Jim Falls Elementary
November 2023
Dear Jim Falls Families
November is gearing up to be a month of learning adventures, perseverance and gratitude for our students. Students are actively engaged in interventions, with small groups providing that extra practice in ELA, Math or behavioral skills.
In partnership with Parkview Elementary, our teachers are working collaboratively in Professional Learning Communities (PLC's), setting grade-level goals based on student progress. It's an exciting time as we see our students making strides towards these goals. We're closely monitoring their journey, ready to make adjustments based on their needs.
Upcoming Reminders:
Parent-Teacher Conferences: We value open communication between our staff and parents. Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 6th and November 9th. This will be an excellent opportunity for you to discuss your child's progress and academic journey with their respective teachers. Please reach out to the office if you have not received communication about scheduling your child's conference. Over the last few years, we have accumulated a surplus of winter boots, jackets, and snow pants. We will have these extras available during conferences. If your child is in need of any of these items, please save a trip to the store and take them home with you. Any unclaimed items will be donated.
Thanksgiving Break Reminder: As the month draws to a close, please remember that our school will be on break from November 20th to November 24th. We trust this pause will offer our students and their families a well-deserved chance to unwind and enjoy quality time together.
Holiday Store: Looking ahead to December, we'll be reopening our "Holiday Store." Stay tuned for more details later in the month. In the meantime, if you have any items you'd like to donate for students to wrap and give as gifts to parents, please start saving them. We'll also need tissue paper, gift bags, wrapping paper, ribbon, and tape.
We appreciate the support and kindness from all parents this year. It's heartening to see the hard work our students are putting in, and I'm excited to witness their progress throughout the year.
Soaring with Eagle Pride,
Mrs. Janet Goodman
If you missed our most recent weekly updates please check them out here:
Schedule & Important Dates
Elementary schedule for 2023-2024:
Start of Day:
- Student Drop Off Begins: 7:20 am
- Student Day Begins: 7:43 am
- Breakfast Served: 7:30 - 7:43 am
- Students arriving after 7:43 am will be marked tardy
End of Day:
- Bus Dismissal - 2:35 pm
- Students getting picked up will be dismissed after busses have left school grounds
Important Dates
November
1st - Cook Chiropractic
3rd - No School (staff work day)
6th & 9th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
8th - Cook Chiropractic
11th - Veteran's Day
11th - Wreath Fundraiser Order Pick Up
13th - National Kindness day - Bring a $1 to bring in a Stuffed Animal, All proceeds will go to the Humane Society
13th - PTO Meeting 6pm in the library
15th - Cook Chiropractic
17th - Blazing for an Adventure - Dress Up Day: Blaze Orange or Camo Day
20th - 24th - No School
28th - Regular Board Meeting @ 7pm
29th - 1st & 2nd Grade Music Concert
29th - CCF Bank Deposit Day
29th - Cook Chiropractic
December
15th - Dress Up Day: Crazy for Adventure: Wear a crazy/tacky holiday sweater
18th - Hats off for Adventure: Wear a holiday hat or headband
18th - Jim Falls Singers Concert @ The Heyde Center
19th - Dress up day: We Dream of Adventure: Wear your favorite PJ's
22nd - Share the Spirit of Adventure: Wear red and green
25th - 29th - No School
January
1st - 2nd - No School
19th - No School (staff work day)
February
23rd - No School (Professional Development)
27th - 3rd & 4th Grade Music Concert
March
5th & 7th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
11th - 15th - No School
29th - No School
April
1st - No School (staff work day)
May
2nd - 5th Grade Music Concert
16th - KG Spring Sing-A-Long
27th - No School
30th - Last Day of School
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences will be on November 6 & 9 from 3:00-7:00pm. Please arrive on time for your scheduled conference time.
CFAUSD is Hiring!
The Chippewa Falls School District is seeking an Educational Assistant for Special Education at Jim Falls Elementary. Click here for more info!
Great job 3rd grade on your Pumpkin Book Reports!
Kindness Challenge
Every year my 3rd graders do many things to sprinkle kindness in school and the community. This month my 3rd graders and I worked with the Chippewa County Outreach Center and tried to help make winter a little warmer by collecting new socks for those in need.
Did you know an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets each night in the US? This Sock-tober, we want to show that even a small act of kindness, such as donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.
4th Grade: Love That Dog & National Kindness Day
Here are other ways you can help!
The Chippewa Humane Association has an Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/351SZ7IBU8IXU?ref_=wl_share
They also have a Walmart Wish List:
https://www.walmart.com/registry/rr/8e47de64-ed15-46a0-ad92-6b513b08b88f
HALLOWEEN AT JIM FALLS ELEMENTARY
Check out all of our Halloween fun by watching this slideshow!
Reminders
Winter/Cold Weather Attire
- All students need to wear proper attire - warm coat/jacket, hat, gloves/mittens, and boots and snow pants when the snow arrives.
- We will have a poster at each doorway with the suggested clothing you should wear to keep students safe and warm. Snow pants and boots must be worn to play in the snow.
- Please label all items so they don't get lost!
- You may want to send a plastic/reusable bag for carrying wet winter items home as needed.
We do go outside everyday for recess as long as it is not raining or below -6
School Zone Speed Limit
Please use caution and reduce your speed when driving near the school. Some vehicles are driving too fast, especially in the morning when there is limited visibility due to the late sunrise and varied weather. The speed limit in a school zone while children are present is 15mph.
Thank you to the town of Anson for purchasing and installing flashing lights to draw attention to the school zone signs.
Please slow down, so that we can keep all of our kids safe.
Thank you to our safety patrol students for all your hard work!
Notes from the Office
If your child is going to be absent or tardy for any reason, please call the office by 8:00 am Instructional time starts at 7:43 am. Any student who arrives after 7:43 am is considered tardy.
If you need to change your child's transportation for the end of the day, please send a note to your child's teacher. Phone calls are discouraged but if a change needs to be called in, PLEASE call the office by 1:30 pm to insure that the message gets delivered to the classroom.
If you need to pick your child up early, please check in at the office. Parents will need to sign their child(ren) out and then we will call your child down to the office. Students will not be waiting in the office so make sure to give yourself enough time prior to appointments.
BUS TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
All student rerouting requests will originate at Chippewa Yellow Bus Company. Student rerouting requests require a 24 hour notice and approval by the bus company. This includes one time and/or occasional rerouting requests. Please call 715-726-2454 if you have any questions or concerns. Please click here for more information regarding rerouting requests.
If a student's afternoon transportation plans vary week to week, please provide the teacher, the office, and the bus company a monthly calendar to insure that your child gets to their intended location.
Handle with Care
As always we are a TEAM and we want to help your child thrive in our Jim Falls family.
Weekends Kids Meals
The Jim Falls Community Food Pantry has been providing food assistance to the families of the Jim Falls school for over 15 years. One of the services we provide is "Weekend Kids Meals." Each Friday, we make available an assortment of non-perishable healthy food products geared toward the children to send home with them for the weekend. If this is something you would like to participate in, please enter your information here.
Medical Absences
Food Service Payments and Menus
Payments can be made on the Infinite Campus portal under the food service tab. The free and reduced lunch application is also located on your Infinite Campus parent portal by selecting "more" then "meal benefits". Here is a list of the CFAUSD Meal Prices.
Classroom Treats
The health office requests that any treats brought in to school for birthdays, parties, or any other special occasions should be store bought with a clear nutrition label.
There are certain students and staff members with health conditions that may require certain dietary accommodations and it's important that they are able to review a food's nutrition label before choosing to omit or consume certain foods.
Please also be mindful about choosing treats that may contain tree nuts and/or peanuts for your student's classroom. There may be other students in your child's classroom who may have a severe nut allergy. If you are wondering whether your child is in a nut free classroom, please inquire with your student's classroom teacher or the school's health office.
HIGH SCHOOL GAME ATTENDANCE RULE
The Chippewa Falls High School would like to remind you of our game attendance rule.
In order to enter any high school game/event, all middle school and elementary students must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Thank you for helping all of our fans stay safe at our home sporting events!
Chiropractic Care at school
November is the month of thanksgiving & gratitude. One of the things we are grateful for is to be able to provide chiropractic care in all 9 of the CFAUSD public schools & hear the amazing comments that students make about their chiropractic care.
One student shared, “I am always so tired on Mondays but after I see you I am ENERGIZED!”
Studies have shown that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships. Thinking of at least 3 things you are grateful for every day and remembering to say thank you is a great mood-booster. And when thanking others, don’t forget to thank yourself, too, for all of the amazing things you do!
Happy November & Happy Thanksgiving! If you have any questions about chiropractic care for students please contact us at onsitechiroinfo@gmail.com.
Potential School Closure Days
CFAUSD Inclement Weather Closing Protocol
Weather can change quickly in the Chippewa Valley. When inclement weather strikes, there are three options for adjusting our days:
Cancellation: If the weather is too severe, school and other activities may be canceled altogether.
Two-hour delay: If the weather is bad but not severe enough to cancel school for the day, classes may be delayed by two hours.
Early release: If the weather worsens during the school day, school may be dismissed early.
Cancellation -- If we cancel school due to inclement weather, we will make the decision by 6:00 AM. All schools, Head Start, Early Childhood, 4K Cardinal programs, after-school programs, and public use of buildings will be closed.
Two Hour Delay -- If we delay school due to inclement weather, the school day will start two hours later than normal. Buses will also run two hours behind schedule. Breakfast will not be served, but lunch will be served near normal time. 4K Cardinal, Early Childhood, and Head Start will be canceled for the day. After-school programs and public use of buildings may still occur. If the delay is later changed to a cancellation, the decision will be made by 8:00 AM.
Early Release -- If we dismiss school early due to inclement weather, the decision will be made by 10:00 AM. Elementary schools will dismiss at 12:00 PM, and secondary schools will dismiss at 1:00 PM. Lunch will be served at the normal time. High school students with open campus lunch may leave at 12:00 PM. Afternoon 4K Cardinal, Head Start, and Early Childhood are canceled. After-school programming and public use of buildings are canceled.
When there is inclement weather in the Chippewa Valley, we may have to change the school schedule. We will let you know by 6 AM if we are canceling school or starting school two hours late; by 10 AM for letting students out early.
We will tell you via radio, TV, our website, social media, and by email or text message. We want to keep our students safe, so we may have to make last-minute changes. We will try to make the best decision we can based upon the weather and/or other information available to us.
**Please contact Chippewa Yellow Bus if your child will need an alternate busing plan for Early Release days.**
Remote Learning
The District will be moving to a remote model of learning for students when inclement weather or other emergencies force school closures. This means that students will be able to continue their learning from home on days when school buildings are closed.
We believe that in-person instruction is the best way to deliver education, but we also know that there will be times when school closures are necessary and appropriate. By implementing a remote learning model, we should be able to avoid having to make up days for these school-day closures and the focus will be on continuing learning and connecting with teachers through modern means in these modern times.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
The elementary schools will develop consistent independent study packets for each grade level to send home when potential school closures occur, except on the two designated inclement weather/emergency closure days. Packets will include reading, math practice, writing prompts, and activities from our specialists.
Teachers will be remotely available those days to aid students with their assignments during the regular school day hours; however, school electronic devices will not be sent home with the independent study packets.
October Attendance Winners!
In order to encourage healthy and well students to attend school each day, Jim Falls Elementary will have a monthly drawing for a $20 Kwik Trip gift card or a Free Culver's Kids Meal. All students who have no unexcused tardies or unexcused absences will be entered into the monthly drawing.
October Winners: Oaklynn, Meilani, Kian, Garet, Eleanor, Jordynn
Attendance Review
The principal reviews school attendance monthly and contacts families if there are issues.
Elementary school families will be contacted in the following ways (phone calls may also occur):
If there are 3 unexcused absences in a semester, a Start Time Notification Letter may be sent. An unexcused absence is if the parent has not called in with a reason for the absence within 24 hours, or the reason for the absence does not meet the guidelines for acceptable absences as outlined by the district (see attendance policy).
If a student receives 5 unexcused absences, tardies or left early marks in a semester, then a 5 Day Truancy Letter may be sent.
If a student is absent more than part or all of 5+ days, a Habitual Truancy Notification Letter may be sent via certified mail. The school team will complete an assessment with the student and/or parent and develop a plan with all parties involved at a meeting. A truancy referral may be initiated by the team.
If a student receives 8 excused absences, a Medical Concern Letter may be sent.
Principal may meet with students after 5 days of absences (excused and/or unexcused) to better support the student and family with school attendance. .
*THE STATE OF WISCONSIN ALLOWS ONLY 10 DAYS OF EXCUSED ABSENCES.*
For more information about the attendance policy, please refer to the student handbook online or request a hard copy from our office. These procedures may be used differently on a case by case basis (as determined by the principal, school counselor and school social worker).
October SOARing Eagles
The students below showed exemplary leadership in the areas of safety, offering kindness, acting responsibility, and respecting others! The truly SOAR!
Jim Falls SOARing Eagles are honored with a special lunch in the SOARing with Kindess Cafe, their pictures are displayed on the hallway bulletin board and on the hallway TV, and they also receive a Jim Falls SOARing Eagles pin and certificate. Thank you for being great role models!
Positive Behaviors and Supports News (PBIS)
For the month of November, we are focusing on perseverance. Mrs. Goodman will come into the classrooms to read the story How to Catch a Star, and each class will complete an activity to earn their passport stamp. November 13th is National Kindness day! To spread kindness, kids can bring in $1 to have a stuffed animal at school. The money will be donated to the Humane Society. More info to come!
News from the Nurse
WINTER HEALTH TIPS
Exposure to cold can lead to injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia.
Follow these tips to keep your children safe in cold weather:
Dress your children appropriately before coming to school. The air temperature does not have to be below freezing for your child to experience cold emergencies such as hypothermia or frostbite. Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
Dress your child in layers so they can adjust to changing conditions from indoors to outdoors.
Most of your child’s body heat is lost through their head, so they should wear a hat, preferably one that covers their ears.
Mittens provide more warmth to a child’s hands than gloves.
Your child should wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping their feet warm and dry and to maintain their footing in ice and snow.
Tips on preventing and controlling the spread of Head Lice:
Avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play and other activities at home, school, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp).
Do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes.
Do not share combs, brushes, or towels. Disinfect combs and brushes used by an affected person by soaking them in hot water for 5–10 minutes.
Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with an affected person.
Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an affected person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the affected person sat or lay. However, spending much time and money on house cleaning activities is not necessary to avoid re-infestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.
**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.***
Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know
Head Lice Treatment: Myth and Realities
Sick Procedure:
Keep your student home if any of the following apply:
Temperature over 100.4 degrees in the last 24 hours before medication (Tylenol/Ibuprofen)
Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours
They have been diagnosed with a contagious illness (e.g.; strep throat, pink eye) and have been on medication for less than 24 hours if medication is required
Have an unexplained rash of unknown origin
Caitlin Maranell BSN, RN
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School DistrictDistrict Wide Registered Nurse
715-738-2660 ext. 3543
Spirit Of Christmas
The link below provides information on Spirit of Christmas, a non profit organization dedicated to making the Christmas season brighter for children up to the age of 17.
Please feel free to request a printed copy to be sent home with your student or print one yourself and mail or email the document to the information provided on the application.
Application Deadline: November 21, 2023
Distribution Day: December 14, 2023
PLEASE DO NOT RETURN TO THE SCHOOL!
Thank you!
Jim Falls PTO
Useful Links
District Mission Statement
“Together with students, families, and our community; we inspire, support, and learn.”
District Notice
Upon request to the building administrator, submitted twenty-four (24) hours in advance, the District shall make reasonable accommodation including the provision of informational material in an alternative format as necessary for a disabled person to be able to participate select activities
Jim Falls Elementary
Email: wilsonsm@chipfalls.org
Website: https://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/jimfalls/
Location: 13643 198th Street, Jim Falls, WI, USA
Phone: 715-720-3260