One of the many focal points of Hanawalt programming is a holistic approach to physical fitness and nutritional awareness. To this end, various programs including PE4Life, Healthy Schools Partnership (HSP), Kidstriders, AM Sports Club (students), and PM Fitness Club (staff) have been incorporated into our daily routine. As Mr. Baker states, “Healthy bodies make healthy minds.” During the current academic year, HSP has prompted the creation of the Hanawalt Elementary Energy Balance Team. This team is pleased to announce that Hanawalt meets the Healthier US Schools Challenge Bronze Level status. This exciting achievement was in part facilitated by Registered Dietitians (RD’s) working at Hanawalt as Nutrition Coaches for the second year, implementing a unique, comprehensive nutrition and energy balance program called, Energy Balance 4 Kids (EB4K). The RD Nutrition Coaches formed an Energy Balance Team with school Stakeholders to make improvements in the school wellness environment, including menu suggestions that align with USDA’s Healthier US Schools Challenge criteria, which brings national recognition as well as a monetary award to the school. RD Nutrition Coaches, Tanya Hargrave-Klein, Heather Cox and Crystal Morrison, are also implementing the innovative 12-week EB4K curriculum to 3rd – 5th grade students as well as the 2nd grade E=Energize program monthly for 3 months. The “surround sound” EB4K delivery includes the students interacting weekly with the RD Nutrition Coach in the classroom, PE class and in the cafeteria. Messages are reinforced with posters throughout the school, daily health announcements, newsletter articles, Family Fun Night events and small group individualized RD Coaching in PE. The EB4K curriculum is evidenced based and its effectiveness has been evaluated by researchers at the University of California-Berkley’s Center for Weight and Health. The EB4K program was developed by the American Dietetic Association Foundation with funding support from the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.
As a result of these efforts, it is our hope that students are equipped to thrive in an educational setting that places a premium on academic, artistic, and physical excellence. Please continue to support Hanawalt’s efforts toward becoming a model educational campus by promoting healthy and active habits at home.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Letter from the PTA Co-Presidents
As we look forward into February, we realize just how close we are to spring. After a slight lull we are getting geared up for a very busy push to the end of the year. Here’s a recap of some of the upcoming
(and recent) activities.
In January, the PTA held a RIF distribution. Each student was allowed to choose a book from some of today’s most popular titles. Each year, PTA supplements the federal RIF funds to ensure we have a great selection for all three distributions. This year, we contributed more than $1,500 to the cause! Thanks to Megan Tempero and Moco Quinn for their work with RIF.
Believe it or not, we also used January to begin planning for the next school year. PTA Co-presidents-elect Mary Mouw and Rose Green are hard at work assembling committees and figuring out the fundraisers. If you have ideas, please feel free to email them or drop a note in the PTA mailbox. In February, look for:
(and recent) activities.
In January, the PTA held a RIF distribution. Each student was allowed to choose a book from some of today’s most popular titles. Each year, PTA supplements the federal RIF funds to ensure we have a great selection for all three distributions. This year, we contributed more than $1,500 to the cause! Thanks to Megan Tempero and Moco Quinn for their work with RIF.
Believe it or not, we also used January to begin planning for the next school year. PTA Co-presidents-elect Mary Mouw and Rose Green are hard at work assembling committees and figuring out the fundraisers. If you have ideas, please feel free to email them or drop a note in the PTA mailbox. In February, look for:
- Kid Striders. In an effort to get more kids to the goal of running a marathon, there are additional times for kids to run in the gym before and after school. Have your student check the board in front of the gym, or with Mr. Baker to get the week’s schedule.
- Movie night is Friday, February 4 at 6:30 p.m. Join us at school for a movie, book fair and teacher auction. We’ll have a screening of “Despicable Me.” Bring along lawn chairs or blankets to sit on!
- Spelling challenge, our largest fundraiser of the year, and we’re getting ready to kick it off. Check out the information below.
Spelling Challenge is Comeing!
Hopefully our students can spell better than our PTA! We’ll find out as we gear up for the BIGGEST FUNDRAISER of the year. This is how the PTA funds the extra programs so very important to the education of our kids. Last year, the Spelling Challenge raised money to fund the following:
There are TONS of fun events planned for the week to get the kids excited!
Field Trips - $4,307.16
Day in the Arts - $2,663.24
Technology Purchases - $4,224.48
Plus much, much more!
There are TONS of fun events planned for the week to get the kids excited!
Dates to remember:
February 8 – Kick-off Assembly
February 18 – Test Day
March 1 – Funds collected due to PTA
February 8 – Kick-off Assembly
February 18 – Test Day
March 1 – Funds collected due to PTA
Kindergarten News
The kindergarten students at Hanawalt enjoyed a visit from Happy Bear. This 20 minute presentation, a program from Blank Children’s Hospital entertains but it also delivers vitally important information. As Happy Bear learns about personal safety from a favorite teacher, Renae Jones, children in the audience learn about good touch, bad touch and mixed-up touch. They learn how to say no and tell someone if they are touched in ways that make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable. For more information, contact Ms. Jones at www.blankchildrens.org Happy Bear.
Second Grade News
In January Hanawalt second graders were looking forward to a lot of snow. We will go outside and paint the snow. Our playground will become a rainbow of colors! In our new writing curriculum this year, Being a Writer, one of the topics second graders are encouraged to write about is a time they had fun outdoors. Painting the snow provides them with this fun experience to write about. Sharing their stories with the class in the author’s chair gives them the opportunity to read their writing and get positive feedback from their peers. Hanawalt second graders are anxiously waiting for it to snow, snow, snow!
Third Grade News
As a new year begins, third graders at Hanawalt School are resolving to learn more about nutrition and in making healthy choices. Last year Hanawalt received a PE4Life grant and designation, which includes new approaches to physical education and exercise as part of the classroom day, advising more healthy choices for school and homemade lunches, along with regularly-scheduled classroom visits by registered dieticians (RD’s) from the Healthy Kids Project.
Last week the RDs from the Healthy Kids Project began working with the third graders at Hanawalt. For the next 12 weeks, as part of their “EB4K: Energy Balance for Kids” program, the dieticians will visit physical education classrooms once a week for nutrition activities that integrate exercise. They will also visit the homeroom once a week for additional lessons.
Last week the RDs from the Healthy Kids Project began working with the third graders at Hanawalt. For the next 12 weeks, as part of their “EB4K: Energy Balance for Kids” program, the dieticians will visit physical education classrooms once a week for nutrition activities that integrate exercise. They will also visit the homeroom once a week for additional lessons.
Forth Grade News
Fourth Grade Social Studies students have been working hard on their travel brochures featuring the fourteen southern states. They have included a famous person born in the state, landforms found in the state as well as a city skyline. These brochures were an interesting project to conclude research on the south.
The fourth graders have been learning a lot about health and nutrition from our RD coaches and the Healthy School Partnership. We started off with a healthy fruit kabob snack and for the next twelve weeks we will be encouraging and inspiring the students to power pick foods and strive for energy balance whenever possible.
We are looking forward to the Science Fair on February 17th. In class, we have asked our research questions and investigated background information regarding the topic. Come out and enjoy the exciting and interesting topics the students are presenting!
The Fourth Grade Students also planned a food collection drive for the emergency food pantry. They have learned about community needs and chose to engage in this authentic experience. On Monday, January 31st pairs of students came to each classroom with a prepared invitation to participate. Many students participated by bringing in food items that designed a sculpture with their gifts. All food items were collected and will be loaded for pick-up on February 11.
The fourth graders have been learning a lot about health and nutrition from our RD coaches and the Healthy School Partnership. We started off with a healthy fruit kabob snack and for the next twelve weeks we will be encouraging and inspiring the students to power pick foods and strive for energy balance whenever possible.
We are looking forward to the Science Fair on February 17th. In class, we have asked our research questions and investigated background information regarding the topic. Come out and enjoy the exciting and interesting topics the students are presenting!
The Fourth Grade Students also planned a food collection drive for the emergency food pantry. They have learned about community needs and chose to engage in this authentic experience. On Monday, January 31st pairs of students came to each classroom with a prepared invitation to participate. Many students participated by bringing in food items that designed a sculpture with their gifts. All food items were collected and will be loaded for pick-up on February 11.
Science Fair - 4th & 5th Grade - 2-17-11
Be sure to attend the annual Hanawalt Elementary 4th and 5th Grade Science Fair on Thursday evening, February 17, 2011. Our young scientists have been working hard on their projects and would love to showcase their work for you! The evening will be packed with exciting student exhibits, a science demonstration, awards ceremony, and refreshments.
Schedule of events:
Thanks to all our students, their parents and our excellent Hanawalt science teachers for participating in this year's Science Fair. See you there! - Laura Higgins (organizer)
Schedule of events:
- 5:30-5:45pm - Exhibitors set up
- 5:45-6:45pm - Judging & Public viewing
- 6:45-7:15pm - Science demonstration, Weitz Commons stage
- 7:15pm - Awards ceremony & reception
Thanks to all our students, their parents and our excellent Hanawalt science teachers for participating in this year's Science Fair. See you there! - Laura Higgins (organizer)
Camp Invention - Summer 2011
CLEVER KIDS WANTED! Camp Invention® at Hanawalt Elementary School needs your sleuthing powers to find out who is sending mysterious coded messages to the Curious Cypher Club. Then, explore intriguing information about the inventors of the animal kingdom, and experiment with chemistry as you discover the science behind bouncy balls!
You’ll find lots more fun things to do at Camp Invention. Camp will be held on June 13-17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will be presented by local teachers for girls and boys entering grades 1-6. Camp director: Kerry Esch. This national, non-profit science and creativity enrichment program is offered by Des Moines Community School District in collaboration with Invent Now Kids and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Register by March 30th or with a friend and save $25! For more information, call 800-968-4332 or go to www.campinvention.org.
You’ll find lots more fun things to do at Camp Invention. Camp will be held on June 13-17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will be presented by local teachers for girls and boys entering grades 1-6. Camp director: Kerry Esch. This national, non-profit science and creativity enrichment program is offered by Des Moines Community School District in collaboration with Invent Now Kids and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Register by March 30th or with a friend and save $25! For more information, call 800-968-4332 or go to www.campinvention.org.
Reporting a Student's Absense/Tardy for the Day
Parents, if your student(s) will be tardy/absent for the day, please notify the office at 242-8411 between 7:45-8:10 a.m. (this line is in use daily from 8:14-8:25 for the Pledge of Allegiance/Student Overhead Announcements), or from 8:25 a.m. -1:00 p.m. or by emailing the Office Manager at Deborah.hutton@dmps.k12.ia.us. Please refrain from calling the office between the 8:14-8:25 a.m. timeframe since the office phone will be in use for the PA System (overhead paging) during that time, so calls cannot be answered. The Office Manager records student attendance in the Infinite Campus student database in the computer every morning which is part of the student’s permanent attendance record which follows them from school to school. If we haven’t received a call or email regarding a student’s absence, then a call will be placed to the parent in the morning usually starting around 9:00 a.m. This is also for the student’s safety in case they haven’t made it to school yet, so the parent can follow-up on the student’s whereabouts. If we don’t hear back from you with a reason for an absence, then the absence will be recorded as unexcused for the day. You have 24 hours to correct this from an unexcused to an excused absence by notifying the office the next day with a valid reason that is considered excused by the new District Attendance Policy that was given to every parent with a parent handbook at the Open House at the beginning of the school year. A copy of the Attendance Policy may be obtained from the office. To ensure a smooth transition in recording attendance, please follow this procedure. Thank you.
Music News
February is a busy month for music students.
The Piano Festival is on Saturday, February 13th at Hoover/Meredith. Performance times will be coming home soon.
The Hanawalt Spring Programs are coming in February and March. The theme this spring is A WORLD OF COLORS.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade program will be presented on Tuesday, February 22nd at Merrill Middle School, 6:30 in the gymnasium.
The Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade program will be presented on Thursday, March 3rd at Merrill Middle School, 6:30 in the gymnasium. All students and families are invited. There will be plenty of seating and parking.
The Piano Festival is on Saturday, February 13th at Hoover/Meredith. Performance times will be coming home soon.
The Hanawalt Spring Programs are coming in February and March. The theme this spring is A WORLD OF COLORS.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade program will be presented on Tuesday, February 22nd at Merrill Middle School, 6:30 in the gymnasium.
The Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade program will be presented on Thursday, March 3rd at Merrill Middle School, 6:30 in the gymnasium. All students and families are invited. There will be plenty of seating and parking.
P.E. News
Due to my grant responsibilities with PE4life as a model school I will not be providing a Standards based skills/behavioral report this semester for your son/daughter, you will however continue to receive the Fitnessgram Fitness Report for both semesters. Please note that your child’s overall grade in Physical Education is either a S or N entered into the infinite Campus and the reports that I have been providing for both parent and students is not District directed but additional information I choose to provide so you and your son/daughter can gain a better insight into their class.
With the second semester upon us I’m currently in the process of implementing a new report utilizing MicroFit technology which is a software management program for student assessment and Class management. I’m excited to continue offering a cutting edge P.E. experience at Hanawalt for all students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and wishing you a healthy 2011. – John Baker, Physical Education Instructor
With the second semester upon us I’m currently in the process of implementing a new report utilizing MicroFit technology which is a software management program for student assessment and Class management. I’m excited to continue offering a cutting edge P.E. experience at Hanawalt for all students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and wishing you a healthy 2011. – John Baker, Physical Education Instructor
Kid Strider Information
With 8 kids who have completed their marathon miles, and several others following close behind, the Kids Striders program is well under way. There is still plenty of time for the kids to get their miles in, even if they haven’t started. Two ways the kids can complete their miles are 1) by running/walking at their designated times at school, and 2) by completing up to 10 “at home” miles. If your kids walk to school, or take part in other running/walking activities, these also count toward their marathon miles. For the “at home” miles log, please see Mr. Baker. Those that have completed their 26 miles by early April will be able to run their Kid Striders Victory Run in the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday, April 26th. As parents, you can help encourage your kids to be physically active. It helps brain activity as well as improving cardiovascular function. Running and walking will help your kids improve in all sports. And it’s a great social outlet. If you are interested in volunteering your time for the Kid Striders program, we could still use you. – Cathy Kramer, CKdesigns1@msn.com; phone 314-7335.
As a reminder, the indoor running schedule is:
Kindergarten runs during lunch on Monday
1st graders run during lunch on Wednesday
2nd graders run during lunch on Friday
3rd-5th grade runs Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30-8:05 a.m. and 3:15-3:45 p.m.
As a reminder, the indoor running schedule is:
Kindergarten runs during lunch on Monday
1st graders run during lunch on Wednesday
2nd graders run during lunch on Friday
3rd-5th grade runs Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30-8:05 a.m. and 3:15-3:45 p.m.
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