Cooks Chronicle
March 2019
Principals Chat
We also have a lot of fun events happening this month.... VIP day, Poetry Night, Kindergarten Round Up, several field trips, the 2nd grade teachers visit the Ron Clark Academy and Field Day is right around the corner! We should all hold on tight because I have a feeling the next 8 weeks are going to fly!!
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Birthday Book Club News
We did it! We reached our 50th member of the Birthday Book club, and then some!
Our 50th member is Collin Fisher from 2nd grade, Mrs. Alix’s class! Other new members include: Ella Micka, Kullen Eckley, Mrs. Kucharyski, Arriannah Berumen-Owens, Braden Mulligan, Mia Mulligan, John Lawson, Dean Gillespie, Molly Lawson, Emma Covel, Owen Morris, Penelope Stamp, Benjamin Dillabaugh, Emily Stoltzfus adnd Ava Mulcahy.
Because we reached our 50th member, the following students each received a prize bag full of goodies including hatchimals, and a book to keep: Eliza Blastik, Coe Krischke, Carlyle Freeman, Easton Worsham, Devin Alsman, Holly Koudelka, Ella Morris, Sam Marshall, Aidan Mulcahy, Evan Willett, Emmy Hlinsky, Ella Micka, Kullen Eckely, Mia Mulligan and Collin Fisher. Congratulations to all the winners!
And a big thank you to all our members for adding over 60 new books to our Media Center Shelves!
V.I.P Days
V.I.P (Very Important Person) Day is coming April 8-10th. VIP’s can include any family member or a friend that holds a special place in your child’s heart. Those attending will have the opportunity to visit the classroom, participate in activities, have their picture taken with the student(s) and shop at the Scholastic Book Fair.
Please check your child’s folder for a special invitation with additional details and form to RSVP. Please return this form no later than APRIL 2nd.
If there is a conflict during your student’s assigned day we can always make an exception for another day during the event. Please contact the office for special arrangements.
Monday, April 8th
2nd Grade: 9am-10am
4th Grade: 1pm-2pm
Tuesday, April 9th
1st Grade: 9am-10am
3rd Grade: 1pm-2pm
Wednesday, April 10th
5th Grade: 9am-10am
TK & Kindergarten: 1pm-2pm
COOKS CAFE - A POETRY CAFE
The Cooks Corners market will be transformed into a cafe setting where students in grades K-5 will be invited to read aloud their favorite poem or a poem they have written or read in class. Groups of students are aliss invited to read poems. Also enjoy the student art decorating the walls.
The event will be held on Thursday, April 11th from 6-8pm.
A detailed flyer and registration has been sent home. If your students(s) are planning to participate please complete the flyer and return by Friday, April 5th.
Arts-A-Budding Art Show
The 43rd Annual Porter County Arts-A-Budding student art exhibit was held from March 2-13th at the Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso University Campus. This is an exhibit of art work by students in grades K-8 in Porter County. Each art teacher was able to choose 11 students to display artwork in the show.
Congratulations to our Cooks Students who were chosen this year!
Bailey Webb, 1st Grade
Maxx Wolfe, Kindergarten
Sophia Norrod, 4th Grade Cooks Corners
Johanna Le, 5th Grade Cooks Corners
Kayla Garcia-Ortiz, 2nd Grade Cooks Corners
Maggie Pikula, 4th Grade Cooks Corners
Matthew Zelechoski, 3rd Grade Cooks Corners
Ramsey Corrado, 5th Grade Cooks Corners
Katie Brooks, 5th Grade Cooks Corners
Ena Gilliana, 5th Grade Cooks Corners
Ingrid Danger, 5th Grade Cooks Corners
*Not all students are pictured above as some were not able to attend.
Spring into the @rts 2019
A message from your art teachers regarding Spring into the @rts 2019!
Hello families!
Please mark your calendars for ART-astic opportunities + experiences for our community April 11- May 18th! This is our 4th consecutive year celebrating the arts in our month-long, district festival, which is free to our community.
Each event is student-centered and showcases a specific art form through student exhibits and/or performances. Please read more about each event below or visit www.springintothearts.com for more information.
Also! This year we are offering exclusive festival wear + gear to help support our festival, organized completely through your generous donations, business sponsorships, and grants! Any orders placed will be shipped directly to you in time for our events. You can order from our website by clicking on the merchandise images. Thank you in advance for your support!!!
Event dates:
VHS Honors Show: Thursday, April 18-19th 6-8p Upper Gymnasium "Visual Art"
The @rt-chitecture Walk: Saturday, April 27th Urschel Pavilion "Visual Art"
Valpo Film Festiv@l: Saturday, May 4th VHS Auditorium "Film"
Where Did V@n Gogh: Sunday, May 20th Urschel "Performance Art"
*REMINDER to all students: The deadline for "One Minute to Film It" submissions is Saturday, April 13th at midnight. Feel free to visit our film festival page for information + contest rules. This year we have a special category entitled "May the 4th Be With YOU".
ANYONE (students, staff, family, or the public) is able to submit 60 second films into this Sci-Fi themed category. Our goal is to present Go-Pros to our 1st place winners in each category at The Valpo Film Festiv@l on May 4th! So go it SOLO or gather your ALLIANCE, but start creating!
Field Day 2019
KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP
Kindergarten Round Up is fast approaching! If your child will be starting Kindergarten in the fall of 2019 each elementary will offer two identical meetings for roundup. Please choose the one that best fits your schedule.
Children, who are 5 years old prior to August 1st 2019, entering kindergarten in the fall of 2019, and their parents, must make arrangements to attend. During the meeting, all students will be given an assessment.
The schedule for Cooks Corners is as follows:
Friday, April 12, 2019:
9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. or 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Please bring the following documents with you to Kindergarten Round Up:
* Birth Certificate
* Immunization Records
* Proof of Residency:
For a homeowner - mortgage papers or tax receipt, utility bill, driver's license and water bill. For someone leasing - a lease agreement, a piece of mail, driver's license, utility bill or pay stub.
Please complete the pre-registration form for Cooks Corners here:
PTO News
Thanks to everyone who came to the PTO meeting in March. We discussed some ideas on what to spend some of our surplus on and listened to a guest, Garner Tullis from Our Greater Good. Garner explained how his organization has started an initiative to help families with young children understand developmental milestones and get a good start even before they enter kindergarten. A checklist entitled "Growing Great Kids" is available in the office for free! In addition, Garner offers classes in Parenting with Love and Logic, also free of charge. See https://www.ourgreatergood.com/ for more information.
Hope you can make it to the April meeting, Wed., Apr. 3 at 6pm. Have a great break!
If you have any questions, email ptocookscorners@gmail.com.
Jes Warren
PTO President
CUB SCOUTS
Cooks Corners Cub Scouts Pack 902 is having an open Pack meeting on Monday, April 8th in the Cooks Corners cafeteria at 6pm. Come join us!
This will be a chance to see what Cub Scouts is all about and find out more information.
SPRING BOOK FAIR
The Spring Book Fair will be running April 8-12 and will be open during school hours. Like last year the book fair will also be open during the VIP WEEK visits for students to shop with their VIP's.
Parents can also visit the school and shop the book fair, but must have a background check on file.
More information iwth specific details and book fair times will be coming home with each student in the near future!
BOX TOPS
Box Tops are always welcome! Please continue to collect box tops and turn in with your student’s name and class marked on the bag. We will continue to collect between Box Top submissions! Thank you!
MOM'S NIGHT OUT
Our next MNO will be a mani/pedi night at Aqua Nail Spa in Chesterton on Wednesday, March 20th from 5:30-7:30.
If you are interested in attending please email Raynelle Howlett at raynellehowlett@yahoo.com to be included in the Signup Genius distribution that will be sent to RSVP and reserve you mani/pedi spot! This is always a fun evening of BYOB and appetizers to enjoy a fun night out with other Cooks moms!
DAD'S CLUB - DAD'S NIGHT OUT
The next even is scheduled for Saturday, April 6th and will be NCAA Final Four Night.
If you would like to attend or for additional information and to be included on the email distribution for the Dad's Club please RSVP/Contact cooksdadsclub@gmail.com
Riley Skate Night - Success!
The 2019 Riley Care and Share Week was record breaking for Jar Wars and Skate Night! The GRAND TOTAL DONATION for Riley Hospital this year is: $4637.56!
Thank you to everyone, from students and teachers participating in jar wars to parents at home sending in the change; to the businesses and families who donated supplies, raffle items, and the volunteers who helped any way they could.
This event and success this year was possible because of you!
JAR WARS FUN
This year the students, teachers and families raised $2351.27 for Riley Hospital during Jar Wars! The excitement among the students every morning was contagious and as the days in the week progressed, the donation totals increased with $1124.73 coming in on Friday. WOW!
The class that brought the most pennies for the week was Ms. Cribbs ($96.05), followed by Ms. Yatsko ($81.24), Ms. Wilcoxson ($69.38), Ms. Zromkoski ($69.12).
The classes that were "bombed" the most by other classes were Ms. Wilcoxson ($226.80), followed by Ms. Yatsko ($195.01) and Ms. Zromkoski ($179.67).
The class that was closest to breaking even between pennies brought in vs. bombs against the class was Mrs. Warren with a score of -$2.41.
SKATE NIGHT FUN
We raised $2276.29 at Skate Night between admission, raffle ticket sales, and food purchased!!
Donations for supplies came from:
Valparaiso Cinemark - Valparaiso Kiwanis - Edward Jones, Devon Mulligan
The Porter Family - The Krolik Family
Donations for the raffle table came from:
Culvers - Funflatables - Younique - Pour House - Locks of Fun - Pestos - Perpetual Motion - YMCA - Krolik Family - Kinsey Family - Candice Natzke, Hera Cut & Color - Mulcahy Family - Anderson Family - Kristen Mulligan, Pampered Chef - Porter Family - Tiffanie Worsham, Rodan + Fields - Berumen Family - Cheuk Family - Ofman Family - Willett Family - Betts - Hord Family - Burns Family - Smith Family - Krischke Family - Alsman Family
And, a special thanks to Kristen Mulligan and Jori Krischke our Riley Skate Night Committee Chairs for all your work continuing this Cooks tradition!
UPCOMING DATES
Every Mon. 3/11-5/20: Chess Scholars - ends @ 4:20pm
Every Wed. @ 3:20pm: Drama Kids - ends @ 4:20pm
Every Wed. (starting Jan. 23) @ 7:45am: Choir
Every Fri. 3/22-5/24: Let's Build It - ends @ 4:20pm
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3/25 thru 3/31: Spring Break
4/1: E-Learning Day (from 2/12/19)
4/3: PTO Mtg @ 6pm
4/4: Team Lead Outing to TJMS
4/8-4/10: V.I.P. Day @ Day and time varies depending on student's grade level
4/9: 2nd Grade to Munster Theatre - Little Red Riding Hood
4/11: Cooks Cafe: A Poetry Cafe @ 6pm
4/12: Kindergarten Round-Up (9:15am-10:30am) and (1:15pm-2:30pm)
4/15 thru 4/18: Elementary Girls Basketball Camp @ Cooks
4/18: Think Green: A Healthy Planet Assembly
4/18: Board Mtg @ 6pm
4/19: 1/2 Day for Students K-12
4/22: Traditional Weather Make-Up Day (from 1/23/19)
4/23: 1st Grade Walk to My Future at Valpo University
Student Council News
This is Cooks Corners Elementary Student Council, we are trying to beautify the outdoor learning area for the students. Student Council would like to make a relaxing, learning outdoor area for the students. We are needing some supplies including shovels, gardening tools, perennial plants, and other outdoor decorations (including benches). To celebrate Earth Day we would like to make April 20th the day we make the outdoor learning area come to life. If you would like to donate supplies please send them in before April 20th. If you are interested in volunteering on April 20th please contact Mrs. Esola at desola@valpo.k12.in.us.
Thank you for volunteering your time to help make an educational area for the students.