Mustang Messenger - Spokane Public Schools

Mustang Messenger

November 3 Coffee with the Principal 8:30 am

in Finch Cafeteria November 5 Daylight Savings Time Ends? Set

clocks back 1 hour November 6-10 PTO Dine Out at 5 Mile Pizza November 9 Veteran's Day Assembly 2:00 November 10 Veteran's Day? NO SCHOOL November 14 PTO Meeting at 6:00 in the

Multipurpose Room November 15 Principal's Lunch Celebration November 17 PPL Day? Early Release at 1:45 PTO Turkey Bingo 5:30-8:00pm in

Multipurpose Room November 23-24 Thanksgiving Holiday? NO

SCHOOL December 1 Hats on Day? 50? to wear a hat PPL Day? Early Release at 1:45 December 4-15 ASB Food Drive December 9-15 PTO Book Fair December 9 PTO Santa Breakfast 9:00-11:00

am? Finch Multipurpose Room December 18-22 Parent Teacher Conferences?

Early Release at 1:00 December 25-Jan 5 Winter Break? NO SCHOOL

PRINCIPAL'S NOTE

Summer is clearly the best season of the year, but Fall is certainly a great time of year with football, leaves changing colors (although I wished they stayed on the trees), and of course...Thanksgiving! Please note that this school year, there is school the day before Thanksgiving, which is different from the last couple of years. One Fall activity I would like to begin this year is scheduling a parent open forum to share with you what improvement goals the staff has developed to focus on for the year. All Spokane Public Schools create a school improvement plan to narrow down and focus in on specific areas of growth, and then plan professional development around those areas to learn new strategies and improve their learning environment to help students be more successful. Student learning is a joint commitment between school and home, so gathering input from families is an important piece of the puzzle. In addition to Finch's focus, I also want to gather parent feedback on different topics. One specific topic is what ways you feel would be the best avenue of communication between school and home. Currently, we have a monthly newsletter, our school website, and our Bright Arrow automatic calling system. Is there more we can do, or another way to reach out to families?

Thank you, Shane O'Doherty

Main Phone: 354-2600 Attendance: 354-2555 finch

Welcome to the Principal Assistant's Corner! Help us honor our veterans. Thursday, November 9th at 2:00pm we will be celebrating our veterans with an assembly. We welcome you and any of our veterans to join us. We have been collecting wonderful Finch family photos of our service men and women to be presented in a slide show, created by our Finch ASB. Please look for more information about our Veteran's Day assembly in student take-home folders. As a reminder, Friday November 10th we are observing Veteran's Day and will not have school. Please use that day to thank all of our service men and women.

Sincerely, Your Principal Assistant Erin Conley

Hello Finch Families!

Throughout the year, I am contacted by community agencies and churches that would like to make donations to students and families in financial need. In the past, they have provided things like school supplies, Bite-2-Go weekend food bags, camp scholarships, and school photos. During the winter holidays, we have a program that has been able to provide new clothing, toys, and/or food certificates.

Children who qualify for free/reduced lunch status are never identified to school personnel other than the secretary who handles all breakfast and lunch money. Since we do not identify students by their free/reduced lunch status, it is difficult to know which families may be in need of some of these donations.

I frequently contact families regarding resources through mail, e-mail, and/or phone. If you would like to receive information about these opportunities for your children throughout the year, please e-mail or call me. I will add you to my list, and inform you of resources as I am aware of them throughout the school year. If you filled out a gold "Family Assistance" for m last school year , you ar e alr eady on this list.

Sincerely, Nicole Lenhartzen School Counselor

Spokane Public Schools complies with all federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, or honorably discharged veteran or military status. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district's Title IX/Staff Civil Rights Officer, ADA Officer and/or Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying (HIB)/Student Civil Rights/504 Compliance Officer. Title IX/Staff Civil Rights Officer, Dr. Linda McDermott (509) 354-7318 ? Harassment, Intimidation, Bulling HIB/Student Civil Rights Officer, Dr. Adam Swinyard 354-5901 ? 504 Compliance Officer, Gwen Harris 354-7254 ? ADA Officer, Dr. Linda McDermott (509) 354-7318 ? Affirmative Action Officer, Dr. Mary Templeton (509) 354-5961 ? Equal Opportunity Officer, Ramon Alvarez, (509) 354-7344 ? 200 N. Bernard Street, Spokane, WA 99201-0282.

Recruiting/Hiring Event

November 2, 2017

Are you registered to vote? Do you know someone who isn't? Registered voters will have the opportunity to decide several important ballot measures and races this November and on Spokane Public Schools' educational program replacement levy in February. Register any one of three simple ways:





In person, by filling out the form at any public school, library, fire department or the Spokane County Elections office at 1033 W. Gardner.

4:00--6:00 PM NewTech Skill Center

Recruiting/Hiring Event for:

Teacher Assistants (Paraeducators), current openings Certificated Substitutes for Regular Ed & Special Ed,

current openings Classified Substitutes, Special Ed, current openings Candidates seeking a Special Ed teaching position with

Spokane Public Schools for the 2018-19 School Year Interested in attending this hiring event? Please call SPS Human Resources at 354-5985 or contact monettea@ to schedule an interview.

Democracy relies on the voice of our community, Scheduled interviews will be held Nov. 2, at the NewTech and the first step is at the ballot box. Register today! Skill Center, 4141 North Regal St. in Spokane

We are Finch

Carissa Hopper, 2nd Grade Teacher

How many years have you worked at Finch? 2 years of practicum & student teaching, this is my 1st year of classroom teaching.

What is your favorite part of your job? Being a part of the Finch community, and getting to know the students.

What are some of the challenges you face? Making sure ever kid feels special, and that they belong. Also being away from my own family, who lives 5 hours away.

When you are not at work what do you like to do? Hang out with family, going to the movies, relaxing, and being outdoors.

What is something most people don't know about you? I am gluten free.

What college did you attend? Eastern Washington University

What was your favorite subject in school? Science

What is your favorite Spokane restaurant? Black Angus, Chilies and Starbucks

Best thing you've read/seen/heard lately? The joy my class had at the carnival was so awesome!

"In a Growth Mindset Your Flaws are just a To-Do List of Things to Improve"- Derek Sivirs

When to Keep a Child

Home From School

It is important, for the health of all students, staff and families that your child not be at school when sick. The following guidelines are appropriate reasons to keep children home from school:

A fever over 100? in the last 24 hours A consistent, goopy, runny nose Vomiting and/or diarrhea within the

last 24 hours A rash that is associated with fever or

itching A bad cough? one that you wouldn't

want your well child around A sore throat, especially with fever or

swollen glands in the neck Shortness of breath or other problems

with normal breathing A child that is acting ill, tired, pale,

achy, confused, irritable, or lack of normal appetite Drainage from the eye and/or redness of eyelid or surrounding skin Your child needs to remain at home for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotics If you have an concerns about any of the above symptoms, please contact your health care provider.

When reporting your child's absence, please provide specifics about the type of illness/symptoms.

Winter Book Fair

Our Winter Book Fair will begin at the Santa Breakfast, Saturday Dec. 9th from 9:00am 11:00am. Regular hours will be December 11th ? 15th from 3:00-5:00pm and of course during Mustang's library class time. We will have Family Night Tuesday, Dec. 12th from 5:30-7:30pm, please come and purchase gifts for all the young readers in your life.

Registered volunteers please be watching your inbox for opportunities to assist at the

fair and be looking in your Mustang's backpack for more information and Sneak

Peek fliers!

Please contact Jess Taylor at: joejesstaylor@ or Lynda Tschabold at: LyndaT@

with any questions.

Thank youJohanna Yegge Finch Elementary School Nurse

From Your PTO

Our November PTO meeting will be on Tuesday November 14th, at 6pm in the Multi-Purpose room. We would love to see all of you there! After the meeting we will be holding committee meetings for Book Fair, Tree of Sharing and Donuts with Dad. We don't have a chairperson for Donuts with Dad yet. If one cannot be found to start this committee meeting, the event will be cancelled.

Turkey Bingo will be held on November 17th, 5:30-8:00pm. Your students will be bringing home a flyer with information on the items we are collecting for our Turkey Bingo Raffle baskets. There will be more information and time for questions and answers at the November PTO meeting.

November 6th? 10th is our 5 Mile Heights Pizza fundraiser dine out! Tell your friends. Yes it's a whole week long!

Thank you to all who participated in the Fall Fundraiser! We sold over $11,000 in product and profited more than $4800!!

Big thank you to all the volunteers that helped at the Fall Carnival, and thank you to all our Finch families for all the great donation items!

Remember, as a parent, guardian or staff, you are a member of the Finch PTO. Your PTO always needs you, but here are some things we need extra help with right now: We are still looking for an Events Coordinator and a Media Coordinator Turkey Bingo prizes First Night Spokane Program Chairperson (November Commitment) We would love help Friday mornings counting Boxtops and other labels that help us raise

money for our school! We meet in the conference room across from the office every Friday we have school, 8:30 until 10am.

If you have any questions or concerns that we can help you with please email us at finchpto@ or contact us on our Facebook page.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download