The Wonderful World of Woodbury
November 2017
Gratitude...
Dearest Woodbury Families,
I can’t believe it is already November! The holidays are upon us and soon the winter weather will be too! Please be sure that your children are dressed warm for school. Keep in mind that layers are best for our school as we have found in years past that our boiler does an excellent job keeping our school cozy and warm. This month brings us our celebration of Veteran’s on November 10th and our Family Reading Night on November 16th. Our learning center is decorated with storybook pumpkins and we hope you will join us for some family fun that evening. We look forward to seeing you this week for parent-teacher conferences and partnering with you in your child’s education.
I keep thinking about how November is often our yearly wake-up call to be thankful. Something we should be doing year round, right? Even on the toughest days, I am reminded that life is better than what I sometimes give it credit for. It’s hard to be thankful when we witness the pain around us in the world; the hardships, the disasters, the suffering and sadness... At times, it seems like there is so much guilt involved in just simply feeling blessed. I certainly didn’t know gratitude as a kid like I now do as an adult…and I wonder when my own children will develop a true understanding of gratitude. "No one is born grateful," says Mary Jane Ryan, author of Attitudes of Gratitude (Conari, 1999). "Recognizing that someone has gone out of the way for you is not a natural behavior for children -- it's learned." My children still squeal and hug and thank family and friends for every gift received. They use good manners (most of the time). They are loving and affectionate. But, I know as a mom that gratitude goes well-beyond showing appreciation for gifts and having good manners. And I wonder, as we all do at times as parents, if I am doing the best job showing them.
I realize as life carries on that gratitude is a choice. It takes work and some time reflecting on the reasons to be grateful. Over the weekend we celebrated my mom’s 70th birthday. After the day of being together with family & friends I used that short window of calm to talk with my kids after turning off the car when we got home – you know that moment when you can feel the exhaustion of the day upon you and everyone just wants to sit there for a few more minutes? Before prodding my kids into the house to clean off the dirt of the farm and a day at play before bed our conversation went a little like this:
Me: Today was a wonderful day, wasn’t it?
Both: Yea!
4 year old: I had a lot of fun.
Me: I think we made Grandma happy, don’t you?
6 year old: Yes, at first I thought Grandma’s tears were sad tears, but they were happy tears.
Me: We are really lucky to have such a loving family.
4 year old: And our friends, too.
6 year old: Yea, not everyone has a family like ours mom.
Me: You’re right, kid. It’s important that we remember to be grateful for people and less about things.
What my children didn’t know about that day was that my mom, in her 70 years on this earth, had never been celebrated in that manner. The tears on that day were not because of a party, but because she was simply being thought of…that she is loved beyond measure by those around her. I learned from that one small moment that by choosing gratitude, living it daily, and embedding it in my interaction with my children and others is what is important. So, I challenge you to choose gratitude with your children. Take some time to come up with a list and revisit it from time to time. There is so much to be thankful for, if we only have eyes to see it.
With Kindness,
Jen Kern
My Gratitude List
Here are my 10 reasons to give thanks today:
I am thankful for my health – even on days of sniffles and migraines.
I am thankful for my husband who always has us on his heart during his long work hours and our children who challenge & inspire me daily to be a better me.
I am thankful for the hours between 8 and 10 p.m. when the house is quiet and said children are safe and cozy in their bed.
I am thankful for my job as principal of Woodbury. Certain things come along in life that you know are just right, and this is one of them.
I am thankful for avocados and pints of ice cream. Because balance…
I am thankful for books and the many moments snuggled at bedtime with my little ones to read and be just a little bit silly.
I am thankful for belly laughs and the brutal honesty of children.
I am thankful for music and how it adds to a moment. Although I was not blessed with the best dance moves, it sure has created some laughter in my lifetime.
I am thankful for the stash of Halloween candy that I will be sneaking out of my kid's trick-or-treat bags…(who me?)
I am thankful for bear hugs and moments of gratitude bestowed upon me. Sometimes it’s the best part of the day.
We need your feedback!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Please No Smoking
The Woodbury Kindness Fairies hope you had a Happy Halloween! #alwayschoosekind
Wondering what to do with all of that Halloween Candy?
Always Choose Kind Third Grade T-shirt Contest
News from Music & PE
In PE... as part of our “Red Ribbon Week” students have been learning about how to take good care of their body and staying away from any second-hand smoke around them. Students are also learning about the human skeleton to recognize different bones in our body.
PPA BBQ Thank You
News from the Nurse
FLU SEASON:
Flu season is around the corner! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone in your family who is 6 months and older. While the timing of flu season is unpredictable, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against influenza virus infection.
You have the power to protect your family against flu this season. Get yourself and your family a flu vaccine. Fight the Flu!
Visit www.flu.gov for more information.
HEAD LICE PRECAUTIONS:
This following information is being distributed as a precautionary measure to curtail and/or control any head lice outbreak in our district.
Since cases of head lice are always a possibility, we recommend all parents check their child’s head regularly once a week.
The following signs may indicate the presence of lice in your child:
- Persistent itching of the head or the back of neck
- Scratch marks on the scalp
- Nits attached to the hair – grayish white eggs visible to the naked eye difficult to remove from hair shaft unlike dandruff or hair spray flakes
Lice are easily transmitted by close physical contact. They can also be transmitted by sharing head coverings, combs and brushes from an infected person.
If your child has lice, please contact the school nurse. Immediate treatment of all cases is the best way to contain an outbreak. Your child(ren) will be rechecked before returning
to class.
THERE IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF……EXCEPT NOT TREATING IT PROPERLY AND PROMPTLY!
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in this matter. I am excited to be your School Nurse for Woodbury and also Prairie View. I look forward to working with you to help support a healthy and safe learning environment for all our students! Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Lauren Hoyt RN, MSN
School Nurse
Arrival & Saying Goodbye:
As students adjust to their morning routine and a new school, sometimes saying goodbye can be hard to do. Reassuring your child that they will see you later and saying goodbye at the door or on the playground will help build their independence and allow them to learn to cope with emotions about separation. We have lots of adults on hand to help your child navigate the building and start their day. This also helps teachers begin the routines of their day more smoothly with their students.
In addition, please note that we do not have playground supervision in the morning until 7:45. Please do not drop students off or release them from your vehicle until an adult is present. It is important to us that our students are safe.
Lunch Card Negative Balance Policy for WWW
Please be sure to keep up with your student's lunch balance. Notes are sent home weekly to those students who have accumulated a negative balance on their lunch account. Any student with a negative balance will not be allowed to purchase milk and snack time. Students with a balance of -$5.00 or more will be given the "Cheese Sandwich" lunch option until the balance has been taken care of. We try and make every effort possible on our end to avoid this happening with any student, but your help is needed as well.
You can check your student's balance online at the district web page www.sandwich430.org under the Lunch Program Link section. If your student reaches -$5.00 we will contact you and the above provisions will be put into place.
Mobile Dentist Dates
Haskin: 11/06/2017
H.E. Dummer/SMS: 2/22/2018
Woodbury: 3/15/2018
Prairie View: 3/16/2018
Electronic Devices & Personal Items
Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: The possession and use of cell phones and other electronic devices, are subject to the following rules:
- They must be kept out of sight and in an inconspicuous location, such as a backpack, purse, or locker.
- They must be turned off during the regular school day unless the supervising teacher grants permission for them to be used or if needed during an emergency.
- They must not be used in any manner that will cause disruption to the educational environment or will otherwise violate student conduct rules.
- Cell phones with cameras are not permitted in bathrooms or locker rooms. The taking, disseminating, transferring possessing or sharing of obscene, pornographic, lewd, or otherwise illegal images or photographs, whether by electronic data transfer or otherwise on school grounds, or at any school function, is prohibited.
We also ask that personal items such as toys, trading cards, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. please remain at home or in backpacks unless a specific request is made by the teacher to bring those items to school (show and tell, star of the week, etc). Many of these items often become a distraction during the school day. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items of personal property and electronic devices brought to school.
Debt Service Extension Base (DSEB)
October Fun!!
Always Choose Kind
Email: jkern@sandwich430.org
Website: www.sandwich430.org
Location: 322 East 3rd Street, Sandwich, IL, United States
Phone: 815.786.6316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woodbury-Elementary-School-175306045839116/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @Woodbury430