Helman News and Events
January 30, 2020
About us
Helman school is a safe, loving community where each child is honored as an individual, challenged to take risks, develop friendships, reflect on their growth, push themselves to reach their potential, and embrace the wonder that leads to lifelong enthusiasm for learning.
Mission: Working together to educate the whole child
Email: michelle.cuddeback@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: http://www.ashland.k12.or.us/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=45
Location: 705 Helman Street, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 541-482-5620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Helman-Elementary-School-1557046364532003/
Arriving Late?
Tardies have an impact on your child's instructional time and also disrupt the routines for all children in the classroom. Thank you in advance for setting up morning routines to have your child at school by 8:15.
7:40-8:15 daily = Supervision in Library and on Playground, Breakfast served in Cafeteria
8:15 = Bell rings and classrooms open
8:20 = all students in class, ready to learn!
Pick-up and Drop-off
- no stopping at red curbs
- pull all the way forward, look for spaces beyond the last car in line.
- DO NOT leave your car at the curb for any reason. If you need to walk your child to class, please park in a parking space or on the street.
- pedestrians have right-of way
- stop at stops signs and watch for pedestrians
-do not double park in the pick-up lane
-back parking lot is for buses and STAFF ONLY
- parking lot on Randy Street is for STAFF ONLY
The picture below shows Helman's pick-up and drop-off zones. RED zones are not for picking up, dropping off, or parking. Green zones are the appropriate places to pick-up and drop-off
Thank you for your help keeping everyone safe and everything flowing smoothly!
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
There's a very strong correlation between good attendance and success in school. On the other hand, students who regularly miss school are also more likely to struggle in school.
Missed days add up quickly: Just two days a month puts a child's success in jeopardy because students fall behind and disconnect. By third grade, it gets much more difficult to catch up. Students who regularly miss school can quickly feel hopeless, and returning becomes harder and harder.
- It doesn’t matter if these absences are excused or unexcused. They all represent lost time in the classroom and a lost opportunity to learn.
- Attendance matters as much in kindergarten as later years. Studies show many children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade can struggle academically in later years. They often have trouble mastering reading by the end of third grade.
- Too many absent students can affect the whole classroom, slowing down instruction.
DENTAL SCREENINGS NEXT WEEK!
Dear Parents,
Recognizing the importance of oral health in children, Ashland School District’s School Nurse Program has coordinated dental screenings in our local schools for a number of years. We have utilized the expertise of a variety of local dental providers in an effort to have this service available to our students. This year our dental screenings at Helman will be the week of February 3rd, as in NEXT week!!! Please watch for the permission forms in your child’s Friday folder.
We are fortunate again this year to be able to offer free dental screenings and/or sealants to our Ashland School District students in grades K-5. This year the screenings will be done by a local hygienist Kayla Burg. A little about Kayla:
Kayla is an expanded practice dental hygienist for Capitol Dental Care Outreach. She grew up in Ashland- attending Briscoe, AMS, and AHS before heading off to the University of Montana. There she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Kayla always knew she wanted a job where she could help people, but it wasn’t until she started working for an oral surgeon that she fell in love with oral health. She learned first-hand about the importance of preventative care and wanted to be more hands-on with patients. She returned to school to study dental hygiene and in 2015 she graduated from OIT as a registered dental hygienist.
Permission Forms will be sent home in Friday Folders, and should be returned on Monday February 3rd. Please fill this out and return it indicating if your child will/will not be participating in the free screenings and/or sealant program. If you would like to have your child screened, but do not want sealants, simply write “SCREENING ONLY, NO SEALANT” on the permission form. If your child is already receiving services from a dentist they can still participate in this program. An extra screening never hurts and the more students that participate the better!
If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. My hope is that we will have a large number of students participating in the screenings, which helps to ensure our ability to continue to provide this valuable service. There will also be extra forms in the office.
Thank you for partnering with us for improved health and wellness,
Belinda Brown RN- Ashland School District Nurse, 541-482-1611 extension 3105
DRAGON LEGO CLUB
Do you like to design, create, and build structures with Legos?
LEGO Club is open to all students in Grades 1-5 and will start Thursday February 6 and meet Thursdays only through March 19. Kindergarteners are welcome to attend with a parent.
Permissions slips due by February 3. Click below to download.
BINGO Night!
Bring your family back to school on Friday night the 21st to play bingo with oodles of Helman friends! Bingo night features teachers in roller skates, bingo games galore and raffle prizes big and small. Pizza and baked goods will also be available. Doors to the cafeteria open at 5:30 pm.
Bingo night is put on by our 5th grade dragons. Help support them as they raise $5,000 to pay for field trips and class projects including their trip to Bandon, Oregon in May! This is an annual trip for all Helman 5th graders.
Friday, Feb 21, 2020, 06:00 PM
Helman Cafeteria
DONATIONS NEEDED!
The Helman PTA has already started working on the schools 8th Annual Mayfaire Carnival and Fundraiser! This year’s event will be held on Sunday, May 17th from 3-6pm.
The Mayfaire, is one of the Helman PTA's biggest events of the year to help raise funds for classroom grants and other projects throughout the school year that directly benefit your children! We are inviting you, as a business owner or employee of one of our wonderful local establishments, to assist in gathering donations for our Silent Auction event. Donations can be delivered directly to the office or please feel free to reach out to any of our officers with any questions.
Additionally, please consider donating your gently used toys, dolls, room décor, puzzles, dress-up items, games, art supplies and crafts, jewelry, musical instruments, bicycles, sports equipment and more to Helman's annual Mayfaire Carnival.
Big or small, we take it all and turn these donations into prizes that kids can win at the Carnival. Please bring your donations to Malinda in the school office.
Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you all there in May!
Joe Shannon, PTA President
Joe Shannon - president@helmanpta.org
Keri Pennell - vice-president@helmanpta.org
Shane Hunter - treasurer@helmanpta.org
Amy Merwin – secretary@helmanpta.org
Helman Facilities Update
Sexual Abuse Prevention Lessons
In July of 2015, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 856 (Sexual Abuse Prevention Instruction) which requires schools to provide child sexual abuse prevention instruction kindergarten through grade 12. The elementary schools in the Ashland School District are working with the Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team (JC SART) to consult on curriculum and provide lessons to students. JC SART is a local organization that provides services to sexual assault survivors and brings prevention education classes into our local schools.
The Prevention Coordinator will be offering a comprehensive K-12 sexual and gender violence curriculum for schools that focuses on prevention, as well as risk reduction methods. The lesson plans are age appropriate and in line with state and national sexual health standards and Erin’s Law recommendations. The upcoming lessons will occur February 11-12. Click below for lesson objectives. Additionally, the curriculum is available for parents to review in the front office. Please feel free to Michelle Cuddeback if you have any questions or concerns.
Valentine's Class Parties
We are looking forward to the classroom Valentine’s Day parties on Friday, February 14 and want this to be a safe, fun event for ALL students!
In an effort to make sure students who experience food allergies can safely participate in this fun day, safety measures for the food served at parties and celebrations must be followed.
- ALL foods served must be commercially prepared to ensure proper food preparation and food handling procedures are followed and that ingredients and labels can be checked to reduce the chance of exposure.
- There are a number of students at each school site with nut allergies, we are asking that NO foods containing nuts be brought to classroom celebrations.
Children can be allergic to any food, but these eight common allergens account for 90% of all reactions in kids. Please take this list into consideration when bringing food to classroom parties/events.
- milk
- eggs
- peanuts
- soy
- wheat
- tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews)
- fish
- shellfish (such as shrimp)
Again, PLEASE DO NOT bring any homemade food items to the party, as no matter how cute or how good your item looks we will not be able to serve it!
Talking About Race with Kids Begins with Me: Part Two
This two part series, facilitated by Ashland administrators Becca Berman and Tiffany Burns, will guide participants through activities designed to develop an awareness of one's own thoughts, beliefs, and reactions around race. Participants will also gain a foundational understanding and strategies to prepare them for having conversations with children about race.
Thursday, Feb 27, 2020, 05:30 PM
Ashland High School
Rogue Valley Roasting Discount for Helman Families!
Rogue Valley Roasting Co, the neighborhood coffee shop at 917 E. Main St., would like to extend an offer to all Helman Faculty, Staff, AND Families!
Mention that you are part of the “Helman Family” and receive a 20% discount on any purchase. This includes all coffee, food, merchandise, and “parents-only” beverages! The offer lasts for as long as we at Roasting Co are a part of the Helman Family ourselves, which means this will last for the next THREE YEARS! ~ Helman Parent and Rogue Valley Roasting Owner, Dustin Way
Upcoming Important Dates and Events
February 11: PTA Meeting - Helman Dorr Family Library (6:30-8:00)
February 13: afterschool Strong Girls Career Field Trips and LEGO Club
February 14: Valentine's Class Parties (2:00-2:45)
February 17: NO SCHOOL- President's Day
February 20: afterschool Strong Girls Career Field Trips and LEGO Club
February 24-25: OBOB Official Battles
February 25: Helman Site Council meeting - Conference Room (3:00-4:00)
February 27: OBOB Finals
February 27: afterschool Strong Girls Career Field Trips and LEGO Club
March 4-6: NO SCHOOL for students - Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences