ORCHARD DRIVE ELEMENTARY
DECEMBER
WILSON'S WORDS
Dear Orchard Families,
Hopefully you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. It was nice to have a few days off from school, but we are excited to welcome everyone back for a great second semester.
One of our goals is to keep excellent records and improve communication with families. In order to do this we are asking for your help. It is imperative that we have an up to date home phone number, cell phone numbers, and current email addresses. If you have recently had a change, please make sure to login to Parent Portal or call school for any updates. Also, it is important to have your voice mail set up so that we may leave a message, especially in case of an emergency. Thank you very much for your assistance.
Teachers may send helpful hints to support your child over the break, and I would suggest that you try to find time to work on these. Some easy ways to reinforce school work are to have your child read to you or read to them. Students often enjoy reading to relatives that visit. If your child enjoys reading on their own, discuss the book with them or have them summarize what they read. Take a trip to the library and let your child pick out books. Play math games with their facts while on trips to the store or to a relative’s home. Students could even come up with a song to help remember them. Another way to apply what they have been learning is to have them write. Have your child help write out the grocery list or write a letter to their friend or teacher. There are many other activities to do with your child that can be fun and educational. Please do not ever hesitate to contact your child’s teacher for ideas specific to your child’s needs. We hope that everyone has a safe, happy, and educational December!
Classes will resume Monday, January 7, 2019!!
SIMMONS' SCOOP
Dear Orchard Families,
It is hard to believe that December is here and we are getting ready for the Holiday season. Orchard staff have been busy decorating doors and getting ready our the holiday season.
I can’t believe we already had one snow day. With that being said, it is very important for you to have a plan of action with your child in case school is cancelled or dismissed early. The district utilizes the School Messenger Parent Notification System that enables school personnel to notify all families by phone or email of school cancellations or early dismissals. If you have not already, please consider signing up for this communication tool. You can choose the way you would like to receive messages whether it be through email, phone call, or text. You can sign up on the Jackson R2 School district website through the InfoCenter link. Click the parent tab at the top of the page, then scroll down and find the Info Center Text Alert tab on the right on the page. If your address or phone number has changed recently, please let the office know. It is important that our information for your child is up to date. Also, be sure to label your child’s coat or jacket, hats and gloves. We have an assortment of unclaimed items in our lost and found. If your child is missing a coat, please encourage them to check the lost and found.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me.
Jessica Simmons, Assistant Principal
COUNSELOR CORNER
Counselor Corner
Thank you to all those who have already donated cans of food and warm items for our community collection in November/December. We have already collected many cans of food this year and numerous warm items! Our food/warmth drive will continue until Friday, December 7.
If you haven’t noticed the Red Kindness Pantry in the front of the school, please check it out. The motto of the pantry is...Take what you need OR Leave what you can. The pantry is a great way for Orchard to show kindness to the community. If you would like to donate food or other items, you can place the items into the pantry at your convenience
The 2nd and 3rd grade students have learned a lot of skills to prevent bullying behaviors. You can practice the following safe skills with your students:
*Role-play responses to bullying
*Practice assertiveness skills, including giving a stop signal
*Practice how to report and/or seek help from an adult
*Practice simple, short statements to refuse bullying
I hope you and your family have Happy Holidays! I feel truly blessed to work with such wonderful students and families!
Jill Hadler, School Counselor
BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB
December
Laken Baumhoer 6th Sturm
Addilynn Sander 17th Dotson
Madilynn Bohnert 19th Conklin
Titus Patrick 21th Conklin
As you prepare for Christmas, remember that books make excellent presents!
Mrs. Gentry
Mrs. Crawford
NURSE EMILY
"Sometimes I inspire my patients; more often they inspire me." —Unknown
STAFF ORCHARD PRIDE AWARD
WORK HARD DO YOUR BEST
SHOW YOUR ORCHARD PRIDE!
Each Week a staff member picks another staff member to receive the Orchard Pride banner. It is given to the staff member whom they think shows PRIDE here at school every day. The banner hangs outside their classroom door or area for the entire week and a new staff member is announced during the Monday morning announcements.
WIN [WHAT I NEED]
As you start your holiday shopping remember a good book is the perfect Christmas gift. Here are some tips to help you pick out a great book for your reader at home.
1. Consider your child's topics of interest.
2. Review the difficulty of text.
3. Share your favorite childhood books with your child.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, December 3
Warm Clothing/Canned Food Drive
7:30am
Orchard-Mart (school store)
Tuesday, December 4
Warm Clothing/Canned Food Drive
Wednesday, December 5
Warm Clothing/Canned Food Drive
3:30pm
4th grade CALB
Thursday, December 6
Warm Clothing/Canned Food Drive
7:00pm
4th grade Winter Concert
Friday, December 7
Warm Clothing/Canned Food Drive
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Flags flown at half staff)
Tuesday, December 11
7:00pm
2nd grade Winter Concert
Wednesday, December 12
3:30pm
4th grade CALB
Friday, December 14
School-wide Polar Express PJ DAY!
Monday, December 17
7:30am
Orchard-Mart (school store)
Wednesday, December 19
8:30am
Kona Ice Day
3:30pm
4th grade CALB
Thursday, December 20
2:00pm
Winter/Xmas party
Friday, December 21
No School - Winter Break
Monday, December 24
No School - Winter Break
Tuesday, December 25
No School - Winter Break
Wednesday, December 26
No School - Winter Break
Thursday, December 27
No School - Winter Break
Friday, December 28
No School - Winter Break
Monday, December 31
No School - Winter Break
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
No School - Winter Break
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
No School - Winter Break
Thursday, January 3, 2019
No School - Teacher Work Day
Friday, January 4, 2019
No School - Professional Development Day
Monday, January 7, 2019
7:30am
Orchard-Mart (school store)