Recently, the state Department of Public Instruction issued report cards for schools and districts in Wisconsin. Bonduel Elementary School received a rating of 82.9, which is in the “Exceeds Expectations” category. This means that our school Exceeds Expectations for student achievement, student growth, educational equity, and preparing students for edu-cational milestones. We are very proud of this accomplishment. Attendance rec-

ords are also used in calculating the building report card. Appointments should be made on non-school days, if possible, to reduce loss of instructional time. Your help with this is greatly appreciated.

Students are not permitted to stay indoors, except at their teacher's request, during recess time without a written request from a physician or a written request from the parent on the day after a prolonged illness. Exceptions may be allowed upon consultation with the principal. Please do not request that your child be excused from recess or physical education except in emergen-cies. Ordinarily, a child who is well enough to be in school is well enough to play at recess and engage in physical education activities. Students will have a 30 minute noon recess, and at their teacher’s discretion, a 15 minute recess in the afternoon.

• We will hold indoor recess when the air tempera-ture and/or wind chill factor is below zero. • Jackets, hats and mittens should be brought to school every day. • When snow is on the ground, students are ex-pected to wear boots and snow pants. In the Spring, once there is minimal snow on the ground, students may not be required to wear snow pants.

Bonduel Elementary

DECEMBER 2018

Volume 25, Issue 2

Bonduel Elementary School

404 W. Mill St.

P.O. Box 310

Bonduel, WI 54107

(715)758-4850

www.bonduel.k12.wi.us

Inside this issue:

• BES Exceeds Expectations! ...... 1

• Recess (Handbook Reminder) .. 1

• Safety Update ................................ 2

• Rock your Mocs! .............................. 2

• A Look into the Future! .............. 3

• Tutoring Buddies Project .......... 4

• Upcoming Events ............................ 4

• Fall Fun in 4K! ................................... 5

• Students with Allergies ............. 6

• Visitors ................................................ 6

• Holiday Cooking and Baking with your Child ........................................... 7

• Little Bear Birth to Five Play Group .................................................... 9

Recess (Handbook Reminder)

B.E.S. CONNECTION

Bonduel Elementary School Exceeds Expectations!

We appreciate your patience and understanding as the School District of Bon-duel continues to implement components of the 2018 School Safety Initiative. As part of the School Safety Plan, the main entrance to each school building will have a system installed which will require parents and visitors to press the access button to communicate with the office regarding identification and purpose for entrance. Also, the school district must ensure that all school buildings are secure and that threats may be detected and delayed before entering the school. This will be achieved by ensuring every classroom has a door lock; that school en-trances delay unauthorized access; and that the practices and policies will detect and delay the entry of unauthorized persons. Please note: When the main entrance system is activated, the school doors will be locked from 8:07 a.m. until 3:04 p.m. The main entrance will be open from 7:45 - 8:07 a.m. and will not reopen until 3:04 p.m. Parents who are picking-up their child(ren) at the end of the school day will meet them outside of the school building. Due to the amount of traffic in the school parking lot, please meet your child's teacher outside of the entrance and walk your child to your vehicle. The only access allowed to the building during the school day will be for volun-teers or scheduled visitors. We thank you for your cooperation.

To celebrate November as Native American History Month, Bonduel Elementary students in first through fourth grades learned about the Rock Your Mocs! event and how moccasins are more than just footwear. Led by Sofie Teller, 4-H Devel-opment Coordinator for Menominee County/Nation UW-Extension Office, stu-dents viewed a PowerPoint detailing how moccasins are a personal reflection of each wearer, the importance of taking care of your feet, and contrasting danc-ing in moccasins as opposed to ballet shoes. They also learned that the Rock Your Mocs! event is a week long celebration where moccasin wearers post pictures or videos on social media showing them "rocking their mocs". The elementary students were enthralled by the discussion of regalia, as they learned the meaning of each of the pieces of fellow students Alyncia Greer and her younger brother Joel Greer, Jr, who recently began dancing at the Menominee Nation Contest Pow Wow in August. Their grandmother, Bon-nie Mckiernan, a 4-H leader, expressed that the regalia worn by her grandchil-dren represented who they were and the Bear Clan they are a part of. As a cul-minating activity, each student was encouraged to reflect on what was im-portant to them and to add that design onto a pair of paper moccasins. The stu-dents were assisted by Ms. Rose Wayka, 4-H leader and their classroom teach-ers. This learning opportunity, organized by Mrs. Lela Schwitzer, BES First Grade teacher and a member of the Menominee Tribe, created a joyful atmosphere in which students respectfully engaged in a hands on activity that connected Me-nominee culture to their own lives.

Page 2

Volume 25, Issue 2 School Safety Update

Rock your Mocs! By: Mrs. Schwitzer, First Grade Teacher

LEARNING: The

ultimate

game where

you never

run out of

levels.

The fifth-grade students took their annual trip to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus in October. They were blown away by the facility and everything that college has to offer. The main activities of the trip included a welcoming, guided tour, and lunch. They got so much out of the trip!

First, we arrived at the Weidner Center. What an extraordinary place! We were greeted by Senator Dave Hansen. He was accompanied by many staff members who took us into the au-ditorium. There we chanted, “Phuture Phoenix!” Many groups came out to perform! The dance team and cheerleaders put on a stunning show of moves and got the students dancing on the edge of their seats. After the performances, each class was split into groups and greeted by two college students.

The college students guided us outside and lead an activity where we got to know each other by answering questions based on our inter-ests. We got to know the students and what their college experience has been like so far. It was nice to have real life experiences from the college we were visiting. The tour included going into a class-room, the library, athletic center, and the dorms. After seeing many of these places, the students claimed UWGB was the place they’d like to go to college.

After the students devoured their free lunch from the college, they were addressed by the athletic director of the college. He answered many of their questions and showed a great in-terest in the students returning to the college af-ter the students completed high school. The UWGB mascot is the mythological bird, the phoe-nix. For this reason, the program is called Phuture Phoenix. This trip has been a great way for the students to take a look into the future and hope-fully get excited about preparing for college.

The best way to

predict your

future is to create

it.

-Abraham Lincoln

Page 3

B.E.S. CONNECTION

A Look into the Future By: Mr. Bogacz, 5th Grade Teacher

For the past three years, several 7th grade students in Ms. Beaumier’s Reading intervention serve as volunteers in first grade classrooms at Bonduel Elementary School. These students are chosen because they are significantly above grade level in reading. Additionally, they demonstrate a willingness to help other students and are personally responsible.

Each quarter, four students travel to BES: a different pair every other day. These students spending 40 minutes in either Mrs. Schwitzer’s or Mrs. Badalamenti’s classrooms. They each follow a routine that consists of stamping and returning graded papers, as well as any “mail”, that is then placed into children’s cubbies. Once these tasks are complete, the middle schoolers serve as tutoring buddies with the elementary students during math class.

The middle schoolers are a huge help to the teachers and serve as role models to the younger students. The Tutoring Buddies project has been successful for the past three years and continues to serve the needs of the elementary teachers, as a second set of hands, and as a quasi-mentoring program for the first graders. The Tutoring Buddies is a prime exam-ple of how a community school has the ability to find unique opportunities to serve our district.

“One of the greatest

things you can do to

help others is not just

to share and give what

you have, but to help

them discover what

they have within

themselves to help

themselves.”

-Rita Zahara

Page 4

Volume 25, Issue 2 Tutoring Buddies Project By: Mrs. Schwitzer, 1st Grade Teacher

Upcoming Events at BES!

Dec. 17-21 ............................ Scholastic Book Fair

Dec. 19 ...................................................... VIP Lunch

Dec. 19 ............ Christmas Program 4K A&B-6th

grade at 12:45p.m. in the HS Gym

Dec. 24-Jan. 1 ........... No School; Winter Break

Jan. 2 ............................................. School Resumes

Jan. 18 ..... End of 2nd Quarter/Early Release Day

Jan. 21 ............. No School; Teacher In-Service

Feb. 21-22 ............................................... No School

Approximate Lunch Schedule for VIP Day:

Grades 4K&K ~ 10:45, Grades 1 & 2 ~ 11:00

Grades 3 & 4 ~ 11:15, Grades 5 & 6 ~ 11:25

It has been a very busy and fun fall for the 4k children! The children went on a field trip to Delzer’s Pumpkin Farm in October. At the pumpkin farm the children were able to take a train ride, a hayride, visit the petting zoo, go through the corn maze, and take a small pumpkin home. The train ride was especially popular! Some of the children were even brave enough to go in the haunted granary. It was a beautiful day to spend at the pumpkin farm!

At the end of October, we had our Halloween party and costume parade to the nursing home. During the party there were games, activities and special treats. We then put our costumes on and paraded over to the nursing home. The 4k kids worked hard to make cards for the friends at the nursing home. They delivered their cards and showed off their costumes. It was a fun day!

Advice from a

pumpkin:

Be well-rounded,

Get plenty of

sunshine, give

thanks for life’s

bounty, have

thick skin, keep

growing, be

outstanding in

your field, think

big.

-Ilan Shamer

Page 5

B.E.S. CONNECTION

Fall Fun in 4K! By: Mrs. Hyska, 4K Teacher

Friends on the hayride at Delzer’s

Smile!

The biggest pumpkin!

Class B friends Halloween parade

Class A friends

Halloween parade

We now have students in our Bonduel Elementary School with severe allergies to Peanuts/Tree Nuts. We are asking each family for support in this matter by not sending Peanut/Tree Nut containing foods to the school. There is a tremendous risk that children and adults who are allergic to nuts face from even the smallest amount of peanut butter or a piece of nut. Consumption is not the only way to cause a reaction, sometimes just close prox-imity to the nut/peanut protein will affect them. The conse-quences can be life threatening by causing an anaphylaxis reac-tion that will require immediate intervention with medication, hospitalization or even life support. We want to do all we can to eliminate the possibility of such an occurrence in our school. Avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction with the students affected by this life threatening allergy. We know this is a lot to ask but we need your help so we can provide a safe learning environment and allow full participation in all class activities. Parents choosing to bring cold lunch for their child to eat at mealtime are asked to avoid Peanuts/Tree Nuts. Please keep this in mind when planning and packing your child’s food for the day. Our hot lunch program is already free of these products. The peanut butter condiment in the cafeteria has been replaced with cheese. If your child is a classmate of the student(s) you will receive addi-tional information. We will ask that you please refer to the label reading instructions listed in that letter when donating food items for the classroom snack, helping out during class parties or other special events. We are available to help answer any questions or provide guid-ance. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Contact Christine Counard, RN school nurse at the Shawano Co Health Depart-ment at 715-526-4808 with any questions.

Visitors are reminded to register in the principal's office of the build-ing in which they are visiting. It is an important student safety issue for the building principals to know who is in each building. Visitors should sign the log book and wear a visitor badge. Thank you for your cooperation. Page 6

Volume 25, Issue 2 Students with Allergies

Visitors

Holiday Cooking and Baking with Your Child: Life Skills and Family Bonding This holiday season, we encourage you to invite your children into the kitchen with you! By involving them in holiday bak-ing and cooking, you are not only teaching them valuable life skills, but also are able to enhance language skills, social skills, problem solving skills, conversation skills, and storytelling! In today’s busy world of school, work, and technology, it is hard to find good quality family time together. One way to bring the family together is by inviting your children into the kitchen with you as you prepare your holiday meals and treats. Alt-hough it may take just a little longer, and may be a tad bit messier, cooking together is also a rare opportunity for some true quality time together as a family. But as anybody who has actually cooked with kids knows, more hands don't neces-sarily mean less work. (And they certainly don't ensure less mess!) Below are some strategies for holiday cooking with children: Make time to do it right If you are rushing to get a dish prepared for a holiday potluck and you're leaving in an hour, now may not be the ideal time to get the kids involved. By planning ahead, and carving out some quality time for kid-centric cooking, you can make sure you have time to really focus on the little ones and enjoy what you are creating. Find kid-friendly recipes From gingerbread houses to holiday cookies, festive recipes lend themselves well to sparking children's' imaginations. But it doesn't have to all be sugary sweets either. Tiny pizzas, for example, can be a fun addition to the holiday buffet. Or try some of the other fun healthy holiday kids recipes . (Even banana snowmen look awesome!) Allow them to experiment (and fail) With younger children, your goal is really to just get them experiencing food and cooking — not creating the perfect dish. So why not put out a little of whatever recipe you are working on and let them experiment with whatever ingredients you have to hand? Chances are, you'll have a culinary disaster — but your aspiring chef will have a blast creating it. Then you can all talk about it together! For older children, you could ask them to pick out a recipe of their choice and make it fully themselves, then have them tell you all about it. Provide age-appropriate tasks It goes without saying that kitchen tasks should be divvied out according to age and ability. For 3- to 4-year-olds, have them help mix and pour ingredients, and expect them to get bored quickly. But 4- to 6-year-olds will most likely get into rolling out cookie dough, cutting out cookies, and maybe chopping ingredients with a safe, plastic knife. Around age 9 and onwards, children will be ready to start learning how to use the microwave and maybe even the stove. But be sure to su-pervise very carefully until you know they are competent and safe.

Talk about what they are learning Cooking, like many creative activities, is an opportunity to learn about all kinds of things. Talking to kids about the nutritional value of the foods they are preparing (including why sugary treats are a "less often" food!) is very beneficial!. But you can also talk about where their food comes from, who grew/raised it, and per-haps learn some math through the basics of weights and measures too. Here are a few tips and ideas for how to incorporate language and conversation-al skills into your holiday preparations: LANGUAGE Vocabulary: Cooking provides multiple exposures to novel ingredients and utensils. Vocabulary like grater, zest, sage, baste, whisk (etc.) is not commonly used in every day conversation, so you will be able to introduce your child to these new concepts by having them help you out while preparing a meal. Following Directions: This skill automatically gets targeted when following a recipe. Sequencing: Following a recipe provides an opportunity to work on sequencing skills. Talk to your child about what to do first / next / last. Describing: Exposure to a large variety of ingredients and dishes will allow you to work on describing them. You can talk about textures, smells, tastes, as well as physical appearance of a specific food item. Categorizing: You can practice categorization skills by grouping the ingredients for a particular recipe by food group: dairy, meat, vegetable, etc. For younger children, you can have them sort by size or color. Answering Questions: You can work on targeting simple Wh-questions during and after the meal preparation process. What ingredients do we need? Who helped you? Why did we need to measure? How many eggs do we need? When do we need to take the turkey out of the oven? Where is the oil? etc. Listening Comprehension: You can read the recipe to your child and have them tell you what they remember. Narrating Personal Events / Recall: Have your child explain to someone how they helped out in the kitchen and / or how they prepared a particular dish. Problem-Solving: Throughout the cooking process, ask your child questions that will stimulate their critical thinking skills. How can we keep the lemon seeds from falling into the juice? How can we separate egg yolk from egg white? How can we make a triangle out of this square cheese slice? SOCIAL SKILLS Taking Turns: Practice taking turns during dinner preparation. Perspective Taking: Have your child help set the table – have them think about who is coming to dinner and how many plates will be needed. Conversation Skills: Meal time is a great opportunity to prac-tice working on conversation skills (eye contact, turn-taking, top-ic maintenance). Manners / Etiquette: Meal time is also great for targeting man-ners – frontload your child prior to the meal by talking to them about etiquette: chewing with their mouth closed, not taking the last food item without asking, etc. HAPPY BAKING!!