April 2008
President's Message:
Wrapping Up the Year with Talent, Art Shows and More Fun
As we head into the last part of our school year, let's get ready for even more fun. Auditions for the "Are You More Talented than a Firebird?" Talent Show begin, in preparation for a fine performance on the evening of April 29. Bring your Art Show pieces in March 27 so we can enjoy an evening of fine food and view all the wonderful art pieces made by our staff and students on April 1 at 6:30 p.m. Get your running shoes on and cheer your Firebirds at the regional track meet on April 1 as well. Boogie Down as the FCC hosts Disco Heat on Friday, April 25 at 6 p.m. in the MPR. Dig into your closet for those wide legged pants and big collared shirts… we know they are still in there!!!
Our Walking School Bus Challenge continues with punch days on March 27, April 3 and April 4. Also on April 4 will be the nationwide celebration of Walk & Roll to School Day, ending with a Fun Fair from 3:15 to 5 p.m. Enjoy a road trip with a good book as the Spring Book Fair gets revved up from Monday, April 28 to May 1. Staff Appreciation week is right around the corner starting Monday, April 21, followed by Teacher Appreciation Week beginning May 5. Our kids continue to enjoy Kidzart and Yogarrific with 10% from both programs coming back into the PTA. Remember to check our website and visit the Technology link for all the exciting things are happening.
FIREBIRDS—DARE TO DREAM
Marcy Briggs, PTA President
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Spring Book Fair Begins April 28
Get ready for a road trip and make sure to bring plenty to read. Monday, April 28 will mark the beginning of our spring book fair. Teacher preview will be Friday, April 25, and remember to check out your teacher's wish list… and add your personal touch to their classroom libraries as well.
Thanks to your generosity in the fall, we earned $4,000 to buy books and research materials for the library. Check out all the great titles we will have on hand, and make sure to look for the flyer that will be coming home that has a sneak preview of the great selection for Spring.
Missy Boldt and Marcy Briggs, co-chairs
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A Letter from the Principal
Dear Fruchthendler Families,
The A+ Judges will have visited Fruchthendler on March 25 and 26. They will have toured the building, visited classrooms, met with students, parents, community members, faculty and staff as they made their decision. The results will be announced toward the end of April. I want to thank everyone that has been part of this exciting experience.
April is the month of testing at Fruchthendler. To help your child excel, please have them get a good night's rest. A good breakfast will also help them start the day right. Arriving to school on time is most important, so your child will be in class and ready to start the test. Students arriving after the tests have started will not be able to enter the classroom, and will have to make up the test at a later date. The AIMS test will be administered on April 7, 8, 10 and 11 for grades 3, 4, and 5. Second grade will be taking the Terra Nova on April 7 and 8. The fourth graders will also be taking a Science Field Test on April 14. Please mark these dates on your calendars.
We have been asked to pilot a new Cafeteria procedure to expedite the line as the students buy their lunch and/or milk starting April 21. It will have each student use their index finger to access their account at the cashier's station. As we advance with technology within the classroom, this will be another area our students will be made aware of in technology and its endless possibilities. There will be more information coming home on this new exciting program.
It's hard to believe that it's already time to start thinking about the 2008-2009 school year. We had a lovely turn out for Kindergarten Roundup. If you know of any new kindergarten students/families that haven't given their names to the office, please remind them to do so. We have sent a survey home to begin to assess our projected enrollment for the next school year. Please realize that we have every child's interest in mind when we look at classroom placement for next year. We take many things into consideration when we assign children to teachers. These assignments are time consuming, complex, and deal with a variety of individual confidential issues. As a result, we will not be able to honor parent requests that their child go into a particular classroom next year. We appreciate your understanding and assistance in this important matter.
Ten of our students' Science Fair Projects were entered in the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SARSEF) this year March 17 - 20. We are very proud of our young scientists' hard work. Some of the results can be found in this issue of Firebird Footnotes.
April 1 is the date for our area Track Meet. Mrs. Spitzer has done a wonderful job of working with our young athletes getting them prepared for this competition. It has been fun watching the students gain confidence and focusing their energy toward the different events. If you have a chance to cheer them on, please try to join us.
Please remember to make after school arrangements before school with your child. If a child is riding the bus home with a friend, they must have a note from their parent and it must be signed by me before they are allowed to ride the bus. If your child has to enter the building before school starts, please make sure he/she has a note or teacher pass. The safety patrols will not let students enter without one.
With the warm weather, our lost and found continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Please check the rack located in the cafeteria for any misplaced sweaters, jackets, etc. There are a few lunch boxes, too.
A BIG THANK YOU to Mr. Steve Delgado for his commitment as Editor of the Firebird Footnotes. The time and expertise he has instilled into its publication is greatly appreciated. We have so many individuals to thank for their time and commitment. As always, I want to thank all the volunteers that continue to support our students' success. The Fruchthendler community, along with our superior faculty and staff, provide the very best learning environment in which our students can excel. Thank you all for your support of the students.
Cordially,
John Heidel, Principal
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Art Enrichment News
Our new kiln was delivered and installed in late February. It has been tested and calibrated and is ready for use! Thanks again to the PTA for funding our new purchase.
Please take a walk down the hallways and admire all of the beautiful work that is displayed! Our Art Enrichment volunteers have been busy this month. Take a moment to thank the volunteer in your child's classroom.
Art Enrichment will need a new chairperson for next year. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in taking over this valuable opportunity please contact me for more information!
Questions, comments, or suggestions on how to make art a more enriching experience at Fruchthendler can be sent to Kathy Campbell at kq@ghostdance.net.
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Fruchthendler Student Scientists at SARCEF!
Congratulations to all of the students whose projects were represented at the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair (SARCEF) last week. Ten projects were submitted from our school, and two projects were honored. Four students were honored at the SARCEF Elementary Ceremony on Thursday, March 20.
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Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, April 23
The annual Fruchthendler Volunteer Breakfast will be held Wednesday, April 23 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Fruchthendler Library. Please come to the breakfast given by the faculty and staff to let us show how much we appreciate all your help. This event is for adults only. If you have volunteered in any way -- such as driving on a field trip, helping with a class at school, doing work for a teacher at home, and so on -- please join us. We hope to see you there. You help make Fruchthendler great in so many ways. Please R.S.V. P to the office at 731-4400 or e-mail paula.ganson@tusd1.org
Paula Ganson, Resource Teacher
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Walking School Bus Challenge Builds Communities, More
The main objectives of the Walking School Bus Challenge are to demonstrate to parents and students alike how walking or bicycling to school is fun while building confidence for the student, saving money and gas for the parents and reducing traffic congestion on Cloud and Lodge Roads around Fruchthendler.
Another benefit has been getting families to meet other families on their nearby streets and building a stronger community in our Fruchthendler neighborhoods. Through a collaborative effort we hope to find alternative methods for achieving the common goal of getting our kids to school other than in our own car.
The ultimate goal of the Walking School Bus Challenge is to create more Walking School Bus routes for Fruchthendler students to take as they walk or bike their way to school.
To review, a walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a route with meeting points, a timetable and a regularly rotated schedule of trained volunteers.
All Fruchthendler Walking School Buses will receive yellow t-shirts for the bus drivers and a supply of safety vests for the students to wear. As an extra bonus, all Walking School Buses will receive pedometers to track how much additional exercise the students and parents are getting.
If you are interested in starting a Walking School Bus in your neighborhood, please contact me and I will answer any questions you have and get the walking going!
Karen McWhirter, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, 751-6795.
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Thanks for Collecting Box Top$ and Labels
Keep up the good work! A very special note:
It is very important that when you submit Campbell's Labels for Education, the UPC code needs to be intact. If it is damaged or missing it can't be submitted.
Labels for Education earns us points for school merchandise. For the complete product list go to: www.labelsforeducation.com/
Box Top$ for Education earns us cash! Please no Betty Crocker Coupons. Also, please trim the coupons close but don't trim off the expiration date (these coupons have an expiration date). For the complete product list visit to:www.boxtops4education.com/
Please deposit all items in the Collection Boxes near the front door.
For more info contact Moira Richards at 290-3709 or neomom@comcast.net
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Writing Buddies Stories
The kids were asked to write some poetry that told a story. They were instructed to have and ABCB patterned quatrain. Here are two great examples of their work!
Halloween Night
By Steven and Trey
Tonight I got the shivers;
It was Halloween.
I got tons of candy;
I felt like a queen.
My mouth was really drooling;
I was eating all the candy.
All the magnificent flavors,
Except one piece was sandy.
I saw a guy named Bob;
He was trying to steal my gumdrop
I told him not a chance;
Instead, I gave him slop.
I ate too much candy;
Now I feel really sick
I think my stomach's gurgling;
Now the treats taste like ick.
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The Starfish and the Treasure
By: Natalie and Abby
Once there was a Starfish
He always searched for treasure.
He had to get ready,
For he was in for a great adventure.
Now he's ready.
He was going past lobsters that were such a fright
Because he didn't
Want to get into a fight.
Starfish hid under a rock.
The rock started to move.
He was stuck on
His leg was in a groove.
The starfish is now in a cage,
A diver had captured him.
Now the Starfish is on a boat,
The diver's name is Kim.
Kim took him to an island,
She took him off the boat.
Kim dropped him in the water; on it he was a float.
The starfish found a coral reef.
All the colors are so right
He went to a cave,
Where he saw such a sight.
He saw a beautiful treasure.
He found whet he looked for.
Starfish thanked Kim
The treasure was on the floor.
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A+ Comments From Parents
Recently I was checking our online school survey so that I could update our collection of A+ responses. As I read the comments, it brought home what makes this school special. I have included just a few for all to enjoy. Cheryl Bowman/Instructional Coach
"My daughter's teacher continues to go above and beyond what I would expect in a teacher. She never lets my daughter feel like she's just "one of her students". She feels special and can always see the little differences in my child if she's having a bad day. I have received many emails telling me if she's having a hard time during the day - and even if she's doing something good. Keeping in touch with her teacher is as easy as talking to a close friend."
"Fruchthendler has taken the limited resources its district provides and maximized them in the classroom, where it counts. Everyone associated with the school is treated like family. I know the custodial staff by name, and they greet me when I visit. I am welcomed at the lunch table by my son and his friends. The office staff and administration truly care about me and my child's experience. For the four years he has been at this school, my son's teachers have excelled. The first took him under her wing and made him feel special. Each one since has recognized his strengths and contributions, and helped him grow."
"Lesson plans are always taught in a fun way - so the students don't even realize they're learning but they really "get" it when it's presented in this way. They love learning because it's fun to get involved with the lesson plans. One learning experience that stands out for my daughter was the "starry nights" telescope event. She still talks about what the moon looks like up close."
"There are so many volunteer opportunities at Fruchthendler. It's amazing! If you want to spend the whole day in your child's school, it's completely possible... with all the opportunities to help out in the classroom or to help out with special events. It's a real close-knit sense of family."
"Fruchthendler is my child's home away from home. She loves every minute of her day and I believe it is due to the outstanding teachers and staff. Being a part of the Fruchthendler family is something that will stay with my child forever. The school has a great reputation and it's obvious to see why. The teachers encourage the kids to reach their full potential in a way that makes school fun. Fruchthendler deserves the A+ rating because they are top notch in every way."
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