Principal’s Notes
Dear Families,
“Happy New Year 2008” to you! I hope you all enjoyed your December break and were able to spend quality time with your families and friends.
So…did you make any New Year’s resolutions? I don’t know about you, but as good as my intentions are, I have difficulty following through to make these changes last and permanently change my life for the better. Jeanie Davis authored a great article that offers great tips on how to keep resolutions alive throughout the year. Here they are:
1. Take time to reflect: Many of us do, do, do! Be sure to take time to think deeply about who you are and where you want your life to go!
2. Tune into your passions: Focus on who you are, on producing a life you can enjoy. We're all given talents. Focus on those.
3. Pinpoint what drains your energy: Everyone has different irritants that drain their energy. Try to recognize them for yourself so that you can prioritize what is important…and let the little stuff go!
4. Harness the power of emotion: Emotions are much more powerful than logic. So, focus on the emotions -- happiness, satisfaction, and exhilaration -- that you will feel if you achieve your goal. It's about spending more time feeling good rather than feeling bad."
5. Develop a support group: Too often, we try to make changes alone. It helps to have a support group -- family, friends, whoever -- to help keep you on track.
6. Visualize yourself making the change: It's a step-by-step process in which you imagine yourself performing in a certain way.
7. Be brave: It takes courage to move out of your comfort zone. Success breeds success. After you've made one change, you feel the passion and like it, because you have ventured out of your comfort zone and succeeded. You're then motivated to make other changes.
8. If I may, I would like to add… be kind to yourself! Recognize that you will have good days and “not so good” days. (And if all else fails…there’s always 2009!)
If you plan to make resolutions, I encourage you to make ones that will also positively impact your children, such as buying healthier snacks, spending quality time together, and reading together more often. My wish for you is that 2008 be the happiest and healthiest one yet!
Yours in the service of children,
Karen Moody
Upcoming Events
January
18th: End of second quarter
21st: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no school
27th: GEPTA Family Health Day,1:00 - 3:00 at LER
February
1st: Sugar-Out Day
5th: GEPTA meeting at LER, 6:00
18th-22nd: Winter break
Walking School Bus
Our Walking School Bus has been postponed for the winter. We look forward to starting again when the warmer weather returns. Be watching the newsletter for more information!
Early Release Day
Our next Early Release Day will be Wednesday, March 19th.Elementary school students are dismissed at 12:30.
(There is no Early Release Day for January or February.)
School Store
The school store is open in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings before school.
Knights of Columbus
FREE THROW CHAMPIONSHIP
for boys and girls ages 8 to 14
on Sunday, January 20th
in the LER gym
at 11:00 a.m.
Please sign up at 10:30.
For more information,
please contact
Pat Berends at 446-4011.
Head Lice
There have been a few cases of head lice found at LER. Whenever a child is found to have live lice or viable nits (nits less than 1/2 inch away from the scalp) the child will need to go home for treatment. The child may return to school after being treated. Once you have treated your child you are encouraged to check his/her head every day for the next few weeks. It is helpful for all parents to check their children’s heads for lice off and on through out the year.
The treated child can be reinfested by lice, which were hiding in the seams of clothing, blanket or from brushes and combs. A thorough cleaning of these objects is necessary at the same time the child is treated. The backs of upholstered furniture, car seats, etc., should be thoroughly vacuumed.
Remember, the best way to control this problem is for parents to examine their child’s head frequently for lice or nits (eggs), and if they find that their child has become infested, please call the school immediately so we are aware of the problem.
For more information on the prevention and/or treatment of head lice, please call your health care professional, our school nurse, or visit our website. There is a link under “School Nurse.” Thank you!
GEPTA News
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the LER cafeteria. Childcare is available.
If you would like to be involved please email GEPTAnews@gmail.com. There are opportunities of all sizes (and you don’t need to come to a meeting!)
Family Fun Nights:
November’s Family Game Night was a hit! It was great seeing all the different games being played. We raffled off three baskets filled with Scholastic books and posters.
December’s Holiday Family Fun Night was enjoyed by all. Everyone had fun making ornaments, cards, and decorating cookies! We finished our Basket Fundraiser that evening.
Our next Family Fun Night will be Family Fun Food & Fitness Day on Sunday, January 27 from 1:00 – 3:00 held at LER in the cafeteria and gymnasium. Join us for an afternoon of fun, fitness, and good healthy food ideas!
Here’s a recap of what GEPTA has done this school year:
Meals for the teachers/staff for First Day of School
Octoberfest
Scholastic Book fairs at LER and RVCS (we earned over $1000 in free books!)
Meals for teachers during conferences
Fall Support to teachers (each teacher received a check to help with classroom supplies)
Family Fun Nights
Sponsored field trips
New swings at RVCS
Holiday Bazaar at RVCS
Recycling Request: We are looking for Holiday cards to use for next years Holiday Family Fun night!
Menu Corrections
The menu selections for Tuesday, January 29th will be Teriyaki chicken or shepherd’s pie,broccoli florets with low fat Ranch dressing, juice, apple crisp.
Friday, February 1st is “Sugar-Out Day.”
The menu will be toasted cheese or hamburger on a wheat roll, chicken & rice soup, corn on the cob, fresh apples. Please make a note of these changes on your menu at home.
Spare Shoes or Sneakers at School
Students should bring a pair of shoes or sneakers to school each day, or leave a spare pair in their locker or cubby, to wear during the day instead of boots. Please note that slippers are not permitted.
January’s Character Skill is TEAMWORK!
Spare Clothing
We cannot stress enough how helpful it is for each student to have a complete change of clothing to be kept at school or in his/her backpack. It is sometimes not convenient for parents to bring clothing in if a child spills a snack, falls in the slush, or needs extra clothing during the school day for any reason. This time of year finds us spending a great deal of time each day trying to reach parents to bring clothing to school. This also means lost class time for your student!
Emergency Contact Information
Please remember to notify the school whenever you have a change in phone numbers, address, or other contact information for you or the people you have listed on your child’s emergency form. We sometimes have difficulty reaching a parent or guardian because contact information has changed and we have not been informed. It is very important that the school be able to reach you in case of emergency.
A Message from Our AFS Teacher “John”
My name is Zhixiang Zhang and you can call me John. I am a visiting teacher of AFS program, which works to create a more peaceful and just world. I am an English teacher in Ma’anshan No.2 High School, Anhui Province China. My school is the first model high school in our province. And it is a well-equipped high school with high reputation in Anhui and even in China.
I feel very lucky to be able to study and teach in the States. And I feel more fortunate and excited to come to your school, Laura E. Richards School. Since my first arrival, I have been feeling warmth and friendliness from you. I believe with your great help, I can learn a lot from you.
During my stay here from Jan.2 till February vacation, not only do I want to improve myself professionally, but want to communicate with your children about Chinese culture as well. To help people know more about China, to let foreigners know a real China, I’d love to be a cultural ambassador to share with you some perspectives and exchange ideas. The topics I’d like to share with your children are as follows:
1.China’s national flag, national anthem, and national emblem.
2.Some basic everyday Chinese
3.Some Chinese characters
4.Counting in Chinese
5.Chinese currency
6.Chinese eye exercise
7.Chinese songs
8.Chinese festivals and holidays
9.Tourist attractions in China
10.Students’ everyday life in China
11.Family life in China
12.Chinese food and cooking
13.Chinese calligraphy
14.Taiji (Taichi) 15.Chinese knot
16.Paper-cutting and paper-folding
17.History and geography of China
18.Chinese wedding customs
19.Chinese lunar calendar and zodiac
20.Chinese mythology
21.Chinese fables, stories, and poetry
22.Political situation in China
23.Introduction to my province
24.Some information about 2008 Olympics in China
My email address is zxz0818@ahmasez.com.cn or zzxafs@hotmail.com. Thank you very much!