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Newell Family Sunday Message 01/26
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January 26th, 2025
Newell Families,
The end of January is quickly approaching and as February nears we look forward to Parent Teacher Conferences. Your child should be bringing a Conference Note home for you soon, if they have not already done so. Please return this as soon as possible. Also see notes below with reminders about being safe at Drop-off and Pick-up times.
- Mr. Balcom
Photo of the Week
ALL students are welcome and safe here at Newell!
Announcements
One School, One Book
Tomorrow (3/27) your child will be bringing home a copy of Kenny & the Dragon. ALL our students will be reading the book together, with assignments each night. The goal is for families to read together. If your child is unable to get the book read, we will have guest readers every morning that will be reading aloud the chapters to any students who want to listen. Your child will also get a bookmark with the reading assignments (I will list them below as well). We hope our students, staff, and families enjoy reading the book together!
Monday, January 27th
Tonight Read:
Pages iv - 13
Preface – Before I Forget…
Chapter I – That Devil Scourge
Chapter II – Dishes and Homework
Tuesday, January 28th
Tonight Read:
Pages 14 - 28
Chapter III – Grahame Like the Cracker
Wednesday, January 29th
Tonight Read:
Pages 29 - 46
Chapter IV – You’re All Right in My Book
Thursday, January 30th
Tonight Read:
Pages 47 - 67
Chapter V – The Least Bit Worried
Chapter VI – Kerfuffle Down in Roundbrook
Online Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year
Online Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opens February 2nd with a deadline of March 31st
No School Friday January 31st
Reminder, there will be no school for students on Friday January 31st 2025.
Safely Arriving at School
The traffic around Newell can be complicated. As you're planning morning routines for dropping off your children at Newell, please see the diagram below to help keep everyone safe.
Safely Leaving School
The traffic around Newell can be complicated. As you're planning afternoon pick-up routines for your children at Newell, please see the diagram below to help keep everyone safe.
LOST AND FOUND
PLEASE make sure your child's name is in their coat, hat, and gloves. Our lost and found is filing up again with many coats and jackets. If you are missing an item, stop by door #1.
NOTICE: We will have our lost and found items on display during Parent Teacher Conferences. But at the end of the school day on Thursday February 13th, 2025 all items not claimed will be donated.
Pulling Back the Shield: A Peek into Our Learning Adventures
Each week we'll let you behind the scenes on what students are learning at Newell.
This week we are looking the importance of sleep! Did you know that sleep is one of the most important factors in helping elementary school students succeed? Adequate rest improves focus, memory, and emotional regulation, setting the foundation for better learning and social interactions. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can lead to difficulties with attention, mood, and even overall behavior and health. Prioritizing a consistent bedtime routine is one of the simplest ways to help children reach their full potential—both in the classroom and beyond
The National Sleep Institute recommends these hours of sleep:
12–17 hours per night for newborns and infants
11–14 hours per night for ages 1–2
10–13 hours per night for ages 3–5 (this means falling asleep between 6pm and 9pm)
9–11 hours per night for ages 6–13 (this means falling asleep between 8pm and 10pm)
8–10 hours per night for ages 14–17
7–9 hours per night for adults
👥 Newell PTA Corner 👥
This section includes updates and important information from our amazing Newell PTA! More information is always available on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/NewellElementaryPTA
👥 Next PTA Meeting
Our next PTA Meeting will be Monday, February 24th from 6:30 – 7:30pm! We will meet in the commons area at Newell. We will plan Sprint events, as well as family game night and fundraisers.
PTA Dine To Donate - Freddy's
Take the night off from cooking and support our Newell PTA. Tuesday January 21st at Freddy's from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.
👥 PTA on Facebook
Make sure to like our Newell PTA Facebook Page so you don't miss out on any information!
👥 Box Top for Education School
Did you know our school is a Box Top for education school? It’s super easy to help our school raise extra funds!
- Download the Box Top for Education app!
- Choose our school— A B Newell Elementary School
- Go grocery shopping!
- Scan every receipt just to make sure you’re not missing anything!
- Repeat steps 3&4 as often as you need to!
📆 Important Dates Coming Up 📆
Friday, January 31st
- No School for Students
Monday February 10th
- Dismissal at 2pm
- Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday February 11th
- Dismissal at 2pm
- Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday February 12th
- Dismissal at 2pm
Thursday February 13th
- No School For Students
- Parent Teacher Conferences 8am to 11:00am
Friday February 14th
- No School
Friday February 28th
- 6pm to 7:30pm Newell PTA Family Game Night at Newell
Friday February 28th
- No School for Students
Monday March 10th - Friday March 14th
- No School - Spring Break
Thursday March 20th
- Spring Picture Day (All Grades)
Friday March 28th
- No School for Students
Looking Far Ahead:
Monday April 7th
- Kindergarten Field Trip to Stuhr Museum
Friday April 18th
- No School
Monday April 21st
- No School
Friday April 11th
- 4th Grade Field Trip to Lincoln
Thursday May 1st
- Field Day for all students. Stations in the morning and races in the afternoon.
Friday May 2nd
- No School for Students
Tuesday May 20th at 6pm
- 5th Grade Recognition in the evening. Location: Newell Gym
Thursday May 22nd
- Last Day of School
- 5th Grade Tunnel Walk at 10:45am (parents are welcome)
- Dismissal for all students at 11am.
Keep up with our FULL Calendar of EVERYTHING going on here: http://bit.ly/newellcal
Photo Gallery
This is the Way!
Enjoy these recent photos!
Click to zoom in.
♻️ REPEATED MESSAGES ♻️
Messages that are important all year long!
♻️ Handle With Care Information
Your child’s education and well-being is important to us. If your family or child is experiencing difficulties at home, we would love to be able to provide additional support at school. We understand that you are not always able to share details and that’s okay. If your child is coming to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend, send a message or note with the words, “Handle with Care.” Nothing else will be said or asked. This will let us know that your child may need extra space, time, patience, and help during the day.
♻️ Students Who are Sick
Parents, there is a lot of illness going around. Please monitor your child for symptoms.
Description of Fever:
- A fever is a temporary increase in body temperature, usually caused by an illness.
- In most mild, two to five day, childhood illnesses, fever is lowest in the morning, rises in the afternoon, and will be the highest in evening and night. As the child begins to recover, morning temperatures will be normal with fever still present later in the day.
Management:
- Students with a temperature of 100 F or more may be sent home from school.
- Students may return to school when their temperature has remained below 100.0 for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
♻️ Weather Updates and School Cancellations
Social media posts as well as a phone call, email or text message will inform you of urgent announcements and weather emergencies. Please be sure our office has your most current telephone and email information.
♻️ School Times:
A regular school day begins at 8:00am and dismisses at 3:05pm, Monday through Friday. Students may be dropped after 7:30am. Students must be picked up by 3:15pm.
Please make your child aware of his/her after school plan. If transportation or daycare plans change, please call the office so we can let your child’s teacher know. Thank you.
♻️ Breakfast
We start our school day right at 8:00am. It is VERY important that your child is in class ready to learn at 8:00. Breakfast is served from 7:30am to 7:50am. We are unable to serve students breakfast after 7:50am. If your child needs to eat breakfast at Newell, plan to have them on campus with enough time to get to our breakfast line by 7:50. Students arriving after 7:50 should go to their class lines. Breakfast is FREE for ALL students!
♻️ Visitors:
ALL visitors need to check in at the office and wear given identification while in the school. All visitors must ring the buzzer at door #1. Our staff is busily working with students during the school day. If visiting Newell to speak with a staff member, you may be asked to make an appointment at a later time.
♻️ Birthday Treats:
Birthdays may be celebrated in each child’s classroom. Families are NOT required or expected to provide treats or gifts. However, if you want to offer treats, please provide healthy snacks that are individually packaged. Cupcakes, cookies, donuts, etc. will not be allowed.
♻️ Student Cell Phones:
As cited on page 34 of the GIPS Student Handbook:
"Students in grades Pre-K-5 are discouraged from bringing ECDs (Electronic Communication Devices) to school."
If you need to send an Electronic Communication Device with your student, the handbook states:
"Phones should be kept either turned off, or on silent following the rules specified by the classroom teacher."
At Newell students either keep their phones off or silent in their backpacks or they bring their phones to our secretaries in the office at the beginning of the day to keep them safe, also off or on silent. Note: your child will not be able to send or read messages or calls during the school day.
If you have questions please reach out to Mr. Balcom.
The full handbook is online here: https://www.gips.org/Page/105
Have a wonderful week!
Nate Balcom- Principal
Heather Glause - Secretary
Kathy Schulte - Attendance Secretary
Jami White - Social Worker
Tiffanie Oswald - Nurse
Yolanda Seiler - Spanish Interpreter