PANTHER NEWS
PURDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOVEMBER 2017
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
The month of November brings with it much joy and gratitude. It is a wonderful time to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. I am certainly thankful for the many blessings in my life, including working with the amazing children, parents, teachers, and support staff at Purdy Elementary. Two months into the school year, and I’m thankful to report that the children have settled in as they have acclimated themselves to the daily routines and learning. I have seen a true spirit of teamwork and a willingness to learn by all of our students. It is a wonderful feeling to be associated with your children and the staff members of our school and community.
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As the principal of Purdy Elementary School, please remember my door is always open to you. Educating children through exceptional school programs is our goal and our passion. Your child is important to us. You are important to us. Together as a school family let us enjoy and relish every moment of this school year with our students because it passes by so quickly. One of our goals is to communicate great happenings at our school by posting something each day on our Facebook page. I hope you find the time to follow us on Purdy’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pes.psd401.net/ to see all we have to be thankful for at our school.
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As each of us enters this season of thanksgiving, let’s remember to be thankful for those in the Gig Harbor/Peninsula area who strive to provide quality education and support for our students. I am very thankful for our exceptional students, families and educators. Thank you for your support of Purdy Elementary. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any support.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Best regards,
Mrs. Kristi Rivera
Principal
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FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Safety is the number one priority at Purdy Elementary. Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the school has made preparations to respond effectively in such situations. Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Purdy Elementary has a detailed Emergency Operations Plan, which has been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe. Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency. Please impress upon your children the need for them to follow directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency.
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In the event of an emergency, students will be released only to parents and persons identified on the school emergency contact list. Because local telephone service may be interrupted, also list an out-of-state contact on the emergency contact list, as calls may still be made out of the area while incoming calls are affected.
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The decision to keep students at school will be based upon whether or not streets in the area are open. If this occurs, radio stations will be notified. In case of a hazardous release event (chemical spill) near the school area, shelter-in-place procedures will be implemented to provide in place protection. In the event of a serious incident in or near the school, the school will be placed in lockdown. Lockdown signs will be placed on the doors during a drill or emergency. When a dangerous incident has subsided, an all-clear signal will be given.
We will always do our best to keep children safe and free from harm. We look forward to working with you to help maintain a safe and secure environment.
Sincerely,
Bridgit Reichel
Assistant Principal
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Inclement Weather:
During the next few months the weather can be
unpredictable, one day rain the next day sunshine.
Please dress your student appropriately for the weather
(ex. rain boots, raincoat / jacket, gloves, hats). They still
go out for recess.
Transportation Changes:
- Please call or send a note to the office when your student has an afternoon transportation change, this includes clubs. After school transportation changes can only be made by a parent/guardian and need to be submitted before 3pm each day. On every note please include the name of the teacher and the last name of your child.
- The afternoon recess is from 2:15-2:35. Please make arrangements to pick your child up before or after that time as it is difficult to have them called in from recess.
Playground Rules:
Playground rules are established for the safety of all our students; game rules are established to promote fairness. Playground equipment is available to students during supervised recess time, not prior to the start of school. Please click on the attached link for more information of the playground rules
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7SJExW7yyDnYzFpNmYzVE9Eb2c
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November 20th
5th Grade Field Trip
Galaxy Movie Theater
November 28th
Picture Retakes
December 5th & 6th
PTA Sponsored
Make-It, Take-It
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
December 7th
5th Grade Jr Achievement
Field Trip
"Biz Town"
December 8th
Family Holiday Dance
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
December 15
Holiday Sing-A-Long
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Winter Break
Class resumes Tuesday, January 2, 2018
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HONORING OUR VETERANS
You are cordially invited to
Purdy Elementary School’s
Veterans Day Program
Thursday, November 9, 2017
In the Purdy Elementary Gym
Presented by
The 5 th Grade Classes
of Purdy Elementary
In honor of the men and women of
The United States Armed Forces, Past and Present
Performance times -
12:30-1:15 PM Audience: Kindergarten – Grade 2
1:30-2:15PM Audience: Grades 3 - 5
6:30 PM
Audience: Purdy Families and Friends
Performing students :
WEAR RED WHITE AND BLUE OR SOMETHING PATRIOTIC
please meet in the commons at 6:15
Veterans Day Assembly
Thursday, Nov 9, 2017, 06:30 PM
Purdy Elementary School, 62nd Avenue Northwest, Gig Harbor, WA, United States
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Spanish Class
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PURDY KITCHEN
Here's what is going on in the Purdy Kitchen.
11/9 Justice League fun lunch
11/16 Thanksgiving Feast
11/21 November Birthday Celebration
Every Friday-Legion of Boom Breakfast and Football trading cards at lunch
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CLUBS
Bricks For Kids
Tuesdays After School
3:30 pm - 4:40 pm
Meets in Mrs. Peterson's Classroom
Portable 11
Language Arts Classes
( Spanish and Chinese)
Wednesdays Before School
9:15 am - 9:45 am
Meets in Mr.Sams Classroom H-104 (Spanish)
Meets in Mrs. Komen's Classroom H-102 (Spanish)
Meets in Mrs. Beene's Classroom G-105 (Chinese)
Little Toasters
Wednesdays After School
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Meets in Ms. Jardin's Classroom
E103
Math Mentoring
Thursdays After School
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Meets in Mrs. McCutcheon's Classroom
Portable 8
Steam Club
Thursdays After School
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Meets in Mrs. Peterson's Classroom
Portable 11
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Highly Capable Referrals
For more information about the highly capable program, click the link below
https://psd401.net/hcp-program-description/
Highly Capable student referrals for district annual testing must be completed by the close of the day January 17, 2018. Both a teacher and a parent need to fill out a copy of this form for a student's referral.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKyoJ6Kko5BjswWm9fzfR04M8x247CWzyo0f1OKA6l2sc4Fw/viewform
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EMERGENCY PROCEDURE/ INCLEMENT WEATHER
2017-2018 School Year
To All Staff and Parents:
Soon the fall/winter storm season will be upon us and we have prepared this letter to assist staff and parents with Peninsula School District’s procedures and expectations during inclement weather and school closures. Below you will find guidelines to make this process easier for you and also to help you understand how weather decisions are made.
Making a Thoughtful Decision:
- Weather information is reviewed the day and night prior to the decision. A review with our transportation department and neighboring districts is also done.
- Starting at 3:00 a.m. or sooner, district officials and the transportation department drive emergency bus routes throughout the District’s 120 square miles.
- The District may choose to operate on a normal schedule, have a late start, or close entirely.
- Late starts allow us:
o time to monitor and adjust decisions to changing conditions.
o to provide the safety of daylight for students and transportation personnel.
o additional time for Peninsula School District staff to arrive to work.
o time for transportation to further critique snow routes and make necessary adjustments or modifications.
Communication:
- SchoolMessenger® System: notifies all staff and parents within 30 minutes by phone · Peninsula School District Website: www.psd401.net
- Peninsula School District Emergency Information Line: 253-530-1088
- Local TV and radio stations · KGHP (District radio station): 89.3FM, 89.9FM, 105.7FM; or, www.kghp.org
- Emergency bus route information is available in school offices and on the Peninsula School District website under “About Us; then, Transportation”
You may also subscribe to School Report through Public Schools Emergency Communications Systems (PSECS) which will automatically send you an email notifying you of any delays or closures that are posted. To subscribe go to: https://flashalert.net/news.html?id=4261
Again, please remember the District has a large geographical size and weather conditions may vary greatly from area to area. This may warrant closure or a late start for the entire District due to conditions impacting only limited areas. Student and employee safety is the highest priority.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Manahan, Ed.D
Superintendent
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Thanksgiving Safety From Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One
For most, the kitchen is the heart of the home, especially during the holidays. From testing family recipes to decorating cakes and cookies, everyone enjoys being part of the preparations.
So keeping fire safety top of mind in the kitchen during this joyous but hectic time is important, especially when there’s a lot of activity and people at home. As you start preparing your holiday schedule and organizing that large family feast, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One would like you to remember to follow a few simple safety tips you can enjoy time with your loved ones and keep yourself and your family safer from fire.
Kiddos in the Kitchen
Kids too love to hang out in the kitchen. Bringing in a “little helper” to prepare the Thanksgiving feast can add to the fun of cooking for your family. Check out the recommendations “Sparky” suggests before inviting kids into the kitchen. http://www.sparky.org/files/activities/files/kids_in_the_kitchen.pdf
Thanksgiving by the numbers
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
• In 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,760 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, the peak day for such fires.
• Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
• Cooking equipment was involved in almost half (48%) of all reported home fires and civilian and tied with heating equipment for the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
Safety tips
• Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
• Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
• Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
• Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
• Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
• Keep knives out of the reach of children.
• Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
• Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
• Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
A kitchen fire can definitely ruin any Thanksgiving feast. Hopefully by following these basic tips, you and your family will be able to sit back and enjoy all the things for which we are thankful.
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SPECIAL THANK YOU!
Dear Purdy PTA and Parents,
Thank you so much for supporting us with wonderful meals during conference week. We appreciated being able to focus on conferences and kids. Thank you for all the support and caring that you show the staff here at Purdy though out the year. Thank you for going the extra mile to help us feel appreciated and cared for.
Thank you,
Purdy Staff