April PreK-4 Newsletter

As the weather gets warmer, we have more opportunities to get kids outside of the house. They can go to parks, on nature walks, to stores, museums, historic sites, on trips to see family and friends, or even a walk around the neighborhood. These experiences don't need to cost a any money, either! Our area has a number of county parks, nature areas, libraries, and museums that are free or very low cost. Plus, all of these experiences are opportunities for families to have conversations. When kids talk about new places and experiences, it's a chance to build background and vocabulary. Background knowledge and a wide vocabulary are key building blocks to reading and academic success. This is an easy way for families to partner with the school to support your child's education, plus the fresh air and exercise are good for their growing bodies.

We want you to be aware of the MCA dates that are approaching, so that your child is in school and well rested on the day of his/her test. Please be conscientious when scheduling appointments and such, for these times. If you know your child is going to be absent from school prior to the testing day, please notify his/her teacher so that other testing arrangements can be made. Also, please check with your child to see if they have working headphones. They will need these to complete their tests. Headphones cannot be bluetooth and must plug into their i-Pads.

There will be no school on April 17 for a staff development day. April 18-21 there will also be no school for spring break. Enjoy your time together!

Second grade students will attend the Shrine Circus on April 25. Watch for more information from your teacher.

Windom Elementary PTO will host Light Up The Night Glow Dance on April 25. This free dance is open to all k-4 students and their parents. A parent must stay with their child at the dance.

We are looking for more parents to join the Parent Teacher Organization. The mission of the PTO is to enrich the educational experience of students, support staff, and connect families and the community. The PTO has plans for various fundraisers and fun activities for students. PTO Meets the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM. Come join us for one or all meetings!

Our elementary school has seen an increase in reports from students about screen time and social media concerns. Every time an issue arrises, parents ask, "What can I do?" This is a great question to ask during this time as kids start to use more technology that adults may not be familiar with. The American Psychological Association has a few recommendations for parents at this website. The site includes a short video with a few easy ways parents can help their children be safe and responsible on social media.

Decoding skills are crucial for developing fluent and accurate reading, as they enable readers to read words independently and accurately. You can remind your child decode words they don't know by first saying the letter sounds in the word, then putting those sounds together to make a word.

In an effort to best serve our students in a safe, productive, and positive environment, there have been a few small updates to our Elementary Student Handbook. Please review the handbook and remind your child of any important information.

As the weather gets warmer, please remind your child of our elementary dress code. This is meant to keep the learning environment safe and free of distraction for all students. Here is an excerpt:

"Students will not be allowed to expose the midriff in the front or back when their arms are raised. ...Students should also use discretion in the length of the shorts they wear. Hats may not be worn in the building during the normal school day. Hats worn appropriately will be allowed during sponsored activities..." Thank you for helping to ensure this policy. The full policy can be found in our Elementary Student Handbook.

As the weather continues to change, we want our students to stay warm and healthy. If the "feels like" temperature is above zero, and it isn't actively raining, kids will go outside.

Snow days are likely in Minnesota. In the event of a snow day, please listen to or read the announcement to see if it an E-learning day. In the event of an E-Learning day, your child has work to complete for each teacher they see. These days are counted as student contact days, so work completion counts as attendance on E-Learning days. Look for e-learning work in your child's take-home folder. Thank you for supporting your child's education.

Breakfast and lunch menus can be found on the Windom Schools Website. Go to Family->Food Service->Printable Menu. Here is the page to get you started.

Our Windom Nursing Department consists of District Nurse Jessica Matt & Elementary Nurse Jacki Larson. Both Nurse Jessica & Nurse Jacki care deeply for the well being of students and they have put together a great resource website for your use. You can click on the image to view the site.

Windom Elementary has a new attendance email. attendanceelem@isd177.com is a place where you can send a note if your child will be absent, late, or needs to leave early. You can also continue to call in to 507-831-6925 Ext 443 or 441 (Ext 311 for Spanish)

Look for Windom Area School District-ISD177

Most current information can be found on our website: https://www.windom.k12.mn.us/

Are you connected with your child's SeeSaw? Most information about upcoming events is shared there. Ask your child's teacher for a link.