Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary

Whew! What a month October was here at GBR! We had numerous events including a Family Literacy Night, a night specifically for our families of English Language Learners, a concert, and a Harvest Hop. Hopefully your family was able to connect to an event in October.

November is certainly a page turning month. In our Energy Bus program, we covered creating positive visions in August and September, and fueling our rides with positive energy in October. November is "No Bullies Allowed" which is rule number three! We will continue to talk about our anti-bullying program (Olweus Bullying Prevention) which is a district wide program. We will also continue to discuss strategies for students who feel they are being bullied. Beyond that, we will also help students continue to recognize what bullying behaviors are, and what to do when they encounter those behaviors.

Don't forget about daylight savings on Sunday, November 5th. Also, please be aware of our no school days in November: 17, and 23-24. EmBe will be discontinuing their School Age Care program in Mitchell on November 22nd. This also affects the "No School Days" program hosted at Gertie Belle Rogers.

If I, or the office staff can be of assistance to you in any way, please do not hesitate to call between 7:30 and 4 each week day. You can also email at any time: chris.gubbrud@k12.sd.us

Thank you for letting us serve and support your kids and family at GBR!

The weather is getting cooler which means it is very important that your learner(s) come to school with weather appropriate gear! We go outside unless it is raining, or the wind chill drops below zero. All students are expected to go outside during recess. We have a very limited supply or mittens, hats, and coats for students to borrow. if you are in need of assistance obtaining such items, please reach out to The Caring Closet.

In September, GBR had a visit from an American Legion representative. The American Legion donated money to the GBR Music Program to put toward the purchase of recorders for the 4th graders! Thank you so much for the generosity and your support!

For Fire Prevention Week in October, the Mitchell Exchange Club sponsored a coloring contest for Kindergarten through 2nd grade students.

The winner from GBR was Roslyn Ladd! Roslyn was awarded a certificate at the fire house!

GBR Librarian, Mrs. Gerlach, hosted yet another successful book fair in October! This fair's theme was "Under the Sea". It was so much fun to see the students with their moms on Muffins for Moms Day, dads on Donuts for Dads Day, and grandparents on Goodies for Grandparents Day. There was a plethora of books, posters, and novelty items to choose from. Thanks for all of your hard work, Mrs. Gerlach! We truly appreciate you!

A BIG Thank You to Lee's Red Barn for donating 400 mini pumpkins to GBR! These were used in Mrs. Geist's art classes - the students loved painting them!

November 4, 2023 = MSD Caring Closet Pop-Up

November 5, 2023 = Change Your Clock(s) Back

November 17, 2023 = No School/McGovern Debate

November 23 & 24, 2023 = No School/Thanksgiving Break

December 2, 2023 = MSD Caring Closet Pop-Up

December 21, 2023 = End of Quarter

December 22, 2023 - January 2, 2024 = No School/Winter Break

January 15, 2024 = No School/Staff Development Day/MLK Day

January 25, 2024 = GBR Conferences

On October 11, 2023, the GBR Begindergarten through 3rd graders had a visit from Fire Chief Sandoval with the Mitchell Fire Department. During this visit the students learned about fire safety and were able to see a big fire truck! Afterward they each received a fire hat of their own!

American Education Week will be celebrated November 13-17 this year. GBR is getting in the spirit with the following dress-up days:

*Monday, November 13 - Red, White & Blue day to honor our Veterans & Troops

*Tuesday, November 14 - Students dress as teachers & teachers dress as students

*Wednesday, November 15 - Class Color Day

*Thursday, November 16 - Black & Gold Day

*Friday, November 17 - No School!!

Dental Designs dentists, Dr. Kirby Fuerst, Dr. Erin Fuerst, and Dr. Brett Farnham (not pictured) donated lots of fun dental toys and learning items for a new dental clinic station for KGL Choice Time! Both Dr. Kirby and Dr. Erin are GBR alum! We are so lucky to have great community partners in Mitchell!

In October, Mrs. Huber and Mrs. Sand's 3rd graders completed a unit on honeybees. After the classroom unit ended, the students took a field trip to Haven Farms in Mitchell. Besides growing pumpkins, Haven Farms is a honey producer. The students were able to see real bee hives and learn the process of honey making. Afterward, each student got a pumpkin to take home!

On Friday, October 27th the GBR PTA hosted a Harvest Hop for the school. The kids and families in attendance enjoyed a DJ, dance, and "Sweet Walk" to name a few of the activities available that evening.

The pumpkin contest saw many amazing and creative entries! Every student who entered won a prize. The pumpkins sure added some festive Halloween spirit to the commons!