STRASBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FEBRUARY ROCK CONNECTIOn

STRASBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
                            FEBRUARY ROCK CONNECTIOn
                    Johnnie echer, Interim Principal

                               Cold Weather Procedures
It is that time of year when you are probably wondering, “Will my child be going outside for
recess today?” Below are some of the guidelines we use when making this decision.
I believe that recess, moving around, being loud and getting fresh air is critical to students of
all ages. I hold recess as one of the most important times of the school day. We, as adults,
struggle with sitting and taking in information for long periods of time with no break so I
think it’s unrealistic to expect students to be able to do this. When it’s cold outside, your
child will be going out if it is safe for them to do so.
We use a simple guideline for the temperature. If it is 20° or warmer, we check the “feels like”
temperature, with wind chill factored in. If it feels like 20° students may be outside for 15
minutes. We also take into consideration whether the sun is shining or not. We know that if
the sun is out, the air feels warmer than the actual temperature.
We also consider conditions. If it is raining or snowing, students will most likely stay inside
unless it is a very light rain or snow. Then, we will factor in the temperature and decide based
on both. We also consider the wind. If the wind is blowing significantly we know this adds a
negative element to both temperature and precipitation. Student will most likely be inside if
it is super windy with cold and/or snow/rain. We will use the same protocol when determin-
ing indoor arrival in the morning.
Johnnie Echer, Interim Principal

                               Indoor Arrival Procedures
Thank you for your patience as we work through getting cars through our drop off and pick up
line. We would like to limit our number of parents walking kids to their classrooms when we
have indoor arrival. If you feel you need to walk your student to class, we ask that you stop
by the office and sign in. Thank you for your cooperation.

LUNCH NEWS
Lunch count is turned in by 9am daily. If your child is going to be late, please call
the office by 9am if they are having hot lunch or yogurt that day. If we do not
hear from you by then and they show up after 9am they will automatically get yo-
gurt if they do not have a cold lunch.

                                    Cell Phones
Students are allowed to have their cell phones in their backpacks during
school hours. Please remind your child not to take it out or use it during the
day. If they are not feeling well, they are to notify the teacher and come to the
office. Please do not have them call or text you to come pick them up.

                              Dangerous Crosswalk
We have crossing guards on Strasburg Road in front of our school to make sure
students cross to and from school safely. The traffic has become very concerning
due to the speed at which people are driving as well as drivers on cell phones or
just not paying attention to our students and crossing guard. This is a dangerous
situation and needs to be addressed immediately. We have asked
our sheriff’s officers to patrol more before and after school to try to
help drivers remember the rules around school zones. We hope, ra-
ther than getting tickets, everyone will slow down, be attentive and
drive safely!

MUSIC NEWS

     Grade                      Concept                 Ask me about…..

     Kindergarten               Fast/Slow               Fairies & Giants, Hunt the
                                                        Cows
     First Grade                So-Mi                   Bow Wow Wow, See Saw,

     Second Grade               Do                      King’s Land, Johnny Caught at
                                                        Flea, Apple Tree
     Third Grade                Low La,                 Loop De Loo, Yantgze Boat

     Fourth Grade               Ti-Ta-Ti                Epo I Tai Tai, Liza Jane, My
                                                        Gal

     Fifth Grade                Meter                   Tennis Balls, Oranges and
                                                        Lemons

                                           PE NEWS
    February is Heart Health Month! There are many ways to keep your heart healthy…
   *Keep moving- kids need at least an hour of exercise daily. *Eat well- kids should eat
  fruits and vegetables with every meal. *Stay hydrated- kids should drink at least eight
 glasses of water daily. *Sleep well- most kids need between 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
In PE, we will begin jump rope and basketball skills for grades 3-5. Students will also learn
   how to find their maximum heart rate, resting heart rate, and calculating their target
  heart rate. Grades K-2 will begin basketball skills as well as a jumping unit (jumping on
                            two feet, one foot, side to side etc.)

ART NEWS
新年快乐
Xīnnián kuàilè (simplified Chinese) or Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) or Happy
Chinese New Year! This month the students will be creating a multicultural piece
centering on the global celebration of Chinese New Year & the year of the
Tiger. We will learn about this festive holiday, and the traditional customs and
celebrations that go along with it. Our skills will include the principles of Move-
ment & Unity.

                                Important Dates

2/07-PTO Meeting at 6:30pm
2/14-Valentine’s Day Parties, 2pm
2/18-Teacher In-Service, NO STUDENTS
2/21-President’s Day, NO SCHOOL

Coming soon…
March 2/3-Parent/Teacher Conferences-Please call the office to sched-
ule your child’s conference.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

CAMPS, CAMPS, AND MORE CAMPS

Advice from the Experts –

“The camp experience is recognized by child development professionals as valuable in helping
children mature socially, emotionally, intellectually, morally, and physically.

"The building blocks of self-esteem are belonging, learning, and contributing. Camps offer
unique opportunities for children to succeed in these three vital areas and even beyond
home and school." Michael Popkin, Ph.D., family therapist and founder of Active Parenting

"The biggest plus of camp is that camps help young people discover and explore their talents,
interests, and values. Most schools don't satisfy all these needs. Kids who have had these
kinds of (camp) experiences end up being healthier and have less problems which concern us
all." Peter Scales, Ph.D., noted author/educator, and Senior Fellow, The Search Institute

"At camp, children learn to problem-solve, make social adjustments to new and different peo-
ple, learn responsibility, and gain new skills to increase their self-esteem."
www.acacamps.org/press-room/benefits-of-camp/psychological-aspects

*Printed above are excerpts taken from an article found in the ACA (American Camp Associa-
tion) website.

Below you will find a number of websites describing the different camps which offer a list of
varied experiences for children to enjoy this summer in the state of Colorado! https://
bestsummercamps.co/best-colorado-summer-camps.html This website includes BRIEF de-
scriptions of many of our Best Colorado Summer Camps. https://thebestcamps.com/best-
colorado-camps.html This website includes COMPLETE camp descriptions of many of our Best
Colorado Summer Camps, including information on Camp Leadership Programs, Scholarships
and Financial Aid, Summer Jobs, Videos, Maps, Photos and camp programming details.
https://www.denverpost.com/summer-camps-in-colorado/ https://www.colorado-summer-
camps.com/ https://www.coloradokids.com/Summer_Camps.php#close https://
denversummercamps.org/