Central Hub
September 2015 Edition
Message from the Principal
Rather than focusing on bullying and looking for a bully. I like to let kids know we have all been guilty of bullying behaviors. We have all been unkind to someone and done something we later looked back on and thought was mean. We have been left out and left someone out. The goal in our school is to promote kindness. As we continue through this year I would like to be a school that focuses on kindness, sharing with students that we all make mistakes. When we do, the best thing is apologize and treat others the way you want to be treated.
Last week, I saw evidence of the kindness which abounds at Central Elementary School. When challenged with raising money to support our second grade student, Ruby Blake, in her walk to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, our school raised $1500.00 in five days. It was incredible to see students lined up each morning to give to Ruby's cause. In many cases students shared that they were using their own money. As you walk the halls during grandparents night, take notice of the "sneakers" on the wall. Each sneaker represents a dollar given for diabetes research to find a cure. It is heart-warming and I am reminded again that we have the best students in the state. Our kids are great and this is in large part to the amazing parent support provided to them.
Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Book Fair this week!
SIncerely,
Julie Thacker
Central Character Company!
IMPORTANT DATES
- September 28th-- Book Fair in the gym
- October 1st-- Grandparents Night 5:00 p.m. - 7:00p.m. This includes the lemonade wars.
- October 2nd--End of Grading Period
- October 8th--School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m.
- October 9th--Colts Blue to Attend our Central Celebration 2:30
- October 19th--PTO meeting in Central Cafeteria at 7:00 p.m.
- October 28th--Community Forum PHS
- October 30th--Central School Picture Make-Up Day
- November 20th--High School Performance 9:00 a.m.
September-Dignity and Self-Esteem
Charlee Groninger
Katy Detlefsen
Leia Amis
Joslyn Cravotta
Haylea Gibbs
Danny Stinson
Alejandro Quintana
Adrie Burge
Riley Burcham
Myleah Sawyers
Connor Denaut
Kara Dunscombe
Carson Cole
Jack Aldridge
Kaden Gunn
Derek Hartman
Daeton Street
Lila Barnes
Harper Dorris
Kyren Singh
Issac McClain
Sarah Woods
Samantha Bradshaw
Reagan Zmijewski
Zach Kennedy
On Your Mark, Get Set,
Running Club!
Mrs. Menser and Fellow SuperHeros!
Eating Lunch with Your Child
We welcome you to eat lunch with your child! Spending time with your child is so important toward healthy social and emotional growth. In addition, your presence here encourages a positive attitude toward school.
Some things to remember:
· We ask that you only eat lunch with your own sons and daughters. In our efforts to keep our students’ lunchtime as calm as possible, they are not allowed to have a friend to join them.
· Because we are always considering our students with allergies, please do not bring in food or snacks for children other than your own.
· Knowing that our teachers and students are busy with the process of learning, we ask that you not leave the cafeteria to go anywhere else in our building. The only exception would be if you have already signed up to volunteer in the building immediately following lunch.
· Please keep younger siblings from wandering around the cafeteria. This is for the safety of your little one, and our school-aged children.
Also, we ask that you not take pictures or record in the cafeteria.
Thank you for helping us to make this a positive and safe environment for our children!
Third Grade Reading Buddies!
Mrs. Kuhne's and Mrs. Reister's Class Pair Up!
Reading Together!
Attendance
We enjoy seeing your children every day. Although we understand that there will be times when your child is sick and needs to stay home, there is a direct correlation between student attendance and success. Here are a few ways we can work together to make sure your children have very good school attendance and don't feel like they are missing out.
- Schedule all doctor’s appointments outside of the school day, if at all possible.
- Share with your child how important it is to be at school.
- Make sure to communicate absences in advance, if possible, so the classroom teacher can ensure that your child still has opportunities to learn skills that he/she will miss when they are absent.
- Help to make sure that your child arrives at school on time each day. The doors open at 8:20 and students need to be seated in their classroom each morning by 8:40 or they are counted tardy.
- If you have a pattern of absences, we may call as well as send a letter to see if we can offer additional support.
Our teachers work hard to provide the best instruction and we want to make the most of each of our 180 days together. We look forward to seeing you at school!
First grade students at the dine and donate night at Dairy Queen
Mrs. Kuhne's students making Lemonade Stand Posters and Mrs. Stevenson's 2nd Graders Showing Off Book Boards for the Book Fair!
Mrs. Hackleman's 1st grade Class Releases a Butterfly!
4th grade Field Trip!
5th grade Book Buddies!
Fifth Grade Students Celebrate Reading!
Making Applesauce in Mrs. Pagels Kindergarten Class!
Students Watching the Sapphire Theatre Company Perform!
Yoga Time!
Puppets Add to the Presentation!
Meet Our New Teachers!
Let Me Introduce You To…
Bridget Davis- Our new 4th grade teacher
Bridget is originally from Bedford, Indiana and graduated from Indiana State University. Bridget taught second grade before joining us here at Central. Both her parents are in education and she has two dogs, Roxi and Remi.
Some of Bridget’s favorite things:
- Color—Purple
- Movie—The Holiday
- TV Show—NFL on Sundays and anything HGTV
- Book— Children’s Books are my favorite—Each Kindness and Thank you Mr. Falker
- Flower— Mums because that means it is Fall
- Restaurant— Chipotle
- Candy—Peanut Butter Twix
When Bridget is not teaching, she is probably doing a craft of some sort.
A student memory that Bridget remembers most is: When I was a student—a 4th grade student. My 4th grade teacher used to read the Boxcar Children to us every day and when she was done while we were still all sitting around her she would play the piano and we would all sing (even the boys). I loved it!
Advice for parent involvement: Ask your children how their day was, show them that their education matters and that they care about their day, read with them, and tell them what I tell the students often—“The one thing that no one can take away from you is your education.”
Brittany Ellis- Our new Special Education Teacher
Brittany graduated from Plainfield High School in 2011 and graduated from Anderson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Special Education and a minor in Reading. She was involved with the Madison County Reading Coalition where she tutored children and was a leader at After School Fun.
Some of Brittany’s Favorite Things:
- Color- Green
- Movie- What a Girl Wants
- TV Show- Once Upon a Time
- Book- Anything by Nicholas Sparks
- Music- Country
- Flower- Lilly
- Candy- Fast Break
When Brittany is not teaching at Central, she is spending times with my family and friends.
A student memory Brittany remember fondly is: When I was cadet teaching in Diana Cragen’s room, she completely trusted me from the beginning. The first week of being with her, she was already having me teach the students. I know if she hadn’t fully trusted me five years ago, that I would not have had the confidence to go to college and become a teacher!
Advice for parent involvement- Parents should support their student’s education at home and at school. Having good communication with their student’s teacher is key.
Angela Walker, Our new 4th Grade Teacher
Angela was a CIA agent and traveled to 17 countries before she became a teacher! She graduated from Indiana University, Ivy Tech and Marian University. Angela has a Master’s degree in education. It is Angela’s 8th year teaching. She has taught English Language Learners as well as 5th grade. Angela has a 13 year old daughter, Alexandra. She attends Avon Schools.
Some of Angela’s favorite things:
- Color: Red
- Movie: Too many to list!
- TV Show: Friends
- Book: A Walk Across the Sun
- Music: Country and Classical
- Candy: Chewy Spree or plain M&M’s
When Angela isn’t teaching, she is spending time with her lovely daughter, Alex.
A teacher moment Angela remembers fondly is: When Sukh bought me homemade Indian food that his mother had made for me.
Advice for parent involvement: Check your student’s work every night. Read the agenda and talk with your student about what is happening at school. Support them academically by setting high standards.
Mrs. Levine Adds a Role to her Current Job
Randi Levine- Special Education Teacher, Administrative Assistant/Teacher Leader
Mrs. Levine has added the role of Teacher Leader as she will be working as an assistant to Mrs. Thacker.
Randi is originally from Staten Island, New York. She went to Syracuse University for Special Education and to St. John’s University for a masters in Reading. Randi has taught for almost 20 years teaching every grade level. She moved to Indiana in 2001 with my husband, Larry. They have three children, Joshua, Austin and Chloe and two dogs, Sasha and Daisy.
Some of Randi’s Favorite Things:
- Color- Purple
- Movie- Blindside
- TV Show- Grey’s Anatomy
- Book- No favorites- I just love to read!
- Music- Classic Rock
- Flower- Roses
- Candy- Anything Chocolate
When Randi is not teaching at Central, she is running her daughter, Chloe, from soccer game to soccer game.
A teacher/student memory Randi remember fondly is: When I talk about Central Elementary and the kids here, I refer to it as “happiness.” No matter how I am feeling, the students come up to me with their smiles, a willingness to learn, and a hug! How can anything be better than that?
Advice for parent involvement: Find what strengths your child has and celebrate them. It may take looking beyond the typical ones such as academics but every child has something they are good at. Find it and capitalize on it! All kids are special and deserve to be treated as such!
LIVE BAT PROGRAM
Saturday, Oct 3, 2015, 04:00 PM
Wild Birds Unlimited, East US Highway 36, Avon, IN, United States
Homecoming Carnival and Parade
Homecoming is this Friday, October 2nd and we will once again have a homecoming carnival and parade before the football game! The carnival is from 4:30-5:30 pm at PHS in the field on the northwest side of the building and is for ALL ages. Admission to the carnival is free, but we will be accepting donations for Riley Hospital for Children at the entrance. See the attached flyer for more details. The parade will begin immediately after the carnival at 5:30. It will begin by the softball/baseball parking lot and loop around Red Pride Drive (see attached map).
The carnival is one of our many fundraisers for our Riley Dance Marathon in March. Please visit our fundraising page to learn more about RDM and to donate: donate.rileykids.org/PHS2016