South Nodaway Elementary
Newsletter
January 18, 2013
Mrs. B.’s Tidbits: I hope your new year has gotten off to a wonderful start. 2012 ended
with many, all over the U.S., concerned about school safety and procedures because of the
horrific events that took place in Newtown, Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary. Please know
that we do have procedures in place for emergencies and they are practiced regularly. I do from
time to time, purposely, disrupt the regular routine of a drill. This makes the teacher rethink how
to keep the students safe and forces the students to listen to their teacher to get instructions on
what to do. This has been good for all of us because no matter how much we practice a given
scenario, a real emergency is unpredictable and the safety of our children is the top priority.
Discussing emergencies at home or at school is important to do. Please stress to your child the
importance of listening and following instructions given by the adult in charge. Our first line of
communication, during an emergencies, is our Textcaster system. I encourage all of you to have
this on your phones. If you need help with this, please come to the school and we can assist you.
If you have any questions about our emergency procedures, I would be more than happy to
discuss them with you. Our students’ safety is our number one priority and we take this very
seriously.
Our Snow days will be made up this
Monday, January 21, and again on Tuesday,
April 2nd.
Paper Hearts Across America: Students, schools and communities all over the
world are taking part in this grass roots project that started in Billings, Montana.
People, including SN Elementary, are sending positive thoughts and messages of
hope to residents and especially the children of Newtown, Connecticut. Mr. Wray
has been having our students make their hearts during their counseling classes.
Michael Burke, Haley Nielson, and Katelynne Jones had a table at the January 15 th
ballgame so others in our community could participate as well.
Parent/Teacher Conferences are on February 7th, from 1-8 p.m. A letter with your
scheduled conference time will be sent home next week.
Published Poets: Congratulations to our 5th and 6th grade poets and their teacher Mrs. Carter, on
having their work published. Students being published by Creative Communication are
Brooklynn Bennett, Jaiden Flora, Mason Fones, Alyson Jones, Kaylin LaMaster, Quentin
Murphy, CJ Sipes, Miya Wiederholt, Michael Burke, Tanner Davis, Jonathon Holbrook, Mason
Kelmel, Kole Kramer, Haley Nielson, and Clayton Walker. The following students were
published in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americas: Michael Burke, Taylor Freemyer,
Jonathon Holbrook, Selicity Thuman, Mason Kelmel, Haley Nielson, Clayton Walker,
Brooklynn Bennett, Jaiden Flora, Alyson Jones, Connor LaBryer, Quentin Murphy, Jaci
Prettyman, Layla Villegas, Hannah Wilmes, Mason Fones, Kaylin LaMaster, CJ Sipes, and Miya
Wiederholt.
Microwave Use at Lunch: We do have a microwave available for students to warm up their
lunches they have brought from home. In order for students to have time to warm up their food
and eat, please cook the food before bringing it to school. If the item needs to be microwaved 3
minutes or more, please cook it at home first. Thank you.
Little Longhorn Cheerleaders will be performing during the varsity boys’
game on January 22, at the high school gym.
Flu and Strep Alert:
We have documented cases of strep, and stomach flu. Please remember that Strep shows itself in
many different ways. Some children and adults have fevers, others don’t, some have sore throats
and some do not. Children with Strep will sometimes vomit and have headaches of various
degrees.
Statewide, Missouri reported 1,433 influenza cases for week 2 (week ending January 12, 2013).
Season-to-date, Missouri has reported 15,634 cases. The number of influenza cases is higher than
usual for this time of the year. Influenza is cyclical and the peak can vary from season to season.
Based on historical data, influenza season often peaks in February. This year cases are occurring
earlier than in recent seasons. However, it is not yet known when this season’s peak will be.The
influenza strains circulating throughout the United States are components for the 2012-2013
Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. The best protection against getting influenza is to get
the flu vaccine. Individuals who have not already received the flu vaccine should do so now. It is
not too late.
And as always, practicing good health habits can help stop the spread of germs and prevent
respiratory illnesses like the flu. A list of prevention tips are provided here.
1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick,
keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands
when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or
sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap
and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches
something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your
stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Free Homework Help for Military Children:
Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families (www.tutor.com/military) provides free, personalized 24/7
online academic support to military-connected children. This Department of Defense-funded
program is provided at no cost to grades K-12 children in National Guard, Reserve and Active
Duty military families,regardless of the service member’s deployment status.
Any eligible military-connected student can use Tutor.com to work online one-to-one with a live
tutor at any time for help with homework, studying, test prep, proofreading, essay writing and
more—no appointment needed. More than 2,500 carefully screened, expert tutors are available to
help students in all core K-12 subjects, including algebra, geometry, calculus, physics, earth
science, world history and literature.
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GSNCCF Valentine Elimination Gala: Please see the attached flyer.
The FCCLA at Nodaway- Holt would like to invite the South Nodaway
dads and their daughters to their Daddy Daughter Masquerade Ball on
Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 7:00-10:00 at the Nodaway- Holt High
School in Graham, MO. Advance tickets are $20 for dinner, dancing and
fun. For more information contact the advisor Heather Wilmes at
(660)939-2135.