Monday, October 19, 2009

Fairview Fall Festival


Fall Fitness at Fairview

Fairview Newsletter October 14, 2009

Fairview News
Nancy Beck, Principal
October 14, 2009

Fall Fitness 2009
Fairview students participated in Fall Fitness Day 2009 activities on Friday, October 9. Since the weather did not cooperate for outside activities, students exercised for thirty minutes in the hallways by walking on balance beams, hopping from circle to circle, jumping in hula-hoops, and in the gym, students and staff exercised to an aerobics DVD. Fall Fitness Day, a one-day event for Iowa schools, is an opportunity to bring awareness to the need for increased physical activities for young students. Tony Farmer, elementary physical education teacher, organized the activities for the three elementary schools.

Walmart awards $100 gift cards to Fairview teachers
Five Fairview teachers were awarded $100 gift cards by Walmart manager, Jeremy Lyons, at the October 7 faculty meetings as part of Walmart’s Teacher Rewards programs. The gift cards are to be used to help teachers purchase needed materials for their classrooms. The donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Walmart, for your generosity.

Fairview Fall Festival
The Fairview Fall Festival is a long time tradition at Fairview. On October 9 students and their families gathered on the grassy areas north of the Fairview Elementary School for hotdogs, sack races, a petting zoo, trike riding, and hayrides. Hosted by the Fairview Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), the event focused on family fun and building connections to the school and other school families. Everyone who attended enjoyed the evening, even though it was definitely cooler than usual.
Hosting the Fall Festival is only one of the many services provided by the Fairview PTO. The PTO is very active and gives vital support for Fairview. The PTO provides funding for field trips for the students, teacher vouchers so teachers can purchase needed classroom supplies, treats for the three seasonal parties, meals for teachers during parent-teacher conferences, and volunteers for other activities. Several fundraisers are held each year, including Fairview Fun Night in the spring. The help of the PTO is greatly appreciated.

Elementary Students attend Molecules that Matter Art Exhibit
Molecules that Matter, the current exhibit at the Faulconer Gallery at Grinnell College, highlights ten organic molecules, one important molecule from each decade of the twentieth century. The exhibit includes large models of the selected molecules, including aspirin, penicillin G, DNA, nylon 6, and other molecules. The selected molecules have all had enormous historical impact. Grinnell-Newburg elementary students viewed the exhibit at Grinnell College and created their own artwork, which will then be displayed as part of the exhibit. Students also made silly putty and viewed other science experiments as part of their experiences at the gallery. Several K-4 classes have already attended the exhibit and more will attend in the next several weeks.
On Saturday, November 14, Grinnell College will host a reception for the young artists, their families and the community. Visitors will be able to view the entire exhibit, including the artwork of the elementary students. There will also be hands-on activities, refreshments, and Save Our Avian Resources (SOAR) will bring a live bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and osprey. Kay Neumann, a raptor specialist, will talk about the impact DDT had on these species and the population recovery that has occurred. The raptor presentations will take place at 1 pm and 2:30 pm and raptors may be viewed from 1:30 – 2:30 pm and 3 - 4 pm as well.
The Faulconer Gallery at Grinnell College is open to the public at no charge.

Davis and Fairview Elementar Pan Fundraiser

The PTOs at Davis and Fairview Elementary Schools are combining for an elementary fundraiser. Students are invited to sell commercial grade bakeware with proceeds from the sale going to each elementary school’s PTO. These items will be handy to have on hand for holiday baking and make great gifts for family and friends. Contact a Fairview or Davis student to place an order.

Upcoming events:
October 14 School Board
October 19-23 CAT tests for second graders
October 27 Picture retakes
October 28 School Board
October 29 Fall parties
October 30 No school, teacher professional development/work day
November 4 Noon dismissal, Parent-Teacher conferences
November 5-6 Parent-Teacher conferences
NO SCHOOL FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ON NOVEMBER 6

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fairview Newsletter

Sarah Seney and Joshua Hetrick will now be sending out newsletters for their buildings twice monthly. I am now sending out only the Fairview Newsletter.

It has been an interesting week at Davis -- electrical problems, school canceled for Davis students on Thursday and now on Friday as well. We believe we have isolated the cause of the problem and repairs will occur soon. School will be in session for Davis students on Monday, hopefully at Davis, but if not at Davis, in another school facility.

Fairview newsletter:

Fairview Elementary News
Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal
October 1, 2009
The school year is well underway and going well. Thanks to all of you for getting
things off to a good start. Have you visited your child’s classroom yet? You are
always welcome to come and visit. Please check in at the office when you come.
We look forward to seeing you.

Thanks to all for observing the driveway signs indicating that the front drive is
for buses only from 7:30 - 8:15 A.M. and from 2:45 - 3:15 P.M. Almost
everyone is observing this rule. This rule is in effect for the safety of all children.
If you have someone new bring your child to school please tell them of the rule.
Also, even if you are running late and your child is almost late to class, do not
drive through the front drive. We do not want a child to be hit as they are
crossing the driveway.

When you come to pick up your child at the end of the school day, please wait in
the lobby or outside for your child. The teachers will walk to the entry (and then
outside, weather permitting) with the children. Kindergarten and second grade
students walk out the main, northwest entry door, while first grade students and
preschoolers exit from the southwest entry. It creates a safer exit for all when
parents wait for the students rather than going to the rooms for the students.
Also, please note that supervisors will be bringing bus students out the front
doors for boarding buses. Clear the way for those bus lines if possible.

Weather Dismissals
Now that the heat has passed and colder weather is here we begin thinking of
winter weather and possible schedule changes due to winter weather. If a
decision is made to cancel classes or to dismiss early, KGRN and area television
stations are notified and the schedule change is posted on the Grinnell School’s
website. If you cannot listen to the radio or watch television, ask a friend who
can listen to contact you. You can also sign up for notification by email. Check
the Grinnell-Newburg website for directions for signing up for that notification.
We know it is a concern for the young students to be dismissed and parents not
know about the dismissal. Make plans now so you won’t be surprised when bad
weather hits.
Focus on Attendance
Regular school attendance is very important for your child’s education. Please
see that your child is at school regularly. Lengthy vacations when school is in
session greatly impact the learning of your child. Plan those vacations or trips
out of town during school breaks if at all possible. We are emphasizing
attendance again this year. It’s also very important for your child to arrive at
school on time. Arriving about 8 A.M. will get your child off to a good start each
day. I will be sending out some attendance letters in the near future to those who
have been absent more than 10% of the school year.

Videotaping in Classrooms
I want to let you know that videotaping will often take place in the school and your
child’s classroom. Small group activities, plays, or other special or classroom
events may be videotaped for educational purposes.

No Animals
We will not allow animals in the building this year, not even for sharing time. We
have at least one student who is very allergic to animal hair and we cannot take
chances. Also, no dogs are allowed on the school grounds, not even on a leash.
If you walk your dog to school with your child, please stay off school property with
the dog.

October 7 Professional Development
Teachers will be working together on the afternoon of October 7 to plan literacy
strategies and implementation of the new reading and writing instructional
materials. This professional development time is vital for teachers, allowing time
to collaborate and plan for effective instruction. Teachers will also be sharing
information on the Iowa Core Curriculum (ICC). Although the elementary schools
do not have to implement the Iowa Core Curriculum for several years, work has
begun so we can learn about ICC and plan for its implementation. Remember
October 7 has a noon dismissal.
Hy-Vee Fundraiser
We are again participating in the Hy-Vee fundraiser from October 1 to
October 10. Forms are available at the school or you can email me and I
will send you a form. The school receives 3% of sales when the form is
used.

Upcoming Events:
October 6 Firemen’s Visit, PK-1
Faulconer Gallery field trips begin
October 7 National Walk to School Day, Noon dismissal
October 8 Fairview PTO, 7 pm
October 9 Fall Festival