Geist Gazette

Website: https://ges.hseschools.org/

Location: 14051 East 104th Street, Fishers, IN 46037
Phone: 317-915-4260
Twitter: @TherisaSeymour

Facebook: Geist Elementary PTO

1/20 - No School - MLK Day

1/21 - Study Trip (Schmitt, Beckner)

1/22 - 100th Day of School

1/22 - Study Trip (Desserich, Beck)

1/23 - Gator Day (Wear GES gear)

Celebrate Gator Day on Thursday, January 23rd by wearing your favorite GES gear! #StrongerTogether

Students participated in a Fire Drill this afternoon as part of our safety drills.

IN CLASS:

• January 14 – 17: Learning to jump & land safely with control; Learning to jump over a rope consecutively

OUT OF CLASS:

• HSE HS Athletics Schedule: https://hseathletics.com/Events

• Heart Hike: https://www.playfishers.com/466/Heart-Hike

• Storywalk - https://playfishers.com/333/StoryWalk

• Fishers Softball Skills Camp: https://fisherstigersathletics.com/Article/50945

Congratulations to the first grade students who earned Artist of the Week for their Winter Window!

Artists for the week of January 13 are: Harper M, Nora R, Brooke V, Harper I, and Kennedy S.

Click here for Mrs. K's Music Corner:

-Demo Day Information

-4th Grade Performance Information

-Last Call: Choir Registration

-Kindergarten Performance Information

-Music Lessons & More!

Yes, conflicts are a normal part of life for elementary school-aged children; it's a natural occurrence as they navigate social interactions and learn to express their need. Developing healthy ways to resolve these conflicts is an important life skill to teach them.

It is our job, as supportive adults, to help teach our little ones How to Resolve conflicts, as they develop into self-assured and confident young adults.

In September 2024, I taught each class a lesson on conflict resolution. It included defining conflict, normalizing conflict, determining the size of the problem or conflict, and learning options to resolve conflict. I also addressed bullying behavior and defined it as a ‘red problem’; one in which someone feels threatened or potentially harmed. In this case, students are instructed to report to a trusted adult right away.

Key points about conflicts in elementary school:

· Common causes:

Sharing toys, disagreements over rules, competition for attention, differences in opinions, and sometimes even misunderstandings can lead to conflicts.

· Learning to manage conflict:

Teaching children strategies like active listening, taking turns speaking, compromise, and seeking help from adults when needed can help them navigate conflicts constructively.

· Positive aspects of conflict:

When handled appropriately, conflicts can provide opportunities for children to learn empathy, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities.

Please watch the review of conflict resolution to begin the 2nd-semester: I Can Solve Conflicts

I’ve attached the visuals used at GES to reinforce student choice in resolving conflicts.

• What Size is the Problem?
• I-Message
• Kelso’s Wheel of Choices

Conflict resolution means finding a peaceful way to solve a disagreement with someone, by talking about your feelings, listening to the other person's perspective, and working together to come up with a solution that makes everyone feel okay.

Thank you for partnering with us to build student advocacy and voice!

Lisa Keller

GES School Counselor

Kindergarten

Second Step Digital Curriculum: Unit 2: Emotion Management (SS)

Lesson 8: Sometimes We Feel Mad

Students will be able to give at least one reason why they think someone is feeling mad.

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels mad. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation.

Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel mad. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling mad.

First Grade

Second Step Digital Curriculum Unit 2: Emotion Management

Lesson 8: Feeling Calm

Students will be able to name a reason why they think someone feels calm

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels calm. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation.

Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel calm. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling calm.

Second Grade

Second Step Digital Curriculum Unit 1: Growth Mindset and Goal Setting

Lesson 6: Feeling Proud

Students will be able to identify reasons for feeling proud.

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that we can feel proud when we accomplish something difficult or when we do something nice for others.

Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about a time they felt proud. Tell them about a time you felt proud of something you accomplished or of doing something nice for others.

Third Grade

Second Step Digital Curriculum Unit 2: Emotion Management

Lesson 8: Take a Break

Students will be able to recognize when and how to take a break to regulate a strong emotion.

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how, when, and where to take a break in different situations as a way to manage a strong emotion.

Try This at Home: Discuss where and how your child can take a break at home. Then ask your child how they could take a break in a place, for example, in the car or at the grocery store.

Fourth Grade

Second Step Digital Curriculum Unit 1: Growth Mindset and Goal Setting

Lesson 2: Making a Plan

Students will be able to make an effective plan to reach a class goal.

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child’s class will work together to make a good plan to reach their 2-week goal.

Try This at Home: Ask your child to describe their plan to reach their class goal. What will they do? What will they need? Who can support them? Tell your child about a time when you made a plan to reach a goal.

HOT OPTIONS

MONDAY- NO SCHOOL

TUESDAY- Walking Taco(contains beef)

WEDNESDAY - Chicken Nuggets with roll

THURSDAY- GLOBAL MEAL- Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Cilantro Lime Rice

FRIDAY- French Toast with Sausage(Turkey)

DAILY HOT OPTION: Impossible Burger (Vegetarian)

COLD OPTIONS FOR THE WEEK

BENTO- Muffin, yogurt, cheese stick and graham cracker

PBJ

Specialty Salad- Crispy Chicken

Garden Salad- with Hard-Boiled egg

The GES Café welcomes lunch visitors! Sign-ups will be available one week in advance (cutoff is 10am on Friday the week prior), with a maximum of two visits per month. All visitors must have an approved valid Safe Visitor background check on file with the district before coming into the building. All visitors will need to have their ID with them to sign in to the building.

• NO restaurant food or drink may be brought in for lunch.
• Phones must be put away at all times/No pictures may be taken during your visit.
• One visitor will be allowed per grade level per day.
• Adults only please.
• Adults may purchase a lunch for $4.30 at the time of signup. Check or cash exact change only please. Please indicate your child's teacher and your lunch preference: 'Hot Lunch', 'Salad', 'Bring from Home', or 'None'.
  
• Please proceed to the office to check out when your child's teacher picks up the class.
• Sign ups for the week of Jan. 27: https://signup.com/go/gZfxmBU

Every year, we gather input from various stakeholder groups about possible revisions to our Student Handbook. Please consider reviewing our current Student Handbook https://www.hseschools.org/about/student-handbooks and offering feedback for enhancement; these suggestions could be revisions, removals, or additions. All feedback is due by Tuesday, January 28th. Thank you for your assistance in this important process! If you have suggestions, please use this link https://forms.office.com/r/EABEa3i6St

Join Superintendent Pat Mapes at Schoolhouse 7 Café for an informal discussion and learn about the great things happening across the district on Wednesday, January 22 from 8 a.m.-9 a.m. at Schoolhouse 7 Café (12125 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers). No registration is required – just stop by to hear updates, share your thoughts and ask questions.

Get Connected: Follow us on Facebook @GeistElementaryPTO for updates on our upcoming events and how you can participate!

Get Involved: Click Here for current volunteer opportunities!

Contact Us: gesptopres@gmail.com

This year we partnered with the Fishers Police Department again for our "Kids Helping Kids" winter service project during the classroom Winter Celebrations! Each student assembled a goodie bag filled with items for kids. These goodie bags were then donated to the Fishers Police, where they will keep the bags in patrol cars and at the station and give them to kids when the need arises.

Thank you to the Fishers Police Department for visiting classrooms throughout the day and to Sarah Pilli for organizing such an awesome project! We would also like to extend our gratitude to all of the amazing room parents for organizing fun filled winter celebrations for our students!

Each year, our PTO proudly allocates $1,000 to give back to our community, and this year, we focused on using some of those funds by making an impact within our own school district. We learned about a remarkable campus that provides students with the tools they need to succeed academically and behaviorally, equipping them to overcome obstacles and transition back to their home schools to graduate with their peers.

Since this campus doesn’t have a PTO of its own, we felt it was the perfect opportunity to support the dedicated staff who make such a difference in students’ lives. In December, we catered a lunch for the staff and fulfilled $50 worth of items from each of the six teachers’ Amazon wishlists, ensuring they have the resources they need to continue their important work.

We are honored to contribute to such an impactful program and hope to inspire others to do the same! Click Here to learn more about this program!

Just before Winter Break we purchased and delivered a tray of the famous cinnamon rolls from our recent fundraiser to every staff member to share with their families over break- if you participated you know just how amazing they are!

Did you know you can raise money for our school by grocery shopping? The PTO participates in retail rewards through Kroger Community Rewards and Box Tops for Education. Here is how to enroll:

Kroger: link your rewards card here: https://www.kroger.com/account/communityrewards/

Box Tops: Download the app and scan your paper or digital receipts to earn credit for participating products.

Don’t be caught in the cold! We encourage all families to enroll in 4-H by January 15. Participants must re-enroll every year. 4-H is an informal educational program where youth “learn by doing.” Anyone in grades 3-12 can learn life skills such as cooperation, leadership, decision-making, responsibility, and more through hands-on projects in more than 60 different subject areas.

Youth in grades K-2 may enroll in Mini 4-H. The 4-H Program is a great opportunity to develop a hobby, experience camp, make new friends, and promote family togetherness.

For more information, contact the Purdue Extension Hamilton County Office at 317-776-0854 or visit puext.in/hamco4h.

Enroll online at in.4honline.com.