REDWOOD ELEMENTARY The Branch The Newsletter of the ...

REDWOOD ELEMENTARY

The Branch

The Newsletter of the Redwood PTA

NOVEMBER 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

PTA President 2

Letter Scholastic

3 Book Fair Snowflake

3 Shoppe Student Council

4 Update

Cookie Walk

4

Health & Safety 5

Flu Shot Info

6

Hearing & Vision 6

Screening

A Message From The Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of Redwood School,

With the first quarter of school completed, we are truly on our way to another banner year of excellence here at Redwood Elementary. We are looking forward to meeting all our families once again at Parent-Teacher Conferences which are scheduled for November 6th and 7th. Please remember that we will be having early dismissal on those days at 1:45pm, with walkers and carpoolers being called at 1:40pm. Please feel free to call ahead of time if you have any questions regarding your scheduled appointment.

We had another excellent month at Redwood! The Pumpkin Festival was a huge success, we had beautiful weather, and our Redwood families had a great time. The Avon Lake Fire Department came and gave fire safety talks. We had Steve Harpster (illustrator) for an assembly, showing students how to draw characters starting out with different numbers and letters. We also kicked off - kids Zumba on Wednesday's during recess. For the remainder of the school year students will have the option of doing Zumba in the gym or going to recess on Wednesday's. The kids are having a great time, and enjoying the exercise.

Library News Gym News

7 We will have NO SCHOOL on Tuesday November 5th because of Election Day. Picture re-takes will be on Friday November 8th. Our Thanksgiving Break will start

7 Wednesday November 27th. Also, please be sure to read over the Holiday Concert

Schedule for Wednesday December 18, 2013.

Market Day

8

Thank you to all of you who have helped keep our children dressed well for school;

Pumpkin Festival 8 don't forget hats and gloves for outside recess! Our district guidelines are for children to go outside when the temperature with wind chill is 20 degrees or warmer. All chil-

Birthday Book Club

9 dren will be going outside for recess unless there is a physician's note that advises otherwise. We appreciate all the support and involvement of all our Redwood fami-

November At-a-Glance

10 lies!

School Closing Info

11 Please feel free to contact me at the school office or via email (tj.ebert@) if you have any questions or concerns.

Box Tops Sheets 12

Sincerely,

PTA Membership Form

14

T.J. Ebert

Redwood Elementary Principal

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 2

Greetings!

Our first grading period is officially over and the holiday season is in the air. November is here and it will be a fast and busy month for all with a nice break at the finish line! Just a reminder there is NO SCHOOL next Tuesday, November 5th due to Election Day and the 6th and 7th are EARLY DISMISSAL days for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please sign up for conference times if you have not done so already.

The Annual Pumpkin Festival took place on Saturday, October 12th. The event was well-attended, and the kids had fun playing games, picking pumpkins, getting their faces painted, and participating in gourmet cake walks. Many thanks go out to Erin Jagels and the volunteer team for coordinating a wonderful fall family event!

We recently participated in a fundraiser with Marco's Pizza that included fine artistry by all of our Redwood students. Thanks to many of our families for participating and helping the PTA raise a little over $850!!! This month, we will be hosting our Market Day pie sale which helped us raise over $3000 last year. The money was used to buy a charging station for all the ipads that the PTA purchased for the classrooms the previous year. Thanks again for helping to keep our students up-to-date with the most current technology and making learning fun!

Our next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 6th at 9:30 AM in the Cafeteria. We are still in need of some Chairpersons to head up the following committees: Scholarships &Reflections. Hope to see you there! If you cannot attend, but would like to share an idea or have questions about the PTA, please feel free to reach out to me at chellebar@.

Upcoming events for November: November 5th ? ELECTION DAY - NO SCHOOL! November 6th ? PTA Meeting 9:30 AM in Cafeteria Nov 6/7th ? Parent/Teacher Conferences ? EARLY DISMISSAL @ 1:45 PM

November 18-22 - Scholastic Book Fair

November 21st ? Market Day Pick-up ? SELL THOSE PIES for BONUS EARNINGS!!!! November 27-29th - Thanksgiving Break ? ENJOY

Thanks to the PTA members, parents and staff of Redwood and Mr. Ebert for all you do for our school!

Wishing you a wonderful November! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Michelle Polinko Redwood PTA President

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 3

Scholastic Book Fair

Monday, November 18 ? 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 19? 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 20 ? 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 21 ? 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 22 ? 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Would parents encourage their children's love of reading if they could? Of course. What's more -- they can!

Scholastic Book Fairs comes to Redwood School to bring the best books and learning products from more than 150 publishers to readers of all ages. The fair is open to the community.

The Book Fair features traditional children's favorites and new works by popular authors and illustrators. Parents and teachers will find plenty to interest them too

The Book Fair helps Redwood promote learning while raising money for library and classroom resources

Building classroom libraries is one goal of the fair: Visitors can purchase and donate

Ready, Set, Read!

Snowflake Shoppe

It's time to shop again! Redwood's annual Snowflake Shoppe will be on Wednesday, December 4th from 9am ? 3pm for the students and will also be open to parents and shoppers after school until 4pm. The Snowflake Shoppe is a unique opportunity for your children to buy quality gifts for their family at affordable prices. Everything sold is $5.00 or less! We have some creative and skilled crafters selling items for moms, dads, siblings, grandparents and even pets. Each classroom will have an opportunity to visit the Shoppe during the day for assisted shopping and free gift-wrapping. Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding shopping or vendors.

Lori Howard, 440-666-7289, lorihoward@

SNOWFLAKE SHOPPE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The annual Snowflake Shoppe will be held on Wednesday, December 4th from 9am ? 4pm. We need lots and lots of volunteers to assist the children with their shopping and also to help with gift wrapping! If you are able to volunteer your time, please contact me. If you have already signed up to volunteer through the PTA, I will be contacting you via email. Thank you for your time!! Please feel free to call me with any questions. This is such a fun event and your time volunteering is greatly appreciated!

Anita Jantz, 933-9354 or 440-864-0760, anitajantz@

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 4

Student Council Update

Redwood Student Council members welcomed Owen Kaonga from Malawi, located in southeast Africa, and Lynn Maroon, mother of Matt Maroon, (founder of Determined to Develop), as guest speakers at their October meeting. Owen and Lynn were at the meeting to thank Student Council for sponsoring Collect the Sports Gear last spring. This project involved Redwood students donating sports equipment they no longer needed, which was then shipped to Malawi. Owen shared many wonderful stories about growing up in Africa. In speaking with the students, he stressed the lesson his father taught him, "Education is the key to being able to do anything you want in life!"

Cookie Walk

The 2013 staff cookie walk will be held on Tuesday December 17th. As a gift to our wonderful teachers and staff members at Redwood this holiday season, we would love for you to bake cookies to show your appreciation for all that they do. Please bring your baked cookies to the office after school on Monday December 16th or Tuesday morning December 17th. Thank you for supporting our great school!

Contact Kelly Bryan at (440) 724-5651 or kellybryan@ with any questions.

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 5

Health & Safety

A Series on Family Mealtime and Healthy Eating: Part II - 5 Tips for Healthier Family Meals

Amy S. Babiuch, MD

Parents face numerous struggles with kids at every age -- managing schedules, helping with homework and extracurricular activities, negotiating bedtimes, and teaching values -- not to mention getting kids to eat healthfully. Then add in all of the junk food marketed specifically to kids, and its no wonder that we feel as though we're fighting an uphill battle to nutritious eating habits.

So, what is the number one way to get your children to make smart food choices? Eat with them ? at least once a day. Several studies have found that kids who dine with their families frequently (at least five times a week) eat healthier overall. Various research points to higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains and calcium-rich foods. These children also consume lower levels of less nutritious foods, and even fewer soft drinks.

What makes a meal a "family meal"? Research emphasizes that the benefits are gained from making mealtime a priority, providing rules and structure to the event, and maintaining an enjoyable atmosphere.

Here are five tips for making family mealtime possible and positive:

1. Plan your meals. Given the difficulties of coordinating work, school, and social schedules; creating a plan is a necessity. Plan your meals for the week and identify the times you can sit down together as a family. Dinners together don't have to be elaborate, but they should be healthy. Try to get into the habit of thinking about what you can prepare ahead of time and heat up later or freeze for another day.

2. Think beyond dinner. Eating together doesn't necessarily mean dinner. Maybe starting the day by sharing a healthy breakfast together is more feasible in your home. The bonus: You'll help instill the habit of eating the most important meal of the day. In a review of studies published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers found that kids who regularly ate breakfast not only had better overall nutrition but also were less likely to be overweight. Additionally, the evidence suggests that breakfast-eaters had improved memory, test scores and school attendance!

3. Make one meal. Serve the same food to kids and adults. One of the reasons to eat together is modeling behavior for kids to adopt. So, it is important for kids to see their parents eating the same thing that they are. If you're working on making healthful changes in your own diet, this is a chance to extend that to the whole family.

(continued on next page)

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 6

Health & Safety

(Continued from prior page)

4. Pre-plate everyone's dish. A family meal doesn't have to mean eating family style. It is important to be cognizant of proper portion control, and to teach this as a behavior to your kids. Serving food on individual plates makes this easier and helps everyone get a better feel of how much is enough. You'll also make sure that the vegetables don't get passed up!

5. Turn off the TV. Research from the University of Minnesota reveals that kids who ate meals with their families while watching television had less nutritious diets than those who dined without the TV on. In addition, this is family time ? ask about one another's day, find out what is happening at school and work, and don't forget to celebrate or recognize the little accomplishments of family members. Lastly, be thankful for the time that you are spending together and enjoy one another!

References and for more information visit: Pages/introduction.aspx

Flu Shot Information

Amy S. Babiuch, MD

The 2013-2014 influenza vaccines include those that are trivalent (protects against 3 strains) and quadrivalent (protects against 4 strains). Both types of vaccine contain new strains since the previous season. Because of the new strains and the fact that immunity drops up to 50% 6-12 months after vaccination, influenza vaccine is recommended every year for all those over 6 months of age. There are multiple formulations of the vaccine available this season, and recommendations now state that even egg allergic children should be vaccinated (talk with your doctor about this before proceeding).

For more information visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website under immunizations or:



Hearing and Vision Screening

We will performing a hearing and vision screen at Redwood on Friday, November 15th. It will begin at 9am and last until approximately 11am. We are looking for volunteers to help out at this very important function!

If you are available and would like to help out, please contact Amy Babiuch at: ababiuch@ as soon as possible.

Thank you for your interest in our children's health and well-being!

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 7

Library News

Book Donations

The library would like to thank the following students for donating books to our library: Tommy Eston, Ella Miller, Cayden and Grayson Basinski, Ian Hofelzer, and Nila Sparkes. Their thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated and the students will love checking out these new titles. Donated books are always welcome!

Author Visit

Steve Harpster's assembly was a big hit. The students and staff truly enjoyed his presentation. The library earned $391.80 from the sale of Mr. Harpster's books. This money will go to good use in purchasing new books for our library.

Happy Reading! Mrs. Schneider

News for Redwood's Gymnasium

Tennis Shoes for Physical Education Boot weather is coming and there are usually numerous students who wear boots to school and do not have tennis shoes to change into for P.E. For safety and maximum participation, your child must have tennis shoes to participate. Please check the schedule and help your student be prepared to participate on their scheduled gym days.

At Home Walking Challenge After one month of logging miles, our At Home Walkers have logged an amazing total of 1,501 miles. Anyone in your family can participate. Go to Redwood's website, down load the mileage form and keep track of each person's miles throughout the month. Return the form to school at the end of each month. The map outside the gym documents our mileage from New York City to Seattle WA. We are currently in South Dakota.

After School Walking Club After school walking club will start on Tuesday January 14 and continue every Tuesday until March 18th. It will start immediately after school and walkers will be ready to be dismissed at 4:00 p.m. Look for a permission slip to come home with your student during the month of December. After School Walking Club takes place indoors and is open to everyone in grades 1-4.

Jump Rope for Heart 2014 Mark your calendars for February 20th and 21st. This is when our Jump Rope for Heart events will take place. All students jump rope during their physical education class and those families interested fundraise for the American Heart Association. This is Redwood's 18th year of participating in this very worthwhile fundraiser. Look for more information to come home in January.

NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 8

Market Day

So far this year, Market Day has raised just around $300.00 for Redwood. Redwood can earn up to 20% profit just by purchasing groceries. November is an important month for Market Day as it is Bonus Pie Month. Last year, we earned $3400 just from pie sales! This year, students will earn the chance to "pie" Mr. Ebert by being the top pie seller in their grade. The overall top seller will win a $15.00 iTunes gift card and the top class seller will earn a pizza party. Any student who sells a pie will be invited to join Mr. Ebert for an ice cream party. Let's sell pies and beat our profits from last year! We can earn up to 40% profit just from selling pies.

Market Day is launching a new program in November that will allow you to place orders from Market Day, but pick them up at our local GFS Store. Be on the lookout for a flyer that will be coming home with your child.

Due to FAA regulations, we are no longer allowed to make Market Day reminder calls. If you rely on these calls and still wish to receive some form of communication, either a personal phone call, text message, or e-mail, please send Nicole Slivinski an email at nslivinski@.

If you haven't had a chance to try Market Day, please consider placing an order. You can save $5.00 off your first order by using the code NEWFIVE

Pumpkin Festival Thank yous

THANK YOU to everyone who came out and attended or volunteered for the Pumpkin Festival this year! It was a beautiful day and one of our most successful festivals!

A special thank you to those of you that donated to the event and committed your time and energy to make it such an amazing event for the students, siblings and families. We couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you to the businesses and people who donated to Pumpkin Festival this year.

Amanda Hoban Custom Cakes Trader Joe's

Shari Mathisen Jaclyn Moore Photography

Peter & Co. Jewelers Giant Eagle

Buffalo Wild Wings Marco's Pizza

ATA Karate Sisters & Co. Salon

Domino's Pizza Rio Cafe

Katie Evanchick Sky Zone

McDonald's

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

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

Google Online Preview   Download