Newell Family Sunday Message 11/10

Newell Families,

We mentioned it last week but the seasons are changing. We know our students need fresh air during the day so children will only stay inside when the temperature or wind chill is 20 degrees or colder or when precipitation or playground conditions warrant staying inside. As it gets colder make sure students are dressing in layers and bringing jackets/coats.

This week all of our 2nd Graders will be taking the CogAT test. The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) measures students’ learned reasoning abilities.

- Mr. Balcom

Last week our 5th Grade Hospitality team members helped decorate signs for the Volleyball Tunnel Walk!

Dear Parents,

This week staff and students will review emergency procedures in the classrooms. Attached is a copy of the Standard Response Protocol we review, practice and use at school.

For safety reasons at any given time, it is also helpful for your child to know his/her full name, address, and phone number. Please help them practice!

Wednesday we will complete our Lockdown Drill. School Resource Officers and city officers will help us complete the drill.

In the event of an emergency, we would contact you through email and phone. We would ask you not to drive to school so that there would be room for emergency response vehicles, and more instructions would be given in the communication.

We work hard to keep our school safe! Thank you for your support! If you have questions or need anything, please feel free to call the school.

Thanks again,

Mr. Balcom

Dear Parents and Students,

Tuesday, December 10, is the K-5 grades Winter Program. The Winter Programs will take place in the Walnut Middle School Auditorium and we will be having three program times:

• The program for grades K-1 will start at 5:30 pm. Grades K-1 students need to meet their teachers in the cafeteria at Walnut NO LATER THAN 5:15pm so we can get organized for the performance.

• The program for grades 2-3 will start at 6:30 pm. Grades 2-3 need to meet their teachers in the cafeteria at Walnut NO LATER THAN 6:15 pm so we can get ready for the performance.

• The program for grades 4-5 will start at 7:30 pm. Grades 4-5 need to meet their teachers in the cafeteria at Walnut NO LATER THAN 7:15 pm so we can get ready for the performance.

Please be aware if there are no teachers in the cafeteria when you arrive, then please have your child sit with you until the teachers are there. At the end of their program there will be a short intermission for families to leave if they want. However, if you have a child performing in one or both of the other performances, please plan on staying.

Please have your child use the restroom before leaving them in the cafeteria area. It may be a good idea for parents to take their child’s coat with them so it will be easier to get ready to leave after the program. The students have been working hard and each program will last around 30 minutes. Please honor our students by staying for the entire program you are attending so our kids have a wonderful audience experience. When leaving the program, be sure to tell your child’s teacher you are leaving with their student.

We hope this will help you plan for an entertaining evening with your family. The kids are so excited to show everyone how great they sound! I know a lot of programs are scheduled and you may have other family members involved in them. Hope you can join us!! Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

Kelly Allan

Newell Music Specialist

Grades K-5

Each week we'll let you behind the scenes on what students are learning at Newell.

This week we are looking at Positive Supports at Newell!

One of our Positive Support Practices that we offer to students is a break. Sometimes our students struggle with emotions during the school day. When this happens they can ask for a break or sometimes a staff member recognizes the students need for a break and offers the student a break. On rare occasions a staff member may send a student to a break. Breaks can happen in the classroom calm-down spot or in our Recovery Room. The Recovery Room is in the main office area. It's important for our students to understand the breaks are not a punishment. Taking a few minutes to get ourselves back to green is something even adults do.

Our Positive Supports team created this graphic to explain the service package this is provided when students need a break in the Recovery Room (classroom breaks are very similar).

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

Our next PTA Meeting will be Monday, November 11th from 6:30 – 7:30pm! We will meet in the commons area at Newell. We will plan fall and winter events, as well as apparel designs.

Make sure to like our Newell PTA Facebook Page so you don't miss out on any information!

https://www.facebook.com/NewellElementaryPta/

Did you know our school is a Box Top for education school? It’s super easy to help our school raise extra funds!

1. Download the Box Top for Education app!
2. Choose our school— A B Newell Elementary School
3. Go grocery shopping!
4. Scan every receipt just to make sure you’re not missing anything!
5. Repeat steps 3&4 as often as you need to!

Thursday November 21st

• 2nd Grade Field Trip to Stuhr Museum

Wednesday November 27th

• No School - Fall Break

Thursday November 28th

• No School - Fall Break

Friday November 29th

• No School - Fall Break

Tuesday December 10th

• Winter Vocal Music Program at Walnut Middle School
• 5:30pm Kindergarten and 1st Grade Winter Program (arrive by 5:15pm)
• 6:30pm 2nd Grade and 3rd Grade Winter Program (arrive by 6:15pm)
  
• 7:30pm 4th Grade and 5th Grade Winter Program (arrive by 7:15pm)
  

Friday December 20th

• Elf on the Shelf's Annual Visit to Newell
• Winter Classroom Parties (1:45pm to 2:45pm )

Winter Break - No School

• December 21st - January 7th (students return January 8th)

Keep up with our FULL Calendar of EVERYTHING going on here: http://bit.ly/newellcal

Enjoy these recent photos!

Click to zoom in.

Messages that are important all year long!

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.

Parents, there is a lot of illness going around. Please monitor your child for symptoms.

Description of Fever:

1. A fever is a temporary increase in body temperature, usually caused by an illness.
2. 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:

1. Students with a temperature of 100 F or more may be sent home from school.
2. Students may return to school when their temperature has remained below 100.0 for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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