Black Cat Bulletin
Keeping it R.E.A.L! Respect + Effort + Attitude= Leadership
JANUARY 2016
From Our Principal...
Happy New Year!! Welcome to a brand new year, and a brand new semester. We have much to accomplish this semester, and much to celebrate. Our PBIS theme of "Keeping it REAL" is supporting us in growing together in Respect, Effort, and Attitude in order to advance our Learning and Leadership. This approach of positive behavior is leading us to recognize that which we are doing right and acknowledging it in students and staff. We are noticing a much better response to learning and leading when we lift people up instead of pointing out what is wrong. I invite you to incorporate this approach into your homes. Students are responding to recognition and praise by going beyond our expectations. I know you'll see the difference, too!
Another area in which there is cause for celebration is our ISTEP+ achievement. As you may have seen in the news, Indiana's schools' ISTEP+ scores have finally been released for 2014-15. Despite the increased difficulty of the test, our school performed in the top tier in Evansville for achievement. Our overall pass rate was 77.5%. We are still waiting for some information to be released and will continue to share our plan to continue improving and maximizing student growth.
Every child is important, every child matters. Our vision, “excellence in the development of the whole child” is exemplified in the efforts each teacher is making to help your child excel.
We have a special day coming up on January 21. We are hosting a Leadership Day from 9:00-12:30. We have a few positions open and would like to open this up to parent visitors. If you have the day off, we’d love to invite you to come see the students share their leadership while we teach staff from other schools about the Leader in Me process. You’ll have the opportunity to visit classrooms, hear about our journey, and see some great student presentations. Please call the school office if you’re able to attend. There is a $15.00 fee to cover lunch and materials, but if you’d prefer to not have materials and will not be staying for lunch, you are welcome to come at no charge.
Stay tuned as the semester progresses to learn about upcoming events for students and families. We have so many wonderfully supportive parents who volunteer their time to make our school community open, inviting, fun, educational, and to bring families together. Please consider joining us at events and becoming part of the fun!
Most sincerely,
Katie White
Principal
From Our Principal Intern
Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2016 and back to school. Let’s continue our child development benchmarks for nine and ten year olds.
9 Year-Olds:
· Better coordinated
· Like to push their physical limits; tire easily
· Complain about aches, pains, injuries, and hurt feelings
· May twist hair, bite nails, or purse lips to relieve tension
· Industrious and intellectually curious, but less imaginative than at eight
· Able to manage more than one concept at a time, such as “long ago and far away”
· Sometimes revert back to baby talk
· Can be sullen, moody, aloof, and negative; often say “I hate it, “ “It’s boring,” etc.
· Often complain about fairness issues
· Critical of self and others (including adults)
10 Year-Olds
· Large muscles are developing quickly
· Often write more sloppily than at nine
· Generally content; enjoy family, peers, and teachers
· Friendly, generally happy; quick to anger and quick to forgive
· Able to enjoy cooperative and competitive activities
· Listen well
· Read voraciously
· Expressive and talkative; like to explain things
· Very good at memorizing facts
· Can concentrate for long periods
· Enjoy collecting, classifying, and organizing
Many times families feel like their child must be the only one experiencing this or that…but remember, many times, 9 and 10 year-olds are doing just what they’re supposed to be doing. Remember, to be patient—this too shall pass J
On a different note, I have a new assignment starting this January. I will be spending time as a principal intern at Tekoppel Elementary. I will be at West Terrace for 6 days then 4 days Tekoppel. Then I repeat. I’m looking forward to this but will also miss seeing our “Black Cats.”
Robert White,
Principal Intern
From Our Counselor...
The following New Year tips/resolutions for kids are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
· I will drink reduced-fat milk and water every day, and drink soda and fruit drinks only at special times.
· I will put on sunscreen before I go outdoors on bright, sunny days. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I'm playing sports.
· I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
· I will always wear a helmet when riding a bike.
· I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I'll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
· I'll be friendly to kids who may have a hard time making friends by asking them to join activities such as sports or games.
· I will never encourage or even watch bullying, and will join with others in telling bullies to stop.
· I'll never give out private information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without asking my parent if it is okay.
· I will try to talk with my parent or a trusted adult when I have a problem or feel stressed.
· I promise to follow our household rules for videogames and internet use
Parents of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders
Please help us help your child prepare for this year's ISTEP+
As I walk through my high school days, I remember learning to type on a manual typewriter--that heavy carriage and the clang of the bell and the zing of the roller as you returned was a magical sound and feel. Then...I remember clearly the thrill of using an electric typewriter. The whizz and whirr of the keys was like music as my fingers danced across the keys. I also remember Correct-Type for fixing mistakes--a kind of paper white-out that required you to backspace and retype the mistake while holding down the magic key. Wow! I was a major user of that in the beginning stages of learning to type!!
Fast forward a decade and I was learning how to navigate my first home computer. A Hewlett Packard that didn't make me use any paper white-out to fix my errors when typing...and took me to magical places to learn all kinds of fabulous things about the world. It made me want to learn to type that much faster to make my way through new learning.
Another decade forward, and I am using a Nokia phone and learning to use numbers to type my letters. 2 clicks of the 5 for a K. 1 click of the 1 for an a. One click of the 8 for a t. Three clicks of the 4 for an i, and 2 clicks of the 3 for the e. There you go. Katie. I got pretty good at that pretty quickly. I never thought I'd do it, but I did!! I was the quickest clicker in the family. A mistake was easily undone with clicks, and redone with more clicks.
WHEW! A short few years later (after flip phones and slider phones) I luckily have my first iPhone to type texts and do searches and communicate with people all over the continent. No using the number keys to communicate. All of my mistakes here began to be auto-corrected which led to some further problems...sometimes funny, sometimes not. But I learned by trial and error how to type on those TINY little key board and work in a smaller space to get my point across.
Now, another decade forward, and students are no longer taking their tests with paper and pencil, they're using the computer for much of the exam. This has a lot of wonderful opportunities...just like that typewriter, computer, and iphone did. Along with the good, there is also a learning curve and we must practice in order to learn how to navigate the obstacles.
Who knew typing a fraction with only clickable symbols then typing in it could be such a challenge?? But I DID IT!! It took me three or four tries, and the help of a friend standing over my shoulder, but I DID IT!! (Thanks, Mrs. Paul!)
I'm almost 50. I've learned to grow and test and try and twist and turn and breathe and ask for help when I need it. That practice test for third graders STILL taught me new skills of problem solving I could only learn by doing. No one could have told me how, because that space bar kept getting in my way until I learned to control it. I. Had. To. Do. It. Myself.
Imagine a 9 year old, having very little practice trying to do what 3 decades of practice helped me to learn.
WE (your children, your teachers, and I) NEED YOUR HELP!!!
PLEASE take time to go to the link below and see what I saw. Take the tests and learn what I learned. Then help us help your children learn this, too. As much as we want them to be prepared for the technology part of this test, it can be an obstacle if we don't have your partnership.
PLEASE PLEASE allow your children to play with these tests. Let them do all of the grades they wish to do as many times as they wish. Be sure they look at every question and see how they would drag the answer to the right spot, or fill in the boxes, or understand why there are so many answers and learn to THINK their way through the issues. Be there to support them. Praise them for working hard. Praise them for thinking creatively. Support them when they get frustrated and give them a hint how to use the tool, or where to find the support for the answer if they need it. But let them work it out as much as they can independently.
By trial and error, and error and trial we learn. I want our students to have time BEFORE the ISTEP+ test to do this trial and error in a safe, supportive environment. Won't you help us by being sure you understand what your child is expected to do, and then supporting them in trials and errors, errors and trials?
OUR REQUEST:
You can click below for access to each grade.
http://download.pearsonaccessnext.com/IN/in-practice-tests-links.html
It is helpful for you to take the tests yourself before working the tests with your child. As I took the tests, I was aware of all of the things on which a child must concentrate in order to answer some of the items.
You will not get a score for the items, but if you would like to know the answers, your teacher, counselor, or principal may be able to assist you. Please reach out and we'll provide as much support as we can!
Thank you so much for helping us help your children!
Katie White
Cold and Flu Season is Here
Tips for recognizing the signs and symptoms of some common winter-time illnesses:
COLDS: Symptoms come on gradually:
Sore throat, sneezing, coughing up mucus
FLU: Symptoms appear quickly (in 3 to 6 hours)
Involves at least 2 of these 3 symptoms:
Dry cough, Body Aches, Fever (100 degrees or higher).
EAR INFECTION:
Symptoms may involve:
Rubbing or pulling at the ear Loss of hunger
Extreme irritability Fever
Tired, but not able to sleep Loss of balance
Trouble hearing Fluid from ear
FEVER:
A child is considered to have a fever when their temperature is 100° or greater. For a fever between 100° and 102°, it is recommended that you contact a medical provider or the Nurse Hotline (for children served by Hoosier Healthwise). Children with a fever greater than 102° may need to be seen for urgent/emergency treatment.
For more information on the flu, the Medicaid Nurse Hotline, AND on when to seek emergency room services, go to the EVSC Health Services’ links below:
http://www.edlinesites.net/pages/EVSC/EVSC_Offices/CenterforFamilySchooland/HealthandWellness
http://www.edlinesites.net/pages/EVSC/EVSC_Offices/CenterforFamilySchooland/HealthandWellness/HealthServices
HANDWASHING IS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST MOST ILLNESSES!
--Information provided by ANTHEM
Very Special Events
Programs:
March 3 - Kindergarten
April 7 - Grade 5 & Invention Convention
April 28 - Grade 4
Field Trips/Study Trips:
Grade 5 Perry Heights Visit - Wednesday, May 11
Classroom Parties
Grade 3 Happy New Year - Friday, January 15 1:45-2:30
West Terrace Black Cats Basketball Season Schedule
Remaining 2015-16 Games:
January 7 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Scott
January 11 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Cedar Hall
January 13 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Oak Hill
January 14 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Tekoppel
January 20 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Highland
January 25 HOME 4:30 Boys; 5:30 Girls -v- Cynthia Heights
West Terrace Black Cats Wrestling Practice January 11!
West Terrace Wrestling Schedule: The 2016 schedule has not been finalized. As soon as it is available, the meets will be added to our West Terrace website calendar, and a schedule sent to you via PeachJar.
Important Policies, News, and Information
Yearbook Groups and Clubs Picture Day
Monday Morning Guest Speakers Needed!
There is no better way to spark interest in a certain career path than to have parents speak about their jobs. We welcome you to participate in this community service opportunity at West Terrace! If you are interested in the opportunity to be one of our Monday morning guest speakers, please email our school counselor, April Coughlin. She will provide you with talking points and schedule your visit for a Monday morning at 7:45 am to talk about your line of work.
DARE Graduation
98 Fifth grade students received a DARE Certificate of Completion.
West Terrace Leadership Day January 21
We began the "Leader in Me" movement in August 2009, and received a grant in July 2013 to fully implement the training and habits in our school. We are excited to share how our leaders, young and "old," have grown thus far. We plan to give you an overview of what the Leader in Me process is, which incorporates the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People into our school for adults and children. We will show you ways that we have implemented each habit throughout our school and we will showcase some of the talents of our student leaders.
Registration fee for Leadership day is $15.00 per participant. Tickets are available by returning the registration form, or by calling the office.
Leadership Day Registration http://www.edlinesites.net/files/_KRIB2_/83041da56ddf71f83745a49013852ec4/wt-leadershipday.pdf
USI Tutoring Resumes Tuesday, January 19
Ladies & Gents Dance - February 5
Kindergarten Enrollment Round-Up - April 6
- EVSC Kindergarten enrollment will begin in mid-February. Packets will be available in the school office containing the necessary forms and important info about our school
- Kindergarten Round-Up parents/guardians and incoming kindergarten students attend for a tour, classroom visit and activities to familiarize both the parents and children about our school and policies. Folder and completed forms along with the child's birth certificate (see below) are to be returned at that time.
- Child must be 5 on or before August 1, 2016
- Must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
- Have a copy of the child's legal birth certificate (hospital certificate cannot be considered)
- Call 435-8453 to determine the school district in which you live
- Questions? Contact the West Terrace Office 812-435-8733
THANK YOU!
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to our PTA Teacher Wish Tree program. All of our teachers' "wishes" were granted for supplies and classroom items. Our teachers and students will all benefit from these wonderful gifts.
Student Leadership Council Food and Coat Drives
Thank you for bringing in canned yams and corn for the Tri-State Food Bank. Many food baskets were filled and distributed with your help.
All the coat collection boxes were overflowing with gently used adult and chidren's coats. Don's Cleaners will be cleaning the generously donated items and distributing to the community. It is going to be getting very cold and the more children and adults we can keep warm, the better!
Safety of Walkers
- Safety Patrol will be on duty school days from 7:50-8:05 a.m. and 3:12-3:20 p.m.
- Exceptions will be: Temperature - when the temp or wind chill is below freezing 32 degrees or lower - there will be no safety patrol guards on duty.
- Lightning - when streak lightning is observed, safety patrol guards will not be on duty. If lightning is observed while guards are at their post, they will immediately come back into the school.
- On days that fall into these categories, it is the RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFETY of their children to and from school. On these days, it would be best for students to be driven to/from West Terrace.
West Terrace PTA News
PTA "Most Fun" Fundraiser
PTA Dads and Donuts
PTA 4K 4Kids
PTA Read to Succeed/Six Flags Program
West Terrace App!
Report student absences, connect to RDS Parent Access, see school menus and make mealpayments via SchoolPay, all issues of Black Cat Bulletins, connect to PTA's facebook, photo gallery, and much more...
JOIN THE WEST TERRACE PTA!
Co-Vice Presidents: Sandi Davis and Christine Hamilton
Secretary: Sommer Schippert
Treasurer: Kerri Schu
Remaining 2015-16 Meetings
February 2, 6:30 PM
March 1, 6:00 PM
May 3, 3:30 PM
Helpful Resources:
WEST TERRACE JANUARY CALENDAR
This link connects you to the newest calendar (and our website). This will be updated daily throughout the year. Check back often!
WEST TERRACE STAFF
Kindergarten:
Tara Kolb, rm 32
Wendy Brunson, rm 30
Lisa Gooch, rm 33
Angela Hayes, rm 34
First Grade
Amanda Woods, rm 1
Brooke Corressell, rm 3
Mallorie Roberts, rm 6
Acacia Peak, rm 5
Second Grade
Vera Emmons, rm 9
Carie Kingery, rm 10
Trisha Kavanaugh, rm 15
Amy Nau, rm 12
Michael Goad, rm 17
Third Grade
Janette Allen, rm 11/ Emily Gogel, rm 16
Robin Bass, rm 19/ Denise Strawn, rm 18
Fourth Grade
Shelly DeWeese, rm 22/ Lindsey Stine, rm 29
Jennifer Cheski, rm 24/Amanda Southworth, rm 23
Fifth Grade
Trish Slagle, rm 26/Nicole Paul, rm 27
Renee Smigel, rm 28/Simone Nance, rm 25
Special Ed
LIfeskills:
Jennifer Bennett, rm 4
Leeann Butrum, rm 2
Resource:
Renee Jackson, rm 14
Shelley Patton, rm 21
Amanda Ritzert, media center
Rotation
Susan Kemper, Art, rm 8
Anne Woodruff, Music, rm 7
Peggy Belanger, Gym
Nadine Risley, Technology
Office
Katie White, Principal
Robert White, Principal Intern
April Coughlin, Counselor
Christine Hamilton, Nurse
Peggy Jewell, Media Aide
EVSC Calendar 2015-16
West Terrace Elementary School
8000 West Terrace Drive
Evansville, IN 47712
FAX (812) 435-8869
Email: katie.white@evsc.k12.in.us
Website: evscschools.com/westterrace
Location: West Terrace Elementary School, West Terrace Drive, Evansville, IN, United States
Phone: (812) 435-8733
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Terrace-Elementary-School/333852756647518