Highcroft Hotline

January 19, 2020

Highcroft's Mission

At Highcroft, we help learners grow in a safe, caring community where ALL are valued and supported to become leaders.

Upcoming Events

January

Through March 15: Order Yearbook Online, see flyer below
20: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
21: Kindergarten Registration, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
21: 5th Grade West Middle Evening Program, 6:30 SSD, 7:00 General, 8:00 MOSAICS
23: Highcroft's 41st Birthday
23: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
24: 1st Grade Field Trip to Magic House, 9:15 am - 11:45 am
28: Chorus Concert, 6:30 pm, MPR
29: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
29: Spirit Day - Crazy Day

February

5: Central Region Art Show, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Central High
8: 4th Grade Strings Day Concert, 3:45 pm - students arrive at 3:00, West High
13: Valentine's Parties, 2:45 pm
14: No School, Records Day
17: No School, Presidents' Day
17 - 21: Highcroft's Science Fair
19: 4th Grade Field Trip to Powell Hall, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
19: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
20: 3rd Grade Field Trip to St. Louis Area Food Bank, 9:15 am - 12:30 pm
20: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
26: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
27: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm

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Lucas Letter

Greetings,

As we continue our school-wide focus on the 7-Habits, we engaged in learning and applying Habit 3-Put First Things First.

Consider the following story:

Early one spring morning, a farmer announced to his wife, “I must plow today!” As he climbed onto his tractor, he noticed wildflowers blooming in the field. Thinking that his wife might enjoy them, he stopped to gather a few. Then he saw a mouse scampering in the grass. Curious to know where the mouse might go, he followed it across the field. At the edge of the field, he realized the chickens had not been fed. But as he went for the chicken feed, he noticed a chair in the cool shade of the house. As he went to sit down, his wife came out and asked, “Have you finished the plowing already?” “Finished?” the farmer bellowed, “I haven’t had time to get started!”

While we are not farmers, I believe most of us can relate to the message of this passage, the idea of starting with one agenda item only to not accomplish it because of all the other things that get in the way.

Habit #3 – Put First Things First is the habit of self-management and taking care of important things first. It means to decide what is most important and to take care of that first. Thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow or by the end of the week can be overwhelming, especially for children. Learning to think of which things are the most important and taking care of them first allows children (and adults) to be less stressed. If your child uses a planner at school, then he or she has a great organizational tool to Put First Things First in writing. By writing down his or her responsibilities and planning, last-minute trips to the store, missed events, or missed homework are avoided. If your child does not use a planner, having a weekly log or chart would also be helpful. This could be a piece of paper used each week. Modeling this behavior is one of the best ways to teach children.

In partnership,

Cartelia Lucas

Principal

clucas@parkwayschools.net

January's Acts of Kindness Calendar Created By The 3rd-5th Kindness Leaders

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Kindergarten Registration Day

Kindergarten registration for the 2020-2021 school year is on Tuesday, January 21st from 8:00 am - 6 pm. Start your pre-registration for kindergarten online now at https://parkwayschools.net/Page/1624

Nurse's Notes

Cathy Hubert, BSN, RN

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Decade!

As much as I love a break from school just like the kids do, I really am glad to be back in school so I can see their smiling faces every morning and hear their latest stories of the day! I also love a big “Good Morning”, a high 5, or of course a warm hug. All these things make me happy!

Winter brings cold and flu season rushing in. Please remember the best way to help prevent the spread of colds and the flu is to cover your coughs and sneezes and then wash your hands immediately. Avoid kissing loved ones if you are sick. And above all, keep your student at home if they have had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours. If you question whether you should send your student to school or not, please don’t hesitate to call me or follow the guidelines on the Parkway website.

Believe it or not, Spring is just around the corner which means the beautiful trees and flowers will be getting ready to bloom as well as SEASONAL ALLERGIES. To help ease the symptoms of your or your child’s seasonal allergies, allergists suggest starting oral allergy medicines before the season starts. It is helpful to start medications in late February/early March. If you or your child suffers from seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor about what medication would be good to start and when. AS ALWAYS, if your child needs to take medication at school including eye allergy drops, I need a note from your child’s doctor and permission from you as well. A parent or guardian will need to bring the medication to school and turn in the forms found on Parkway’s Student Health link on the website.

An important part of the day is OUTDOOR RECESS. When the weather is within the guidelines we will be outside having fun and burning off excess energy. PLEASE remember to send your student with a warm coat and hat! Please remember to check the weather with your child daily to decide what is appropriate to wear to school. ALSO, don’t forget they need tennis shoes available daily for PE. (Any outgrown tennis shoes (greatly appreciated) can be donated to the nurse’s office.)

A good breakfast is highly recommended for all children every day! I am seeing several children coming in daily with headaches and stomach aches just to find out they haven’t eaten anything for breakfast because they didn’t get up early enough or didn’t take the time to eat. Not eating breakfast leads to lack of concentration that affects academic performance, tiredness, and poor eating habits. Students who skip breakfast are less able to differentiate among visual images, show increased errors, and have slower memory recall. Students who eat breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance as well as decreased tardiness. So help your child off to a great start by making sure they have a nutritious breakfast before heading off to school. If there isn’t time to grab breakfast at home, we always have breakfast available at school.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or health educational needs that you may have.

Thanks so much for allowing me to take care of your children.

PE News

Mrs. Maxvill & Mr. Meinershagen, PE Teachers

Kindergarten students have been busy working on their basketball skills, learning how to work with their squad, and practicing skills in stations. Kindergarten will be starting NCADA health lessons this month.

First grade students have been working on their basketball unit. These students continue to develop their basketball skills with small groups, squads, and stations. First grade students have also been working on their fitness by exercising in squads on cardio endurance and strength training.

Second graders have been learning basketball skills. These students will continue to work with their groups throughout this unit. Basic skills are practiced every day they have class along with exercises that increase cardio endurance, muscular strength, and their agility.

Third graders have started their basketball unit. They will work on dribbling, shooting, and a variety of games that promote their basketball skills. These students also are working on their agility and cardio endurance during each class. NCADA will be presenting 4 lessons to each class during their scheduled physical education time.

Fourth and Fifth grade students are working on basketball skills. These students work on skills that will be utilized during their game play. Exercise stations are also being utilized by these students to help with overall body conditioning and agility. NCADA will be presenting 4 lessons to each class during Thursday and Friday physical education classes in January and February.

Counselor Corner

Mrs. Banks & Mrs. Beeler, School Counselors

We have been discussing Habit 5 with our students. Habit 5 is “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood”. We put it to our students simply “Listen Before You Talk”. Listening with your ears is not the only thing that makes someone a good listener. We listen with our hearts, too. Have you ever had someone not truly listen to what you are saying? Yes, they’re looking at you, but you can tell they are not interested. We can make each other feel very important when we value each other’s words.

5th grade is starting transition activities to get ready for middle school. Future Central Middle students had their visit to Central Middle while future West Middle students had a visit to Highcroft from the counselor at West Middle. We suggest participating in any and all events to help with the transition to middle school. Please contact Mrs. Banks if you have any questions or concerns about middle school.

Mrs Beeler K, 1, 2, 4

Mrs. Banks 3, 5