Amana Elementary
Newsletter
Never underestimate the ingenuity of young people!
Recess is a fascinating time. There are literally 100s of different social interactions at any given time. 100 years ago and I am more than confident in another 100 years, the ingenuity of young people is never more present than when given the opportunity to interact with snow, leaves, sticks, rocks and dirt! The week didn’t start out all that great with the dreaded S word delaying school. It has been fun watching students build, roll, transport and sled (slide, snowboarding etc.) Today’s weather was amazing! It did present some difficulties for students who so desperately wanted to glide down our hills. Try as they might, sledding/snowboarding on grass was not nearly as exciting as it was yesterday. I did love watching them work through the process to try and make it work. There was a loud cheer when one of the students realized the snow directly behind the swings was mostly intact. Lots of smiles, camaraderie and problem solving. Awesome!
It’s always a fascinating study of human behavior when one large group of students come together with one soccer ball! Today (and I think it’s been an ongoing game for some time), the 4th grade played the 5th grade in an exciting game of soccer that spanned the entire length of the playground with the goals being the entire width of the playground. If you like soccer scoring, this was a game for you! Invariably there are insinuations of “that’s not fair!” and “you cheated!”. Mostly though it was a whole lot of running around, smiles, good games and awesome soccer moves. Amana is famous for our soccer!
At any given time at any given grade level, there will be feets of strength and speed. There will be works of art made out of snow, sticks, and leaves. Students will run and play. Swings are still just as thrilling. The glider and spinner always have a line. And the joy for racing down the slides elicits the same joy it did when I was a kid. “Mr. Macumber, it’s your turn to go down the slide!” More times than not, I try to oblige. Recess is NEVER boring (unless we get stuck inside due to weather). It’s not always perfect, and we do have our fair share of disagreements, but recess is/can be just as integral to a child’s development as the ability to read and write!
Enjoy the weather! Next week, with it being the Friday prior to Thanksgiving, I look forward to sharing one of my all time favorite traditions, the annual kindergarten writing project, “How to prepare a Turkey!”
Ben Macumber, Principal
Upcoming Events
- Wednesday, Nov. 27 - Friday, Nov. 29 - No School
- Monday, Dec. 16 - K-2 Concert, 6:30 PM; 3-5 Concert, 7:30 pm
- Thursday, Dec. 19 - Preschool Family Night
- December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break
Dropping Off Students
Students who do not ride the bus should not be dropped off prior to 7:45 AM. We prefer to have students dropped off by the doors next to the cafeteria. Students should go directly to the cafeteria. This is an attempt to keep our students safe and supervised. At no time should students PreK through 3rd grade be heading to their locker unless accompanied by an adult.
Do not leave your car unless you are parked in a designated parking spot. Buses need to be able to pull through both the loop in the front of the building by the flag pole and the area near the caferteria. If cars are parked in these areas the buses are not able to pull through and stay on schedule.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the drop off areas clear and safe when students are coming to school in the morning.
CCA Illness Policy
Please report your child's illness and please review the following guidelines about student illnesses:
- Please notify the school if your child is going to be absent or tardy for any reason.
- If the absence is due to an illness, please let us know your child’s symptoms (i.e. nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, rash, body aches, etc.).
- If your child sees their healthcare provider for the illness, please let us know the outcome of that visit and if your child was diagnosed with a contagious disease. This will help us track illnesses, identify outbreaks, and allow us to notify the health department if a reportable communicable disease is identified.
- If your child is ill and has a fever (100 or higher), they should not return to school until they are fever-free for 24 consecutive hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications.
- If your child is vomiting, they should not return until they have not vomited for 24 hours.
- If your child is being treated for a contagious bacterial infection (i.e strep throat), they should not return to school until 24 hours after antibiotics are started and until they are fever-free for 24 consecutive hours without the aid fever-reducing medications.
The school nurse or office personnel will evaluate students who become ill at school. If it is determined that the child is too sick to remain in school, a parent/guardian will be called and asked to come and pick the child up.
Thanks for your help in adhering to these guidelines that will help keep our school healthy and decrease the risks of spreading contagious diseases.
Art and Library Request!
Amana Elementary Families,
We need your help! In the next few weeks, we will be working on a collaborative project in art and library class. All students will be working together to create a 10-foot mural. We are in need of lots of MAGAZINES!! If you have magazines that you don't want, please send them to school with your child or drop them at the office.
Thanks so much!
Ms. Campbell and Mrs. Fox
Volunteering in Our District
Whether you find yourself with free time on your hands, a desire to spend time with young minds, or welcome the opportunity to help others, we welcome volunteers to aid our classrooms and schools throughout the district.
Why volunteer?
- If you hope to visit your child’s classroom, attend field trips or work in any capacity with a group of students, there is a state requirement and guidelines to ensure the safety of our students
- Volunteering gives you the opportunity to get to know the teachers and the staff and support your child’s learning goal.
Where can you lend a hand?
- Read stories to children and listen to them read.
- Share your unique talents and crafts in the classroom.
- Help in the classrooms, in the library, during fundraising activities, on field trips….the list is endless!
What are volunteer guidelines?
- Make sure the time to volunteer time is agreed upon with the classroom teacher. Out of respect to the teacher and instructional time, unannounced visits can’t be permitted.
- Volunteers are required to sign in/out at the office and wear a visitor tag.
- Student expectations remain the same when visiting a classroom.
- To help minimize distractions, siblings will not be permitted to join you (exceptions can be made for parties only).
- We ask that volunteers use the time to be of assistance to the class or teacher. In the event there is a need discuss issues with the classroom teacher, a different time to conference can be arranged.
What are a volunteer’s responsibilities?
- Arrive on time- please call the office if you are not able to help or to reschedule your time.
- You will work under the direction and supervision of building staff.
- Anything you see or hear concerning a student or staff member should not be shared with anyone else, ask yourself, would I want someone talking about my child or myself in that way?
- If you do have concerns with anything you see or hear from a student or a staff member, please contact the building principal.
- Model caring, patience, perseverance, respect cooperation and tolerance- children learn from what they experience.
- Your volunteer materials are good for 5 years, after 5 years, you will need to fill out the paperwork again
I want to Help, how do I get started?
- If you want to volunteer in the District, you will need to reach out to Sue Wilber in Human Resources to begin the process by filling out background check paperwork.
- Once your background check is complete, Sue or the building secretary will let you know and you will be free to volunteer.
On behalf of CCA schools, thank you for your interest in volunteering. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sue Wilber (319-828-4510) or email at suannewilber@ccaschools.org
The BackPack Program
We participate in a program called The BackPack Program. This is a partnership between HACAP and the CCA Community Schools. The BackPack Program provides a food pack of kid-friendly, non-perishable food for children on the weekends and during school breaks. This is a FREE program, without cost to families. It is also kept completely confidential – only the counselor will be aware of participating families. If this would be helpful for you and your children, please contact Kelsey Koffend by phone at (319) 622-3255 or by email at kelseykoffend@ccaschools.org. There is a limited number of spots available, so it is important that you call or email to get your child’s name on the list.
Shoes That Fit
Shoes That Fit is a program that provides shoes to children in need. If your child needs new shoes this year and this program would be helpful to you, please contact Kelsey Koffend by phone at (319) 622-3255 or by email at kelseykoffend@ccaschools.org.
Help Support Our School
Ronal McDonald House Tabs
Box Tops for Education
Register Tapes for Education
Register Tapes for Education
Amana Elementaty
benmacumber@ccaschools.org
319-622-3255
Email: colleenconrad@ccaschools.org
Website: https://www.ccaschools.org/AE
Location: 3023 220th Trail, Middle Amana, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 622-3255