| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | March 5, 2004 |
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| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | March 5, 2004 |
As the classroom teachers prepare your children for the upcoming CSAP tests, I am overwhelmingly reminded of the value that the arts and physical education serve to help our students become well-rounded, multi-talented citizens. Both music and art have accomplished some extra events lately that deserve recognition. Watching Mr. Greg Neal instill the value of physical heath and a focus on healthy lifestyles is truly a gift that will last a lifetime. During our most recent inservice as we learned strategies that help us close the achievement gap, these specialists were eager to find ways to incorporate some of the literacy skills into their teaching in a natural way. I am committed to the value of a rich learning experiences that these "specialists" provide for your children.
This past week the fifth graders performed "Heroes All...A Musical Salute to Champions" by John Jacobson and Roger Emerson with style, enthusiasm and incredible talent. Watching them sing and use motions in unison, sing solos, speak dramatic parts with foreign accents, and dance using their own choreography demonstrated the confidence and hard work that this type of program inspires our students to perform their best. Some of their messages are worth repeating: Helen Keller: "True vision, true listening, true nobility comes from within." Jesse Owens: "People like me were taught that no dream is too big; no goal is unattainable." Charles Lindbergh: "The potential to be a hero is inside each and every one of us. All you have to do is have the courage to dream and the willingness to seize the opportunity when it presents itself." It is through your children's struggles and accomplishments that they are building the fortitude and motivation to reach for higher goals. Excellent job, Fifth Graders and our Music Director Mrs. Caren Everett! The many extra hours that Mrs. Everett and the students spent on these programs are what make a performance truly outstanding. I am always amazed and impressed when students perform a musical! We want to thank every parent for ensuring that your child is ready to learn and perform his/her best each day at school. In the next few weeks, during CSAP testing your support and encouragement, your helping them be fully rested and your reducing possible stress are exactly what are needed. Taking their time, reading the directions very carefully and doing their best are the best reminders. On behalf of the staff, we thank you for your continuous and healthy support of your children. Have a wonderful spring break with your family and friends!
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| CALENDAR | March 05, 2004 |
| MARCH 2004 | MARCH 2004 | ||||
| Mon-Fri | Mar. 8 - Apr. 2 | CSAP Testing Window | Mon-Fri | Mar. 15 - 19 | SPRING BREAK: NO SCHOOL |
| Thu | Mar. 11 | College Night 7:00 pm | Thu | Mar. 25 | SIT 4:00 - 6:00 pm |
Shepardson was one of a dozen schools invited to participate in Operation Heart to Heart and design a banner and individual posters that were sent to Walter Reed Hospital last week. The banner, one of only six, will hang in the hospital hallways and the posters will be near the beds of injured soldiers. Thanks to our art teacher Lori Pibal's willingness to go "the extra mile" again, several students embraced this special project. We were especially pleased to contribute in this way, knowing that three of our students have a parent in Iraq at this time. Giving them the opportunity to do something for the soldiers was indeed a rare gift for all involved. Thanks to Mrs. Pibal and her "Heart to Heart" crew! |
Recently, we had the privilege of hearing 1st Lieutenant Bunn's account of his time in Iraq. Lt. Bunn is the father of Shepardson students Brittany and Sarah Bunn. As part of his slide show presentation, Lt. Bunn showed pictures of the poverty-stricken children. A poignant moment came when the students realized many of the Iraqi children did not have shoes. This is a significant problem due to the filthy conditions and desert terrain. Therefore, Shepardson Elementary, in cooperation with Lieutenant Bunn's unit, is sponsoring a shoe drive March 22nd - through April 2nd. We will be accepting gently used or new children's shoes and monetary donations to offset the cost of shipping. This is a wonderful opportunity to help children that are less fortunate. Donation boxes will be placed in every pod and the office staff will accept monetary donations. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact Theresa Konopczynski (5th) or Gayle Eberhardt (6th). Thank you for your cooperation. Your kindness is appreciated by all.
This month, the Student Council Community Group is sponsoring an activity called "Cuddles and Comfort for Kids." It is a toy drive for the Child Advocacy Center. Let's show them how much we care! Please bring new or gently used toys, like puzzles, teddy bears, movies, etc. Let them be clean, for germ's sake! This activity will run through the whole month of March. There will be boxes in in every pod for the toys. Thank you for your help!
PSD has been given a trial license for all staff, students and parents through May 1st to log on to Atomic Learning, an online 24/7 access to short, easy-to-view and understand tutorial movies that teach you to use specific software applications. Many of the standard software applications used by PSD are apart of the Atomic Learning inventory. Tutorials are in both PC and Mac format to meet your individual needs. If interested, contact the office or your child's teacher for the login and password.
To access the AtomicLearning website:
Go to http://www.atomiclearning.com
Basketball? Football? Soccer? Ice Hockey? Your favorite sport is bound to be represented at the Fort Collins Public Library during the "Spotlight on Sports" event, Saturday, March 20, from 2-3 p.m. at the Harmony Library. Team members from The Colorado Chill, Colorado Eagles, Colorado Venom, Fort Collins FORCE Soccer, a Paralympic team member and more will share their experiences during this FREE program for kids and teens. Autographs, handouts and appearances by team mascots will be featured. For more information, please call 221-6680.
The Youth Activity Center, 415 E. Monroe, will be hosting their CLUB 56 on Saturday, March 6 from 7 - 10:00 p.m. For only $5, fifth and sixth grade students will enjoy music, snacks, contests, game room activities, rock climbing and more. For more information, contact Youth Activity Center staff at 416-2990.
The nationally ranked Northern Colorado Shooting Stars cheer squad (NCSS) will be holding tryouts Thursday, March 25th 6:30pm-9:00pm & Saturday, March 27th 12:00pm to 3:00pm (attendance both days required). NCSS is a non-profit organization offering cheerleading to children in grades K through 12. A background in dance and/or gymnastics is a plus but not required. Tryouts and future practices will be held at GK Gymnastics facilities at 2026 Lowe Street, Fort Collins 80525. For more information and/or to register for tryouts (no cost), please call NCSS's direct line at 1-970-454-1245 or GK gymnastics at 226-0306.
"Families at Five" is a monthly program for adults and children on topics important to your family, sponsored by the Center for Families and Couples Therapy at CSU. Sessions are Free!
2004 Schedule:
| Time: | 5:45 - 6:45 p.m. | |
| Location: | 502 W. Lake; Gifford Building - Room 113, free parking on west side of CSU Campus |
Children's programs are for children ages 3-11, check-in at 5:30 p.m.
For more information, call 491-5991
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and benefiting the Summer Reading Program, the Harmony Library is hosting a used book sale March 12 -14. Over 30 categories of books including children's, fiction, teen, and specialty books will be for sale. Prices start at $.50 and most are $3.00 or less. The Harmony Library is located at Shields and Harmony roads.
Sale Hours:
| March 12 | 1 pm | to | 6 pm | |
| March 13 | 10 am | to | 5 pm | |
| March 14 | 1 pm | to | 4 pm |
After nearly 6 years of running the Shepardson School Store, Cheryl Chvatal is ready to step down. We are looking for her replacement. Cheryl will be able to finish this school year, and is more than willing to train her replacement as she helps with ordering, pricing, stocking the store, and organizing weekly parent workers for the remainder of the year. This year the Shepardson Student Council has taken more responsibility and in reality, the kids could actually run the store themselves. However, due to the fact that there is a considerable amount of money exchanged each Friday and that we need someone with a credit card to help purchase stock for the store, we are in need of adult help.
We're looking for someone who will work with the 5th and 6th graders on the School Store Committee, and someone with lots of patience with kids of all ages. You will be asked to place orders with various companies, price and stock items in the store itself, and organize volunteer parents to help oversee the store on a weekly basis. This volunteer position would require approximately 12-15 hours of your time each month. Again, Cheryl is going to see this school year through, and is even willing to help get things up and running again next fall. The school store raises about $2000 for the student council each year, and this is a great way to support the excellent things happening at Shepardson in a significant way.
If you are willing to take on this important position, or if you have questions about it, please contact Cheryl at 223-2789 or talk with Rea Kreider at the school. As Cheryl looks to retirement, she commented, "This has been such a fun and rewarding experience. I've had a great time getting to know the kids and watching their faces light up." Thank you Cheryl for all you have given, and continue to give at Shepardson!
Next PTO meeting is Tuesday, April 6
7:00 p.m. in the Shepardson library
All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!
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COLLEGE FUNDING NIGHT
Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Shepardson Library
In the last newsletter we sent home detailed information on this presentation along with childcare reservation forms. If you did not receive the information and would like to know more about this event, we have placed posters in the entryway and on the PTO bulletin board (across from the library) or you can call JoAnn Caddoo at 226-3103 for a brochure. This is a free one-hour informative presentation on what we as parents' can do to start investing in our children's college education.
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REACH WEEK UPDATE!
Thank you to everyone who participated in REACH Week this year. We are aiming for at least 200 students to participate in the letter-writing portion of our fundraiser. Mr. Kreider has volunteered to wear a dress if 200 students participate! Thank you Mr. Kreider!
The home reading cards are due today, Friday, March 5th. If your child forgot to turn their reading card in, you may turn them into the office or your child's teacher as soon as possible. Our teachers will be handing in their classroom reading cards as well.
Over the next few weeks, as sponsorship letters begin to come back to the school, the children will have an opportunity to see where all the letters came from. There is a GIANT U.S. map posted by the display case for this purpose. Sue Rutherford will be posting a pin up on the appropriate state for each letter mailed back to Shepardson.
After the Reading Cards are turned in, we will set a date to hand out prizes. Thank you to the students and families who participated either by sending out the letters or giving a flat donation. Your support makes a difference!
Questions about REACH Week? Contact Maria Smailes at 223-3756.
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PTO Board & Committees
As we turn the corner and begin looking towards the end of the school year it also means that on PTO we begin planning for next year. Part of our planning is to fill available positions on the board. We are fortunate to have active and involved parents, which means many positions get filled early on. We also want to reach out to more parents to do just a little rather than relying on a few to do so much. We are always looking for new faces to help serve on the board or a committee. This can be a full year obligation or a one-time commitment - you choose!
Attached to this newsletter is a "job description" of positions available and a form to fill out if you are interested. Please fill out the form and return to school by March 12. There is also a sign up sheet at the front desk window as you walk into the building.
Questions? Contact JoAnn Caddoo at 226-3103 or Jennifer Burkhart at 225-1873.
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Listed below are upcoming PTO sponsored events and functions:
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For questions, comments or concerns regarding PTO please contact:
JoAnn Caddoo, PTO President at 226-3103 or coloradocaddoo@msn.com
Jennifer Burkhart, PTO Vice - President at 225-1873
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