Whitney's Captain's Chronicle
Mr. Stacho's Newsletter - November 17, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving!
Whitney Students Give Back To Their Community!
Strongsville Mustang Spirit Wear Available
PTA Founders Day Award Nominations Being Accepted!
Volunteers needed for Holiday Shop!
This year we will be holding our annual holiday shop this December. This is an opportunity for our students to be able to shop for their families. The shop will be open December 4-6. We will need a lot of volunteers to help with this event. We are looking for volunteers to help with set up, shopping/wrapping stations and tear down. You can click on the sign up genius link to volunteer. If we do not get enough volunteers, we will have to cancel this event.
Cold Weather
As the cooler temperatures arrive, here are the guidelines for outdoor recess. Students will go outside for recess when the temperature is 20°F or above and the wind-chill is 10°F or above. Children should always come to school prepared to go outside for recess. So, remember to get out your mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, and heavier coats.
WHAT IS MAKERSPACE YOU MIGHT ASK?
Big News! MakerSpace is coming to Whitney.
To describe MakerSpace in simple terms, it is an area that allows for creativity and innovation to occur. Within this MakerSpace area students have the freedom to design, engineer, fabricate, create, build and collaborate. MakerSpaces provide students with a place to tinker and develop something that may not be possible to create without a space with resources. This will be an area students may use after their typing class (learning.com), during recess time, in an after-school club, or perhaps when working on a classroom project.
For the past several months we have been working to develop a space for our students and staff to utilize. We have selected a space within the media center to be the home for our new MakerSpace.
The Strongsville Education Foundation has awarded a grant to help fund the startup of our MakerSpace. Purchases may include equipment for 3D printing, robotics, engineering, coding, circuitry, photography, sewing, and much more. However, there are many items that we will need that you may be looking to repurpose. Maybe your children have outgrown a few of the items on our list and they can find a new home at Whitney!
We are sending this letter out to all of our families to inform you that inside the main entrance of Whitney Elementary School we have designated boxes set up for donations for our MakerSpace to get off the ground as soon as possible. We have placed a list of items that we are currently asking for further down this page and also on our Whitney website under the link MakerSpace.
Thank you for all of your consideration and willingness to help Whitney’s MakerSpace not only become a reality, but a huge success.
MakerSpace Supply List
In order for our MakerSpace at Whitney Elementary to get off the ground, be maintained, and be successful, we need some help from parent/relatives/community members so we are asking for donations of any kind. These could be items that you no longer use or items you purchase (new or used).
The list below is the "more common" items and are merely suggestions. They are definitely things that we would like but please do not limit yourself to only items on this list.
(All items need to be safe, clean, and appropriate for elementary-aged students. Items like hand-tools, sewing needles, etc. will only be used with adult supervision)
Sewing supplies (Needles, thread, scissors, fabric)
Ribbon, yarn, string
Legos, K’Nex, Blocks
All types of paper (Wrapping paper, card stock, construction paper, printer paper, scrapbook)
Markers, Pens, Crayons, etc.
Cardboard of any kind (ie: cereal boxes, pop-tart boxes, large appliance boxes (flattened please))
Cardboard tubes (wrapping paper, toilet paper, paper towel, etc.)
Play-Doh
Circuitry Kits (can be purchased online)
Craft supplies (cotton balls, popsicle sticks, paint, tape, low temp hot glue gun, glue gun sticks, regular glue/sticks, toothpicks)
Canvas, art supplies
Cameras, photography equipment
Things we can take apart (Old or broken electronics, old keyboards, small devices)
Hammers, Screwdrivers, pliers
Nails, Screws, Bolts
Storage Containers - tubs, baskets
Storage containers with drawers
Dominos, marbles
Playing cards (used for building items)
Batteries (various sizes)
Fabric
Fabric paint and/or markers
Old Christmas Lights (even if they don’t all work)
Again, please don't think you need to limit yourselves to just these items or that these need to all be purchased new. If you have similar items that you would like to donate, please feel free. We are not going to go through and limit ourselves to a certain quantity of an item in the beginning but if we feel like we have enough of something, we will go back and remove it from the list.
Thank you in advance for all of your help and support.
Strongsville Public Library News
***Please note the following December 2017 events at the Strongsville Branch Library. Registration is required for most events. Please call (440) 238-5530 to register or for more information. All events sponsored by our Friends of Strongsville Branch Library. Customers may also visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org to register and to see more library event information.
** All branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library will be closed Sunday, December 24th and Monday, December 25th for the Christmas Holiday. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, December 26th at 9:00 a.m.
* All branches of the Cuyahoga County Public Library will be closed Sunday, December 31st and Monday, January 1st for the New Year’s Holiday. We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 2nd at 9:00 a.m.
Year-Round Story Times!
Cuyahoga County Public Library offers story time sessions year-round for children Birth to Age 5. Our story time sessions are currently on hiatus for the month of December! Please call the library for more information about our upcoming Winter story time sessions which will start again in January.
Technology Training Classes
Cuyahoga County Public Library is offering a new series of technology training classes for beginners to advanced users. We are also offering more evening classes. All classes are free. Registration begins 30 days before each class date. Classes are for adults age 18 and over. To see a full class list, descriptions, and to register, please visit http://cuyahogalibrary.org/Events/Technology-Training.aspx Here are the February upcoming classes:
Friday, December 1st / 10:00 a.m. – Noon. Word 101: Basics.
Friday, December 1st / 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Word 201: Tables & Images.
Monday, December 4th / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Windows 10.
Gingerbread House Creations. All Ages with their Family. Saturday, December 2nd from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Hear some great stories and make a gingerbread house to take home for the holidays. Each family will be asked to bring in a candy decoration to share with the group. Registration begins Nov. 17.
Teen Math Skills. Grades 6 – 12. Tuesday, December 5th from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Brush up on your math skills with Sylvan Learning Center.
All Aboard the Valley Railway. Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Using historical images as well as recent ones Mike Kole from the Midwest Railway Preservation Society takes you on a pictorial journey that starts at Whiskey Island then travels through the Flats and the Cuyahoga Valley to Akron then to Canton and Mineral City ending at Valley Junction.
Wednesday Evening Book Discussion. Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. New Members Welcome!
Our next discussion will be on Wednesday, December 20th. This month we will be discussing Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. Copies of the book will be available at the check-out desk. Registration for this program is not needed. Join us for an evening of great discussion!
American Red Cross Blood Drive. Friday, December 22nd from 10:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
In just an hour of your time you can help save up to three lives. Make sure hospital patients get the treatment they need. Donate blood today. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call the American Red Cross at (216) 431-3010.