Welcome to the Thorntown Elementary PTO Page!
Check out our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThorntownElementaryPTO/.
Upcoming Dates:
September 26 - Breakfast format changes to cafe dining; service line closes at 7:50; tardy bell at 7:55
October 7 - Pre-registration for Grandparent's Day is available.
October 10 - Switch from PE to Art for the 2nd Quarter.
October 11 & 13 - Parent/Teacher Conferences: Please contact your child's teachers to schedule your conference.
October 14 - Grandparent's Day
October 17-21- Fall Break
Special News:
Grandparent's Day
We are so excited to be able to host Grandparent's Day on Friday, October 14!
Due to limited parking and construction restrictions, we will do 2 sessions to split the crowd. We recognize this can make for a long day for grandparents who want to attend both sessions. Thorntown has some wonderful eateries, where you can catch up with friends and grab a bite before returning for our afternoon session. Hopefully you can make a great day of celebrating your role as grandparents!
Grades: 3-6:
*8:45 Sign-in stations open up at doors 11 & 12. Grandparents may visit classrooms briefly as time allows, until the program begins in the gym
*9:30 Grandparents take their seats in the gym
*9:45 Program
*10:15 or when program ends - Release students back to classrooms
*10:20 Release grandparents to leave
Grades Pre-K-Second:
*12:30 Sign-in stations open up at doors 11 & 12. Grandparents may visit classrooms briefly as time allows, until the program begins in the gym
*1:15 Grandparents take their seats in the gym
*1:30 Program
*2:00 or when program ends - Release students back to classrooms
*2:05 Release grandparents to leave building (Must clear any parking from Mill Street for busses to arrive by 2:15)
Secure Sign-in: We are asking grandparents to pre-register to help expedite the sign-in process. They can still attend if they do not pre-register, but they will need a background check run upon arrival to be permitted in the building. This can slow their check-in time down. Pre-registration can open 7 days prior to an event, so we will share the registration link on October 7th.
Parking: School staff will park off-site that day to open up the parking lot for our visitors. Parking will still be limited, so plan your arrival accordingly in the event you need to park off-site.
Dismissal: We are asking to be notified in writing on or before the morning of October 14 of any students who will be going home with their grandparents. Following the program, these students will return to their classroms to gather their belongings, before being released to the office at the main entrance where they will connect with their grandparents. No one should leave with students without signing
them out in the office.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO PASS THE INFO ON TO GRANDPARENTS SO THEY HAVE THE DETAILS AND PRE-REGISTRATION INFO.
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION*
Grade Cards & End of the Quarter News:
From Mrs. Hayden's Desk:
It has been an amazing first quarter. I often get asked how we can possibly learn with all that is going on in and around our school. You'd be surprised about how smooth the process is going! Majority of the work is outside our walls and what we do observe piques our curiosity about how the world works all around us. Watching the machinery and the contractors construct a building up close brings new meaning to the science we study in school. It is school as usual for us and we are getting the added benefit of some real world experience. We hope you'll appreciate the progress when you get a chance to visit!
COMMUNITY BUILDING: I Can Do Hard Things!
As we end our first quarter together, it is a good time to talk with students about how they see themselves as learners. We intend school to be a place where students are stretched and challenged in a variety of ways. Afterall, if you aren't wrestling with something a bit, you probably are not learning anything new. Share your different strengths and needs with your child, talk about how you learned as a child, help them understand that hard things are not bad. We spend our lives getting good at handling hard things and that is how we prepare to be our best selves. Set a learning goal with your child for the second quarter and plan how your can work as a family to help them achieve this goal. The content we teach day-to-day is nothing compared to the life lessons that go into learning something new and putting your whole heart in to what you are learning and doing. If grades are not where you want to see them, be sure to talk with your child about what they feel they are struggling with and how they can get better at handling that hard thing. Help them consider whether they put their whole heart into their work each day. We become the best versions of ourselves when we decide to apply ourselves and take ownership of our learning journey. This conversation will look different for a 5 year old versus a 12 year old, but no one is too young to hear this message . We will talk with our students about this in our community building time each day, but please continue to conversation at home.
CAR RIDER SAFETY TIPS:
*Please stay in your vehicle at all times *Have your backpacks zipped and ready to go
*Stay single file; do not pass other cars *Watch out for other cars and each other
*Drive slowly; be cautious and keep an eye out for children and one another
*Enter and exit the vehicle through the door closest to the sidewalk.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Visitors/Volunteers: We are excited to welcome parent volunteers and visitors for special events. We ask that visitors arrive after 8:15 to allow us to get through arrival and secure the building, before opening up the sign-in stations. We will not have visitors join students for lunch, as no visitors will be permitted in the cafeteria during meal times. Please note that all volunteers and visitors to the school must scan in with a driver's license or government-issued identification each time they visit. Volunteers will need to complete a criminal background check prior to helping with classrooms or attending field trips. Regular volunteers will still need their identification to be scanned prior to entry each time they visit. Don't leave home without it!
Meals: The cost for breakfast is $1.50 per day. Lunch will cost $2.00 per day. This will allow you to deposit funds and receive an alert when your balance is low. If you prefer to send lunch money to school with your child, you can pay by cash or check. Your child can turn the money into his/her teacher or directly to the cafeteria manager.
Snacks & Water Bottles: Students are permitted to bring a snack for individual consumption each day. We ask that they do not store snack for multiple days, as it can attract critters. Students are also invited to bring a water bottle each day, filled only with water.
Girls On the Run: Spots are filling fast, but there is still room for the Fall Girls on the Run team.
Girls on the Run inspires girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Trained coaches lead small teams through a research-based curriculum, which includes dynamic discussions, activities, and running games. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in 3rd-5th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k event.
Practices will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:50 to 4:15. The program lasts 10 weeks and ends with a 5k in Indianapolis on November 12th. Please view the Girls on the Run website at https://www.girlsontherun.org/
for more information.
Thorntown Elementary Spirit Wear!!!
Looking for a way to show support for your favorite Thorntown Keewasakee? We are kicking off our annual Sprit Wear fundraiser soon.
Grab some great Keewasakee swag while donating to the Thorntown Elementary PTO. Our local vendor is offering 2 delivery options. Your Spirit Wear can be delivered to your student at Thorntown or you can pick it up at her store in Lebanon.
Use the attached link to order your items....please stay tuned for more details!
https://thorntownelementary.spiritsale.com
BOX TOPS
Check out the Box Tops for Education App on your i-phone or Android.
