Mar - Sergeant Bluff
Transcription
Mar - Sergeant Bluff
From The Office of Superintendent Earleywine: It is hard to believe that winter activity seasons are winding down. Thanks to the students that have chosen to participate in these activities and represent our school in a positive way. These student athletes provide several nights of entertainment for our community. I would also like to thank the coaches for all the hours they have committed to working with our students at SBL. The board of education approved moving from our current trimester configuration to a more traditional semester format beginning with the 2010-2011 school year. As you know, we presently divide our school year into three equal parts (trimesters) and report cards are sent home with all students, K-12, at the end of each trimester. Trimesters were first implemented at the high school in early 1990's in order to more effectively share traveling teachers and allow for more class offerings at the high school without adding staff. Due to the addition of staff in certain curricular areas, fewer teachers are now shared within the district. Recently, the state has increased the number of core content graduation requirements. This now limits the number of elective classes that students can take in their four years of high school. In order for the schools within our district to remain on the same schedule, all of our buildings will move to a semester schedule. As a result of this change, parent teacher conferences will be held at the end of the first and third nine weeks; during the conference a progress report will be shared. At the end of each semester students and parents will receive a report card, and those grades will become part of the students’ permanent record. There will be a public hearing on Wednesday, March 17 beginning at 6:00 PM in which I will present the proposed budget for fiscal year 2010-2011. Iowa law mandates a public hearing to allow community patrons a chance to view, ask questions and comment on next year’s budget and tax rates. All interested community members are welcome to attend this meeting. Iowa law also mandates the certification of school budgets by April 15 of each year. This is a difficult thing to do this year as the state legislature is still trying to figure out how much money they will allocate to schools for the 2010-2011 school year (fiscal year 2011). Since state funding of schools is an unknown at this time, schools across the state, including Sgt. Bluff-Luton are looking at ways to reduce their expenditures for 2010 2011. I have been working with the staff, board and administrative team to identify areas in which we can reduce expenditures. I will be presenting this information to the board of education on Wednesday, March 17. Snow Day Make-Up Plan Begins on Monday, March 8, 2010 The Sergeant Bluff-Luton School Board approved the following Snow Day Make-Up Plan beginning Monday, March 8. The board approved making up the 6 days missed in the following manner: Beginning Monday, March 8, 30 minutes will be added to the school day 15 minutes will be added to start the day; all PK-12 students in each building will report at 8:20 15 minutes will be added to the end of the day; at the Primary and Elementary Schools dismissal will be 3:35 and at the Middle and High School it will be 3:45. This plan adds 30 minutes to each school day until the end of the school year. Adding minutes will build back 5 days of school. Snow day 6 will be added to the end of the school year making May 27 as the last student day. Additional impact areas: • Breakfast will be served from 8:00 until 8:15 in all attendance centers. • Bus route times will be adjusted to pick up students 15 minutes earlier each morning and after school bus routes will be 15 minutes later dropping off students. • Preschoolers will NOT add time to their school day, but will use the current schedule. • All extracurricular practices will begin at 4:00. How will the extra minutes be used? *High School and Middle School schedules will be adjusted to increase the amount of time in each class period. The 3-5 Elementary and the Primary School will add additional minutes for reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. If we have more snow days the following plan will be used: • Tuesday, April 6 (currently scheduled as a teacher in-service day) will be used as a snow make up day for students. The last day of school for students will remain May 27. • The School Board and Administration recognize that some parents/guardians may have already made plans for April 6 and may have commitments which cannot be changed. IF April 6 is used as a snow make up day and your child will not be in attendance, please communicate with your building principal and your child’s teacher(s). • Any additional snow days will be added to the end of the school year. Last day for students is May 27; dismissal is at 2:00 that day. Primary School March Newsletter KINDERGARTEN PARENT NIGHT March 1 at 6:30 p.m. Call now to let us know that you will be attending, 712-943-5564. Parents only at this meeting as students will be coming for a visit either March 11th or 12th. DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC) March 3 at 4:15 p.m. The District Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Education on the school calendar for 2010-2011. Mr. Earleywine will discuss budget information. Mrs. Adams will present the proposed 2010-11 calendar. This meeting begins at 4:15 p.m. and is held in the High School lecture hall. REPORT CARDS…Look for 2nd Trimester Report Cards in backpacks on this day March 8 CASUAL PICTURES All students had their pictures taken on February 9. Picture packets will be sent home and you may purchase the entire packet, any individual pages, or none of the packet. Please return to the classroom teacher, money for pictures purchased as well as any pictures not purchased by April 1. KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP March 11 & 12 from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Parents will sign up their child for one of these round-up days during the Kindergarten Parent Night. There will be NO Kindergarten, Preschool, or Pre-Kindergarten classes on these dates. PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) March 11 at 7:00 p.m. FUN DAY Saturday, March 20 PTO, which is like the national PTA group, will meet in the Primary Art room on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. Plans for Fun Day on Saturday, March 20 will be finalized at this meeting. Numerous parent volunteers are necessary for Fun Day to be held. Talk with other parents about helping. Fun Day is enjoyable and the morning zips by quickly. NO late registrations will be accepted. All registration forms, along with the money, are due on or before Friday, March 5. FUN DAY is held on Saturday, March 20 from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. SCHOOL BOARD MEETING March 16 at 6:00 p.m. The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16 at 6:00 pm at the High School library. Visitors/parents are always invited to attend these monthly meetings. CONFERENCES EARLY OUT NO SCHOOL March 23& 25 March 25 at 1:20 p.m. March 26 Parents/Guardians are invited to attend conferences on March 23 and 25. On Tuesday, March 23 conferences begin at 4:30 and end at 8:00 p.m. On Thursday, March 25 conferences begin at 2:00 and end at 8:30 with a supper break for teachers from 4:00 until 5:00. Students will be dismissed at 1:20 on Thursday, March 25 and students do not have school on Friday, March 26. Recovery of a ‘snow day’ is slated for the 26th so please be advised that this ‘no school’ day may change. Ice Cream for Books The ice cream cones in the lunchroom are growing with good reader scoops! Students may turn in their signed ice cream cone reading sheets any time during the month. Parents/guardians, thanks for your at-home reading support! Outside reading translates into school success for our students! BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION: A huge thank you is extended to Shari Kiple and her Box Top Crew for trimming, counting and sending off the labels! Box Top money of over $3000 was distributed to teachers in the Primary and Elementary schools to buy games and materials for their classrooms. Parents, please continue to save box tops throughout the rest of the year and into the summer for redeeming next school year! 3-5 Elementary March Newsletter DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DAC) March 3 at 4:15 p.m. The District Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Education on the school calendar for 2010-2011. Mr. Earleywine will discuss budget information. Mrs. Adams will present the proposed 2010-2011 calendar. This meeting begins at 4:15 p.m. and is held in the High School lecture hall. CASUAL PICTURES View during conferences All students had their pictures taken on February 9. Picture packets will be available in the office for viewing and purchase. You may buy the entire packet, any individual pages, or none of the packet during conference hours. SNOW MAKE-UP PLAN Students will begin school 15 minutes earlier in the morning and will be dismissed 15 minutes later in the afternoon to make up 5 of the missed days of school. This will begin on Monday, March 8. The other snow day will be added on May 27. Students will be tardy at 8:20. Bus students will be dismissed at 3:30 and all other students at 3:35. Breakfast will be served at 8:00. Any additional snow days will also be added to the end of the school year. PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) March 11 at 7:00 p.m. FUN DAY Saturday, March 20 PTO, which is like the national PTA group, will meet in the Primary Art room on Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. Plans for Fun Day on Saturday, March 20 will be finalized at this meeting. Numerous parent volunteers are necessary for Fun Day to be held, so encourage other parents to help. Fun Day is enjoyable and the morning zips by quickly. NO late registrations will be accepted. All registration forms, along with the money, are due on or before Friday, March 5. FUN DAY is held on Saturday, March 20 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. SCHOOL BOARD MEETING March 16 at 6:00 p.m. The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16 at 6:00 pm at the High School library. Visitors/parents are always invited to attend these monthly meetings. CONFERENCES EARLY OUT NO SCHOOL March 23& 25 March 25 at 1:20 p.m. March 26 Parents/Guardians are invited to attend conferences on March 23 and 25. On Tuesday, March 23 conferences begin at 4:30 and end at 8:00 p.m. On Thursday, March 25 conferences begin at 2:00 and end at 8:30 with a supper break for teachers from 4:00 - 5:00. Students will be dismissed at 1:20 on Thursday, March 25 and students do not have school on Friday, March 26. THIRD GRADE PROGRAM March 19 at 2:00 p.m. Join the 3rd Grade students for their annual vocal music concert on Friday, March 19 at 2:00 pm. All 4th and 5th grade students will see the program on Thursday, so please allow them to stay in class during the concert. All 3rd grade students and any 3-5 siblings are free to leave at the conclusion of the concert on Friday. OLYMPIC READERS The March goal for Olympic Readers is 120 minutes of reading at home. The March reward is Olympic activities in the gym on Friday, April 9. Students may turn in their signed reading minutes until the morning of Wednesday, March 31. Parents/guardians, thanks for your at-home reading support! Outside reading translates into school success for our students! BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION: A huge thank you is extended to Shari Kiple and her Box Top Crew for trimming, counting and sending off the labels! Box top money of over $3000 was distributed to teachers in the Primary and Elementary schools to buy games and materials for their classrooms. Parents, please continue to save box tops throughout the rest of the year and into the summer for redeeming next school year! From the Middle School Principal’s Office by Joe Trotzig Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Information - SB-L Middle School students took the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills during the week of February 15th. Students were gathered in the gymnasium before testing and heard a message from Principal Joe Trotzig about the importance of good effort on these tests. Proficiency rates were explained to students and they were told that our building is a team that must perform at a high level in order to remain in good standing with the state. Teachers felt the students used good effort on the tests. Results from the tests should be back by the end of March or early April and summary sheets will be sent home with students at that time. Cell Phone Policy Reminder - Cell phones are considered electronic devices and are not allowed to be used during the school day inside the building (see p. 9 of the middle school handbook) IF a phone is taken by a staff member during the school day, it is returned to the student at the end of the day and a letter is sent home notifying parents. IF a phone is taken for a second time, parents are required to come to school and retrieve it in the office. IF a phone is taken for a third time, the student may come and pick up the phone one week after it is taken. Remind your child that responsibilities come with the use of a cell phone. They are responsible for turning it off before they walk into the building. This includes time before when students are in the commons due to cold weather. It is not to be seen or heard during the school day once they enter the building in the morning. Once the bell rings at the end of the day, they may turn the phone on to communicate with parents or arrange transportation. New Email Addresses for Staff - Middle School staff have all been assigned new email addresses within the Gmail domain. Those changes can be found on the district website for those who may have saved addresses in home accounts and communicate frequently with teachers or staff. Parent-Teacher Conferences – Please plan to attend our parent-teacher conferences on either Tuesday, March 23rd or Thursday, March 25th. Exact conference times will be posted on the district web page and we will be sending notes home with students as reminders. Student Council Dance – Our last “dance” of the year will be on Friday, March 5th from 6:30 until 8:00 p.m. During this event, the gym is open for middle school students to play basketball or hit volleyballs. Chaperones are always welcome. Please contact Chris Pottebaum at 9434235 if you are interested in assisting as a chaperone. We do appreciate transportation following the dance that is prompt. It is disappointing to see students waiting for parent rides 30 to 40 minutes following the dance, which also requires supervision from staff. Thanks in advance for your cooperation on this. Middle School Vocal News: Mark Your Calendars! Recital Night in the HS auditorium is Thursday, April 15th. Please mark your calendars!! We will begin after school around 4:30 with the 5th grade band members performing solos and ensembles. Mr. Pritchard, Heelan High School Band Director, will adjudicate the students. There will be refreshments for the students after they are done performing. The school is providing cookies and punch in the concessions area. Mrs. Nothdurft is looking for some parents to volunteer with serving the cookies and punch to the students. The evening will feature the 6-8 grade students performing solos and ensembles. The Junior High Recital will begin around 6:45. Mrs. Diana Wooley, Lamb Productions, will be working with the Junior High students. We have planned this night instead of going to the Heelan band Olympics and our Choir Festival day. Mrs. Nothdurft is also interested in getting a few more accompanist for the band and choir students. If you play the piano and would like to help out please contact Mrs. Nothdurft at 490-9629 or during school hours at 943-8603. Mark your calendars now and come and support our music students at SBL!! 7th Grade News: 7th Grade English Update by Jennifer Drees February has drawn to a close in the English classroom with the conclusion of a punctuation unit and the completion of ITBS tests. Additionally, students have recently written some exceptional fiction stories with a survival/adventure theme. There are some budding authors in the 7th grade! The end of February also marks the end of second trimester. The beginning of March brings new opportunities for learning and success as our third trimester gets underway. This month in English, 7th grade students will return to a grammar focus, with adverb and preposition objectives covered. We are working our way through the course objectives, and often take time to “check off” those that we’ve covered. The students should feel proud of their accomplishments! 7th Grade Science Update By John Hensley The 7th graders are currently exploring motion and forces in science. In February, we began constructing labs to calculate the speed, velocity, acceleration and momentum of objects. Since then we have factored in the effects of friction, gravity and other forces on these objects and how Newton’s Laws have helped our understanding of motion and forces. The highlight for the unit is constructing a rollercoaster using “Rollercoaster Tycoon.” We are then able to look at how a rollercoaster uses many of the same concepts discussed in this unit. In light of recent events and the untimely death of a staff member as well as a student, we as a school district feel it is important to address the issues surrounding suicide. Below you will find the warning signs as well as resources to use, should you need to... Warning Signs of Suicide It is extremely important you take all threats of suicide seriously and seek immediate treatment for your child or teenager. If you are a child or teen and have these feelings, talk with your parents, an adult friend or school personnel right away to get some help. Problems that increase the chances of suicidal thoughts include: • • • • Depression or other mental health or substance abuse issues. (Such as sadness and crying, change in eating and sleeping habits, difficulty concentrating or making decisions. Complaints of constant headaches, stomach aches or fatigue, expression of guilt, sense of worthlessness and/or low self esteem). A parent with depression or substance abuse issues. A friend, peer, family member or hero (such as a sports figure or musician) who recently attempted or committed suicide. A disruptive or abusive family situation. Problems that may trigger a suicide attempt in children and teens include: • • • • • • Drug or alcohol use. Witnessing the suicide of a family member. Problems at school, such as failing grades, harassment, discipline issues or frequent absences. Loss of a parent, close family member or significant relationship. Difficulty communicating with parents or family disruption (loss of job, divorce). Stress caused by physical changes related to puberty, chronic or physical illness. Some common warning signs for suicide include: • • • • • • Making statements like “I want to die” or “I don’t want to live anymore”. Indirect statements such as “I want to go to sleep and never wake up”, “They will be sorry when I am gone” or “Soon this will all be over”. Preoccupation with death in conversation, writing or drawing. Giving away belongings or lack of plans for the future. Suddenly becoming cheerful after a prolonged state of depression- the final decision has been made, which is a relief in itself. Withdrawal from friends and family. Withdrawal from normal activities. Aggressive or hostile behavior, anger. • • Running away from home or risk-taking behaviors (reckless driving, promiscuous, drugs and alcohol). Neglect of personal hygiene and appearance. National and local resources to assist with suicide and/or depression: • • • • • • • National Prevention of Suicide Hotline National Crisis Line Suicide Prevention Red Cross Crisis Line Youth Crisis Hotline Information and Referral Center Siouxland Mental Health 1-800-273-8255 1-800-448-3000 1-800-799-4889 1-800-244-7431 1-800-448-4663 Dial 2-1-1 (local resource) 712-252-3871 (local resource) Also you will find on the school’s webpage a link that we have built for grief support at www.sergeant-bluff.k12.ia.us For more information please contact: Wendy Schumacher, District Social Worker 943-8793 Cynthia Goetz, High School Guidance Counselor 943-8704 Chris Olsen, Middle School Guidance Counselor 943-8743 Dated 2-10 High School Student – Led Conferences March 23 4:30-8:00 & March 25 2:00-4:00 Open Conferences in the Commons Thursday 5:00-7:00 PM A meeting with the student/parent and Advisory teacher will be set up for all students grades 9-12. The focus this spring will be on reviewing current progress, past success, and planning for the future for students. You will have a designated scheduled time to meet with your son/daughter’s Advisory teacher. The meeting will be 15-20 minutes in length. WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THIS CONFERENCE? Grades are going to be reviewed, but they are not the beginning and end of what you need to know about your child’s progress in school! Your child and his or her advisor have been working to organize information in these additional areas: • • • Schedule for next year Transcripts and check of credits ITED progress The student will review this information in the conference, giving everyone the opportunity for some good conversations about setting and reaching goals. HOW WILL WE SCHEDULE THE CONFERENCE? Please return the bottom portion of this letter or e-mail or phone your son/daughter’s Advisory teacher. Advisors will contact you as a follow up for a specific scheduled time. If you need more time, or would like to speak to specific teachers individually, your child’s advisor will be happy to assist you in making those arrangements. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Student’s Name _______________ Parent’s/Guardian’s Name ___________________ Parents/Guardian Email/Daytime Phone________________ Best time frame to meet: Tuesday March 23 Thursday March 25 4:30–5:30 ______ 2:00-3:00 _______ 5:30-6:30 ______ 3:00-4:00 _______ 6:30-7:30 ______ **Please have your son/daughter return this form or make contact with the Advisor by Wednesday, March 17. Email contact information for advisors can be found on the SB-L website (www.sergeant-bluff.k12.ia.us) by clicking on High School tab and pulling down the menu to Staff. High School Graduation Credits Change for the New Semester Schedule After careful research, the SB-L school board has approved the movement to semesters for the 2010-2011 school year. The high school has adopted new graduation requirements for the incoming freshmen and has accommodated the requirements for the upperclassmen. The new incoming freshmen will be required to have 46 credits to graduate in 2014. They will still need 4 years of language arts, 3 years of math, 3 years of science, and 3.5 years of social studies (only one semester of geography). For the 2014 graduation, students will continue to need health, computer education, fine arts, physical education, and new for the freshmen is Money Management. Money Management was added to meet the requirements of the new Iowa Core Curriculum’s 21st Century Skills. As for next year’s 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, all credits will be transferred over. Their requirements that they were given as a 9th grader will not change, except that speech is no longer required. Speech will be infused into the language arts’ courses. Due to the conversion, the upper classmen will graduate with more elective credits than required. They will still be required to have 4 years of language arts, 3 years of math, 3 years of science and 4 years of social studies. For graduation upperclassmen will still be required to take health, computer education, fine arts, and physical education. No credits will be lost in the conversion. During the conferences in March, students, parents, and advisors will be checking credits and scheduling classes for next year. Any questions or concerns will be addressed. The high school teachers are looking forward to the new semester schedule. A Trio of Trophies for SBL Quiz Bowl ~Coach Deb Collins SBL’s Quiz Bowl Warriors proved themselves quite adept at bashing, quiz bowl-style, in the first annual South Sioux City – Sgt. Bluff-Luton Quiz Bowl Bash on February 20 as they captured three of the four tournament trophies. With multiple SBL entries in the junior varsity bracket, Lukas Brenden served as captain of SBLJV3 and led his team to a perfect record in regulation play. Brenden and teammates Brett Adams, Korey Bruene, and Rachel Karleskint jumped out to a fast start with a 185-35 rout of South Sioux City-JV2, followed by a 195-60 thrashing of Maple Valley –Anthon Oto. The group cruised to a third victory over SSC-JV1 (210-85) and closed with a 150-70 win over West Monona. Zach Murrell took the helm for SBLJV2 and steered Connor Adams, Alicia O’Donnell, and Micah Rook to a 2-2 regulation record as they outscored West Monona (140-70) and MV-AO (175-95); Murrell’s team dropped matches to LeMars (115-225) and SSC-JV1 (80-115.) SBL-JV1 was led by Jake Zahner and showcased the skills of Nick Becker, Corey Erickson, and Jaci Dahl. This squad took no prisoners as they demolished MV-AO (21075), SSC-JV1 (155-75), West Monona (175-90), and LeMars (205-160) in regulation. Thanks to these strong performances, all three JV Warrior teams qualified for the tournament semifinals. There SBL JV-3 bowed out to SBL-JV1 by a narrow margin, 130-160, while SBL-JV2 eked out a win over LeMars, 190-150, to advance to the unprecedented all-SBL championship match. Experience prevailed as Zahner and company edged their younger teammates (135-115) to claim the championship trophy, while Murrell’s squad earned runner-up honors. SBL’s varsity team of Devon Schuler, John Aguirre, Davis Huffman, and Reed Saunders set a personal goal of 2000 points for this tournament. Although they fell short by 15, the team proved themselves the powerhouse of the SSC-SBL Quiz Bowl Bash as they steamrolled Woodbury Central (255175), West Monona (330-30), LeMars V2 (380-140) and Dakota Valley (340-55) in regulation. Seeded first for the semifinals, the varsity Warriors dispatched Woodbury Central (410-165) to earn a championship berth against co-host South Sioux City. It was the Warriors over the Cardinals as Schuler’s scoring machine toppled SSC, 270-190. Devon Schuler took varsity scoring honors with 41 solo answers, followed by Saunders (28), Aguirre (19), and Huffman (18). In the JV bracket, Lukas Brenden led all scorers with 45 answers for points; also scoring were Murrell (31), Zahner (18), Dahl (16), Erickson and C. Adams (10), Becker (9), B. Adams (7), Rook (5), and Bruene (1). Karleskint and O’Donnell contributed to group responses. The Quiz Bowl Warriors would like to thank many volunteers who made this tournament so successful: Michael Aguirre, Kristi Huffman, Rodney and Linda Schuler, Di Haindfield, Kris Erickson, Amy Murrell, Sid Seward, Luke Saunders, Bill and Patty Saunders, Chris Olsen, Bill McKelvey, Shannon Dahl, Connie Nolan, Jen Hazel, Jeanna Click and the concession stand workers, and Bruce Mathers and the SBL high school custodial staff. The support of family and friends throughout the day was also appreciated! Junior Varsity Quiz Bowl Champions-Jaci Dahl, Jake Zahner, Nick Becker, Corey Erickson, Coach Collins Junior Varsity Runner-Up—Micah Rook, Zach Murrell, Alicia O’Donnell, Connor Adams & Alex Schaben Varsity Champions—Reed Saunders, Devon Schuler John Aguirre & Davis Huffman Help Wanted— The Sergeant Bluff-Luton CSD needs substitute kitchen help! If you have a flexible schedule and could work on a substitute basis as a cook or server, please fill out an application and bring it to the administrative offices, located in the Elementary Building. The application can be found under the employment opportunities tab on the school website or you can stop in and pick one up. Proms From The Past The sergeant bluff museum will be displaying prom dresses, men’s attire, shoes, and prom pictures from the past during the months of april and may. If you have any prom items from your past to share, the museum would love to display them during these months. Please contact judy monson at 943-5285. Remember, the museum is open every Saturday morning from 9am-1pm. Sgt. Bluff Public Library Book Club Meetings 708 Warrior Road 7:00 PM Thursday, March 18th The Zookeeper’s Wife By Diane Ackerman This is a true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands. When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw— and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants. Author, Diane Ackerman, shows us how the Zabinskis refused to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around them. These books are available for check out at our library! 7:00 PM Thursday, April 22nd Prayers for Sale By Sandra Dallas On a cold, snowy evening, a young woman lingers in front of a house pondering a sign that reads, “Prayers for Sale.” Inside, an elderly widow, Hennie Comfort, watches and wonders before stepping outside to greet her reluctant visitor. So begins this engrossing tale of a wise older woman with a lifetime of stories to tell, and a 17-year-old with prayers that need answers. Set in 1930s Colorado, it’s a novel in which the drama, humor, and passions of one very full life are stitched, with love and understanding, into the fabric of another. Sandra Dallas takes us back to a time when we knew and cared about the ones around us, and reminds us of what community really means. Read more about our featured books at www.barnesandnoble.com MARCH Public Library Calendar The Elementary and Primary Libraries are open to the public on alternating Saturdays from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, with story time beginning at 10:00 am in the Primary Library. March 6th - Elementary March 13th – Primary March 20th – Elementary March 27th – Primary The High School/Adult Library is open to the public on Thursday evenings from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Public Library Card Applications are available at these libraries and at Sergeant Bluff City Hall. Public Library Cards are FREE and may also be used at all Sioux City Public Libraries. Primary School March Menu Monday Cereal, Tst, Jce Hot Dog Sun Chips Corn Pears Pudding Churro, Ham, Jce Crispito Tatar Tots Baked Beans Applesauce Crunch Bar Bkfst Pizza, Frt, Jce Sausage Pizza Green Beans Mandarin Oranges Cool Tube Tuesday 1 8 Waffle, Ham, Jce Mr Rib Curly Fries Mandarin Oranges Peach Crisp Bisq &Gravy, Jce Hot Ham & Cheese Wedges Mandarin Oranges Blueberry Crisp 15 Fr Tst, Saus, Jce Chili & Crackers Cinnamon Roll Carrot Sticks Peaches Cereal, Tst, Jce Chicken Patty French Fries Orange Pudding 22 Ham, Egg Bisq, Jce Cereal, Tst, Jce Turkey & Cheese Sub Sunchips Corn Pears Dream Bar 29 Tastrie, Saus, Jce Fiestada Pizza Corn Applesauce Chocolate Chip Bar Hamburger Tator Tots Mixed Fruit Sugar Cookie Wednesday 2 9 Thursday Friday Scramb Eggs, tst, jce 3 Hot Turkey Sandwich Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Apple Chocolate Chip Cookie Bagel, Cr Chse, Bac. Chicken Fajita Peas Pineapple Peanut Butter Bar 4 Oatmeal, Tst, Jce 10 Chicken Nuggets Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Pears Oatmeal Cookie Bkfst Burr, Frt, Jce BBQ Pork Sandwich Fries Peaches Sunshine Bar 11 16 Cinn Roll, Bac, Jce 17 Pancake, Ham, Jce Corndog Wedges Apple Pudding 23 Omelet, Tst, Jce 30 Cooks Choice 18 Cereal, Tst, Jce Turkey Tatar Tot Cass. Garlic Toast Mixed Fruit Peanut Butter Cookie 24 Saus Bites, Frt, Jce Tavern Tatar Tots Pineapple M&M Cookie Pepperoni Sub Fritos Glazed Carrots Mandarin Oranges Chocolate Cake 31 Scalloped Potatoes & Ham Bread & Butter Pineapple Carrot Cake Egg, Bisq, Jce 5 Fish Sandwich Fritos Mixed Fruit Green Beans Miscellaneous Cookies Cereal, Tst, Jce 12 Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup Mixed Fruit Monster Cookie 25 Macaroni & Cheese Bread & Butter Celery Sticks Peaches Snicker Doodle No School 19 26 Notes: Milk is offered everyday. PTO news Parent Teacher Organization of the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District • FEB/MARCH 2010 DATES TO REMEMBER PTO Meetings 7 p.m., Primary Building Art Room Tuesday, March 9 Tuesday, Apr. 29 Chick-Fil-A Spirit Nights Southern Hills Mall 5:30-7:30 p.m. (SB-L RECEIVES 10% OF THE NIGHT’s PROFITS!) March 9 April 13 Teacher Inservice CAN YOU BRING TREATS? Contact Shari Kiple: [email protected] Apr. 6 Skating Parties Rollerama, Sioux City Apr. 12 Fun Day Saturday, March 20 Pound the Pavement 5K Run & Kids’ Fun Run Saturday, May 1 (Kickoff Pep Rally on Thursday, Apr. 1) PTO takes more steps toward new playground equipment As PTO works diligently to raise the money needed to finalize new playground equipment for the K-5 students at SB-L, we have had to make some adjustments to some of the events we’ll offer this spring. For this year only, we are postponing “Donuts with Dads” and “A Morning with Mom”—two events we have typically held each spring. Instead, this year we will combine our efforts to invite moms, dads, and entire families to join PTO for its first annual Pound the Pavement 5K Run and Kids’ Fun Run on Saturday, May 1, and for Fun Day, a longstanding spring event, on Saturday, March 20. Let’s have some fun! PTO’s Fun Day is just around the corner! Held on Saturday, March 20, at the SB-L Primary Building, Fun Day has become a great day for families to spend quality time together at the school, doing fun activities and crafts. Preregistration and $5 payment is required! If you haven’t signed up for Fun Day yet (as a participant or volunteer), please register by March 5. PTO’s first annual Pound the Pavement 5K Run and Kids’ Fun Run on Saturday, May 1, in Sergeant Bluff. Race festivities will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the races. PTO’s Pound the Pavement runs are designed to promote physical fitness and fundraising efforts for our new playground equipment. On Thursday, April 1, we’ll host a kick-off/pep rally for all K-5 students at Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Jackie from KPTH will be on hand to get students fired up about the fun run and all that goes with it (new playground equipment we hope will be ready for summer installation). For more information or to register, contact Melisa Schager at [email protected] or 712-4907923. You may also register online at www.allsportcentral.com. CAP COLLECTION CONTINUES Students and families have done a great job of collecting Land O Lakes milk caps to help our schools! One favor: If you could please wash and dry caps before bringing them in, it would be appreciated. So far we have collected over 4,000 caps between both buildings. Wow! We earn 5 cents for each cap, so that means $200 for our school! We will collect caps through the end of the year. Eligible caps come from gallons of Land O Lakes white & chocolate milk, and orange juice. Thanks! by Melissa Zimmerman, Land O Lakes chair Feast on “All You Can Read” at upcoming book fair UPDATE PTO will hold a spring book fair in conjunction with parent- Bring in Box Tops in March and your class could enjoy a Lucky Charms cereal party in honor of St. Pat’s Day! The deadline for our March contest will be March 23, with winning classes to have their parties on April 1. (No foolin’!) Watch next month’s issue for Box Tops news. Keep saving! by Shari Kiple, Box Tops chair teacher conferences on Tuesday, March 23, and Thursday, March 25. This spring’s book fair theme is “Book Fair Diner—All You Can Read.” Along with a fantastic selection of books, we’ll have a coloring contest for our Primary students and a guessing jar contest for Elementary students. Winners in each building will earn a $5 gift certificate toward book fair purchases. We’ll also offer the Teacher Wish List program for anyone wishing to donate books to the classrooms. And, as always, we’ll need volunteers to help work at the book fairs. Watch your child’s backpack for information on the spring book fair and plan now to feast on “All You Can Read” at the Book Fair Diner! by Shannon Maier and Jennifer Harsma, Book Fair Committee co-chairs on Facebook now: SB-L PTO HyVee receipts can really add up!!! PTOfficers Please continue to save HyVee receipts! President Curt Schnee hockeycms@ longlines.com Vice President Melisa Schager sblgirlygirl1@ yahoo.com Treasurer Shelly Ackerman [email protected] Secretary Amber Bliss [email protected] Newsletter contributions Send to: Shari Kiple, writer / editor, at kiplecomm@ cableone.net by Mar. 20 for the next issue. Questions? Call 712-276-5175 (h) or 712-281-0641 (c). OFFICER POSITIONS OPEN If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get involved in PTO, it’s right now! Even as we’re still under piles of snow, we’re looking toward April. That’s when we’ll have our officer elections and choose PTO leadership for the 2010-11 school year. All positions will be open to a vote, so please consider throwing your name into the mix. Our PTO relies on parents like you to get involved and make a difference. For job descriptions of each officer position, please email Amber Bliss or contact any current officer (information at left). We can earn up to $500 for our each of our schools through this great program. Here are a few reminders: NO GAS, PLEASE. Fuel receipts can’t be counted. AREA STORES ONLY. Receipts from Sioux City and South Sioux City HyVees are eligible for this program. Receipts from other stores earn nothing. CHECK THE DATE. Only receipts from this school year (Aug. 1, 2009 through May 4, 2010) will qualify for this promotion. Older receipts don’t count. ASK AROUND. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to help you collect local HyVee receipts, too. Every bit helps! I can accept receipts until April 30. Right now, we are not anywhere NEAR the amount we need to earn $500—so please turn in your receipts. If you have questions, email me at [email protected]. Thanks for your help! spirit night update February’s“Spirit Night” earned $83.55 from receipts and another $74.50 in Plinko—for a grand total of $158.05. Remaining SB-L “Spirit Nights” will be March 9 and April 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Chick-Fil-A in Southern Hills Mall. Hope to see you there! by Mary Lonneman, HyVee Receipts chair by Kristine Schrad, Chick-Fil-A marketing director