Happy Friday, Lil Steamer Families!

From the Desk of: Principal Hoese

Lil Steamer Families --

As we approach the end of the first semester, I have one quick request to ask.

Would you mind completing a short 14-question survey for me? The questions are short and it will take less than 60 seconds.

We use this feedback to help improve our school as part of our Capturing Kids' Hearts initiative.

Thanks in advance and stay warm this weekend!

JAGH

From the Desk of: AP Marten

Can you believe it? The final week before Winter Break is here! The halls are twinkling, the classroom doors are works of art, and I can practically smell the hot cocoa waiting for us. It has been such a joy watching our students learn, grow, and bring so much wonderful energy to our school every single day.

The Home Stretch: A Gentle Reminder

This week is all about keeping that positive energy going strong as we finish up the semester. Let’s encourage our young learners to stay focused, practice kindness, and remember our school rules, even as the excitement builds!

A few things to keep in mind for these last few days:

Dress Warmly: Recess can be chilly! Please make sure students have hats, gloves, and warm coats so they can enjoy their time outside. Boots and snow pants are a must to play in the snow!
Keep Up the Routine: As tempting as it is to stay up late, a good night’s sleep helps everyone have a great final week.
Thank Our Teachers! Our dedicated teachers and staff have worked incredibly hard this year. A quick note of thanks goes a long way!

From the Desk of: Counselor Meumann

Finding time to take care of your own needs can be a challenge for busy parents and caregivers, especially around the holidays. Self-care is key for maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. Here are a few simple activities to try if you have a few minutes:

1. Enjoy a moment of music. Put on your favorite song!

2. Hydrate to feel great. Take a break and have a glass of cold water. Getting enough water daily helps our brains and bodies stay healthy. It’ll help you feel energized and ready to take on whatever comes next.

3. Pause and praise yourself. Take a moment and think about something that went well recently. What was it? How did it make you feel? Noticing and celebrating small victories helps us to thrive.

4. Take a breath break. Pausing to stretch and breathe can clear your mind. Inhale a big breath and shrug your shoulders. Exhale and let your shoulders fall. Try again, this time reaching up with your arms as you inhale and letting them fall as you exhale. Try it a few more times.

5. Send a terrific text. Sending kind words or just sharing them with someone you care about is good for you, too! Giving compliments helps us to notice and appreciate the good things that are happening all around us.

4th Grade Countdowns Down to Christmas

The 4th graders have a different theme for each day. The classes join together to hear a Christmas storybook about the theme for the day. This week our days were Candy Cane Day, Christmas Tree Day, Kindness Day, Elf Day and Snow Day. Then we complete activities throughout the week to celebrate the theme such as acrostic poems, determining team real or artificial tree, getting elf names and a would you rather Snowman Glyph. The activity for kindness day is to bring in hygiene products or cleaning supplies that will be donated to the Clinton Victory Center for the Needy. We can hardly wait to finish our countdown next week and see what our days will bring.

Opening our surprise theme of the day: ELF DAY

Reading How to Catch an Elf!

They are ready for the activities for ELF Day.

Thank you to all who have completed the photo and media release form for 1st Gateway Credit Union. We are so excited to get to participate in this amazing program and see all of our students get a brand new pair of shoes. If you have not completed the release form, please do so and return to school as soon as possible!

It is easy to learn about the teacher that your child/children have or have had. However, at FBP and FES, we are one large team. For this reason, we will introduce and give some fun information about each of our family members in our newsletter!