Cooks Chronicle
May 2016
Principal's Chat
As I reflect on the past nine months, I am flooded with so many wonderful experiences and memories that have been made during a very special first year for me as the principal of Cooks Corners. When we began the year I was embarking on the Dream of a lifetime. Learning and working with the wonderful children, teachers, and parents that fill our hallways and classrooms every day, was better than I ever imagined. We quickly got to work to create our Cooks TEAM, which helped us to stay focused on being respectful, responsible and safe at school. I am amazed and so very proud of growth that we have seen with all of our students this year, not only academically, but the development of the whole child. There is not a day that goes by that I don't see or hear one student helping another, using kind words to cheer someone up, encouraging others to keep trying, lending a helping hand when someone has fallen, or saying a heartfelt sorry. Our mission is that we will prepare all children to function effectively in a world of new ideas. We believe that all students should be empowered to:
- grow physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially with enthusiasm for life-long learning
- achieve high academic and performance standards
- function responsibly as productive citizens.
With that said, I want to celebrate the success of achieving our mission this year!
Elaina
Dream. Learn. Acheive!
Music Notes
A big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Cory Webster and to Mr. Chad Clifford.
You can read more about the program and see pictures by visiting the website below.
Dates to Remember
5/11: 4th Grade Field Trip to Porter County Expo Center
5/11: Variety Show Try-Out 3:30-4:30pm
5/13: No School
5/16: Student Council Meeting @ 7:45am
5/17: Choir @ 8am
5/18: Variety Show Rehearsal 3:30-4:30pm
5/23: Team Lead Meeting @ 7:45am
5/24: 5th Grade Visits TJMS & BFMS @ 12:45pm-2:00pm
5/25: Variety Show Rehearsal 3:30-4:30pm
5/26: 1st Grade Field Trip to Sunset Hill Farm
5/26: Board Meeting – Memorial Elementary @ 5:00pm
5/26: 5th Grade Recognition Ceremony - BFMS @ 6:30pm
5:30: No School
6/1: 2nd Grade Field Trip to Sunset Hill Farm
6/1: 4th Grade Field Trip to Dunes
6/1: Variety School Dress Rehearsal – BFMS @ 3:30-5:15pm (bus transportation provided)
6/2: Variety Show – BFMS @ 6pm
6/3: Last day of school for students
AR Star and Principal Club Winners for 2015-2016
Aleman, Allison*Aleman, Kayla*Allen, Kayla*Alsman, Devon*Anderson, Anika*Arnold, Jack*Bartlett, Jacob*Benefiel, Kate*Bogner, McKenna*Bowman, Aiden*Brown, Caylee*Brown, Connor*Buczek, Isabella*Burress, Ava*Carlson, Nick*Cavanaugh, Ashley*Chapman, Alexia*Cheuk, Emily*Coleman, Sophia*Connors, Sloane*Coolman, Kyla*Costa, Olivia*Coulopoulos, Angela*Csmereka, Emily*Csmereka, Sam*Danger, Ingrid*Dutz, Amelia*Dutz, Ian*Evans, Tristan*Fisher, Chris*Fisher, Marisa*Flick, Brayden*Flick, Corrin*Fraley, Lucas*Fraley, Vincent*Gerber, Abby*Glickauf, Dylan*Golding, Emily*Gundrum, Blake*Hanson, Ryan*Harris, Henry*Harris, Rachel*Hernandez, Chantel*Hofer, Matt*Howlett, Malia*Isley, Madeline*Johnson, Evan*Johnson, Grant*Jones, Mackenzie*Kennedy, Cade*Kennedy, Ian*Klumpe, Jon*Koschal, Nicholas*Kreppein, Jordan*Krieger, Addison* rischke, Coe*Krueger, Thomas*Kwiatkowski, Elizabeth*Lai, Andy*Laterzo, Giancarlo*Le, Van*Leckrone, Mason* Lenz, Liam*Letnich, Vinny*Madden, Colin*Madden, McKayla*McFarden, Bennett*McFarden, Grant*McGowan, Thomas*Melendez, Aaron*Milenkoff, Matthew*Mulcahy, Emma*Mulligan, Mia*Nagel, Addison* Nelson, Megan*Norrod, Kate*Norrod, Sophie*Osborne, Addie*Osborne, Samantha*Petrouski, Anna*Piechocki, Peter*Prashanth, Neha*Ralston, Charlie*Ray, Jacob*Reeder, Sophia*Rodgers, Sam*Rosas, Emmanuel* Sarver, Analisa*Sarver, Hayden*Satterblom, Noah*Shideler, Katie*Siewin, Isaac*Smith, Audrey*Smith, Jackson* Smith, Jacob*Snider, Micah*Snider, Olivia*Steighner, Cayden*Stephens, Chloe*Stevens, Spencer*Stewart, Josh* Stoltzfus, Emily*Taskoff, Aidan*Teeple, Mark*Terhorst, Lucy*Terhorst, Susie*Thorgren, Sam*Torbeson, Aiden* Vohra, Amil*Vorkapich, Nick*Wang, Jennifer*Warren, Adam*Warren, Clara*Watson, Dallas*Weber, Kate* Wendorf, Gretchen*Wendorf, Heidi*Williams, Dayvon*Wittmer, Tyler*Yu, Amy
STAR CLUB MEMBERS
Aleman, Allison*Aleman, Kaelyn*Alsman, Devon*Anderson, Anika*Bartlett, Jacob*Bogner, McKenna*Bowman, Aiden*Brown, Caylee*Brown, Connor*Cheuk, Emily*Coleman, Sophia*Connors, Sloane*Coolman, Kyla*Couloupolos, Angela*Dutz, Ian*Fisher, Chris*Flick, Corrin*Golding, Emily*Gundrum, Blake* Hernandez, Chantel*Howlett, Malia*Johnson, Evan*Kennedy, Ian*Krieger, Addison*Kwiatkowski, Elizabeth*Le, Van*McFarden, Grant*Norrod, Kate*Norrod, Sophie*Osborne, Samantha*Piechocki, Peter*Ralston, Charlie* Ray, Jacob*Rosas, Emmanuel*Smith, Jacob*Stephens, Chloe*Taskoff, Aidan*Teeple, Mark*Terhorst, Susie* Torbeson, Aiden*Vohra, Amil*Warren, Clara*Watson, Dallas*Weber, Kate*Wendorf, Gretchen*Wendorf, Heidi* Williams, Dayvon*Yu, Amy
Spring into the @rts
Congratulations to the following Cooks Corners students for having their artwork chosen for Spring Into the Arts. Their art will be on display until the end of the month in various downtown locations. Make sure to use the QR code that is attached to each piece of art to view a short video that includes almost all of our students during an art class.
Our final closing event Saturday May 28, will feature a scavenger hunt throughout downtown Valparaiso along with other fun activities. Please visit www.SpringIntoTheArts.com for more information.
Public Library
Kindergarten: Dashaya Cain, Jacob Hoard, Jude Tipton, Adam Warren, Charlotte Natzke
City Hall
!st grade: Owen Cheuk, Coe Krischke, Lilybell Puls, Colin O'Brien, Maggie Pikula
Memorial Opera House
2nd grade: Addie Osborne, Mckenna Bogner, Ingrid Danger, Emily Golding, Sam Thorgren
Porter County Administration Building
3rd grade: Dimitrios Holloway, Kim Mackenzie, Allison Aleman, Kyla Coolman, Emmanuel Rosas
Porter County Museum, old jail
4th grade: Dulce Palma, Aidan Taskoff, Caylee Brown, Matthew Hofer, Sam Osborne
Urschel Pavilion
5th grade: Mackenzie Jones, Susie Terhost, Gretchen Wendorf, Olivia CostaYearbooks
Art Appreciation Thank You
Jill Isley, Art Appreciation Chair
Student Council
Intent to Return
Thank you!
Kim Anderson
PTO News
News from Nurse Wendahl
I will be sending reminders near the end of the month for medication pick-up. As a reminder, meds cannot be kept in the clinic over the summer. If not picked up they must be disposed of. Along with those will be the medication / care plan forms for next school year. They must be dated after June 3, 2016 to be accepted for 2016 - 2017!
So much to think about! Have a healthy & safe summer!
Birthday Book Club
Apraxia Awareness
Each May, Apraxia, the neurological speech disorder that impacts a child’s ability to correctly produce syllables and words, is recognized on May 14 throughout the country and here in Indiana. Apraxia affects 1-2 kids per 1,000 and is a disability that that is not well-known. Children with apraxia have problems planning how to move their lips, mouth, and tongue to make words sound correctly. So, while they understand language, they have to really work on how to get words out so that they make sense. Children with apraxia are often misunderstood by not only their peers, educators, or even stranger but by their families. Imagine how frustrating it would be to live in a world where you’re not understood, able to give an opinion or share a thought or special moment. Let’s help raise the awareness of this language disability to help give our kids the voice they deserve.
While Apraxia Awareness is on May 14 every year, we would like to extend the celebration to recognize the people who help kids find their voices, the quality Speech Pathologists and Special Education teachers in our school system.
Please join us on Friday, May 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Cooks Corners Elementary School to recognize the speech pathologists and special educators in our community that help our kids along their journeys.
Additionally, we have developed an apraxia parent support group. So please feel free to share my contact information with family members and friends who are interested in being part of the group. My email is Tedescofamily@outlook.com, my phone number is (573)355-7855 or you can find us on Facebook - Apraxia Indiana.
The Mayor’s Advisory Council on Disabilities (MACD) promotes the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities within the Valparaiso Community. For more information, visit www.valpo.us/macd.
With Warm Regards,
Joanne Tedesco
Member of MACD and Mom of a Daughter with Apraxia