The Wonderful World of Woodbury
January 2018
Welcome Back!
We are so happy to see the halls of Woodbury filled with smiling faces returning from the holiday break! I hope that your time together as a family was heart-warming and fun. Our all-school sing along was such a fun way to kick off the holiday break and I enjoyed every bit of that day with students and staff. My cheeks hurt from smiling!
Every year at about this time, we begin our renewed reflection on the year ahead. We set goals for ourselves and for our families. We make promises. We start over. We start fresh. Or we just pick up where we left off and keep plugging away. Either way, I hope that students and their families are able to set their sights on whatever drives you in the new year ahead.
I have to admit that I am not one for resolutions. Resolutions begin strong and tend to fall off the map for me at about...errr... February or March. Often times my resolutions are based on things I don't like about myself or my situation: I will work out 3 times a week this year. I will become more organized in my home by creating a cleaning cycle for the week. I will save money towards purchasing ____________ for my family. Sound familiar? What I have put into practice instead for the past few years, an idea shared with me from a mentor of mine, is to choose one word to drive my focus for the year ahead. Instead of choosing my word during the new year, it is chosen at the beginning of each school year.
My word has changed from year to year. The first word I chose was breathe. That year, I sat in an interview chair for a new position just weeks away from having my second baby. As I took on that new position that year I was back to work right away with a new job, a new baby, and a 2 year old who was feeling substantially slighted with a new little brother invading her territory. It was challenging. There were tears. I chose the word breathe because, while I felt overwhelmed, I needed the reminder not only to breathe away the stress and worry, but to also breathe through the wonderful glorious moments of motherhood, of a new position, and the daily joy that was still taking place around me. That one word helped to redirect and calm me in the moments I needed it the most. I wrote my word down. I put it on my bathroom mirror. I wrote it in different places so that I would be reminded of it.
This year my word is serve. I chose my word for obvious reasons as the new principal of Woodbury, but also because it was my way of focusing my time at Woodbury. It has defined how I observe from day to day, how I aim to listen to students, staff, and parents and be present, and how I can use what I notice and wonder about our school to reflect on our current reality and serve the Woodbury community in a way that will benefit us most in the future. I am not unhappy at all about how the end of 2017 was for me. I am proud of our little school and to be a part of such a special place.
I was able to share this practice with my staff this year. We all chose one word at the beginning of the school year. A word that transcends into all facets of life and that helps refocus us personally on being more mindful and better versions of ourselves. I have shared a glimpse of our words above. If you are interested in the framework for this practice you can find it here. I challenge you to give it a go as an individual or as a family and that you discover some benefits of this practice in your daily lives.
There are great things still ahead for the remainder of our school year together. We are looking forward to upcoming events such as cooking classes, our Star Wars Reading Night on January 25th, One Book One School, and Grandparent's Day on March 8th. Most of all, we look forward to continued growth in our students as they finish up a successful year in school.
Wishing you all a glorious 2018!
With Kindness,
Mrs. Kern
The Woodbury Way: Be Safe, Kind, and Responsible
Cold Weather Reminders
Baby, It's cold outside! It is important that children are dressed properly to go outside for recess. When the wind chill is 10 degrees or higher, we will be going outside for recess. It is important that our children have the ability to run around and get some exercise. Weather will be checked prior to each recess to verify the wind chill.
Please make sure your children are dressed properly for the colder temperatures and snowfall, including proper gloves and hats, snow pants and boots as needed, and a warm coat.
In addition, the district website (www.sandwich430.org) will contain information regarding school closings. If a school is closed for an emergency during the day, parents will be notified by a SchoolMessenger phone call. Please be sure you have discussed a plan with your child in case of an early dismissal.
Daily Morning Announcements
Tuesday: Kindness Quote
Warm-Hearted Wednesday: Random act of kindness challenge
Throwback Thursday: Did you know that on this day in....
Friday Live: Check out our Woodbury Facebook page on Friday mornings to see our announcements via Facebook Live!
Friendly Reminders...
To report an absence, parents or guardians are to call the office at 815-786-6316 before 8:30 a.m. on the day of the absence. An answering machine will take calls before 7:00 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m. If a phone call is not received, a reasonable attempt will be made to contact a parents or guardian. If contact cannot be made, the absence will be considered UNEXCUSED. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Please be reminded that school is in session from 8:10 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Students who arrive late to school are considered tardy and need to sign in at the office. Please make sure your child(ren) arrive before the tardy bell rings.
Hot Lunch: Thank you to everyone that uses the hot lunch program and for keeping a positive balance on your account. When sending in lunch money with your student, please remember to put the first and last name of the student, their grade, and also indicate “lunch money” on the envelope. You can also load money via the Tyler Student Information Portal.
Visiting: Please remember to stop by the office first to sign in. If your student is late arriving, you must come into the office to sign them in.
Change in transportation: If your child is going home a different way or being picked up by someone else, please send a note with your student to their teacher. In the event of an emergency or last minute change, please call the office with the information. Please do not text or e-mail the teacher.
News from the Nurse
FLU SEASON:
Flu season is here! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone in your family who is 6 months and older. While the timing of flu season is unpredictable, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of October, if possible. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against influenza virus infection.
You have the power to protect your family against flu this season. Get yourself and your family a flu vaccine. Fight the Flu!
Visit www.flu.gov for more information.
HEAD LICE PRECAUTIONS:
This following information is being distributed as a precautionary measure to curtail and/or control any head lice outbreak in our district.
Since cases of head lice are always a possibility, we recommend all parents check their child’s head regularly once a week.
The following signs may indicate the presence of lice in your child:
- Persistent itching of the head or the back of neck
- Scratch marks on the scalp
- Nits attached to the hair – grayish white eggs visible to the naked eye difficult to remove from hair shaft unlike dandruff or hair spray flakes
Lice are easily transmitted by close physical contact. They can also be transmitted by sharing head coverings, combs and brushes from an infected person.
If your child has lice, please contact the school nurse. Immediate treatment of all cases is the best way to contain an outbreak. Your child(ren) will be rechecked before returning
to class.
THERE IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF……EXCEPT NOT TREATING IT PROPERLY AND PROMPTLY!
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in this matter. I am excited to be your School Nurse for Woodbury and also Prairie View. I look forward to working with you to help support a healthy and safe learning environment for all our students! Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Lauren Hoyt RN, MSN
School Nurse
Arrival & Saying Goodbye:
Sometimes saying goodbye can be hard to do. We have seen tremendous growth in our more reluctant students as they have spent their time at school. Reassuring your child that they will see you later and saying goodbye at the door or on the playground will help build their independence and allow them to learn to cope with emotions about separation. We have lots of adults on hand to help your child navigate the building and start their day. Please know that while you are always welcome at our school, we ask you to be courteous of our teacher's and student's time in the morning as they begin the routines of the day.
In addition, please note that we do not have playground supervision in the morning until 7:45. Please do not drop students off or release them from your vehicle until an adult is present. It is important to us that our students are safe.
Lunch Card Negative Balance Policy for WWW
Please be sure to keep up with your student's lunch balance. Notes are sent home weekly to those students who have accumulated a negative balance on their lunch account. Any student with a negative balance will not be allowed to purchase milk and snack time. Students with a balance of -$5.00 or more will be given the "Cheese Sandwich" lunch option until the balance has been taken care of. We try and make every effort possible on our end to avoid this happening with any student, but your help is needed as well.
You can check your student's balance online at the district web page www.sandwich430.org under the Lunch Program Link section. If your student reaches -$5.00 we will contact you and the above provisions will be put into place.
Upcoming Mobile Dentist Dates
H.E. Dummer/SMS: 2/22/2018
Woodbury: 3/15/2018
Prairie View: 3/16/2018
Electronic Devices & Personal Items
Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: The possession and use of cell phones and other electronic devices, are subject to the following rules:
- They must be kept out of sight and in an inconspicuous location, such as a backpack, purse, or locker.
- They must be turned off during the regular school day unless the supervising teacher grants permission for them to be used or if needed during an emergency.
- They must not be used in any manner that will cause disruption to the educational environment or will otherwise violate student conduct rules.
- Cell phones with cameras are not permitted in bathrooms or locker rooms. The taking, disseminating, transferring possessing or sharing of obscene, pornographic, lewd, or otherwise illegal images or photographs, whether by electronic data transfer or otherwise on school grounds, or at any school function, is prohibited.
We also ask that personal items such as toys, trading cards, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. please remain at home or in backpacks unless a specific request is made by the teacher to bring those items to school (show and tell, star of the week, etc). Many of these items often become a distraction during the school day. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items of personal property and electronic devices brought to school.
Debt Service Extension Base (DSEB)
December Fun!
Always Choose Kind
Email: jkern@sandwich430.org
Website: www.sandwich430.org
Location: 322 East 3rd Street, Sandwich, IL, United States
Phone: 815.786.6316
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woodbury-Elementary-School-175306045839116/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @Woodbury430