Welcome to February! A few notable things about this month:

1. This year it has 29 days! What a gift! Extra time is something everyone could use, and this year we get a whole twenty-four hours more. How will you spend it?

2. February means we are creeping towards spring. Spring, in the education world, means testing. Please take a second to look at these Important Testing Dates. You will notice that our testing window this year for our annual state tests is the last week of March until the first week in May. These are days to avoid planning long absences for your learner, if possible.

3. February is loaded with other important days: Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, the Super Bowl, but nothing is more important than pitchers and catchers reporting for Major League Baseball's Spring Training - there is no truer sign that winter is on its way out! Also, go Cubs.

You'll notice that further down in this newsletter there is an addition called Partnering with Parents. My hope is that you may take away one simple tool to make your life easier, your relationships better than they are now, and partner with us to build learners that are 1 percent stronger, more resilient, and better equipped each day. Just think - if your learner grew 1% each day, by the end of the school year, they would have improved as a human by approximately 180 percent!

Our Energy Bus focus for February is Drive With Enthusiasm. Each day is full of potential. If you greet it with enthusiasm you'll get the most out of each minute! When you wake up in the morning, the focus should be: What do I get to do today? Not: Oh, I have to go to school.

We look forward to support you, as our GBR community, and more specifically the learners that fill our halls every day in February. It has been a great year so far, and I am excited to see how far we can go together!

February 1, 2024 - NAEP Testing for Select 4th Graders

Saturday, February 3, 2024 - Spelling Bee at DWU

Saturday, February 3, 2024 - MSD Caring Closet Pop-Up

Saturday, February 10, 2024 - A Knight for a Princess Dance

Friday, February 16, 2024 - No School

Monday, February 19, 2024 - No School/Presidents' Day

Saturday, March 9, 2024 - MSD Caring Closet Pop-Up

Thursday, March 14, 2024 - No School/Spring Break

Friday, March 15, 2024 - No School/Spring Break

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 - Kindergarten Jumpstart

Thursday, March 21, 2024 - Kindergarten Jumpstart

Friday, March 29, 2024 - No School/Good Friday

*Box Tops for Education: Remember to download the Box Tops app and scan your grocery receipts! Every little bit helps.

*When purchasing gift cards, look to see if you can purchase them the Schoolstore Fundraiser!

*Keep saving your County Fair Saver cards and stamps and send them to school with your child!

*Maker Space is in need of Duplo Building Blocks. Duplo blocks tend to be bigger than regular Lego blocks and easier to build with, requiring less precision and coordination to build. They are good for fine motor skills in younger children. If you have any at home that you are not using, please consider donating them to GBR.

*Crazy About Cupcakes Valentine Sweet Treats Fundraiser is underway! Options for purchase include a dozen Valentine themed cupcakes or a dozen chocolate covered strawberries.

GBR will receive 40% of the profits from sales.

If you are interested in making a purchase, please see the order form sent home with your student. Order forms and money are due back to school by February 7th. Orders will be available for pick up at Crazy About Cupcakes February 12th, 13th, and 14th!

The Mitchell School District 2023-2024 Kindergarten Jumpstart sessions have been scheduled. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and Thursday, March 21, 2024. Please refer to the included flyer for details on time, place, etc.

If you have a child who will turn age 5 on or prior to September 1, 2024, please scan the QR code on the included flyer to get your child's name on the list. You will need to attend a Jumpstart session at your child's home-based school. We will mail out information packets toward the end of February.

The Caring Kernel Award is given monthly to teacher nominated students who have shown to go above and beyond. Students are chosen for showing kindness to other at school or within the community, showing true Kernel spirit, having a positive attitude, demonstrating great sportsmanship at school activities, and overcoming hardships in school or at home.

The December 2023 student recipients are Oaklee Lanners, Kaylee Wudel, Camden Ladd, Alivia Byrd, Ivy Stevens, and Sophia Radel.

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Mitchell for sponsoring this honor!

Attention Class of 2024 and Gertie Belle Rogers Alumni:

Be sure to apply for the GBR Scholarship! Applications are available in the Mitchell High School Counselor's office. To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must be a graduating senior of Mitchell High School, have attended Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary for 3 years, and be pursuing any higher level of education upon graduation.

The deadline to apply is Monday, April 1, 2024.

The Mitchell Community Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)3 organization created in 2001 and maintained to provide scholarships for every graduating senior from MHS or MCHS who qualify. This fund assists Mitchell’s graduating seniors to attain their goals of continuing educational opportunities and to demonstrate Mitchell’s belief in their youth. The student must attend a postsecondary institution to receive the scholarship money and complete the necessary claim form. A board of directors oversees the efforts, and all monies raised are done through fundraising and special events. Community members and school representatives are members of the board that has no fiscal relationship with the Mitchell School District or Mitchell Christian School. Funds are held and managed by the Mitchell Area Charitable Foundation with 100% of money raised dedicated to scholarship awards.

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students participated in grade level spelling bees in January. Each grade level crowned a winner and an alternate who will go on to compete in the DWU Spelling Bee on February 3, 2024. Winners and alternates are shown below; (From left to right) - Marcus (3/4 B), Eric (2/3 S), Danisa (4 Z), Kennet (3/4 B), Cadence (5 PLC), and Callum (5D).

Parenting can be tough! Helping learners navigate life both at school and at home, while you as an adult fulfill all your other responsibilities can be exhausting. Here are some resources that may be useful to you.

The Student Council will be selling foil wrapped chocolate roses for $3.00 a piece in preparation for Valentine's Day. You can choose from 1 of 3 notes to go with your rose: I'm Grateful for You!, I Appreciate You!, or You're the Best!. Student Council members will be taking orders starting Monday, February 5, 2024. They will be on the stage in the commons each morning that week before school, until they run out of roses. The will the deliver your rose and note to the person you designate on the card on Valentine's Day. It must be a student or a staff member at GBR for council members to deliver to.