October 18, 2007

Notes from Ms. Heffron

October 18, 2007

Bay Ball: Thank you to all who have donated to the Bay Ball Baskets! If you would still like to contribute please do so by bringing in a check (to the office) payable to WFB Public Education Foundation. Some of the basket themes will be combined due to a decrease in contributions. The last day to make a donation is Monday, October 22^nd. If you have any questions please call Chris Armstrong at 964-5584.

Art cardboard: Thanks parents and students for helping the art department recycle and create a lesson out of cereal type boxes! The boxes have been collected and the lesson is underway, so we no longer are in need of this type of material. Thank you so much for all your collections and support! Sincerely, Mrs. Purney

Halloween: The school wide program and individual classroom parties will be held on October 24^th. Any costumes should be safe (no face covering masks or other things that make it difficult for students to move about) and appropriate for all to see, including our youngest students. This means no guts or gore. Weapons of any kind, even as part of costume, are not permitted. The parade across the playground will take place around 2:30. Because of space constraints, parents are not invited to the assembly.

Testing: On various dates from October 29^th through November 16^th students in 3^rd-5^th grades will be taking the state required/federally mandated WKCE standardized test. Even if your children are not in these grades, you can help us have the best conditions for testing by being quiet in the halls if you are here. Also, it is very helpful to have all students and younger siblings stay away from the slope and windows in the front of the school from 8:15-3:15 as students in these classrooms will be participating in the testing. This also pertains to younger siblings with parents waiting for Kindergarten drop off and pick up. We'd also appreciate extra help with keeping younger siblings quiet in and around the building during the weeks of testing. Thanks for your help with this.

October 11, 2007

Notes from Ms. Heffron

October 11, 2007

Overnight, it seems, we have returned to October appropriate weather. Moving into this fall weather, it is a good time to give you information related to our recess practices. In addition to the daily twenty-five minute lunch recess, first through fourth graders have recesses each morning or afternoon that they do not have PE. (Kindergarteners and fifth graders also have the 25 minute lunch recess, but their other recesses follow a different schedule.) Recess is always held outside, with two exceptions. If it is raining, students remain inside. And, if the wind chill is below zero, students remain inside. What this means is that students need to be dressed appropriately to go outside every day. It is also the season when jackets worn to school in the morning are often forgotten on the playground. Our Lost and Found is located in the bins in the entryway or in the bins downstairs outside of the Music Wing. Labeling your child's clothing would be most helpful. Thanks ahead of time for sending your children to school with clothing that allows them to run and play during recess safely and comfortably.

The Harvest Festival was terrific, warmer than I can ever remember it being! While I had a great time at the face painting station, there were many other events and activities. This was all made possible by the Co-Chairs Vickie Boorse and Lorie Dodulik and the more than one hundred volunteers. Thanks to everyone who worked together making it possible for the Festival to happen.

Notes:

• Bay Ball: Volunteers are needed for the Bay Ball. If you can give one or two hours as a volunteer, please contact Diane at 962-2919 or jfrench@wi.rr.com.
• Late Start Collaboration Time: All students start school at 9:15 on Wednesday, October 17^th.
• Picture Re-Take Day: Wednesday, October 17 (9:30am – 1:00pm)

• "Thanks parents and students for helping the art department recycle and create a lesson out of cereal type boxes! The boxes have been collected and the lesson is underway, so we no longer are in need of this type of material. Thank you so much for all your collections and support!--Sincerely, Mrs. Purney"

October 4, 2007

A Letter from Ms. Heffron, October 4, 2007

Juggling Geoff, the unicycle rider and juggler, made a great splash with the students at yesterday's Walk to School event. With the perfect weather, coffee generously donated by Stone Creek Coffee and smiling children, the day got off to a great start. Later in the day, we went on an all school walk around the entire block, again to emphasize the value of walking as a way to reduce traffic congestion and pollution and to increase physical fitness. We have many families who walk daily and it is our hope that the Walk to School Day will increase the number of times throughout the year that those within walking distance will walk to school.

Getting back into the routine of a daily school schedule, one of the questions that frequently comes my way is "How much sleep do children need?" The following comes from Children's Hospital.

CHILDREN NEED MORE SLEEP ACCORDING TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL SLEEP CENTER
	Milwaukee (3/25/2005) - In general, children get less sleep than is recommended by experts, but parents are not always aware of how much sleep is needed, according to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Sleep Center. Sleep is necessary for children's optimal functioning. Insufficient sleep can adversely affect children's daytime behavior, including their cognitive and behavioral function as well as overall health. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following sleep guidelines: -Newborns 0-2 months of age require 10.5-18 hours of sleep. -Infants 2-12 months 14-15 hours. -Toddlers 1-3 years 12-14 hours. -Preschoolers 3-5 years 12-14 hours. -School-age children 5-12 years 10-11 hours. -Teens require 8-9 hours. "As in other aspects of a child's development, good sleep hygiene is an important component to the overall health and well-being of children," said Lynn D'Andrea, MD, pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. "Sleep affects every aspect of a child's physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development, and sleep problems exacerbate virtually all medical, developmental, and psychosocial problems in childhood. Parents and caregivers need to make sleep a family priority." D'Andrea also is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Parents can take the following steps to create a healthy family environment for sleep: -Determine the amount of sleep each family member needs, and take steps to ensure their individual needs are met. Make a good night's sleep part of everyone's daily schedule. -Create regular bedtime routines and adhere to bedtime. Set the stage by creating regular routines like brushing teeth, reading books and creating a quiet and comfortable sleep environment. -Television and computers should not be in the bedroom, and caffeine should not be part of a child's diet.

Notes:

• Harvest Festival is this Friday. I look forward to seeing you on the playground!
• Bay Ball invitations have been mailed. If you did not receive one, extras are in the office.
• Annual state required WKCE testing for 3^rd-5^th graders is scheduled for 5^th: Oct. 30-Nov. 2,

4^th: Nov. 6-9, 3^rd: Nov. 12-15. More information will follow but please avoid pulling your children out of school during these days if at all possible. Thanks.

• UWM Science Bag: One hour free shows held in the Physics Building at UWM. Shows are at 8PM on Fridays with one Sunday show each month. The November program is "Living in a Material World," presented by Prasenjit Guptasarma. More information is available at uwm.edu/letsci/sciencebag/
• The Great Peanut Butter and Jelly Challenge is coming to the Whitefish Bay Homecoming Parade on Friday October 5^th at 5:00 on Silver Spring Drive! Help us win for the 5^th year in a row. . . Please bring any non-glass containers of Peanut Butter and/or Jelly (any size accepted) to the parade.The PB&J kids will be a part of the parade, and they will be collecting your donations!

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