SIS February Newsletter
#solonstrong
A Note From the Principal
January brought with it bitter cold and WAY too many indoor recess days to count. Here's hoping that February will have more typical winter weather and kids can get outside to enjoy the fresh air and more space to move!
Despite the cold temps outside, there has been lots happening inside! Students have been learning how to express and support their opinions. 4th graders have been eating up their mystery novels while 5th graders are enjoying researching ecosystems and habitats of chosen species. Math has had students in both grade levels exploring place value and operations with decimals. I'm continually impressed with the work that our teachers and students do on a daily basis!
Teachers and staff are not only thoughtfully working with students to grow them as learners but to also help them make connections and know they are cared for. From our first sledding days to special lunches with the teacher, to morning meeting check-ins our students are interacting with one another and our adults in consistently positive ways!
As we venture into February we hope to see warmer weather for more outdoor recess fun and we'll share in Some Valentine's day fun, and start to get our second ground of parent/teacher conferences scheduled, and enjoy the book fair once again!
With conferences right around the corner, please watch your emails from a note from your child's classroom teacher. He/She will be sending out a sign up genius for you to secure your conference spot. These conferences will be student-led. Please plan to bring your child with you to his/her conference. Conferences will once again be offered in person or via Zoom.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Holtz
Gym Time!
Classroom Activities
Sledding Day Fun
Counselor's Corner & Spartan of the Month
Our February focus for SIS will be on kindness. Our Spartans of the Month will be chosen by those who exhibit consistent traits of being kind to others. As part of our focus, we will be asking students to focus on being kind to themselves and the importance of self-care. With that, Mr. Williams and I have created a physical and mental health challenge for students to complete. Students who complete either/both challenges should bring their signed by parents sheets into the office by Friday, March 4th. We will gather all of those who completed the challenge and recognize their act of kindness and attention to taking care of themselves. Mr. William’s challenge correlates with the upcoming Winter Olympics and challenges students to improve their physical health. Mrs. Pentico’s challenge is a daily reminder to take care of our well-being by practicing strategies to improve our mental health. Please see both challenges below and we hope to have all students participate and be kind to themselves as well as to one another.
With both challenges, print out a copy and x out the day when completed. If you would like your student to bring home a copy, those will be available in the office for them to pick up.
Mr. Williams Winter Olympics Fitness Challenge
Mrs. Pentico February Self Care Challenge
5th Grade Families: Please see check out the information regarding Lifeskills Training conducted by Prelude Behavioral Services These instructional times will take place in your student's 5th-grade classrooms on Wednesdays beginning February 16th until April 20th. Any Wednesday’s missed due to late starts/early dismissals or snow days will be made up the following Wednesdays.
PTO Scrip Orders
Check it out and grab some gift cards today!!
SIS Yearbook Orders
Special Events
Valentine's Day Celebrations
Students will enjoy a little Valentine's Day fun on Friday, Feb. 14. Individual classrooms will plan to celebrate the last hour of the day. As we look to celebrate, we will follow these guidelines:
- Students may bring Valentine's to share (please no toys, trinkets, or candy)
- Celebration snacks will be organized/communicated by the classroom teacher and should follow the district's classroom snack guidelines
- School staff only (no visitors or guests)
Feb. 28 - Mar. 4: Read Across America Week!
We'll celebrate Read Across America Week with a little Dr. Seuss fun! Take a peek at our dress up days and encourage your child to join in! All of our days are tied to the fun of one of our favorite authors....Dr. Seuss of course!!
- Monday, Feb. 28: The Cat in the Hat: Hat Day!
- Tuesday, Mar. 1: Character Day: Dress as Your Favorite Book Character
- Wednesday, Mar. 2: Wacky Wednesday: Dress Wacky!
- Thursday, Mar. 3: Fox in Socks: Wear those Crazy Socks!
- Friday, Mar. 4: The Sleep Book: Pajama Day!
Book Fair!
In conjunction with Read Across America Week, the PTO Book Fair will be set up and available for you to shop during our Mar. 3 conference nights!
Mark Those Calendars
Feb. 1: NAEP Testing for Select 4th Graders
Feb. 14: Valentine's Day Classroom Celebrations
Feb. 21: No School - Prof Development
Feb. 24: SIS Parent/Teacher Conferences (2:00 - 7:00 pm)
Feb. 28 - Mar. 4: Read Across America Week!
Mar. 3: SIS Parent/Teacher Conferences (2:00 - 7:00 pm)
Mar. 11-20: No School - Spring Break
Mar. 28: ISASP Testing Begins
Apr. 14: SIS Spring Music Concert (6:00 pm)
School Lunches
School lunch will be free again this year for ALL students. You can access the menus on our school website HERE.
Winter Reminders
- Recess is held outdoors as long as the real feel is 10° or higher.
- Students can ALWAYS use encouragement to wear their coats, gloves, and hats outside.
- It's a good idea to write your child's name in his/her personal belongings.
- When snow begins to fall, students will need boots and snow pants to go off of the concrete during recess.
Winter Weather Alerts
Once you download the app, be sure to set notifications to ensure you are alerted to any weather related schedule changes! Here's how:
- Download the app (see image in upper right corner)
- With the app open, tap in the 3 lines to the bottom left of your screen
- After completing step 2, tap on the "settings" gear wheel in the lower right of your screen
- When a new menu appears, tap on "Push Notifications"
- Select the notifications you wish to receive (district, by school)
- When finished selecting, tap "done"
It's that easy!
Now is also a good time to check that your email and phone number are up-to-date in our Powerschool system. To do this, please log into your Powerschool account, click on "forms" and then edit your contact information.
Contact Info
Email: mholtz@solon.k12.ia.us
Website: www.solon.k12.ia.us
Location: 200 West 5th Street, Solon, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 624 - 3401
Twitter: @theholtzfamily4