Rusch Jan./Feb. 2018
A GREAT PLACE TO BE: EVERY STUDENT, EVERY CHANCE, EVERY DAY
NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Our Winter Testing Window is coming to a close. I am so excited to see the growth that our students are making! Thank you so much for working with your child to help him/her in his/her reading and math facts. The students are proud of themselves! They are excited to celebrate at our first Goal Gala tomorrow!
Thank you also for helping us with our attendance goal! I am proud to say that, compared to this same point last year, we have decreased the number of students who have 7+ absences in HALF! This is AWESOME and certainly shows in how well our students are doing academically and socially. It really does take a village and we are proud that you are part of our village!
If you ever have any questions about homework, attendance or would like to participate in the backpack program, please do not hesitate to call.
Stay Warm,
Mrs. Schoenborn
"10 or Less is Success"
DATES TO REMEMBER
- Jan. 19th~ Goal Gala/Pride Day/ Family Lunch Day
- Jan. 22-26th~Great Kindness Challenge
- Jan. 31st~ Buddy Families
- Feb. 2nd~ Report Cards Sent Home
- Feb. 5th~ No School
- Feb. 12th~ Daddy Daughter Dance (See flyer below)
- Feb. 12th~ Culver's Night 5-8 PM
- Feb. 12-23rd~ Kindness cards and Lollipop Sale
- Feb. 17th~ Sledding/Skating Social 10-11:30 AM Pauquette Park
- Feb. 26- Mar. 2nd~ Dr. Seuss Week
Office News
The weather outside is getting colder; please make sure your child has a coat, hat, and gloves. When snow is on the ground, they will need boots and snow pants if they would like to leave the blacktop at recess. Remember, recess will only be cancelled If ~the actual temperature is below zero, the wind-chill is below zero, there is rain,sleet, or other weather-related danger. If your child is need of any winter apparel, please contact Margaret Gename or Amanda Gonzalez at 608-742-7376.
Please send a note in your student's folder to school:
- if the way your child goes home changes
- if your child will be picked up early
Please call 608-742-7376 by 7:45 AM if your child will be absent.
Cafeteria
Reminder about lunch accounts:
Please maintain a positive balance.
Pre-payment is needed for breakfast, lunch, and a la carte (milk only) items.
Please ask the office for Free and Reduced applications at any time during the school year.
January Lunch Menu: http://www.portage.k12.wi.us/district/lunch.cfm?memberid=15&month=1&year=2018&view=cal_view&categoryid=306&submit_button=View+Menu#d268378
February Lunch Menu: http://www.portage.k12.wi.us/district/lunch.cfm?memberid=15&month=2&year=2018&view=cal_view&categoryid=306&submit_button=View+Menu#d268378
Physical Education
Please remember to send tennis shoes with your child so they are safely able to participate in basketball and the climbing wall this month.
Art Club
Art Class
Mrs. Martens
K-5 Art Teacher
Rusch, Endeavor and Lewiston Elementary Schools
telling our own addition stories in class. We had a special Rally where some of our friends were awarded the SUPER WOW award. It was a great day for us all as we congratulated our friends.
We also got our first taste of snow on the Rusch playground! We look forward even more to our recess time. We are working on getting ready for the outdoors independently which is an adventure for us all:)
and doing
extra gym time. Keep reading at home and work towards the multiple reading calendar incentives. In February, we will have a Valentine's Day celebration. Watch orange folders for more information about this.
Second graders and their families donated more than $150.00 to
buy hats and mittens for children in need, this holiday season. We are so proud of their generosity! We were able to buy 12 sets of hats and mittens. Thank you to all the families that
made a contribution this year.
The 5th graders have been very busy this month in math working on dividing with decimals. In reading they have been working on recognizing how to find main ideas and supporting details. They have also been very focused on writing an informative/explanatory five paragraph essay.
Music
Hello everyone!
Well, now that it is not winter concert season we can get back to some of the other fun things we are doing in music. The 4th graders are going to be learning about different instruments in January and the 3rd graders are learning to play a new instrument. I'm sure we will all enjoy the change of activities!
Nursing
Cases of influenza are on the rise in Wisconsin and our Portage school community. Please be on the lookout for symptoms and take appropriate action. If your child is diagnosed, please let the school office know this is the reason for the absence and follow your health care provider's directions to stop the spread of disease.
Symptoms of flu include:
a 100 degree F or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever)
a cough and or sore throat
a runny or stuffy nose
headaches and or body aches
chills
fatigue
nausea, vomiting, and or diarrhea (most common in children)
Prevention measures include:
cover coughs
wash hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer
vaccination against influenza
get plenty of rest and or sleep
stay home if sick
eat well balanced meals
drink plenty of fluids like water or 100% juice
For more information, visit www.flu.gov
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month-Prevention each and every day
Everyone in the family needs to have a daily plan to prevent tooth decay. Teeth play an important role to:
Chew food we eat
Say sounds and words correctly
Hold a place for adult teeth
Give the face a nice shape
Daily activities for everyone should include:
· Brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoridated toothpaste
· Flossing between the teeth once a day
· Eating nutritious foods and limiting sweetened foods and beverages
· Drinking water
· Protecting teeth from harm by using a mouthguard during activities
Student Council
Student Council sponsors a school store each Tuesday and Thursday after school. Students can buy items such as pencils, erasers, notepads, sugar free gum, baked chips, etc. The money raised through school store is used to purchase items for the school. In the past, Student Council has helped purchase Spread the Word to End the Word shirts for the student body. Students may bring up to a dollar to spend at one time at school store, since most items sell for between $0.25 and $1.
Next week Student Council will be kicking off The Great Kindness Challenge! We will be collecting change to help students who were affected by the recent hurricanes rebuild their playgrounds. Money will be collected before and immediately after Rally all next week.
Student Council will again be having the Kindness card sale this year. The Art Club and Student Council have created some beautiful cards with kind sayings on them. We will be selling these “Kindness Cards” as well as lollipops this year for Valentine’s Day. This is a great opportunity for sharing kind words with the students and staff at Rusch. This sale will run from February 12-23. Student Council students will be coming into classrooms to sell each day. Cards will be $0.25 and Lollipops will be $0.50.
BackPack Program
Staff at Rusch Elementary are teaming up to provide food to children for the 2017-2018 school year. The Backpack Program is a free program that provides kid-friendly, non-perishable food, for students most in need, to eat over the weekends. It is our hope these resources will support the health, behavior, and achievement of every student that participates.
Items distributed in the program could include: cereal, peanut butter, juice, fruit cups, soup, vegetables, and granola bars to name a few. Bags will be distributed to student participants on the last school day before the weekend or break. Any child who is in need is eligible to receive these weekly bags of food.
Please carefully consider your family’s economic status to determine if food assistance is needed by your child(ren). The goal of the program is to provide food to children who are hungry on a regular basis.
This program has been funded this year through donations, grants, and a private donation. It is staffed by Rusch teachers and volunteers.
If you feel your child(ren) could benefit from this program at any time during the school year, please email Mrs. Schoenborn at schoenbornn@portage.k12.wi.us. We will do our best to ensure that this program is confidential as students will not be identified as participating. Our staff will put a bag filled with food in your child(ren)’s backpack before school is let out for the weekend.
Dr. Seuss Week February 26th- March 2nd
Monday, Feb. 26th- Meet Dr. Seuss (Dress up as your favorite Dr. Seuss character or wear red, black and white)
Tuesday, Feb. 27th- Top Hat Tuesday (Wear your favorite hat to school.)
Wednesday, Feb. 28th- Wacky Wednesday (Wear mixed up clothing (shirts on backwards, inside out, clothes that don’t match, etc.)
Thursday, Mar. 1st- Fox in Socks Day! (Wear your crazy socks or slippers today)
Friday, Mar. 2nd- Read Across America (Dress up in your favorite pajamas or comfy reading clothes and bring your favorite Dr. Seuss book. We will Read Across Rusch today!
Columbia County Resources
Columbia County Health and Human Services
Food Pantries
2nd Harvest Mobile Food Pantries (open to all Columbia County residents)
2nd Monday of every month at 11:00am at the Columbia Co. Fairgrounds, Wauona Tr/Griffith St. Everyone welcome. No ID’s needed. Bring your own carts/baskets to carry your food.
St Vincent De Paul Food Pantry
Located at 1311 West Wisconsin Street in Portage
Monday–Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am–8pm and Saturday 9am–5pm
*You will need to bring photo ID, proof of residency and your own bags. Applicants are eligible every 30 days.
Park and Recreation
806 Silver Lake Dr, Portage, Wi, 53901 (608) 742-2178
Family Resource Center
2946 Red Fox Run, Portage, WI 53901 (608) 742-8482
Provides a variety of family services, including scheduled playgroups, parenting support and information series, workshops, and family visiting program. Staff are available to answer questions or provide resources to help families. All services are free.
Dental – Free or Low Cost Services - Seal-A-Smile
Susan Lorenz R.N. M.S. Columbia County Health Officer at 608-742-9227 susan.lorenz@co.columbia.wi.us
The Columbia County Seal-A-Smile dental sealant program is available at no charge whether or not your child is covered by dental insurance. The program will bill Medical Assistance or BadgerCare if your child is covered by these programs.
Free Immunization Clinic
2:30pm-5:30pm (10/10, 11/14, 12/12 - 2016) No appointment is necessary – Birth parent or legal guardian signature required. Bring immunization records.
Library Programs
Contact the library in your community to inquire about special programs for children and families, such as story hour or summer reading programs.
Portage Public Library 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage 53901 (608) 742-4959 Hours: Mon-Thurs 9-8:30; Fri 9-6; Sat 10-4 Sat hours between Memorial Day & Labor Day are 10-1 Contact: info@portagelibrary.us Website: http://www.portagelibrary.us/
There are many more resources available to our community, feel free to check out the Columbia County Health and Human Services Website: http://www.co.columbia.wi.us/columbiacounty/Portals/7/Resource%20Guide.pdf
Rusch Elementary School
Website: portage.k12.wi.us/rusch
Location: 117 W Franklin St, Portage, WI, United States
Phone: 608-742-7376