New Drop Off Procedures

Updates From The PTA President

First, let me thank everyone who helped and attended Hanawalk. After a week of worrying that it would rain or that everybody would be at the Dave Mathews concert, all concerns turned out to be unfounded!! The families that were able to come had a great time--the weather was lovely, our singing entertainment was delightful, old friendships were renewed and hopefully, some new friendships formed. We did have a few changes this year that seemed to work well. We tried to have all the adults get a name tag as they entered so that it made it easier to see who people were and what grades their children are in to match up names and faces of kids and parents. Our aspiration was that parents, especially those newer to Hanawalt, get to know each other to keep the great tradition of community spirit alive and well at Hanawalt. We sincerely hope that we succeeded in that goal.

To date our pledges have raised $4,229 for this year, last year we raised $6,682. Our budget last year for field trips and transportation was $5,000. Of the $4,229 dollars pledged this year $500 was in matching funds-thank you to the companies that provide matching funds for their employees! If you haven’t gotten a chance to drop your pledges in the PTA mailbox-please do, it’s not too late.

NEW THIS YEAR…

Since last month’s newsletter I have come to realize that those of us who have been around Hanawalt for a while take certain things as common knowledge that really aren't. (What are box tops? And what is Hanawalk? Are two examples) So we are going to hold a Q & A session-two actually, for any questions you may have about Hanawalt, our programs, committees, how things are done, how you can volunteer, or get involved in your child’s school or any other questions you might wondered about. Any questions that are asked before the sessions, I will keep track of and start the meeting with those-if you have the question you can bet other people do as well, so feel free to email your questions to me or bring them to the meeting.

Anybody and Everybody is welcome and encouraged to attend. We will be holding two sessions:
one on October 20, 2009 from 7 pm-8 pm and a second on October 22, 2009 from 7 am-8 am.
Tentatively we will meet in the library. Hopefully one of these times will meet everybody’s schedule.

Our November PTA meeting will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2009 and we will discuss the new math curriculum that has been implemented this year. More information to follow in November’s newsletter.

I hope to see you at the Q & A session whether you’ve been at Hanawalt for a couple of years or are new to the school. You can always email any questions that come up and I’ll do my best to answer them for you!! I can be reached at
252-1787 or drop me an email at cheryl@tasty-treats.com

News From The Principal

SAFETY REMINDERS

Please remind your children that as they are walking to or from school or the bus stop, not to talk to strangers. It is important to practice safety guidelines with all children. Sometimes we assume that because we have told our children once, they will remember what to do. Take a few minutes to review walking precautions. Walk on a sidewalk. Walk with a schoolmate. Cross at street corners, not in the middle of a block. Do not answer if someone calls from a car. If a stranger approaches, run to a safe house or to school. The crossing guard is employed by the Des Moines Police Department. She is an excellent resource if your child is too far from school to return. Encourage your children to immediately tell an adult if something unusual has happened.

BEST BUY – REWARD POINTS FOR HANAWALT!

Hanawalt is registered at Best Buy to receive Reward Points. Go online and become a Reward Zone member (registration is free). Then when you purchase anything at Best Buy, you could donate your points to the school. We are trying to raise money for new digital cameras. In order to donate points, you must be registered first. Go to www.bestbuy.com

THANK YOU TO OUR SAFETY COMMITTEE!

Thank you safety committee. You have made a significant difference in the flow of traffic each morning. Parents and other drivers, we thank you for your cooperation.

TICK.TOCK.TICK.TOCK.

Reminder that school starts at 8:15. Please drop off your child between 8:00 and 8:10. This will give students time to go their lockers and be seated before the 8:15 bell rings. Anyone arriving in a classroom after 8:15 is considered to be tardy. Reducing the numbers of tardies is a building-wide goal. It is difficult for learning to take place when students are absent or late.

HELPING HANDS

For families who need some general extra assistance regarding school supplies or clothing, please contact Principal Burton. Our school social worker, Lauren Daniels, can help obtain clothing vouchers for winter clothing and boots. The Helping Hands organization can also be a resource. If you are interested in supporting Helping Hands, please leave a note for Laura Hortsmann in the PTA mailbox.

SAY CHEESE – PICTURE RE-TAKES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20

Hanawalk

All pledge forms are due including the amount pledged. Please drop in the PTA mailbox outside the music room at your earliest convenience. Please insure that all monies are in a sealed envelope, any matching fund forms enclosed and the student name/teacher are also on the envelope. Remember 100% of all donations go straight back into student enrichment!! Thank you kindly for your donations!

School Directories

In your student’s take home papers today you should find an envelope with the directory information on the outside. Please take a minute to do a final check that names, address, phone and email are all correct. What is printed on this envelope is what will be in the directory. The cost of the directory is the same as last year at $3.00 per copy. If you would like more than one copy simply note that on the envelope and enclose your full payment. All orders and payments will need to be in the PTA mailbox by next Monday October 12, 2009. Please make sure to pull the tab on the self-sealing envelopes!!

We will be making final corrections and sending to the printer over the conference break. We generally do not have but a few extras so make sure to order yours today!! These directories are a great resource when planning birthday parties, looking for other parents to carpool and for many other reasons. It is for the use of Hanawalt students and their families’ only-it is only available to our students this one time during the year. We hope that you find them useful.

Note From The Nurse

I am happy to report that our building is staying healthy. We continue to encourage good hand washing and our custodial staff is working hard to keep our school clean. Thank you for keeping your children home when they are sick. Please be sure to notify the office if your student will be absent for any reason.

Height, weight, and vision screening will be done in the month of October. Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4thgrade students will have their vision screened. 1st and 5th grade students will participate in the height and weight screening. All students will have their hearing checked in December or January. If you do not want your child to participate in any of these screenings please notify the school nurse in writing.

If you have any health concerns please call or stop in and see me any time. - Sandy Willett, School Nurse

Book Fair Thank You!

To All Those Who Helped at the Hanawalt Book Fair: THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! You guys all outdid yourselves. It was my first time being in charge and you helped to make it a smooth and positive experience for all involved. I also enjoyed getting to know all the volunteers and I want you to know how much I personally appreciate your "get it done" attitude. The students at Hanawalt are the Winners whenever parents get together and support the school activities! Thanks for helping to make the Book Fair a Winner! -Dianna Thompson

Parent Patrol / Drop Off Update

It cannot be said enough how much we appreciate the parent cooperation during drop-off in the morning. We know it has taken some getting used to and there are a few kinks to work out, but in all, it is going smoothly.

One of the questions I am often asked is why we are doing this. Last year, I hit a side mirror, had my car rear-ended, and on two different occasions almost hit a child I didn't see weaving through the cars. I started almost every day mad because there was such chaos. I wasn't alone. There were several other parents who expressed concern and discussed the various ways they avoided the whole thing. So, when Principal Burton put together this committee, I was compelled to volunteer.

This is very simply about the safety of our children. We have a neighborhood school that is tucked into a neighborhood. It doesn't give us too many options, and we're still fine tuning the process. Your concerns and feedback are appreciated and welcome, so please feel free to contact me, Lisa Russell, at lisa@scubacreative.com or 277-1368.

A few updates:

• You can drop your children off on 56th Street and have them walk down to the crossing guard. This allows you to turn right on SW 58th Drive and get back to Grand Avenue easily.
• Please do not park in the staff parking lot. Each slot is assigned to a teacher and there are currently no extra slots. It also significantly slows down drop-off if you need to back out.
• We will be closing the parking lot to drop-off at the first snow or in January after the winter break, whichever comes first. It simply gets too icy and becomes worse the more cars drive on it. Unfortunately, Robertson also becomes interesting, so we are working on ways to make the process as convenient as possible. We will send home additional information in mid-October about the winter drop-off procedures, but wanted to make everyone aware more changes are coming.
• We could use four more volunteers. This is a 30-minute commitment once a week. Please consider helping.

On Your Mark... Get Set.. Go! Kidstriders

With another school year underway, the cold weather sets in and the “stay indoors more” autopilot is turned on. But not if we know what’s good for us! Obesity rates among children have more than doubled in the past twenty years (National Logitudinal Study of Youth). National Walk & Bicycle to School Day is Wednesday, October 7. Get up earlier, grab the umbrellas and mittens, and take the time to enjoy a brisk walk to school with the kids. If it’s too far, take a family walk after dinner. Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and help you sleep better.

Also, we’re set to kick off another season of KidStriders at school and we hope you’ll encourage your child(ren) to participate. How does it work? This school-based incentive program revolves around the goal of running and/or walking a cumulative distance of 26 miles (just about a full marathon). Between now and April 15, 2010, this can be done during recess in the gym, and 5 miles per semester at home. We will keep track of miles, kids will get fun prizes along the way and each time they walk, they’ll energize their minds and bodies to keep them alert and ready for the rest of the day! More information will come as we begin the program. Take time to get fresh air/exercise with your kids; it’s good for everyone! For questions or to volunteer, contact Mr. Baker at the school, or Mary Mouw at 515-491-6679.

P.E. News - Punt, Pass & Kick Results

Hanawalt held our 5th annual competition on Wednesday September 23rd. Twenty-five students participated in this event sponsored by the NFL. Place winners according to their age division are as follows.

8-9 yr. old boys
1. Will Nigut
2. Nollan Pollard
3. Micheal Quinn
10-11 yr.old girls
1. Bailey Kluesner
2. Cassie Whitehead
10-11 yr. old boys
1.Kevin Duncan
2. Noah Ramsey
3. Danny Kramer

Congratulations to all participants!

Magical Musical Tour Day

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders started Magical Musical Tour Day the week of September 28th. This is affectionately known as “Tour Day”. This special day happens 5-6 times a year. Students share music with each other during music class.

There are 2 parts to Tour Day, performing and listening. Performing – Students may; play a piece or song on an instrument, sing, read a poem, or dance. The piece must be performance ready (not just in the learning stage) and Mrs. Looney must OK dances (2 minutes). Students get a chance to learn how to be performers and how to be a good audience. Listening – Students sign up to bring a CD, tape or record by a favorite group. The language and topic of the music must be appropriate. Students learn how to sharpen their listening skills. They listen for the type of music, the instruments playing, vocals, and much more.

Instruments and CDs may be stored in the music room for safe- keeping. Please do not leave instruments or CDs in the lockers.

Music Notes

Music activities are up and running at Hanawalt this Fall. All classes began the year with Patriotic songs. Now, as we move into October, we will be singing and playing some seasonal Fall songs.

All 3rd through 5th grades are reviewing rhythms and composing short pieces. 2nd graders are starting to write their own music with “so and mi” and rhythms. 1st grade singers will revisit “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” and Kindergarteners are moving and finding their voices.

The first concert for all students will be on VIP Day, Wednesday, November 25th.

Many interesting sounds are being heard in homes as instrumental music lessons begin. Piano lessons with Mrs. Bierma, string lessons with Mrs. Miller, and band lessons with Mrs. Looney are all underway. The 4th & 5th Grade chorus is already working on their December concert music.

Fall News From The Art Studio

Autumn is the time of year that nature becomes an artist! Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. The colors outside seem to come alive! Be sure to find some time to enjoy the change in the seasons with your child. Take a walk and look for colors, shapes, and shadows. Our Hanawalt artists are looking for interesting things to add to our nature center, so feel free to send items to the art studio. Enjoy!

Kindergarten Artists are learning how to create many colors from the three primary colors of red, yellow, and blue—add a little white and you can make a tint!

Color mixing is always magical, with a lot of “oohs” and “ahhs” that can be heard! Expanding on their knowledge of painting, the young artists learn about the North Wind and the Sun as they retell the story through images in paint. This story is a favorite Aesop’s fable. Look for fabulous paintings and a copy of the fable for you to take home at conference time.

First Grade Artists have been learning about various painting techniques. Starting with different kinds of lines they applied black lines across their paper. Taking a closer look at the space between the lines helps in understanding negative and positive spaces. Variations of primary colors and white are used to create warm and cool colors. The colors seem to pop off of the paper—absolutely stunning designs that will soon be coming your way!

Second and Third Grade Artists are learning about the art of Faith Ringgold. She uses fabric, paint, and the written word to tell stories. Students are working on personal stories of people and pets they love. Using shapes they know to create images, they add texture with crayon rubbings, and follow up with watercolor paint. Paper shapes are added to represent quilted fabric, and words are included to clearly convey their thoughts. These personal art pieces will be treasures you will want to save.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Artists are learning about letterforms. Once students master the use of guidelines, they learn about techniques to change the shape of the lettering. Each artist chooses a word, and then designs their art piece in such a way that the word reflects the meaning. Look for these on the bulletin boards by the art studio during conferences, each art piece is very cleverly designed. -

Artfully Yours! Sally McKenzie, Art Educator

Your Trash Is Our Treasure

Please consider saving and sending your recyclables to the Art Studio! Young artists look forward to using the materials, and their imagination, to build and create sculptures. It is a good way for them to begin seeing and using everyday objects in new and unusual ways. When sending materials, please make sure they are rinsed and dry. For safety reasons, please do not send metal cans or glass containers. We can put any of the following materials to use:

• Egg cartons
• Small plastic containers and lids
• Cardboard paper towel/toilet paper rolls
• Ribbon, yarn, buttons, jewels
• Small cardboard pieces and boxes
• Anything you think has creative possibilities!

If you have items, but are not sure whether to send them or not, feel free to give me a call (Hanawalt: 242-8411) or email me at sally.mackenzie@dmps.k12.ia.us. Thank you for helping us collect interesting materials to use!

First Grade News

The first graders are off to a fantastic start! On September 30, they took a field trip to Living History Farms. There they learned about the ways people in the past met their needs. The children discovered that we still have many of the same needs as people living long ago, but the ways we meet those needs is definitely different in many ways. This experience was part of our social studies curriculum. A HUGE thank you to the parents who went with us to Living History Farms -Dawn Musgrove, Lynn Morse, and Christy Antoniou! We are very fortunate to have this great opportunity. We'd like to thank the PTA for providing the funds for us to go.

Meanwhile back at school, we are having a great time using our new math curriculum. The children are learning to solve addition problems in many ways. Finally, we would like to let the first-grade parents know that we will be beginning spelling homework the week of November 2. That may seem a long way off now, but time just keeps speeding along here in the busy first-grade classrooms! More information about spelling homework will be sent home by your child's classroom teacher.

Third Grade News

The 3rd graders have started a unit on water in science. They are learning about the properties of water and how it reacts on different surfaces, surface tension and how slopes affect water. We will be taking a field trip on October 9 to Des Moines Water Works where we'll learn where the water comes from and the process it goes through so that we can use and drink it. Then we'll head to Saylorville Lake where we'll learn why the lake was made and how the dam works. Students are enjoying the various hands-on experiments with water!

October Dates To Remeber

120-minute early dismissal
120-minute early dismissal - Conferences
NO SCHOOL - CONFERENCES
PTA Q/A Session – Evening – 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
RE-TAKE – School Pictures – morning
120-minute early dismissal
PTA Q/A Session – Morning – 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
120-minute early dismissal
Classroom Fall Parties (Keep costumes at home)

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16/17

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28

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