Combs Family Newsletter

Dear Combs Families,

I hope everyone had a joyful Thanksgiving! After a short break from the newsletter, we’re back with exciting updates. This week’s highlight is our Winter Solstice Fine Arts Night at STEAM@MSB on Tuesday evening—don’t miss this celebration of our students’ talents. Vision screening results are in, with free glasses available for students who need them. The Parent Teacher Group is planning a social event, the district is hosting a Polar Express event at Tilles Park, and yearbook orders are now open. This week’s "Did You Know?" explores the benefits of practicing gratitude—check it out for ideas to foster this important skill at home.

Here’s to another great week at Combs!

• Wed 11/27 - Fri 11/29 - Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL
• Fri 12/6 - Make Up Picture Day
• Tue 12/10 - Combs Winter Solstice Fine Arts Night (at STEAM@MSB)
• Tue 12/17 - Combs Change Team Meeting
• Fri 12/20 - Half Day
• Mon 12/23 - Fri 1/3 - Winter Break NO SCHOOL

We are excited for our annual Combs Fine Arts night, coming up this Tuesday, December 10th. Based on feedback from past years, and to accomodate more family and community members, this year's event is taking place in the auditorium at STEAM. High School at McCluer South Berkeley. The performance begins at 6:00pm, and all performers are asked to arrive at 5:30pm in order to prepare and get in their places. Thank you to our fine arts team and students for their hard work on this event, and to the STEAM@MSB staff and administration for generously hosting this event!

Dear FFSD Families and Staff,

Get ready for a festive and joyous occasion! You and your loved ones are warmly invited to the Polar Express on Friday, December 13, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at McCluer High School (1896 S. New Florissant Rd, Florissant, MO 63031). This magical evening promises exciting activities, live entertainment, and the spirit of community.

Event Highlights

• Activities: Photos with Santa, holiday crafts, face painting, and more! Kids are encouraged to wear their most festive pajamas.
• Entertainment: Enjoy live performances, a DJ, and Christmas karaoke.
• Refreshments: Sip on warm hot cocoa and savor cookies and holiday treats.
• Holiday Lights Tour: At 7:45 PM, hop on our festive buses for a magical journey to experience the enchanting holiday lights at Tilles Park. Buses will return by 9:00 PM.
  Note: For safety, Children aged 2 and younger cannot ride the bus.

Limited Space – Reserve Your Spot!

Due to the popularity of this event, space is limited. Secure your spot by signing up at https://forms.gle/wxLUN1JWVyGDqEGi7 as soon as possible.

Supporting Our Community

In the spirit of giving, we encourage each family to contribute either a $2 donation to support the FACE department or donate toiletries to benefit those in need.

Your generosity will help us spread joy and make a positive impact during this special time of year.

Let’s come together for an evening of festive fun, community, and giving! We look forward to celebrating with you at the FFSD Polar Express Event.

Greetings Combs Families!!! Thanks to the parents and teachers that joined last week's Zoom information session.

The holiday season is upon us, for some this is a time of wonder and excitement, but for others, this may be a season of sadness. Let the PTG help spread holiday cheer with a parent teacher meet up. Join us for a PTG Parent Teacher Meetup Saturday December 28 from 5:30pm-7pm at Applebee's on North Lindbergh. As mentioned during last week's PTG Zoom session, the PTG is a great way for parents and teachers to be supported and create community. Let us know if you can make it by 12/20/24, click here.

Sincerely,

Cynthia S. Newell

Our vision screening results are in. Please check your student's backpack. If your student does NOT have an envelope from me, they passed the screening.

If your student received an envelope from me, it has a consent form that needs to be completed, signed and returned to me to have an official vision exam performed on your student.

Also, if your student missed the screening, you will receive an envelope as well.
The vision exam date is December 13, 2024. Students can not be examined without a signed consent.

Please return the consents ASAP to ensure your child is examined for FREE glasses.

Thank you,
Nurse Kathy

As we are in the stretch between Thanksgiving and approaching the winter holidays, including Christmas, it is an important time to remember that practicing gratitude can significantly improve mental health and emotional well-being. Gratitude isn’t just a fleeting feeling—it’s a skill we can grow with practice.

Research shows that gratitude has powerful mental health benefits, including:

• Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Focusing on what we’re grateful for helps shift our perspective, making challenges feel more manageable.

• Improved Sleep: Studies indicate that writing down things you’re thankful for before bed can lead to better sleep quality.

• Increased Resilience: Gratitude strengthens our ability to bounce back from setbacks by fostering a positive mindset.

• Stronger Relationships: Expressing gratitude enhances empathy and deepens connections with others.

• Boosted Happiness: Regular gratitude practice has been linked to higher overall levels of happiness and life satisfaction.

University of Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope, who ends each practice with a team gratitude circle, puts it this way:

“Gratitude needs to be practiced...I’ll say this, and you’ll hear me say this a million times, but there are very few things that I will say are absolute, 100 percent truths...if you are great at being grateful, by definition, you will 100 percent be happy. Grateful people are happy, right? Ungrateful people have a really tough time being happy. It’s interesting. You see rich people that are happy and rich people that are sad. You see famous people that are happy and famous people that are sad. You see poor people that are sad and poor people that are happy...You see people in any type of circumstance — it doesn’t matter the circumstance, it matters the gratitude that you bring with it.”

How Can Families Practice Gratitude Together?

• Start a Gratitude Journal: Encourage each family member to write down one thing they’re grateful for every day.

• Share at Mealtime: Go around the table and share something positive that happened during the day.

• Gratitude Letters: Write a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life and read it to them.

• Focus on the Small Things: Teach children to notice and appreciate the little joys, like a sunny day or a kind gesture.

• Model Gratitude: Let your children see you expressing gratitude to others in daily life.

By incorporating gratitude into daily routines, we can help children build a lifelong habit of focusing on the positive, improving their mental health and their ability to navigate life’s challenges with optimism and resilience. Let’s work together to grow this important skill in our students!

Let's make the most of these last two weeks of school in 2024!