October 2015
TAPTEAL TIMES
509.967.6350 (Main Office) 509.967.6351 (Attendance)
Newsletter Chat with Principal Pratt
Dear Tapteal Family,
October is a wonderful month as the leaves turn and the days get
cooler. Please remind your child to dress appropriately and bring a
jacket: you never know how the weather may change each day!
I am looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday, October 14
at 6:00 for our Open House! Your child will have the
opportunity to show you their classroom as well as many other
things that they love most about Tapteal Elementary. The Book
Fair will be open that day. Stop by the library and check it out!
It is such a pleasure to roam through the classrooms and hallways
at Tapteal. I am continually impressed with the wonderful teaching
and learning going on each day! I encourage you to volunteer in
your child’s classroom if your schedule permits. Please fill out a
volunteer form in the main office.
There are many ways you can support your child’s learning at home.
Try to spend time each evening reviewing handouts and homework
that your child brings home. If you have a student in 3rd, 4th or 5th
grade, check their planner which allows your child to outline
assignments due. Remember the importance of reading to or with
your child each night. You are your child’s greatest teacher and
spending quality time with your child is critical as they grow
academically, socially and emotionally. If you notice your child is
having a problem, contact your child’s teacher. We believe that a
strong partnership is very beneficial to your child.
Calendar of
Events
Box Tops
Due October 9.
Spudnut/Donut party
for the class who
collects the most!!
PTA General
Membership
Meeting
October 8, 6:30-8:00
pm in the library
Book Fair
October 12-16
Open House &
Family Literacy
Night
October 14, 6:00 pm
Reflection Entries
Due October 21
Rollarena Skate
Night
November 5, 6:30 pm
The Jog-a-thon is quickly approaching and the date is set for Friday,
October 2. Times vary by grade level, so watch for more info in your
child’s Friday Folder. The Jog-a-thon is a great way for our children
to have fun and be active while raising funds for Tapteal. Thank you for your support!
It has been a great start to the school year. I am truly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with
you and your child. Please feel free to contact me if you ever have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Principal Pratt
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October 2015
PTA Officers
President
Counselor's Corner:
Tasha Scott
Dear Tapteal Family,
tinker4601@gmail.com
Vice President Katie Gannon
76.kgannon@gmail.com
Secretary
Collette Bickford
collettebickford@gmail.com
Treasurer
Happy October! October is officially Anti-Bullying and
Disability Awareness Month! Throughout the month, our
entire Tapteal staff will be doing their part in providing a
variety of activities that highlights the importance of AntiBullying as well as Disability Awareness; at the end of the
month we will have our Annual Tapteal Bully-Free
Assembly!
Jessica Maxfield
jessicamaxfield@gmail.com
Don’t forget to turn in
your PTA membership
form!!
Please turn in your PTA
Membership form to the office
or visit the PTA table at Open
House, October 14.
Contact Christie Davis at
ocedavis@hotmail.com.
PTA Chair Positions
While your students are learning the importance of antibullying, I highly recommend you discuss with your
children the importance of being a good friend to all
students as well as encouraging them to always go to an
adult to solve problems. Thank you so much in helping us
in our pursuit of a Bully-Free Tapteal. Go Hawks!
Sincerely,
Kim Tran
School Counselor
Tapteal Elementary School
"To have friends, you must first be a friend”
We need volunteers for several
chair positions such as
Volunteer Coordinator &
Reader Board. If you're
interested, please contact
Tasha Scott at
tinker4601@gmail.com
Monster Book Fair: Reading is so much fun, you'll
get GOOSEBUMPS!
Our Fall Book Fair runs from Monday, October 12 to
Friday, October 16. We are open everyday at 8:30 and
close at 4:00, except Friday when we close at 3:00. The book fair will also have extended hours during the
Open House & Family Literacy Night on Wednesday,
October 14. The book fair will be open that evening from
6:00 to 7:30 pm. If you are interested in volunteering, we would love your
help! Please contact Jessica Maxfield at
jessicamaxfield@gmail.com or 509-430-5797.
Papa John’s Pizza
Don’t forget get your
pizza from Papa
John’s all year long!
Order online using the promo code
TAPTEAL & you will receive 15% off
your order, plus Tapteal will receive
15% of your purchase!! Available at
all four locations across the TriCities.
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October 2015
October 14 is Open House & Family
Literacy Night
These two great events are combined this
year for twice the fun in one night. Stop in
to your child's classroom. Shop the Book
Fair. Play games. Learn about AVID. Join
the PTA. Purchase Tapteal Spirit Wear. Enjoy the Tapteal $3.00 hot dog meal. Free Preschool
Did you know that Tapteal has a fabulous
Preschool Program for children ages 3-4?
There are a few spots still available.
Call Felicia today for more information.
509-967-6360 or 509-678-8491
2015/2016 PTA Reflections
This year’s Reflections theme is: “Let your Imagination Fly”. Packets are available in the
school office or you can find rules, size restrictions, and forms at: http://www.wastatepta.org/
Programs/reflections/forms.html
Please read the rules carefully. Reflections is a national competition and projects need to follow
the rules or they will be disqualified. All students who enter will be recognized at an awards
banquet with all the projects on display.
Q/A:
•
Who may enter? Any student PreK – 5th enrolled at Tapteal for the 2015-16 school year
•
What are the different categories? Literature, Musical Composition, Photography,
Visual Art, Dance Choreography and Film Production
•
How many projects can a student enter? Each child may enter one entry per category. For example, Anna may enter a written story in the Literature category and a painting in the
Visual Arts category. However, she may not enter a painting and a pencil sketch. Those both
fit in the Visual Arts category; she will need to pick her favorite one to enter.
•
What happens with the winning entries? The winning entries are sent to compete with
all the other PTA schools in Richland School District. Winners from the district will be sent
to compete at the state level and so on.
•
Will I get my project back? Great effort is given to get entries back to their owners.
However, sometimes things get lost; take photos or make a copy of your project before you
turn in the original. If projects advance to state, only Visual art and Photography entries are
returned and they will not come back until after January.
Dates to remember:
October 21, 3:15 pm –Projects Due (can turn them in early)
November 18, 7:00 pm – Tapteal Awards Night (Tapteal gym)
TBD January – District Reflection Reception (TBD)
For additional questions, please call Robert or Candice Hovanski, Tapteal Reflection Co-Chairs
at (509)967-1009.
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October 2015
Richland School District News
Community invited to tour new schools
The Richland School District invites all community members to tour the new elementary
schools which opened in August: Lewis & Clark, Orchard, and Sacajawea. All three projects
are part of the $98 million bond issue approved by voters in 2013.
“We thank Richland School District taxpayers for providing up-to-date facilities for our
community’s children,” says Superintendent Rick Schulte. “These schools have opened to
positive reviews. We encourage everyone to come and see first-hand how their tax dollars
have been invested.”
All three events begin at 5:30 pm with introductory remarks, followed by building tours:
•
Orchard Elementary – Tuesday, September 29, 1600 Gala Way
•
Sacajawea Elementary – Thursday, October 1, 535 Fuller Street
•
Lewis & Clark Elementary – Tuesday, October 6, 415 Jadwin Avenue
Smaller class sizes positive for students
The Richland School District has positive news to report on elementary class sizes. The
overall RSD elementary class size is 23.9 students as compared to 26.3 last spring.
“Parents and teachers have consistently advocated for smaller class sizes, emphasizing the
opportunity for more teacher-to-student interaction and the benefits of a less crowded, more
personal classroom environment,” states Superintendent Rick Schulte. There are decreases in average class sizes at each grade. Here is the breakdown:
Grade
2014-15
2015-16
K 24 21.3
1 24.1 21.5
2 26.1 23.8
3 26.6 24.6
4 28.6 26.5
5 29.2 26.9
“Credit for reduced class sizes goes first to local voters for approving construction of new
schools which have added 30 additional classrooms,” explains Schulte. “The state legislature
increased funding enabling us to hire additional K-3 teachers. Our elementary boundary
adjustments also contributed to this positive decrease.”
Follow the District on Facebook
If you’re a Facebook user, we invite you to keep
up-to-date with the Richland School District on
Facebook….. www.facebook.com/richlandschools
Newsletter information
If you have any items you would like to add to
the newsletter or if you have ideas for the
newsletter, please email Kim Welling at
kimberlysuewelling@gmail.com.
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