Amana Elementary
Newsletter
Food for thought on independence and Dr. Seuss
Interesting times for sure. Just when you think it can’t get any nuttier, people start lumping Mr. Potato head and Dr. Seuss into the same conversation. More on that later.
What will always be certain is how important it is to help teach kids to be more independent! Our very own amazing Ms. Rachel in preschool shared an article relating to child independence that really does relate to all grades, not just preschool. I currently have a sophomore in high school and a soon to be Navy Sailor, and I can safely say it’s NEVER too late to keep teaching independence. More appropriate to AES aged students, it’s never too early and certainly never too late. The article starts (see link) starts with a scenario I hear quite frequently. A child is independent and well mannered at school, but at home refuses to do anything to help out. There’s a lot that can go into why a student can or can’t, will or won’t do something. In my experience, most of why any of us do anything is due to the interactions and attention it gives us. So, the article does talk about ways to help build routines by teaching your child how to do something, breaking into small chunks and then gradually back away and then CELEBRATE (very key) your child’s success. Teach, Practice, Reinforce is the mantra we have here at Amana. Kids WILL do something if they can. I try NEVER to assume kids should know better! Good stuff. I know they are our little babies and as a parent we want to do absolutely everything we can for the ones we love. OR...darn it we just need stuff done the right way because we just don’t have the TIME to waste. Well, if the past year has taught us anything, it’s that time is all we really have. Make the most of it!
Ok, without trying to wade into waters that might frustrate people, I do want to touch base on the most recent headlines surrounding Dr. Suess. First and foremost, we have NO intentions of pulling his books from circulation. We did celebrate Read Across America differently this year because our teacher librarians wanted to expose students to a vast assortment of books from each state. Dr. Seuss himself admitted and then regretted, the offensive material he created. Ms. Hess reminded me in a discussion surrounding his work that we should continue to celebrate his work, and not his viewpoints. I will admit I was taken aback when I first heard of the controversy around Dr. Seuss views toward people of color. Mrs. Fox shared some GREAT reading around the subject. I was able to form my own opinion. The reality is, we have no intention of cancelling the work of Dr. Seuss. There are 6 books that his own estate are ceasing to publish because of overly racist content. Some of his work has been edited years ago due to some insensitive imagery. Mrs. Reihmann frequently tells me (us) when we know better we do better. So, before we start using derogatory names for people who exercise their constitutional rights to vote for one candidate/party or another, I would ask we show compassion and take the time to search for the truth. Additionally, our students, your kids ARE listening, and they do bring those perspectives to school. Which is good when it’s healthy dialogue and healthy disagreements. It’s when people start to say (insert derogatory name of a person who exercises their constitutional right to vote for one candidate or party) comments that effectively exclude individuals’ that it becomes a problem for us at school, and ultimately, your child as he/she navigates this world.
There’s my two scents on that subject. Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments, concerns regarding these subjects, or any others you feel are important to address at school!
PEACE!
Ben Macumber,
Principal
Calendar of Events
Monday, March 15 - Friday, March 19 - Spring Break
Tuesday, March 23 - School Picture Day
Wednesday, March 31 - No Early Dismissal - no preschool
Friday, April 2 - Two Hour Early Dismissal - AM preschool only
Friday, April 16 - No School
Thursday, May 27 - Last Day of School - two hour early dismissal
National School Breakfast Week March 8-12, 2021
Help us celebrate this week with the 2021 Theme "Score Big"
You will see we have some new breakfast menu items on the March menu for all schools during this special week. It was easy to come up with something for the 2021 theme, how does CCA Score Big? No doubt due to all of the efforts of our school nutrition staff members at each school!
This year, more than ever, they have adapted to feeding students in the classroom, feeding students in the cafeteria and preparing meals to go in our virtual learner meal distribution.
For this week, we are showcasing their skills and making some new, from scratch recipes that we hope students and staff will enjoy!
Monday - ham or turkey ham, egg and cheese on a biscuit - Slamming Ham Sammy!
Tuesday - egg and veggie burrito wrap - Breakfast Burrito with Salsa!
Wednesday - cannot take away that breakfast pizza - Big Win Breakfast Pizza!
Thursday - banana rolled in yogurt and rice krispie cereal and frozen along with a sausage patty on an english muffin! Wow, what a combo!
Friday - homemade Maple Baked French Toast Squares, the aroma will be awesome with cinnamon, bread and maple syrup baking from the kitchen!
Preschool Registration Open February 18 - March 26, 2021
The Clear Creek Amana school district is committed to providing a high-quality preschool experience. We offer morning or afternoon classes at 4 elementary sites on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (no Wednesdays). Students enrolled in morning classes will be in school from 8:15 - 11:15 AM and students enrolled in afternoon classes will be in class from 12:15 - 3:15 PM. Due to space constraints, there are no guarantees of preferred morning placement. Requests for a specific building and AM/PM sessions will be reviewed by building administrators and families should hear back by the end of April. Please watch the CCA website and your email for information about announcements and back-to-school activities.
Program: Both AM and PM classes will offer the same curriculum complete with assessment protocols, snacks, and large and small motor development.
Fees: There will be no charge to qualifying students. To qualify for FREE preschool, a student must be age 4 on or before September 15th. Preschool is free through Iowa's Voluntary Preschool Grant and there are no requirements for residency or income. Curriculum guidelines and assessment procedures will be the same for both morning and for afternoon classes. Students who are eligible for kindergarten but who wish to enroll into preschool, please contact your building principal for prior approval and fee information.
Transportation: Students have the option for bus transportation to and from designated neighborhood stops, homes and to the best of our ability, to currently licensed daycares operating within our district. Per state requirements, CCA schools are not permitted to bus outside of our school boundaries. Bus stops and routes will be determined closer to the beginning of the school year.
For more information on preschool https://www.ccaschools.org/Page/3709
Children who will be 5 years old on or before Sept. 15, 2021, are eligible for enrollment in kindergarten. Please watch the CCA website and your email for additional information on back to school activities. Due to current safety and health protocols, there are no plans for a spring Kindergarten round-up. For questions about registration, please contact 319-828-4510. For more information on Kindergarten enrollment to to https://www.ccaschools.org/Page/5232
Student portraits will be taken on March 23rd if you wish to place an order for the school portraits you can place an order online using the link listed below.
https://halverson-photography.hhimagehost.com/2021AmanaElem
Order forms will be sent home Friday, March 12. Watch your child's backpack for the picture form.
Classroom Snacks/Birthday Treats
Classroom Snacks must follow the Healthy Snack guidelines to meet the Smart Snack Requirements as set by USDA. No soda, candy and other such items are allowed.
Daily student snacks in the classroom will be brought in by the individual student for their own consumption. While we have no control over what that snack item may be, we ask that you help to provide a healthy snack option for your child.
Due to COVID19 restrictions, we are not allowing classroom snacks for special days such as birthdays, holidays, etc. be brought from home by the parent that do not meet the following standards:
- 1. Item must be individually packaged for each student to open
- 2. Item must meet Smart Snack Guidelines
- 3. Item must not require refrigeration
- 4. If Item is brought in from another source other than the school purchasing, it must be in its original bulk purchase box.**example if purchasing individual bags of popcorn from Costco that come packaged in a box or bag, the bag or box cannot be opened before coming into the school. It must come in as purchased. This includes a purchase made from any other store or source.
Items produced or made at home and then individually wrapped are not acceptable.
A parent or teacher or PTG group may purchase items from the CCA School Food Service Department via the attached Order Guide which was updated 9/2/2020. We understand that a classroom size is much smaller than the case count of most of these products. We cannot purchase partial cases from our Distributor. Suggestions are for the classrooms to combine orders and split the case. Or a parent may purchase a case and take the rest home for what is not needed that day and allow their family to consume.
Some things to remember:
- Snacks orders need to be emailed or faxed to Debbie Klein, Food Service Director at debbieklein@ccaschools.org or 319-828-4743 (FAX)
- Snack orders need to be pre-paid before they are ordered, please write checks to "Clear Creek Amana Food Service"
- Orders are due Mondays and delivered to appropriate school on Thursdays
Click here for a link to the Snack List/Snack Order Form
BackPack Program
Through a partnership between HACAP and the CCA Community School District we are able to offer families a weekend food BackPack Program. The BackPack Program provides a small food bag of kid-friendly, non-perishable snacks for children each Friday and during school breaks. This is a FREE program, with no specific requirements that families must meet. It is also kept completely confidential – only the counselor will be aware of participating families. If the BackPack Program would be helpful for you and your children, please contact your building counselor or social worker.
Kelsey Koffend, Amana Elementary Counselor
Ronald McDonald House Can Tabs
Little things like pop tabs can make a big difference! Help support families and children through our Pop Tab program by collecting and donating the aluminum tabs you pull to open soda, soup, and other cans.
Box Tops for Education
THE NEXT GENERATION OF BOX TOPS IS HERE. Box Tops is changing to fit today's families. The new and improved Box Tops mobile app uses state-of-the-art technology to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your school's earnings online.
Eventually the Box Tops program will become digital-only. Participating brands are starting to change their packaging from a traditional Box Tops clip to the new Box Top label.
Box Tops are still worth 10¢ each for your school. The app will find participating products purchased at any store and instantly add cash to your school's earnings online.
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