Activities Week 1

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK OF
OCTOBER 4 - OCTOBER 8

* Note from Mr. Chadaz:
Time is flying by. Things are going great at McKinley Elementary. The students are studying hard and the teachers are all working to provide the best education possible. There is truly a team spirit at McKinley and I appreciate the PTA, the Community Council, and all parents for their support and help. I have been so impressed with the way parents have taken responsibility for their child’s education and supported the school and the teachers. Along with this I have received great suggestions of how our school can run more smoothly. I am always open for suggestions and once again I appreciate your patience and cooperation with me and the team of educators at McKinley Elementary School.

One area of concern that has been on my mind and others is carpool procedures. It is important that specific guidelines be followed because our carpool is located on a city street and not within a campus property.

During carpool, EVERYONE please follow the following school guidelines:

* Please observe posted speed limit signs as we are in a residential neighborhood and are concerned about the safety of your children.
* Cars in the pickup line should never be left unattended.
* Carpool drivers are not permitted to get out of their car to find their child. Teachers and Staff are stationed outside to find and load the children into the cars.
* Please observe all neighborhood parking signs. The city enforces penalties for illegal parking.
* Please stay in the carpool line as close to the curb as possible when dropping off and picking up your children.
* Please do not block driveways or street entrances and exits as you wait in carpool line.
* If a car is still waiting for a student after the other cars in the line have been filled, that car will be directed to pull up.
* Please drop off children at the main entrance before proceeding to the parking lot. * Please do not park in the driveways at any time. Vehicles in the driveway area block the cafeteria loading dock and garbage removal access and are subject to towing.
* Students should be instructed never to leave school with anyone other than the person who normally comes for them. If a child is to go home with someone other than the regular driver or if a child is to walk home who normally does not, a note to that effect must be sent to the school.
* Please be prompt at dismissal time.
* Please do not turn around on 500 South after picking up carpool. No U Turn Signs are posted.
* Please tell children to stay on the sidewalk until their car has come to a stop.
* Parking for assemblies and other special events will be provided in the parking lot or at the east side rear of the school.

Thanks again for your help and support with everything and especially with the carpool situation. Mr. Chadaz

* The Book Fair is Coming! (See monthly calendar for dates/times and more information will follow) Watch for the Monster Mania coloring pages that should be coming out on Friday, October 8. They need to be turned back into the office by Thursday, October 14. A $5 Book Gift Certificate will be awarded to one boy winner and one girl winner from each grade!

* Early Out is Wednesday, October 6th. School will be dismissed at 12:55 PM.

* If you ordered a T-Shirt, they are ordered and should be here in about 2 weeks. THANKS!

* KUED kids is sponsoring a Read-a-thon for kids. If your students are interested, please go to www.kuedkids.org, click on Ready To Learn at the top, then click on Reading Marathon for a reading log sheet and more information. They have a fun party at the end for all those who reach the reading goal and track it online.

October Principal's Message

During the month of October,
we as a school will be talking about respect.

Being respectful means knowing the inherent value of a person or object. It means treating others as you would like to be treated, and treating objects with consideration. Showing respect to others is often the first step to making new friends.

Being respectful tells people you not only care about others, but you care about yourself. The most important part of being respectful is respecting yourself; if you don't, people won't respect you.

Being respectful is something that should be incorporated into your everyday lifestyle and part of your regular social skills. Being respectful is shown in a lot more ways than just using your 'please' and "thank you's". You also need to feel respect for someone even if they don't respect themselves or you. Or at least act like it.

Remember- It takes respect to earn respect. A great technique for giving respect is to empathize or relate to the other person. Listening and responding intelligently, seriously, and beneficially shows a great amount of respect. Everyone wants what they say to be heard and taken into consideration.

The definition of respect is the acknowledgement that someone or something has value. This gets to the point of the fact that while we may not always agree with someone or what they say, but we must always respect what it is that they say. How should you go about showing others respect? There are several simple things that go a long ways.

Be attentive to what they are saying. Make eye contact with them when they are talking and don't be day dreaming. Eye contact is the best way to show interest.

Be fair towards the other person. Many times we unfairly judge another person or their views and don't show them the respect they deserve.

Give them time to say what it is they want to say. One of the best ways to show no respect whatsoever is to rudely cut in while the other person is speaking. Allow them their time and you are likely to get yours as well.

Be sensitive to their thoughts and feelings. Just as you would want others to show some sensitivity toward the things you feel strongest about, you must do the same to others.

It takes some time to gain some respect but it is so easy to lose respect at the same time. This is something we must all work on. Here are some reminders for this month:

Cool Weather: Just a reminder to parents to be sure your children come to school with a jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt now that there’s a chill in the air in the mornings before school. We open the school doors at 7:50 a.m. for those students eating breakfast at school.

Fall Break – October 14th – 15th (note there is no furlough day on October 13th)

Parent Teacher Conferences/Bookfair: Will be held October 20th and 21st in the evenings. School will be dismissed early on October 20th for the teachers to prepare for these conferences. You and your child with meet with the teacher to discuss academic progress and set some goals for this school year. More information will be coming home with your child. (Kindergarten students will not be attending school on October 22nd to accommodate for an extra day of conferencing.)

Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 25th-29th: Our PTA has special activities and events scheduled this week to help students learn to make healthy choices in their lives.

We’ve had a very smooth start to this school year because students are doing an excellent job of following our school rules! Parents, thanks so much for your support!

Mr. Chadaz

October Calendars

Click on the calendars to enlarge them for better viewing.

Activities Week 3 & 4

Upcoming Activities for the Weeks of
September 20 - September 25
September 27 - October 1

* Please notice that this post is for two weeks instead of just one.

* If you still have an order for the Fundraiser, the last day we can accept late orders is SEPTEMBER 22nd.

* A Dime a Day Ongoing Fundraiser: Help us raise money for the end of the year field trips by donating 10 cents a day. We are setting a goal of $4,500 which will cover the bus expenses for class field trips. There will be a jar in the front office where anyone can donate as much as they would like… unload that loose change in your pocket/purse.

* Show school spirit by wearing ANY McKinley Cougar shirt, hoodie, etc. on FRIDAY of each week!

* September 21st – Vision & Hearing Screening

* September 22-24th – IHC Paper Survey for Weight Study (3rd Grade Only)

* September 29th – Picture Day (Class & Individual)

* September 30th – Bookmobile

* October 1st – Birthday Table

* For working hard on the fundraiser, there will be an assembly with “Tootsie” the Clown for the kids on Friday, October 1st at 1:55 PM in the gym. Morning Kindergarteners are invited to attend with parents.

* The Literacy Program is still in need of volunteers in the Take Home Library (especially on Mondays and daily in the afternoons). If you or any close relatives are willing to volunteer, please contact Lynette Bullen at the school.

SCHEDULE CHANGES!!!

After the School Board Meeting held on September 8th, there have been some changes to the Box Elder School District 2010-2011 calendar.

The furlough days (days off) that were scheduled for this school year have been cancelled. The dates were as follows:

October 13th, January 14th, & April 22nd

These were scheduled as days where school would not be held but now school WILL be held on these days.

Parent Teacher Conferences have also been changed. They originally were scheduled for October 21st and February 1st being one day each time and the kids would not be attending school on those two days. Now, the kids will be attending school those two days and Parent Teacher Conferences will be as follows:

October 20th - Kids attend school this day but dismissed early, Parent Teacher Conferences held that evening for students/parents of all grades.
October 21st - Normal school schedule, Parent Teacher Conferences held that evening for students/parents of all grades except Kindergarten.
October 22nd - Normal school schedule except Kindergarten kids WILL NOT attend this day, Parent Teacher Conferences held this day for KINDERGARTEN students/parents only.
NOTE: Book Fair will be held during Conference Days this week.

The winter Parent Teacher Conferences will be as follows:

January 26th- Kids attend school this day but dismissed early, Parent Teacher Conferences held that evening for students/parents of all grades.
January 27th - Normal school schedule, Parent Teacher Conferences held that evening for students/parents of all grades except Kindergarten.
January 28th - Normal school schedule except Kindergarten kids WILL NOT attend this day, Parent Teacher Conferences held this day for KINDERGARTEN students/parents only.
NOTE: Book Fair will be held during Conference Days this week.

We wanted to notify you of these changes so you can plan accordingly.

THANK YOU!

Activities Week 2

Upcoming Activities for the Week of
September 13 - September 17

* Remember, ALL FUNDRAISER MONEY & ORDERS ARE DUE ON SEPTEMBER 16th. Fundraiser money will be used for fun PTA activities at our school throughout the year.

* A Dime a Day Ongoing Fundraiser: Help us raise money for the end of the year field trips by donating 10 cents a day. We are setting a goal of $4,500 which will cover the bus expenses for class field trips. There will be a jar in the front office where anyone can donate as much as they would like… unload that loose change in your pocket/purse.

* If you didn’t have a chance to come to registration and still would like to join PTA or order a t-shirt, we sent home order sheets with last week’s weekly note or you can get one in the office. The last day to take orders for t-shirts is Sept. 17th. The drawing for the Quilt will also take place on September 17th. You will be notified if you are the lucky winner.

* Show school spirit by wearing ANY McKinley Cougar shirt, hoodie, etc. on FRIDAY of each week!

* September 13th – PTA Board Meeting, 9 AM, Teacher’s Lounge

* September 13th - Community Council, 3:15 PM, Mrs. M. Michaelis’ Room

* September 16th - Bookmobile

* Important note from Mr. Chadaz:
It has been a very busy week getting school started up. We have welcomed many new faces, students and staff members. It going to be a great year!

We hope you’ll take a few minutes and make sure that your child’s belongings are labeled with his/her name. We find many lost items and having a name on things helps us get them returned to their rightful owner.

We’d like to remind you that children should not be dropped off at school prior to 7:50 a.m. Proper supervision is not available prior to that time and we want each of our students to be safe. Our amazing kitchen staff begins serving breakfast at 7:50 a.m. School starts at 8:25 a.m. Please know that any child arriving late should check in at the office. We request that all of the students be checked out through the office. Please come directly to the office and we’ll be happy to assist you in checking your student out.

A change this year is our early-out schedule. The entire district will have early out on the first Wednesday of each month. This should help families to only remember one day a month and plan accordinly as to different school times. McKinley School will be dismissed at 12:55 p.m. The kindergarten sessions will only be two hours each. Therefore the morning kindergarten begins at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 10:25 a.m. The afternoon kindergarten session will begin at 10:55 a.m. and end at 12:55 p.m. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. The purpose of early out is to provide a time for teachers and administration to conduct professional development within their school to improve instruction and best practices.

Please inquire about the free/reduced lunch application form to see if your family qualifies for free/reduced lunch. If you do qualify and have not yet completed the 2010-2011 form, please complete this year’s form and return it to school by Friday, September 24th. We have extra forms in the school office if you need one to complete. Please fill out the form, even if you do not intend to use this benefit and even if your child doesn’t usually eat school lunch. Even if you applied for free/reduced lunch last year, we need you to reapply for this new school year. Our school receives a large chunk of federal funding based on the percentage of our students who qualify for free/reduced lunch. Please call Janet Morton at 257-2590 if you have any questions. Thanks so much for your help with this!

McKinley Elementary is a great place to be and there are great things happening. It takes a great team to make this happen and we appreciate your teamwork to help your students succeed. Thanks for your support!

Together
Everyone
Achieves
More

September Health & Safety Challenge

2010-11 Health and Safety Challenge
BE YOUR BEST!

Each month there will be a personal challenge to help you be healthy and safe this year. If you discuss and accept this challenge with your parents, you can bring back a slip to be entered in a drawing for monthly rewards. You can also do your part to earn a “Blow Up Toy” Activity Day for the whole school at the end of the year. We are excited to see the fantastic students and staff at McKinley Elementary get fit and have fun this year!

September Challenge: Be Ready
Come to school rested, fueled up, and safely and be ready to learn!

1. Be well rested and ready for each new school day.
2. Eat a healthy breakfast at home or school every morning to give your body the fuel it needs to be strong and healthy.
3. Be safe getting to school. Follow rules at the bus stop and on the bus. Buckle up in the carpool and every time you are in a car. If you walk to or from school be a safe pedestrian. Watch for Green Ribbon information!


Please sign and return the slip that was sent home to the box placed outside the office to be entered in the drawing!

Activities Week 1

Upcoming Activities for the Week of
September 6 - September 10

* WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! :o)

* For the 2010-2011 school year, we will be doing the newsletter a little different. At the first of each month, we will send home a month-at-a-glance calendar with all the activities on it and the lunch menu for the month with the Principal’s Message on the back. We will then do a weekly update of upcoming activities with more detailed information on the Friday before the next week begins. If no note comes home on Friday, that means there are not any activities that week. All this information will be posted on our new BLOG site as well at www.mckinleycougars.blogspot.com. Make sure to add this site to your “favorites” in your internet browser so if you lose your note that came home and need to know information, you can easily access it online.

* Remember, the Fundraiser kicked off Friday, September 3rd so let’s raise some money for fun activities for our school!

* September 6th is Labor Day, there will be NO SCHOOL!

* Kindergarten students will not attend school this week but will have assessments with their parent and teacher. The teacher will send home a reminder note of the date you are scheduled to meet.

* Green Ribbon Week will begin on Tuesday, make sure to sign the pledge and return with your child to give to their teacher. There will be some fun activities during the day throughout the week.

* A Dime a Day Ongoing Fundraiser: Help us raise money for the end of the year field trips by donating 10 cents a day. We are setting a goal of $4,500 which will cover the bus expenses for class field trips. There will be a jar in the front office where anyone can donate as much as they would like… unload that loose change in your pocket/purse.

* If you didn’t have a chance to come to registration and still would like to join PTA or order a t-shirt, we sent home an order sheet with more information or you can come into the office for one. The drawing for the Quilt will take place on September 17th. You will be notified if you are the lucky winner.

* Fridge calendar magnets/handbooks are being sent home, ONE PER FAMILY, with the youngest child. If your family DOES NOT receive one, let Karma know in the office. THANKS!

* We sent home the sheet to kick off the year with the September Health & Safety Challenge. There will be one each month. Please review the paper and if you agree to the challenge, return the slip as noted in the instructions. THANKS!

* Show school spirit by wearing ANY McKinley Cougar shirt, hoodie, jacket, etc. on FRIDAY of each week!