Upcoming Events
November 19 - 23: Thanksgiving Break
December 17: Kindergarten & 1st Grade Holiday Concert at 6:00 p.m.
December 18: Grades 2 & 3 Holiday Concert at 6:00 p.m.
December 18: Grades 4 & 5 Holiday Concert at 7:00 p.m.
December 17: Kindergarten & 1st Grade Holiday Concert at 6:00 p.m.
December 18: Grades 2 & 3 Holiday Concert at 6:00 p.m.
December 18: Grades 4 & 5 Holiday Concert at 7:00 p.m.
Veteran's Day Assembly & Soldier Send-Off
A special school-wide assembly was held on Thursday, November 8th to celebrate Veteran's Day and also say a very special farewell to a Rexford/Longfellow parent who is deploying to Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Zuehl, father of Ethan (2nd grade) and Lillian (kindergarten), was honored for his service and sacrifice to our great nation. Guest speaker, Mayor Todd Taylor, science teacher at Clintonville Middle School, spoke to the students about what that means and what they can do to serve. He challenged students to "ask not what your school can do for you, but what you can do for your school." The students sang some very special songs under the direction of the talented Mrs. Katie Dietzen, Rexford/Longfellow music teacher. After, a send-off was held outside with fire trucks, squad cars, and ambulances. Every single student was given a flag to wave as the processional left the school. The flags were donated by U.S. Flag Makers from Georgia and were overnighted to the school as soon as they learned about the event. Fox 11 and other media outlets were also in attendance to provide coverage of the event. In case you didn't see it yet, here is the story that aired on the news.
A Message from the Principal
As this holiday season approaches, I want to express how thankful I am to be your Rexford/Longfellow Principal. We have an amazing staff, amazing families, and definitely amazing students! I can honestly say that I love coming to work everyday for you! We are off to a great start this first year. Our focus is on building relationships and ensuring that every student has a team of support around them. It is hard to believe that we are already through our first quarter, but here are just a few of the changes that have been made to better meet the needs of our students:
Have a great holiday season,
Mr. Burkhalter
- We have started a monthly celebration and have nominated a Terrific Trucker for every grade level that embodies a trait that the staff decides is the focus for the month. This month’s focus is on showing gratitude.
- We have also started a PTO here at Rexford-Longfellow to improve the home and school relationship and better meet the needs of all students.
- Dinner on our Dime parenting series that covers topics ranging from how to make parenting more fun to learning about trauma to parent self-care.
Have a great holiday season,
Mr. Burkhalter
PTO News
The new Rexford/Longfellow PTO held their first official meeting recently. It was exciting to see so many people attend and engage in a wide range of discussion items. For this first year, we put a "Leadership Council" into place that will lead the organization. There are no formal roles at this point, as we are just getting started. Our next meeting with be on Tuesday, January 8th at 5:00 p.m. in the library. We will have childcare available so if you need to bring the kids, feel free to do so. At this meeting, we will be mapping out some special events and projects that the PTO will be sponsoring. Please come to share your input and ideas!
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The Library Corner
Rexford/Longfellow held a pumpkin decorating event last month. Students were asked to decorate any size pumpkin or set of pumpkins to look like a book character. Classes got to take a walk through the library to see all the various displays. Here they are for YOU to look at now, too. You will surely agree that the creativity on display here is quite impressive. Enjoy!
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Your Help Needed
As in past years, we are collecting Box Tops for Education, Econo receipts, Milk Moola caps and bag tops (complete) from Kwik Trip, and Our Family UPC symbols. If your student(s) bring in a lunch bag full of any combination of the above, their name(s) get put into a drawing that will happen in December. Please write the name(s) of the student(s) and grade level on the bag.
Terrific Trucker Focus: Demonstrating Gratefulness
This month's school assembly introduced a trait that we will be focusing on all throughout the month of November: demonstrating gratefulness. During the course of the month, staff members can nominate students for the Terrific Trucker award for exemplifying this trait. At the end of the month, one student from every grade level will be randomly selected from the group of nominees to take a ride on a fire truck around town. This is an incredible honor and we are very grateful to the Clintonville Fire Department for giving our students this experience.
Pictured here are all of last month's nominees. The trait they were recognized for was speaking respectfully, including the use of good manners. All students who were nominated participated in a special ceremony where they were all individually recognized and thanked for being such wonderful role models for the entire student body. |
October nominees for the Terrific Trucker Award.
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School Office NewsWith the cold and flu season upon us, please be sure to call the school office if your child is going to be absent from school for any reason. This is important to do because without notification from a parent or guardian why a student is absent from school, they are marked "unexcused" or truant. Multiple truancies can result in fines in accordance with city ordinances. The phone number to call is (715) 823-7215, extension 3200. Mrs. King and Mrs. Peterson would be happy to assist you! Physician's offices can also fax medical excuses directly to the school at (715) 823-7140.
Getting fresh air and physical activity is important and we use a 0 degrees Farenheit as a general temperature baseline for going outdoors. A wind chill chart is used and the temperature is monitored when cold temperatures exist. Students should be prepared for this and wear jackets, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots. |
Lost and FoundOur Lost and Found area is already quite full. If your child is missing anything at all, please come on in and take a look to see if any of these items belong to them. Labeling any of your child's winter gear would also be extremely helpful in case anything were to ever get misplaced.
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Winter ConcertsPlease mark your calendars for the Winter Concerts, which will be in the high school auditorium. For more information, please check out the Concert Flyer, which also was sent home recently with your child.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Monday, December 17th from 6 - 6:30 p.m. Grades 2 and 3 Tuesday, December 18th from 6 - 6:30 p.m. Grades 4 and 5 Tuesday, December 18th from 7 - 7:30 p.m. |
Counselor's Corner
We all know what usually happens when you ask kids how school was, right? We get one-word answers like, “Good.” “Fine.” “Okay.” While this is to be expected sometimes, for the most part, you want to know a whole lot more about how their day was. Once your child starts talking, follow up with questions to keep the conversation going such as:
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Holiday Tips from the Health Office
With the holidays quickly approaching, we gather with family and friends to celebrate. It’s a joyous season, but we encourage you to remember to care for ourselves and our children to prevent colds and flu. Here are a few simple steps you and your family can take to prevent sickness within your households.
- Avoid close contact with people that are sick. If grandma and grandpa or even our favorite cousin has a fever, heavy cough or vomiting it is best to avoid close contact with them until their symptoms have subsided.
- Stay home when sick. If your child has a fever of 100.5 (during influenza/flu season a fever of 99.5), using Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen for fever relief, or has experienced any vomiting episodes within last 24 hours your child should not attend school and limit contact with others.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Teaching children to cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow helps contain airborne germs from being inhaled or landing on surfaces their friends might touch.
- Clean hands. Hand washing is a simple process and has been proven to be a very effective action in preventing illness. Instruct your children and model to them appropriate times to wash their hands; before eating, after returning home from a community gathering place- church, store, etc., after using the restroom, after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose, and when coming in from playing outdoors.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. These three areas are entrance doors to your bodies and an easy way for cold and flu germs to enter. Hand washing before and after touching these three areas is a great preventative action to take.
- And lastly…practice other healthy habits; obtaining proper nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids every day, getting a good night’s rest, reducing stress and taking some “me” time.
From the School BoardAt the recent board meeting, we started as we typically do with some good news and recognition of achievements. New Recreational Center Director, Ashley Lund, updated the board on what is going on there. I am most looking forward to seeing what the high school art students paint on the walls next semester. We recognized the students inducted into the National Honor Society, quite the 'honor'. And great job Jesse Wilson for representing Clintonville at state in Cross Country. There was some good discussion regarding the playground surface material potentially to be used at Dellwood, with the safety of the children a priority. The board and administration have also been busy updating our policies, a necessary task. We wrapped up with the topic of substitute teachers which included pay to be competitive with the other schools in the area. Substitute teachers are really needed, if you have the qualifications or are willing to learn more about what it would take to be qualified please contact any of the administrators and they will be happy help.
Go Truckers! Larry Czarnecki Clintonville School Board |
From the SuperintendentEach Fall, the Office of Educational Accountability (OEA) at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issues Accountability Report Cards for schools and districts in Wisconsin. The report cards present key information related to outcomes for students as measured by statewide assessments, attendance, staying in school, and high school completion. Each school receives an Overall Accountability Score from 0 to 100 but does not necessarily capture all of the academic growth and successes on-going in public schools. Report card ratings range from five stars, denoting schools and districts that significantly exceed expectations, to one star for those that fail to meet expectations. Scores are calculated in four priority areas: student achievement, school growth, closing gaps between student groups, and measures of postsecondary readiness, which includes graduation and attendance rates, third-grade English language arts achievement, and eighth-grade mathematics achievement.
This year the Clintonville Public School District received a score of 74.0 and an “Exceeds Expectations” rating. Rexford-Longfellow Elementary received a score of 77.5 and an “Exceeds Expectations” rating. Additional information can be found on at this link: “Public School Accountability Reports” David C. Dyb, Ed.D. Superintendent |
News from Trucker U
Starting Thursday, November 15th, the Trucker U program began their weekly public library visits. Katherine Freund, the new youth coordinator, is very excited to have us over again this year. Students will get to hear a story, learn about what is going on at the library, and be able to check out books as long as they do not have any overdue books or fines. Our visits will be on Thursdays from 3:50-4:30 p.m. this year and we will continue to send one grade level per week. Kindergarten will go the first week followed by 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Reminder notes will be sent home on Mondays of the week that your child will be going. Please send your child's library card with them if you would like them to checkout books. Ms. Freund also mentioned that Thursdays at the library are their Lego days, so for those students not checking out books they will be able to create with the Legos for a bit.
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Trucker U Important Dates November 19 - 23: No Trucker U Trucker U Phone Number Barb Ebert 715-823-7215 ext. 2439 3:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. |
P.E. Happenings
If you haven't already, please take a moment to check it Mrs. Petermann's Physical Education newsletter. On the left hand side of the page, you will also find links to the monthly newsletter, which you can see a thumbnail image of here. There is a plethora of great information contained there so please take a moment to check it out if you haven't already. In the past, these have been sent home as paper copies, but as we transition to this new format for our school newsletter, the Physical Education newsletter will be provided electronically as well.
Please remember that if you ever have any questions regarding your child in Physical Education, the best way to contact Mrs. Petermann at [email protected]. |
Volunteer Spotlight
Mrs. Reiner reads to a group of 1st grade students.
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Joanne Reiner has been volunteering in Mrs. Sivertson's 1st grade classroom two days a week for the past 2 1/2 years. She has a huge heart and always gives the students what they need. To name a few, she hand-knitted hats and mittens, donated classroom supplies, books, and always gives the kids lots of love. Thank you for your dedication, passion, and hard work!
If you are interested in volunteering in the school, please contact the school office so that you can be added to our approved volunteer list, which will include filling out some background information. It takes some time to have this paperwork processed, so the sooner you get in your paperwork, the better! Once you are approved, you will remain on the volunteer list for 3 years before having to renew your application. These procedures are in place to ensure the safety of our students. Thanks for understanding! |
December Lunch Menu
Community Corner
Associate Principal, Mrs. Moran, will be one of the judges for this year's Christmas Parade! For more information about the parade, tree lighting, visits with Santa, and how to write letters to the North Pole, please see the flyer attached here.
Your Opinion Matters
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this newsletter. It is our hope that your found it helpful and informative. If you have any suggestions on how it can be improved or other types of information you would like to see included, please e-mail Associate Principal, Vanessa Moran, at [email protected] to let her know. |