Thanks & Congrats… Geography Bee Indianola Informal K-8 had their Geography Bee for 4 th – 8 th grade. When the dust settled, Luke Wilson, 5 th grade, was the winner. Mary Doherty, 6 th grade, placed second and Eva House, 5 th grade, placed third. Luke has taken a written test to see if he qualifies for the state bee. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the bee. Their knowledge of geography was considerable! --Chris Hoell, G-T Specialist Elementary Spelling Bee On Friday, January 27 th , the elementary spelling bee took place in the auditorium. You could feel the electricity in the air as 60 students vied for the school championship. After two hours of intense competition, 5 th grader Lana Tleimat finally out- spelled the final contestant to win the trophy. Gabe Fish was the runner-up. Lana will represent Indianola in the District competition on February 28 th at Ohio Dominican. --Chris Hoell, G-T Specialist Middle Grades Spelling Bee The middle grades spelling bee was Jan. 19. After 25 rounds, Bonnie Legg finished by spelling the word ‘annotate’ to be the school champion. Zampa Provenzale was the runner-up. Rebecca Amonor finished 3rd, Rachel Schwerdtfeger 4th, Wyatt Crider 5th. Bonnie took an online spelling test to try to qualify for the state regional spelling bee to be held in March. The winner from the state bee will go to the national bee in Washington, D.C. --Michelle Ballinger, G-T Specialist Writing Stars Six students grades 6-7 attended the district Writing Stars event on Nov. 22: Emma Lou Andrews, Kyra Gunn, Briyana Dragin, Elise Shapiro, Rebecca Amonor, Genevieve Belair and Mary Doherty. Students participated in three timed writing prompts and had their writing judged and scored. Rebecca Amonor placed 2nd in the poetry round, 2nd in the persuasive round and 8th in the Parent Consultant News Indianola K-8 February, 2012 Cass Freeland Pat Merkle [email protected][email protected]784-8140 262-2013
Transcript
Thanks & Congrats…
Geography Bee Indianola Informal K-8 had their Geography Bee for 4th – 8th grade. When the dust settled, Luke Wilson, 5th grade, was the winner. Mary Doherty, 6th grade, placed second and Eva House, 5th grade, placed third. Luke has taken a written test to see if he qualifies for the state bee. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the bee. Their knowledge of geography was considerable! --Chris Hoell, G-T Specialist Elementary Spelling Bee On Friday, January 27th, the elementary spelling bee took place in the auditorium. You could feel the electricity in the air as 60 students vied for the school championship. After two hours of intense competition, 5th grader Lana Tleimat finally out-spelled the final contestant to win the trophy. Gabe Fish was the runner-up. Lana will represent Indianola in the District competition on February 28th at Ohio Dominican. --Chris Hoell, G-T Specialist
Middle Grades Spelling Bee The middle grades spelling bee was Jan. 19. After 25 rounds, Bonnie Legg finished by spelling the word ‘annotate’ to be the school champion. Zampa Provenzale was the runner-up. Rebecca Amonor finished 3rd, Rachel Schwerdtfeger 4th, Wyatt Crider 5th. Bonnie took an online spelling test to try to qualify for the state regional spelling bee to be held in March. The winner from the state bee will go to the national bee in Washington, D.C. --Michelle Ballinger, G-T Specialist
Writing Stars Six students grades 6-7 attended the district Writing Stars event on Nov. 22: Emma Lou Andrews, Kyra Gunn, Briyana Dragin, Elise Shapiro, Rebecca Amonor, Genevieve Belair and Mary Doherty.
Students participated in three timed writing prompts and had their writing judged and scored. Rebecca Amonor placed 2nd in the poetry round, 2nd in the persuasive round and 8th in the
narrative round. Emma Lou Andrews placed 6th in the narrative round and 8th in the persuasive round. Elise Shapiro placed 5th in the poetry round and 8th in the persuasive round. Congratulations to all the participants for receiving “outstanding” and “honors” on their writing. --Michelle Ballinger, G-T Specialist
Debate Winter Debate 1 at Capital University was held on Dec. 16. A team of four students debated other schools on whether schools should adjust the school day to accommodate adolescent and young adult sleep patterns. Students researched sleep patterns and prepared arguments for and against the topic. Students debated three different schools and were judged by Capital University Debate League Students. Debating the Affirmative were Joseph Crump and Levi Hairston (6th grade). Debating the Negative were Julia Allwein and Endiya Evans with Mimi Bednar-Warren as an alternate. --Michelle Ballinger, G-T Specialist
Ravine Art Contest Congratulations to the following students who entered the Ravine Art Contest. They will be among the student artists honored at a reception and award ceremony to kick off the art exhibit at the Northwood ARTSpace at 7:00 PM on February 3. Students, teachers, and family members are cordially invited to attend the reception.
Jackson Wisecup won Honorable Mention in the 2D Art category. Alex Phillips won 1st place and Jesse Gilbert won Honorable Mention in the Haiku category. A big thank-you to their teachers,
Jim McMahon and Sue Hatch! Indianola Informal K-8 & Sue Hatch were also the recipients of one of the school prizes.
Announcements…
Student-Led Conferences Students will be facilitating conferences this time around. The children are always so excited and proud to show and discuss their work. Teachers are scheduling conferences on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 4-7 pm and another day of their choosing. Please contact your child’s teacher to reserve a slot. Staff Dinner During Conferences The Friends of Indianola PTO is planning a dinner for staff on Thursday, February 16 during student-led Conferences. We will be collecting donations of $1-$5 towards a quality take-out/catered meal. Please send your donation in with your child for your classroom teacher to collect. Any extra money will go back into the general PTO fund or be used for further staff appreciation. Contact Julie Hughes at [email protected] with questions, ideas, or to volunteer your help that evening. Morning Drop-off The morning drop off on Tibet Road has been running very slow. Please be patient as students exit cars, and maintain two-way traffic. To speed up the process, please keep in mind the following. Thanks for your cooperation.
• Have children gather their things BEFORE you get to the door.
• Drive all the way to the last door. • Have children exit the car on the passenger
side. Children should not walk in the street to access the sidewalk.
• Do not wait to be the first person in line to drop off your child. Three or four cars can drop off children at once.
• If you want to watch your child enter the building, drive forward enough so the next child can exit.
• If possible, have your child hold items such as backpacks or instruments rather than having to access a trunk, hatch or rear seat.
Treasurer’s Update In December our PTO received $308.00 from Kroger's PlusCard Rewards Program! The PTO sponsored the Artist-in-Residency school-wide art project with local artist Helma Groot this fall; the entire Indianola community will benefit from these
beautiful pieces of artwork that will soon be installed and enjoyed for years to come! So far this year the PTO has paid for the set-up and hosting fees for our website: www.indianolakids.org. Check it out and tell us what you think! The PTO has provided needed supplies for our Parent Consultants to host their weekly Conversation and Coffee time, as well as childcare for all PTO-sponsored meetings. --Amy Staz, Indianola K-8 Treasurer Newsletter Submission Dates If you have something you’d like included in the newsletter, email it to Pat Merkle by the corresponding date. Submission date Distribution date (Mondays) (Thursdays) Feb. 27 Mar. 1 Apr. 2 Apr. 5 Apr. 30 May 3 School Absence If your child is absent, please notify our attendance secretary, Denise Holland, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 365-5579. Email is preferred; your email will also serve as the excuse note. If you call, send an excuse note when your child returns to school.
Classroom & School News and Events…
Chris’s Corner Invention Convention We have been busy with many activities this past month. The fourth graders are busy working on inventions for the Invention Convention on February 22. Information should have come home to help with this endeavor. Students in other grades are welcome to participate, but it is mandatory for 4th graders as it is part of their science curriculum. There was an assembly on January 31st presented by the Invention Convention sponsors to help students prepare for this project. I have also been going into classrooms to answer questions and present material. 3rd Grade: We have been reading the book, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and are finishing up our final project, a Totally Ten assignment during which students choose projects based on numerical values which add up to 10 points. Projects are assigned a value based on the level of creativity and higher level thinking involved.
4th Grade: We have just finished the book, Holes, and are in the process of assigning roles and making arguments in order to hold a Mock Trial based on the book. The warden appears to be the defendant in both trials. 5th Grade: After reading the books The Frog Princess and The Castle in the Attic students have been working on projects to do with medieval times. From medieval feasts, to castles and embroidery, the projects have spanned many interests. Math Groups: Both 3rd and 4th grade math groups have focused on using logic to solve problems. We have done activities called logic links and clip clue puzzles to use our reading skills while doing math problems. We will be starting Hands on Equations soon, which uses manipulatives to teach the basic concept of algebra. --Chris Hoell, G-T Specialist Cast Set for 3rd Annual Talent Show Auditions for this year's talent show were held the second week of January. It was the biggest turnout so far. Twenty-seven acts auditioned and 20 were chosen. The talent within the Indianola community continues to amaze us, along with the enthusiasm and willingness for students, their families, alumni, and staff to share their talent. This year, we have a jazz string ensemble featuring alumni Nik Repka, Logan Halterman, John Liu, Jimmy Masters and current middle school students Clare Jusdanis, Aidan Kuhn, and Montgomery Gray. There will be Twirling Teachers; student and family bands; solo instrumentalists and vocalists; hooping; alumni students playing original compositions; and dancing, providing a diverse and very entertaining show. Tickets are on sale for $5 in the office and Room 109 for all three shows: 1:30 and 7:00pm on Friday, March 2nd and 7:00pm on Saturday, March 3rd. As in the past, parent donations to send classes to the show are greatly appreciated. Performing staff are: Tiffany Leon, Amy Pezzatta, Michelle Davis, Bonnie Metzger, Rachel Rowen, Marie Boozer, and Ray Davis. The Talent Show raises funds for middle school music, arts, and trips. Please support our fantastic cast and buy your tickets early so you don't miss out! --Lisa Seiberling, 7th grade teacher
Book Discussion on Gender & Schooling On Thursday, Feb. 9th at noon (in the Parent Room) Cass & Pat will lead a discussion on gender differences and their effects on schooling based on the books, Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax, which Indianola staff are using as part of their professional development this year. Please join us and add your 2 cents! If you are interested in the discussion but aren’t available during the day, let us know and we can try to schedule an evening meeting as well.
Put On Your Thinking Cap! Volunteer judges are needed for the Invention Convention the morning of Feb. 22. If you (or another adult you know) would like to be a judge, contact Cass Freeland at [email protected]. It is really fun to see student ideas come to life! Volunteers should arrive by 9:15 for refreshments and information on the judging process; things should wrap up by noon. Carnival Committee Update The 2nd Annual Indianola Carnival is coming on May 18! It’s shaping up to be Indianola’s main fundraising, social, and community-building event. But it won’t amount to anything without lots of volunteer help from our parents and teachers. There are various levels at which to get involved. We'd love to hear from you about what worked well last year and what didn’t. If you have ideas to share, now's the time! You can also chair or become a member of a committee. This is the level of involvement we hope our most engaged community members will take on. Currently, the following committees are looking for help: *Booths (Chairs: Lisa Pfeiffer & Rachel Rubey) *Set-up & Tear-down (Chair: STILL NEEDED) *Construction & Signage (Chairs: Catherine Bird & Jeff Wisecup) *Finance & Budget (Chairs: Karen Staley & Jorie Schwartz) *Publicity & Marketing (Chair: Julie Haar) *Entertainment (bands; student performances) (Chairs – Rachel Rowen & Rob Cohen) *Book Sale (Chairs: Nick Wolack & Jennifer Olejownik) *Cake Walk (Chairs: Amy Staz & Ginger Rigsbee) *Food (Chairs: Peter & Sarah Case) *Volunteer Coordination (Chair: Mark Klingler) *Silent Auction (Chair: Jenn Alexander) *Activities and Games (Twister, musical chairs…) (Chair: STILL NEEDED)
We also need many volunteers to simply work shifts at running games and activities, sell tickets or food, distribute prizes and so on. The Carnival Committee will meet Friday, February 10, 7:00 PM at Panera Bakery, 4519 North High Street. Please attend if you are able. If you already know how you want to get involved, or would like us to help you find a suitable task, please get in touch with Jorie Schwartz, Carnival Committee Chair ([email protected]) or Mark Klingler, PTO Membership/Volunteer Committee ([email protected]). Food Matters Food Matters is a food education program produced by Local Matters, a Columbus-based non-profit committed to making wholesome, local food more accessible to all. In FM we learn to think about where our food comes from, how our bodies use food to grow strong and stay healthy, and even a little about the food traditions of other cultures. Indianola is the only school in the district offering FM; two K/1 classrooms will benefit from the program this year. For the first time, the FM curriculum is being taught by parents (Jaye Puckett and Agnes Burris), working closely with Rachael Smith from Local Matters to refine the classroom curriculum and develop an appropriate training program for parent volunteers. Next year the goal is to expand to four K/1 classrooms. We are always glad for any help in the classrooms. If you would like hands-on experience before making a commitment for next year, please talk to Holly Ruggerio (volunteer coordinator for FM at Indianola) about pitching in for a lesson. Holly can be reached at [email protected] or 406-0764. Every Friday morning Jaye and I wheel a shiny metal food cart down the halls to Ms. Elizabeth’s and Ms. Michelle’s classrooms to spend 45 action-packed minutes learning about, preparing and, best of all, EATING delicious healthful food. The simple, tasty recipes developed by the chef at Local Matters are fun for the children to make and eat. That’s right, folks. Our children are eating their veggies and liking it! This month we are focusing on whole grains and will be exploring foods from Somalia and Italy as well as some local Ohio favorites. I hope you have as much fun preparing and eating these dishes at home as we will in the classroom.
Whole Wheat Pancakes (Ohio) 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt ¼ cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ cup vegetable oil 1-1/4 cups water 1 cup blueberries (optional) Ohio maple syrup Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Add oil and water. Stir until just combined. Ladle batter onto a hot, oiled frying pan. If desired, add blueberries on top of batter as it cooks. Flip and cook until done. Serve with Ohio maple syrup. Yield: 30 mini pancakes Somali Brown Rice 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon, cardamom & coriander 1 yellow onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ bunch cilantro, rough chopped 4 cups cooked brown Basmati rice Kosher salt to taste Saute the onion and spices in the oil until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the rice and warm. Add the cilantro and re-season with kosher salt to taste. --Agnes Burris, Food Matters Parent Volunteer
Room Reps…
Our next meeting is March 5 at 9:00 am. Hope to see you there! Teacher Room Rep(s)
Mrs. M Jennifer Schmied Michelle Holly Ruggerio Elizabeth Kate Wilkinson Julie Lisa Pfeifer Amy H. Elizabeth Douglass Emilie Mark Klingler Shannon Jennifer Nolte Sue Catherine Bird
Chrissy Gilbert Danielle/Nicole Jessica Starr
Cass Freeland Tracey Kelly Chellis
Amanda Hullinger Amy P. Karen Staley Tiffany Maria Conroy Ronda Sarah/James Bartczak Sylvia Tani Kushner Melissa Patti O’Toole Maree Lyen Djakov Andrew Marty Biggs Trina Mary Brown Jennifer Susan Belair Lisa Elizabeth Days Stephanie Denise Jacobs Monica Emily Adesiji
Fundraising, Donations & Service… Pizza! Pizza! The 8th graders will be selling pizza during the student-led conferences on Thursday, Feb. 16th. Stop by the lobby to pick up a delicious dinner and help support the 8th graders as they earn money to fund their trip to Colonial Williamsburg in May. “No Stuff” Fundraiser The “No Stuff” fundraiser is in progress and runs through spring break. Please donate what you are able to online (www.indianolakids.org) or by dropping a check in the PTO lockbox in the office.
School Choice … Indianola K-8 Tours Prospective family tours are underway. We welcome parent volunteers to help show new families the building. All that’s needed is a basic understanding of our program and a willingness to show people around. (We have a “cheat sheet” to help you answer questions.) Remaining tours are Weds, February 8 and 22 at 10 a.m. CCS School Choice Deadlines High School: Application deadline: The application deadline for the High School lottery was January 31st. Notification of lottery results: Results will be mailed to parents by March 2nd. On or after March 2nd parents may also call the FACTline (221-FACT or 221-3228) for results M-F from 9:00 am-3:00 pm. Elementary & Middle School: Application Availability: Elementary & Middle school applications are now available in CCS schools and online. Application deadline: Elementary & Middle school lottery applications must be turned in to the School Choice Office by Feb. 29th. Applications may be delivered in person to 61 S. 6th St. or faxed to 365-6794. (Though applications can be mailed to the 6th St. address, we do not recommend it.) Other important dates: June 15th: Last day to apply for regular lottery placements August 29th: Last day for sibling placements
Events Around Town…
ADHD & Autism Support Groups Columbus City Schools is offering support groups for parents of students with ADHD and Autism. Wednesday, February 8 the support groups will meet at Northgate Service Center, 6655 Sharon Woods Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43229. The ADHD Support Group will be held from 9-11. The Autism Support Group will be held from 12-2. The Autism Support Group will feature Nick Weiland from the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) as a guest speaker on new technologies. Please RSVP by calling 365-8642 or 365-5219 and including your name, your child's name, and the school he or she attends. Refreshments and door prizes are included!
Get Involved… *Attend the PTO business meeting Feb. 8th *Volunteer to help with tours Feb. 8th & 22nd *Attend the Carnival Committee meeting Feb. 10th *Join our gender discussion group Feb. 9th
*Reserve a time slot with your child’s teacher for the student-led conferences in February *Volunteer to be a judge at the Invention Convention Feb. 22nd *Become a PTO member by sending in your $10 membership donation *Log on to www.indianolakids.org to see what’s been posted since your last visit. *Submit an article &/or photo for the March newsletter
