Stillwater Township School

February 3, 2012

 

School Board Member Election Notification

If you have been a resident of Stillwater Twp. for more than one year and are interested in becoming a school board member, now is the time to obtain the Nominating Petitions and School Board Candidate Kit from the Board Office. There are three positions open, each a three year term. Petitions must be completed and returned to the Board Office by February 27, 2012, by 4pm. Contact René Solar at 973-383-8954 or rene.solar@stillwaterschool.net with questions.

 

 

 

ATTENDANCE LINE PHONE NUMBER

973-383-3227

 

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

2/13 (Mon.) – BOE Meeting @7pm

2/20 & 2/21 – School Closed – Winter Recess

2/27 (Mon.) – BOE Meeting @ 7pm

 

ONLINE CALENDAR AND EVENTS SCHEDULER

Please continue to visit our website www.stillwaterschool.net and click on the link to view the school calendar for the week, and also sign-up for reminders to any events that are taking place in the school. If you have any questions or problems subscribing to the notifier, please contact Assistant Principal, Mr. Bell at 973-383-6171 ext. 224 or at christopher.bell@stillwaterschool.net.

 

MORNING KEEP NOW AVAILABLE!:

KEEP is now offering morning childcare at Stillwater School. Contact 383-2213 for more info.

 

LADIES BOOT FOUND

A ladies black boot was found in the school’s front parking lot a couple of weeks ago, just after the buses arrived in the morning. We have it in the Main Office.

 

After School Learning Center Dates

FEBRUARY:   2  •  7, 9  •  14, 16  •  28

MARCH:   1  •  6, 8  •  13, 15  •  27, 29

 

Kindergarten Registration

If your child will be 5-years old on or before 10/1/12, you may register him/her for kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year. You may call Ms. Sue Sager (383-6171) to either have a registration packet mailed to you, or you may pick one up at the school. Complete instructions and important dates are included in the packet. Pre-Screening dates will be 3/27, 3/28, and 3/29. Orientation will be 6/6/12.

Required for registration:

·         Birth Certificate (official - with raised seal)

 

·         Immunization History (including Hepatitis B series & Varicella vaccine)

 

·         Current physical form from your physician (returned by April ’12)

 

·         Proof of Residency (2) – (Please call Ms. Sager with any questions on this).  Suggested items:  Copy of license with Stillwater address; Copy of deed/mortgage or lease agreement; Stillwater residence tax bill; Utility bill for Stillwater residence; Other (Contact Ms. Sager)

 

Preschool Registration

If your child will be 3 or 4 years old on or before 10/1/12, you may register him/her for preschool for the 2012/2013 school year. You may call Mrs. Eileen Theys at 973-383-3998 to have a registration packet mailed to you or you may pick one up at school. Complete instructions and tuition information are included in the packet. To guarantee enrollment for your child, the completed packet must be returned to Stillwater School as soon as possible as there are a limited number of spaces available. The following items are required for registration: Birth Certificate (official – with raised seal); Immunization History; Current Physical Form from your physician; Proof of Residency (2) Suggested items are: Copy of driver’s license with Stillwater address; Copy of deed/mortgage or lease agreement; Stillwater residence tax bill; Utility bill for Stillwater residence; Other (contact Mrs. Theys)

 

Staff Jeans Day: The staff at Stillwater School joined the students today and wore jeans and their favorite football team colors! In order to do this, they donated money, along with the students, to the Fredon Animal Hospital. In addition, they donated a food item to a local food bank. The staff enjoys being philanthropic to local charities!

 

Buddy Day: Our first school-wide Buddy Day to support our character education curriculum was Friday, January 27. Classes paired up with other classes in a different grade level and were able to come together for one period. All students worked with their new buddies on Valentine’s Day cards for local nursing homes. The premise behind this event was to support our local senior citizens, some of which do not see many people or get many cards during the year except for Christmas. The students loved coloring and writing with their buddies. Our next Buddy Day will be in March. Thanks to Mrs. Bessemer for delivering the cards.

 

Preschool News: The preschoolers have had a great time using their imagination as they learned about snow and the winter season. We pretended to build snowmen, ice skate and even make snow angels. Stories and songs about snow helped us to use our imagination. The children are still hoping for a winter storm so they can experience SNOW for real! The children learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his messages as they listened to and discussed the stories, The Ugly Duckling, A Flake Like Mike, What’s Under Your Hood, Orson?, It’s Okay to Be Different and Whoever You Are. The children know that each of us is special in our own way. Love fills the air in our preschool as the children create special cards and crafts for Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day from Stillwater Preschool!

 

1st Grade News: Will we have an early spring?  The first grade classes learned about Groundhog Day this week. The children made predictions about an early spring or the continuation of winter. They researched information about Punxsutawney Phil on the computer. Come read our predictions in the hall.

 

Library Update: February is a fine time for fairy tales and fantasy! Our kindergarten, first and second graders are discovering what magical and fantastic creatures show up in some classic and modern fairy tales and fantasy books. Third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders are continuing to read through the chapter books that we started last month. To find out more about these great books, go to Miss Scheider’s page on the Stillwater School website.

 

5th Grade Language Arts: We have finished reading the beloved book, Shiloh. This week students worked in pairs, or small groups, to write a script depicting one of the scenes in the book. Students transformed into characters as they acted out the scenes using various props and authentic Southern dialect very similar to what they heard in Shiloh. All of the students exceeded my expectations, and I was amazed at the acting skills of our 5th grade students. I hope the students enjoyed writing and acting as much as I enjoyed watching their performances! Our next book will be Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. It is a fictional story about an orphaned runaway boy looking for a home. I know the students are going to love this book, and I can’t wait to start reading it with all of the 5th graders! –Miss Corter

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILY MATH: The library was the place to be for several 5th grade families last Tuesday night as they gathered for our third session. Some of the initial activities we attempted were discovering pi by using ratios and circumference, trying to beat one another in a fun multiplication game, and using only four 4’s to form equations equaling the numbers 1-20. “Pico Fermi Bagels” was a unique number game that required good listening and logic skills. It was also a challenge working together to use up all of our ingredients in “Gorp” to make bags of snacks and see who would pay the least penalty for amounts left over.  Finally, Mr. Gooding was rewarded with a jar full of peanut M&Ms for his excellent guess of how many were actually in the estimation jar. Congratulations!

 

Math-a-thon Update: Just a quick reminder ALL math-a-thon money is due back by Friday, February 10, 2012! Thank you for your help!

 

 

The Following Are Not School Sponsored Events

 

COMMUNITY

Donations Needed for Father John’s Animal Shelter: Daisy Troop 5010 is collecting donations for Father John’s Animal Shelter. Items needed are: cat litter (non clumping), canned cat food, canned dog food, Milk Bone dog treats, KONG brand dog toys, paper towels, 13 gallon trash bags, 30 gallon trash bags. Please bring your donations to a drop off box in the main office between February 3 – 17.

 

Cyber-bullying Workshop: February 28 from 7pm-8:30pm at Frankford School. What EVERY parent needs to know…..an interactive presentation regarding the dangers and consequences of cyber-bullying. Hear firsthand from a young adult about the devastating effects. Strategies for prevention will be discussed along with time for audience questions to be answered. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the Center for Prevention & Counseling. Contact Monica Orr at 973-948-3727 x228 with any questions.

 

SPORTS

LACROSSE: Registration for the Kittatinny Youth Lacrosse Club spring season beginning in late March is now open for 3rd through 8th grade boys and girls. Information and registration forms may be found at our website, www.kittatinnylax.com and should be mailed into our PO Box as soon as possible. Registration is on a first come first serve basis until teams are filled. Many teams are more that half filled already.

 

Stillwater Rec SOFTBALL is now accepting registrations. All girls pre-K (5yrs. by March 1) through 9th grade are welcome. Forms are due NOW and can be found at: www.stillwater-rec.org or contact Wendy Fabian at 973-300-4705 or  weefabian@embarqmail.com Please pass the word along to any 7th 8th or 9th grader at KRHS. Teams will be picked by 2/15/12.

 

FUNDRAISERS

MARKET DAY: February Market Day flyers have been sent home. NEW ITEMS for February are: Lemon Parmesan Salmon, Three Cheese Mini Pizza Bagels, and Hickory Smoked BBQ Chicken. All orders of at least $40.00 (pre-tax) will receive a FREE 4 Pack of Cookie Dough Cups. Also, all online orders of at least $90.00 (pre-tax) will receive a FREE 1 lb. of Chicken Gems when you input the code FEBBONUS at checkout. FREQUENT BUYERS: Make two purchases of $40 (pre-tax) between February and April, then place a third order of $40 (pre-tax) in May to receive a FREE Cooler Tote at your May sale pick-up. (orders must reach those two amounts after any applicable discounts/coupons) February is also cookie month! Get your favorites while they last...easy to bake, get the children to help! February pick up is Tuesday, February 21. Paper orders due back to school by Tuesday, February 14. Online orders are due by 11 pm on Wednesday, February 15. Questions, contact Cheryl Castner at 973-579-3182 or ccastner@embarqmail.com

 

** Kittatinny Jr. High School Play  - February 3 & 4 at 7:00pm! **

 

Stillwater PTA

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT NO STUDENT WILL BE BARRED FROM ANY PTA EVENT BASED ON THEIR PARENTS’ PTA MEMBERSHIP STATUS. ALL PTA EVENTS ARE OPEN TO EVERY STUDENT. NO CHILD WILL BE TURNED AWAY FROM TAKING PART IN ANY PTA EVENT.

·         THANK YOU: The PTA Executive Board would like to send out a THANK YOU to everyone who has already volunteered to help plan our annual Tricky Tray and help us get it off the ground and running! This is our largest event of the year, and we appreciate each and every thing you have done and will continue to do. If you haven’t volunteered to help, or would like more information, please see the additional Tricky Tray information below.

·         GERTRUDE HAWK: Our annual Gertrude Hawk Spring candy sale starts this Monday, February 6. Brochures and order forms went home today, Friday, February 3. Old favorites are back...with some new items as well! This fundraiser has always been a success, and we hope to continue that this year. Please have all completed forms (adding each row horizontally and each column vertically), with one check made payable to Stillwater PTA, back to school by Monday, February 27th.  Order forms will be sent to Gertrude Hawk that week, so getting them in by the 27th will be a great help to me.  Gertrude Hawk awards a prize to the top seller, which we will pass on to this year’s student.  It’s an AWESOME prize!!  Questions, contact Cheryl Castner, ccastner@embarqmail.com or 973-579-3182.

·         VALENTINE’S CANDY SALE: Our annual Valentine’s candy sale is almost here! Students will be able to purchase their loved ones a special Valentine’s treat on Monday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 14. This is always a fun day for the students, as they are very excited to bring home their special “gifts” to their families. More information to follow. Questions, contact Jessica Pavlick, 973-300-9333.

·         CULTURAL ARTS NIGHT: February 24, 2012...more information to follow.

·         BOOK IT!: Keep reading those books and sending in those forms! Questions, contact Cheryl Castner, 973-579-3182.

·         TRICKY TRAY: Planning has already begun for our annual Tricky Tray. This is our biggest event of the year! The proceeds of the Tricky Tray support many programs in our school, including ALL ASSEMBLIES, (2) FAMILY FUN NIGHTS, CULTURAL ARTS NIGHT, and our new event the FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE. The PTA has also purchased three “Walkie Talkies” for the school to use during fire drills and at recess to ensure the safety of our children.  These are just a few examples of how the PTA can put the proceeds of the Tricky Tray to good use. Tricky Tray Planning Meetings have already begun.  If you are interested in learning more about this event, or would like to attend one (or more) of the meetings, please contact Amanda Connelly at 973-551-8505, 910raw@gmail.com OR Wendy Kimble at 973-940-1211, wak1016@ptd.net.  Since this is the biggest event of the year, many hands are needed!!

·         TRICKY TRAY:  It’s that time again!  Green handouts have gone home, and your help is needed.  In order to make our annual Tricky Tray a huge success, we are asking for YOUR help!  We are asking each child to bring in a $5.00 donation.  This donation will go towards their homeroom tray.  Please mark the envelope with your child’s name, grade and teacher.  THE FIRST CLASS TO REACH 100% PARTICIPATION WILL RECEIVE A PIZZA PARTY!!  These trays will be purchased by the homeroom parent.  Also...please consider filling out the white paper, which is attached to the green one, and kindly donate a tray.  If you do not wish to donate a tray, but would still like to donate in some way, you may make a monetary donation.  This donation will be used to purchase a tray in your name.  If you wish to make up a tray yourself, please consider a tray geared towards the teen or young adult age group.  (We received feedback last year that there weren’t many trays geared towards those age groups)  ALL $5.00 DONATIONS AND TRAY INFORMATION IS DUE BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH.  As a THANK YOU for donating a family tray, you will receive one free sheet of tickets!  (Limited to one sheet per household and you must be a Stillwater Family.)  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!  

·         BOX TOPS: Thanks to all of you for clipping and sending in those boxtops all year! We received our first check of the year, and the total was $1,214.88. Remember, keep sending your boxtops to school, labeled with the homeroom teacher’s name. The competition is getting close for the leading homerooms, so keep clipping!  Watch for future updates which will include the top 3 homerooms and submission deadlines!

·         PTA SUGGESTION BOX: If you can not make it to our meetings, but have a suggestion or concern, please put it in our suggestion box!  The box is located on the wall immediately inside the main entrance of the school. If you would like to be contacted, please put your contact information on your submission. Please keep in mind, though, you may remain anonymous if you wish.  

·         STILLWATER SCHOOL COOKBOOKS:  Stillwater School PTA Cookbooks are on sale now!  They are currently on sale for $10.00 each. Simply send your request and payment to school with “PTA Cookbook” written on the envelope, and your cookbook will be on it’s way to you. Questions, contact Robin Waldo at 973-300-4002.

·         MEMBERSHIP DRIVE: The PTA Membership Drive is an ongoing event all school year long.  If you wish to join the PTA, please return your envelope, with dues, to school.  If you have misplaced yours and would like another one, contact Wendy Kimble at 973-940-1211 or wak1016@ptd.net.  Thank you, and please consider becoming a member today!

·         NEXT MONTH:  PTA Book Swap, Roller Skating, Spring Book Fair, Tricky Tray.

·         NEXT MEETING:  Our next PTA meeting is Wednesday, March 7, at 3:15 pm.