May 6, 2016
McCulloch Families,

It's hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close!  We want to take a minute to thank you for sharing your children with us each day.  We cherish the opportunity to help each of our learners become the amazing leaders that they are meant to be!  This year was full of so many great experiences for not only our students, but for us as well!  Have an amazing summer!

Principals' Post
Updates from Mrs. Golmen and Mrs. Floyd

Parent Advisory Meeting
This coming Monday, we will be combining our end of year Parent Advisory Meeting with our PTO meeting.  Our goal is to provide information about all of the amazing things going on in our building and to seek your input on how to move forward and continuously improve to provide the best for each and every one of our students.  We will be continuing this format of combining Parent Advisory Meetings and PTO meetings throughout the 2016-2017 school year.  We value your time and your input and want to make these meetings informative yet concise.  Please join us this Monday as we discuss the following:
  • Celebrations from the 2015-2016 school year
  • Opportunities for Improvement and how this will be addressed in the BSIP
  • Implementation of Leader in Me during the 2016-2017 school year
  • School Wide Title I and the Parent/School Compact
End-of-Year Meal Checklist Reminder from the Food Service Office
  • Meals cannot be charged during May at any grade level.
  • All meal charges should be paid as soon as possible and enough money sent to prepay current meals.
  • There are 10 days of school in May.
  • A complimentary PBJ + Milk for lunch and Whole-Grain Toast + Milk for breakfast is available for students not on free meal benefits who forget their money or a packed lunch from home.
  • Graduating Seniors receive a refund of any money remaining in their meal account. Checks are mailed for refunds $10 or over; and refunds under $10 are given out with diplomas. All other balances rollover to the beginning of next school year.
  • Parents of students who will not be returning next school year can complete a "Lunch Refund Request" to have any remaining money donated to another student or mailed as a check to their new address. The form can be filled out at the child's school or downloaded from the Food Service Department's website under "Resources", then "Lunch Refund Request".
  • Balances may be checked online thru your Parent Portal account or contact the Food Service Department at 735-3753 or e-mail ruth.melvin@republicschools.org

Nurse's Notes
Updates from Nurse Nancy

Please pick up any unused medications that you have signed in to the nurse this school year. Those medications not picked up by dismissal on the last day of school will be disposed of.
Keep your family safe this summer by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 
BUG SAFETY
  • Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
  • Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
  • Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
  • To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it with a credit card or your fingernail.
  • Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.
  • Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, Chikungunya Virus and other viruses.
  • The current AAP and CDC recommendation for children older than 2 months of age is to use 10% to 30% DEET. DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months of age.
  • The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.
  • The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
  • As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5% to10%.
  • When outside in the evenings or other times when there are a lot of mosquitoes present, cover up with long sleeved shirts, pants and socks to prevent bites.
- See more at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/Summer-Safety-Tips.aspx#sthash.6cVXJYZy.dpuf
Leader in Me
Habit 7 comes to us just in time for Summer Break!  Habit 7 is "Sharpen the Saw".  This habit is all about taking care of ourselves, mind and body!  Summer is a great time to focus on this habit as it gives us a little bit of down time to reflect on what is important to us.  How will you sharpen your saw this summer?  

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On Friday, April 22nd, students had a day at home to sharpen their saws, while teachers came to work to synergize!  This was a great day for teachers to work together on learning, planning, and team building.  
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We have had so many students stepping up for leadership opportunities lately, and it's just too cute not to share!  From left to right: Students present about leadership and goal setting to the Republic Board of Education, 4th Grade students volunteered their time on a Saturday at Haven of the Ozarks, 1st grade students celebrate after using the 7 habits to help them meet R.O.A.R. Expectations, and kindergarten leaders spoke in front of the upcoming kindergartners and their families!  We are so proud of our McCulloch Leaders!  

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Student Challenge:
Students, look at the picture below.  Mrs. Huff's and Mrs. Q's classes are experimenting with Force and Motion!  What habit (or habits) are they practicing during this experiment?

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Counselor's Corner

Wow! I can't believe the 2015-2016 school year is coming to a close! Throughout this academic year, we worked on many skills in counseling that are essential to both social and academic success. We focused on core social-emotional skills such as empathy, friendship skills, emotion management, and problem solving. We learned work habits that contribute to academic success. We also spent the last few months exploring careers and learning about the world of work.   

I am very excited for the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. We will continue working on personal/social skills, academic, and career exploration utilizing " The 7 Habits of Happy Kids" and placing an emphasis on personal strengths and the habits that make great leaders. It is my intention through classroom guidance, small groups, and individual counseling to help every student discover their personal strengths and inner leader.  There is a leader in ALL our kids!  

Thank you for the opportunity to get to know your child. I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve at McCulloch Elementary! 
Sincerely,
Mrs. Wilfong
K-2 Counselor 

PTO Plans
What's happening with the McCulloch PTO?
 
Please utilize the PTO Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/mccullochrepublicpto to stay current on all of the upcoming events and support that they provide for our students!

Upcoming PTO Events: 
  • PTO General Meeting:  Monday, May 9th
Please join us at our PTO general meetings.  There are so many things that PTO has done to support our school and students, and we have high hopes for the future!  It would be a pleasure to see some new faces at our March meeting!
Upcoming Dates
  • May 7th             ROAR Run
  • May 9th             Papa John's Night
  • May 9th             PTO Meeting and Parent Advisory Meeting
  • May 10th           5th Grade Science Fair
  • May 11th           Field Day and MAP Celebrations
  • May 12th           5th Grade Celebration and PBIS Big Event
  • May 13th           End of 4th Quarter-1/2 Day for Students
Thank you for taking time to check out our building updates this month. Updates and events can also be found on our building web page at: http://www.republicschools.org/mcculloch

Please contact us with any questions, or if we can help you in any way.
 
Your Partners in Education,
                           
Brigette Golmen                                    Alicia Floyd
McCulloch Elementary Principal             McCulloch Assistant Principal