Geneva Family Gnome News
October 2019
Note from the Principal
Happy October, and welcome to Autumn!
Walking among the halls of Geneva, the school year is very much in full swing. Students are engaged in learning and have become confident in the routines and expectations. We are looking forward to seeing you this week at Open House and sharing with you the learning that is underway.
A big thank you for all the family support with our Jog a Thon. Your donations and your support of this annual event provides additional opportunities for enrichment to our core curriculum and community events. An example of where you will see these funds in action is at our PTA sponsored Pumpkin Carving Night and Trunk or Treat this month. Be sure to give the parents organizing and supporting these events a high five and a thank you. Our community is one of the many elements that makes Geneva such a great place for our children!
As always, if you have any questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your child(ren) with us. You are your child's first teacher; we are grateful for all that you do!
Sharece Steinkamp
Principal, Geneva Elementary
Save the Date- Open House, October 3rd
We will stagger the open classrooms to help with parking and timing for families with more than one child. Our youngest learners in Pre K through 2nd grades will be showcased between 6:00-6:45. Intermediate classrooms (grades 3-5) will be open between 6:45-7:30. We invite you to visit your child's classroom and see some examples of the learning happening at Geneva. Teachers will share information about curriculum and standards in a variety of ways this year including SeeSaw. Open House night is sure to be a fun and engaging night with our entire Geneva community!
Upcoming Events
Oct. 2 Neyman's Class (walking) Field Trip to Morgan St.
Oct. 3 Open House Grades PreK - 2 6:00-6:45
Oct. 3 Open House Grades 3-5 6:45-7:30
Oct. 7 Monthly Monday Morning Assembly
Oct. 9 Neyman's Class (walking) Field Trip to Morgan St.
Oct. 16 Neyman's Class (walking) Field Trip to Morgan St.
Oct. 18 NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday
Oct. 22 Thompson's Class Field Trip to Water Treatment Plant 9:30-2:00
Oct. 23 Danielson's Class Field Trip to Water Treatment Plant 9:30-2:00
Oct. 25 Neyman's Class Field Trip to Water Treatment Plant 9:30-2:00
Oct. 25 Kindergarten Field Trip to Stoney Ridge Pumpkin Farm 9:00-12:00
Oct. 28 PTA Meeting 6:30-7:30
Upcoming...
Nov. 1 NO SCHOOL for students Parent/Teacher Conferences
Nov. 5 Picture Re-take Day
Nov. 7 Day & Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences
Nov. 11 NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
Nov. 14 Day Parent/Teacher Conferences
Nov. 21 Day Parent /Teacher Conferences
Nov. 27 Early Release 12:45 (Wed. day before Thanksgiving)
Nov. 28 & 29 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
A few reminders:
Start and end times: Student supervision starts in the mornings at 7:30 am. The first bell rings at 7:55 and attendance is taken at 8:00 am. Dismissal is at 2:30 pm and 12:45 pm on Thursdays.
Change of Go Home Plans: We cannot guarantee we can communicate dismissal changes that are called into the office after 1:00. Please make sure you call the office BEFORE 1:00 if you need to adjust your child's go home plan.
Drop off/Pick Up Process: If your child travels to school by private vehicle, we encourage families to drop students off between 7:30-7:45 to ease the congestion. Before 9:00 am and after 2:00 please do not use the bus loop, even for a quick drop off. Geneva is a bus stop for middle and high school students and our bus loop is needed in order to ensure those students get to school on time.
Birthday Treats: Due to allergy concerns, food safety, and District Policy prohibiting homemade food, our Parent Advisory Council voted unanimously in spring of 2013 to eliminate birthday treats. Your child's teacher can share a variety of ways to celebrate your child's special day that fit within this policy, but do not include food treats.
Label: Please put your child’s name on outerwear, backpacks, lunch boxes and water bottles. Our lost and found is already overflowing.
Toys: Toys should be left at home this includes trading cards, fidget spinners, and sport equipment.
Community Supported Opportunities
Family Communication at Geneva
While technology has made communication more efficient and effective, it can at times feel a bit overwhelming as our phones are dinging with push notifications all day long. We want to be thoughtful in how we use our various communication modes and how we communicate with you.
Our plan for each mode of communication this year is:
The Geneva Family Gnome News will be published one time a month with schoolwide announcements, calendars and information.
SeeSaw will be used as a classroom community communication tool and to serve as a conduit between families and the classroom teacher. Time sensitive school information will also be sent out through SeeSaw. We are working to limit the number of notifications sent out through SeeSaw, and are striving to have this mode of communication be about your child and their school day as much as possible. If you are not currently signed up on SeeSaw, our Technology Teacher, Katie Kortlever will be in the library computer lab during Open House to help families get connected.
Our Geneva School Website now has an enrichment link under the Family Tab with all the PTA sponsored Enrichment Activity forms. These forms are sent home in backpacks, but often families request additional copies. Now you can easily find them on our website!