Fifth Grade News

Fifth grade students are very busy with a wide variety of activities happening in the classroom. On Friday, October 30th the fifth graders toured the three branches of the Iowa Government. Our tour started with the Supreme Court which is in the Judicial Building. Students learned about Iowa History and the early stands on the Civil Rights. Our tours then led us to the Iowa State Capitol to tour the Legislative and Executive Branches of government, with a final tour of the dome.

Back in the classrooms students are rotating between the three fifth grade classrooms to study Social Studies, Language Arts and Science. In Social Studies the students chose a topic from the colonial times to research and present. The presentations students created could be in the form of a poster, diorama, play or exhibit. In Language Arts each of the three classes are participating in pen pal activities. The three classes have pen pals from: 5A Germany, 5B Italy, and 5C Russia and Bulgaria. Technology is being used to communicate using Skype, web cam, video and power point. Students just wrote letters explaining about our culture and holidays; students then sent them in the form of a Halloween card. Science class has focused on Food and Nutrition. Students are doing hands on experiments with food to look at sugars, acids, and fats in food. We continue to stretch the level of education while making school fun.

Notes from the Music Room

Music classes have been hard at work preparing for our first All-School concert, “Celebrate”. The theme is “On Pitch with Character” and centers on the six pillars of character. CHARACTER COUNTS! helps students make good choices in their day to day life. This special day is the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 25th and was formerly known as VIP Day. Please see information on page 2 under “News from the Principal” for more information.

The Hanawalt 4th & 5th Grade Chorus have been rehearsing every Friday after lunch. The chorus has 3 special activities coming up. The first is a concert on Thursday, December 10th at 6:00 P.M. in the Weitz Commons, the second is a tour on Wednesday, December 16th and third, performing for the whole school (date – to be determined).

Hanawalt Art Work on Display

If you go to the Metro Arts Expo this weekend you will see a work of art designed and painted by Hanawalt student artists! There are ten wooden boxes that will be up for auction. A group of Hanawalt artists had the opportunity to add their creative touch to one of the boxes! You will certainly enjoy their creativity, as they have done a fabulous job!

Metro Arts Expo
November 7-8
10AM-6PM Saturday
10AM-4PM Sunday
HyVee Hall-Iowa Events Center

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.