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J- HawkJournal
Webst er Elem ent ary/August 2017
W elcom e to th e 20 17-20 18 Sch ool Year !On behalf of the students and staff at Webster Elementary School, I would like to welcome you to our wonderful school! Webster Elementary will be home to approximately 535 students this fall! The teachers and staff have been busy working to make sure that our building is ready for the first day of school! We are proud to call Webster our home and hope you will find our school to be a warm and welcoming place for you and your children!
Webster is lucky to be home to over 90 teachers and staff, each of whom is committed to helping every student succeed at high levels. We believe in the importance of building a meaningful relationship with each one of them! The following teachers will lead our instructional team at Webster Elementary (those new to our school are italicized)...
3 Year Old Preschool: Ms. Cassie Mc Donough, Ms. Julie Stundins
4 Year Old Preschool: Ms. Katelyn Martin, Ms. Lesley Monson, Ms. Kate Nuss, Ms. Patty Van Scoy, Ms. Keri Zimmerman, Ms. Kristen Walck, Ms. Mikayla Mentele
Kindergar t en: Ms. Kim Jorgensen, Ms. Lori Melz, Ms. Ashley Muilenburg
First Grade: Ms. Patty Alexander, Ms. Renee Assink, Ms. Melanie Fausch
Second Grade: Ms. Nancy Carlson, Ms. Deana Quick-Romig, Ms. Kayla Sandmann
Third Grade: Ms. Diane Gruba, Ms. Hollie Nord, Ms. Elizabeth Whitver
Four t h Grade: Ms. Bethany Berger, Ms. Michelle Denneny, Ms. Jennifer Hansen, Mr. Bill Olson
Fif t h Grade: Ms. Ashley Kokemuller, Mr. Shawn Llewellyn, Ms. Lisa Schaub, Ms. Lauren Underwood
Special Educat ion: Ms. Kayla Hanson, Ms. Ehrin Kelly, Ms. Ellie Reisner, Ms. Jordyn Terry
Reading Speciat l ist : Ms. Shannon Raisch-Roam
ELP: Ms. Laura Hecht
ELL: Ms. Abby Sonner
Guidance: Ms. Pam Dick
Ar t Educat ion: Ms. Gina James-Pritchard
Physical Educat ion: Ms. Jodi Schutt
Vocal Music: Ms. Jade Fox
Inst rum ent al Music: Ms. Emily Wells
Inst ruct ional Coach: Ms. Olga Barnes
Librar ian: Ms. Pam Mefford
FFO: Ms. Brittany Cooley
You may notice a new look and new feel to Webster this year as we continue to implement The Leader in Me. We are excited about the changes and eager to experience the growth and learning that will take place !
- Erin Shearer
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Teaching All, Reading All
J-Hawk Journal Webster has several support staff whom, without their support, we could not be as successful as we are each year. Those support staff new to our building this year are italicized. Building Secretaries: Ms. Brenda Briggs and Ms. Mary Gass Nurse: Ms. Heidi York Building Associates: Ms. Debbie Sandon, Ms. Diane Weiser Special Ed Associates: Ms. Teresa Bartschat, Ms. Tammy Brown, Ms. Janet Clark, Ms. Kathryn Colon, Ms. Char Coon, Ms. Heather Carpe, Ms. Beth Day, Ms. Katie Davis, Ms. Rae Gather-Cole, Ms.Chantel Getter, Ms. Khursheid Haider, Ms. Tracy Hoffman, Ms. Sarah Jacobson, Ms. Dannica Larson, Ms. Lynne Mona, Ms. Brenee Schleicher, Ms. Lexis Schumaker, Ms. Kris StroeblePreschool Associates: Ms. Ann Ashenfelter, Ms. Angela Ayala, Ms. Karen Caurso, Ms. Aldina Dedic, Ms. Lee Ann Fulton, Ms. Tammy Holmes, Mr. Buck Jones, Ms. Lori Miller, Ms. Julie Peachey, Ms. Melanie Osborne, Ms. Chetna Renner, Ms. Suzy Selah, Ms. Dianne Walters Custodians: Mr. Ted Austin, Mr. David Mapes, Mr. Jay McBride Nutrit ion Services: Ms. Stephanie Allsup, Ms. Vesna Djuric, Ms. Jennifer Herman, Ms. Sandra Melendez Adventuret ime Leads: Ms. Kayla Collins, Ms. Katie Haun, Ms. Katie Kriegel
Each of us look forward to working with you and your children this year to help bring learning to life!
BUS BUSINESS
Urbandale Community Schools' provider for transportation services for the 2017-2018 school year will be Durham School Services, 3310 101st Street, in Urbandale. If your student(s) will be using the bus for transportation to or from school, you should have received information on how to create and access your PowerSchool parent account to view the bus stop locations and times for your student(s).This information will be available approximately one week prior to the start of school, however you should check this information the day before school starts to see if anything has changed. You should have your child at the bus stop atleast 10 minutes prior to the time listed.If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Walters [email protected] or 515-457-5011.
Health Concerns If your child has any new or updated health concerns that need to be addressed during the school day this year, please stop by to see the school nurse, Heidi York, or contact her at [email protected] .
Examples of concerns may be diabetes, asthma, severe allergies, seizures, or any need for medication during the school day.
Severe Al lergies If your child has a Severe Allergy to food, insects, latex, or another substance please f il l out the Severe Allergy Questionnaire (if you have not already done so). This can be turned in at the Open House as well. This does not need to be f il led out for medication allergies such as Penicil l in, Keflex, etc.
Medicat ions Any medication to be taken at school requires a Medication Authorization Form to be signed by the parent and kept on f ile with the medication. All medication needs to be in its original container. The elementary schools in the Urbandale School District do not keep Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other medication in stock, but if parents would like this to be available for their child as needed during the school day, parents may provide it to the health off ice at any time.
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No student enrolled in the Urbandale Community School District shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in the District 's programs on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, religion, marital status (for program), ethnic background, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age (for employment) or socioeconomic background (for program).
The policy of the District shall be to provide educational programs and opportunities for students as needed on the basis of individual interests, values, abilit ies and potential. If you have questions, please contact the District off ice at 11152 Aurora Ave., Urbandale, IA or call 515.457.5000. The district 's Equity Coordinators are Dr. Keri Schlueter, Coordinator of Student Services, Mark Lane, Director of Human
Resources, and Crista Carlile, Director of Teaching and Learning.
School Attendance One indicator of a student?s success in school is his or her daily attendance record. When students arrive at school on time, ready to learn each day, their l ikeliness of success in school grows. And, one way that parents can ensure their students success at school is to develop healthy routines at home that reinforce the importance of good attendance at school. Before ever leaving the house in the morning, parents can help by providing their child with a healthy breakfast. As part of the breakfast routine, they can work with their child to help them understand what supplies or materials they need to take with them for their school day. Finally, parents can work to ensure that students arrive at school on time and ready to learn. A reminder to parents that students may ARRIVE at school beginning at 8:40 am. Students must should be IN THEIR CLASSROOM by the time the bell rings for class at 8:55 am. Students arriving in the room after 8:55 a.m. will be counted tardy. If your student will be absent, please call the attendance line at 331-8620 or email [email protected] The school will be contacting families of students who are shown to have frequent or excessive absences and/or tardies. Please work to make sure that your child is at Webster by 8:55 am! Thanks for your cooperation and support in helping students to achieve success in school!
J-Hawk Journal
Join Us For Lunch!!Throughout the school year , parents are encouraged to join their chi ld for
lunch!
The food service program provides wonder fu l m eals for both students and
their fam i ly m em bers. I f you wi l l be join ing us for lunch, please not i fy the
fr ont off ice (331-8600) before the school day begins. Cost for adul t lunch is $3.55. In addi t ion, parents are asked to provide a nutr i t ional lunch for their chi ld i f they
are br inging food in to W ebster. Fam il ies that br ing food fr om fast food restaurants or outside vendors wi l l be asked to eat in a conference room as
par t of our distr ict wel lness pol icy expectat ions.
V isi t ing WebsterAl l parents, r elat ives, and fr iends of
W ebster students m ust check -in at the off ice before going to a chi ld's
classroom . You wi l l be given a visi tor badge to wear whi le you are at W ebster. Al l visi tor s are asked to enter and exi t the bui lding using the m ain entrance.
Please feel fr ee to visi t your chi ld's classroom at any t im e except dur ing the
f i r st and last weeks of school . A cal l / note to the teacher is appreciated so those schedules can be coordinated.
Before br inging a pet to school , contact the teacher for safety considerat ions.
Thank you for your cooperat ion.
World Wide WebsterIf you haven 't al r eady, please take t im e
to check out the Urbandale Com m unity Schools W ebsite (and m ore speci f ical ly
the W ebster Elem entary School W ebsi te) at www.urbandaleschools.com
for up-to-date distr ict and bui lding in form ation.
W ebster Elem entary staff m em bers wi l l be work ing to create and update
their own classroom websi tes throughout the school year ! Our websi te also features im por tant
newsletter s, notes, and calendar dates related to W ebster events.
Thanks for visi t ing us on the wor ld wide web!
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Teaching All, Reading All
J-Hawk Journal
The Webster Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization (P.T.O.) is excited to begin another great school year! The P.T.O. Executive Board has been busy working to prepare for the f irst meeting of the school year and set goals for this year as well as years to come. The P.T.O. needs YOUR help in making this school year the most successful year yet! We cannot do it without your help! The Webster P.T.O. will meet one Tuesday a month throughout the school year to plan for this year?s activit ies. The meetings will start at 6:30 pm and will last approximately 1 hour in length. Our f irst meeting of the year will be on Tuesday, September 5th. We really need your support and hope to see you there! Mark your calendars! We will be meeting in the Media Center.
Webster PTO Meeting - September 5th
Calendar of Event sM onday, August 21st - Open H ouse
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
W ednesday, August 23r d - Fir st Day of School (Day "A")
Thursday, August 24th - 5th Grade Band Night Riem an M usic - 7:00 pm
Fr iday, Septem ber 1st - W elcom e Assem bly 2:30 pm in the W ebster Gym
M onday, Septem ber 4th - Labor Day NO SCH OOL
Tuesday, Septem ber 5th - PTO M eeting 6:30 pm in the W ebster Librar y
M onday, Septem ber 11th - Fal l Running Club Begins
M on. - Fr i ., Septem ber 11th - 15th - H om ecom ing W eek
W ednesday, Septem ber 13th - LATE START Classes begin at 10:00 am
Thursday, Septem ber 14th - H om ecom ing Parade
Fr iday, Septem ber 15th - Fal l Picture Day
Fr iday, Septem ber 15th - H om ecom ing Classroom Par t ies - 2:45 pm
W ednesday, Septem ber 27th - LATE START Classes begin at 10:00 am
1. Attend Parent Teacher Conferences - Kids do better when parents are involved and it 's a great way to get to know your child's teacher and their expectations! 2. Visit the School and it's Website - Knowing the layout of the school can help you connect with your child when talking about their day and the website can help you f ind information about the school calendar,staff contact information, f ield trips, testing dates, etc. 3. Support Homework Expectations - Homework reinforces and extends classroom learning. Let them know you see it as a priority. 4. Send Your Child to School Ready to Learn - A nutrit ious breakfast and a good night of sleep can help boost your child's attention span, concentration, and memory! 5. Get Involved - It 's a great way for parents to show they're interested in their child's education! Parents can get involved by being a classroom helper, attending board meetings, joining the PTO, reading a story to the class, etc. 6. Make Time to Talk About School - Ask your child about their day, every day, so he or she knows what goes on at school is important to you. It 's important to listen carefully and ask questions that go beyond "yes" or "no" answers.
SIX GREAT WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD SUCCEED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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J-Hawk Journal
THA NK YOU, WEBSTER FA M ILIES!!A very special thank you goes out to all of those families who adopted planters at Webster and filled them with all kinds of lovely flowers and plants and to all of the families who donated their time and efforts all summer to water those planters and keep them looking fabulous! You truly made the entrances to Webster look amazing! THANK YOU!!!
If your family missed out on adopting a planter last Spring, be looking for upcoming opportunities to adopt a planter this Fall!
Dates to Remember
Lunch/Recess/Specials
Let ter Day Calendar
Lunch Menu
Onl ine Lunch Payment
Flyer Hub
Transportat ion
Webster Staf f Directory
Grad ing For Learn ing
In order to help you get a clear idea of what is going on in your student's classroom and better understand what your student is learning, report cards will have a new look for the 2017-2018 school year. To learn more about this change and what it all means, please go to the video linked below in which Urbandale School Distr ict's Director of Teaching and Learning explains the coming changes:
Grading For Learning
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Teaching All, Reading All
J-Hawk Journal Playground Rules and Expectations
Recess can be a fun and exciting time for students at the elementary level to get outdoors, refresh and rejuvenatefrom a long stretch of teaching and learning in school. Recess can also be a great t ime for students to enjoy socialinteraction with their friends that they cannot enjoy during class time. The staff at Webster Elementary School are concerned with keeping all of our students and staff safe throughout the school day and have developed thefollowing list of playground rules and expectations to guide student behavior outside at recess and encourage a fun, relaxed, and enjoyable recess period. Staff will review the rules and expectations with students in all classrooms on the f irst day of school and throughout the school year. Please take a moment to review the following rules and expectations for the Webster playground.
Arriving/Leaving Playground:Stay in line and remain on the sidewalk as you walk to and from the playground area.Line up quickly and quietly when the whistle is blown without cutting or pushing in line.Pick up and return any outside equipment (balls, jump-ropes) to playground bins and bring in any coats/ clothing items that are left outside.Enter the building during recess only with supervisor?s permission.
Rules/Expectat ions for Play:No physical contact (i.e., pushing, hitt ing, f ighting, kicking) or tackle sports on the playground.One person at a time on the slide, sitt ing down, feet f irst. No climbing up the slide and no jumping off the front, steps, or sides of the slide.No jumping out of swings, riding double, swinging sideways, hanging upside down, turning f l ips, or laying on stomach. Do not walk in front of the swings while others are swinging.No carrying others on your back.Keep sticks, rocks, and snow on the ground and do not throw them.There will be NO jumping off of equipment, tables, benches, or swings (f l ipping off).Basketballs and jump ropes should be kept on the blacktop. Soccer balls, kickballs, footballs, etc? may be brought onto the f ield.There is to be NO playing tag on the equipment. Tag should be played only on open areas..Enjoy playing in the green space around the playground area, but no climbing on the fences or running through plants/ trees.
Character Counts!:Students need to follow the teacher?s/associate?s directions in line and need to show line basics.Use only acceptable language--swearing, name-calling is not allowed. Give put-ups instead! Invite and include all when playing on the playground ? ?Don?t say, you can?t play!?
Return all equipment Everyone included Consider others Everyone follows rules Stay on sidewalk - walk only Stop & line up when whistle blows
You can revisit these rules and expectations, along with many other informative documents, throughout the school year byvisit ing the Webster Elementary School website at http:/ /www.urbandaleschools.com/ . Our website features important datesand information to help busy parents and families keep up-to-date with school news and important school events!
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Webster School HoursThe Webster staff would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience during drop-off and pick-up times. Please note the following arrival and dismissal t ime guidelines for Webster Elementary School as established by the Urbandale Community School District:
1st Bel l : 8:40 a.m. (students may arrive at/enter the building)
Late Start: 9:45 a.m.
2nd Bel l : 8:55 a.m. (class begins)
Late Start: 10:00 a.m.
Tardy Bel l : 8:55 a.m. (students entering the building after 8:55 a.m. will be counted tardy)
Late Start: 10:00 a.m.
Dismissal Bel l : 3:35 p.m.
Webster Elementary will be home to approximately 530 students this fall. This includes preschool through f if th grade. We have many new faces to meet this year and look forward to the opportunity to get to know each one of them personally. We also have many friends that we will welcome back to our school. Whether you are a new or returning student we are glad you are a part of our school!
Each of you is encouraged to take time to meet Mrs. Dick or to reintroduce yourself ! Mrs. Dick is a wonderful l istener and works hard to build relationships with each of the students at Webster. Her room is located in the 2nd/3rd wing, in the corner at the end of the second grade classrooms. Her room number is 505. Make a stop to the guidance off ice one of your top priorit ies!
J-Hawk Journal Lunch Payment Online
Taking care of your child's lunch account balance has never been easier, thanks to the online site RevTrak, which can be accessed through the Urbandale Community District Website. To pay online, go to:
Scroll to the bottom of the main page and select Onl ine Payments under "Quick Links". You can then select Food Service Payments and follow the directions to make a deposit into your child's lunch account . Be sure to note your student(s) ID number found on your packet handed out at Open House.
Paying your child(ren)?s lunch fees online ensure timely payment. Keeping a positive lunch balance is important in ensuring your child is able to access his or her lunch account each day. Thank you in advance for your attention to your child?s balance.
If you have questions Please call Cathy Conklin, UCSD Food Service Director, at 457-6913.
http:/ /www.urbandaleschools.com
Pam Dick Guidance Counselor
Parent Pick -Up A d" VISOR"In order to ensure a sm ooth parent pick -up process, each fam i ly is encouraged to hang the yel low "Parent Pick -up Visor Sheet" handed out at Open H ouse on the passenger side visor in ANY car that wi l l be used for pick -up. As you dr ive up the west dr ive, please lower your visor (wi th the fam i ly nam e dir ected out the window) and we wi l l be able to see which students to cal l to the car. This is especial ly helpfu l as di fferent teachers do pick -up duty each day. Please be sure to pul l forward as far as possible. Thank you for your help in ensur ing a sm ooth pick -up process! *Note: Only those students who are not l isted as bus students wi l l r eceive a "Visor Sheet". You m ay request a "Visor Sheet" fr om the off ice at any t im e.
Counselor'sorner
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Teaching All, Reading All
J-Hawk Journal Thank You t o Our Cust od ians
and Sum m er M aint enance St af f
We are pleased to recognize and thank our dedicated custodians and summer maintenance staff who worked through
the summer getting our building ready for the start of a new year. This is the time when carpets are shampooed, f loors are
stripped and waxed, windows are washed, painting projects are completed, rearrangements of furniture and equipment are accomplished, and every surface is cleaned and polished.
This summer is an excellent example of the professionalism thatour maintenance staff displayed, day in and day out, as they
completed many major projects to ensure that our building is shining for the opening day of school.
1. Stand on the same side of the street as the bus stop.2. Don?t goof around while waiting, and stay on the sidewalk.3. Be alert to traff ic.4. Always walk in front of -not behind- the bus.5. Don?t rush for the bus. Move toward the door only afterthe bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it?s OKto board.6. Hold onto the handrail when getting on and off the bus.7. Never stand up or walk aroundwhile the bus is moving.8. Move away from the bus quicklyafter getting off . Let them knownot to worry if they leave somethingbehind.9. Always obey the bus driver.
Reminders For the K ids:Back -To-School -Bus-Safety-Rules
Every year , W ebster Elem entary School par t icipates in the Box Tops for Education program sponsored by the
General M i l ls Com pany. Box Tops for Education has helped Am er ican schools earn over $200 m i l l ion in the past 15 years. Since beginn ing the col lect ion of Box Tops
in the Fal l of 2006, W ebster Elem entary School has earned over $14,000.00 for im por tant projects and m ater ials. Last school year , W ebster earned alm ost
$2,000.00 and we are counting on your suppor t for us to beat that am ount again th is year !
So star t col lect ing those Box Tops for W ebster ! Ask fr iends and neighbors to help col lect too! You m ay turn in your box tops anyt im e dur ing the school year. W e
wi l l also have several incent ives throughout the year to encourage the return of the Box Tops. Thanks for the
suppor t you gave in the 2016 - 2017 school year !
Box Tops at Webster
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J-Hawk Journal How t o Com m unicat e w i t h t he PTODo you have a question for the President? If so, email Jenny at: [email protected] any fundraising ideas or any ideas about solicit ing sponsors, email: [email protected] you want to volunteer or do you have a question about 2 hour power or a certain committee? If so, email: [email protected] about f inances for committee chairs and parents can be directed to: [email protected] to spread the word to other Webster parents about an event coming up, email: [email protected] send pictures of any school events, class parties, f ield trips, music programs to: [email protected](These may be used for Facebook, The Des Moines Register and the Yearbook ? deadline for yearbook photos is December 1st)
Teachers, staff , students, and our families are all important to the success that our school has each and every year. ?Teaching All, Reaching All.? More than a statement, it?s a commitment. It?s a commitment from everyone at Webster to help each child to succeed and to learn at high levels. The staff at Webster is committed to improving our practice through quality staff development opportunities. We understand that the key to a successful school year is the partnership between parents and their child(ren)?s school. You are encouraged to consider volunteering at Webster and offering of your time and talents to both students and our staff in helping the children to learn at high levels. So, again, welcome to Webster Elementary School! YOU put the ?U? in OUR school! If you need any assistance with school related questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Webster off ice at 331-8600. We are looking forward to a terrif ic year working together!!
Join s For A Great School Year
We want to help you stay informed about all that is happening at Webster. The Webster page of the Urbandale Community Schools' website, www.urbandaleschools.com, is a good source for announcements, school supply lists, newsletters, calendars and more. You can also follow Webster on Twitter - @WebsterElemUCSD as well as checking out the Webster PTO's Facebook page.
We frequently send out information through email as well - monthly J-Hawk Journals, PTO updates, conference sign ups, upcoming event reminders, volunteer opportunities, etc. Please help us keep you informed by assuring we have an updated email address for your family.
Making sure we have the most accurate phone contact information is also important should the need to contact you during the school day arise. If you change phone numbers or email addresses throughout the year, please notify the off ice at 331-8600 or by emailing Mrs. Briggs, [email protected], or Mrs. Gass, [email protected].
