Mrs. Colwell: Room 2

The snow is flying and I am feeling right at home!!!  Christmas is only a week away and the kids are full of energy in expectation of the holidays (or maybe it is the two week break J)!!!  During this time of year I love to take a minute to reflect on what I am thankful for and how much God has truly blessed me.  I am thankful for my husband and my family, as they truly are the support pillars in my life.  I am so thankful for each of you and your children and all the things you do as families to build strong and wonderful children.  I am thankful for our board that volunteers their time to help Shiloh move and progress.  I am so thankful for the amazing three women that I work with for their friendship, camaraderie, compassion, and joy.  These are only a few of the blessing God has placed in my life and I hope each of you take a few minutes to truly be grateful for all the wonderful blessings God has placed in your life!

On a lighter note, in Room 2 we are gearing up for another “Super Perky Day” tomorrow and we have a theme of “Christmas Cheer” this time!!

I would also like to say thank you to Mrs. Hamilton and Mr. Ring for all the work they did for our lunch on Wednesday.  Everyone really enjoyed it!

Finally I would like to say how great the Christmas Program was on Tuesday. The kids had so much fun, Mrs. Rubino did an amazing job, and I think our parents really enjoyed themselves as well!

Mrs. Rubino: Room 1 & Room 3

            Well, it’s just about time for a long-awaited break. Before that wonderful time of relaxation, I have a few things to mention. First off, book-it sheets are due on January 5^th. Having your child read with relatives would be a great bonding experience. Second, there are several students who still have retakes that need to be completed by tomorrow. It is the student’s responsibility to let me know that he or she is ready for a retake. I usually write on the test that a retake is needed and a date by which the retake must be completed. From there it is the student’s responsibility to take the test home, study it, and let me know when they are ready for the retake.

We will be taking an elementary field trip to the Mountain Home Albertsons on the morning of January 22^nd. If you would be able to drive students down to the store and help chaperone that would be great. The field trip will last approximately one hour.

            Finally, nine-week exams are coming up right after Christmas break. For many of my students I have created review sheets so these will be coming home this week. Please help your student prepare by studying over the break if possible. These tests are usually worth a quarter of their 9-week grades so they are quite important. Thank you for all you do with your students already. Your involvement is crucial to what we do. Thanks!!!

!!Have a WONDERFUL Christmas break!!

Don’t forget:

…that there will not be another library trip in December.

… I still need a women’s shoebox and some red ribbon (3/8 inch wide). If you have any please let me know.

Mrs. Lawrence: Room 3

Well I am praying that everyone has a wonderful, blessed, and safe Christmas and break! I am so looking forward to spending time at home with my family.

Bible verse grades are going will be taken around the second week that we get back to school after our break.

1^st Grade verses Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 10:9 Due L. 93

3^rd Grade Hebrews 11:23-26 Due L. 91

4^th Grade 1 Corinthians 13 (the entire chapter) Due L. 91

6^th Grade Matthew 7:15, John 10:15, Matthew 9:38, John 8:31-32

I know it might be hard with all the holiday celebrations going on but please have your students look over their verses a few times during the break.

Also spelling bee students don’t forget to study those spelling words!!!

        See everyone next year!!!!

Administrative Notes

Mrs. Colwell: Principal

          Just a reminder that after the first of the year students will not longer be able to use dishes in the kitchen.  This is to help us manage our time a little more wisely as we spend a lot of time cleaning in the kitchen.

          Also today we sent home forms about how to link our school to your Albertons card so we can earn money for the school.  Just before the holidays is a great time to make sure you have the school linked so all those fun Christmas goodies you buy help the school as well as your Christmas dinner!!!

“From the Teachers”

Classroom Updates, Administrative Notes

December 11^th Newsletter

Classroom Updates

Mrs. Colwell: Room 2

Christmas is just around the corner and everyone seems to be getting really excited!!!  My husband is happy because we did a fishing theme tree this year (and he gets to keep everything we used to decorate). J I was nervous at first but I have to say it looks pretty cool!  I am also really looking forward to the Christmas Program on Tuesday as I have been listening to the kids practicing for weeks now!

First I just wanted to remind parents that we still need the response slips at the bottom of your student’s progress report returned.

Also, jewelry came in this week and went home with students on Tuesday and Wednesday.  If there was anything special or different about your student’s order I noted that on the back of their envelope.  The kids did so well on this fundraiser and I am REALLY proud of them!!!

Remember that we have the McCall Winter Carnival coming up on Monday February 9^th!!!  If you would like to come along and/or drive please let me know.

Our next super perky day is scheduled for Friday December 19^th (the last school day before Christmas)!  It should be lots of fun and we plan on doing a movie in the afternoon.

On a final note we also had a great chapel this week with Pastor Gregory from the First Southern Baptist Church!

Mrs. Rubino: Room 1 & Room 3

            Christmas is coming and the Rubinos have their first ever Christmas tree. J My husband had a blast putting lights on our house while I decorated inside to make things festive. Since Christmas is coming soon, please, please, please have your students practice for next week’s Christmas program nightly. We have been practicing in class this week, but by now the students should be able to read their verses quickly and should have memorized the words to their song. Also, if they are in the skit, please help your student by reading the lines of other characters so that they know when their part is coming up.

            Don’t forget to keep reading for Book-It! Christmas break will be a great time to curl up under the tree and read with your child. J Students will need to turn in their signed time sheets when we return from break in January.

I also wanted to thank you for not allowing your child to bring toys to school. It has reduced the distraction level in class. Thanks!

Don’t forget:

…to bring a water bottle J

…a WARM coat

…that there will not be another library trip in December.

…that I still need three women’s shoe boxes for a Kindergarten craft. If you have any please let me know.

Mrs. Lawrence: Room 3

This week is flying by and Christmas break is just around the corner! I am so excited for the holidays.

In my first-grade class we are having issues with pencils. The decorated pencils some of the kids bring to school seem to break and need to be sharpened more often than a plain pencil. Please take all decorated pencils home and replace them with plain (wooden graphite) pencils or mechanical pencils as soon as is possible for your family.

Also, first graders need to leave their pencil sharpeners at home for now. They have been passing them to the other students during class and having the shavings fall all over the floor. They have also been thrown across the room, which obviously isn’t desirable. J We have a pencil sharpener in class and in the office so the first graders do not need to have one.

Older students, please continue to study for the spelling bee!! It is coming up soon! Thanks!

Administrative Notes

Mrs. Colwell: Principal

I wanted to remind parents about some medical legality issues.  If you have a student with a medical problem (cast, brace, inhaler, etc), you need to make sure and have a doctor’s note about the recommended level of physical activity for your child.  For legality reasons we need a doctor’s consent for a student being treated for medical issues to allow your child to participate in activities that have the possibility of being harmful to them due to their medical condition.  We are not doctors and because of this we always stick by the policy of “better safe than sorry”.   I know that if your student has a current medical problem, getting to a doctor right away may not be possible.  I have sent out individual e-mails to all the parents (that I know of) who have students with current medical concerns to try and work with each of them as we get everyone on the same page with this issue.  Thanks so much for you help in this area and our goal really is to try and keep your child as safe and healthy as possible.

Also, we wanted to let parents know that starting on January 2^nd students will no longer have access to dishes in the kitchen.  The refrigerator and microwaves are still available but to minimize extensive cleaning time for the students and teachers we are no longer allowing the use of dishes.  This is NOT because we are having any problems with the kids.  They are all being very responsible and great about this privilege!  Unfortunately, we figured the other day that as teachers (not including the time students spend) we collectively spend at least 3 hours a week on dishes.  We just want to use our time more wisely and are hoping that this change helps us to do so.  We will have plastic and paper dishes on hand in case of an emergency where someone forgot their dishes from home.

If you have any questions on these two issues please feel free to contact me and I would love to talk with you more about them!

Mrs. Hamilton: Secretary/Board Member

“From the Teachers”

Classroom Updates, Administrative Notes

December 4^th Newsletter

Classroom Updates

Mrs. Colwell: Room 2

Well Thanksgiving was wonderful and I really enjoyed having you all here for our dinner!  My husband and I made our first Turkey ever and I am proud to say that it was a success!!!

Mostly this week I just want to remind parents that 7-12 have a lot of big exams next week that are going to be really important to their 2^nd Quarter Grades.

Also progress reports for second quarter should be coming home today or tomorrow so make sure to keep a look out for those!  It is also really important that we get the bottom portion of these filled out and returned with a parent’s signature.

It looks like we will be attending the McCall Winter Carnival on Monday February 9^th!!!  This is the day after the official carnival is over but this will help us avoid massive crowds and be able to see all of the FINISHED professional sculptures!  We do need lots of drivers for this event as we have made it a K-12 trip.  We would love to have family member come and enjoy this experience with us so please let me know if you would like to come and help chaperone or drive!

On a more serious note, I have been having some problems with parents calling their student’s cell phone during class.  Up till now I have allowed this with parent calls but from now on I will not be allowing my students to answer their phones or use them at all during class due to the distraction it is causing.  If you need to get a hold of your child please feel free to call the school toll free at 866-622-9498.  Next week I am going to start strictly enforcing the school policy of no cell phones in class.  As long as I don’t see or hear them it is ok but if I catch a student using their phone during school hours (8:00am-3:15pm) they will be serving a detention.  Thanks for your help with this.

(Be sure to check the “Administrative Notes” for updates on our Fall Fundraiser!)

Mrs. Rubino: Room 1 & Room 3

Well, Thanksgiving was wonderful for the Rubinos. We got to see our family and friends, and of course I got to do some shopping. J Christmas is now right around the corner. Please be practicing with your child for the December 16^th Christmas Program. All of the students were given a sheet with the verses they will recite, the song they will sing, and a part in the skit that they need to memorize. Let me know how progress is going! J

Book-It went well in November with five students meeting their reading goals. YAY! Remember that the reading must be in addition to any reading assigned at school, such as for a book report or daily reading assignments. This month, 3^rd-6^th graders also have the opportunity to gain 5 extra credit points towards their lowest language quiz by filling out a book review (attached to their time sheet) about a book they read during the month. For December let’s try for 100% participation. Extra reading at home will do wonders for your child.

Beginning this month I will be sending home a math flashcard record form. Students need to do a set of flashcards at least 5 out of 7 days a week. They need a parent signature for every day that they complete a stack of flashcards. Doing two sets of flashcards in one day doesn’t count as two days of flashcards, though. The flashcard record will be turned in on Fridays. Your child will receive a piece of gum if he or she has met the goal. The reason for the flashcards is to build a common knowledge of basic facts so that our students can succeed in increasingly difficult levels of math. Thank you so much for your support and cooperation with this.

            Finally, I have noticed that we have been invaded by toys at school. J Please do not allow your student to bring his or her Webkinz or other toy to school. Thanks so much!

J Remember to bring a water bottle J

Mrs. Lawrence: Room 3

        Thanksgiving was so nice this year. My family enjoyed the break and I hope yours did also.

The Spelling Bee is coming up! I ask that you PLEASE make sure your students are studying their words at home AND bring the words to school so they can study here too. I have asked them a few times when we had some down time to get their words out and study and they have said to me they do not have them with them. Also we need volunteers for the Spelling Bee. I need drivers! The Bee is on Monday, February 2^nd in Twin Falls so please contact me if you can help out. Thanks so much!

Lastly, I would like to add to Mrs. Rubino’s request to please not allow your student to bring toys to class. They are becoming distracting.

Thanks and have a great weekend!!

Administrative Notes

Mrs. Colwell: Principal

          Don’t forget we have an early release tomorrow December 5^th at 2:00pm!

          Also on our Fall Fundraiser our students sold almost $2000 in product and earned almost $1000 towards their individual yearbooks, school sweaters, and school technology!  Anna gets the award for our top seller with $406 dollars in product sold.  Some of our other winners were Jaspreet with $208 in product, Brayden with $206 in product, and Thomas with $157 in product.

          Also because we have been having some problems with students not taking care of their headphones we are creating a new policy that Shiloh will provide each student with one pair of headphones a year and that the student is responsible for taking care of those headphones and replacing them if they are broken during that year.  For this year we will be making sure that every student has a working pair of headphones during the month of December and students will be responsible for taking care of their set during the rest of the school year.

          Remember that we have a board meeting here at the school this Monday at 6:00pm and would love to see any of you there who could make it!

          Finally I just wanted to remind you to keep checking our “Event Calendar” and “Activities” pages as they are often updated!