Whitney's Galaxy Gazette
Mr. Stacho's Newsletter - February 14, 2020
We're Out Of This World!
No School Monday, February 17th - President's Day
Scholastic Survey Report: The Value of Parents Reading With Children:
"Children cherish time spent reading with a parent, even if they can already read independently, according to Scholastic's Kids & Family Reading Report: Fifth Addition, released in March 2018. The report's findings emphasize the importance of parental involvement and reading for pleasure outside of school.
Reading aloud to children declines as children get older. More than half of children ages 0-5 (54%) are read aloud to at home 5-7 days a week. This declines to one in three kids ages 6-8 (34%) and one in six kids ages 9-11 (17%). Furthermore, four in ten children ages 6-11 who were read books aloud at home when they were younger (40%) say they wished their parents had continued reading aloud to them.
When it comes to being read aloud to at home, more than 8 in 10 children (83%) across age groups say that they love(d) or like(d) it a lot - the main reason being it was a special time with parents
Important Literacy Events Coming Soon!
Dear Parents,
We have several "events" coming up to focus on literacy. Each of these events is very important to shine a light on the importance of READING! Please do whatever you can to promote and support these events.
* Kiwanis Club's Read Around The World - FREE event. See letter below.
* PTA Read-A-Thon Fundraiser - Begins February 24th. See letter below. Details on this program will be sent home with students.
* "One School - One Book" - February 24th - March 20th. Every family will receive a copy of the same book (the title will be revealed to students on February 24th) and we will all read the same book together as a community. Further information will be coming home to families to explain all the details.
February's Cosmic Cafe Winners!
Kdg and Grade 1 Winners
Grades 2 and 3 Winners
Grades 4 and 5 Winners
Whitney Carnival Needs Your Help
Student Council News
2/14: Valentine’s Day: Wear red, pink, or purple
2/21: Glasses Day: Wear fashion, eye, or sun glasses
2/28: Leap Year Day: Wear green to leap into March
March Spirit Days:
March 6: March into March: Wear boots!
March 13: March Madness: Wear basketball or college team gear!
March 17: St. Patrick's Day: Wear Green!
March 20: Get Ready for Spring: Wear bright colors, flowers, Hawaiian shirts!
Student Council is making Valentine's Day cards for the folks at the Kemper House. The Kemper House is a facility dedicated to the care of residents with Alzheimer's and Dementia. We are proud of our students to reach out to these community members to offer cheer and love!
MakerSpace is requesting shoe boxes for our upcoming Leprechaun Trap contest.
Attention Parents of 5th Grade Students
The guidance counselor from the middle school will meet with students at Whitney on Friday, February 21st to discuss middle school registration and course selections.
Election Day on March 17th.
Mustangs Spring Run + Wellness Fair
A message from our guidance counselor, Mr. Schibley
Box Tops For Education!
Box Tops for Education update. Week 1 counts puts Mrs. Moteleski in first place, followed by Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Errington. Bring in all your clipped Box Tops and put them in your classroom buckets! Top 3 classrooms will win. Our Box Tops contest in underway. The three winning classrooms will get to choose between 20 Whitney carnival tickets, a 30 minute video with a snack and drink, or pajama day with a sweet treat. Keep bringing your Box Tops in to your classroom containers, and there will be an update on who our leaders are next week. Thanks Whitney!
Family First Night - Monday, March 16
Family First Night - Monday, March 16. The intent of this night is for families to spend quality time together in the evening (making dinner, holding a game night, watching a movie, engaging in family activities, etc.). There should be no homework assigned this night, no tests given on Tuesday 3/17 , and no District after school activities scheduled. For Whitney, our One School - One Book initiative of having families read together each night is a perfect activity .
Strongsville Public Library News
***Please note the following February 2020 events at the Strongsville Branch Library. Registration is required for most events. Please call (440) 238-5530 to register or for more information. Customers may also visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org to register and to see more library event information.
Year-Round Story Times!
Cuyahoga County Public Library offers story time sessions year-round for children Birth to Age 5. Our story times are in full swing for Winter. Please call the library or stop by the Children’s Desk for more information.
State of the Art Recording Studio Open to the Public!
The Strongsville Branch Library has Audio and Video Recording Studios open to the public. Customers interested in using Garage Band, iMovie, and the Adobe Suite to create sound recordings, video recordings, and more are welcome to sign-up for studio time up to one week in advance. In order to use the studio, customers must first attend an orientation session. Drop-in orientations will be held on Tuesdays - Audio studio orientation from 2:30-3:00 p.m. Video studio orientation from 3:00-3:30 p.m. and Saturdays, Audio studio orientation from 9:30-10:00 a.m. and Video studio orientation from 10:00-10:30 a.m. No registration is needed. Please show up on time for these orientations. For more information on the studio and how to book studio time, please call (440) 238-5530.
Tender Loving Storytime. Ages 3 – 5 with a Caregiver. Friday, February 14th / 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Warm your heart with stories of love and friendship. Make an edible “loving home” from graham crackers, frosting, and sweet treats to take with you!
Teen Light Painting. Grades 6 – 12. Monday, February 17th / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Learn how to take long-exposure photographs of a moving light source. Please bring a flash drive to save your images. Participants may be recorded and/or surveyed to capture program's effectiveness. More information can be found at cuyahogalibrary.org/parent-options. Registration is required and beings January 17th.
Parkfit Mall Walkers Wellness Talk: Taking Diabetes to Heart. Tuesday, February 18th / 10:00 a.m.
Join us the third Tuesday of each month for this special wellness talk sponsored by Southwest Hospital. In adults with diabetes, the most common causes of death are heart disease and stroke. Join Amy Marke, RN, BSN from Southwest General’s Heart and Vascular Institute to learn how to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The ParkFit Mall Walkers Club is a combined effort of Southwest General and SouthPark Mall in Strongsville. The Club provides an opportunity for community residents to improve their health by walking for exercise in a safe interesting and climate-controlled facility. Walk at the mall first then come over to the Library for this informative wellness talk! For more information call (440) 816-4037.
Wednesday Evening Book Discussion. Wednesday, February 19th / 7:00 p.m.
Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. New Members Welcome! For this month, we are reading The Gown by Jennifer Robson. Books can be picked up at the check-out desk. Registration for this program is not needed. Join us for an evening of great discussion!
Podcasting Series. Wednesdays, February 19th & 26th / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Have a story to tell and want to share it with the world? Learn the basic steps to record, edit, and share audio content and stories in a podcast format in this hands-on session. Our first week we will do an overview on the world of Podcasts with the second week being a hands-on workshop creating one! No previous recording experience necessary.
Southwest Memory Screenings. Thursday, February 20th / 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Are you saying "Sorry, I forgot" a little too often? It's normal to forget a name from time to time. It's not normal to keep forgetting days of the week, or when to pay bills or take medicine. Join us for a free screening by the Community Nurses and see if you should consider seeing a doctor. Reservations are required. To register for an appointment, please call (440) 816-4037.
ESOL/Citizenship Orientations. Thursday, February 20th and Friday, February 28th / 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Aspire Greater Cleveland provides free ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and citizenship classes at Strongsville Branch Library. Students must attend an ESOL/Citizenship orientation session before beginning ESOL or citizenship classes. For more information and to register, please call 833.ASPIRE2 or visit aspiregreatercleveland.org.
ESOL Classes. Thursdays & Fridays / 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Aspire Greater Cleveland provides free ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes at Strongsville Branch Library. Classes will be every Thursday and Friday through June 12th, 2020. Interested Students must attend the ESOL/Citizenship orientation session on February 20th before beginning ESOL or citizenship classes. For more info, call 833.ASPIRE2 or visit aspiregreatercleveland.org.
American Red Cross Blood Drive. Friday, February 21st / 10:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
In just an hour of your time you can help save up to three lives. Make sure hospital patients get the treatment they need. Donate blood today. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call the American Red Cross at (216) 431-3010.
Kiwanis Read Around the World. Saturday, February 22nd / 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
The Strongsville Kiwanis Club sponsors this annual event for all ages. Each child attending can choose a new book to take home. No registration needed for this free event. Members of Kiwanis will be available to read books to the children. The St. Joseph and John’s Builder's Club members will perform puppet shows throughout the event. There will also be face painting, storytelling, and light refreshments.
Monday Afternoon Book Discussion. Monday, February 24th / 2:30 p.m. Meets the 4th Monday of each month.
New Members Welcome! Our next discussion title will be The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk. Join us for great discussion!
Computer Classes
Cuyahoga County Public Library offers computer classes for beginners to advanced users. Many of our classes offer Northstar Digital Literacy Certification. All classes are free. Registration begins 30 days before each class date. Classes are for adults age 18 and over. To see a full class list, descriptions, and to register, please visit https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Events/Computer-Classes.aspx
Here are the upcoming classes:
Thursday, February 27th / 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Word 1.
Thursday, February 27th / 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Word 2.
Friday, February 28th / 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Word 3.
Saturday, February 29th / 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Word Review.
Friends of Strongsville Library Spring Book Sale – Members Only Preview. Saturday, February 29th / 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
The Friends of Strongsville Branch Library will hold their annual spring book sale. The Friends member preview will be from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Friends memberships will be available for $8.00 at the door and are good for one year. The book sale will then open to the public from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Lots of books for sale - for all ages! Fiction non-fiction audio visual materials magazines & more! For more information call (440) 238-5530.
Friends of Strongsville Library Spring Book Sale. Open to the Public. Saturday, February 29th / 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The Friends of Strongsville Branch Library will hold their annual spring book sale. The Friends member preview will be from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Friends memberships will be available for $8.00 at the door and are good for one year. The book sale will then open to the public from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Lots of books for sale - for all ages! Fiction non-fiction audio visual materials magazines & more! For more information call (440) 238-5530.
Friends of Strongsville Library Spring Bag of Books Sale. Sunday, March 1st / 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The Friends of Strongsville Branch Library will hold their annual spring book sale. The bag of books sale will be on Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Bring your own reusable shopping bag that is no larger than 15x15 inches and fill it for only $1 dollar. Our plastic bags will be available at the sale if needed. For more information call (440) 238-5530.
Friends of Strongsville Library Spring Bag of Books Sale. Monday, March 2nd / 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The Friends of Strongsville Branch Library will hold their annual spring book sale. The bag sale will conclude on Monday and will run from 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Fill a Friends' provided bag with books for only 50 cents! While Supplies Last! For more information call (440) 238-5530.