Volume 1 Issue 5 December 2011

Evansvi l le Vanderburgh School Corporat ion

Dear GLA Families and Friends,

Thank you for all you have done to help make the first semester successful at

GLA! Students in grades 3 through 8 are currently taking the second Acuity

assessment, and we hope to show increases in achievement. Please ask your

child about their Acuity scores.

We have several opportunities for parents and families in December. The

Holiday Gala will be held on Thursday, December 15th from 5:30 – 7:30. Santa

and Mrs. Claus will be available for pictures and we will have Bingo and other

activities for all to enjoy. Also be sure to read about the Affordable Christmas

that Crossroads is sponsoring at GLA on December 10th!

The students and staff have worked very hard this semester, and we will

continue to push our students to excellence when they return from Winter

Break. Please call or stop by any time if you have questions or concerns!

Enjoy the Holidays and Happy New Year,

Tammy Dexter

Letter from your Principal

Little g Grant One of the benefits of the little g grant was

the addition of the Family and Outreach

Coordinator position. Karen Cross has

served as our Coordinator since October of

last year. Karen will be leaving GLA at the

end of the semester as she and her husband

have been relocated to a church in Illinois.

We are very sad to see Karen go. Karen

embraced the staff, students and

families of GLA, and worked very hard

to build community. If you attend the Holiday Gala it will be a good opportunity

for families to say goodbye to Karen and

wish her well in her new community.

Glenwood Leadership Academy

thankful to the members of a

generous local church who are

donating new toys. You will

be able to shop for them at

discounted prices of less than

$5.00 each. Free gift wrapping

supplies will also be available

for the gifts you purchase.

Childcare will be provided for

children in grades K-5 so you can

shop without the children.

You will be receiving an invitation

to this event for each child. The

invitations will be mailed on De-

cember 3, you should receive them

by December 5th. You must

bring the invitations with you

to shop for your children. The

original invitation is required, no

photo copies will be allowed. The

proceeds from

this sale will

benefit GLA.

Affordable Christmas We are so excited to share with you

an awesome opportunity for GLA

parents and/or primary caregivers

of our Kindergarten-5th graders.

You are invited to participate in

the first Affordable Christmas at

GLA. This special day is Saturday,

December 10th between 10:00a.m.-

12:00 noon. You will be shopping

for your K-5th grade child who

attends Glenwood. We are

GLA Gives Back

PAGE 2 GLENWOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY VOLUME 1 I SSUE 5

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This is an exciting time for our students that have exhibited

exceptional behavior through our REACH acronym...Respect,

Excel, Accountability, Character, and Honesty. We had our

three week reward on Friday, December 2nd, at cMoe..

Those students that earned a substantial amount of

individual house points were eligible to go.

On Friday, December 16th, we will have our 9 week

celebration where the house trophy will be rewarded. Will

the house of Excela keep it, or will we crown a new house

champion?

Thanks,

Mrs. McClure

Assistant Principal, Glenwood Leadership Academy

IREAD Information for all 3rd grade parents…

IREAD is a 3rd grade state test that all students will

have to take along with ISTEP+ this spring.

Students who do not pass this test will have to

repeat the 3rd grade reading curriculum again next

year. Students who have been identified as needing

extra reading support are receiving various

interventions to help them become successful

readers. If you have any questions in regards to this

test please contact our school.

Thank you and have a very blessed holiday season.

Assistant Principal,

Carrie Terry

NOTES FROM YOUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

Thanks, Mrs. Terry

Glenwood students, staff and families donated Macaroni &

Cheese for the Rescue Missions Thanksgiving Baskets. We

donated a grand total of 1657 boxes. The Rescue Mission

representative said that it was an amazing donation and

that it would mean a lot to the families that depend on

them each year. We even had a nice lady from the neigh-

borhood who came in after everything was picked up to

donate another 12 boxes. She said she would take it the

Rescue Mission. GLA made a difference and inspired oth-

ers to help.

Seventeen young ladies at Glenwood

Leadership Academy participated in

the first ever Ladies Club induction

ceremony last week. The club's pur-

pose is to empower girls to be their

own best friend and inspire them to

be proud of themselves.

The students all wore their Ladies

Club uniform - a black skirt, white

button-up blouse, pink scarf and

dress shoes. They were "pinned"

with a Ladies Club pendant by

their mothers or another female

mentor and were presented with a

pink rose. Ms. Sheila Huff was the

special guest speaker who talked to

the girls about their inner beauty

and their value. A punch and cookie

reception followed the ceremony.

PAGE 3 GLENWOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY VOLUME 1 I SSUE 5

GLA Ladies Club

Front row: Lauran Eastwood, Ajenna Winters, Mariah Parker, DeOshmonya Beans, Diamond Bentley, Kashia Morris, Midori Colbert, Kai’Jah Stewart, Di’Onshai Ford

Back row: Mrs. Ulrich, Aniya Brumfield, Brionna Jews, Shameka Fulton, Alaisha Robinson, Mikeal McBaine, Mariah Stewart, Rosa Mora, Schmia Burns, Sierra Baxter,

Mrs. Oberst

One way GLA is using Technology

Rico the Ruler

Problem Solving Guide

Submitted by: Angie Oliver

In an effort to more intentionally support our students with multiple step mathematics application problems,

Glenwood Leadership Academy began a school wide Problem Solving initiative on Monday, October 31, 2011.

With the help of ―Rico the Ruler‖, all GLA students will follow a consistent problem solving process when faced

with applied skills problems. Each letter in the word RULER represents one of the five steps in the problem

solving process. Within the RULER process, students will also discuss and incorporate various problem solving

strategies with their classroom teacher. In addition, students in grades 2-8 are encouraged to participate in a

weekly grade level problem solving competition. Each week a new grade level problem will be placed on the

―RICO the RULER‖ bulletin board in the cafeteria. Students should work the problem(showing all work), list the

final answer and submit their problem to their math teacher by the end of the day each Thursday. Those

students who submit papers with work that supports a correct answer will be eligible to win a prize on Friday.

Please ask you son/daughter to share with you the ―Rico the Ruler‖ five-step problem solving process and

encourage them to participate during class discussions and in the weekly problem solving competitions.

Museum to Host Evansville on the Ohio Exhibit The Evansville Museum will host Evansville on the Ohio, an exhibit that runs through Feb. 12, that commemorates the 200th anniversary of the opening of the western waterways and explores Evansville's relationship with the Ohio River. For more information, go to http://www.emuseum.org/upcoming-exhibitions-0.

Evansville Library Offering Food Donations in Place of Late Fees Beginning Nov. 7 through Dec. 19, individuals who have accrued fines through the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library will have the opportunity of donating non-perishable food items in place of paying monetary fines. Through the Food for Fines program, fines will be reduced by $1 for each non-perishable food items donation. The maximum fine waived is $10.

Salvation Army Looking for Bell Ringers The Salvation Army is in need of volunteers to serve as Bell Ringers this season. Bell ringing will begin Nov. 18 and continue through Dec. 24 and dozens of locations across the Tri-State. For more information and to sign up, contact Sandy Appler at 425-1375, ext. 105.

St. Mary's to Offer Free Mammograms

St. Mary's mobile mammogram unit will be at St. Vincents Jan. 5, to perform free mammograms for women 40 and older. To register, contact Dawnelle Neighbors at 485-5725.

St Vincent to Host Breakfast with Santa St. Vincent Center for Children and Families will host a free Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 3. Individuals can come at 8, 8:45, 9:30 or 10:15 a.m. The morning also includes crafts and pictures with Santa. To reserve a seat, call 424-4780.

Willard Library to Host Bicentennial Celebration Activities

Willard Library is hosting a wide array of activities to celebrate its bicentennial. For a complete list of events, visit www.willard.lib.in.us.

Philharmonic to Host Youth Orchestra Auditions The Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is hosting auditions for the spring semester Monday, Dec. 12, at at the Evans-ville Philharmonic offices, located at 401 S.E. 6th St., Suite 105.

The Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestras are seeking bassoonists, brass players, and string musicians from the Tri-State area in grades 6-12 who desire challenging musical experiences and invigorating performance opportunities. Audition requirements include selected scales, a short solo or etude, and sight-reading. Additional audition information, including a brochure, audition requirements and application forms, may be obtained from the Evansville Philharmonic website - www.evansvillephilharmonic.org - or by contacting the Director of Education at 812-425-5050.

American Red Cross Heroes Essay Contest The American Red Cross is once again hosting its annual Heroes Essay Contest. Students in grades K-12 are asked to submit an essay, in 500 words or less, about who their hero is and what heroism means to them. Winners will be selected within four categories - K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The top student in each category will receive a $500 savings bond. The submission deadline is Feb. 10. For more information and to submit an essay, visit http://www.evansvilleredcross.org/PDFs/2012 He-roes Essay Contest Form.pdf

Winter Give Away!! New Hope Missionary Baptist Church at 663 S. Elliott St. is having a Winter give-away on Saturday, December 10 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Items will include clothing of all sizes, children to plus sizes, shoes, household items and more. If you would like to donate please contact Tyhetia at 909-3093 or DeeDee Hawkins at 471-2790.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are beginning to look at the GLA calendar for next year. The calendar committee would like

your input on the calendar for the 2012-2013 school year. Since GLA is a recipient of a 1003g

Grant, we are required to add a minimum of 10 additional student days each year (we can add

up to a total of 20 days). Please answer the following questions below and return with your

child. If you have internet access, you can complete the survey online at http://

www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NSQGXF.

Thank you for your input!

Sincerely,

1. Would you like to see the additional student days at the beginning of the school year?

yes no

2. Would you be interested in Parent/Teacher conferences?

yes no

3. Would you be interested in a year round school calendar (similar to Lincoln’s)?

yes no

4. I feel my child(ren) benefit from additional school days.

yes no

5. How many children do you have attending GLA? What grade(s) are they in?

Calendar Committee

Why Exercise is Good

Rewards and Benefits

Experts recommend that teens get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical

activity each day. Here are some of the reasons:

Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercising causes

the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that can help a person to feel more peaceful

and happy. Exercise can help some people sleep better. It can also help some people

who have mild depression and low self-esteem. Plus, exercise can give people a real

sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a certain goal — like beating a

previous time in the 100-meter dash.

Exercising can help you look better. People who exercise burn more calories and

look more toned than those who don’t. In fact, exercise is one of the most important

parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight.

Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases.

Exercising to maintain a healthy weight decreases a person’s risk of developing certain

diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases, which

used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens.

Exercise can help a person age well. This may not seem important now, but

your body will thank you later. Women are especially prone to a condition called

osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) as they get older. Studies have found that

weight-bearing exercise, like jumping, running or brisk walking, can help girls (and

guys!) keep their bones strong.

Flu Season is Here

Healthcare organizations are taking preventive measures to keep you and your family healthy this coming flu season. To help prevent the spread of infection, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands frequently and immediately dispose of used tissues. Healthcare officials and the CDC recommend the flu vac-cination (i.e. "flu shot") to help prevent infection. This year the vaccination is available in the form of an injec-tion or a nasal spray. For details on what is recommended for whom and on the CDC's expectations of this up-coming flu season, the CDC offers several great resources: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about.

Some symptoms of the flu include fever, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. You can help prevent the spread of infection by staying at home and limiting contact with others anytime you are ill. This resource from the CDC website provides some helpful information on how to limit the spread of viruses in your home: http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/docs/oop_poster_eng.pdf