STILLSON BUZZ
January 2024 Newsletter
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Stillson Families,
Welcome back! The Stillson Staff are excited to see your students back in the classrooms and filling the halls of our school! We hope you had an enjoyable Holiday Break filled with opportunities to relax and have fun.
January is a very busy month for us here at Stillson. Students will once again be taking the Fastbridge benchmark assessments so that we can monitor student growth. After the benchmark testing is complete, teachers and specialists will use the updated data to best support students in order to foster growth in all academic areas. The semester ends on January 19, and report cards will be sent home and also available to view on Infinite Campus on January 26.
Throughout the month, our school-wide focus will be the power of acceptance- embracing the moment as it is. We will focus on learning to respond to problems we encounter by using the Bump-Hill-or Mountain strategy. By this, we mean stepping back to evaluate the size of the problem so we can respond appropriately. Students will also be focusing on physical fitness, through jump roping as they compete in the annual Jump Rope Contest and a chance to represent our school at the Bloomer Jump Off. With all that to keep us busy, the snow and cold weather will be gone before we know it!
We also will be hosting a Culver’s night on January 16. Staff will be waiting tables and running orders to help our local humane societies. We hope to show students it is important to help others when we can!
Lastly, please be sure to send winter gear with your students, even when there isn’t snow. We are running out of our supply of hats/mittens to borrow and it also helps staff with playground management if students are outside with all of the gear as recess begins!
As always, thank you for your partnership and support!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Sarauer
Stillson Elementary Principal
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HAPPENING THIS MONTH
- January 3 : Enrollment for 2024-2025 4K Begins
- January 8 : PTO Meeting in LMC (6:00p)
- January 15 : Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 16 : Culver's Night for Stillson (4:00-7:00p)
- January 18 : Jump Rope Competition (8:05a)
- January 19 : No School - Work Day
- January 23 : Bright Smiles - Fluoride
UPCOMING EVENTS
- February 14 : Valentine's Day
- February 20 : Culver's Night for Stillson (4:00-7:00p)
- February 23 : No School - PD Day
- February 29 : Leap Day (once every four years)
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TOPPERS NIGHT(S) RESULTS
Thank you to Toppers for sponsoring two "dough-nation" nights.
Our PTO received a check for over $500.
Thank you to all who supported our school!
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PBIS NEWS
A big shout out goes to Mya, our orange ticket winner for DECEMBER. She won a popcorn and movie party for her whole class. Congratulations!
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MEDICAL EXCUSES FOR ABSENCES
If you child will be out due to an illness or medical appointment, please ask for a doctor's excuse or note so we can medically excuse your child. Medical excuses do not count towards attendance reports. Here are the approved examples of medical excuses noted on attendance:
- Doctor note excusing for certain dates
- Doctor note excusing for surgery and recovery time
- Doctor note excusing for same day doctor appointment
- Being sent home due to fever of 100.4 (we mark medical)
- Being sent home due to confirmed vomiting or diarrhea (we mark medical)
- Being sent home due to unexplained rash of unknown origin (we mark medical)
- Following our 24 hour rule of no fever/fever reducing meds/vomiting/diarrhea (we mark medical)
Many times parents/guardians are unaware of the total number of days their child has been absent and/or tardy. Wisconsin Law 118.15 requires that students miss no more than 10 days each school year. The absences counted are excused and unexcused.
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START/END TIMES
Drop Off to School Begins : 7:20am
Line Up from Playground/Enter Building/Breakfast Served : 7:35am
End of Day/Dismissal to Bus and Pick Up : 2:35pm
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LUNCH VISITORS
If you would like to have lunch with your child(ren), we ask you call 24 hours in advance and schedule with Ms. Prince. Only two families are being scheduled per lunch session at this time.
If another family member wishes to have lunch with your child(ren), we will need the parent/guardian to call and schedule it with Stillson. At no time is a non-parent/guardian permitted to schedule visits.
If purchasing a lunch from the school on the day of your visit, adult lunch tickets cost $4.00.
A Volunteer Form is needed to be on file in order to have lunch.
Any questions, please feel free to call or email the office.
Ms. Prince
715-726-2412
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CLASS DOJO
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NURSING AND HEALTH SERVICES
Just a friendly reminder as it is that time of year where viral and bacterial illnesses are on the rise and we are in cold and flu season. Please help remind your children to cover their coughs/sneeze into an elbow, Kleenex, or sleeve. Wash hands often! If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Handwashing is always the preferred method, but if unable use hand sanitizer until you are able to wash with soap and water. Follow these steps:
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Also practice the following every-day good health habits to prevent the spread of illness:
• Cover your cough or sneeze. Preferably do this with a tissue that you then throw in a trashcan. Next best is covering your cough with your inner elbow.
• Avoid touching your own eyes, nose, or mouth
• Don’t share food or drinks
• Avoid contact with sick people
• Always contact your doctor’s office if you have questions or concerns regarding you or your child’s health
If you do get sick, stay home, get lots of rest, and drink plenty of fluids. There are some over-the-counter medications you can take to help you feel better at home. Tylenol and ibuprofen can help with fevers. (Reminder: students are allowed to return to school only after being fever free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medication) Please remember that children should not take aspirin, particularly if they have flu-like symptoms. Antihistamines and decongestants can help with nasal drainage or stuffiness.
WINTER HEALTH TIPS
Exposure to cold can lead to injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia.
Follow these tips to keep your children safe in cold weather:
Dress your children appropriately before coming to school. The air temperature does not have to be below freezing for your child to experience cold emergencies such as hypothermia or frostbite. Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
Dress your child in layers so they can adjust to changing conditions from indoors to outdoors.
Most of your child’s body heat is lost through their head, so they should wear a hat, preferably one that covers their ears.
Mittens provide more warmth to a child’s hands than gloves.
Your child should wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping their feet warm and dry and to maintain their footing in ice and snow.
SICK PROCEDURE
Keep your student home if any of the following apply:
Temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours before medication (Tylenol/Ibuprofen)
Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours
They have been diagnosed with a contagious illness (e.g.; strep throat, pink eye) and have been on medication for less than 24 hours if medication is required
They have an unexplained rash
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RCU SCHOOL $ENSE
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ON-SITE CHIROPRACTOR
January:
Happy New Year!
Children’s young bodies are usually flexible and resilient, and can usually take a lot of falls, bumps and bruises without much difficulty. But some signs that chiropractic care may benefit your child are: complaints of pain, limited head mobility, uneven shoulders and irregular sleep patterns.
Even if your child doesn’t have a specific condition that you are concerned about, regular chiropractic care can be part of a healthy lifestyle that promotes regular development & wellbeing.
We realize that parents considering chiropractic care for their child may have a lot of questions and we’d be happy to answer any concerns you may have. Give us a call or text at 715-382-6864 or email onsitechiroinfo@gmail.com.
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THE LAKE WISSOTA LIONS CLUB RECYCLING PROGRAM
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INCLEMENT WEATHER
Weather can change quickly in the Chippewa Valley. When inclement weather strikes, there are three options for adjusting our days:
Cancellation: If the weather is too severe, school and other activities may be canceled altogether.
Two-hour delay: If the weather is bad but not severe enough to cancel school for the day, classes may be delayed by two hours.
Early release: If the weather worsens during the school day, school may be dismissed early.
Cancellation -- If we cancel school due to inclement weather, we will make the decision by 6:00 AM. All schools, Head Start, Early Childhood, 4K Cardinal programs, after-school programs, and public use of buildings will be closed.
Two Hour Delay -- If we delay school due to inclement weather, the school day will start two hours later than normal. Buses will also run two hours behind schedule. Breakfast will not be served, but lunch will be served near normal time. 4K Cardinal, Early Childhood, and Head Start will be canceled for the day. After-school programs and public use of buildings may still occur. If the delay is later changed to a cancellation, the decision will be made by 8:00 AM.
Early Release -- If we dismiss school early due to inclement weather, the decision will be made by 10:00 AM. Elementary schools will dismiss at 12:00 PM, and secondary schools will dismiss at 1:00 PM. Lunch will be served at the normal time. High school students with open campus lunch may leave at 12:00 PM. Afternoon 4K Cardinal, Head Start, and Early Childhood are canceled. After-school programming and public use of buildings are canceled.
When there is inclement weather in the Chippewa Valley, we may have to change the school schedule. We will let you know by 6 AM if we are canceling school or starting school two hours late; by 10 AM for letting students out early.
We will tell you via radio, TV, our website, social media, and by email or text message. We want to keep our students safe, so we may have to make last-minute changes. We will try to make the best decision we can based upon the weather and/or other information available to us.
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EARLY RELEASE TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Chippewa Yellow Bus is reminding families about after school bussing on Early Release Days.
The Boys & Girls Club and YMCA do NOT operate on Early Release Days.
If you want your student to ride a different bus home on those days, a student rerouting request must be on file through the bus company. The bus company will NOT accept changes called in on the day of an Early Release, even if it's an emergency. Please have a plan in place.
Chippewa Yellow Bus: 715-726-2454
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REMOTE LEARNING MATRIX
We are writing to inform you that the District will be moving to a remote model of learning for students when inclement weather or other emergencies force school closures. This means that students will be able to continue their learning from home on days when school buildings are closed.
We believe that in-person instruction is the best way to deliver education, but we also know that there will be times when school closures are necessary and appropriate. By implementing a remote learning model, we should be able to avoid having to make up days for these school-day closures and the focus will be on continuing learning and connecting with teachers through modern means in these modern times.
Here are the major points to keep in mind as we prepare for inclement weather and other emergencies:
DISTRICT-WIDE
● Two inclement/emergency closure days are already incorporated into the 2023-24 school year calendar.
● If a high chance of inclement weather is predicted well in advance and there is high confidence from the National Weather Service (NWS) that the prediction will hold true, the District may make the call at a sooner time to have a "REMOTE LEARNING DAY" and bank a school closure day. This would allow the District to save for two unplanned school
closure days when those calls have to be made unexpectedly or without advance notice.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
● The elementary schools will develop consistent independent study packets for each grade level to send home when potential school closures occur, except on the two designated inclement weather/emergency closure days. Packets will include reading, math practice, writing prompts, and activities from our specialists.
● Teachers will be remotely available those days to aid students with their assignments during the regular school day hours; however, school electronic devices will not be sent home with the independent study packets.
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STEAM OPEN HOUSE
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2024-2025 CFAUSD 4K
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SPEECH & LANGUAGE/EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING
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STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM
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CFAUSD FOOD SERVICE HIRING
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DISTRICT FAMILY LINKS
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CFAUSD NOTICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION REFERRAL AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES
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CFAUSD Regular Monthly Board Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024, 07:00 PM
1130 Miles Street, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
CFAUSD Automated Phone System
Stillson Elementary
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/stillson/
Location: 16556 50th Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-726-2412
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StillsonPTO