Timber Wolves News Talkeetna Elementary School

November 2012

Dear Parents, Principal’s Report

We want to thank you for attending Parent-Teacher Confer-

ences last Thursday and Friday. Approximately 95% of students were

represented. Students are displaying good grades and effort for first

quarter. Talkeetna Elem. Is averaging 50% for free and reduced lunch,

this amount allows us to continue receiving Title 1 money through Fed-

eral Programs. Just 4 years ago, our school was at 40% with free or re-

duced qualifications and our enrollment was 40 more students. We are

seeing fewer students eat breakfast at school this year. The price for

breakfast is $1.40 unless a child is eligible for and receives free or re-

duced meals, then breakfast is free and lunch is either free or reduced.

If your child eats hot lunch, you’ve probably seen a change over

the past couple of years. Milk is either 1% white or 50% less sugar non-

fat chocolate milk. Fruits and vegetables are served daily and fats and

calories follow federal guideline standards. The PTA members furnish a

well-stocked fresh salad and fruit bar on Wed. and Thurs. This is free to

all students whether or not they are having hot lunch. Healthy snacks

are provided by PTA members on Mon. and Tues. mornings. Please

check new guidelines for our school snacks located in this newsletter.

We ask that snacks provide less sugar and fat and use whole grains, pro-

tein, or fruits and vegetables. Rarely are snacks left over in the class-

rooms. A variety of items have been served such as, dill pickles, yogurt,

berries, whole grain breads, nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cu-

cumbers, spinach bread, fruit salad, fruit smoothies. Classroom rewards

are leaning toward popcorn parties, playtime, outdoor or gym time al-

lowing students to have more physical activity.

The 5-2-1-0 program that many schools (including TKE) around the na-

tion have adopted uses those numbers to represent 5 fruits or vegeta-

bles daily, 2 or less hours of screen time, 1 hour of physical play daily,

and 0 sugary drinks. Students are also tallying 30 minutes of exercise

daily for a Healthy Futures reward. These are great guidelines for all of

us to live by.

Carol Wadman—Principal

DATES TO REMEMBER

Nov. 7 Basketball Game @ Trapper Creek

Game starts at 3pm

Nov. 9 Student Photo Retakes,

Class Photos and Family

Group Photos 8:30am-10am

Nov. 12 Prof. Development, No School

Nov. 15 PTA General Membership Meeting

3:15pm TKE Library

Nov. 22 Thanksgiving Day, No School

Nov. 23 No School

Nov. 26—Dec. 1 Book Fair in TKE Library

Dec. 1 PTA Bazaar, 11am-5pm

Dec. 4 Holiday Music Program, Gr. K-6

Students arrive 6pm

Show starts at 6:30pm

Dec. 6 Field Trips

Gr. 1&2 Performing Arts Center

Gr. 3&4 AK Native Heritage Center

Dec. 20 Qrt 2 Ends

Picture Day Nov. 9, 2012, 8:30am-10:30am

Retakes, Classroom Groups and Sibling/Family Pictures

If your student was absent or you would like them photographed again Nov. 9th is their opportunity. You

can also have all your students photographed together in a family picture, you could even join them in the

photo if you like. Lifetouch Photography will be taking classroom group photos, so make sure to have your

student combed and polished that day. Please send the order packages back to school with the correct or-

der info and payment on or before Nov. 9th.

PTA News

We are excited to announce our latest fund-raiser! The PTA will be holding a raffle for the Birds of Alaska

Quilt – created with student art work and hand made by Karen Mannix. It is an amazing work of art, and we

are so thankful to Karen Mannix and Sarah Kehoe for making it happen. Fabric bird prints created by the stu-

dents, with artist in residence Steve Gordon last February, are interspersed with amazing color to make this

double size quilt. It is currently on display at the Flying Squirrel Bakery and Café and will be moved to the

Sheldon Community Arts Hangar next.

Tickets are on sale for $5 at Talkeetna Elementary, The Flying Squirrel Bakery Café, Twister Creek Restau-

rant and from PTA board members. The drawing will be the last day of school May 21st. You need not be pre-

sent at the drawing to win. All proceeds raised will go directly towards student enrichment at Talkeetna Ele-

mentary. We are looking for a lot of help in selling tickets. Please consider getting a book of 10 to sell

to your family, friends and co-workers. If interested please call Sarah Kehoe at 733-3535. Thank You!

Saturday, Dec 1st will be our annual PTA Holiday Food & Gift Bazaar at Talkeetna Elementary

from 11 am – 5 pm. There will be great food, fresh coffee, art projects for children, music, shopping with local

vendors and a book fair - all happening at this fun family event. This is an important fundraiser for the PTA

and we could use help in making it happen. Please call Noelle Carbone at 733-1237 if you can lend a hand.

If you would like to become a new PTA member or renew your membership you can find a form at the

school or contact Caitlin Palmer at caitlin@climbalaska.org. When you become a PTA member you are not

obligated to come to meetings. Why is PTA membership important? By getting involved at your child’s

school you’ll be part of the solution, helping make positive changes. Local PTAs play an important

role in fundraising to support teachers, artistic opportunities for the students, fund field trips, social

events and student enrichment. We thank you for your membership! Noelle Carbone

The next PTA membership meeting will be Thursday, November 15th at 3:15 pm in the Talkeetna Elementary

library. All are welcome to attend!

Classroom News

The third and fourth graders are looking forward to dissecting salmon on Wednesday, October 31. Our salmon eggs are doing well, thanks to Mr. Carbone , who set up our new fish tank! Students are also studying the proper-ties of water in science. Ask your child what “surface tension” is, and how it works.

We will soon be making paper quilts that will reinforce math concepts such as sym-metry and fractions. As an art project we will be looking at shapes, color, value, pattern and balance.

In writing workshop the 3rd graders are making books. They have done a great job in writing their stories. The 4th graders have published narratives that are now in the hallway. If you are in the building, please come by and read about the lives of our students.

We have had so much fun looking at the “Peek Boxes” and reading facts about the ani-mals inside. Thank you Mrs. Wadman for creating such a high interest project!

Mrs. Ickes

Healthy Snack Guidelines TKE 9-5-2012

Students that are rested, well-nourished, and physically active seem to have fewer absences from school and

a better ability to focus on classroom tasks. Families, schools, and communities must provide young people

with the opportunities to develop their habits that will make them fit, healthy, and ready to succeed. By

providing students with nutritious choices, schools can positively influence children’s eating habits and will-

ingness to try healthy snacks.

The TKE staff and PTA agree that foods of minimal nutritional value shall not be served to students during the

school day and after school activities. Snacks provided should follow these guidelines:

Have no more than 35% of its calories from fat

Have no more than 10% of its calories from saturated fat

Have. No more than 35% sugar by weight

Beverages should be limited to milk, water, juice that is at least 50% fruit juice with no added sweeteners (BP

3554, revised 6-15-05).

Snacks should be eaten in moderation, even at school. Schools should strongly encourage staff, parents, and

students to include healthy choices during celebrations and parties. Parents may bring cake or cupcakes for

birthdays and other special occasions.

Traditional cultural food may be exempted from the food standards when used for educational and/or spe-

cial school events (AR 5040 12-6-06)

Schools should increase the use of non-food items and limit the use of foods or beverages as rewards (AR

5040 12-6-06).

Solve the Riddle for a Prize:

Be the first student in your class to cut this answer sheet off and

return it to Ms. Kaki with the correct answer and you win a trip to

the prize box.

What goes around and around the

wood but never goes into the

wood?

ANSWER: __________________________________

GIVE YOUR CHILD A HEAD START...TEACH NUTRITION To encourage physically active and healthy lifestyles the staff and PTA at Talkeetna Elementary are

encouraging families to participate in the 5210 program.

Here are 15 tips for eating more fruits

and vegetables each day:

Keep chopped veggies in the fridge for

snacks

Buy individual size fruit, like applesauce

Top any cereal with a bit of fruit, like bananas

or blueberries

Add handfuls of frozen or fresh veggies to

soups or noodles

Use plain yogurt as a dip for fresh fruit

Stuff celery with peanut butter or cream

cheese

Make a fruit or veggies kebab

Add grapes or sliced apples to chicken or tu-

na salad

Add diced tomatoes, onions or spinach to

scrambled eggs

Add fruit to pancake batter, like blueberries,

raspberries or bananas

Choose dried fruit as a treat rather than cook-

ies or candy

Serve fresh fruit with cheese wedges as a

dessert

Grill skewers of pineapple, zucchini, toma-

toes & pepper

Always try to offer something fresh with a

meal even if you don’t have time to cook it,

like cut-up carrots, cucumber or apples.

Add grated fruits or vegetable to your baked

goods.

*FUN HEALTHY ACTIVITY*

Circle 5 fruits and/or vegetables

Circle 2 activities you can do instead of

watching a screen

Cross out all the sugary drinks you can find

Holiday Musical Program

“Home for the Holidays” December 4, 2012, 6:30pm This Talkeetna Elementary School stage performance will take place at 6pm.

Students, please dress in your polished holiday best and arrive at school at

6:00pm. This night will be filled with instrumental and vocal performances of

holiday classics. Please join us and bring the whole family.

Harvest Carnival 2012 Thank you to all the parents, community mem-

bers , staff and students who participated in making the Harvest Carnival a huge success this

year. We had an endless list of generous candy and prize donors , bake sale item donors,

people who gave a helping hand setting up, manning booths and cleaning up after the event

ended. Special thanks to the honor students from Su Valley for all your hard work and extra

special thanks to the organizer, Lori Holcomb, for the long hours spent ensuring the carnival

was seamless, safe and fun for all. All proceeds directly benefit students and are spent on

educational and cultural field trips. Please join us again next year in support of Talkeetna

Timber Wolf student activities.

Nov. 26—Dec. 1

Talkeetna Elementary School Library

Library Open Daily 8am-4pm

Saturday Dec. 1 10am –4pm