Welcome Back

Oviatt Elementary

Laura Sivadge, PK-2 Principal

Rodney Martinez, PK-2 Dean of Students

Welcome back to school!  You may be asking yourself, “Where did the summer go?”  August is here and the first day of school is Wednesday, August 22!  We encourage parents/guardians of Oviatt PK-2 students to review the Elementary Student Handbook or Preschool Handbook as part of your family’s preparation for the new school year!  These handbooks are posted on the district’s website, www.norwalk.k12.ia.us, on the Oviatt or Preschool link.

The Oviatt Elementary mission statement cites our desire to “work collaboratively to develop the academic, social, emotional, and physical self of the child into a self-directed, lifelong learner.  Each student is given the opportunity to achieve at his or her highest potential in a safe and caring learning environment.”

You have our commitment that we will continually keep the Oviatt mission statement in mind.  With each decision made, Oviatt staff members ask themselves, “Is this decision made in the best interest of the child(ren)?”    

K-2 Information

Registration

Walk-in registration for K-12 students is scheduled August 6 and 9, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Eastview cafeteria.  If you are the parent of a kindergarten student, it is appreciated if you register at District Office, 981-0676, prior to August 6, as enrollment numbers are more difficult to predict for kindergarten when compared to the other grade levels.  Early notification allows us to be better prepared. 

Class Rosters

Parent Portal can be accessed on Monday, August 13, to find out your child’s teacher.  If you have not signed up for Parent Portal, you will want to check the website, www.norwalk.k12.ia.us and click on the “Parents” link that leads you to the “Request an Account” form.  For the safety of each child, we do not post a paper copy of class lists.

Please note that we may need to adjust class lists if a particular class size increases to the point that an additional class section needs formed.  If this happens, parents/guardians are informed by email and phone of the placement change. 

Classroom Supply Lists

Supply lists can be accessed on the district website.  Click on the “Parents” link, and then the link labeled, “Supply Lists.”  There is also a posted copy of the supply lists for each of the grade levels on Entry Doors 1, 2, and 14.

Kindergarten Open House

Parents of incoming kindergarten students will receive a postcard inviting family members to the Monday, August 20, Kindergarten Open House, scheduled from 5:00-5:45 p.m.  The Norwalk PTO and Watch D.O.G.S. members are sponsoring the first annual Kindergarten Kick-Off for the new school year!  We ask that all Kindergarten family members please join us for this special welcome from your child’s kindergarten teacher!  School supplies can also be brought to this event.  Childcare for siblings is provided.

First & Second Grade Open House

We have Open House for children in First and Second grade on Tuesday, August 21, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. We hope you are able to join us so you and your child can meet the teacher and see old friends and new classmates!  We have staggered the start and end time of the two elementary open houses to better accommodate families who have children attending both schools.

School supplies can be brought to school during Open House, if you prefer one less thing to remember the following morning as you pack for school.  If you ordered your child’s supplies using the company, Custom Classroom Supplies, your child’s supply box will be set out on your child’s desk during Open House.

Parents are encouraged to use Open House as a time to acclimate your child to the drop-off areas and the path to follow in walking to his or her classroom.  On those first days of school, we will have several adults at Entries 2 and 14 to welcome the children and assist them in finding their classrooms.  If available, a school resource officer will be present to assist parents in the parking lot areas.      

Preschool

Oviatt Three & Four-Year Old Preschool Programs

The Oviatt Preschool Program follows the Norwalk Community School District’s school calendar; however, the program begins a few days later than the K-12 students due to scheduled Home Visits, etc., with the parents, teacher(s), and children.  Parents of Oviatt preschoolers recently received a welcome letter from their child’s teacher. 

Please note:

Four-Year Old Program: Classes meet four days per week, with Wednesday a day of no school. 

Three-Year Old Program: Classes for general education students meet three days per week – M, T, & Th. Special education three-year-olds meet four days per week, M, T, Th & F.

We have two morning sections that are multiage for three-and four-year old preschoolers.  The afternoon preschool program is solely for the four-year-old population of special education and general education students.  The special education needs of the early learners in our district guide the district in determining the preschool program design each school year.  Both preschool programs follow a full inclusion model with general education and special education students playing, learning, and thriving together in the same classroom.  Program modifications are individualized to match the needs of each child.

Please check the district’s website, www.norwalk.k12.ia.us, and access the Oviatt Preschool Program site if you want more information on the Oviatt Preschool Program.

Open House for all children in the Oviatt Preschool Program is Thursday, August 30.  We have two sessions scheduled, from 5:15-6:00 or 6:15-7:00, in hopes one of the two times works for our families.  All family members are welcome to join their preschooler(s) for this special event!

Preschoolers’ First Day of School

The first day of preschool is Tuesday, September 4.  The morning session meets from 8:05-11:00, and the afternoon session meets from 11:50-2:45.  Miss Cole and Mrs. Sieren, Oviatt preschool teachers, met with the general education preschoolers and their family members during home visits and look forward to seeing everyone for Open House and the first day of school!

As shared previously, the Oviatt Preschool Program Handbook information is posted on the district’s website, www.norwalk.k12.ia.us.  Parents will want to check this document for information regarding arrival and dismissal protocol and other pertinent topics.  An adult shall accompany preschoolers when they enter and exit the building.  This adult stays with the preschooler until the classroom opens at 8:00 a.m. for the morning session, and 11:45 for the afternoon session.     

Dates & Times

School Hours

7:35     Doors open at Oviatt (Students should not be dropped off before 7:35 a.m., unless attending Apple Tree, as there is no supervision of students before that time.)

7:55       Classrooms open

8:05       Classes start/Tardy time*

2:50       Dismissal for students riding a bus 

3:00       Dismissal for all other students

Early Out Dismissal: One Wednesday each month, students are dismissed early allowing teachers to attend professional development training.  

11:50    Dismissal for students riding a bus

12:00    Dismissal for all other students

Important Oviatt Dates – Beginning of Year

August 6 & 9       District Registration 4:00-7:00 at Eastview cafeteria

August 20            Kindergarten Open House 5:00-5:45

August 21            1^st & 2^nd grade Open House 6:00-7:30

August 22-24      2:00 dismissal

August 28            Watch D.O.G.  Awareness Meeting

August 30            Preschool Open House 5:15-7:00

September 3      NO SCHOOL – Labor Day Holiday

September 4      Preschool begins

September 7      Lifetouch pictures*

                                Parent Advisory Committee Meeting – 7-8:30 a.m. at Lakewood

                                  Topic: Internet Safety

September 19   Early Out, Teacher Professional Development – 12:00

*A prepay picture information package is sent home with the students prior to picture day.  A make-up day is scheduled later for those absent on picture day, or those whose pictures were unacceptable.  All students are required to have their pictures taken for school records, even if parents do not plan to purchase a picture package.

In Closing….Communications for Preschool-Grade 2

Oviatt staff will communicate frequently regarding information specific to classroom or grade level topics.  We will have a Parent Advisory Committee for both the Preschool and K-5 Program.  These two advisory committees meet approximately three times during the school year.  You will be asked to share your interest in serving on Parent Advisory during Open House. 

We look forward to a great 2012-2013 school year with everyone involved with the children in our Oviatt program!  

5 Ways to Promote Summer Reading

5 Ways to Promote Summer Reading

Winter Activities

Here are some great articles for winter activities for families.

8 Fun Winter Activities for Families
http://childparenting.about.com/od/funcelebrations/tp/winteractivities.htm

Be a Super Dad
http://fatherhood.about.com/cs/fatherhood/ht/Super_Dad.htm

Winter Activities for Dads and Their Kids
http://fatherhood.about.com/cs/activities/a/Winter_Ideas.htm

Tips on Gift-Giving and Receiving

With the major holidays approaching, parents face two challenges: first, how to find the perfect presents for their children—the gifts that will be loved for years, not just hours—and perhaps more importantly, how to make sure their children are kind and grateful recipients, no matter what they get.  Here are some ideas to try.

Teach them what they are thanking people for.  What your children need to learn is that the thanks they give is not necessarily for what is in the box—it’s for the effort and caring that went into it.  Their thanks needs to show that they recognize that someone cared enough to select a present just for them, pay for it, wrap it, and bring it to them.

Understand that disappointment is part of life.  It is a guarantee that at some point your child is going to receive something he or she does not like or want.  Explain this to your child ahead of time.  Laugh about some gifts you have gotten that were unusual.

When to write thanks, when to say thanks.  Let your children know that if a relative is in the room when they open their present, that a sincere face-to-face thank you (and a hug) is great.  For everyone else, a thank you note is an absolute must.

Appeal to their desire for “more.”  Sometimes children need to think of things from their own, slightly selfish, perspectives.  Tell them that people may be less inclined to give them a nice gift if they do not seem grateful for the gifts they have received in the past.

When they are the “giver.”  One of the best ways to help children realize the significance of giving is to make sure they spend time finding and wrapping the gifts they give to others.  Give them odd jobs to help them earn the money to buy gifts.  Help them get excited about choosing just the right gift for each person.

Give to others.  Help your children help those less fortunate.  Save money for charity bell-ringers, adopt a less-fortunate child through anonymous giving programs, or work in a food kitchen.  Show your children that giving is more rewarding than receiving.

Give gifts that expand their interests.  Among the best gifts for children are things that introduce them to new activities: origami, tie dying, model planes or cars, scrap booking, photography, cooking, or basic woodworking.

Look for presents that help them stay active.  Any kind of sports equipment helps kids have fun and get exercise.  Either give the child something you know he or she wants and needs (a new glove), or introduce him or her to a brand new sport (tennis racket and balls).

Practical gifts can be fun, too.  A sleeping bag for overnights, or a small overnight bag or suitcase can be wonderful presents.  Look for designs that will appeal to the child for years to come.

Spin the wheel, roll the dice, and deal the cards.  Card and board games are classics for a reason—they have been fun to play for decades.  Look for games that children can play with just one or two others, as well as those that are for family-sized groups.

Open up to books.  When you give a child a book, you are giving both of you a present.  Younger children will enjoy the time they get to spend reading it with you.  Older kids will be quietly building their reading skills and vocabulary, as well as their imaginations.

If you are really stumped about gift-giving, talk to friends or relatives who have children slightly older than yours.  Ask what gifts their children really played with—gifts that lasted in appeal long after the “newness” wore off.

This coming season can be a stressful time for many and we, at Oviatt, hope everyone takes the time to enjoy being with family and friends.

Oviatt Elementary Wins Recycling Contest-----Thanks to the Norwalk Community

Pictured from left to right:  Amy Hock (Metro Waste Authorities), Bryan Greiner (Fareway Foods), Mary Gillaspey (Metro Waste Authorities), Dave Murillo (Norwalk City Council), Jerry Fleagle (Executive Director of Iowa Grocery Industry Association), Dr. Denny Wulf (Superintendent of Schools), Julie Brincks (Oviatt Chair of Recycling Program), Dr. Laura Sivadge (PK-K Principal), and Rodney G. Martinez (1^st and 2^nd Grade Principal.)

Iowa Grocery Industry Association and Metro Waste Authority Announce Build with Bags School Challenge Winners

IGIA and Metro Waste Authority team up to stress importance of recycling
to elementary school students

November 15, 2010 – Iowa Grocery Industry Association (IGIA) and Metro Waste Authority today announced that Mitchellville Elementary in Mitchellville, Lovejoy Elementary in Des Moines and Oviatt Elementary in Norwalk won the Build with Bags School Challenge.  Each of the winning elementary schools will receive a piece of outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic for winning the challenge. 

This year the participating schools competed within three size categories: small (1-299 students), medium (300-599 students) and large (600+ students).  The small category winner, Mitchellville Elementary from the Southeast Polk School District, recycled 610 pounds of plastic shopping bags and received credit for 367 reusable bags.  Lovejoy Elementary, from the Des Moines Public School District and the medium category winner, recycled 466 pounds of plastic shopping bags and received credit for 146 reusable bags. The large category winner, Oviatt Elementary from the Norwalk School District, recycled 821 pounds of plastic shopping bags and received credit for 949 reusable bags.

Oviatt Elementary wants to say thank you to everyone who participated in this year's challenge!  Mrs. Julie Brincks has chaired this endeavor for the past two years.  Everyone’s joint efforts helped us move from last year’s 2^nd place to 1^st place this year!  Thank you to our students, their families, and community members that kept bringing the plastic bags to school so we could recycle them.  The community also used their reusable shopping bags during this challenge.  Please continue to be good role models for our children and recycle those plastic bags and bring your own bags when shopping!

In addition, Oviatt wants to thank everyone at Scott’s Foods, especially Scott Havens and Nancy Hildreth, as well as Fareway Food employees, especially Bryan Greiner because both stores took our bags to weigh and communicate with Metro Waste Authority.  They also promoted the use of reusable shopping bags to earn credit for our school during this challenge.  We could not have won without such great community support.  Norwalk Community always steps up whenever the school district needs help.

The Build with Bags School Recycling Challenge started October 4, 2010.  Twenty-nine schools competed to see whose students could recycle the most plastic bags and/or use the most reusable shopping bags over the five week period. The program was developed to educate students about the importance of recycling or reusing shopping bags while localizing America Recycles Day.

"Iowa Grocery Industry Association was proud to team with Metro Waste Authority to offer this great program to elementary schools to help teach children about the importance of recycling," said Jerry Fleagle, Iowa Grocery Industry Association President.  "IGIA launched the Build with Bags program in our stores statewide in August and this local School Challenge was a great way to bring attention to the importance of recycling the plastic shopping bags."

Tom Hadden, Executive Director of Metro Waste Authority continued, "The program received a great response from participating schools.  Our goal was to raise awareness about the issue of plastic shopping bags becoming litter, and teach skills to begin to divert that waste.  Participating schools recycled approximately 6,800 pounds of plastic shopping bags, which is equivalent to 408,000 plastic bags, in just five weeks.  Those numbers are incredible and we couldn’t be more pleased."

Participating schools that recycled at least 100 pounds of plastic shopping bags and received credit for using 75 reusable bags will get a $100 store gift card.

The plastic bag recycling challenge is in its fourth year and this is the second year that Metro Waste Authority and IGIA have partnered.  This program was successful in educating students about the importance of recycling and environmental stewardship.  Area elementary schools collected used plastic shopping bags and delivered them to their local grocery store for recycling.  The participating elementary schools got credit for the weight of the plastic bags they recycled at the stores. 

###

About the Iowa Grocery Industry Association

The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is a state trade association that represents the food industry, including chain and independent supermarkets, convenience stores, mass merchandisers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers and distributors. Founded in 1899, the IGIA has long served as a resource to its members, the food industry and the general public through education, legislative, partnership and philanthropic programs. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, the IGIA can be found online at http://www.iowagrocers.com/.

About Metro Waste Authority

Metro Waste Authority (MWA) is an award-winning regional government agency that manages the Metro Park East Landfill, the Metro Park West Landfill, the Metro Compost Center, the Metro Recycling Center, the Metro Transfer Station, and the Regional Collection Center for Household Hazardous Materials.  MWA also coordinates recycling programs for its member communities and is a leader in many environmental issues in Central Iowa.  Metro Waste Authority is self-funded through fees charged to those who use the landfill and its other services.  The agency does not receive tax dollars. http://www.mwatoday.com/

About Build with Bags

The Build with Bags program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and The Des Moines Register. Over the course of several months, representatives of each of these organizations witnessed focus groups convened to discuss plastic bag issues and then met to develop a program aimed at demonstrating how Iowa grocers could help to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags. In addition to reducing the environmental footprint of plastic bags, the goal of the group was also to provide an effective alternative to plastic bag bans and the unintended consequences that often result from bans and other related regulatory efforts.



From the Mentors

Bullies:  From the Mentors

When I was in elementary school, I was constantly tormented by a bully. Even now, I still find that at times I'm teased and mocked, for reasons that I can't understand. When I look back on it all, it begins to make sense to me. I was a quiet child who was not too social, and younger children don't like things that are "different." Since that was what I was, they ignored me instead of trying to get to know me. As a result of this, I grew to dislike them as they grew to dislike me. Although I was never mean to them, I did have my part in not entirely giving them a chance. As I grew older, I found my first few friends and tried to open up to people. People fear what is different, people fear what is better, people dislike what they can't have, and hate those who have it. Bullies are just expressing basic human qualities, and even though it's painful, just try to find people who appreciate you and who you can be comfortable with, and remember that bullies will eventually go, whether you graduate schools or they lose interest, etc. Friendships last a good deal longer, so spend your time seeking the company of people you like and ignoring the ones who bully you.

From Danielle
Bullies are usually people who are just as uncomfortable as you are. Usually it's hard for them to make friends and the only way to get to know other people is by bullying them. Don't worry if you are being bullied, there are a lot of things you can do. You can talk to your parents and tell them what is going on. You could also go and talk to your teacher; your teacher is there to help you with your problems. You could also try to talk to the kid, maybe the bully didn't even realize that he (or she) was hurting you.

From Paulina
Bullies just don't have anything better to do than to ruin our day. I just ignore them, and eventually they get tired of it.

Online Bullying

Bullies:  Online Bullying

A big, mean kid knocks a smaller one down in the schoolyard. A snobby girl laughs at what someone’s wearing. A group of boys trash another kid’s locker. These are obvious and classic images of bullying. As you probably know by now, they aren’t the only way to be a bully anymore.

Technology has brought a lot of really cool things to our lives: We use e-mail, Instant Messaging, message boards and blogs to stay in touch with our friends, keep up with what’s happening in the world, and just have fun. But being connected all the time leaves us open to a special kind of bully: the online bully.

Online bullying, often called online harassment, is a serious issue, and it’s getting more common. Let’s take a look:

What is it?
Online bullying can take many forms:

• Sending threatening, taunting or teasing e-mails to someone.

• Using a computer or any other tech to spread gossip or rumors, or to make someone’s private information public.

• Pretending to be another person online so you can post or e-mail things that will  embarrass or get that person in trouble.

• Being a “pretend friend” online so you can later hurt or humiliate someone.

• “Ganging up” on someone in a chat room or on a message board.

• “Griefing” someone in an online video game by constantly picking on a new or inexperienced player.

• Texting hurtful or rude comments to someone’s phone or Blackberry.

• Using chat, IM, or a blog to exclude people, pick on people, or divide the “populars” from the “unpopulars.”

Why do people do it?

It’s anonymous. The Web lets you hide behind a fake user name or alias, and many bullies feel protected by this “false identity.” Because they feel hidden and shielded, bullies might do and say things they would never dream of doing to someone face to face.

They want revenge. If a person is bullied in school, he might decide to fight back online. You don’t have to be a typical “bully” to be mean with IM or e-mail. Many tweens who are good with technology see online cruelty as a way of getting even with people who push them around in the real world.

They think everybody’s doing it. Being mean online may seem like something that kids just do…simply a part of life these days. A person may see her friends do it, and think it’s okay.

They get caught up in it. Sometimes online bullies start out small, with a funny comment or a joke. Then things slowly get out of hand. They start posting meaner and meaner things, and before they know it, they’re really hurting people with the things they write.

They don’t understand how much it hurts. When you’re cruel to someone online, you can’t see her cry, so you might not understand just how bad you’re making her feel.

What can you do?
If you feel like you’re being bullied online, try these strategies:

Don’t retaliate. If someone is mean to you online, don’t hit back. It might seem natural to give them a taste of his or her own cruelty, but this will just keep the war going.

Ignore it. Face to face, it can be very hard to “walk away” from an insult. Online, it’s actually much easier. Turn off your computer and walk away. Do not go back to Web sites or chat rooms where you’ve been bullied.

Tell an adult. Let a parent or guardian know that someone is bullying you online.
Block the bully. If someone bullies you through e-mail, block that person’s e-mail address or ISP address. If you don’t know how to do this, ask an adult to help.

More tips:

• Don’t go to Web sites that you know are unsafe or are favorite hang-outs for bullies.

• Never share private or personal information with someone you don’t know or don’t trust.

• Never post your e-mail address on a public message board or in a chat room. E-mail is only for people you absolutely trust.

• Don’t be a victim, but don’t be a bully either. Never post a comment or send an e-mail when you’re angry.

For more info and advice about online bullying, check out these Web sites:

Stop Cyberbullying
www.stopcyberbullying.org

NetSmartz
www.netsmartz.org

Remember:
Always tell a parent or other trusted adult if you feel threatened or victimized online, or if someone sends you any inappropriate violent or sexual content.