Heavilin Elementary
December 2019 Newsletter
For Your Calendar
10 This Is Our Story at VHS (6pm Art Show/7pm Concert)
11 PRIDE Day
11 Harry Potter Christmas Ball at Barnes & Noble
17 Pajama Day
18 Dress Your Best Day (Holiday Parties)
19 Holiday Spirit Wear Day
19 Half Day, Noon Dismissal
20-1/5 No School - Holiday Break
January
6 Return to School
14 PTO Meeting at 6:30pm
15 PRIDE Day
17 Spirit Wear Day
Spell Bowl Results
A School
Holiday Fun
Tuesday, December 17 - School-Wide Pajama Day: Kids are encouraged to wear their favorite jammies to school. Slippers and robes are welcome. If it is PE day, students still need to wear gym shoes for PE, and will still go outside for recess if the weather permits.
Wednesday, December 18 - Dress Your Best Day: Kids are encouraged to wear their holiday best to school for Party Day. PE and recess will still take place this day as well.
Thursday, December 19 - Holiday Spirit Day: Kids are encouraged to wear their favorite holiday gear to school - ugly sweaters, santa hats, jingle bell earrings, etc...
In the News...
2020-2021 Calendar
Red for Ed
Harry Potter Enchanted Evening Bookfair
Thinking of Buying Your Child a Cell Phone for the Holidays?
From Our Friends at Common Sense Media:
What are the basic safety rules for cellphones?
Parents: Discuss these basic safety rules before you give your kid a cellphone.
Texting
- Be respectful, both to the people you're texting with and those around you.
- Be careful. Assume that even private texts can become public.
Calling
- Verify the caller or texter. Don't respond to numbers you don't know.
- Always answer the phone when it's Mom or Dad!
Taking pictures
- Ask permission before you snap someone's picture, take a video, or forward a photo.
- Don't publicly embarrass people. Don't post someone's photo -- especially an unflattering one -- from your phone without their permission.
Apps and downloads
- Manage costs. Make sure your kids understand that they're spending real money when they download apps, games, and music. Consider giving them an allowance for downloads or password-protecting the download function.
- Use parental controls. Depending on the age of your kid, consider using the settings to filter out age-inappropriate content, restrict downloads, and prevent in-app purchases.
Posting
- Be selective, not impulsive. Make sure kids know to be very choosy about what they post from their phones.
- Be safe. Explain the risks involved in using location services.
Winter Reminders
As the temperatures fall, please remember to send your kids dressed for the weather. Winter jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, boots and warm clothing and socks are needed as well as snow pants when there is snow. If you need any assistance with warm clothing for your kids, please contact Debi Sibray at dsibray@valpo.k12.in.us
Winter months can also bring the spread of colds, flu, strep, hand foot and mouth, and lice. Please check bookbags for communication notices from the nurse and monitor your kids at home for any symptoms. Please keep your child home if they have fever, vomitting, diarrhea, and uncontrollable cough. If lice notices come home, please check your kids for lice. If you have any health needs or questions for our nurse, please contact Denise Scott at denisescott@valpo.k12.in.us
This Is Our Story
Hour of Code
December 9-13 is Computer Science Education Week. During this week many students around the world will participate in an Hour of Code. The Hour of Code movement started as a one-hour introduction to computer science. The purpose was to show students of all ages that anyone can learn the basics of computer coding. The event has become a WORLDWIDE effort, and each year students and teachers around the globe are encouraged to participate. Currently over 180 countries are involved in the Hour of Code.
The Project Lead the Way (STEM) curriculum exposes each grade level to a different computer science module each school year. These modules teach about the many facets of computer science ranging from how computers work to how to build a program. Would you like to try coding? Click here for a HOW TO GUIDE on how to do an Hour of Code at home!
Happy Holidays, Heavilin!
Box Tops
Thank you to everyone who turned in Box Tops in October. Heavilin PTO was able to earn $612.30! This money will be used to help our school. Congratulations to Mrs. Beach's class for winning the classroom competition. They collected 667 Box Tops and earned a reward. The students who collected the most Box Tops were Brenna Bernard, Remy Thompson, and Spencer Widup. They each won a prize. Please keep saving and scanning Box Tops! We will be collecting them again in February.