Meadow’s December 2009 Newsletter Meadow’s December 2009 Newsletter Meadow’s December 2009 Newsletter Meadow’s December 2009 Newsletter From the rincipal: We had a busy November! Meadow had many successful activities such as the food drive for the North Tonawanda food pantry, the book fair and the 5th grade students finished taking the NYS social studies tests. Meadow will continue to help our families with the Giving Tree and the holiday food baskets for families in need. We will be collecting groceries to ensure a wonderful holiday dinner. Each grade level will be asked to bring in certain items; any non-perishable food item would be appreciated. Please encourage your children to participate in this food drive. The ‘Giving Tree’ will be located in the main hallway. There will be ornaments on the tree representing a variety of our students. The ornament will state if the child is a boy or girl, their age and things they are interested in. If you pick an ornament off the tree, give your name to the office so they can keep track of the ornaments. Please return the wrapped gift with the ornament attached to the office by December 11th. From the Meadow staff to each of our Meadow families, we wish you all happy holidays and a wonderful New Year. Enjoy this

Meadow Elementary SchoolMeadow Elementary SchoolMeadow Elementary SchoolMeadow Elementary School Where we work and learn together for our future

455 Meadow Drive, North Tonawanda, NY 14120 (716) 807-3825

joyous holiday with your families and loved ones. Cuddle up with your children and share a good book and wonderful memories. Sincerely,

Patricia Adler

Principal Meadow has continued our Character Counts program. We meet as a school for about 20-30 minutes monthly for our Character Education assembly. Parents and friends are invited to celebrate our students’ accomplishments. For the month of November the characteristic was ‘Citizenship’. The students who received the CitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenship award were: Kindergarten Second Grade Fourth Grade Sixth Grade Ceckowski/Valentine Reading Anderson Sabo

Brianna D Abigail T Jayden M

Savannah H Hanna H Molly D

Jaxon H Emily M

Lesmeister Marren Oldenburg Ellman

Jordan H Daniel B Jason L Tori P

Eric S Cassandra D Emily P

Bertini Haynes Pieper Silverberg

Anna G Chase S James R Hayden H

Jack D Victoria B Joe M

Briana H Jenna L

Alex E

Rhett S

First Grade Third Grade Fifth Grade

Glogowski Piwtorak Gillen

Evan T Marissa D Kacey Q

Laurel H Joe D

Couladis Regan Iadicicco

Elliott K David K Tyler P

Luke M Sarah W Timothy W

Amber S

Future assemblies have been scheduled. December 23 Caring January 29 Trustworthiness February 26 Honesty March 26 Open-Mindedness (accepting differences) April 30 Self-Reliance May 28 Fairness

Report Cards will be issued on these

dates:

December 11 Grades 1-6

January 22 Kindergarten

March 26 Grades 1-6

All students will receive their final

report card on the last day of school in

June.

Art News!

News Letter…

We have been very busy all ready this year… K, 1 & 2 are discovering details

within ones self-portrait and then taking it a step further too see how

changing those details creates EXPRESSION! We used David Shannon’s book

A Bad Case of Stripes to help us illustrate this! Then using Maurice Sendek’s

book “Where the Wild Things Are”, we created works of art that have

expression, texture and depth! The 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th have been busy

creating a portfolio using math, markers and water color pastels. We will be

working on two sculpture units. Wood houses for 3rd and 4th graders and

Calaveras for 5th and 6th grade. We will be doing this in conjunctions with

Spanish and the holiday Los Dias de Los Muertos (day of the dead)… MORE

TO COME! The 5th and 6th grade will then create a “quote box”, a sculpture

that contains a quote of inspiration!

Thank you so much for all your help and support!

Mrs. Wright

mjwright@ntschools.org

Nutrition News FREE BREAKFAST WEEK is January 11th-January 15th for all students in grades K-8. The menu includes pancakes on a stick, warm cinnamon rolls and english muffin pizza. New breakfast item-UBR-Ultimate Breakfast Round. These are a 100% whole grain nutritional powerhouse. Each round contains 6 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. This is equal to four granola bars or two bowls of cherrios. UBR’s are on the menu January 25th. Students can enjoy our “Super Bowl” cereal bar on January 29th. Students will combine different cereals and toppings to create their own designer bowl of cereal. A new promotion for Breakfast and Lunch is the Produce of the Month. We will be featuring a particular fruit or vegetable each month, highlighting its many benefits and incorporating the produce into school menus. This program is designed to reinforce the many benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. The produce of the month for January is oranges. January lunch promotion is Use Your Noodle-Think Wheat Pasta. Students will be offered wheat spaghetti, wheat penne and wheat rotini as part of the lunch menu. Eating wheat pasta is a great way to add whole grains into your diet. Our always popular combo lunch is on the menu January 15th. Mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers and a snowman pretzel all together in one lunch. New desserts in January include Italian ice, Fruit Snack Delight (a fruit filled cake) and Cinnamon Churro. It’s never too late….

You can apply for a free or reduced priced meal any time during the school year. All students that are eligible for a free or reduced price breakfast may also receive a free or reduced price breakfast. A family of four with an annual income of less than $41,000 may be eligible for this benefit. Applications are available in the school office.

Please notify the school immediately if there is ever a change in your contact information – including cell, home, or work telephone numbers and/or your home address. For your convenience, if there has been a change, you may fill out the bottom portion of this sheet and submit to your child’s teacher. Thank you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emergency Contact Information

Attention Meadow Elementary School - Please note these changes in our contact information: Student Name(s) and Grade levels: _______________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

� Our new home phone number_______________________________________

� Our new cell number: _____________________________________________

� Our new address: ________________________________________________

� Additional persons with permission to pick my child(ren) up from school: ________________________________________________________

� Other contact information changes: (i.e.: Grandparent phone number changes if they are listed as emergency contacts) ________________________________________________________

____________________________________

Parent Signature

SCHOOL CLOSING INFORMATION

HOW IS THE DECISION MADE?

The decision to open or close school in bad weather is based on a careful analysis of all relevant factors, some of which are:

• Road conditions – This information comes from our District snow-plowing crew; our transportation department and the police. The status of City snow plowing efforts is also an important consideration.

• Amount of snow and/or ice already accumulated and whether precipitation is

expected to continue along with the temperature and wind chill factors.

Careful monitoring of weather forecasts.

• School site conditions – Information is communicated to the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds from staff members who are responsible for clearing and treating school parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. Any electrical and/or heat problems are also reported by custodial and maintenance staff.

WHO MAKES THE DECISION?

The Superintendent of School is responsible for the final decision based on the above factors.

HOW IS THE PUBLIC NOTIFIED?

Tune to local radio or TV stations for closing information. The first calls go to TV channels 2 (WGR), 4 (WIVB) and 7 (WKBW) and radio station 930 AM (WBEN) followed by the FM radio stations. Please do not call the schools unless it is an emergency. The school also notifies families of emergency through Global Connect. Please make sure that the District has your updated telephone numbers. Also understand after we receive your updated information it will take time to update the District’s data base.

WHEN IS THE DECISION MADE?

We always try to make the decision by 6:30 a.m. so we can notify radio and TV stations and alert the transportation and food service departments. Waiting much longer to announce a closing means some parents will have already left for work expecting their children to be in school for the day.

WILL SCHOOLS CLOSE IF CONDITIONS WORSEN?

Keep in mind that, even if weather conditions worsen, we cannot reverse the decision in the morning without endangering students. Once the decision is made to open school, many parents rely on it and leave for work. This includes those who drop off children at the BASE Program as early as 7:00 a.m. If we were to send students right back home, many would return to unsupervised bus stops and empty houses.

It is the responsibility of the school to ensure the safety of

our students, and for this reason we need to continue to enforce our parking procedures, as follows:

1. Bus students exit the East side of the building.

2. Walkers are dismissed from the MAIN/North entrance (by the flag pole) This separates the school bus loading zone

from car traffic and no child has to cross in front of buses.

Please remember: It is illegal to park along the entry circle

in front of the school. If cars park in the circle, it can cause congestion and an unsafe environment for our children.

3. If you pick up your child from school, please park your

car in the lot in front of the Alumni Center/West side of the

school. You can walk to pick up your child as they exit the North/Main exit.

Thank you for helping make this a wonderful, and safe, year

for everyone.

Parents/Guardians please take a moment to remind your children of the following basic safety rules:

SAFETY FIRST AT MEADOWSAFETY FIRST AT MEADOWSAFETY FIRST AT MEADOWSAFETY FIRST AT MEADOW

→→→→ Always take a friend with you when you go places or play outside

→→→→ Never talk to a stranger

→→→→ Never go anywhere with a stranger

→→→→ Walk to the bus stop/school with a buddy/friend

→→→→ Encourage your child to talk with a trusted adult if something seems wrong, or if they feel unsafe

If your child is still feeling unsafe this simple phrase may help them to feel better prepared: “NO, GO, and TELL”. They should yell “NO”, then GO to a place they feel safe and TELL a trusted adult what has happened.

School Hours:

Doors Open . . . . . . 8:50am

Class Begins . . . . . . . 9:00am Bus Students Released . . . . . . 3:10pm

Walkers Released . . . . . . . 3:15 pm

Please note: students will NOT be able to enter the building

before 8:50 as there is no supervision provided. Please try to time your child’s departure for school so that your child

does not arrive too early.

Visitors:

We do have a supervised program available to all students before and after school (B.A.S.E.).

If you are in need of an application, please

contact the main office or the BASE office at 807-3784

Breakfast is also available to students beginning at 8:30. They must enter through

the main door of the school and walk to the new cafeteria. There is a warm breakfast and

supervision for only .75 cents. Students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch are also

eligible for free or reduced price breakfast. As always, thank you for your cooperation.

All visitors must report to the main office upon arrival to

school. They must sign the visitor’s log and receive a

visitor’s pass. NO VISITORS ARE TO GO DIRECTLY TO A CLASSROOM. Time is precious and interruptions must be

kept to a minimum.

Banking Continues at Meadow!!

Meadow Home School Association along with First Niagara Bank has continued the savings bank program. Every

Wednesdays before school begins, students can go to the

conference room to hand in their banking money. The

money is then deposited into the bank. If you have not

signed up for this program, you may pick up an application in the main office. It is a great way to teach our children

how to save money.

Tidbits about School Banking

o Only deposits can be made at the school.

o Minimum deposit is $.25, no balance requirement.

o The Bank will make a $1.00 deposit to the account after it is activated by the

child's first deposit.

o Semi-annual statements are mailed to the student's (account holder's) home on

June 30th and December 31st.

o Contests and incentive prizes are offered.

o The account will be closed if there is no initial deposit within 6 months of the

account opening.

o Withdrawals can only be made at First Niagara branches.

Custody Papers:

Telephone and Cell Phone Use:

Since we believe it is important for children to assume responsibility

for bringing in their homework, sneakers, lunches etc., we discourage the use of the telephone to call home for these items.

CHILDREN SHOULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES WHILE THEY ARE AT HOME. They are discouraged

from using the school phones for this purpose. Students at our school

may possess mobile and digital technology devices, such as cell phones and personal digital assistance in school for safety reasons,

subject to the following rules:

1. No use of devices on school grounds.

Mothers and fathers have equal rights to

receive school information about their children, to conferences with teachers, and to

pick their children up from school. If you have court papers that restrict any of these

activities, we must have a copy at school. A note from one parent asking us to restrict

access to the other parent is not adequate. Please be sure to update our information

whenever a change occurs.

2. Students possessing mobile digital technology devices may

NOT turn on or use the devices on school grounds.

3. The school is NOT responsible for stolen, lost or damaged

equipment.

Please note important dates for Meadow:

November 30-

December 3 Santa’s Holiday Shoppe

December 2 Picture make-up

December 4 Parent/Teacher Conferences

student - ½ day 11:45 dismissal

December 9 Evening conferences

Check It Out!

The District Website has been updated!

Please visit www.ntschools.org for comprehensive improvements to the District site as well the individual Elementary School

pages!

Updates are being made every day, so stay informed on all the latest school and district information by visiting the web address above.

December 10 Meadow Holiday Concert – 7:00 Alumni

Center

December 11 Parent/Teacher Conferences student - ½ day 11:45 dismissal

December 11 Grades 1-6 Report Cards

December 17 MHSA meeting 6:30

December 23 Character Education Assembly 9:05 MPR

December 24- January 1 Winter Recess

January 11 MHSA meeting 6:30

January 18 Martin Luther King Day-No School

January 22 Kindergarten Report Cards

January 22 Meadow Movie Night

January 26 Meadow Idol Try-outs 6:00-8:00pm

January 28 Meadow Idol Try-outs 6:00-8:00pm

January 29 Character Education Assembly 9:05 MPR

NEW TO NORTH TONAWANDA/ADDRESS CHANGE??

As of July 1, 2008, all new students to the North

Tonawanda City School district must register at the

Administration Building at 175 Humphrey Street.

Additionally, all address changes must be completed and

approved. The district requires certain documentation in

order to register your child and/or make an address

change. These forms can be obtained at the administration

building or by calling to make an appointment at 807-3535.

Sex Offender Notification The North Tonawanda Police Department has informed the

school district that we will no longer be receiving written notification of level 2 and 3 sex offenders through the mail

as we have in the past. The Niagara County Sheriff’s

Department created a web site listing all the level 2 and 3

sex offenders residing in North Tonawanda on that web

site.

Additionally, the web site will allow users to sign up for a

notification service that will automatically notify you via e-

mail every time a level 2 or 3 sex offender moves into or

from place to place within Niagara County.

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department web site is

www.ncsd.com/SOR/. Please also remember that the New

York State web site is: www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/sor/. The state web site

allows you to search by name, county or zip code

throughout New York. The state’s toll free number is 1-

800-262-3257.

The District will continue with notification using the District

newsletter and District web site

www.ntcityschools.wnyric.org.

Home School Happenings

HO, HO, HO…The holidays are fast approaching and that means it’s time for Santa’s Secret Shop! Letters should have come home with the date and

time for each class. Check with your child’s teacher if you haven’t received one yet.

Yankee Candle Sale – Candles are due in plenty of time for the holidays! Watch for a notice to come home with pick up information. Mycokerewards.com – We have the opportunity to earn more money for our school with Coke Products. Go to the website mycokerewards.com to get all the details on how your Coke purchases can benefit all the kids here at Meadow School. Box Tops Contest – We are currently running our Box Tops Christmas Contest so keep clipping those Box Tops. Look on all your boxes and packages before you toss them into the garbage or recycling bin!

Keep an eye out for information on Movie Nights coming up in January and February!

Join Us for our Next MHSA Meeting:

Thursday, December 17, 2009 (6:30pm)

Smarter Adults – Safer Children Training

Smarter Adults-Safer Children is a mandatory training for all

adults volunteering in the school district more than once a school

year. If you plan to volunteer (or hope to) please plan to attend

one of the following trainings:

December 3, 2009 9:00 am Meadow

January 20, 2010 1:30 pm Drake

February 11, 2010 6:00 pm Middle School

March 3, 2010 4:30 pm Ohio

April 2010* High School

May 2010* Middle School

June 2010* High School

*Please call the main office closer to the month for day and time