Cooks Chronicle
September 2018
Principal's Chat
Cooks Corners Media Club
This year at Cooks Corners, a new club is being introduced. This club calls themselves the Cooks Corners Media Club, and they plan to create new things and experiment with different types of media. Whether they create slideshows to be displayed in the cafeteria, or improve the school’s social media pages, this new group has big plans, and big imagination.
The director of this group, Mrs. Thorgren, believes this group will someday be able to create video skits with the help of iMovie or even assist in writing the morning announcements. This fifth grade group plans to contribute greatly to the school’s web page, too.
Written By Ramsey Corrado, 5th Grader in Mrs. Zromkoski’s class at Cooks Corners Elementary School
2018-2019 Media Club Members:
Devon Alsman, McKenna Bogner, Katie Brooks, Antonio Caguia, Ramsey Corrado, Emily Csmereka, Ingrid Danger, Grace Ely, Kali Gurrero, Lilly Katschke, Owen Morris, Sam Rodgers,Emily Stoltzfus Lucy Terhorst, Douglas Thomas, Clara Warren
Nurse Notes
A healthy school environment requires the cooperation and effort of us all working together.
During this time of year we tend to see a higher incidence of strep throat, respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. I would like to remind you all that you can help protect yourselves and your families from many of these airborne illnesses. Try to follow these guidelines and make them a part of your every day routine.
Habits for Good Health
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze-throw the tissue away after you use it and wash your hands! If you do not have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water especially after you cough or sneeze. If you are not near water, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
- Stay away as much as you can from people who are sick.
- If you or your child gets the flu, stay home from work and school. Do not go near other people so that you don't make them sick too.
- Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs often spread this way.
- Dress for the weather. Come to school dressed for the weather. Wear layers, mittens, gloves and hats. Remember, the air that is trapped inside your clothing, warmed by your body heat, is the best protection from the cold.
Let's make this a healthy year!!
Chris Wendahl BSN RN
Textbook Rental
As a reminder, textbook rental is due. You are able to make payments online through your Skyward account, or by sending payment with your child in an envelope labeled "tuition" and with your child's name. Payments can be made with cash or check made payable to Cooks Corners Elementary
Volunteer and Visitor Process
There are two parts to our process for allowing visitors and volunteers access to the building. In order to be able to come and have lunch with their child, chaperone a field trip, volunteer in the classroom, cafeteria or playground, or to attend and/or volunteer at any school event during normal school hours, a "green" limited criminal background form must be current and on file with the school.
Once the form is turned into the school, a limited criminal background check is run through the Indiana State Police and results are provided to the school within 5-7 days. In the past, these background forms expired after (1) year. There has been a district-wide policy change and those are now good for (2) years from the date results are received. If you are unsure whether you have a current limited criminal background form on file or you aren't sure when it will expire, please call the school office to inquire.
A second part to our approval process for visitors and volunteers to gain access to the building involves a program called SafeVisitor. With this process, all visitors and/or volunteers must present their photo ID when coming in to the school. At that time, your photo ID will be scanned, which allows SafeVisitor to check the sex offender registry. Results are immediately available on the screen. Upon approval, you will then be provided with a SafeVisitor label to wear at all times when you are in the building.
Both of these steps must be completed to visit or volunteer in the school.
If you receive emails from SafeVisitor regarding your account expiring soon, please disregard. We are working to resolve this issue. There is nothing you need to do.
Robotics Club
The Cooks Corners Robotics team just received the Girl Powered Grant!
We will soon have three robots for our team of 20 fourth and fifth graders!
The team will be competing at least three times this school year, November, December and January. The team would like to welcome a new coach to the team, fifth grade teacher Mary Zromkoski. She might be new to Valpo, but she is not new to Vex Robotics! We are lucky to have her join the coach team with Mrs. Benedict and Mrs. Schoenfelt.
Congratulations to this years team members!
Cooks 4th Grade Team:
Aubrey Fernandez
Andrew Chen
Coe Krischke
Opal Smith
Marin Anderson
Jennifer Wang
Dayne Sibo
Sloane Connors
Lilybell Puls
Mark Arrizola
Cooks 5th Grade Team:
Emily Golding
Ingrid Danger
Liam Lenz
Grant McFarden
Henry Danko
Devon Alsman
Clara Warren
Emily Csemerka
Sam Thorgren
Owen Morris
Check out info below... Our Meals are Out of the World!
Birthday Book Club
Celebrate your child's birthday at school by adding a book to our Library!
For a donation of $12 (PTO funds subsidize books costing more), your child may choose a new book from our Birthday Book Club Shelf. Or, if you prefer, you may purchase a new hard cover book of your choice and donate it to be designated as your child’s birthday book, no paperbacks, please.
After a book is chosen, a special book plate with your child's name, birthday, and the year the book was donated will be placed in that book. He/She will be the first to check out the book. The book then becomes a part of our library collection and will be a lasting reminder of your child's special day and will be enjoyed by other students for years to come.
See the attached form for more details.
Forms are also available in the Office and in the Media Center.
Student Showcase
Cooks Corners is looking for 5th grade students that want to shine and be a CELEBRITY FOR A WEEK! Because we want to learn more about our 5th graders, we are inviting those that want to share information about themselves with Cooks Corners by setting up a display of some of their favorite items, pictures of their families and friends, and more in the glass display located outside of the office for the week. Every 5th grade student that turns in a Student Showcase form will be selected and notified of their scheduled week at least a week before.
Happy Birthday
When it is your child's birthday, be sure and ask them what they got to do in the office that morning because it was their birthday.
9/4: Sloane Mumaw, Benjamin LaGard
9/5: Broderick Hehr, Dominic OKeefe, Alexander Huerta Reyes
9/7: Saydie Garner, Lillian Rose
9/10: Christopher Moutaw, Manuella Ndongte Seigning, Margaret Pikula & Mrs. Esola
9/11: Emma Mulcahy, Dashaya Cain, Eliza Blastick
9/12: Travis Coffman, Addison Esola
9/17: Kiley Buckmaster
9/18: Ramsey Corrado & Mrs. Moore
9/20: Jason Condon-Burdett
9/21: Evan Courtney, Colin Rehlander
9/22: Andrew Howlett, Lucas Taylor, Benjamin Walker
9/24: Alice Burlingham
9/25: Madison Dorgan, Avery Gleason, Dayvon Williams
9/26: Owen Cheuk
9/27: Henry Danko
9/28: Madeleine Hicks
9/30: Mrs. Vincent
Riding Bicyles to School
Does your 4th or 5th grade student know that they are allowed to ride their bike to school with your permission? We have a bike rack at Cooks located by the main entrance to the school.
There is a permission slip that must be completed and turned into the office giving parental permission. If a permission slip is on file in the office and your child will be riding his bike home from school, please notify the school by sending a handwritten note to your child's teacher, or by emailing your child's teacher and Mrs. Plemons in the office. This allows us to know how students are going home in case there is ever an instance of safety concern where parents of bike riders must be notified. A permission slip is attached.
Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers that may be able to volunteer 1-2 hours of their time to assist our Instructional Aides with supervising students on the playground for recess or during lunches in the cafeteria. If you are interested, please click on one of the links below to sign up.
www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4eaaab23a3f85-recess1
Student Opportunity Flyers
With a new year sometimes comes new policies. A district-wide change in policy has taken place regarding flyers that are received at the school offering students opportunities outside of school-related clubs, teams, etc. Instead of these flyers being sent home with students, 100 copies of each flyer will be made available in the school office.
As flyers are received, an announcement will be made during our morning announcements. Any student interested in taking a specific flyer home should come to the office to pick one up.
Flyers for additional student opportunities are also uploaded regularly to the Valparaiso Community Schools website under District, then Community.
PTO News
Thank you to all who came out for the PTO meeting on September 5th!
We are looking forward to a great year!
If you still have not filled out an orange volunteer form and would like to do so, there are extras in the office. If you just want to be on the general volunteer and meeting reminders email list, please email ptocookscorners@gmail.com and we will put you right on!
Looking for a way to celebrate your child's birthday at school?
Remember only non-food items are allowed, eg. pencils, glow sticks, stickers, etc. Another option is to give a classroom gift! Contact your child's teacher and find out what the class could use, then donate that in your child's name for their birthday!
PTO Happenings
We will be having our first Moms Night Out of the year on Tuesday September 18th.
Come join us at El Salto on Calument Ave. from 6-8pm for a fun night out!
Everyone is always welcome and if you would like to be added to the MNO email updates contact raynellehowlett@yahoo.com and she'll be happy to include you!
Save the Date/Upcoming Events and Activities
We have a lot of fun and exciting events and activities comping up in September and October!
Please save the date and look forward for more information on these fun and exciting events!
PTO Fundraiser Read-a-Thon: September 24 - October 4th.
The first Book Fair of the year: October 5-19th 9am-1pm and the evening of October 18th from 6-7:30p to coincide with our.......
Annual Fall Festival will be held the evening of October 18th!
Follow us on Facebook
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook for updates and news!
Our Facebook pages to "like" and "follow" are:
Cooks Corners PTO and Cooks Corners Elementary School
Yearbook News
We still need a few classroom parents to volunteer to take pictures for the yearbook!
If your child is in one of the following and you would like to help out please email Jessica Warren at cookscornersyb@gmail.com.
Volunteers are needed in:
Heuring (TK), Edgecomb (1st), Cribbs (5th), Zromkiski (5th)
October PTO Meeting
Our October meeting will be held on Thursday October 4th at 6pm at Cooks Corners.
If you want to help out anyway, feel free to email Jessica Warren, PTO President, at ptocookscorners@gmail.com, anytime!
Thanks for your support and contributions to the PTO!
Upcoming Dates
Every Mon. (10/8-11/26): Chess Scholars - ends @ 4:20pm
Every Wed. @ 3:20pm: Drama Kids - ends @ 4:20pm
Every Wed. @ 7:45am: Choir
Every Fri. (10/5 - 12/7): Let's Build It - ends @ 4:20pm
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9/18: VHS Team Lead visits 5th Grade
9/19: Robotics - ends @ 5:00pm
9/20: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports
9/20 & 9/21: Thank You PTO for sending our teachers to RCA!
9/24 thru 10/5: Read-A-Thon
9/24: Student Council Mtg @ 7:45am
9/25: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports
9/26: Robotics - ends @ 5:00pm
9/27: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
9/27: Spell Bowl Practice @ 8am
9/27: 5th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
9/28: 1/2 Day of School - dismissal @ 12:00pm
10/2: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/3: 4th Grade (Warren & Winters) to Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife
10/3: 1st Grade to Guse's Pumpkin Farm
10/3: 5th Grade (Zromkoski) to Beyond Boundaries
10/3: Robotics - ends @ 5:00pm
10/4: Spell Bowl Practice @ 8am
10/4: 4th Grade (Allison) to Kingsbury Fish & Wildlife
10/4: PTO Mtg @ 6pm
10/4: 5th Grade (Erler) to Beyond Boundaries
10/4: 5th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/5: 5th Grade (Cribbs) to Beyond Boundaries
10/5: Read-A-Thon Ends
10/9: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/10: Book Fair Class Previews
10/10: Robotics - ends @ 5pm
10/11: Book Fair Class Previews
10/11: 5th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/12: Fall Break / No School
10/15-10/19: Book Fair
10/15: 2nd Grade to Fair Oaks Dairy Farm
10/16: VHS Team Lead visits 5th Grade
10/16: 4th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/17: Robotics - ends @ 5pm
10/18: Spell Bowl Practice @ 8am
10/18: 5th Grade Afterschool Sports - ends @ 4:30pm
10/18: Fall Fest
10/19: Book Fair Ends
10/24: Robotics - ends @ 5pm
10/25: 1/2 Day of School (dismissal @ 12pm - Parent/Teacher Conferences
10/26: 1/2 Day of School (dismissal @ 12pm - Parent/Teacher Conferences