November 2018 Newsletter
Halmstad Hawks
Notes from the Principal
I would like to start off by saying thank you to everyone that supported our PTO fundraiser. The money raised will go a long way to providing support to the students of Halmstad. I have been working with the PTO as well as teachers to reduce the fees and dues from the beginning of the year. Our hope is to cut in half those payments for next fall.
I am excited about a great opportunity for Halmstad families. Partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the University of Wisconsin-Extension, I will be sending out a weekly email to all families. The program is called Raising Caring Kids and each email will include brief articles, short videos, and fun ideas. The short articles and videos give ideas and activities to support your child’s school success, positive behavior, and self-esteem. Imagine the skills that allow people to calm down when angry, make (and keep) friends, participate in community, and make fair and safe choices. These skills help children (and adults!) succeed in school and life.
Please remember to have your child to school no later than 7:48am. When students are late, they not only affect their learning but coming into the classroom late causes disruptions to the learning of other students in the class as the teacher needs to work with the late student to get them up to speed. I appreciate your efforts in this matter.
Here is a fun game you can play in your car. Choose a three letter word (more letters for older children) such as CAP. Have our child substitute different beginning sounds from the alphabet to make new words. (LAP, MAP, NAP, etc.) Another game is to say a word, then have your child say the same word but without the first sound. For example, “Can you say bat without the b?” (Answer is at.)
I am proud to lead Halmstad Elementary. We have seen tremendous growth and success. The school report card will be released on November 13. I am sure you will be as pleased as I was when I saw the preliminary score. Thank you for all of your help and support. When working together there is nothing we cannot accomplish.
Dates to Remember
Nov. 5-8 (M-Th) is Topper's week. Mention Halmstad when ordering and part of sales will be donated to the school.
Nov. 9- Veterans Assembly 10:30am around the flag pole- weather permittingNov. 12-PTO Fall Scripts sent home
Nov. 12- Holiday Shop Collection starts
Nov. 13- Culver's night-mention Halmstad when you order at the Hallie location.
Nov. 15- Picture Retake Day
Nov. 15 PTO meeting at 5pm
Nov. 17 PTO Fall Market Place
Nov. 19-23- No school for students- Happy Thanksgiving
PTO
President – Russell Stacy (halmstadptopresident@gmail.com)
Vice-President – Open (halmstadptovicepres@gmail.com)
Secretary – Bridget Stargardt (halmstadptosecretary@gmail.com)
Treasurer – Kristine Basom (halmstadptotreasurer@gmail.com)
Topper's week will be November 5-8 (M-Th). If Halmstad is mentioned when ordering during these days, 50% of the sale willbe donated to Halmstad. There are some promotional exclusion but all regular priced items are included.
Collection for the Holliday Shop begins on November 12
Fall Market is November 17
Next PTO meeting is Thursday, November 15, 2018, at 5pm at Halmstad. All parents are welcome to attend the PTO meetings.
Culver's Night is the 2nd Tuesday of the month (Hallie Location) Come in to eat and mention you are from Halmstad School.
PTO will be covering the entire cost of the movie and bussing to the theater for the all-school field trip in December.
Thank you Halmstad PTO.
Fall Market Place
Saturday, Nov 17, 2018, 09:00 AM
565 East South Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Click on Pictures for more information
Music Notes from Mrs. Griepentrog Halmstad Elementary
November 2018
Greetings! Your students are continually working on learning to be tuneful, artful, and beatful through singing, moving, and playing.
Please be sure to sign up for Class Dojo. Invites have gone home and you can also search for your student once you set up an account. This is how I will be sharing with you all of the wonderful things your students are learning and doing in music. If you need a new copy of your ClassDojo code, please let me know.
Specific information about what each class is learning and doing in music class can be found on my music newsletter, which I will send over Dojo each month. You can also click the link below.
In the music newsletter (see link above) you’ll see a section called “Ask Me To Sing.” Have your student record themselves performing one of those songs, and post it on their Portfolio in their student account on Class Dojo and I’ll give him or her 3 Hawk Tickets. Thanks for being musical, Halmstad!
~Mrs. Griepentrog
News from Student Council
Student Council had its first meeting on October 25th. Student Council advisors this year are Kara Vergin (3rd grade) and Katie Gebauer (speech). We will meet every Thursday morning from 7:30-7:45 in Mrs. Vergin’s classroom or the library.
Our student council members include:
Carter Johnson, Cami Herman, Ariana Ash, Isabelle Oster, Autumn Helgeson, Sophia Albert, Jemmma Lubs, Delaney Bero, Jayna Kelley, Ivy Laska, Cortney Fesbender, Cora Tallman, Greta Richel, Art Weible, Kierra Gerrish, Annie Zwiefelhofer, Henry Simonson, Camryn Rossano, Brooklyn Helgeson, Chevee Daken, Adele Murawski, Braxton Bell, and Ian Berger.
Our Student Council members will be working on developing their leadership skills and helping with many school activities such as the penny wars, hawk week, Spirit of Christmas, and PBIS activities. Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 were asked to fill out an application if they were interested in joining student council this year. We had many great applicants to choose from! We are excited to see what this year will bring us. As always, thank you for your support!
We have a big project ahead of us for the month of November and December. We will be working on the Penny Wars. This is an annual competition here at Halmstad. All the proceeds go toward the Spirit of Christmas organization. Last year was a huge success collecting over $1,000! We are hoping for another great year. More information will be coming home in your child’s folder about this activity.
PBIS
What is PBIS?
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success.
PBIS News at Halmstad
To start the year, Halmstad students practiced school-wide expectations. We reviewed expectations in all areas of our school (hallway, classroom, bathroom, lunchroom, etc.) As we practiced behaviors in these areas, we created puzzles in our classrooms and had an all-school kickoff to put those pieces together. We also started a focus on kindness and gratitude. Students “filled” a gratitude jar and enjoyed a “Hats Off to Kindness” day! Showing kindness is a Halmstad goal based on results from our student survey. Our wonderful music, art, and phy ed teachers kicked off our kindness week with a gratitude jar filled will things we the students are grateful for!
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. – Aesop
Counselor's Corner
Playing with Your Children is Beneficial
We’re often busy as adults working, getting our kids places, managing the house and just keeping up. Sometimes we are too exhausted to spend quality time with our children by playing with them. Sometimes we’re so busy in our world, we forget to explore their world. Young children don’t have the exact words yet to express how they feel, but are able to do so through play. When they play, they are expressing themselves and using play as their “words.” Parents can understand their child better by stepping into their world. Play also strengthens the parent and child’s bond. Playing with your child doesn’t have to take long, but it can mean the world. It is beneficial for both parents and children. Here are just a few benefits:
Benefits for Child
- Builds Social and Emotional Skills
- Improves Cognitive Development
- Reduces Stress Levels
- Increases Creativity
Benefits for Parents
- Oxytocin hormone is released, also known as the
- Improves Communication with Child
- Reduces Stress Levels
- Increases emotional well-being
Here at Halmstad Elementary, play therapy is one way we help children cope with emotions and experiences in their lives. Children may not be able to tell someone what’s going on in their lives or how they are handling it because they don’t know how to express it through words, yet. Their brains are still developing and play is the best way they know how to communicate. Play therapy helps them express themselves, process emotions and events in their lives, and show us what they may need. If you have any questions or comments on play therapy, feel free to contact the School Counseling office.
Amy Lor, UW Stout School Counseling Practicum Student
Volunteering at School
Volunteering or Chaperoning a Field Trip at Halmstad???
If you are planning on volunteering or chaperoning a field trip this year please complete a Background Check and School Volunteer Agreement. A School Volunteer Agreement needs to be completed every year, and a Background Check needs to be completed once during the time your child is at Halmstad. Click here for a link to the volunteer.
Chippewa Falls Mentor Program
Mentors Needed
Time is one of the most valuable gifts we can give a child.
Become a mentor and spend 30 minutes per week having fun and building a relationship.
Interested?
Visit our website for more information
Board Meeting Information
Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Time: 7:00 pm Public Session
Place: District Office
This meeting is a meeting of the Board of Education in public for the purpose of conducting the School District's business and is not to be considered a public community meeting. There is a time for public participation during the meeting as indicated in the agenda.
The public can access the School Board Agenda for this meeting by going to the School District website 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
Upon request to the School Board Secretary, submitted twenty-four (24) hours in advance, the District shall make reasonable accommodation including the provision of informational material in an alternative format for a disabled person to be able to attend this meeting.
Halmstad Contact Informatin
Email: olsonhj@chipfalls.org
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/halmstad/
Location: 565 East South Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-726-2415