Weekly Update

We have made it to December! Just 12 1/2 days until we are on Winter Break. We will be doing our fun and optional Countdown to Christmas again this year. Each day will be a different theme and there will be 2 Fridays were students can bring a dollar to wear a hat. Proceeds will go to the Meriden/Ozawkie Public Library and the Humane Society. The calendar is below so your student can participate on the days they would like!

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week it is important that your child is at school. We will be taking our Winter Benchmarks for Math and Reading which will continue to help us guide our instruction and interventions for our students. Help them to get a good nights sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and be ready to show all they have learned so far this first semester.

This year the Leadership class has decided to change how student and staff awards are given. This will be done twice a month, with 1 boy and 1 girl winning from each grade level. One week we will have girl winners and one week we will have boy winners. The leadership class was able to get some Gift Card donations from local businesses to add to the award gift package. Teachers are also asked to be more thoughtful and provide the why with their nomination. When teachers nominate students they are looking for the following:

Integrity

Responsibility

Respect

Effort

5th Grade

We did some fun Holiday activities this week about kindness! Students solved some puzzles to help teach Santa's reindeer how to stay off of the Naughty List.

6th, 7th, 8th

This week, students watched some videos and had some discussions about Perspective and Comparison. They learned lessons like "Don't compare your worst day to someone's best day." We talked about how Social Media makes it really easy to look at someone else and think that they have everything and their life is perfect...especially around this time of year. The gift of perspective helps us see we can focus less on ourselves and more on the needs of others around us. Students were encouraged to brainstorm some practical ways that they could serve others during this time where we can get so focused on what we can get.

School vision screenings identify vision concerns, which can impact learning. School vision screenings, provided by health services, have been completed. If a concern was found during your child's vision screening, you were contacted this week. We are fortunate to work closely with the Lion's Club for vision assistance when needed. If you have concerns regarding your child's vision now or as the year progresses, please contact me at abby.martin@usd340.org.

Girls Basketball- The girls have their last game of the season on Monday at Riverside. Uniforms must be turned in on Wednesday prior to getting on the bus for the K-State Game. Reminder to please send your girls with money for food and souvenirs if you are not attending the game with them. The bus should return by 10pm

Wrestling- The boys will travel to league at Royal Valley on Monday.

Cost for Breakfast is $2.10- we start serving breakfast at 7:30 am

Lunch cost is $3.25- We are offering a hot meal, a sandwich and a salad option please make sure you let your child know what is on the lunch menu so they know what they would like when their teacher takes lunch count.

Girls basketball at Riverside- Games will be in Elwood at the Middle School. There will be 3 games in 1 gym starting at 4:30pm. Game play will be as follows- 8A, 7A combo B.

Tuesday 12/5- Home High School Basketball games in the Middle School Gym

Wednesday 12/6- Booster Club Meeting at 6pm at Gambino's

Friday 12/8- Home High School Basketball games in the Middle School Gym

Don't forget to place your order for JW Fan wear for Christmas. The store closes on December 3rd. Items will be delivered to the school with your student's name on them.