Edgewood's Tiger Talk
February 22, 2019
We are committed to the journey of developing EACH child to be an inspired learner and a caring, contributing citizen.
Welcome Mrs. Barbeau
2nd Grade Writing
Concert
Notes from the Principal
Did you know that Forbes urges companies to adopt empathy-based principles, and the Harvard Business Review named it an "essential ingredient for leadership success and excellent performance"?
Empathy can sound like one of those fluffy things that fits well in elementary school, like the old saying, "sharing is caring." However, there are substantial, well-researched reasons that we focus on developing and practicing empathy at Edgewood that go beyond the fact that it makes our school a more caring, supportive environment.
Benefits of empathy include:
- Kindness
- Moral Courage
- A positive impact on reading, math, and critical thinking skills
- It counters bullying, aggression, and prejudice (Borba, Unselfie, 2017).
The foundation for empathy is emotional literacy, which is the ability to look at someone and understand how they're feeling. What can you do to help develop this skill?
Notice emotions in yourself and others. "You're happy because you feel proud." "Your fists are clenched. You're stressed." "See that lady in the supermarket? She looks overwhelmed." "Look at that dog. His tail is between his legs. He's scared."
Noticing requires that we pause and look at one another. That's challenging in today's fast-paced, plugged-in society. I'm always tempted to see if someone responded to my email, check tomorrow's weather, or quick send a funny text to a friend. There's always SOMETHING that I want to know or do online. But empathy develops through face-to-face interactions and conversation, not through screens. Knowing this helps me put my phone aside for the 20 minutes I'm eating dinner with the kids. What about you?
5K Choice Time
Artsy Corner with Mrs. Nolan
ART TO REMEMBER FUNDRAISER
It's that time again! Students have been working on fantastic art for our Art To Remember Fundraiser. Each student has created a lovely piece which is sent to ATR. Watch for it so you can order some special keepsakes with your child's art. The keepsakes are reasonable from Stickers to Pillows. Some favorites each year are mugs, mouse-pads, T-shirts, pillows, water bottles and dog-tag necklace. There are many other options for all those upcoming birthdays and special occasions.
Kid's just love gift-giving when it's personalized.
An order form will be sent home in early March. Ordering will be in early March. The very best way is to order ONLINE. Use the student info on the order form and it's super easy. No need to remember cash or check. Of course, you can order with cash/check as well, but watch the deadline!
Please keep in mind I do not have access to student information to order. You would have to go online to Art To Remember.com and contact them.
Thank you in advance for helping support the Art Department and creativity in your child. The funds help to pay for field trips to the Art Museum and adds a little extra to the art budget.
Your In the Arts,
Ms. Nolan
Art Specialist
Author Visits!
We have two author visits coming up.
On Friday, March 1st, Grades 3-5 will meet John Marciano, author of a new series, Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat. You can watch the book trailer here. Parents of students in grades 3-5, look for a book order form coming home. You get books at a discount AND kids can get the autographed by the author. Pretty cool!
On Tuesday, April 2nd, Grades 4K-2 will meet Andy Rash, a Wisconsin Author who has two new books, Unstinky (review here) and The Happy Book (review here). Look for order forms in a couple weeks.
EHSA Update
Did you make it to Family Movie Night? We had a great turn out, lots of yummy treats, and families really enjoyed the opportunity to meet their child’s classmates and other parents. Thank you for coming!
It may not feel like it, but Spring is fast approaching! You will be receiving information in your Thursday folder with information on some of the events organized by EHSA. Here is a sneak peek at what is coming up!
The St. Patrick’s Day Dance is Friday, March 15th 6-8 PM. In preparation for this event, we need a little help from you! You will receive a letter home with information about the Raffle available that night- with your donations, and the help of the classroom teachers, there will be many raffle baskets available. This is one of the highlights of our St. Patrick’s Day Dance- the kids look forward to it every year! Also, a Sign-Up Genius link will be shared via email and the “Edgewood Elementary” Facebook page early next month. Please consider signing up for a short shift to help this event run smoothly.
The Spring Scholastic Bookfair will be at our school March 13th-20th—open during recess and lunch, and during our St. Patrick’s Day Dance. There will be new titles available, a new, digital way to pay (“E-Wallet”) and, as always, teacher wishlists- a great way to donate books to your child’s classroom. If you would like to help with this event in any capacity, contact Maralee Boston maraleew22@gmail.com
Our next EHSA meeting will be March, 12th at 6:30 in the Learning Commons. Meetings typically last 1 hour and students are welcome!
Earn money for our EHSA when you shop on Amazon!
Upcoming Dates
* Wear Spirit Wear Every Friday! *
3/12: March EHSA Meeting, 6:30-7:30 in the Learning Commons
3/13-3/20: Bookfair (open during lunches & at the dance)
3/15: EHSA St. Patty's Day Dance
3/25-4/1: Spring Break
4/2-4/25--State Exams (Forward Testing) (Grades 3-5)
4/18: Special People's Day--Schedule will be coming soon