December 2, 2011 Volume 2, Issue 4

Ponderosa News
Ponderosa Elementary School of Global Learning
Go Global: Care Create Communicate Innovate

Special Dates of Interest:

PTA th Tuesday, Dec 6 Winter Program th Wed, Dec 7 at TVHS Grandparents Day nd Thursday, Dec 22 Winter Break rd Friday, Dec 23 th Friday, Jan 6

Ponderosa Ponderings
Greetings! We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break! November 21st and 22nd provided us the opportunity to work with staff from the Ross Institute to develop and deepen our model for global learning. The work was challenging and worthwhile. We spent time learning about the Ross Model of global learning and the elements that make it unique including environmental literacy, core values, health and wellness, and intercultural proficiency. We will continue to work on developing the curriculum specific to our needs and are specific to Colorado standards in addition to the 5 elements that we have identified as being important in our students education: Leadership, Citizenship, Technology, human connectedness (relationships), and multicultural awareness (cultural proficiency). Our work with the Ross Institute will continue over the 2011-2012 school year and were looking for to the collaborative work! Sincerely, Lamb Caro

Individual Highlights:
Food Drive 2

Rotary Donation 2 5th Grade Weather Educators World Record Medications Safety 2 2 3 3 3 4

Thank you to the PTA

The PTA sponsored an educational music assembly for our students. We were proud to host Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, an accomplished harpist. His multicultural repertoire includes folk, classical, and popular music of many countries which the students enjoyed! Students learned about other cultures and had the opportunity to ask questions. It was a very enriching experience. Thanks again to the Ponderosa PTA for supporting us!

Ponderosa Stars
PTA is sponsoring their 2nd annual Star for Your Star at the Winter Holiday Program, scheduled for December 7th. You can write a special note to your star performer which will then be placed on their desk the next morning! Stars will be offered in the lobby for a minimum donation of $1.00.

Walk to School 5 Passenger Law 4 Health Office CSAP/TCAP Schedules School Hours Contact Info Dec. Calendar 5 6 6 7 7 8

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Food Drive
Ponderosa once again rallied to support the Philo Food Drive! In a little over 3 weeks, Ponderosa collected a total of 2,927 non-perishable food items to support local families in need. Mrs. Days 3 rd grade class won the classroom competition by collecting 510 food items. The competition between Mary Blair and Ponderosa was won by Mary Blair by only 143 items! Between both schools, there was approximately 6,000 pounds of food collected!

Rotary Club Book Donation

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. ~ Sir Winston Churchill Three members of the Loveland Rotary Club visited our 3rd grade classes and gave each 3rd grade student a dictionary. Many of our students were excited about receiving their own dictionary. We appreciate the efforts of our community to support our students in TSD and at Ponderosa. Thank you for supporting our students!!

5th Grade Parents School of Choice

Any parents considering the open enrollment to any middle school in the district other than your home school, the window opens December 1st for middle school only. The last day to submit your open enrollment forms at your desired middle school will be January 10th. Your student will be bringing a letter home notifying you of where your student is scheduled to go, based on your current address.

Colorado Weather
We remind students and parents to check the weather and be sure to come with warm clothing for recess periods. We will be going outside unless there are extreme temperatures, heavy precipitation, or high winds. Students will be outside engaged in physical activity unless the temperature drops below 15 degrees with wind chill. We want students to be as safe and comfortable as possible during any outdoor activities.

The trouble with weather forecasting is that its right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. ~ Patrick Young

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Ponderosa News

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2012 EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR AWARDS ARE NOW OPEN!
The Thompson Education Foundation's fourth annual Educator of the Year Awards recognizes outstanding Thompson School District staff members. Community members are invited to share in this recognition program by nominating a Thompson School District educator for excellence in education through their ability to empower, challenge and inspire. Criteria for selection for the awards include a candidate's dedication to their work, a high level of skill, and ability to inspire those they interact with in the course of their work. This year, Educator of the Year award winners will be honored at the beautiful Brookside Gardens in Berthoud on February 17, 2012. Submit your 2012 Educator of the Year nominations through the Thompson Education Foundation website at www.thetef.org. Nominations for the Educator of the Year Awards close on January 9, 2012.

World Record
Congratulations Ponderosa Pandas! Our Ponderosa Pandas participated in setting a world record on Thursday November 17th! The record is for the most people Sport Stacking at multiple locations in one day. Ponderosa entered 405 stackers into the grand total of 412,259 stackers from 28 different countries from all around the world. The stackers were required to Speed Stack for 30 consecutive minutes and had to be officially verified at the end of the event. We enjoyed stacking in many different ways on that amazing day! Everything from individual stacking to partner and group stacking was observed and encouraged. Way to go Ponderosa Pandas! Thank you to Mr. Ovesen, Ponderosas PE teacher for coordinating Ponderosas participation in this worthwhile event

Medications at School
Please do not send over the counter medications such as cough drops, ibuprofen or acetaminophen with your student to school. Without a doctors order, we are unable to administer these medications and it can present a hazard if another student ingests them accidentally. If your student is not feeling well enough to go to school, has a fever of 100.0 or higher or has vomited within the last 24 hours, please keep them home to heal and not share their illness. If you would like any of these items to be administered at school, please contact the health office for the Medication Permission form to have your family doctor complete. Were happy to keep them locked in our medicine cabinet and dose as ordered by the M.D. Any questions, please feel free to contact the Health Office at 679-9504.

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Safety
Parents, you may have noticed changes in the parking lot. The bus zone by the Early Childhood classrooms is intended for buses only due to safety requirements. We ask that you use the parking lot to park if you need to exit your vehicle. Some other things we could use your support with: The drop off lane is only for dropping off or picking up. Please do not exit your vehicle if you utilize this lane. Remind your students that they are not to be at the school until 8:23 a.m. Please do not bring pets on to the school grounds during school hours. Thank you for your cooperation!

Walk to School Day

Students have the ability to earn prizes as a part of their on-going participation in Tires-N-Tennies Tuesdays throughout the 2011-2012 school year. The school with the most participation will receive an additional prize for their Field Day. Lets show them that Ponderosa is committed to improved health and a cleaner environment! We hope that you will be able to participate with your child in this worthwhile program as we seek to promote a greener environment as well as increasing student physical activity.

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Ponderosa News

Important Information from the Health Office

Dear Parents: Every year, every school in this country experiences cases of head lice, particularly in our elementary schools. Head lice (pediculus capitis) will affect any socioeconomic tier and do not equate to uncleanliness. Head lice are spread by direct head-to-head contact, and the sharing of combs/brushes, hats, and scarves. Due to winters fast approach when students wear hats & scarves, please be aware of the following information regarding these little pests. Head lice are small parasitic insects that mainly live on the scalp and neck hairs of their human host. They survive by blood-feeding only. They cannot survive for more than a day of so at room temperature without access to blood. The primary mode of transmission is by direct head-to-head contact with the head of an infested person. Head lice may in some cases be transmitted indirectly by sharing combs, hairbrushes, clothing, hats, & bedding. Animals do not carry lice that spread to humans; human lice do not live on animals. To treat: Wash bedding and clothing worn/used during the 2 days before treatment with HOT water (130 degrees F) cycle, and dry using the high heat for at least 20 minutes. Soak combs/brushes for 1 hour in rubbing alcohol, or wash w/soap and hot water (130 degrees F (dishwasher). Vacuum the floor and furniture. The risk of getting re-infested from a louse that has fallen onto a carpet or sofa is very small, so don't spend a lot of time on this. Just vacuum the places where the infested person usually sits or lays. Do not use fumigant sprays-they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Head lice products are available at all pharmacies; it is important to use the nit comb to rid dead lice from the hair shaft effectively (daily for ~one month).

Once a student is sent home for observed live head lice by the health office staff we require parent/guardian to treat them with one of the many over-the-counter products, or prescription products by a physician. Students are to return to the health office for an additional check (typically the next day) after treatment; if no live lice are present they will be allowed back to class. Our goal is to not stigmatize students and to minimize absence from school. Due to head lices life cycle, parents will need to retreat in 7-10 days, and continue the process as needed. This information is kept confidential between the health office staff and parents, although teachers may send students down for checks if head lice are suspected due to frequent itching. Frankowski, B., MD., Weiner, L., MD., & the Committees on School Health & Committee on Infectious Diseases. (2002). Clinical Report: Guidance for the clinician in rendering pediatric care. PEDIATRICS (110)3 648-643.

Ponderosa News CSAP / TCAP Window Electronic vs. Paper News 3rd Grade

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The Colorado Assessment Program (CSAP) is now the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP). The dates for the assessments are listed below: th st th February 29 March 1 March 8 Reading Writing Math Reading/Writing Math Reading/Writing Math Science March 14 through March 15 March 21 through March 22
th st th th

nd

Grade

4th

March 13 through March 20 March 21 through March 23

th st

th

rd

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited. ~ Plutarch

Grade

March 13 through March 20 March 16 through March 20 March 21 through March 23

st th

th

th

th

LUNCH SCHEDULE
RECESS
11:25-11:45- K 11:30-11:50-1st 11:50-12:10-2nd 12:00-12:20-3rd 12:25-12:45-4th 12:30-12:50-5th

rd

TRANSITION

LUNCHROOM
11:50-12:10 11:55-12:15 12:15-12:35 12:25-12:45 12:50-1:10 12:55-1:15

Parents are always welcome to come and have lunch. If you plan on having lunch here, please contact the cafeteria at 679-9508 or the office at 679-9500 to let us know that you are coming so we have enough food made for you too!

SAC Meeting Schedule

Mon. Nov. 28 2011 Mon. Jan. 30 , 2012 Mon, Feb. 6 , 2012 Mon. Mar 5 , 2012 Mon. Apr 9 , 2012 Mon. May 7 , 2012
th th th th th th,

5 Minute Transition

PTA Meeting Schedule

Tues. Dec. 6 2011 Tues. Jan. 10 , 2012 Tues, Feb. 7 , 2012 Tues. Mar 13 , 2012 Tues. Apr 10 , 2012 Tues. May 1 , 2012
st th th th th th,

5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m.

6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m.

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ~ Henry Ford

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Ponderosa News
In an effort to save on printing expenses and paper, Ponderosa Elementary would like to post our Newsletters on the Ponderosa website at http://ponderosaelementary. wordpress.com. If you do not have access to a computer or prefer to have a paper copy of the newsletter, please return the attached request to the office.

Ponderosa Elementary School of Global Learning

4550 Florence Drive Loveland, CO 80538 ATTENDANCE LINE: (970) 679-9590 PHONE: (970) 679-9500 FAX: (970) 679-9520 TWEETS: twitter@PESNews

Ponderosa School Hours

Full Day Kindergarten through 5 Grade Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) A.M. Kindergarten Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) P.M. Kindergarten Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) 12:38 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 11:58 a.m. 2:10 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 11:40 a.m. 8:38 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 8.38 a.m. 3:40 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 2:10 p.m.
th

Ponderosa Panda Way ~

Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Fair-Minded

Were on the Web!

See us at: http://ponderosaelementary. wordpress.com If you need to drop your child off prior to 8:23 a.m., BASE Camp (Before and After School Enrichment) opens at 6:30 a.m., and is also available after school until 6:00 p.m.

Please contact BASE Camp at 226-1734 or go online to www.mybasecampkids.org for additional information.

IMPORTANT REMINDER TO MAKE NOTE OF ~

NO SCHOOL
Friday, December 23rd through Friday, January 6th

RETURN ON Monday, January 9th

Sunday

Monday
th

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday
1

Friday
2

Saturday
3

SCHOOL HOURS (full day K 5 ) Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri Wednesday 8:38 a.m. 3:40 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 2:10 p.m.

ATTENDANCE LINE: (970) 679-9590

4 5 6 EARLY RELEASE
7:50 am 4th/5th Grade Choir 2:15-3:00 pm Kids Yoga 6-8:00 pm Cub Scouts 6:30 pm PTA Meeting 6:30 Winter Program TVHS Auditorium

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11

12

13

14 EARLY RELEASE
7:50 am 4th/5th Grade Choir 2:15-3:00 pm Kids Yoga\ 4-6:00 pm Girl Scouts 6-8:00 pm Cub Scouts

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16

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18

19

20

21 EARLY RELEASE
7:50 am 4th/5th Grade Choir 2:15-3:00 pm Kids Yoga

22 GRANDPARENTS DAY

23 NO SCHOOL

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END OF 2nd QUARTER

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26 NO SCHOOL WINTER HOLIDAY

27 NO SCHOOL WINTER HOLIDAY

28 NO SCHOOL WINTER HOLIDAY

29 NO SCHOOL WINTER HOLIDAY

30 NO SCHOOL WINTER HOLIDAY

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