Washington Elementary
March 5, 2018
Parent Teacher Conference Sign up Here
Dear Washington Families,
We will again be offering online sign-up for Spring Conferences. Beginning March 5, 2018 you can follow the link below. Then, choose your child’s teacher and book a conference time. If your child lives in more than one household, please try to schedule only one conference per student.
Conference dates and times are as follows:
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 22, 2018 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Monday, March 26, 2018 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Link: https://washingtonwildcats.youcanbook.me
We will have a computer set up in the office for those of you who do not have access to the internet. You will have access to this computer from 7:30 am. until 3:45 p.m.
If you have any questions, please call Washington Elementary School at 345-3059. Thank you!
After School Excel Dates..
After school Excel meets Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week from 3-4 pm for student who are registered to attend. All Excel dates for the remainder of the year are listed below.
EXCEL dates remaining this year: January 8- March 14, April 3-April 11
NOTE: No Excel: Mar 19-21, Mar. 26-28, Apr. 2
Important Dates!
March 12- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Media Center
March 13-Two Hour Late Start, school starts @ 10:15am
March 15- Science Fair, The gym and the projects will be open for families and classrooms to view from 12:45 to 2:30
March 15- Washington Math Night @ 5:30pm-7:00pm
March 16- No School
March 19-23- Music Informants for Kindergarten, Second, Fourth Grade. These will take place in the music room during your child's music class time.
March 20-Conferences
March 22-Conferences
March 26-Conferences
March 28-March 30- No School
April 2- No School
April 9- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Media Center
April 10-Two-Hour Late Start, school starts @ 10:15am
April 19- Kindergarten Round up 4:30-5:30pm and 6-7pm
April 20- Kindergarten Earth Day Celebration @ 1-2:30pm
April 27- Washington Art Show @ 5:30-7pm
May 7- PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm in the Media Center
May 8-Two Hour Late Start, school starts @ 10:15am
May 11- Walk-A-Thon & Picnic (more information coming)
May 17- 5th Grade Revolutionary War Field Trip
May 25-Kindergarten Picnic @ 11:15am-1pm
May 28- No School
June 1- 5th Grade Picnic/Family Gathering @12:30-2:30pm
June 1- Last Day of School!!
Family Math Night!
When: Thursday, March 15, 2018
Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Where: Washington Elementary School
Theme: Geometry
Dinner: Pizza will be served from 6-7 pm
in the cafeteria
PTO will host the Book Fair
Please come and share an in evening of math fun with Washington students, families, and staff! We have a wonderful evening of fun planned for the entire family!! There will be interactive math stations for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.
We will have geometry bingo throughout the evening. There will be presentations on Leader in Me! Pizza will be served in the cafeteria! Please plan to join for this great evening!
Washington PTO will host the Book Fair!!
Music Notes..
Dear Parents of Kindergarten, Second and Fourth Grade Students,
The month of March is “Music In Our Schools Month.” To celebrate, students in grades K, 2 and 4 will be presenting “Informances” in their music classes during the week of March 19 - 23.
An “Informance” is an in class performance and demonstration of skills learned presented in a performance type structure. Students are excited to show you the musical skills they are learning which include reading and playing rhythms, movement and dances and sharing some songs.
“Informances” will take place during music classes in the music room and will be an opportunity for parents to watch your child participate and perform for 30 to 40 minutes. Please look at the schedule below to find the date and time of your child’s presentation.
We look forward to seeing you in our music classroom!
Mrs. Leah Ries and Mr. Jonathan Shevy
Monday, March 19
8:45 - 9:35 – Mrs. Smith - 4th Grade
10:00 – 10:50 – Mrs. Fitzloff - Kindergarten
1:00 - 1:50 - Mr. Vanselow - 2nd Grade
Tuesday, March 20
8:45 – 9:35 – Ms. Niedermayer - 4th Grade
10:00 – 10:50 – Mrs. Davis - Kindergarten
Wednesday, March 21
1:00 - 1:50 - Mrs. Larkin - 2nd Grade
Friday, March 23
8:45 - 9:35 - Mr. Dittmer - 4th Grade
10:00 - 10:50 - Mrs. Brady - Kindergarten
1:00 - 1:50 - Mrs. Wurdinger - 2nd Grade
You can help raise money for your school!!
It’s easy to support your school with items you already use in your home or receipts from stores you already patronize!
Feel free to send any of the following to school with your student.
There are drawers in the hallway next to the lost and found to drop any of them off.
Each box top through Box Tops for Education is worth 10 cents. If each student turned in just 20 box tops during the year the school would receive around $800. Watch for Bonus Tops on participating products or as a coupon from your store purchase. Go to www.boxtops4education.com to sign up, enter sweepstakes and to see a list of the participating products. Box tops do expire so be sure to turn them in on time!
Through Kwik Trip’s Milk Moola program, each milk/juice cap and bag top is worth 5 cents. Please remember to rinse the caps and bag tops before turning them in.
Save your Hy-Vee receipts from both Mankato locations and they will donate $1 for every $150 spent through the Hy-Vee Kash 4 Kids program. The receipts must be dated during the current school year (Sept. 2017- May 2018) to qualify. Every little bit will add-up!
We have set up our PTO as an organization you can support through AmazonSmile.
Once you select us as an organization to support, we will receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases.
Our unique link is: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-0542342
Washington Elementary PTO
Meeting Minutes 2-12-2018
Meeting Attendees: Eileen Campbell, Amy Cain, Hilary Kent, Jennifer Brunz, Marni Moule, Shane Baier, Shane Drahota, Heidi Burns, Tracy Opie, Alison Carlson, Cherise Barker.
Meeting Minutes Approved: Cherise B. (1), Heidi B. (2)
Principal Report: Shane gave an update on the Playground Hopes and Dreams project that met on 2-6-18. It was decided that the top 3 choices for equipment would be
A Spider
Basketball hoop improvement
Swings w/ wheelchair accessibility
The next steps are to work with the district facilities department to look at options, costs and logistics. There is also a plan to move the slide along McConnell St to a better location. The PTO will need to determine the funds we have available or the amount we are willing to commit to with future fundraising on this project. Heidi B. is going to work on the Mankato Clinic Foundation grant once we know the costs of the 3 options. Would like to try for the June 1st disbursement date. Next meeting for this is 3-6-18.
The lunch room orientation has been completed and about 40-50 students either changed jobs or started one around the school.
Shane is also looking to for creative/artistic people to help with a school beautification project possibly this summer.
Teacher Report: Thank you for the geometry kits that were purchased. They are all ready to use for Math Night.
Request for Funding: The 3rd grade asked for their classroom supplies budget be used for 4 wobble stools. Motion to approve by Marni M. and seconded by Heidi B. All approved.
ELL and Intervention asked for foundation skills handbooks to be purchased for $400 with possible for some shipping charges. There is no specific budget line these go under, so it would come out of the general fund. Motion made to approve by Cherise B., seconded by Shane D to spend up to $550 if needed. All approved.
Request for the 5th grade to attend the Writer’s and Artist’s Conference. Mandi S. was still waiting on grant information. The 5th grade wanted to use the $300 in classroom budget plus the $600 5th grade t-shirt and $100 graduation funds. The 2 latter funds had been removed from the budget since they were not used last year, and our fundraising goal was not met. Discussion supported helping to fund this, but we are asking if the parents could be asked to pay at least $5 towards the ticket price of $17. Once we hear on the grant we will have an e-mail vote of the members present here and will decide then.
Treasures Report: We had deposits from Box-Tops of $325.50, AmazonSmile of $24.71. We received $57.00 in donations from the family fun night. Also received the MN Give donation of $9.31.
Payments for the geometry boards ($260.24) and the Children’s Museum Family Fun Night ($550.00) went out.
Committee Reports: The Box Tops contest ends on February 16th. There will be boxes in the office for the teachers to drop the bags off. Jen, Diane and Casey will take care of counting and bagging them up. We will announce the winner this next week.
We are still looking into a restaurant to have a fundraiser at. 1000 Degrees Pizza was a bit reluctant to do one at this time. Cherise and Marni will check into other places.
A flier for the Walkathon will be sent out the beginning of April. The survey went out for the incentive at the walkathon. The winner was rainbow putty. The options to run the path and/or do a bigger loop also were chosen. More to happen at the next planning meeting.
Events: Family Fun Night at the Children’s Museum was very well attended! It was really fun, and they said we were one of the easiest groups to have. March 15th is the Math Night and PTO Book Fair. This coincides with the science fair, so the book fair will be set up in the music room again the night before.
Wrap Up: Next meeting is March 12th at 6:30 pm. Motion to adjourn by Marni M. seconded by Amy C.