elementary school, you may send a separate note with your child or call your child’s school to request other dismissal changes (i.e., requests to pick up your child or for your child to attend After School Club).
If your child attends the Sauk Prairie Middle School or Sauk Prairie High School, additional notes or calls regarding non-bus dismissal changes are not required. Only requests to ride buses are tracked at these grade levels.
Thank you for your assistance to ensure your child has a safe plan for dismissal each day. If you have additional questions or concerns about your child’s dismissal plan, please contact your child’s school or Lucas Francois, Executive Director of Business Services for the Sauk Prairie School District, at 608-643-5982.
Efunds for Schools is Now Mobile!
Open the link below on your mobile device and pay for lunch, fees and purchase any additional items Sauk Prairie School District has available on any mobile device. Registered EFS users can log in using existing account information. New Users select Create an Account from the mobile site to register. Please see the district website for a flyer and a guide located under Family Resources/Fees & Payments to assist you in setting up the application.
Link to add the application: https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55177/
UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
District School Board Mtg
December 10 - Bridges Elementary - 7:00 pm
No School - Monday - December 3
No School - Winter Break - December 24-January 1
Early Release - December 12 - Dismissals, 1:30 & 1:35
5th Grade Winter Concert - Monday, December 10, 2018 - 6:00 pm - Grand Ave. Commons
Field Trips
5th Grade Chorus to Bridges - Thursday, December 13 - 8:15 am
LUNCH INFO
LUNCH INFORMATION
Lunch times at Grand Ave are: 3rd grade-11:15 am, 4th grade-11:40 am and 5th grade-12:00 pm. If there is a day that you would like to join your child for hot lunch, please phone the office by 9:00 am that day (643-1900) to reserve a hot lunch. You will need to stop at the office to pick up a visitor badge. The cost is $3.80 for a visitor lunch, which comes off your family account. Also, if you send in lunch money that is cash, in an envelope to be dropped off at the office, could you please make sure that the student’s name is either on the outside of the envelope or a note inside the envelope with the student’s name. Please click on link below to view this month's lunch menu.
Breakfast - Student - $1.70, Adult - $2.65
Lunch - Student - $2.70, Adult - $3.80
Milk - 35 cents
GSPIE INFO
FUNDRAISER OPPORTUNITY
GSPIE Schwan’s Holiday Fundraiser: GSPIE is so excited to kick off our first Holiday Schwan’s Fundraiser! GSPIE will earn 20% back on all purchases from November 26 thru January 10th and 40% back on $25 e-gift cards (one per customer)!
Ordering is easy – all you have to do is follow the link through Schwan’s Cares and place an order. Stock up on some of the convenience foods that make this time of year easier and don’t forget their yummy ice creams, desserts and oh my………..their holiday ham!
The link can be found on the GSPIE Facebook page, our website or by this link: https://www.schwans-cares.com/campaigns/44014-gspie-2018-holiday-schwans-sale.
Thank you for your continued support!!
ATTENDANCE
If you call your child in with an illness, we would like you to please let us know the symptom/symptoms, i.e., a fever, sore throat, headache, cough, etc., that your child may have.
MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL
For example, if your child suffers from migraine headaches, we will NOT be able to distribute medication to him/her without an AMA on file. The AMA form can be found on the District web site. In order for medications to be distributed, pills must be in a prescription bottle with proper labeling. Students may carry inhalers with them, however, an AMA form must be on file in the office.
If you have any questions regarding medication distribution, please contact Laura Cody, RN for the district at 643-5509.