February, 2020

Dear Switlik Families,

School will be closed for students on Monday, February 3^rd for Staff In-Service. Additionally, school will be closed on Monday, February 17^th in observance of President’s Day.

I hope this Principal’s Message finds your family healthy and enjoying the winter season. Before sending your child out to the bus stop or dropping them off at school, please take a moment to make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather. Depending on the weather, students may go out for recess. Dressing your child in multiple light layers is recommended so that they can remove a top layer if they get too warm while indoors. When it gets cold outside, it gets cold inside the building as well. Don’t be afraid to ask your children whether or not they are comfortable while they are at school; they will often tell you if they are too hot or too cold in their classrooms No matter the weather outside, we are busy learning and growing inside our building with character.

Cold Weather: With the inclement weather upon us and the continuous possibility of early dismissals and delayed openings, it is important that your emergency contact information is up to date. Any changes to your contact information can be updated through the Genesis portal.

A Note from our School Nurse: In order to minimize risk to others, we encourage parents to keep your children home if they exhibit any flu symptoms which include fever, body aches, chills, headache, coughing or vomiting. We advise that you keep your children home from school until they are fever-free for a full 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications (such as Tylenol or Advil). While in school, we will be reminding everyone about the importance of preventative actions, such as frequent handwashing and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. The CDC also recommends the Flu Shot for anyone above the age of 6 months and high risk groups.

Spelling Bee: Our school level spelling bee was held on Wednesday, January 8^th. Congratulations to Natalie Itwaru in Ms. Donaldson’s class for winning the spelling bee with the correct spelling of the word frangible. Natalie and four additional students, Ria Mugloo, Ben Gershman, Cole Podolsky and Alexandria Capizzano will participate in the District Spelling Bee.

Switlik “Souper Bowl” – The Switlik School has been casting their votes for their Super Bowl favorite. Who will it be? The Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers? Switlik students voted for the Kansas City Chiefs with 194 cans! To cast their vote, students and staff brought in a canned food item and placed it in the bin of their choice. All donations will be delivered to the Jackson Food Pantry.

Bubbakoo’s Burritos: In our continued effort to promote literacy and a love of reading, we have partnered with Bubbakoo’s for their “Read It to Eat It” Program. How it works:

“Book List Cards” will be given to your child before February 1^st.
Students read and record five books during the month of February. These can be at home or school!
Return the filled in card to your child’s teacher.
The classroom teacher will sign the bottom and staple the “Free Student Meal Card” onto the “Book List Card” and give it back to your child.
Students take BOTH cards to Bubbakoo’s for a free student meal!

Enjoy your books and free Bubbakoo’s!

Read Across America & Book Fair Week: Switlik’s Book Fair and Read Across America Week will begin on Monday, February 24^th through Friday, February 28^th. This year’s theme is “Jungle: Elephants, Tigers and Books, OH MY!” There will be many books to choose from! Students can purchase books using cash, checks, or eWallet. If using a check, please put your child’s name, teacher’s name, and your phone number on the check. Adults may use credit cards at the fair. The fair is a good opportunity to donate to your childs’ classroom library. Teachers have submitted wish lists for books that would enrich their classroom libraries. If you would like to participate, you can find their wish list displayed at the fair. The PTN needs lots of volunteers to help the students pick just the right books. If you would like to volunteer some of your time, there will be a signup link on the PTN page and the PTN Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you at the fair and appreciate your support.

Kindergarten Registration: will take place during the week of March 16^th-March 20^th between the hours of 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. each day. Please be sure to bring in all necessary documents (original birth certificate and required proof of residency, listed in the packet), as well as your incoming kindergarten student the day of registration. Entrance for registration is through the gym lobby doors. There will not be any access through the main entrance. Signs will be posted to guide you in the right direction. Details, as well as the registration packet, can be found on our website.

Save the Date! Young Author’s Gallery/Switlik Enrichment Living Wax Museum- On Thursday, April 2^nd Switlik Elementary School, with support from the Jackson Rotary Club and the Jackson Education Association, will present our Young Author’s Gallery. All are welcome to enjoy this event. Published pieces from our very own Switlik Authors of every age will be on display in the hallways for you to read, enjoy and compliment! Come prepared with pen in hand to jot a note of support to your favorite authors. Additionally, that evening, many historical figures, performers, and athletes be brought to life as the Switlik School Enrichment Program hosts its first Living Wax Museum. Switlik will come alive with students dressed as famous people, both past and present. A Living Wax Museum is very similar to a real wax museum in that visitors can come and learn about a variety of famous people. The main difference is that the students will be standing in as the statues. Students choose and then researched the figure they wanted to emulate. Students will then dress as their famous person and recite their speech to interested visitors.

Looking Ahead:

February 3^rd: School Closed for Students – Staff In-Service Day

February 7^th: Sweetheart Dance

February 12^th: School Store During Lunch Periods

February 17^th: School Closed – President’s Day

February 18^th: School Spirit Day – 100^th Day of School. Dress Like You’re 100 Years Old!

February 20^th: PTN Meeting/10:00 a.m.

February 24^th-28^th: Book Fair – Jungle: Elephants, Tigers and Books, OH MY!

February 27^th: Book Fair Family Fun Night

Sincerely,

Kathleen McKiernan