Howbert Happenings
November 27, 2022
Principal Post
Giving Thanks!
I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday and took time to reflect on what you were thankful for.
I am thankful for being able to serve in an outstanding school and community. I am thankful for a spectacular staff, engaged and supportive families, and students that amaze me each day!
Students Outside (learning and recess)
I would like to share with you the criteria I use to decide on whether students stay in or go outside for learning or recess.
These criteria are based on making sure students are safe.
Decision criteria:
- Air temperature and wind speed (taken from the nearby weather station at Garden of the Gods Park)
- If the temperature or relative temperature (to include wind speed) is below 17 then we do not go outside
- If the temperature is 17 or above, then I go outside to the playground to observe the weather first-hand.
- If it is raining or excessively wet from snow, then students do not go outside for recess.
- Additionally, I take into account the time of year and recent weather. Generally, it takes students and families a little bit of time to adjust to dressing for the winter weather. Often times at the beginning of cold weather, some students do not have their winter coats, hats, and gloves/mittens out and readily available to wear to school. This is also the case when we have a warm day followed by a cold day. Students may not adjust quickly and neglect to bring appropriate clothing for the weather.
Please make sure your child is properly prepared for the weather each day.
Concrete Work at Howbert
Over the break, work began on concrete improvements around Howbert. The work included sections of the sidewalk behind the school (and near the amphitheater), three sections on the large playground, and beginning Monday, a section in the preschool/kindergarten playground.
Please go around the sections if they are covered and know that the preschool/kindergarten playground will be closed until the work there is done.
STAR Assessment
Beginning Monday, December 5th, students in grades 2-5 will be taking the middle of year STAR assessment in reading and math.
The information that we gain from this assessment helps teachers plan instruction that meets the needs of each student.
The assessment generally takes less than 20 minutes to complete (each).
Encourage your child to do their very best on the assessment and to show what they know and can do!
30th Street Construction Update
Pleasant Street to close north of Fontanero Street for several weeks to complete sanitary sewer work
Starting on Monday, Nov. 21, Pleasant Street will close on the north side of Fontanero Street to complete sanitary sewer work associated with the 30th Street Corridor Project. Design modifications and supply shortages resulted in postponing this work until now. Pleasant Street will be open from the north via Westmoor Drive.
Fontanero Street lane closures begin Dec. 5 for final storm sewer work
Lane closures and traffic shifts are expected on Fontanero Street near 30th Street starting Monday, Dec. 5. Crews will be working on the final storm sewer connections for the project. Drivers should plan on some delay traveling through the work zone. Drivers are encouraged to follow signs and crew instructions carefully. Storm sewer work is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.
This is a picture of Cyndy Tatum, our Teacher and Learning Coach
In this picture, Cyndy is facilitating a Pokémon Club after school. You may not see her in many pictures because she is often the one behind the camera. I wanted to make sure you all know how valuable she is as a part of the Howbert team. She supports all our staff every day with coaching and other valuable tasks. She supports students by teaching and running after-school clubs. And, she continually communicates through social media with photos of what great things are happening at Howbert.
Make sure if you see her, to thank her for all the great things she does!
Outdoor Learning: Trying snowshoes and learning about winter animals
Howbert Elementary is looking for . . .
- Recess supervisors - contact the front office 328-4200
- Interventionists/tutor - contact Cyndy Tatum cynthia.tatum@d11.org
- Crossing-guard - contact the front office 328-4200
đ€VOLUNTEERS WANTEDđ€
Howbert is seeking volunteers to help with a variety of activities in our school. Each week, we will list volunteer opportunities here. There will either be a link to sign up or you can always give the school a call and we'll be happy to help.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
- DECEMBER 5-8th - HOLIDAY GIFT SHOP It's that time of year again! Our Holiday Shop is always a favorite with the students but we need YOUR help to make it happen! Sign up for one, or many shifts. We appreciate your help! If you have any questions please email us at HowbertPTO@gmail.com. http://bit.ly/holidayshop2022
Please make sure to fill out THIS FORM prior to signing up. You only need to fill this out once. Once completed, call the Howbert office at 719-328-4200 and we will get you all set up!
â€The gift of your time is priceless to our studentsâ€
Random Acts of Kindness
Inclusiveness is including others, inviting them in, and welcoming them with open arms.
This week the goal is to look beyond our home and care for our community. How we treat and interact with our community as a family says a great deal about how much we care. This week our project focuses on personally interacting with our immediate community (neighborhood, town, etc.) through caring acts. See the PDF for the Home-Community project.
Free Social Emotional Learning Resource
The Emotional ABCs website is offering a free month of social-emotional lessons for families. The Emotional ABCs is a skills-based social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for children ages 4-11 which teaches foundational emotional skills. See below for the link.
Attention 5th Grade Families
Howbert Parent Teacher Organization
For information about our PTO please visit their website at https://howbertpto.wixsite.com/info and make sure to follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HowbertPTO/