Geist Gazette
January 19, 2018
GEIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Website: http://www.hse.k12.in.us/GES
Location: 14051 East 104th Street, Fishers, IN 46037
Phone: 317-915-4260
Twitter: @Geistgators
Guiding All Kids
Front Office
Working in small groups
Principal's Message
I have the wonderful benefit of being in and out of classrooms and seeing the wonderful goodness that happens on a regular basis. Your children are working hard! (Good job families!!) It is exciting to see your children talk about their books, share about their writing and explain the why behind their responses. It is exciting to see them grow in their collaboration skills, critical thinking and risk taking.
Looking ahead, we have World Read Aloud Day. I hope you will take time on Feb. 1st to read a book aloud as a family. Go pick your favorite book from when you were a child and enjoy a read aloud. You are NEVER too old to read a book aloud with others! Help us foster a love of reading in the Geist Community. I still think fondly upon my mother reading to me, "Who, Said Sue, Said Whoo" by Ellen Raskin. Take time on Feb. 1st to share a good book with your children. It is a 15 min experience, you won't regret. If you are a social media follower, tag us @Geistgators. I just put Feb. 1st on my calendar, did you?
Below are a few reminders to address with your family:
Students need to remember to bring their iPad, homework and lunchbox to school
** The school does not expect or request that you bring iPads to school. The natural consequence of no iPad and sharing can teach a valuable lesson. Students can always get hot lunch, salad or turkey if children forget their lunch.
Students need to remember his/her homework and iPad at the end of the day
** The school does not expect or request that you come back to school. Learning to be organized and manage our time is an important lesson to learn at a young age.
Parents- per the HSE student handbook, no outside restaurant food is to be brought to lunch, even for a special occasion.
Parents, please remember to adjust School Dismissal Manager by 1:30 if needed.
Thank you for your continued support of your child's education and your child's school!
Have a wonderful two weeks,
Christi Thomas, Principal
World Read Aloud Day - February 1
Join us in World Read Aloud Day. More information coming soon.
Community Bulletin Board- Find out what's going on!!
Safe Visitor Badge - Improving the Checkout Process
Per HSE Policy, visitors must have their Safe Visitor Badge scanned to check-in to the building. Please download the Safe Visitor App in the App Store or Google Play (search SafeVisitor) or have your badge available when you come into the school. Looking up names can lead to the wrong person being signed in.
Upon leaving, please give your printed badge to the office staff for quick check-out.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Vicki Foutty at 317-594-4100.
HSE Preschool of the Natural Sciences Open House February 8, 2018
Keller's Clips
Growth Mindset is a positive thoughtful approach to learning and is being taught at Geist ElementaryJ
A growth mindset is the approach and the personal wording used when we face challenges. In the midst of challenges, INSTEAD OF saying to ourselves (Fixed Mindset statements) that keep us stuck, negative and self-defeating (see image below); we teach our students, and ourselves to TRY THINKING (Growth Mindset statements) that motivate us, strengthen our brains and help us learn and grow (see image).
Students are taught that our brains are a muscle and to grow or strengthen our brains, we must do the following:
Use a Growth vs. Fixed Mindset, Learn from Mistakes, Persevere through struggles, and Love Challenges.
They are also taught that learning is a life-long event and that adults continue to learn new things all the time; in their workplaces, as parents, as community members and as friends. A growth mindset brings about the willingness, the positivity and the conviction to grow emotionally, academically and socially.
A growth mindset is inspiring and provides an inner momentum and drive. We like to say, “I Can and I Will, Watch Me”
Another favorite is the word, YET. “I haven’t gotten it YET”, but will.
Love of reading
Explain your thinking
Teachers are learners too!
Mrs. K's Music Corner: 6th Edition
This issue includes:
- 2nd Grade Musical Pictures
- Information on a special Spanish Unit
- Ask Me Lessons
- Choir Registration
Click here: https://www.smore.com/bgj43
Pop Tab Collections for Ronald McDonald House
Send your tabs in with your student and their teacher will have them deliver tabs to the collection location - If you have an abundance of tabs, feel free to leave them in the front office with your kiddo's name AND Mrs. Brown’s name on them. Thank you for your help in teaching our kiddos that any little bit “CAN” help others!
Global Studies - Mexican Chocolate Pudding Activity Volunteers Requested
Dear Parents and Guardians,
During the weeks of February 5th and 12th, the students will be eating Mexican Chocolate Pudding as part of the Spanish rotation for the Global Studies Program. In the near future, you will receive a Skylert message with additional details and information related to the recipe and planned activity. If you have informed the nurse that your child has a food allergy on the health card, a paper permission slip will be sent home with the student.
In addition, we are in need of some parent volunteers for this activity. We will need help with items such as setting up for each class, helping the students add ingredients to their chocolate pudding, and cleanup. If you would like to help out, please click on the sign-up link below. Please remember, you will need to have a current Safe Visitor Badge with the school to volunteer (they expire after 3 years).
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f094ea8af29a2f94-spanish
Thank you very much!
Stacey Zimmerman – Global Studies Spanish Teacher
4th grade students in Global Studies learning Spanish!
Friends of the Library
Philanthropy at GES: Pennies for Patients Drive
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
To help raise both awareness and money to fight the battle of those suffering from Leukemia or Lymphoma, we will ask our students to collect change throughout the week of January 29th-February 2nd. By bringing in spare change all week, our students and families are able to help make a difference in the lives of those facing cancer.
Our goal this year is to raise $5,000. To help in reaching this goal we have various competitions and events planned:
Jan 29th Monday- Wear Orange Day in support of LLS
Jan 30th Tuesday- Wear your favorite sports shirt
Jan 31st Wednesday- Dress Like a Teacher Day
Feb 1 Thursday- Stuffed Animal Day
Feb 2 Friday- Cap on Cancer- Wear a hat to school
In addition, we will hold our annual ‘Clean out your console for cancer’ event on Friday where student council representatives will collect change donations from those families in the car rider line. There will be prizes handed out to the 2 classrooms that raise the most money during the entire week. More information will be sent home with your student soon.
Please look for more information going home with your student next week and if you have any questions please contact Lisa Keller at lkeller@hse.k12.in.us.
Tips for Parent Monitoring of Online Activity
The websites shared below are intended to help educate and inform you, as parents, of some of the dangers in our children's worlds (apps, videos, chat-rooms, etc.). As school counselor and parent, myself, I care greatly about the well-being of ALL of our children.
Recently, some new phone apps have come to my attention that have proven to be dangerous to children. The dangers inherent are secrecy from parents, rude/demeaning comments to others, inappropriate photos, etc. The two apps that have come to my attention recently are 'Hang-outs' and 'Secret Calculator'. Both can cause issues and invite bad decisions from students who use them.
When your child(ren) use cell phones, I-Pads, etc., you might want to check the apps they are using. Please visit these sites to learn about the dangers lurking behind the scenes of cell phones, apps, and technology (in general). While technology can be a wonderful and useful tool, it can also be a source of hidden dangers.
As always, please share with me any new information you find, as well. We are in this together!
Thank you!
Mrs. Lisa Keller, M.S.
School Counselor
Mathematicians sharing their strategies!
Students do quick checks to help teachers best meet individual needs.
Students working hard at finding evidence to support their theory!
Looking for Library Volunteers
Please consider volunteering in the library for second semester. Help is needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 9:00 to 10:00. Your tasks would be checking in and shelving the books returned for the day and helping children exchange their books for new ones. If you are interested and want more information, please call or send an email to Kelly Pidcock at kpidcock@hse.k12.in.us.
GES Science & Engineering Fair - February 1 *** REGISTRATION EXTENDED ***
Due to snow delays, the registration deadline has been extended to Monday, Jan. 22.
The science/ engineering fair kickoff has begun at Geist Elementary. Information packets and sign ups are available through the GES website and in the office. Any first through fourth grader can take part in the fair.
The science/ engineering fair will take place February 1st during the school day. Students will present their science OR engineering project to judges and the top two winners in each grade will represent Geist Elementary at the Central Regional Science Fair on February 24th at Marian University.
Click here for the 2017-2018 Science & Engineering Fair Information Packet.
Science / Engineering fair projects are a great way for students to solve problem, investigate, and learn how things work. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Galliher (sgalliher@hse.k12.in.us) or Abby Miller (amiller@hse.k12.in.us).
Lunch Menus and Visitors
Click here to see what's being served in the café.
Click here for the food services website.
We are practicing smooth transitions and procedures in the cafeteria as our students adjust to the school schedule. The cafeteria is not open to visitors at this time. We will open for visitors after Labor Day.
Geist Elementary PTO is the best!
Want to keep up on what's happening at school?
Follow @geistgators on twitter. We tweet throughout the day.
Check our website: hse.k12.in.us/GES
This newsletter, the Geist Gazette, goes out every other Friday (although it may be sent again next week). We will send it to you via email, and post it on our website under the News tab.
Click here to see our building calendar. This lists activities before, during and after hours.
Learning Strategies for High Ability Children
Are you interested in learning strategies that best meet the needs of your high ability child?
Hamilton Southeastern is pleased to offer a four-session book study on A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children by James T Webb, Janet L. Gore, Edward R. Amend, and Arlene R. DeVries. Meetings follow a discussion format. Walk away with strategies for addressing intensities, perfectionism, sibling issues, and underachievement.
Sessions will be on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Administration Building on 13485 Cumberland Road in the West Conference Room. Meeting dates are:
February 13
February 20 (Flex Day; only meet if school is in session that day)
February 27
March 6
March 13 (if no school on Flex Day)
The book club is limited to twelve participants (one member per family) and fills up quickly.
Participants are welcome to borrow HSE copies of the book for the duration of the book study.
If you would like to join the group, contact Meg Strnat, HSE High Ability Coordinator and book study facilitator, at mstrnat@hse.k12.in.us. Please include contact information (your child’s name, teacher, and school) and whether you would like to borrow the book.
Text-A-Tip
Submit Via Text
Texts can be sent to 274637 (or CRIMES). Start the actual message with the # symbol and a building-specific keyword. For a list of keywords, click here...
See what the HSE Schools Foundation is up to this month.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT GEIST:
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HSE Schools Community Bulletin Board
HSE Schools has created a Community Bulletin Board on its district website. This will serve as a central location to find information about activities and events promoted by organizations that serve our students and their families. This is where the Fishers Library, YMCA, S.P.O.R.T.S. and other groups' registration information will be located.