![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/u/backgrounds/custom_bg-5f8dca64ee4d7d0b86a22bca-13ce97cad0c5.jpg)
Terrapin News
January 2024
This newsletter can be translated
¡Este boletín se puede traducir! Primero, haga clic en el enlace "View it in your browser" en la parte superior del correo electrónico (si lo está viendo desde su bandeja de entrada). Luego, desplácese hasta la parte inferior de la página donde dice "Translate" y elija su idioma.
Happy New Year, Terrapins!
As a building, we will focus our attention around goal setting and perseverance during the month of January. Goal setting has shown to be one of the traits that is most closely associated with being successful as a person, and isn’t just a focus for adults. Goal setting not only enhances children's motivation and focus but also supports growth in self-discipline and self-esteem. Students will be learning that a goal is something we are trying to do, reach or accomplish. Good goals are specific and challenging but doable. We also thought it might be fun to challenge you all to also work on goal setting and persevere as a family by working on a common family goal.
Here are some simple steps you can take as a family
Identify a goal–discuss and write down family dreams and aspirations. Reread the list and select one or two to focus on together. Be sure the goals you chose as a family are clear and realistic.
Establish a timeframe–identify when you hope the goal will be reached along with short term benchmarks to monitor progress.
Talk through steps to success–write down tasks or plans on a sticky note that must be completed or achieved in order to reach the family goal. Place those steps in order and when a step is achieved, be sure to mark that off on the list.
Track goal progress and celebrate successes–place a visual of the family goals in a frequently visited space so all members of the family can be reminded of their intentions and help increase motivation.
Here are a few ideas of family goals to try together:
Implement family reading time each night
Get active–incorporate some type of movement into each day
Focus on your social/emotional wellbeing by practicing mindfulness
Focus on uninterrupted families dinners
Participate in a 5K run as a family
Choose a volunteer service project
Create a family garden
Check out these other resources around goal setting and perseverance:
Cheers!
Michael Marincic, Principal
608-478-5101
Welcome Back Terrapins!
School resumes Tuesday, Jan 2
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
January 8 - 12, 2024
SCOTS Meeting
Tuesday, January 9
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Click here to access the Zoom link
4th Grade Swimming Unit
Thursday, January 11 and Tuesday, January 16
SCOTS Family Movie Night
Monday, January 12
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
No School
Monday, January 15
1st Grade Glow in the Dark Family Literacy Night
Thursday, January 18
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
End of 2nd Quarter
Friday, January 19
No School
Monday, January 22
Primal'Cue Share Event
Wednesday, January 31
4:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Helpful Links
- Please visit the Token Springs website for 2023-2024 Recess & Lunch Schedules
- For further details about days off this school year, please visit the School Year Calendar At a Glance 2023-2024
- SPASD Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Stay Connected with the SPASD App
This app allows students, staff and caregivers to access information quickly and easily. It provides access to school blackboard connect notifications, school menus, calendar, District news, Peachjar flyers and more. Students and caregivers can also access Infinite Campus via the app, which provides information regarding attendance, grades and more. To download the app, visit either the iPhone App Store or the Google Play Store.
Help Us Welcome Our New School Psychologist!
Hi Token Springs Community! My name is Alex Latham (Mr. Alex) and I'm so excited to be joining TS as the new school psychologist. I'm currently a student at UW-Madison where I'll be finishing my Ph.D. in School Psychology next year. Personally, I love to run, bike, play frisbee, explore new cities and hiking trails, watch movies, and listen to podcasts. Professionally, I aim to treat everyone with warm enthusiasm and am passionate about making sure students feel welcomed, supported, and motivated. I can't wait to meet you all and would love to talk with you more about all the resources School Psychologists have to offer! For a small snapshot, here is a great resource, or for a larger snapshot please don't hesitate to reach out to me!
Spring Clubs!
Spring clubs will be starting the last week of January/first week of February. Watch your student's take home folders for more information. A permission slip must be completed for your student to participate. For a list of clubs, please visit our Club & Activities webpage.
Time to Order Yearbooks!
Please visit the Empire Photography Yearbook Ordering website to place your 2023-2024 Token Springs Yearbook(s). Soft cover yearbooks are $16.00 and Hard cover yearbooks are $29.00. Yearbooks will be distributed the last week of school. The deadline to order your yearbook is Friday, March 22nd.
Winter is On the Way!
With colder weather soon to come, please make sure your student(s) are dressed appropriately for outside recess!
- Hats
- Gloves or Mittens
- Fall/Winter Coat
- Boots (don't forget a change of shoes for afterwards)
**We get A LOT of lost and found items! Please make sure your student's name is on any clothing or items that may get misplaced**
SPASD Winter Guidelines for Recess
Students will stay indoors during inclement weather or when the air or wind chill temperature is at or below 0°F. The school principal will check local weather websites for temperature and wind chill factors.
Token Springs Reminders
Door Buzzer
When visiting the school, please continue to use our door buzzer system (located at the far right of the main entrance with a red sign). This is a district-wide protocol that will continue to help ensure the right people are in our building for the right reasons. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!
Wellness Policy
Baked goods that are served or provided in the classrooms must be purchased, not homemade, and be in a wrapper which contains nutrition information and expiration date. For more information on the Sun Prairie Area School District's wellness policy, please click on the following links: Policy JHK, JHK-R
Planning on Chaperoning or Volunteering?
Are you planning on chaperoning field trips or volunteering at Token Springs this year? Criminal background checks are now completed online. If you have not had a criminal background check completed in the last 3 years, please take a moment to fill out the online criminal background check.
It can take up to two weeks for your background check to be approved. If you are planning on chaperoning any upcoming field trips or volunteering in the school, please take a moment to fill out the online criminal background check so that you are ready to go when these events occur.
Volunteer Terrapin Program
We are excited to bring back our highly successful Volunteer Terrapin program for the 2023-24 school year! Our educators will continue to populate opportunities as they settle into the school year, in the meantime, take a look at our sign-up and check out our current volunteering opportunities starting Monday, September 11th. You must have an approved criminal background check on file prior to being a volunteer terrapin.
Virtual Art Fair
Each month we will be showcasing some artwork by some of our students.
Donations Request
The nurses office is in need of new unworn underwear for boys sizes 4 and 6 and socks for girls. We can also use plastic grocery bags to send wet clothes home in. We no longer need boys or girls clothing.
We currently have colds, flu, stomach flu, high fevers and covid going through the school. We know there will most likely be an influx of sickness after vacation. So just as a reminder, keep your student home if they have a fever (without medication), are too tired to function in class or have a constant cough that is uncontrollable.
There are currently multiple cases of strep throat in our school. What are the symptoms of strep throat? Common symptoms include: sore throat, red or white bumps on back of throat pain when swallowing, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Some children may also have a headache or stomach ache. In rare cases, a bright red skin rash may occur, this is known as scarlet fever. If a person also has a cough, runny nose, and/or sneezing it is more likely to be a viral infection and not strep throat.
Is there a treatment for strep?
Strep throat is usually treated with an antibiotic. If your child has strep throat he/she must
be on antibiotics for at least 24 hours and have a temperature less than 100.4 for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medication) before returning to school.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Barb deVenecia, School Nurse
Bullying Prevention
As part of the Sun Prairie School District Bullying Prevention Initiative, it is our goal to educate all caretakers around bullying prevention. Below you will find several resources including a brief presentation focused on bullying prevention, the Sun Prairie Area School District Bullying Report Form and the Electronic Safety Tip Line. Please take a few minutes to review these resources and educate yourself around the policies and procedures utilized in Sun Prairie to help keep ALL students feeling safe and valued in our community.
- Bullying Prevention Presentation for ALL caretakers
- Bullying Presentation Google Slides
- Bullying Report Form
- Electronic Safety Tip Line
Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Zweifel, School Counselor
Click here to see upcoming events for ALPS including:
- Greater Dane Anthrology Project
- Math 24
Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
Emily Miller, Advanced Learner Teacher
Phone: 608-478-5167
What is SCOTS?
SCOTS or the School Community Organization of Token Springs is the Parent Group here at Token Springs. PTA... PTO... SCO... Same thing. Parents coming together to build a sense of community around our school. We organize events for afterschool, help show our appreciation to our dedicated staff, and can help facilitate things the school can't (like connecting parents via a voluntary directory).
We are a 501(3)(c) non profit. We are run by volunteers. We have a 5 member board this year (most in Sun Prairie, woot woot!), we have amazing volunteers that run Book Fairs, design Spirit Wear, create haunted houses, organize a Terrapin Trot, put together the Yearbook and so much more.
So if you have an event idea, email us at tokenspringssco@gmail.com and we will help make it happen. A Ga Ga Ball Tournament? A sidewalk chalk contest? A snowball fight? Bring the idea and we'll bring the resources and manpower to make the event happen. Our meetings happen the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 at Token Springs AND via zoom. You can also check out our SCOTS linktree for upcoming events and links.
2023-2024 Officers
President - Amy Knock
Vice President - Kayla Degnan
Treasurer - Corine Friday
Secretary - Christy Tubbs
Parent Liaison - Tiffany Black
SCOTS Meeting
Tuesday, January 9 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
This meeting will be held in person in the LGI as well virtually via Token Springs/Zoom
SCOTS Family Movie Night - January 12th
Join us on Friday, January 12th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. for a showing of The Super Mario Bros. movie. This is a great opportunity to connect with the whole family and have fun outside of school hours! Refreshments will be available for purchase. Bring blankets, dinner, or your own snacks and drinks. The movie will be shown in the gym and cafeteria. We hope you can make it, and enjoy the night out with us.
Primal'Cue Share Night - January 31st
Dine at Primal'Cue from 4:30 - 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31st to help raise funds for Central Heights SCO and Token Springs SCO!
New Student Registration - 5K thru 12th Grade
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will be open on February 1st! New students to SPASD are able to enroll online HERE after February 1.
Please note that as a 4K student, your child is already enrolled in kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. You will begin receiving information from your elementary school in the month of January.
Your kindergarten enrollment is based on the address we currently have on file for 4K. If you have moved during the 2023-2024 school year please make sure that the 4K office has your new address! If you have any questions or need to share a new address call the 4K office 834-6672
4K Registration
Enrollment into SP4K 2024-2025 will be open on February 1st! New students to SP4K can follow the two-step enrollment process HERE after February 1st. Please contact the SP4K office at (608)834-6672 with any questions.
Cafeteria Connection - January 2024
Click here for the January Cafeteria Connection. If you have any questions regarding your students food service account please contact us at nutritiondepartment@sunprairieschools.org.
Wisconsin Wayfinder: Essential Children's Resources
A newly developed, statewide, user-friendly website and toll-free number, 877-WiscWay (877-947-2929), provides families with convenient, direct access to compassionate and knowledgeable children’s resource guides. Click here to access the Wisconsin Wayfinder webpage.
Sun Prairie Neighborhood Navigators
The Sun Prairie Neighborhood Navigators program serves as a connector in the community, ensuring that all members of the Sun Prairie Community have a support system, have a voice for change and have access to resources. Click here to learn more!
Child Find Notifications
The Sun Prairie Area School District is required by state and federal law to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services. This process is known as child find. The Sun Prairie Area School District is also required to provide annual notice of its child find activities. Please click on the documents below for more information.
Token Springs Elementary School
Website: https://www.sunprairieschools.org/token-springs-home
Location: 1435 North Thompson Road, Sun Prairie, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 478-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TokenSpringsElementary/
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION
No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expressions, and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession, or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur.
(SPASD District Policy JB
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.
If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.
NEW NOTICE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES ON SEX DISCRIMINATION, THE DISTRICT’S TITLE IX COORDINATOR, AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING OR FILING A COMPLAINT OF SEX DISCRIMINATION
The Sun Prairie Area School District (“District”) does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that the District operates. Title IX’s requirement not to discriminate in any education program or activity extends to cover, but is not limited to, District students, certain admissions processes, and District employment. To access the relevant policy and procedures you can go to the District’s website. For inquiries regarding how Title IX and the federal Title IX regulations apply to the District please contact the District’s Title IX Coordinator, (the Director of Student Policy & School Operations, 501 S. Bird Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590, 608-834-6624 or by email at titleixcoordinator@sunprairieschools.org.)