Newell Family Sunday Message 12/15

Newell Families,

We are settling in for the last 5 days before Winter Break. We will be working hard, staying consistent on our schedules, and sprinkling in fun as well. We will end the week with winter classroom parties at 1:45pm on Friday. As we get closer to the holidays please make sure that you are continuing to keep your children on normal routines at home as much as possible too. It's going to be a fantastic week!

- Mr. Balcom

Our GENEROUS families donated over 700 items to our Giving Tree this year! Thank you so much for supporting CASA, local food bank, and Toys for Tots.

THIS WEEK we will be having dress-up theme days for students and staff.

• Monday: A Long Winter's Nap Wear comfy clothes or your Pajamas!
• Tuesday: Christmas Characters Dress up as one of Santa's helpers or as your favorite holiday character.
• Wednesday: Candy Cane Day Wear red and white; stripes are a bonus!
• Thursday Grinch Day Come dressed in green or Grinch attire!
• Friday: Festive Friday Wear your Christmas sweaters and/or your favorite holiday accessories!

Students in Grades K-5 will take their Winter MAP Math Tests this month. Your child’s teacher will provide a schedule of testing days. Make sure your child gets good sleep and has breakfast on testing days.

Assigned Tests:

• Kindergarten: Math MAP Test
• 1st Graders: Math MAP Test
• 2nd Graders: Math MAP Test
• 3rd Graders: Math MAP Test
• 4th Graders: Math MAP Test
• 5th Graders: Math MAP Test

*All students will take their DIBELS Reading Benchmark Assessment in January.

Each week we'll let you behind the scenes on what students are learning at Newell.

This week we are looking at Math MAPS testing!

Winter Math MAPS testing. All students at Newell take the MAP three times per year, Fall, Winter, and Spring. We use the data from these MAP assessments to gauge how well students are learning Mathematics and identify who needs to be challenged more and who needs additional support. In the coming weeks our staff will be analyzing that data. They will decide in their PLCs to enhance Core Lessons and or make changes to WIN time groups. We are excited to see how much our students have grown!

This section includes updates and important information from our amazing Newell PTA! More information is always available on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/NewellElementaryPTA

We will not have a meeting in December. Our next PTA Meeting will be Monday, January 13th from 6:30 – 7:30pm! We will meet in the commons area at Newell. We will plan fall and winter events, as well as family game night and fundraisers. A spanish translator will be joining us as well.

Make sure to like our Newell PTA Facebook Page so you don't miss out on any information!

https://www.facebook.com/NewellElementaryPta/

Did you know our school is a Box Top for education school? It’s super easy to help our school raise extra funds!

1. Download the Box Top for Education app!
2. Choose our school— A B Newell Elementary School
3. Go grocery shopping!
4. Scan every receipt just to make sure you’re not missing anything!
5. Repeat steps 3&4 as often as you need to!

Friday December 20th

• Elf on the Shelf's Annual Visit to Newell
• Winter Classroom Parties (1:45pm to 2:45pm )

Winter Break - No School

• December 21st - January 7th (students return January 8th)

Monday January 13th

• 6:30pm - Newell PTA Meeting

Keep up with our FULL Calendar of EVERYTHING going on here: http://bit.ly/newellcal

Enjoy these recent photos!

Click to zoom in.

Messages that are important all year long!

Your child’s education and well-being is important to us. If your family or child is experiencing difficulties at home, we would love to be able to provide additional support at school. We understand that you are not always able to share details and that’s okay. If your child is coming to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend, send a message or note with the words, “Handle with Care.” Nothing else will be said or asked. This will let us know that your child may need extra space, time, patience, and help during the day.

Parents, there is a lot of illness going around. Please monitor your child for symptoms.

Description of Fever:

1. A fever is a temporary increase in body temperature, usually caused by an illness.
2. In most mild, two to five day, childhood illnesses, fever is lowest in the morning, rises in the afternoon, and will be the highest in evening and night. As the child begins to recover, morning temperatures will be normal with fever still present later in the day.

Management:

1. Students with a temperature of 100 F or more may be sent home from school.
2. Students may return to school when their temperature has remained below 100.0 for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.

Social media posts as well as a phone call, email or text message will inform you of urgent announcements and weather emergencies. Please be sure our office has your most current telephone and email information.

A regular school day begins at 8:00am and dismisses at 3:05pm, Monday through Friday. Students may be dropped after 7:30am. Students must be picked up by 3:15pm.

Please make your child aware of his/her after school plan. If transportation or daycare plans change, please call the office so we can let your child’s teacher know. Thank you.

We start our school day right at 8:00am. It is VERY important that your child is in class ready to learn at 8:00. Breakfast is served from 7:30am to 7:50am. We are unable to serve students breakfast after 7:50am. If your child needs to eat breakfast at Newell, plan to have them on campus with enough time to get to our breakfast line by 7:50. Students arriving after 7:50 should go to their class lines. Breakfast is FREE for ALL students!

ALL visitors need to check in at the office and wear given identification while in the school. All visitors must ring the buzzer at door #1. Our staff is busily working with students during the school day. If visiting Newell to speak with a staff member, you may be asked to make an appointment at a later time.

Birthdays may be celebrated in each child’s classroom. Families are NOT required or expected to provide treats or gifts. However, if you want to offer treats, please provide healthy snacks that are individually packaged. Cupcakes, cookies, donuts, etc. will not be allowed.

As cited on page 34 of the GIPS Student Handbook:

"Students in grades Pre-K-5 are discouraged from bringing ECDs (Electronic Communication Devices) to school."

If you need to send an Electronic Communication Device with your student, the handbook states:

"Phones should be kept either turned off, or on silent following the rules specified by the classroom teacher."

At Newell students either keep their phones off or silent in their backpacks or they bring their phones to our secretaries in the office at the beginning of the day to keep them safe, also off or on silent. Note: your child will not be able to send or read messages or calls during the school day.

If you have questions please reach out to Mr. Balcom.

The full handbook is online here: https://www.gips.org/Page/105

Have a wonderful week!

Nate Balcom- Principal

Heather Glause - Secretary

Kathy Schulte - Attendance Secretary

Jami White - Social Worker

Tiffanie Oswald - Nurse

Yolanda Seiler - Spanish Interpreter