January 2016 - Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District

January 2016
Halmstad Families Winter is a great time to read a book. With the sun setting early, why not snuggle in, turn the television off, and read a good story. It is an awesome way to spend time and interact with your
child. Here are a couple suggestions to make it even more fun.
Take turns choosing the book or story. Sometimes youngsters like to hear their favorites again and
again. Use your turn for new titles and variety, such as non-fiction or even poetry. Next, let your
child participate by turning the pages as you read. They can also finish sentences that rhyme or fill
in words they know. Go slowly and take time to look at the illustrations, pointing out important or
funny images. Most importantly, do not forget to have fun yourself. Use different voices for different
characters in the story (squeaky for a mouse, raspy for a skunk). Or, substitute your child’s name or
other family members name for characters in the story. You don’t have to be an expert reader; your
child will love it when you read aloud simply because it is you :o)
I hope you will be able to join me on January 21 for the first annual International potluck! The PTO
will be hosting the event here at Halmstad Elementary. Starting at 6:00 pm in the gym, families are
invited to bring a dish to pass from their cultural heritage. If you are not sure what heritage you are
from or have many (like me), then just bring your favorite dish. Families will be asked to bring their
own silverware and plates, as none will be provided. Water will be available to drink, or you can
bring your own. This gathering is meant to celebrate our differences and allow you to meet other
families that go to Halmstad. No activities or programming; just good-old sitting down with a neighbor and getting to know one another. An online signup sheet will made available to see who else is
coming and what they are bringing to try and keep a balance of salads, desserts and other goodies. So mark those calendars, I hope to see you there.
With the collaboration and support of families, students, and the community,
Halmstad Elementary will challenge and empower all students to reach their
maximum potential while achieving academic and life skills in a safe and respectful environment.
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 2
January 5, 12, 19, & 26

RCU
Tuesday, January 5

Jump Rope - a - thon Pledge sheets are due.
Monday, January 11

Jump rope -a - thon contest begins
Tuesday, January 12

RCU

Culver’s Night

Early Release students released at NOON

Multi-Cultural Pot-Luck sponsored by PTO 6:30pm –8:00 pm
Thursday, January 21
Watch for more information coming home soon.
Friday, January 22

No School
Thursday, January 28

Jump-a-Thon Pledge sheets are returned to students
Monday, February 1

6th Grade Orientation 6-8PM
For New Families not familiar to the Middle School
Tuesday, February 2

6th Grade Orientation 6-8 PM
For Families who are familiar with the Middle School
Monday, February 8

Jump-a-thon money is turned in classroom teacher.
Thursday, February 11

Thursday Early Release students Released at NOON

PM Conferences

No School

Conferences 8:00 am - 2:30 pm

5-Glasener to the Outdoor Classroom 8:30 am - 2 PM
Friday, February 12
Friday, February 25
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 3
Attention 5th Grade Parents
FEBRUAY 1, 2016
FEBRUARY , 2016
Do you have a 5th grader who will be going to the
middle school in the fall? If so, there are some upcoming events for you to know about!
The middle school principal, Sue Kern, and counselor,
Liz Pukrop, will be visiting 5th graders at their elementary schools to provide information about the middle school as well as their music options for 6th grade. These visits will take place in January.
Two orientation nights will be held for 5th graders. The night will include general information about the middle school, course selection materials, and a self guided tour.
In order to accommodate the number of families joining us on these evenings, we
ask parents to consider the following schedule:
Monday, February 1st at 6 pm (Families new to CFMS)
Tuesday, February 2nd, at 6 pm (Families that have had another child attend CFMS)
In August, the middle school will host two Registration Days. Every middle school
student and a parent or guardian will be required to attend a Registration Day to get
their picture taken, complete needed paperwork, walk their schedule, and try their
lockers.
Registration Days will be:
Tuesday, August 9th, from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm or Wednesday, August
10th, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
The first day of school will be WEB Day! WEB Day is a specially designed day just for
incoming 6th graders and their 8th grade mentors. This is a high energy day that includes an assembly, team building activities, a building tour, and a schedule run.
We are SO EXCITED about our new crew of 6th graders who will join us next year.
January Mid-Year Conferences
Mid-year conferences will be held Thursday evening, February 11th from 3:30 - 7:30 pm and
Friday, February 12th from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm. Thursday is an early release day so students
will be dismissed at NOON and lunch will be served. There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, February
12th. Just Conferences during the day! Once again we will be scheduling conferences online.
Scheduling on-line is easy and ensures that you get a time slot that fits with your schedule.
Families that do not have an email on file with us will receive a form with conference time-slit
options. This is a required conference for all students. Watch for more information to come
home.
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 4
Happy New Year from your RCU School $ense Team!
Earn-Save-SHARE-Spend
Ask your child…
“If you could volunteer anywhere doing anything you wanted, what would you do?”
With the New Year comes making resolutions. Why not make a family resolution to SHARE time together
volunteering? It’s fun, and there are opportunities to volunteer your time and share your talents in every
community around the world. Just like saving, when you SHARE your time, it really adds up. Make
someone’s day by helping the elderly, sorting items at a food pantry or spending time with animals at an animal shelter. All of this SHARING adds up. So have fun with this resolution and make time to SHARE!
Your RCU School $ense Team would love to hear about how your child is making a difference. The Halmstad
Elementary RCU School $ense is open every Tuesday during lunches, so have them stop by and tell us about
it.
If you have any questions about the RCU School $ense program or how to get your child started saving at
school please contact; [email protected].
SCHOOL CLOSING DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER (See below for the CFSD Policy for weather)
In the event of school being released early due to inclement weather, our district uses an emergency
phoning and emailing system which will contact parents via their
preferred phone or email system to alert them that school will be closing early.
If school is closed for the entire day or delayed start due to inclement weather, the decision will be
made by 6:00 am and all local television and radio stations will be contacted. We will also be sending out an email message to parents via our Infinite Campus Messenger.
Within your Infinite Campus Portal, under “Contact Preferences” you are able to select the preferred
contact method for notices sent as high priority, attendance, behavior and general. By completing
this area, you can be assured you will receive these notices promptly. Each parent or
guardian may have one email address on file and we encourage you to use your portal to keep your preferred email address current. For more assistance with this,
please contact the Halmstad front office.
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 5
CULVER’S DAY
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Culver’s would like to welcome all family and friends to raise money for Halmstad School.
Our PTO receives 10% of the total purchase price that is spent when you order.
Coupon books have been sent home . Culver’s Family Day is the Second Tuesday of each
month.
Student Council
WE’VE GOT SPIRIT
Welcome to a brand new year, 2016! Student Council spent December finishing up our Spirit of
Christmas Penny War. The total amount that our school raised was $785.45! Congratulations are
due to the entire school. These funds went toward 10 local children for Christmas. Some of the
student council members and their parents went to Walmart to pick out gifts for these children in
need. It was a great learning experience for all. Thank you for all your help with this. We would
also like to thank the people at RCU that had to count all those coins! We appreciate their help.
The Penny War results are as follows:
1st place-2rd grade, Parker (root beer float party)
2nd place-5th grade, Glasener (gym choice day)
3rd place-Kindergarten, Froelich (classroom spirit day)
Student council is looking forward to leading our school into a positive 2016.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year,
Kara Vergin & Katie Gebauer
Student Council Advisor
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 6
Counselor’s Corner
January 2016
New Year’s Resolutions are so often an important tradition to start the year. My 2016 resolution is to connect what our students have learned through Second Step to how they handle
feelings and solve problems, to create an attitude of positive thoughts and gratitude. We are
so lucky to have a caring, child-centered school community. Our students, staff and families
all have so much good to share. Thank you for allowing me as part of your lives.

Please welcome Kenzie Devine, school counseling intern for the spring semester. A school
counseling internship is the final step before graduating with a master’s degree in school counseling through UW-Stout. Kenzie will be here 2-3 a week through mid-May.

This month, fourth graders explore careers in their Guidance Classes. We will learn how our
interests and values fit with career clusters. Although careers and interests change as we
grow, school is about learning and preparing for our future. Our goal in exploring careers is to
have a better understanding that what we learn in school now does affect “where we go” after
high school. Our challenge is to support the dreams of students, but help them learn the effort and skills necessary to be successful.
Planning Conferences for fourth graders are coming up in March. Students and parents are
invited to conference with school counselors in 4th, 6th or 8th and 10th grade. Conferences are
student-led and focus on student strengths/sparks, goals, learning environments/styles and
career interests. Fourth grade families will receive an email/note to schedule a conference
time—reminders will be sent in late January or early February.
Kindergarten, first and third graders will
be exploring feelings and positive ways to
handle them in their guidance classes.
Zones of Regulation
(http://www.zonesofregulation.com) and
DeBug will be woven into their instruction.
Second grade guidance lessons center on
learning about our abilities and ourselves.
Fifth graders learn about resiliency and developmental assets through activities from
the Search Institute (http://www.searchinstitute.org).
Thank you!
Sherry Jasper
School Counselor
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 7
Speech and Language/Early Childhood
Screening for
Three and Four Year Old Children
The Chippewa Falls Public School District is hosting a screening for all three and
four year old children who live in the Chippewa Falls School District. If there are
concerns regarding your child’s speech, language, or general development, please
plan to attend this screening.
Please Note: All four year old children attending BB4C will be screened for
speech and language at their BB4C site. Those BB4C screenings are done each fall.
When: Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Where: River Source Family Center 403 N. High St., Chippewa Falls
Time: 2pm to 6pm
No appointment is necessary for the screening. Screening should take approximately 15 minutes depending
upon the number of children attending. Come anytime within the times listed above. Please contact Vicki
Johnson, SLP at 715-726-2414 ext. 5040 or Ann Seibel, SLP at 715-726-2414 ext. 3032 with any questions.
SAVE YOUR POP CAN TABS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
Please continue to save can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. These tabs
help families who have children with life threatening illnesses. First graders will
be delivering the tabs in the Spring to McDonald’s. There is a barrel in the front
lobby for the tabs. Thank you.
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 8
Safety Patrol News. . .
Logan Paulsrud, A 5th grader in Mrs. Bauer's class, was chosen as Halmstad's Safety Patroller
for the month of November. Logan does a great job crossing students on South Main St. He
is always on time and is respectful. Congratulations, Logan!
4TH & 5TH GRADE Family Involvement Night
Save the Date for the evening of April 5, 2016
Jacqueline West a famous children's author from Minnesota will be here to share
some of her books and provide writing tips to parents and students.
New York Times best seller The Books of Elsewhere, Jacqueline West’s award-winning fantasy series for
young readers, is published by Dial in the USA and will also be published in Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Russia, and Catalan. Jacqueline's poetry has appeared in a variety
of print and online publications and has garnered several awards, including a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg
prize and two Pushcart nominations. Cherma, her series of poems about Wisconsin’s Bohemian immigrants,
was published in March 2010 by the University of Wisconsin’s Parallel Press chapbook series.
(WWW.JACQUELINEWEST.COM)
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 9
From the Desk of Peggy McKillip
Breakfast and Lunch menus for all schools are posted monthly at
http://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/foodServices.cfm
Breakfast is available at all schools. Elementary is $0.35/day, Middle School is $0.85 and
High School is $1.00. Additional items can be purchased at the Middle School and High
School and each item will be charged individually.
Lunch - Elementary $2.10
- MS and HS $2.35
- Milk is available for purchase at any school for $0.35 for all students. If you send a
lunch from home, you may want to consider sending a beverage if you do not want to
incur a milk charge on your account.
- Additional items can be purchased at the MS and HS and each item will be charged
individually. Students on free or reduced price meals will also be charged for items
purchased in addition to the meal.
- HS has a la carte available for purchase. There must be money in the account to purchase these items.
Limiting meal purchases/expense: At the Middle and High School level, students are allowed
to purchase items individually or in addition to the traditional lunch and breakfast meal. Restrictions can be placed on an individual student’s account to not allow a la carte purchases.
It does not mean the student cannot have it, but rather they must provide cash at the time of
purchase. Additionally, a dollar limit can be set per student.
Free and Reduced Price School Meals: All students on free or reduced meals are entitled to
one breakfast and lunch per day. Milk only or extra items are charged at full price. Meal applications are accepted anytime throughout the school year. You may complete an online application on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Paper applications are also available at any
school office and at the Administration Office.
All meal account inquiries/questions can be directed to (715)726-2581.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 10
Nutrition from the Kitchen…..Melissa Panchyshyn MS, RDN, CD
A Kitchen Makeover for the New Year
When the New Year begins it is also seen as a fresh starting point to making changes, especially after indulging during the holidays. Many New Year’s resolutions revolve around working at improving the eating habits
of the whole family. If you want to change your family’s eating habits, the key is to build a healthy kitchen.
Here are some tips to giving your kitchen a makeover ready to support those New Year’s resolutions.

Make a list of healthful foods that you would like to ensure are in the house. Bring the list to the
grocery store for purchasing the items.

Consider some changes and ease the family into healthier ingredients one at a time. The changes
don’t all have to happen at the same time. Some options may include buying whole grain bread instead of white, or low-fat milk instead of whole.

Do the math to make sure there is enough of each food group for all family members. For example, if each person should eat a minimum of two pieces of fruit per day, then make sure there is
enough fruit available to meet that minimum. A family of four would need eight pieces of fruit per
day. Do this for all food groups to find out how much to buy of each.

Embrace the can to lighten the burden on your pocketbook while ensuring healthy foods are always on hand. Many canned fruits and vegetables retain as much nutrient value as their fresh and
frozen counterparts.

Change the environment to make healthy foods more inviting. Once you bring your groceries
home, clean and cut the fresh produce so it is ready to eat. You can put them in plastic bags and containers to store in the refrigerator, or fill a bowl on the counter to make it convenient to grab and
eat.
Your “Someday” is Now…
How can one ordinary person -- you or me -- make a positive difference in our community?
One way is to become a Mentor. The steps are simple, the outcome could change a life.
Spend 30 minutes, one day a week as a Mentor with the Chippewa Area Mentor Program. There are a number of students already waiting to be matched. Take volunteering off your New
Years Resolution List, call today 726-2400 ext. 2516 or [email protected] www.facebook.com/
ChippewaMentorProgram
Halmstad Gazette
January 2016
Page 11
From the Desk of Kerrie, Halmstad’s School Nurse. . .
Here are some important guidelines to consider when you hear those words, “I feel sick; I
don’t want to go to school today.” These guidelines are the standards of practice
the CFAUSD School Nurses follow for the comfort and safety of all of our students and
staff.
Keep your student home if any of the following apply:

Temperature over 100 degrees in the last 12-24 hours. If you suspect that they may be
sick, please check their temperature with a thermometer before sending them to school. If
they have a fever it is not appropriate to send them to school, even if you give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen and their fever breaks. Your child will still be contagious to other
children and will also not be feeling well enough to learn. Coming to school sick (and possibly contagious) not only exposes other children to the illness, but also delays your child’s
healing time. Once the medicine wears off and the fever returns, your child must be picked
up anyway, and valuable healing time has been lost. Children must be fever-free for 24
hours, without the use of medicine, before returning to school.

Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours - If the vomiting or diarrhea happen more than
once that day, or if they are associated with fever, you must keep your child home. Even if
these things happen only one time before school starts, and your child feels better immediately afterwards, it is still wise to watch for a few hours to see if it happens again before
sending him or her on to class. If your child is spending all his or her time at school feeling
sick, then not much learning is taking place!

An unexplained rash - Anytime a rash is associated with fever, the child may not
come to school until that fever is gone for 24 hours without medication. Sometimes a
rash is a sign of a contagious disease such as chickenpox. Sometimes, rashes are not contagious, but are uncomfortable and itchy from contact with something the child is allergic
to.

Red or crusty eye lids or drainage from eyes - this can often mean your child
has conjunctivitis, also known as pink-eye. Not all pink-eye is contagious. Sometimes it
is just allergies or other irritations that are causing the red color, but until we know for
sure, which means we must have a note from the doctor stating the condition is not contagious, or until the redness and drainage are completely gone, your child must remain out of
school.

Any contagious disease that requires antibiotics (ie. strep throat, pink eye). Students
can return after they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

Headache, cough, sore throat, or congestion severe enough to interfere with attention
to school work

Flare ups from asthma, that would make it difficult to work in school
January 2016
Halmstad Gazette
Page 12
Register your 4-year-old for BB4C
(Chippewa Falls School District’s Pre-K Program)
Building Bridges 4 Children (BB4C), the district’s 4-year-old early learning program is accepting registrations for the 201617 school year beginning February 1st, 2016. BB4C is open to all children who will be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2016. Please bring your child’s birth certificate with you when you register your child. The district has partnered with
the following sites to ensure a quality early-learning program designed for children this age.
CESA 11 Head Start
Circle of Friends Early
Kids USA Learning Center Inc.
2820 E Park Ave
Learning Center
656 Lakeland Dr
Chippewa Falls
1750 Hallie Road
Chippewa Falls
715-723-1211
Chippewa Falls
715-726-1507
715-552-9696
MACS-St. Charles Borromeo
Monkey Business Early Educational
Rhymes - N - Rainbows
429 W Spruce St.
Community
5051 171st Street
Chippewa Falls
1300 Lowater Road
Chippewa Falls
715-723-2161
Chippewa Falls
715-723-8000
715-723-7444
YMCA Early Learning Community
123 Look @ Me Early Learning Center
630 Miller St.
2964 Co Rd F
Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls
715-723-5135
715-874-4779
For additional information or to pick up registration materials, contact a BB4C partner site, download forms from the BB4C
website (http://cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/bb4c/), or contact the BB4C Coordinator:
Dana Sommerfeld, BB4C Coordinator
1345 Ridgewood Drive
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-726-2414 ext. 3004
[email protected]
January 2016
Halmstad Gazette
Page 13
PTO Minutes
December 10, 2015
Present: June Litscher, Heather Johnson, Kate Fjelstad, Wade Pilloud, Kelly Albert, Leahan Drone, and Katie Gebauer
Review of November Minutes: Motion to Accept: Katie Gebauer, 2 nd by Kelly Albert
Treasurer’s Report: Checking $22,124.41 Savings: $17,842.04 CD: $10,077.09
Motion to Accept: June Litscher 2nd by Katie Gebauer
Committee Reports
Culvers Night- going well
TV Ads- three for the year so far
Box Tops-second contest will be held in February
Milk Caps-a check should be coming soon
Gordys- an order form for December went home today; make copies of order form for staff too please
Scrip—second order was done and we made $47.20; June will let Josh know to make copies of order forms for staff too
Campbell Soup Labels—teachers need anything, let Heather know
Coke Points—no update
Ink Cartridges—no update
Jump rope-a-thon---information will be going home to families on Thursday, December 17th
Fall Market—went well; made $1457
Local Deals—looking around for next year; not sure who we are going with yet
Principal’s Report:

Facilities Committee has met four times already and will be meeting one more time; information about these meetings is on
the district website, check it out!

Board meeting is Thursday, December 17th
A new display case will be in the lobby soon
Old Business:

There was a motion to change the 2015-2016 budget for Title One-Family Involvement from $500 to $1000; a motion to accept this was made by Heather Johnson and a 2nd motion from June Litscher
PTO will be hosting a Multicultural Potluck on January 21st from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Families will bring their own plates, utensils, drink
and a cultural dish to pass.
New Business:

There was discussion to purchase snowshoes for physical education use. We discussed possible ways to store them and how
to keep them in good condition and their upkeep. There was a motion to budget $3000 to purchase 30 pair of snowshoes by
Heather Johnson; 2nd by Kate Fjelstad
There was a motion by Heather Johnson to change the 2015-2016 December Movie budget from $800 to $1100 to pay for the bussing to the movie theatre; 2nd by June Litscher
Next meeting will be January 21, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Motion to Adjourn by Kelly Albert, 2 nd by June Litscher.
Meeting adjourned at 4:56 pm.