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United South Central Elementary

October 2025 - Rebel Review - Rebel Preview

United SouthCentral Elementary October 2025 - Rebel Review - Rebel Preview
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Principal's Corner


Dear USC Families,

As we wrap up the first month of school, the progress our USC Elementary students have made in such a short time has been truly remarkable. Students have embraced the learning process with enthusiasm, contributing to a positive and engaging classroom culture through consistent routines and meaningful interactions. Alongside their academic growth, students have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of exciting and enriching events this quarter. They enjoyed USC Homecoming festivities and explored learning beyond the classroom through field trips to Big Island Rendezvous, History Fest, Farming of Yesteryear, local pumpkin patches, and a nearby farm, gaining firsthand experience with farming operations and historical perspectives.

Alongside these memorable experiences, our students have also been growing academically through exciting changes in the classroom. As I referenced in the back-to-school letter, we launched a new reading curriculum, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), a significant step forward in aligning instruction with the Science of Reading. CKLA emphasizes systematic and explicit instruction in phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency, providing students with the foundational skills and strategies they need for long-term reading success. Teachers are carefully planning their pacing and daily lessons to ensure all essential components are covered while keeping instruction engaging and effective. As students immerse themselves in CKLA, parents can expect to see them sharing their learning at home, discussing the books they are reading, the strategies they are practicing, and the skills they are building. This connection between classroom learning and home engagement reinforces reading growth and celebrates student progress.

In addition to our new reading curriculum, students have access to tiered interventions to meet their individual learning needs. Tier I provides all students with universal, high-quality, evidence-based instruction in the general classroom. Tier II offers targeted small-group support, including the University of Florida Literacy Initiative (UFLI) and other research-based programs, to students who need additional guidance. Tier III delivers individualized, intensive interventions for students with severe and persistent learning deficits, ensuring that every child receives the instruction necessary to grow and succeed throughout the year.

As we move through October, we appreciate your continued support and partnership in making USC Elementary a positive and engaging place for students to learn and grow. Our students thrive because of the dedication of our staff and the encouragement from their families at home. Together, we are building routines, creating lasting memories, and laying a solid foundation for success. Let’s keep the momentum going as we enjoy the fall season filled with bonfires, football games, and autumn activities!

We look forward to sharing more student successes and upcoming events in next month’s newsletter.

Regards,
Jennifer Taylor
Principal, United South Central Elementary

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School Safety

The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority at United South Central. We are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and structured environment where learning can thrive without unnecessary risks.

As part of this commitment, parents and guardians are not permitted to enter the building during morning arrival, throughout the school day, or during afternoon dismissal unless they have a scheduled appointment with a staff member. We recognize that families want to stay connected and involved in their child’s education, which is why we look forward to welcoming you to special events such as Literacy Nights, Green Eggs and Ham, the Dance Party, Track and Field Day, concerts, and sporting events. These occasions provide excellent opportunities for you to engage with our school community and celebrate student learning and growth.

By following these procedures, we can work together to foster independence in our students, streamline routines, and most importantly, maintain a secure environment for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us make safety a shared responsibility.

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Snack

Students in grades K–4 have a designated snack time during the school day. Participation is optional; however, it is the responsibility of parents/guardians to provide a daily snack for their child(ren). Snacks should be easy to manage, and, when possible, individually packaged to support efficiency and cleanliness in the classroom.

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Club's Choice Fundraiser - Kick-off

The Club’s Choice Fundraising Kick-Off is happening on October 10, 2025! The funds raised from this exciting event directly support the roller skating unit in Physical Education and a variety of field trips for students in grades K–6. Over the past few years, our students have had the opportunity to explore incredible destinations such as Como Zoo, Big Island Rendezvous, Niagara Cave, the Minnesota State Capitol, Fort Snelling, Alexander Ramsey House, Center Creek Orchard, Hormel Nature Center, and many more. At USC, we believe that learning extends far beyond the four walls of the classroom, and your support makes these enriching, hands-on experiences possible. Thank you for helping us provide our students with these unforgettable learning opportunities!

USC Elementary Fall Music Concert Coming Soon

Fill your evening with music, joy, and Rebel Pride at the Fall Concert

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🧡 Celebrating Unity Day at USC!

United South Central Elementary will join schools nationwide in celebrating Unity Day by promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Students and staff are encouraged to wear orange on October 22, 2025, to show support for a bully-free and welcoming school community. Together, we can continue to make USC a place where every student feels valued and included!

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Halloween Celebration

Students are welcome to wear Halloween costumes to school on October 31, 2025, though it is not required. If your child chooses to wear a costume, please review and follow the guidelines below:

USC Halloween Costume Guidelines

  • Dress Code: All regular USC dress code policies apply.

  • Arrive Ready: Students must arrive at school in costume; costumes should not be put on during the school day.

  • Safety: No face masks that cover the face and no face paint are allowed.

  • No Weapons: Pretend “prop” weapons (guns, knives, swords, etc.) are not permitted.

  • Appropriateness: Overly graphic costumes, promoting violence, or referencing drugs, alcohol, or inappropriate themes are not acceptable.

  • Hats/Wigs: Allowed as part of costumes if not distracting to the learning environment; they must be removed if requested by staff.

  • Distractions: Costumes with sound effects, lights, or inflatables are not permitted.

Students whose costumes do not meet these guidelines will be asked to change or go home to obtain an appropriate alternative.

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October Events – Mark Your Calendar!

📸October 6 - Picture Retakes
📆 October 9- 4th Grade Field Trip: McGowen History Fest

📆 October 9- 5th & 6th Knowledge Bowl

👀👂October 9 - Hearing and Vision Rescreening Day

📣 October 10 - Elementary Club’s Choice Fundraiser Kick-Off- 2:30

📅 October 10- Kindergarten Center Creek Field Trip

📅 October 13 – Community Meeting for USC Building Project - 6:00 PM at the Nasninec
Center. Dinner included.
🍂 October 16–17 – MEA Break: No School

👩‍🏫 October 20 – USC Staff Development Day: No School

📝 October 21 - School Board Meeting in Freeborn

🍎 October 22 – FFA Fruit Sales Begin

📆 October 23 - 5th & 6th Knowledge Bowl

🎶 October 24 – Fall Music Concert 3-6 grade 7:00 p.m.

💰 October 24 – Club’s Choice Fundraising Packets Due

📅 October 28 - 2nd Grade Field Trip- Hormel Nature Center

🎃 October 31 – Halloween/Costumes/Classroom Parties
🎆November 4- End of 1st Quarter

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Morning Supervision

Morning supervision at USC begins at 8:00 a.m. Please remind your student to arrive as close to this time as possible, whether they are dropped off, walking, or biking to school. Breakfast is served starting at 7:50 a.m. Before 8:00 a.m., staff members are engaged in meetings and other duties, so supervision is not available. Once students finish eating breakfast, they must go outside. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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Health Guidelines

An increase in various illnesses is typical for this time of year. Here are some important reminders about when to keep your children home from school. Your cooperation is crucial in maintaining a healthy environment for all students.

Please keep your child at home if they:

  • Have had a fever of 100.0°F or higher within the past 24 hours.

  • Have experienced vomiting or persistent diarrhea in the last 24 hours.

  • Are diagnosed with strep throat (they can return after 12 hours on antibiotics and no fever for 24 hours).

  • Have influenza or COVID-19 (they can return after being fever-free for 24 hours and once the cough has subsided).

  • Exhibit a severe, frequent cough that would impede concentration and disturb others.

  • Have a draining wound.

Your adherence to these guidelines helps us in our collective effort to keep our students healthy.

*When the nurse's office contacts you to pick up your sick child, please aim to do so as promptly as possible.

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Elementary School Vitals

Elementary School Hours

Classes begin at 8:20 a.m. and are dismissed at 3:03 p.m. Students who are not in class by 8:20 a.m. will be marked tardy. If students arrive after 8:40 a.m., they will be marked absent.


Drop off and pick up at USC Elementary

  • Students will enter the school by the main door by the elementary office

  • Students can enter the building at 8:10 A.M. after they are lined up outside. Please be mindful of dropping your students off as close to 8:10 A.M. as possible to minimize the wait before the start of the school day.

  • Students who have breakfast can access the school building at 7:50 A.M. Upon arrival, they should proceed directly to the Commons Area. After breakfast, students will return outside and enter the elementary building at 8:10 A.M., when the official school day begins. It is important to note that students are not permitted to enter the elementary building until 8:10 A.M.

  • Students will be dismissed from the main doors by the office.


-Parking Notice: Ensure you are parked legally when dropping off and picking up students before and after school. Parking and driving are off-limits in front of the school, where buses load and unload students. Do not park in any handicap-designated spaces unless you have the proper permit or placard. Parking on the grass is strictly prohibited.


-Crosswalks:
To prioritize students' safety, we request that everyone consistently use the designated crosswalks when dropping off or picking up students. We emphasize that our top priority is ensuring the safety of our students, and we discourage any attempts to walk between school buses, as it poses a significant safety risk. We want parents and students to use the designated crosswalks exclusively.


-Entrance into the Building:
For safety reasons, parents will drop off and pick up students outside the main doors. To encourage a smooth and organized school environment, parents are required to make an appointment when meeting with a teacher, counselor, or administrator. Additionally, parents and guardians have access to the front office but are not permitted in the school building during school hours without prior approval. *Students are not permitted to bring visitors to school, and visitors are not allowed during breakfast or lunch. This policy helps maintain a focused and productive atmosphere for all students, and we appreciate your cooperation in this matter.


-Parent Contact Information: Please notify the elementary office if your email address, mailing address, or telephone number changes. We need to be able to contact you in the event of a school-wide emergency or if your child becomes ill. Additionally, keeping your contact information up to date ensures that you receive timely notices and announcements from the school.


-Outdoor Recess: As fall arrives and temperatures fluctuate, it is essential to remember that your child(ren) will have outdoor recess every day, weather permitting, unless the temperature is below 0 degrees or it is raining or wet outside. In such cases, recess will be held indoors. We appreciate your help in making sure your students come to school prepared for the weather. Unless the temperature is 60 degrees or higher, please ensure your child wears a jacket or coat. Additionally, during the winter months, students should have the appropriate outdoor clothing, such as layers, hats, mittens/gloves, scarves, boots, and snow pants, when the snow is on the ground or the playground is muddy.


-Extra Clothing: Please send an extra set of clothing with your child. It is vital to have an additional set in case of spills, mud, accidents, and wet clothing from recess. Thank you.


-Lost and Found: The Lost and Found tables are located in the Commons area, near the vending machines. To prevent your child's items from ending up in Lost and Found, please ensure all clothing is labeled correctly with their name.

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Spotlight on Fourth Grade

In fourth grade, Mrs. Landsteiner and Ms. Norman have been teaching students about character traits and dialogue—what characters say out loud, marked with quotation marks and punctuation. Students are now putting these skills into practice as they prepare to write a food narrative that incorporates dialogue.

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Spotlight on Third Grade

Students in Mrs. Hart’s classroom have been diving into the parts of speech, learning how nouns name people, places, and things; verbs show action; and adjectives add detail by describing nouns. The class has enjoyed exploring how these building blocks of language work together to make writing more vivid and meaningful.

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Spotlight on Second Grade

In Mrs. Bauman’s class, students learned how to identify and blend VCe words using the UFLI phonics program. This spelling pattern, known as vowel-consonant-silent e (sometimes called “magic e”), helps students recognize that the silent e at the end of a word makes the vowel say its long sound. Students also practiced justifying whether a vowel was short or long, strengthening both their decoding and reasoning skills as readers.

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Spotlight on Preschool

In Ms. Sam’s classroom, students learned to recognize the letter B and say its sound. They participated in hands-on activities, including a scavenger hunt for objects that begin with the letter B, practicing writing the capital and lowercase letters B/b, and drawing a picture of how they came to school (e.g., by car, bus, or walking). Preschool is always full of fun!

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Spotlight on Farm Safety Day

Students had an amazing time learning about farm safety through hands-on activities, demonstrations, and discussions. The event focused on raising awareness of important safety practices around combines, tractors, lawnmowers, other farm equipment, and power lines, while keeping learning fun and interactive. A special thank-you to Dan Dylla, the USC FFA students, Wells Ambulance, and Benco Electric Company for helping make this event both educational and enjoyable for our students!

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Spotlight on the First Day of School

USC classroom teachers kicked off the school year in style with customized t-shirts to welcome students on the first day. The USC boys football team continued their annual tradition by creating a tunnel for students to walk through, adding excitement to the morning. It was an unforgettable start to the 2025–2026 school year!

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Spotlight on USC Homecoming

USC Elementary students celebrated Homecoming in style, participating in themed dress-up days including Meme Day, Neon Day, County vs. Country Club, Class Colors, and Rebel Pride colors. Students had a blast dressing up and joining in a variety of activities, including Ice Cream treats on Tuesday afternoon and the Friday Pep Fest. This week was a fantastic opportunity to showcase USC school spirit and engage the community in celebrating our students and school pride

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Jennifer Taylor, USC Elementary Principal

Email: jtaylor@unitedsouthcentral.org
Location: 600 11th Street Southwest, Wells, MN, USA
Phone: 507-553-5810

Jennifer Taylor
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