Freeman Elementary School Newsletter

Principal Andi Williams Feb 2009

Volume 7

I CAN! I WILL! I DO!

I can…be successful today!

I will… overcome the challenges I face today!

I do…accept responsibility for myself today!

-School Motto

Freeman Elementary

7303 S Meridian Haysville, KS 67060

Phone: 316-554-2265

FAX: 316-554-2295

UPCOMING EVENTS Tues. 2/3 Band/Orchestra Recruitment Concert for 4th & 5th Grade

@ Nelson 9:45-11:00am Tues. 2/10 “Peg Leg” Music Assembly 2pm Tues. 2/10 PTA Meeting 6:30pm Thur. 2/12 4th and 5th grade to Wichita Children’s Theater @Campus Thur. 2/12 Freeman Falcon PRIDE Bingo Night – 6pm-7pm Fri. 2/13 Valentine Parties – 2:30–3:30 pm Feb 16-19 PTA Book Fair Tues. 2/17 Spring Individual and Class Pictures

Feb 19-20 No School for students-Parent/Teacher Conf.

Mon. 2/23 “Three Granny Goats Gruff”- Mrs. Smith 2nd Grade Play

@ 6:30pm

Tues. 2/24 PTA Fundraiser Kick-off Assembly 2:45pm

Thur. 2/26 “Little Red & the Valentine Candy” – Mrs. Garner 2nd

Grade Play @ 6:30pm

Freeman Elementary School Mission Statement

At Freeman Elementary, our commitment is to empower individuals to be successful through high expectations in a place of pride where achievement is inspired by caring, effective

instruction and respect.

Spring Pictures

SMILE! Spring individual and class pictures will be taken on Tuesday,

February 17th.

Award Winner

Dakota Blagg, third grade student, entered the Darryl Starbird Rod & Custom Car Show on January 16th, 17th, & 18th. He had two entries in the car show. One was a 1963 Barrel car and the other was a 1981 Yamaha YZ60 dirt bike. He received the Top 5 in Misc. Class award on the Yamaha.

Freeman Falcons Page 2 School Newsletter

Horizon Award

Winner

April Davis, first

grade teacher,

received the Kansas

Horizon Award. This

award recognizes

outstanding first year

teachers. She

received the award

for her excellent job

as a first year teacher

last year.

Congratulations Mrs.

Davis.

FREEMAN FALCON PRIDE

BINGO NIGHT

Everyone is invited to join us for Bingo and

Hot Chocolate on Thursday, February 12th.

It will be in the cafeteria from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

PRIDE CELEBRATION PHOTOS

Page 3 Freeman Falcons School Newsletter

TITLE 1 TIDBITS ATTENTION TITLE I STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS: As you know, Parent-Teacher Conferences are Feb. 16 – 19. As you are in the building that week, please stop by the Title I room if your child is a Title I reading or math student. We are having a drawing for a math game and a reading game. We will also have a summer calendar packet with ideas for working on reading and math during the summer. The Title I room is D-13, west of the office at the end of D-hall.

P.R.I.D.E

Preparation

Respect

Integrity

Discipline

Excellence

Coach’s Corner February is time for "Jump Rope for Heart "

Dear Parent/Guardian, Our school is participating in a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. We’re joining the fight against our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — cardiovascular diseases and stroke. During the month of February our school will hold a Jump Rope for Heart event. These events are held at schools nationwide and not only help students learn about the benefits of regular physical activity and heart

health, but also raise funds to support vital heart and stroke research as well as educational programs. The American Heart Association is dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier lives. The money we raise helps people in our community learn how to avoid heart disease and stroke and also helps our local patient care.

Our school will qualify for gift certificates for free physical education equipment based on the amount we raise, and students will qualify for individual thank-you gifts based on the donations they collect. Family and friends can support your child’s participation by making contributions. However, we ask that children not go door-to-door or ask strangers for donations. If your child receives any cash donations, please convert

those to a check prior to turning in the collection envelope. All checks should be made payable to the American Heart Association. The deadline for your student’s collection envelope to be turned in is Friday, February 27, 2009. To help your child raise money the fun and easy way, you are encouraged to use our online fund-raising tool found at www.americanheart.org/jump and click the link “I Am Ready!” Your child can personalize his or her own Web page and include a message about why he or she is participating in Jump Rope for Heart. Next, send e-mails to friends and family to ask for support. After you have completed raising money online, print your

child’s online donation report and include it inside the collection envelope. Refer to the collection envelope for more detailed instructions on how fun and easy online fund raising really is.

Also, don’t forget to ask your child’s donors if their employers have matching gift programs. This is an easy way to increase donations collected by your child. To find out which companies will match the American Heart Association, please visit www.matchinggifts.com/aha. All matching gift forms should include your child’s name and school name so the donations can be properly designated.

Jump Rope for Heart is a fun event that helps our children understand the importance of community service and physical activity while helping to save lives. Our efforts truly make a difference! More information will be sent home in Tuesday folders soon, so please sign the Permission Slip on the collection envelope so your child can take part in Jump Rope for Heart. Have a Great Workout!

Coach Kelley

School Newsletter Freeman Falcons Page 4

PTA NEWS Freeman Fun Night-Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25th. PTA will be sending notes home at a later date asking for your help. Freeman participates in the Box Tops for Education program. Mrs. Rowley’s 1st Grade class won in December with 253 box tops. They received a free Wendy’s frosty. The winning class for the year will receive an

ice cream party.

BOOK FAIR

The PTA Book Fair will be

from February 16th

to 19th

in the

PTA room. It will be from 8am to

9am and 12pm to 4pm each day.

They will be open until 7pm on

Monday and Wednesday. The

Book Fair will be open on

Thursday during the Parent/

Teacher conferences. Come

check out the great books.

School Newsletter Page 4 Page 5 Freeman Falcons School Newsletter

COUNSELING NEWS

Kindergarten students are learning about acceptance, sharing, and caring for others. They really

enjoyed the Balltown videos. Everyone in Balltown is some sort of ball and while they are a bit different

they help and respect each other. The first grade classes are focusing on their friendship skills. We will read

Molly Lou Melon, The Tale of the Seven Sour Pickles, and Enemy Pie to learn the secrets of making and

keeping friends. With the help of a Fairy God Pickle all sour pickles turn into sweet ones. Once this was

done all the pickles at Pickle Elementary had friends. Second grade classes are learning the importance of

asking good questions. We are practicing that technique with a game “The Art of a SMART Question.”

It’s a fun way to learn questioning techniques. Third, fourth, and fifth grade classes have begun their unit on

connecting with respect. These new lessons build on our communication skills and lead into our unit on

bully prevention. Guidance classes will reinforce our bully prevention theme. We will be learning the 3

R’s about bullying; how to recognize bullying behavior, how to refuse to be a bully or being bullied,

and finally the safe way to report bullying behavior. We will be using video, stories, games, group

projects, and role playing to learn about bullying.

On January 7th

everyone at Freeman received a brand new t-shirt sporting our theme; “Freeman, a

wonderful world where everyone belongs”. Mrs. Williams introduced the theme in a morning assembly.

Freeman halls are decorated with tracings of every student’s body holding hands. It looks terrific! In the

afternoon former Miss Kansas, Alyssa George, explained the three types of bullying behavior as well as four

safe ways to deal with bullying. We are looking forward to becoming a bully proof school.

Lunch groups are going strong as well. Anger management groups, MAD—Make Anger Disappear,

now know the cues our body gives when we get mad, personal “buttons” or “triggers” for anger, and

perhaps most important SAFE ways to let anger out. The groups will be making a personal Chill Out Bag

or Anger Buster Boxes to help manage the madness—not the other way around --the madness managing us.

They will also develop a Personal Peace Plan for self-control. The most popular day in Friends and Me is

invite a friend day. Every other week each member can invite a friend to lunch. We then practice our new

skills and play a variety of cooperation/friendship games. New groups will begin in February.

Patty Wellman, Counselor 554-2265 or pwellman@usd261.com

Mrs. Haight’s class wearing their Freeman Student tracings holding hands

Wonderful World t-shirts