The Nashua News
December/January 2017
Nashua Elementary
24 hour attendance line: 321-5162
Website: http://www.nkcschools.org/page.cfm?p=1944
Location: 221 NE 114th St, KCMO, MO, United States
Phone: (816) 321-5160
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nashuaelementary/
Twitter: @NashuaStars
Nashua Mission
Upcoming Events
December/January
2
Spirit Day
7
New Mark Band visits 5th grade
Papa John's Night
8
6-8 pm River Roll Skating
9
8-8:30 am KAPOW Event
13
New Mark AVID visits 5th grade
15
NO EARLY RELEASE
16
Mercury Gym Night
21
NOON DISMISSAL
22-3
Winter Break
January
4
First day of 2nd Semester
6
Spirit Day
12
6-8 pm River Roll Skating
18
NO SCHOOL-MLK Day
17
6 pm PTA in the Library
19
7:45 am KLC
6:30 pm 3rd Grade Music Program at New Mark
20
6-7:30 PTA Family Night
26
Papa John's Night
30
4th Grade Field Trip
Principally Speaking
We are well on our way to wrapping up an amazing first semester and we look forward to the rest of the year. A new year always gives us the opportunity to reflect upon what we have done well and what we can do better.
Have you been trying to figure out a new year’s resolution? If the answer to the question is yes, I have a great suggestion for you. How about setting plans to help your children experience greater school success in 2016? Here are some ideas to be sure your child is successful at Nashua.
1. Monitor your students’ school work. One way to do this is to have them check in with you after school and share how their day went. A good opening question to help them communicate about this is to ask, “What did you learn in school today?” If you get a vague answer, follow-up by asking them about specific subjects such as: math, reading, or science. Another important way to monitor their work is to have them share any corrected school papers they brought home and discuss them together. You can further monitor by checking on their homework. While parents should never do homework for their young people, it is sound practice to help them if they are struggling, check it over for them once they are finished.
2. Make sure your children get to school. The more students are in school, the higher their achievement. Children cannot learn if they are not in school. In addition, poor attendance causes students to get behind in their learning and catching up can be very difficult when they return. In fact, poor attendance is often the first step to students being unsuccessful at school.
3. Reward their efforts. Rewarding students for high grades is not as effective as rewarding them for their effort. Students are always trying and want to make you proud. Therefore, the best way to motivate further effort is to notice it, to praise it, and to reward it.
4. Talk up the idea of going to college. I know your students are only in elementary school, but this should start at a very young age. As a staff we are always talking about where we went to school and how we benefitted from college. For students to be successful it takes more than a high school diploma. In the 21ST century, almost all students need a college degree to ensure a successful life. Having students set higher education as a target early in their lives will help them set ambitious goals for their academic progress as they proceed through school.
5. Finally, be involved! How important is parent involvement in their children’s education? Study after study shows that it may be the top factor leading to student success. At Nashua, we offer many opportunities to be involved in your student’s education. Please join us whenever you can.
National Reading Month
Nurse Amber's Notes
Because we are experiencing unseasonably warm weather this year, many critters such as oak mites and head lice have been persisting longer than usual. As a result, we are asking parents to be on the lookout for head lice. Listed are the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the school nurse at 321-5163.
Head Lice Information
You should examine your child's head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for crawling lice and nits if your child exhibits symptoms of a head lice infestation. If crawling lice or nits are found, all household members should be examined for crawling lice and nits every 2–3 days. Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within ¼ inch or less of the scalp should be treated.
More on: Head Lice Symptoms
To eliminate head lice successfully, it is very important that all treatment instructions and steps be carefully followed and completed.
CDC does not make recommendations as to what specific product or products should be used to treat individuals. Both over-the-counter and prescription products are available. You may wish to contact your doctor, pharmacist, or health department for additional information about which product they recommend.
Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) advocate that "no-nit" policies should be discontinued. "No-nit" policies that require a child to be free of nits before they can return to schools should be discontinued for the following reasons:
· Many nits are more than ¼ inch from the scalp. Such nits are usually not viable and very unlikely to hatch to become crawling lice, or may in fact be empty shells, also known as 'casings'.
· Nits are cemented to hair shafts and are very unlikely to be transferred successfully to other people.
· The burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families and communities far outweighs the risks associated with head lice.
· Misdiagnosis of nits is very common during nit checks conducted by nonmedical personnel.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.htmlNashua PTA Updates
Nashua PTA
- nashuapta.my-pta.org
- www.facebook.com/NashuaElementaryPTA
- pta.nashua@gmail.com
- 816-730-1019 (text/call)
Treasurer - Jennifer Walters
- Staff and Parents - if you are submitting receipts, invoices, deposits or change requests, this form is required - bit.ly/NashuaTreasurer. We need the forms for our annual audit. Thank you!
Classroom Signups - Sarah Storie
- We still have openings for parents for Spring Parties on February 14th and Family Fun Night on May 5th, as well as yearbook photographers. Check out the signup for your child's classroom - bit.ly/HelpNashua.
Fundraising - Meridith Lamb
- Our goal for this year's PTA fundraiser was $4205. Between the fundraiser and the buyouts, Nashua PTA earned over $7300. Thank You so much for your participation!!
- PTA funds are used for our budget as well as big ticket projects (bit.ly/NashuaFund). At the November meeting, we voted to fund extra money for field trips, new PE equipment, a new mural to brighten the school hallways, and a fun family event for January.
Restaurant Nights - Amy Poolman
- Nashua's upcoming Papa John's Days are December 7th and January 26th. Note that our November and December dates have been combined and moved to December 7th to avoid the holidays and breaks.
- Use code KSN001 and Nashua will receive up to 25% of your order - bit.ly/NashuaPTAcal.
Membership - Kristin Rice
- It is not too late to join PTA this year! Individual memberships are $6. Business memberships are $10 and include recognition online and in our emails - bit.ly/NashuaMembership.
Family Event - Jen Robert, Jeanene Morris, Amy Wazac, Emily Garrett
- PTA is working on a fun family event for January. Look for fliers coming home with more information.
5th Grade Sock Hop - Melissa Leath, Jeanene Morris
- Spring parties are right around the corner, and this year we are combining the three fifth grade classrooms for a Sock Hop in the gym! Mrs. Stukey has been extremely generous and has given us an extra half hour, so on February 14th our party will begin at 2 p.m. The kids are allowed to dress in fifties themed clothes all day to school and we encourage them to do so. We will be having refreshments followed by games and a dance party. As you can see, the party will be packed with lots of fun activities and we hope to see you there. If you have any questions please contact me at jerodleath@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!
Staff Appreciation - Heidi Hiebert
- Thank you to PTO Today for the awesome swag bags they generously provided for each of our staff members.
- Please email pta.nashua@gmail.com if you would like to access staff survey favorites. An access code will be emailed to you which will allow you to view completed staff surveys via our PTA website.
Mercury Gym Nights - Corina Mabery
- The next Nashua Mercury Gym Night is December 16th - bit.ly/NashuaPTAcal.
Yearbook - Emily Garrett, Jeanene Morris
- We'd love to have any pictures that you take of Nashua students, staff and parents at school events. You can submit photos using Entourage's website (link.entourageyearbooks.com) or phone app (link.entourageyearbooks.com/specials.asp). Select Nashua Elementary (2017). Please select the appropriate category when submitting your photos. Contact Emily with questions at garrett.emilye@gmail.com. Thank you for your photos!
Spirit Wear - Amy Wazac, Vanessa Corigliano
- Give the gift of Nashua Spirit Wear this holiday season! The perfect gift for every member of the Nashua community that's on your list! Limited quantity available. Contact Amy Wazac at awazac@yahoo.com for availability and pricing.
Inclement Weather
You will also find closings and delayed opening information on the district web page at www.nkcschools.org
Winter Dress
Please be sure your child comes to school each day prepared for outdoor recess. They should have a winter coat, as well as hats and gloves. If it snows, we will go outside once the blacktop has been cleared of snow and ice. Also, students wait outside in the morning as buses arrive--they need to be warmly dressed then too!