Washington Word
November Newsletter
by Carol Feuerbacher
November 01, 2007
News from The Principal’s Office
With the change in the weather that fall brings, we ask that you talk with your child about appropriate clothing to wear during the fall. We strongly suggest that all students bring a coat/jacket, hat, and gloves to school each day. Though they may not always need them, they store easily in their backpacks. Weather can change quickly in Norfolk so having appropriate clothing available is a great idea. I would also ask that students not wear open-toed shoes such as flip-flops.
As you look ahead to the holiday season, please remember that things like flash cards and books make good gifts for kids. Working with those types of activities with your child at home is a great way to boost their skills and spend some quality time with them as well.
Please remember to mark the important dates down on your calendar. We will be having an early dismissal in both November and December.
With the onset of fall and the upcoming winter, please note that any school closing information will be available on all of the local radio stations. Additionally, should school be canceled for any reason, you will receive a phone message informing you of the decision. If you don’t hear anything from either of those two sources, you can assume school is in session and following the normal schedule.
News from Alpha Club
The 4th and 5th grade Alpha Club would like to thank all of the Washington students and parents for their generous contributions to the Community Food Drive and Childhood Cancer Campaign. It was great to see so many of our students and parents involved. We collected over 12 boxes of food for the Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, and Soup Kitchen. It was an impressive pile of food! During the Childhood Cancer Penny Drive, $422.21 was collected by Washington Students. This money will help send kids to cancer camp and will aid in research for children’s cancers. The classes that won the contest are:
1st Place- Mrs. Boyle/Mrs. McCallum- $84.45
2nd Place-Mrs. Friedrich-$59.38
3rd Place- Mrs. King- $52.02
News from The Kindergarten Room
We are off to a great start in kindergarten. We have been working hard learning about senses, colors, counting, graphing, number recognition and reading. We discovered some very talented actors and actresses when we did our Columbus Day play. The kindergartener’s have enjoyed getting with their M & M groups, doing a variety of activities and meeting students from all grades. We had fun at the pumpkin patch in October. Some other trips we hope to go on second semester are to see the baby animal farm, visiting the veterinarian, and to the fire station. Things we are looking forward to in November and December are making homemade ice cream and making gifts for family and friends. As the school year goes on we will be working very hard using our new skills to read, and do more math activities. We hope you all enjoy the holiday season. Let’s not forget through this busy time to take time to read, play games, and visit about the school day with your child.
Happy Thanksgiving! Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Matteo
The Norfolk City Education Association is happy and proud to honor all of the dedicated and hard-working staff in the Norfolk Public Schools. "KUDOS" go out to each and every one of you for a job well done!
Playground Guidelines
The following is a list of general safety rules which are observed and enforced by all Washington School staff. These safety rules are not intended to cover EVERY possible infraction, but are to be used as a general guideline for all students.
At Washington Elementary School, we observe three general rules on the playground:
1. Be Safe
2. Be Responsible
3. Be Respectful
Below are listed several examples of how students can be safe, responsible, and respectful while on the playground.
General Behavior Expectations on the Playground:
• When the whistle blows, line up without pushing or shoving (Safe, Respectful, & Responsible)
• Walk when entering the school building (Safe & Responsible)
• Use proper and respectful language (Safe, Respectful, Responsible)
• Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself (Safe & Respectful)
• Students should stay on the playground at all times (Safe & Responsible)
• Gum, candy, and food should be left inside (Safe)
• Rocks, sand, gravel, snowballs, etc. should stay on the ground (Safe)
• Ice covered areas on the playground should be avoided (Safe)
• Shoes need to stay on your feet at all times (Safe)
Appropriate Dress
Student should make every effort to dress appropriately for the weather. When there is snow on the playground, only students wearing snow boots will be allowed to move off of the blacktop. Students wearing snow pants and boots will be allowed to play in the snow. When the weather is cool (below 55 degrees) students should wear clothing that covers the legs and have a coat, hat, and gloves available to wear outside. (Safe & Responsible)
4-Square
The player who is next in line to enter the game is the final referee for the game (Respectful & Responsible).
Football
Two-hand touch below the waist (Safe).
Playground Ball
Please do not kick the balls against the building (Responsible & Respectful). If the ball goes into the street, inform a playground supervisor and they will retrieve the ball (Safe).
Rock Wall
Students should stop climbing before they get to the very top of the wall. Students may not climb over the top of the wall (Safety).
Slide
Students should go down the slide one at a time, and not climb up the slide (Safe)
Swings
Swing back and forth only. Sit in the swings. Please do not twist, give underdogs, or jump out of the swings. (Safe)
Tag
May be played in the southeast corner of theplayground only (Safe). Tag is not allowed on any of the equipment (Safe).
Tire Swings
Students in kindergarten through 2nd grade will have no more than two students on the tire swing at one time. Students in 3rd grade and above need to swing one at a time (Safe). One person may push (Safe). The length of the ride should be about 30 seconds (Respectful).
Teeter Totters
One person at each end with no one in the middle. Please do not bump (Safe).
Notes from the Guidance Office
Happy Thanksgiving! (Can it really be November!?)
To continue with “tips” to help your child use time wisely and be productive in studying, I’ll be giving further suggestions in this newsletter.
USE INDEX CARDS:
Did you know most students spend time studying material they already know instead of what they don’t know? An easy way to correct this is by using index cards. The first review of material they don’t know occurs the night the homework is assigned. Have your student write down each new or important item on one side of an index card. On the reverse side of the card, write what the item is about (what the person did, what happened on that date, the definition of the word, etc.) Repeat this process for each of your classes. Writing out the index cards each evening serves two purposes: it provides practice of new material andreview of that material.
In studying for a test, the night before, look at your notes, but STUDY from your index cards. Since the teacher will mix up the questions, shuffle the cards. Separate the ones you know from the ones you don’t know. There should be two stacks: those you know and don’t need to spend more time on, and those you don’t know. These are the cards to study and concentrate your time and energy on.
I’m curious how this works for your student. It’s been my experience that the difference between an A and a C (or worse) is study preparation. Call me if you have any questions or concerns.
Anita Theophilus, Counselor
