Elementary Schools: Northfield: Newsletters

April Newsletter

April 02, 2008

Northfield Elementary “Learning and Fun All in One”
1900 Flaten Ave. Phone: (308)436-5555
Gering, NE 69341 Fax: (308)436-4352

The mission of Gering Public Schools is to develop the academic, personal and social skills of all
students and to prepare them to be productive, responsible global citizens of the 21st century.

March 27, 2008
Dear Parents,

Next week, March 31 through April 4, will be standardized testing for students in grades 3-6. The information received from the tests provides the Northfield staff valuable information on ways to evaluate student’s needs and progress. Parents are able to monitor their child’s growth by reviewing test results. We can work together to help students prepare for standardized testing. Below are some test taking tips for parents and students.

For Parents:
1. Remind your child, testing is important.
2. See that the morning before a test is positive and pleasant.
3. See that your child is rested and eats breakfast.
4. See that your child arrives at school on time and is relaxed.
5. Encourage your child to do the best work possible.
6. Do not send your child to school if illness is apparent.
7. Do not remove your child from school on test days for appointments.

For Students:
1. Read and pay careful attention to all directions.
2. Read each passage and accompanying questions.
3. Read every possible answer – the best one could be last.
4. Read and respond to items one at a time rather that thinking about the whole test.
5. Reread, when necessary, the parts of a passage needed for selecting the correct answer.
6. Don’t expect to find a pattern in the positions of the correct answers.
7. Don’t make uneducated guesses. Try to get the correct answer by reasoning and eliminating wrong answers.
8. Decide exactly what the question is asking; one response is clearly best.
9. Don’t spend too much time on any one question.
10. Skip difficult questions until all other questions have been answered. On scrap paper, keep a record of the unanswered items to return to, if time permits.
11. Make sure to record the answer in the correct place on the answer sheet.
12. Only change an answer if you are sure the first one you picked was wrong. Be sure to completely erase changed answers.
13. After completion of the test, use any remaining time to check your answers
14. Keep a good attitude. Think positively!

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
If you have a child who will be starting kindergarten this fall, or know of someone who does, please have them register the child as soon as possible. This way, we will have an accurate kindergarten enrollment count for August.

COLLECTION ITEMS
Please keep collecting Campbell Soup Labels, Box Top Labels, used Printer cartridges, Panhandle Coop Plaza receipts, and Kemps bottle caps. Send these items to school and put in the containers outside the office.

FUNDRAISER
This is a safe, simple, easy, profitable, guaranteed way of raising funds. Students can collect empty inkjet cartridges from their printers at home and parents are encouraged to collect cartridges from their place of employment. Students bring the cartridges to the school collection site (the office). This program is based on the premise that our students can earn funds for the school and help recycle at the same time.
Below are examples of cartridges that they will purchase at $2.00 a cartridge.
Canon BC-01, BC-02, BX-2,BX-3,BC-05,BC-20,BC-60
Hewlett Packard 51625A, 51629A, C1823A
Lexmark 1380619, 1380620
Apple Style writer – M3240GIA
Xerox 8R7638, 8R4055
Others
Thank you for your help.

VOLUNTEERS
The week of April 20 has been designated National Volunteers Week. We would like to thank the dedicated parents, grandparents, foster grandparents and community individuals who volunteer at Northfield. You are greatly appreciated!!
The Northfield Booster Club officers for this year are:
Heather Dean – President
Gloria Swires – Secretary
Michelle Maschmeier – Treasurer
The committee chair people for the Booster Club are:
Fundraiser – Becky Gealy , Heather Dean, Jennifer Schwartz, Mindy Nowlen, and Matt & Mickie Janecek
Sixth Grade Graduation – Becky Gealy and Amy Winkler
Book Fair – Heather Dean & Michelle Maschmeier
We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to these dedicated parents. They have organized many activities and fundraisers this year. We appreciate their continued efforts. We would encourage all parents to get involved with the Booster Club.

BOOSTER CLUB
The Booster Club is approaching the completion of the World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser. Participation was up, and it was one of our best years ever. We will be ordering prizes and plan to draw for the limousine ride very soon.
The Booster Club voted to take over the payments of the Culligan water that is supplied for the teachers’ lounge. The teachers are very appreciative to your generosity.
The Booster Club will again be having a Bingo for Books evening. Because of the huge success last year, we have decided to hold the event over two nights. Families, whose last names begin with the letters A-M, are invited to come on Monday, April 14th from 6:30 to 8:00. Families, whose names begin with N-Z, are asked to come Tuesday, April 15th from 6:30-8:00. Bingo winners will receive books and other prizes. If you would be interested in helping either night, please contact the school. Please plan to join us in our gymnasium for an evening of fun with the family!

Upcoming events for the Booster Club:
Purchase of drinks and snacks for Water Day
Preparation for the Sixth Grade Graduation
Preparation of a possible second Book Fair-with a buy one get one free promotion!

AWARDS
At Northfield, students are being recognized school wide for their accomplishments both at monthly and nine week assemblies. Students can earn Paw Pride, Attendance, Math Whiz Kid, Direct Instruction Reading, Achievement and Academic Awards. The Northfield students have worked very hard this school year and we are proud of their accomplishments. Thank you to the parents who attend the assemblies and support their child’s endeavors.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Every Wednesday, to support district and building level goals, the Northfield staff meets at 2:30 p.m. to discuss educational issues, receive training on various instructional methodologies (differentiated learning, curriculum studies, Direct Instruction, etc.), collaborate in grade level study groups and receive training in curriculum, assessment, and technology. This two hour block of time is invaluable and provides the staff the necessary tools to assist and support the Northfield students so they may become successful life long learners.

TAKE – HOME READING
Northfield is fortunate to have a Take-Home Reading Program which is funded through the Title I Program. This is a program for 1st through 3rd grades to promote reading at home. Research has proven that parental interest and time with their child’s education can greatly improve their success in school. Reading to children is the single most effective activity to make children better readers. Each week the children take home a book with suggested activities in a plastic bag. The children may read their books to a parent, have the parent read to them, or a combination of both. When the children choose to do an activity with ten books, he/she will earn a reward. New books are sent out each week. We have volunteers who check out the books and monitor the program. We have already recognized two students for completing 10 reading projects and hope to recognize many more students by the end of the year. Keep Reading!

WORD OF THE MONTH – CITIZENSHIP
Citizenship is:
• Playing by the rules
• Obeying laws, and respecting authority.
• Doing your share of the work.
• Voting and paying your taxes.
• Protecting your neighbors.
• Being charitable and helping by volunteering your time.
• Protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.
At home you can practice another Citizenship action: Be informed, model how to “stay up” on current events by reading newspapers and magazines, attending local meetings of importance (including school functions), and talking about issues as a family. Thank you for building Citizenship.

SOCIAL SKILL
The Social Skills we will be discussing are:
“How to Volunteer” and “How to Give Negative Feedback.”
The steps are as follows:
“How to Volunteer”
1. Look at the person.
2. Use a pleasant voice tone.
3. Ask the person if you could volunteer to help.
4. State specifically the task you are volunteering to do
5. Give a rationale/benefit.

“How to Give Negative Feedback.”
1. Look at the person.
2. Use a calm voice tone.
3. Make a positive statement or praise.
4. State the problem specifically.
5. Give a rationale why it is a problem.
6. Offer a solution.
7. Thank the person for listening.
Please go over these steps with your child. Thank you.

P.E. NEWS
It is again that time of year where fourth through sixth graders will test their abdominal strength, heart and lung endurance, flexibility, agility and upper body strength through the components of the Presidential Fitness Challenge. As the weather gets nicer, please encourage your child to go outside and work on these skills. With limited time in the physical education class, I am not able to fully prepare the students for this test. Your help is needed to ensure that your child is physically prepared for this test. Mile runs are scheduled for these days:

• Monday, April 14th at 2:00-Mr. Pauley’s Class
• Tuesday, April 15th at 10:00 –Mrs. Nochi’s and ½ Rueb’s Class; at 2:00-Ms. Kniss’ Class and ½ Michael’s
• Thursday, April 17th at 2:00-Mrs. Wineman’s Class
• Tuesday, April 22nd at 10: 00-Mrs. Manasek’s Class and ½ Rueb’s Class; at 2:00-Mrs. Cawiezell’s Class and ½ Michael’s

I will send notes home as these days draw closer. Please remember if your child suffers from asthma to send the inhaler on that day to be turned in to me. After the mile, I will return the inhaler and it will be sent home. If the inhaler is already at school, I will make sure I have it before leaving for the track. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at school.

Water Days have been tentatively set for the afternoons of May 16th and May 19th with the possibility of using May 20th, if needed.

APRIL ACTIVITIES
March 31 Terra Nova testing begins
April 2 2:00 Dismissal
2:15 p.m. staff meeting and 3:15 p.m. RtI meeting at Junior
High Learning Center
April 4 Fourth Grade to Nursing School to visit Robot 1:00 – 2:30
April 6-11 Severe Weather Awareness Week
April 7 Preschool Transition meeting at the high school media
center at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm, Sixth grade Infinite campus training at NF 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm in the computer lab
April 8 Rob Bressi in the district for PBS training and grades K-3
go to the high school to watch the high school musical
(12:00-2:00)
April 9 2:00 Dismissal
2:30 pm Math Curriculum meeting with grades 2-3 with
Mr. Wlaschin, Advisory Committee meeting at 4:00 pm.
April 10 Parent Reading survey returned to school
April 14 Water Wonders for 5th grade
Second grade math assessments, Steering Committee meeting 3:45 pm., Bingo for Books for students last names beginning with letters A-M
April 15 Bingo for Books for students last names beginning with
letters N-Z
April 16 2:00 Dismissal
Math Curriculum meeting for grades 4-5 with Mr. Wlaschin at 2:30 pm.
April 18-21 NO SCHOOL Spring break
April 21-25 Public Schools Volunteer’s Week and Playground Safety
Week
April 22 Earth Day
April 23 Mrs. Manasek’s class to Monument to paint at 10:00 a.m.
2:00 Dismissal
Math Curriculum meeting for 6th grade with Mr. Wlaschin
at 2:30 pm. Steering Committee meeting at 3:45 pm.,
Secretary’s Day
April 24 Take your sons/daughters to work day
April 25 Arbor Day, Monthly assembly
April 28 Booster Club meeting at 6:30 pm., Gates MacGinite testing
April 29 SMILE for 2nd grade 1:00 pm.
April 30 K-6 DIBELS testing
2:00 Dismissal
2:30 K-1 Staff meeting with Mr. Wlaschin on Math Curriculum
Sincerely,

Pam Barker