Jackson Jottings
March 2020, Volume 6
March Calendar at a Glance
- 6th -- ALL School Movie Night, 6:00-8:00p (Movie is Abominable)
- 13th -- Kindergarten Music Program, 2:00p
- 22nd -- Bingo at O'Briens, 3:00-5:00p (PTO Fundraiser)
- 26th -- 3rd Quarter Ends, 2-HOUR EARLY RELEASE
- 27th-April 3rd -- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)
DROPPING OFF KIDS
Please drop off your kids by the lower area stop sign in the upper lot. For the safety of all of our students, please remain in the line of cars and let children out of the right side of the car onto the sidewalk. If you are dropping by upper entrance please stay in line of cars, have your child get out on the sidewalk side, and do no pull any further ahead than the last sign before the entrance (there needs to be enough room for our upper buses and school vehicles to pull in right by entrance). If you park in the lot, please walk your children across the driveway to the sidewalk. Students should not be walking from the parking lot through the crosswalk unaccompanied.
Please do not drop off before 8:10 AM. Thank you!
A NOTE FROM FOOD SERVICE
Winter is here and we are in the season of school starting late due to weather conditions. When there is a late start there will be NO breakfast served in the morning.
If for some reason your child does not get breakfast on these late start days, he/she can go to the cafeteria for a cereal, milk and fruit and they will be charged for this meal.
Thank you and HAPPY WINTER!
Would you like to be a volunteer?
I would like to say Thank You to all of our amazing Jackson volunteers. You are all so generous with your time and talents. Whenever a call goes out to help with a field trip, to come in and complete a project, take a project home, or help a teacher there is always someone willing to step up and be here for all of us. Thank you to all of you who have been able to step in and fill a JA volunteer spot. This is a commitment to teach the classes and everyone appreciates your time. Students sure enjoy the program. We truly do appreciate all of our wonderful volunteers no matter how big or small the task. Reminder if you plan to volunteer for a field trip or in the classroom at any time this year, please make sure you have filled out the online application at least one week before the event.
Jennifer Klecker
Jackson Volunteer Site Coordinator
952-496-5802
TO GO OR NOT TO GO TO SCHOOL by Nurse Andrea
It’s that time of year, and there have been cases of strep and Influenza in our school. Besides washing your hands, the best way to keep Jackson Elementary healthy, is to follow these guidelines!
If your child has any of the following symptoms, PLEASE KEEP THEM HOME until they are FEVER FREE or symptom free for 24 hours. Your child should stay home from school if he/she has any of the following:
* A fever of a 100.0 with illness symptoms or higher within the last 24 hours
* Vomiting within the last 24 hours
* Diarrhea within the last 24 hours
* Eyes that are red and ‘crusty’ or have any drainage
* Chickenpox or Impetigo that has not been treated
* Scabies that has not been treated *Strep throat that has not been treated
* Head lice that has not been treated
* When you feel your child is too ill to go to school
Your child may RETURN TO SCHOOL when:
* No vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours
* No fever for the previous 24 hours and not currently taking medication to reduce the fever
* All chickenpox are dry and scabbed over 24 hours after a treatment for head lice, pink eye, impetigo, scabies or strep throat.
* Your physician provides documentation that it is safe to return to school
THANK YOU!
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me!
Andrea Richards
School Nurse
952-496-5804
Art Lines from Mr. Olson
Greetings from the Art Department!
Warning!!! Art class can be messy! SEND AN ART SHIRT WITH YOUR STUDENT!
We are sure most of you can see the first signs of spring occurring. You can always tell because it’s a little bit lighter out on the way to school and all the clay projects are finished! We hope they have found a special place in your home.
Our Kindergartners have been working with texture and have finished their bear and texture quilt project. The first graders have finished their form unit by creating a pyramid! Second grade has spent some time learning the difference between geometric and organic shapes. The third graders have also brought their clay faces home and have also finished their contour line drawing. The fourth and fifth grade students have finished a radial balance mandala. Look for your students posts from the radial balance project on Seesaw!!!
Literacy and Beyond Night will be Thursday, May 7th!!! Please mark your calendars. This is a great night to celebrate all of our students writing and art!
Sincerely,
Mr. Olson
AND
Mrs. Hall
Jackson Art Specialists
FUN WITH CLAY
Music "Notes"
UPCOMING MUSIC DATES:
Friday, March 13th: Kindergarten Music program, “Going to the Zoo!” at 2:00p.m. in
the Jackson Gymnasium.
Wednesday, March 18th: 3rd grade field trip to downtown Minneapolis Orchestra Hall to see
the Minnesota Orchestra perform. Information and permission
slips coming home soon!
Saturday, March 21st: All District 5th grade Band Concert at Shakopee High School,
4:00p.m. Students are receiving information about this during
band class this week!
AFTER SPRING BREAK: 4th graders will be meeting with band teacher, Mrs. Lund to
start learning about 5th grade band!
Friday, April 17th: 4th grade Music program, “Minnesota Musicians” at 2:00p.m. in the
Jackson Gymnasium
Monday, May 11th: 5th grade Jackson Band and Non-Band Music Program at 6:30p.m.
in the Jackson Gymnasium
Wednesday, June 3rd: Jackson Talent Show at 1:30 in the Jackson Gymnasium
*Auditions will take place the week of May 11-14.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about music!
By: Sari Flatness
A "Note" from Band
If your instrumentalist has missed a lesson, I am available for a make-up lesson or extra help.
All they need to do is see me for a time and date. I will contact you to let you know if there is a
missed lesson or a need for extra practice.
Although I have taught band for many years, I have to say that I am enjoying myself very much
this year and want to thank Mrs. Diane Markovich for doing a terrific job setting up the band
here at Jackson. Thanks to all of you who encourage practice, haul instruments and remind
students of lessons.
The Fifth Grade concert is Monday, May 11th at 6:30 p.m. in the Jackson gymnasium.
Julie Lund
(952) 496-5862 ext. 7026.
Physical Education Fun with Mr. Casey, Mrs. Tanberg, & Mr. Koening
Exercise: Your heart’s best medicine
If you love your heart, take it for a walk or a bike ride, swim or hike. Physical activity helps keep your heart strong and healthy. What kind of physical activity best delivers these heart healthy benefits? Here are some insights.
Question: What are heart healthy exercises?
Answer: Physical activities that get your heart beating faster than usual and are at intensity that you can sustain are called aerobic exercises – and it’s these kinds of exercises that boost heart health.
Examples of aerobic exercises include:
Brisk walking
Jogging
Dancing
Rowing
Cross country skiing
Using a treadmill or elliptical trainer
Jumping rope
Bicycling
Stair climbing
Swimming
Playing a fast-paced sport (such as soccer or basketball)
Question: How intense does my workout need to be?
Answer: The intensity of an exercise is how hard it feels to you. Taking a leisurely stroll on a beach, for instance, would be at an easy intensity for most people. A brisk walk, on the other hand, is characterized as moderate intensity, while running or jogging is considered vigorous intensity. To benefit your heart, you should be working at a moderate or vigorous intensity level.
Question: How do I know my heart is getting an optimal workout?
Answer: Experts recommend using the “ talk test” to see how hard you’re working. If you’re exercising at a pace that allows you to talk, but not sing, you’re probably exercising at the right intensity level.
Question: How much aerobic exercise do I need each week?
Answer: That depends on the intensity of your workout. As a general rule, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week. You may need more physical activity if you’re trying to lose weight.
Exercise Cautions:
Almost anyone can do aerobic exercise. However if you have a chronic medical condition, ask you doctor about the kinds of physical activities that are best for you. You should also consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
If you:
Haven’t been physically active in the past, especially if you have risk factors for heart disease.
Are planning a very vigorous exercise regimen
Are middle aged or older
Feel dizzy, breathless, or have pain or pressure in your chest, neck, shoulder or arm during or after physical activity.
If you have any questions feel free to call or stop by and visit our physical education class. The door is always open and parents are always welcome.
Mr. Jeff Casy (jcasey@shakopee.k2.mn.us)
Mrs. Susan Tanberg (stanberg@shakopee.k12.mn.us)
Mr. Dan Koenig (dkoenig@shakopee.k12.mn.us)
If anyone has some old tennis shoes that they would like to donate to the Physical Education Department it be greatly appreciated. We have students who do not have tennis shoes to wear for physical education and we would like to give them a pair. Please make sure the tennis shoes are clean and free of rips and tears.
Greetings from the Learning Commons!
Maud Hart Lovelace – MN Children’s Book Award Contest for 4th & 5th Grades
Fourth and fifth grade students were introduced to the MHL children’s book nominees in September. There are 10 books nominated for this Minnesota award and only students in grades 4 and 5 are able to vote. In order to be eligible to vote, students must have read at least three of the nominees. We will also be having a media party for any student who read 5 or more book nominees AND completed a short summary about each book they read on SeeSaw. Our party and voting will take place at the end of March, before Spring Break. There’s still time so KEEP READING!!
Media Classes
K – 2nd: These grades have been working on identifying the difference between fiction and nonfiction books. We read two stories from the Scott County Library website: Bear Snores On and A Bear Cub Grows Up. We looked for clues in each book to help us identify if the book was fiction or nonfiction. The 1st graders had the task of sorting a mixed pile of books into each category: fiction or nonfiction. The 2nd graders explored the nonfiction section of our school library and found books that seemed interesting.
3rd – 5th: In the upper grades we began another digital citizenship lesson about cyberbullying. We discussed why it might be easier for someone to be a bully online versus in-person. The 5th graders created comics showing a cyberbullying situation and what an upstander would do to help. The 4th graders took a scenario and illustrated how an upstander might act in each situation. The 3rd graders were given a scenario and had several questions to respond to, including: Why would someone say mean things to another person online? How would this make you feel?
In all media classes we will be getting ready for our upcoming research projects to finish out our school year!
Please feel to reach out to me with any questions or comments or concerns!
By: Betsi Arvin
Media Specialist
barvin@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Learning Commons: Digital Learning Highlight
Not all screen time is alike. In educational circles, we discuss the effects of screen time based on how the user is interacting with the device. Is the person consuming content or are they CREATING content?
Screen time that has students consuming content allows them to be more passive in the experience without any need for creativity or problem-solving. Think of this as watching TV, streaming videos, and spending time on social media sites.
Screen time that has students creating content sparks their deeper-levels of thinking and can lead to problem-solving, use of logical thinking to get to the next step, the need for organizational strategies to create the project, and can deepen knowledge of content that they are learning. (If you can verbalize or express your knowledge in understandable ways, you are deepening your audience's knowledge at the same time you are strengthening your own.)
Some of the creation activities that we see in school use technology directly to create the final product. Examples of this type of creation would include coding programs on an iPad or Chromebook, making a StopMotion video to show the water cycle, or green screen videos that require students to write a script, plan out their parts, and possibly edit the video before it is complete.
If you are like me, you likely didn't grow up with this level of sophisticated technology at your fingertips. I had to use dial-up internet at my house for years, and my first cellphone only made phone calls. (Imagine that!). Some of us are more comfortable jumping into the deep-end of the technology pool than others. But what I encourage you to do is help your children see their technology devices as a way to not only watch a show or play a video game BUT also as a way for them to express their creative minds.
Some programs that I would recommend for home usage:
- Coding: Scratch or Scratch Jr (free)
- Stop Motion Videos: Stop Motion Studio or iMotion (free)
- Green Screen videos: Green Screen by DoInk
If you have not had a chance to check out the new Community Ed catalog, there is a section for STEM opportunities during the summer as well. Click here for the summer catalog. STEM activities start on page 29.
Hoping your home will have screen time that supports relaxing consumption AND mind-stretching CREATION while on devices.
Feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions. I am happy to helpl.
Natalie Weatherman (Digital Learning Coach)
PTO NEWS
Hello Jackson Families!
March?? How is that possible? It really hasn’t been a bad winter but I am so excited for Spring!
I’ll tell you about a few fun events for March. First I’d like to thank everyone that was able to participate in our Marcos pizza box fundraiser this past week especially for those that volunteered. Once again it proved to be a super fun and successful event for Jackson. We are so fortunate to partner with Marcos for this great event and I think it gets better every year! I’d also like to thank everyone that made it to our meeting at the Muddy Cow last month. Thanks to everyone’s great involvement in our fundraisers, we were able to approve several wonderful teacher grants that are going to improve our children’s learning experience at Jackson.
Coming up Friday, March 6th from 5:45-8, it is our all school movie night. This is a super fun free event. It is held in Jackson’s gymnasium. Free popcorn and water will be provided. We can not allow any other food or drinks in the gymnasium. We will have some gym mats and chairs available for sitting/laying on but you may still want to bring pillows, blankets, or whatever is comfortable and feel free to wear pajamas. This year we are showing “Abominable”. Doors open at 5:45 and we are hoping to start the movie promptly at 6:00. We will be selling fabulous coupon sheets for Marcos at this event if anyone is interested. They are great coupons. The cost is $10 and our PTO gets 100% of the sales!
Also in March we are partnering with O’Brien’s for the first time to do a bingo fundraiser. This is scheduled for Sunday, March 22 from 3:00-5:00p. It is a family friendly event. Attendees purchase bingo packages and all proceeds go to our Jackson PTO. Cash and gift card prizes for winners, however if the bingo winner is under 18 an adult must claim the prize for them. We hope to have a great turnout for this fun event with good music and great food and beverages available for purchase.
Lastly we will be sponsoring another Jackson apparel webstore this Spring. Look for information coming home in your child’s folder. We are working with Spirit and Pride for the spring Webstore. They offer apparel at a bit more of an affordable cost also they will keep our website open into June. We will have a deadline for paper order forms to be turned in but you can order online until early to mid June.
April is a bit more quiet for us as we gear up for the end of the school year. We do have the last PTO meeting of this school year on April 13th at 6:30 at Jackson in the Gifford Cluster. Our superintendent, Mike Redmond is hoping to speak about our district’s outlook for next year. Also a board member from SEEF is planning to speak and we will vote for board positions for next year. Childcare will be provided.
Happy almost Spring to our wonderful Jackson staff and families!
As always thank you for supporting our Jackson Community!
Kjersta Hoffman
PTO President