HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CHADRON PRIMARY SCHOOL

     The students and staff at Chadron Primary are celebrating the end of the first half of school and the beginning of the holiday season.  The Primary Staff has a lot of fun activities planned for their students including movies, games, and refreshments.  The classroom parties are beginning at various times on Friday.
     Students will be dismissed at 1:30 P.M. on Friday, December 21, and school will resume at 8:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 3.
     The staff at Chadron Primary would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and happy holiday season.  We hope that all of the students are well when they return to school after the break.

Chadron Primary Students & Parents Contribute to Local Food Pantry

     The students at Chadron Primary School are collecting non-perishable food items for a local  food pantry.  The students began the campaign on Tuesday, November 27th, and will continue to collect items until Thursday, December 20th, when they will take the food to the pantry.  The food pantry will distribute the food during the holiday season to the families in the community of Chadron who are in need.

     Thank you to all of the children and parents of the Primary School for your generous donations.  I am confident that our families will greatly appreciate your kindness.

Primary Students "Trim a Tree" at the County Courthouse

   

      Cheryl Feist has invited the students at Chadron Primary to make an ornament for their very own tree at the Courthouse.  Students have spent the last two weeks designing and producing an ornament that is specific to their class.

     The students walked together as classes to the Dawes County Courthouse on Tuesday, November 20th, to hang their ornaments on the tree.  The ornaments will be on displayed through the Christmas holiday for everyone to enjoy.  Please stop by to see our tree in its beauty.

America Education Week - November 11-17

     Public Education is Great.  Why is that?  Because ALL children from ages 5 to 21 can attend school for free in a school that offers a broad curriculum and provides the tools for learning.  Somewhere this week a child will learn to read for the first time or understand an algebraic equation or fall in love with history or discover a hidden talent.  In any case their lives will never be the same.  What a wonderful privilege and opportunity. 

     Public Education is a cornerstone of our democracy.  Last week Chadron Public Schools was visited by our Governor, Commissioner of Education, and Chairman of the Legislature’s Education committee who are members of Nebraska’s P-16 initiative to strengthen education.  Nebraska recognizes that a well-educated public includes more productive workers with higher incomes and less dependence on public assistance programs.  Communities that have vibrant school systems tend to be more flourishing and linked to lower crime rates, improved public health, and more stable families. 

     American Education Week was created in 1919 as a joint venture between the American Legion and the National Education Association (NEA) to seek ways to generate public support for education.  Both groups were distressed that 25% of the country’s World War I draftees were illiterate.

     Take a minute this week to reflect on the educators in your life that made this precious opportunity of an education possible.  If you can thank them personally or take a minute to thank the many educators in our community for choosing to dedicate their professional life to the education or our most precious resource, our children.

Dr. Caroline Winchester

Primary Students Attend Performance at CSC

 

  The students at Chadron Primary School attended the afternoon performance of a group of Kenya Acrobats on Friday, November 9th.  The students were not only entertained by the acrobats but interacted with the narrator and acrobats by repeating some of their Swahili words and chants.
     The young audience was most impressed with the acrobat who stood on the top of five chairs and the young Kenya lady who was strong enough to hold all of the acrobats (See photos above.)

Primary Students Celebrate Red Ribbon Week

     The students at Chadron Primary School are celebrating October 29-November 2 in honor of what has been designated as Red Ribbon Week.  Besides distributing Red Ribbons to encourage students to take a stand against drugs,  Mr. Bach, Primary Guidance Counselor and Ms. Amanda Chytka, School Nurse, have developed a theme for each day of the week.  The themes are as follows:
Monday - "Red Day" - Wear as much red clothing as possible; Tuesday, "Roundup Against Drugs: - Wear cowboy/cowgirl clothing; Wednesday - "Put a Scare on Drugs" - Wear a Halloween costume; Thursday - "Sock it to Drugs" - Wear crazy socks; Friday - "Team Up Against Drugs" - Wear sports clothing such as a team jersey or team T-shirt.
     The students and staff are having a lot of fun dressing up to promote being "Drug Free."

Parent-Teacher Conferences Are Well Attended

     The Parent-Teacher Conferences that were held on October 22-23 were well attended by parents of students at the Primary School.  The percentage of parents were as follows:  Kindergarten - 91% (Mrs. Fisher-88%; Mrs. Hoffman-100%; Ms. Schmid-94%; Mrs. Landreth-   82%); First Grade - 86% (Mrs. Bounous-95%; Mrs. Claussen-88%; Mrs. Ferguson-72%; Mrs. Gardner-90%); Second Grade - 88% (Mrs. Cogdill-85%; Mrs. Hendrickson-95%; Mrs. Hudson-89%; Mrs. Uhing-84%).
     The Primary Staff very much appreciates the fact that so many of its parents attended the conferences.  If you are still needing to conference with one of your children's teachers, please call that teacher at 432-0710 and schedule a conference with them.

Primary Book Fair Was a Huge Success

     The Primary School Book Fair generated $2,959 during its displays on October 22 and October 23 during Parent-Teacher Conferences.  The money that was collected will purchase approximately 185 books worth $1678 for the Primary School Library.  Parents and staff are to be commended for their support and purchases.   It is always exciting to see parents and grandparents encourage their children and grandchildren to read by buying them a book.   Thank you for helping our students to become great readers.
     The winners of the Book Fair drawings were Cade Smith, Noah Wirth; Eliana Uhing, Brady Daniels, Trace Shaw, Afton Jimerson, Caden Buskirk, Aiden Dressel, Kyra Kubo, Natalie Carattini, Aspen Graves, Trey Williamson, Kourtney Hawk, Haylee Wild, Kadence Goode, Kyndall Carnahan, Tayton Shaw, Madison Graves, Lauren Rasmussen, and Mason Marcy.

Elmo Coloring Contest Winners Announced

The Alumni Office at Chadron State College has announced the winner of Elmo's Homecoming Coloring Contest.  The winners from the Primary Building are:

Kindergarten                                           First-Second Grades
Anabell Griewank                                   Josie Downing
Taegan Bach                                           Jason Jensen
Zane Cullers                                           Kyndall Carnahan

Congratulation students.  We will look forward to seeing you on Elmo's Float in the Chadron State College Homecoming Parade on Saturday, October 27th.

Parent-Teacher Conferences Scheduled for October 22nd and 23rd

     Parent-Teacher Conferences are being held on Monday, October 22, and Tuesday, October 23 at Chadron Primary School.  The conferences will begin at 3:00 P.M. and conclude at 7:00 P.M. both of those days.  Parents of children whose last names begins with A-L are scheduled to come from 3:00-7:00, and parens of children whose last name begins with M-Z are scheduled to come from 5:00-7:00.  If you cannot make it at the times that we have you scheduled, you may come anytime during the hours 3:00-P.M.-7:00 P.M.  Teachers are also willing to schedule conferences, if you cannot come either evening.

CHADRON VOLUNTEER FIREMEN 'SCHOOL' PRIMARY STUDENTS ON FIRE SAFETY

Several of Chadron Volunteer Firemen gave fire prevention tips to the students at Chadron Primary School on Monday, October 8, during what was designated as "Fire Prevention Week."  The firemen who volunteered their afternoon were Bob Tiensvold, Mike Provance, Steven Boeselager, Jack Rhembrandt, Jarret Johnson, and Jason Clark.

     The fireman displayed three different fire vehicles with equipment and showed the students how the equipment works and allowed them to spray some water.  The firemen also let the students hear what a smoke alarm sounds like, discussed how the students can prevent a fire, what students should do in case of a fire, what number students should call in case of an emergency, how to "stop, drop, and roll," the importance of having an evacuation plan, and other relevant information.

CSC's Eagle Mascot is a "Big Hit" at Chadron Primary

     On Friday, October 5, Chadron State College's mascot Elmo, Mrs. Leslie Bargen from the Alumni Office, and Lindsey Cummings from the Student Alumni Council visited the Primary Building to encourage students to participate in the annual CSC  Homecoming Coloring Contest.  Mrs. Bargen gave the coloring sheets to classroom teachers who sent them home with their students on Friday, October 5th.  The students were encouraged to do their best job coloring and to return the coloring sheets to school no later than Friday, October 12th.  The sheets will be judged and the winners will be informed sometime next week.
     There will be six winners chosen from Chadron Primary Building.  Three of them will be Kindergartners and three of them will be from the 1st and 2nd Grade classrooms.  The contest winners will win a T-Shirt and will have the opportunity to ride with Elmo on the CSC Homecoming float on Saturday, October 27th.

CSC Wrestlers Read to Kinders

     Interim Chadron State Wrestling Coach Brett Hunter brought 26 of his wrestlers to Chadron Primary Building on Friday, September 28, to read to Mrs. Fisher's and Ms. Schmid's Kindergarten students.  Coach Hunter, with Mrs. Alcorn's permission, has arranged for a group of CSC Wrestlers to come to Chadron Primary every Friday, when both the schools' and the wrestlers' schedules permit, to read to two of the four Kindergarten classes.
     According to the Kindergarten teachers, the children had a great time listening to the stories that the CSC students read and look forward to the next time their "Reading Buddies" visit them again.  For the Kindergarten students at Chadron Primary School, it is a way to reinforce the importance of reading, and to  Coach Hunter and the CSC Wrestlers, it is a great way to give back to the community.

     Thank you Coach Hunter and CSC Wrestlers.  Good luck this season.  We will be cheering for all of you!

Second Graders "Pep Up Their Prep" for MAPS Tests

     The Second Grade Students will be taking MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) tests beginning on Monday, October 1st.  The content areas in which the students will be tested will be Reading (the week of October 1-5), Language Arts (the week of October 8-12), and Math (the week of October 15-19).
     For the next three weeks each Second Grade class will have a day on which they will take their tests.  Except for the week of October 1-5, Mrs. Hudson's students will test on Wednesdays, Mrs. Cogdill's students will test on Tuesdays, Mrs. Uhing's students will test on Thursdays, and Mrs. Hendrickson's students will test on Fridays.
     The students will take the tests on a computer in the lab.  The tests are scheduled from 10:30-12:00 each day but will not be timed.  If a student needs more time than the hour and a half allotted, the student will be given the extra time that he/she needs to complete the test.
     It is important that the students get a good night's sleep the night before and a healthy breakfast the day of the test so that the student will be alert when taking the test.
     To encourage the students to do their very best and to get them ready to test, the Second Grade students, staff, and support staff participated in a "Get Ready to Test" Pep Rally on Friday afternoon, September 28.  The students watched a presentation on what to expect on the MAP tests, watched a Youtube video of how others students "Rocked Their Test," and then created some of their own moves and cheers to get ready for the next three weeks of testing.

     Good Luck Second Graders!!

Cardinal Mascot Visits Primary Students

The infamous "Red Bird" from Chadron High School visited the students at Chadron Primary during their lunch on Friday, September 21st for the purpose of promoting school spirit.  The students were encouraged to wear red on that day to show their loyalty to our school colors.    For many of the Kindergarten students this was the first time that they had the privilege of meeting the Cardinal, and they were especially excited about his visit.  The Cardinal also appeared during the First and Second Graders' lunchtime and after giving them "high fives" as they lined up for lunch posed for a few pictures with the students.

Chadron Primary Welcomes New Students

Chadron Primary School started the school year with 218 students.  There are 65 students in Kindergarten (Mrs. Kristin Fisher -16; Mrs. Tara Hoffman-16; Mrs. Mikel Landreth-17; Ms. Melissa Schmid-16), 76 students in First Grade (Mrs. Sarah Bounous-20; Mrs. Claussen-Smith-18; Mrs. Gina Ferguson-18; Mrs. Amy Gardner-20, and 77 students in Second Grade (Mrs. Stephanie Cogdill-20; Mrs. Jodi Hendrickson-20; Mrs. Angela Hudson-18; Mrs. Libby Uhing-19).

Besides the Kindergarten students who are all new to the Primary Building, our school welcomes 9 students who have moved into the district.  Of these new students, Mrs. Claussen-Smith has 3 students; Mrs. Ferguson has 2 students; Mrs. Gardner has 1 student; Mrs. Cogdill has 1 student; and Mrs. Hendrickson has 2 students.

We are excited to have so many new faces and are looking forward to getting to know all of the new students.  We are also glad to have last year's students back with us.  They are doing a fabulous job of following the routines and the rules, and as a result our school year is off to a great start.

Parent Information Meeting Was a Big Success

The Information meeting for parents of potential Kindergarten Students was very successful on the evening of March 13th.  The Primary Building had 43 students sign up for Kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year.  Tricia Berry, who does the central registering of students in the district, went over the packet of information that was given out to the parents and stressed the importance of getting the information back to her before the beginning of August.

First Grade Parents Host March Madness Activity

Parents of first grade students hosted activities for their children, including siblings, at March Madness at Chadron Primary School on the evening of March 15^th from 6:30-8:00 P.M.  Members of the Primary Building’s Parent Support Group planned the activities and committee chairs solicited volunteers to help with the activities.  The activities included Pop Bottle Ring Toss, Plinko, Bean Bag Toss, Fishing, Face Painting, Basketball, Cookie Decorating, Shamrock Art, Donut on a String, and a Cake Walk.  Every child received prizes for their efforts.Not only did the parents plan and volunteer for the activities, they also constructed the games and brought baked items for the Cake Walk.  Attendance was over eighty children and over sixty adults. 

Primary Chadron Sharks Headed to State

Three Chadron Sharks from Chadron Primary Building have qualified for the State Swim Meet that is going to be held on Friday, March 2nd,  in Gillette, Wyoming.  The three Primary Sharks are Second Gsrader Leila Tewahade and Kindergartners Kenzie Pourier and Mina Waldo.  Leila will swim on Friday and Saturday and Kenzie and Mina will swim on Saturday.  The finals for the meet will be on Friday and Saturday.  Congratulations young ladies and good luck at State!  We will be cheering for you!

Meeting for Parents of Kindergartners Set

The meeting for parents of potential Kindergarten students for the 2012-2013 school year has been set for
Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at 6:00 P.M. in the Chadron Primary Building Gymnasium.  The purpose of the meeting will to give out information for those parents who are considering sending their child to kindergarten next school year.  In order for a child to be eligible for Kindergarten next school year, the child must be 5 years of age by July 31, 2012.

Committee Chairs Volunteer for First Grade March Madness Activities

Parents of first grade students who volunteered to chair the activities at the First Grade March Madness Event are as follows:

Fishing Game - Amanda Green
Basketball - Sam Fisher
Cake Walk - Dawn Provance
Cookie Decorating - Joby Collins
Shamrock Art  - Nadina Kubo
Plinko - Mark Fisher
Donut on a String - Mark Wess
Bouncy Balls Art - Donica Munyiri
Pop Bottle Ring Toss - Kodi Olson
Bean Bag Toss - Melissa Webster

These committee chairs are looking for other parents to volunteer to supervise their activities in 30 minute increments beginning at 6:30 and ending at 8:00.  We will also need parents to volunteer to clean up after the event.  Please let the school office know what activity you and/or your spouse would be willing to supervise and/or if you would be able to help with clean-up.  Thank you.

Chadron Public School Staff Create Their Own Blogs

Mr. Brandon Horst, elementary computer instructor, showed Chadron Primary Staff Members how to create their own blog at the teacher inservice on Monday, February 20th.  Staff members were required to create at least two blogs. In my blogs, I will post upcoming activities and important information.  Check out my blog at http://www.chadpriprin.blogspot.com.  Blog addresses for other Primary Staff Members will be posted soon on our school website.  Many of the staff members are blogging what is going on in their classrooms; so check them out, too.

First Grade March Madness

With basketball and St. Patrick's Day both happening in March, the parents of our first graders have planned "March Madness"activites  for the first grade students and their families.  The activities have been set for Thursday, March 15th, from 6:30-8:30 P.M.  The activities that are planned include a fishing game, basketball, a cake walk, cookie decorating, marshmallow count, plinko, bean bag toss, face painting, donut on a string, pop bottle ring toss, and bouncy ball art.  If parents have other ideas, please let the school office know and we will plan fo them.
First grade parents have volunteered to chair these activities but are looking for parents to supervise the activities for a 30 minute session.  Parents will also be asked to bring a bake sale item for our cake walk.  Notices and reminders will be sent home at a later date.  Please plan on making this a "family affair."