Combs Family Newsletter

Happy October, Combs families! We have an exciting week ahead with some amazing events and opportunities for our students and families. From a special author visit with Amber McBride to our upcoming Veteran's Day assembly, there’s so much to look forward to. Our new PTG is gearing up for some fantastic activities and needs your help to make them a success! We also have fundraisers, Popcorn Friday, and a focus on helping our students develop emotional regulation skills. Read on for all the details, and thank you for your continued support in making Combs a great place to learn and grow!

• Mon 9/30 - Staff Professional Development Day NO SCHOOL
• Tue 10/1
• Amber McBride Author Visit
• Bobo's Fundraiser Begins
• Thu 10/10
• Bobo's Order Forms Due
• Wed 10/16 - End of 1st Quarter
  
• Fri 10/18 - School Picture Day
• Fri 10/18 - Thu 10/24 - Scholastic Book Fair
• Mon 10/21 - Fri 10/25 - Red Ribbon Week
• Fri 10/25:
• 5th Grade Music Field Trip
• FFSD Fright Night Trunk or Treat at the Field: Monster Mash Party (at STEAM@MSB)
• Mon 10/28 - Wed 10/30 - Parent Teacher Conferences
• Wed 10/30 - Tue 11/5 - Fall Break NO SCHOOL
• 11/1 OR 11/2 - Combs PTG Mixer: Details coming soon!
• Mon 11/4 - Bobo's Order Pickup

Combs is thrilled to welcome author and poet Amber McBride to our school this week! Best known for her award-winning novel-in-verse Me (Moth), Amber’s visit will be extra special as students receive a free copy of her brand-new book, Onyx & Beyond, on its release day—October 1st, the book's official birthday! We extend a huge thanks to The Nobel Neighbor (the nonprofit affiliate of The Novel Neighbor bookstore) and our amazing librarian, Ms. Goh, for making this exciting opportunity possible!

Our newly formed Parent Teacher Group (PTG) is off to a great start, having just held its first executive board meeting! They’re already hard at work planning exciting events and looking for volunteers to help make them a success. Here’s a preview of what’s coming up:

Upcoming PTG Events:

• Fri 10/25 – FFSD Trunk or Treat at STEAM@MSB: We need volunteers to host Combs trunks and candy donations.
• Mon 10/28 & Tue 10/29 – Help provide staff dinner: Volunteers needed!
• Fri 11/1 or Sat 11/2 – Combs PTG Parent Mixer: Save the date!
• Mon 11/4 – Bobo's Order Pickup: Volunteers needed to assist.
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We appreciate any time or support you can offer to help make these events fun for everyone!

We are excited to once again be hosting a Bobo's Pizza fundraiser to support our Combs students and staff! There are lots of fun and prizes to be earned, so let's get out there and start selling! Order forms will go home on Tuesday, October 2nd, and are due back on Thursday, October 10th. Order pickup will take place in the Combs cafeteria on Monday, November 4th.

We're excited to kick off our first Popcorn Friday of the school year! Bags of popcorn are just 50¢ each and must be preordered by Thursday (exact change only). Popcorn will be delivered to students by staff on Friday—let’s make it a fun and tasty day!

Combs is proud to host a special Veteran’s Day assembly on November 11th to honor the family members of our students who have served in the U.S. military. We invite families to submit photos of veterans related to Combs students to be featured in a slideshow during the assembly. Veterans who are available to attend are also invited to join us for a brief reception at 9:00 a.m. before being recognized during the assembly. Due to space limitations, we kindly ask that only the veterans being honored attend the event.

Helping children regulate their emotions is crucial for their success, both academically and socially. Anger is a perfectly natural emotion, but how we respond to it has a direct impact on our lives and relationships. While some students may need to work harder to manage their emotions, labeling normal feelings as "anger issues" can be counterproductive and even dismissive of those who genuinely struggle with diagnosed conditions. True "anger issues" require a professional evaluation, and the phrase should never be used as an excuse for aggressive or defiant behavior. Instead, we can guide children to recognize that they are capable of learning emotional control, and with practice, they can handle challenging situations in a more positive way.

Here are some key facts about emotional regulation and its benefits:

• Anger, like all emotions, is normal, but students need to understand that they are responsible for how they manage it.
• Children who practice emotional regulation develop stronger coping skills, leading to better decision-making and healthier relationships.
• Emotional regulation improves focus and behavior, contributing to better academic performance and lower stress levels.
• Teaching children calming techniques, such as taking deep breaths or pausing before reacting, helps them respond thoughtfully to frustration.

By encouraging emotional growth at home and school, we empower our students to take control of their actions and build lasting success.

This week, 3rd and 4th grades participated in a pajama day for Fight Free Friday. As a reminder, each grade level has an opportunity to earn a different reward each week that their entire grade is fight free, including students choosing to report acts of physical aggression to staff rather than responding by fighting. Many incidents of fighting in the past were occurring due to other students encouraging their peers to fight one another. Fight Free Fridays have caused a significant change in the way students view fights by their peers, resulting in a reduction in both fighting itself and the encouragement of fighting by other students as compared to last year. This week, all grades are working toward another jersey day on Friday! Please keep an eye out on Thursday afternoons for announcements about which grades get to participate!

October is here...let's make it amazing!