John Muir News
May 2024 - Volume 9
Calendar
May 3 - Early release, 1:00 pm
May 10 - Early Release, 1:00 pm
May 10 - May 16 - Teacher Appreciation Week!
May 17 - Early release, 1:00 pm
May 17 - Dress Rehearsal for Talent Show, 1:30-3:30, High School Auditorium
May 20 - Talent Show, begins at 5:30, High School Auditorium. Students should be at school by 5:00.
May 23 - Early Release, 1:00 pm
May 24- Early Release, 1:00 pm
May 27 - Memorial Day! - no school
Mrs. Gulrud, Principal
Students are taking a student perception survey to provide us feedback. This parent perception survey is similar to what students are giving feedback on and we appreciate parents and guardians completing this survey by May 17th. Here is the link to the survey and I will send it out through Infinite Campus messenger as well - https://forms.gle/MHVpjRf11AECzoY29
May 6 - 10 is staff appreciation week. The PTO is bringing in breakfast items for the staff. I hope to do some videos with classes and invite students to thank their teacher and staff members. Student Council and I will also provide some small treats for the staff. This time of year is really hard for staff as students are full of energy and need many reminders. Any kind words or notes of gratitude from students and families go a long way to rejuvenate my staff and make them feel valued. Thank you in helping me support them.
Reminder to parents who are chaperoning or parents coming in to volunteer in classrooms to make sure your volunteer background check information is up to date (it has to be updated yearly). https://www.portage.k12.wi.us/schools/johnmuir/families/volunteer.cfm
Thank you for supporting our students, staff, and school with your volunteerism.
We continue to work on improving behaviors. Participating in field trips means having no major behaviors at school. Field trips are a privilege and we expect students to make positive choices. Behavior is a choice and choices have consequences. Encourage your student to listen to adults and be respectful toward their peers. Adults will redirect students and give them a chance to fix their behaviors. Encourage your child to fix whatever they are doing that is below the line and make positive choices. We are excited for all the fun activities the end of the school year brings!
Angie Gulrud
Principal
608-742-5531, ext. 2001
Behavior Tips : Common Language at School and Home
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING -
The first month of school will be focused on helping students feel welcome, safe, and confident at school. Staff will run morning meeting activities in which students get to know each others' names, connect through common interests, and build community within their classroom and grade level. This year at Muir in addition to our Warrior Way that we pledge in announcements daily (We are respectful, responsible individuals on task, ready to learn, and safe.), we will be working on routines and procedures in all settings that follow these ideals - take care of yourself, take care of others, and take care of this place.
Sometimes words like responsible and respectful can be confusing for students as they aren't concrete terms, so breaking down what being responsible and respectful look like will help students understand.
Each grade level will use these rules and you can use the following rules at home as well so students have common language between home and school:
1. We listen to each other.
2. Hands are for helping, not hurting.
3. We use I-Care Language.
4. We care about each other's feelings.
5. We are responsible for what we say and do.
EMOTIONAL REGULATION-
Helping students identify and voice their feelings is really important to emotional regulation. We will work on this as well. When students identify or name their feeling, then they can use a strategy (if needed) to regulate that feeling. For example - I feel "angry" when you try to budge in line in front of me. Adult can prompt, what are your strategies when you feel angry? Student can share the strategies and adult can urge the student to use a strategy to cope with anger.
This takes patience and practice. It is also something all people (children and adults) need as a life skill. It is really great for adults to model for their children as well. Talk out loud about the thinking process going on within your mind (which teachers call a "think aloud") and this will provide modeling for your student.
"I am really angry that that car just pulled so close right in front of us. In the moment it really made me feel scared and worried for our safety. I am going to do some deep breathing right now and turn down the radio for a few miles to calm my body and keep driving safely."
Mrs. Jahn, Dean of Students
5th Grade D.A.R.E. Graduation!
On May 2, the 5th grade graduated from the D.A.R.E. program! Family and friends were invited to attend the ceremony at the high school auditorium. Each were given a red D.A.R.E. tee shirt and celebrated with pizza for lunch yesterday. Yum! Several students also received special recognition for the essay they wrote about the program. There were three students from each class that received 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for their essay:
- Ms. Hamada - 1) Nora Wickre, 2) Caleb Lyman and 3) Sadie Nummerdor
- Mr. Hemming - 1) Kaylie Capitonoff, 2) Kennedy Canales, 3) Ezmae Larson
- Mr. Kilde - 1) Esme Wagner, 2) Alannah Marrero Goden, 3) Lucille Weinberger
- Mrs. Klementz - 1) Ravon Bergum, 2) Kira Stanley, 3) Will Cady
- Ms. Coyne - 1) Charli Warren, 2) Sophia Elisma, 3) Sophie Davis
One of the essay winners from each class was asked to read their essay to the attendees. Way to go!!
Congratulations to all of the 5th grade students for a job well done!
School Doors Open at 7:30am
Just a reminder, school doors open at 7:30am. Please do not drop off students prior to that time as there is no adult supervision outside. Families need to remain with their children until 7:30.
Thank you for helping to keep students safe!
Calling with Changes to Transportation
Please send a note or email in the morning to the student's teacher or with your student or call the office with any changes by 1:30PM on a regular school day and by 11AM on an early release day. With almost 500 students in attendance, the office does the best we can with this last minute information and especially if students finish the day in a specials class or there is a fun activity in a different room, it takes time to get the message to the student. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with letting us know these changes as soon as possible to give us ample time to communicate that to the student and classroom teacher.
ABC Countdown!
3rd grade is doing an ABC countdown to the end of the school year. Here's the calendar if you want to follow along for some end of year fun!
🌲 Earth Day Clean Up April 22!
John Muir students participated in Earth Day clean up! They picked up so much trash that blew on to the property! The hedges and bushes surrounding the parking lot and playground look great! Thank you to Ms. Hamada for coordinating this effort! The kids learned about the importance of keeping our surroundings neat and clean and the property looks amazing!!
A Message from the Woodridge/John Muir PTO!
Monday, May 6 thru Friday, May 10 - Teacher Appreciation Week!
Thank you for all you do for our kiddos!
Summer meeting - Thursday, July 25, 5:15-6:15 in John Muir Cafeteria. Please leave children at home for this meeting as the school will not be set-up for kids during the summer. This meeting is where we plan the events for the entire year.
If you are interested in running for a board position, this is the meeting to go to.
If you have ideas or anything, this is where to voice your ideas to get them added to the event list.
Virtual Link: Annual Planning Meeting for Muir Woodridge PTO
Thursday, July 25 · 5:15 – 6:45pmTime zone: America/Chicago
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jds-stqt-kry
Here is a link to the Board Title Definitions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/151yS0QKzJJ8qyCMCejZ0Fj9lNZNxYsDcbOTJtTsJDSA/edit?usp=sharing
Lost and Found
Parents/Guardians,
Please help us by labeling your children's gear - coats, bags, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. We no longer have space to store all the lost and found items and will be cleaning it out biweekly. We are teaching students the responsibility of having what they need with them and keeping track of their belongings. In order for coats left behind not to be lost, please label them and we'll get them back to the students if their name is on the item.
Thanks for your help,
Principal Gulrud
Make Math the Best Part of Your Day!
No matter if your child comes home from school frustrated or excited about what they learned in math class today, it is important to make math the best part of your day. Why do you ask? Research suggests early math skills are a better predictor of academic success than early reading skills. Without mathematical literacy they are shrinking their future career opportunities. So how can we support and build upon their knowledge of math?
We can start with what Dan Finkel says are the "Five Principles of Extraordinary Math Teaching." They are not just for teachers, but anyone that influences the building of a child's mathematical knowledge.
1. Start with a question. Ask your child questions about math. This way they are telling you what they already know, instead of you telling them what they should know. It opens up to discussions instead of just telling them how to solve a problem. "If we rush to an answer we are robbing them of the opportunity to learn."
2. Students need time to struggle. We need to challenge our child and build their ability to persevere through real world problems. This develops their ability to observe and take risks, Which means not every math problem can be solved in less than 30 seconds.
3. You are not the answer key. When you sit down with your child to help them, it is okay not to know the answer. You can work together to figure it out or have your child explain how they would solve it. Teach them that not knowing is not a failure, but the first step to understanding.
4. Say yes to their ideas. By saying yes, you are listening to their thoughts and ideas. You are supporting their process and understand it might not look the same as when you were taught. By saying yes, you are not saying your right., but you are validating their thinking.
5. PLAY! If you want to nurture your child's mathematical learning, let them play with numbers. Allowing them to do puzzles, board games, blocks/legos, and explore lets them grapple with mathematical concepts. What books are for reading, play is for mathematics.
With your help, we might be able to make math the best part of every student's day. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about your child's mathematical development.
Matt Dietzenbach, District Math Specialist
Kathy Tofson, Elementary Math Coach
Market Box Sign Up
We are excited to offer this great opportunity to our PCSD families and need to see how many families would like to participate!
The MARKET BOX will contain both perishable & non-perishable food. There is NO COST to participate and this program is open to all PCSD families. Here's the link: 2023-24 Market Day Box Sign-Up.
MARKET BOXES may include:
Eggs
Bread
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Vegetables
Frozen Meat
Boxed dry goods (Breakfast items/snacks/lunch options)
MARKET BOXES will normally be available for pick up on the THIRD WEDNESDAY of each month. The March MARKET BOX pick up is scheduled for May 15 from 4:30-5:30.
Families will need to pick them up from JOHN MUIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
If there is a change in the day or time for pick-up, we will notify families of the change.
Please fill out this form. Only submit ONE response per family/household per school year, even if you have multiple children attending the district.
April Showers Bring May Flowers!
I have always loved the month of May for it is when we really start to experience warmer weather, brighter sun-filled skies, and can begin to start planting our outdoor flower and/or vegetable gardens. As a kid growing up on a local farm, I loved being outside and I remember helping my mom plant our vegetable and flower garden and watching them grow as the weeks went by. Another ritual I always did with my mom was going to the local greenhouse and buying flowers to plant in our flower beds. My favorites were pansies because they were always brightly colored and there was a wide variety to choose from. I encourage parents to do these types of activities with their children for these are memories that will last a lifetime and it helps teach kids patience, responsibility and enhances their ability to appreciate nature.
https://naturespath.com/blogs/posts/20-activities-kids-using-flowers
May also represents Mental Health Awareness month and May 9th is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, which is why for the month of May I have chosen to do SEL (social emotional learning) lessons in the 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms that revolve around nature and mindfulness. I have included a link below for some flower activities that parents can do with their kids that are fun and engaging.
https://naturespath.com/blogs/posts/20-activities-kids-using-flowers
Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!
Jennifer Shier is designated Grades 2 & 3
Contact Information
Email: shierj@portage.k12.wi.us
Phone: 608-742-5531, ext. 2454
Updates from 4th and 5th Grades!
The Kindness Chain Challenge. And the winner is…
This year we introduced the theme of kindness for the month of February and kicked it off with a school-wide Kindness Chain Challenge. The idea was that within each classroom students would aim to do three acts of kindness per day, whether at school, at home, or out in the community, and each day write each of these kind acts onto a slip of paper that would be linked into a growing paper chain. We are now at the end of February and it’s been wonderful to see how long these chains have grown among the classrooms that participated!
There were over 800 acts of kindness from your students in participating classrooms! That’s great for our very first Kindness Chain Challenge! So who were the winners? Who had the longest chains of kindness? Fifth grade was the clear winner, hands down. Congratulations, fifth grade! Of those fifth grade classes there was a continual head-to-head battle of kindness right from the start between two of them, but the winner of our first Kindness Chain Challenge by only 3 more acts of kindness is… Mr. Kilde’s 5th Grade Class, with Ms. Klementz’ class in a very tight second place! Fantastic job, everyone!!! Congratulations also to our 2nd graders who came in second out of the four grade levels! And a big congratulations to our 3rd and 4th graders, too!
Exploring Careers
The 4th and 5th grade classes explored careers, which started with a True Colors Personality Test to find our dominant personality traits. Ask your child if they remember what their True Color is. Are they a Blue, Green, Gold, or Orange? From here we considered how our personalities might actually fit (or not) with the careers we think we would like in the future. The students seemed to enjoy the online ‘Reality Check’ in which they indicated the kinds of things they want to have in life, including where they would like to live, the type of home, entertainment, etc., and got a sense of what they would need to earn in order to afford the lifestyle they want. We will finally looked into the career areas we may be interested in and learned what kind of training and education is needed in that field, how strong or weak the job growth outlook is projected to be, and typical salary ranges.
Learning Mindfulness
Our 4th and 5th grade classes had the opportunity to learn about mindfulness and define what it is, what the benefits of practicing mindfulness are, and how one ‘does’ mindfulness. Jon Kabat-Zinn is a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a leading researcher in the field of mindfulness, and I like to use his definition of what mindfulness is. He defines mindfulness as a special way of paying attention, that is paying attention 1) with purpose, 2) in the present moment, and 3) without judgment. Although mindfulness dates back around 2500 years, modern research has shown it can help reduce stress and anxiety, calm our body and mind, help regulate strong emotions, and improve focus.
We practiced mindful coloring activity by allowing ourselves to be calm, and to turn our attention to the feeling of the tip of our colored pencils as they added color to our coloring sheet, and to notice the sound of the colored pencils as they moved across the paper. Some groups did a mindful scavenger hunt in their classrooms to find things by using our five senses.
Any easy way to begin practicing mindfulness is to focus on our breath. We sit with a tall spine, rest our hands in our lap or on our knees, close our eyes slightly or fully, and turn our attention to the cool sensation of our breath right where it enters our nose. Breathe calmly in…1…2…3…4… and breathe out…1…2…3…4… keeping our attention on the sensation of our breath. If a distracting thought appears, simply notice it, and return our attention to our breath.
Mike Meyers is designated Grades 4 & 5
Contact Information
Email: meyersm@portage.k12.wi.us
Phone: 608-742-5531, ext. 2454
Fun Summer Activities!
Where has the school year gone? Looking for Summer Activities for your student? Check out these fun and engaging events, camps and activities happening!
Camps
Timbertop Camp for Youth (ages 8-14) with Learning Disabilities.
August 4-9th
Rosholt, WI
Kids Ranch Summer Day Camp (ages 7-11) struggling with reading, mental wellness, or learning disabilities.
Rock Springs, WI
Camp Woodbrooke (ages 7-15)
Richland Center, WI
Activities
Trail Workshop for Kids at Indian Agency House Saturday June 8th
Portage Park and Recreation https://portage.recdesk.com/RecDeskPortal/Portals/132/2024%20Activity%20Guide%20Final%20compressed.pdf
St. Mary’s Best Fest Friday May 17th-May 18th Columbia County Fairgrounds.
Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Shelby Glasgow, Social Worker
Contact Information
Email: glasgows@portage.k12.wi.us
Phone: 608-742-5531, ext. 2107
Your Vision and Novelty & Cosmetic Makeup
Warm weather celebrations are right around the corner. Here are safe novelty and cosmetic
makeup tips you can begin to incorporate to protect your vision.
Tip #1: Do not use expired makeup products.
Similar to food, makeup does have an expiration date. The longer makeup sits, the greater its
chances of forming bacteria or growing fungi. All makeup products have an expiration date on
the back of their packaging.
Eye makeup, including eyeliner and mascara, should be replaced every 4-6 months. Eye shadow
has a longer shelf life and should be replaced every year. If makeup has an odor, make the safe
choice, and dispose of it.
Tip #2: Do not share makeup with others.
Sharing makeup is a sure way to transfer germs. Your makeup should remain your makeup only.
Consider face painting with novelty makeup as well. Cross-contamination can be avoided by
using single use or disposable applicators that are not ‘dipped’ into the makeup once the
applicator touches someone’s skin. A community container of face paint novelty makeup should
be avoided by placing a small amount on a plate and using disposable applicators for one student
only. If someone is using brushes on more than one person, this is considered cross-
contamination.
Tip #3: Wash your makeup off immediately.
Throw a specific product away if you notice any irritations forming in or around your eyes. Only
use products intended for use on the face. Avoid things like glitter that can end up in the eye.
Tip #4: Try the makeup on another area of skin first before using on your face.
If you are decorating your skin with something you have never used before, you might try a dab
of it on your arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction before you put it on your
face. This is an especially smart thing to do if you tend to have allergies.
Tip #5: Always wash your makeup off before going to bed.
Eye makeup, especially, should be removed before going to sleep. Any makeup not removed can
get into your eyes causing irritation. Be safe and remove all makeup before going to bed.
References:
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Novelty Makeup
U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Eye Cosmetic Safety
Valerie Hon, MSN, RN, LSN, NCSN
Pronouns (she/her)
District Nurse & Safety Committee Chairperson
Portage Community School District
305 E. Slifer Street
Portage, WI 53901
608/742-4867, extension 4022 or
PHS 608/742-8545, extension 1156
Fax 608/742-3989
Volunteering at John Muir!
Volunteering to help at the school or go on field trips is a wonderful way parents can stay connected to their student's school activities. To become a volunteer, the district asks that a background check be completed prior to participating. Here's the link to the district web page. It will take about five working days to process. Please keep in mind, this process must be completed prior to getting involved in your student's school activities. It cannot be completed the day of the activity as we will not yet have the approved results. The background checks are required to be done annually, i.e. if one is done and approved in December, 2023, it will be good until December, 2024! It can be completed at any time during the school year.
We hope to see you at school!
Bus ID's
Effective March 4, students that ride the bus will be required to scan his/her bus pass before riding. The pass is scanned and allows the system to track who is on the bus. Bus ID's are given to each student in a pocket holder with lanyard. If your student loses his/her bus pass, there is a cost of $5.00 for a replacement.
The Here Comes the Bus App is a free app that enables the user to see the location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. The app allows families to see real-time updates of where a bus is along its route, to create a custom notification for when the bus reaches a certain point in its route and to receive notifications if there has been a schedule change. If you wish to sign up for scanning notifications of when your child scanned on and off the bus, the district code is 29776.
The app is available from the App Store or Google Play. Download instructions and additional information can be found at www.herecomesthebus.com.
School Lunch and Breakfast 2023-24
The meal prices for students and adult visitors are as follows:
Milk: $.50/carton
Breakfast: $2.00
Lunch: $3.10
Reduced Breakfast: $0.30
Reduced Lunch: $0.40
Adult Breakfast: $2.75
Adult Lunch: $4.50
Please visit the PCSD Food Services webpage for additional information. Click the image below for the Free and Reduced Lunch Application.
Can't remember your lunch pin? Sign in to your Infinite Campus account, your lunch pin is the 5-digit number under your picture. Monthly breakfast/lunch menus are sent home with your student at the beginning of each month. You can also access the menu through our website by clicking on the lunch bag in the upper right corner.