Otsego Elementary Extra
Principal's Weekly Update - May 12, 2017
Staff Spotlight - Joan Coates
Mrs. Coates has taught at Otsego Schools since 1998. She teaches Language Arts and Science in the third grade. She earned her Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and Masters degree in Curriculum and Design from Bowling Green State University. Mrs. Coates and her husband have two children, one granddaughter and another expected in April. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, scrapbooking and pottery.
Lost and Found
From the Desk of Mr. Wiley, Assistant Principal:
It’s been awhile since I’ve contributed to the Mrs. Baughman’s Weekly Bulletin, but with this being Teacher Appreciation Week, I felt compelled to write. Thirty-one years ago I started my career teaching social studies to high school students. I never, ever, gave working in an elementary school a thought. But somehow, towards the end of my career, I find myself in a building of students who are enamored by the most simplistic things in life...and I’m loving it. So what have I learned by being an elementary assistant principal this year? Well, ice packs cure everything. We probably hand out an ice pack every hour on the hour. A day does not go by without a hug. I like that kids are not afraid to just come up and give you a hug. I have also learned that there’s always an extra birthday treat for the assistant principal. Cookies, cupcakes, brownies...you name it, it’s probably been on my desk a few times a week. With those extra treats came my inability to lose any weight. But, sacrifices have to be made.
The main thing I have learned this year is just how outstanding the teachers are in the elementary building. Every lesson they teach is broken down into sub lessons based on the level a student may be at. Teachers no longer “teach to the middle” and hope everyone “gets it.” They are using data to find out where every student is at any given time, then using that data to differentiate their lessons for individual students. It is a lot of work, but the results are amazing because now you can tell if a child is really grasping a concept or not (and if they are not, you can go back and re-teach the concept to those students until they do).
I had the opportunity to visit my hometown elementary school last weekend. It’s scheduled to be demolished later this year, so an open house was held for those who wanted to visit it one final time. As I walked into the classrooms, I remembered desks put in rows, always facing the chalkboard. The teacher was the center of the lesson at all times. Our orders were to sit down and be quiet (because quiet equated learning). Technology was a filmstrip projector and maybe a movie once per week (if the teacher remembered to order it on time). And occasionally you would be sent to the office to be paddled. After spending the 2016-17 school year in an elementary building, there’s nothing appealing about an elementary school from the early 1970s.
So for my 31st Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to thank the Otsego elementary teachers who go far beyond what is expected of them every day. Thanks for giving every student the opportunity to learn. Thanks for making every student feel like they are someone special. Thanks for sending that note home to their parents so they can feel proud of their children too. I’ve been lucky enough to work at every grade level in this district. I have never been more convinced that the children of this district are getting a good solid education that prepares them for the future. And it all starts right here in this building with these teachers. Your kids are very fortunate to be learning with these professional educators on a daily basis. I am equally fortunate to have been able to watch them ply their skills.
Summer 2017 Extended Care Program
Registration now open.
Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday, June 5, 2017 to Friday, August 11, 2017
Closed July 3, 4 and 5 for the holiday
Registration packets may be obtained from the elementary office, the Extended Care staff or on the district website.
The Registration Packet includes:
1. Registration form
2. Student ID card (also referred to as emergency contact info)
3. Behavior contract
4. Swim permission form
5. Calendar of activities/field trips (subject to change)
All items must be filled out completely and turned in to Extended Care staff along with the $10.00 registration fee prior to your child attending.
Students will need to pack lunch and snacks each day as there is no cafeteria service available. Brown bag lunches (all disposable) preferred on field trip days.
Field trip fees are in addition to the hourly rate and a fee sheet will be available as soon as all trips and fees are confirmed.
Please email Crystal Stough with any program questions at cstough@otsegoknights.org.
Camp Invention
**Scholarships now available. Please fill out this google survey or contact Jessica Martinez (jmartinez@otsegoknights.org) for more information.**
Otsego Local Schools will be partnering with the National Inventors Hall of Fame to host Camp Invention, the country’s leading program inspiring creativity, innovation, and STEM interest in children in incoming grades K-6. (open to all current PK students who will be KDG next year and current 5th Graders) The program’s all-inclusive cost is $225 per child. The camp be held June 12-16 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at Otsego Elementary.
The program director will be our Elementary Technology Teacher, Jessica Martinez and will be instructed by other Otsego Elementary Teachers. Please click the following link for more information. OTSEGO STEM CAMP FLYER
YouTube Videos – Below you will find videos that you can share with your students in class or post on social media:
· Launch™ Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OiFeEzgJwA
· Duct Tape Billionaire ™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1La-KUenj1g
· Have a Blast™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEoebK5xqhw
· Mission Space Maker™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiavm6TwIg
· Operation Keep Out™: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StVtc5AQYtc
Imaginations get their rocket fuel at Camp Invention! An exciting, weeklong summer adventure awaits with activities that explore connections between science, technology, engineering, and innovation while sharpening their 21st century STEM skills. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Camp Invention allows children in kindergarten through 6th grade to experience real-world problem solving, creative thinking, invention, and teamwork. Children work together to transform the terrain and ecosystem of a distant exoplanet. They take risks as budding business owners, blast rockets, air cannons, and rubber chickens, and wire a circuit to create their own Spy Gadget Alarm Box! Local, certified educators lead a week of hands-on activities that fuel children’s confidence in their natural ability to dream and create. Early registration discounts are available so don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity. Visit campinvention.org or call 800.968.4332 for information.
If you have any questions please contact Jessica Martinez at jmartinez@otsegoknights.org
Arrival and Dismissal
1. Please do not park in the circle drive. If you are getting out of your car and going into the building, you need to be in a parking spot. This way we can keep the flow moving.
2. Please make sure students are exiting the vehicle on the side of the school. This way we can ensure students are not hit by cars using the outer lane.
3. Avoid blocking or stopping in the cross walk. This way students can safely walk into and out of the building. This includes the crosswalk on both sides of the circle.
4. Please pull all the way up (past the cross walk) so that more cars can fit to allow students to exit their vehicles. This will make arrival and dismissal go much quicker.
Thank you for your assistance in keeping our students safe! As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns!
Kindergarten Registration
We are still accepting Kindergarten Registration for the 2017-2018 school year.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR CHILD MUST TURN 5 ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 1.
Please bring the following items to the Elementary office with you when you are registering: Birth Certificate, Proof of Residency (rental agreement, utility bill, real estate tax receipt) with full physical address and parent's name, and Custody Papers (if applicable). Also, when registering we will need the Registration Form and Transportation Form completed. Prior to the FIRST day of school we will need the Doctor Physical Form and Updated Immunization Form completed.
If you have any questions, please call the Elementary Office at 419-823-4381 option 4 or e-mail jhelberg@otsegoknights.org and/or barmitage@otsegoknights.org
PAX Kernel of the Month - May
Praise Notes
All too often, the negative part of our day is what sticks with us. The bad luck, our shortcomings, or things we did not succeed at tend to attract a lot of our attention and can cause us to dwell on them. These messages can also be passed down to young people and become overwhelming to them as well. Noticing only the negative can actually increase anxiety, aggression, and violence among young people.
The Solution:
Praise Notes are a strategy for identifying and thanking people for a job well done. Recognizing effort, performance, and goodness in young people through verbal praise and written letters of thanks helps identify and encourage the behavior we would like to see more of.
The Procedure:
1. Identify a behavior, effort, or act of kindness you would like to see more of from young people. Remember, this may also include staying away from some of the disruptive or problematic behavior they may typically be tempted to engage in. This may include things like finishing homework without being asked, earning a good grade on a project, or even not arguing with little sister in the car.
2. Write a Praise Note letting the young person know exactly what they did that you appreciated. Also, include how it made you feel or why it is so appreciated.
3. Post this note in a conspicuous place where the receiver and others can see. Team this note with matching verbal praise to let him/her know you appreciate the effort.
4. Create a collection so the young person can reflect on all the things they have done well that contribute to a more nurturing environment for everyone.
The Science:
Praise Notes utilizes research showing brain cells tend to learn to work together. That means whether it is a problematic behavior we want less of or a productive behavior we want more of, the brain will catch on and continue the behavior that gets noticed. This is why focusing on or harping on the negatives can be harmful--even though it is something we are trying to help the young person do better. This is also why establishing a structured way to notice and identify the goodness is so important to the brain, especially the young person's brain.
Praise Notes are so effective because the written word impacts us so greatly. Some of our most cherished possessions are the cards and notes given to us by others. Writing these types of notes to identify and reinforce the goodness in others ensures our expectations and gratitude are conveyed clearly and helps establish a mutual understanding among adults and young people. In fact, Praise Notes have increased academic and work achievement, physical and emotional health, and decreased violence and aggression.
For more information about PAX and it's creators, visit wright.edu/prevention-science
Weather with Ronnie
Right to Read Week
Counselor's Corner
Goodwill Earth Day Donation Drive
Important Dates
May 15-16 - Field Day
May 16 - OES Literacy Night, 6-7pm
May 18 - Kindergarten Graduation
May 25 - Last Day for Students
2017-2018
August 9 - Back to School Days, 2-8pm
August 10 - Back to School Days, 12-6pm
August 17 - Open House
August 21 - 1st Day for Students
September 4 - Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
October 9 - NO SCHOOL for students - District Professional Development (
October 20 - End of first nine weeks
October 27 - NO SCHOOL for students - Professional Development/Work Day
November 2-3 - NO SCHOOL - Conferences
November 22-24 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Otsego PTO
“There’s a Minion reasons to join PTO”
Check out the PTO on Facebook and follow on Twitter @OtsegoPTO
The next PTO meeting is June 6 at 6:00 in the Elementary Library.
Fitted for Success
Wood County Department of Job & Family Services is now accepting applications for the Wood County School Supply Program. JFS will be assisting 500 Wood County students who will be in grades K-12 for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year with backpacks, school supplies, shoes, socks and possibly hats and gloves.
Income eligibility is for families at or below 200% Federal Poverty Level. For a family of 4, this is $4,100 or less in gross income per month or $49,200 per year.
Applications must be received by July 31, 2017. Applications can be picked up or mailed on request. See attached flyer for details. Assistance is provided on a first come/first serve basis.
Information can be found on Poverty guidelines at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.cfm. There is a chart calculating 200% of poverty on the following site,
Racing for Recovery
Girl's Basketball Camp
Volleyball for 4th-6th Grade Girls
SUMMER PROGRAM 2017: Wood County Hospital Ready Program
This summer program is for children with autism who are 3-6 years old and are able to engage in group activities without the support of a one-on-one personal aide. The focus will be on developmental skills and social interaction skills using a combination of teaching techniques, speech and occupational therapies. Monday’s session will have an emphasis on aquatic therapy. The focus will be on ADL’s for dressing/undressing for the pool, along with sensory, motor, cognitive and language activities. Thursday’s session will occur in a classroom environment and focus on teaching skills needed to improve picky eating, self-feeding, table manners and social interaction skills.
This 6 week program will begin June 19th and will meet two times weekly ending on July 27th. There will be a morning session and an afternoon session to choose from. This year we have received a Community Grant from Autism Speaks that will pay $150 of the pool costs for each child in June. Students must sign up for all 6 weeks of the program.
COST:
The cost of this program is $635 with a breakdown of the fees as follows:
CLASSTIME:
Afternoon Class - 12:30-2:30 – June 19 – July 27, 2017
*For more information or to register call 419-354-3099 or email beightlerb@woodcountyhospital.org
Follow Us on Twitter
Preschool: @OtsegoPreK
Kindergarten: @OtsegoK1st Grade: @OtsegoFirst
2nd Grade: @OtsegoGrade2
3rd Grade: @OtsegoGrade3
4th Grade: @OtsegoGrade4
5th Grade: @OtsegoGrade5
School Counselor: @OEScounselor
Reminders
SAVE ALUMINUM CAN TABS
Please help our students by collecting tabs from aluminum cans. Each tab is easy to remove and can be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The tabs help fund various projects for Ronald McDonald Houses and its visitors. Send the tabs in a bag to the school and our students will do the rest!
SAVE BOX TOPS AND CAMPBELLS SOUP LABELS
You can help the school earn money for supplies by collecting Box Tops and Campbells labels from soup, juices and snacks. Our PTO collects and counts them and puts the money straight back into the school.
*This year our PTO is going to collect Box Tops monthly, and the class that collects the most will get a pizza party in May.
Heard a rumor or have a question?
Katrina Baughman
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4005)
Twitter: @kbaughman723
Mike Wiley
Email: mwiley@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4009)
Twitter: @PrincipalWiley
Lianna Mikesina
Email: lmikesina@otsegoknights.org
Website: http://oesknightscounselor.weebly.com/
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4010)
Twitter: @OEScounselor
Bonnie Armitage
Email: barmitage@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4001)
Jenny Helberg
Email: jhelberg@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381 (4003)
Deputy Brian Ruckstuhl
Email: bruckstuhl@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381