December 1, 2010 Dear Helen Baller Families, I Hope You Had a Relaxing

Helen Baller Elementary 1954 NE Garfield Street Camas, WA 98607-1143 Phone: (360) 833-5720 December 1, 2010 Fax: (360) 833-5721 www.camas.wednet.edu/helenballer Dear Helen Baller Families,

I hope you had a relaxing Thanksgiving Break with your family and friends. Principal: Aaron Parman It is pretty amazing that we had snow this early in the year and missed a Secretary: Margaret Rhode Student Services Coordinator: day of school! Hopefully that is not a sign of things to come. Over the Michelle Morse break my family and I went to Richland, Washington to spend time with , District Office: 335-3000 Grandma. It was fun to see family, but very cold. Before you know it, it will Transportation: 833-5585 be Christmas. Staff emails: The past month was full of great events which included the Mini Olympics. FirstName.LastName I was shocked at what all the kids accomplished during the event. They @camas.wednet.edu were very impressive. Several records were broken for the school including Jefferson Jackson going up and down a rope hanging from the ceiling INSIDE THIS ISSUE: fourteen times! I don’t think I could get half way up the rope. TJ Brossard broke a school record by holding his body in a chin-up position for two PTA & Volunteer Info 2 minutes and thirty seconds. Monthly Birthday Table 2 & Teacher Birthdays We also had a Veteran’s Day assembly that Mrs. Hardi, Mrs. Houle and Counselor’s Corner 3 Mrs. Houle’s class planned and presented. Mr. Kerby, a member of the Army, came and shared about what it is like to be a member of the Armed Learning Gardens 3 Services. The kids loved listening to him. They all did a wonderful job pre- Success Book Roll Call 4 senting. Health Room Reminders 4 December will be a short month. The big event we have is the C.A.R.O.L. Spirit Wear News 4 Food Drive. We are asking families to support others who are in need. More information is coming soon. Teachers will also be sending report Family Holiday Asistance 4 cards home on Friday, December 10. Mini Olympics & P.E. News 5 Here are a few other things to please remember: As the weather gets colder, please have your child/children dress appro- Teacher Wish Lists 6 priately for going outside to play. They should have a warm coat, gloves Veteran’s Day Assembly 7 and a hat. If your child stays home sick, please notify the office so we can record the C.A.R.O.L 7 absence as excused. If there is no notification to the office the absence is Inclement Weather 8 considered unexcused. Staff Binder 8 Lastly, if at all possible, please avoid picking up your child/children early from school. They miss important learning time if they are picked up early. Student On-Line Lunch 8 We would appreciate your support with this matter. Options If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to con- JDZ Winter Camps 8 tact me. I hope you and your family have a wonderful December. Calendar of Events 8 Infectious Diseases 9 AaronAaron Parman, Principal PTA Website: www.helenbellerpta.com PTA President: Kathi Hansen [email protected] Vice President: Diana Sterle Secretary: Amy Sturbelle Treasurer: Kelli Lawson December Birthday Table Fundraising: Seth Sjostrom Membership: Julie Brown Newsletter: Jeanne Brooks

CALLING ALL PARENTS WITH KIDS WHO Spirit Wear: [email protected] HAVE DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS! Volunteers Needed You are invited to join all of the December birthday kids at the Baller Birthday Table on Friday, December th Website - Create and update PTA website. 10 from 11:25am to 12:30pm. We would love for you to be there during the entire lunch period to sit with Baller Blast- Coordinate this annual event. Current and chat to the birthday kids to make their birthday chair will assist new chair with the 2011-2012 event. celebration that much more enjoyable. If you can only Baller Beautification - Looking for someone to lead attend for a short period of time, you could join your up grounds and improvement projects at Baller. This child during his/her lunch. year we will be focused on the courtyard. This individual might enjoy gardening and working with students to cre- Note: All health concerns and allergies are being ate educational and pleasant landscaping at Baller. closely monitored and can be accommodated for your child to participate in the birthday table. Field Day Coordinator - Coordinates this end of the year day of fun and activities. There are always LOTS If you have any questions, would like to volunteer your of parent volunteers to help out with this very popular and fun event. time or donate ice cream treats for the event, please contact Cheryl Johnson at 844-5797 or email her Movie Night - Position Filled! A big thank you to at [email protected]. You may also sign up Cheryl Johnson for keeping our movie nights happening! at Signupgenius.com and enter [email protected] in Nominating Committee - Help select and seek out the search. individuals for officer and chair positions for next fall.

School Supply Kits - Research companies that provide school supply kits for parents to order, select a company and organize details this spring for school supplies for 2011-2012.

If no volunteers step forward to help on any of these committees, then the associated events / opportunities will be cancelled. Happy Birthday to our Teachers

Shelley Houle on December 29th. November Birthday and Belated wishes to: Table Sept- 9th Paula Perkins, 14th Julie Andros, 30th Patti Hardy

Oct- 31st Marilyn Gola

Nov- 8th Kathy Scurrah, 10th Pam Gospe, 11th Diane Loghry, 20th Heidi Echeverio

November is National Career Development Month. This newsletter will highlight some of the strategies that we utilize at school to help children become aware of the world of work and their personal career development process.

Despite the current economic recession, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) projects a growth of 15.3 million U.S. jobs during the 2008-2018 period. Students need a solid foundation in reading, oral and written communication, mathematics and science. Not only do students need mastery in these areas, they need to be able to apply these con- cepts to the real world.

Your elementary aged children are already developing the work habits to become productive members of society. To- day our society is more reliant than ever on technology; there will be jobs in the future that we can’t yet conceive. This is both exciting and daunting. How do we prepare our future work force for skills we might not know they need?

The following school readiness skills directly relate to career development: • Be punctual and present. Teaching children to arrive on time for the school day teaches them to value the time spent and prepares them for the highly scheduled world in which we live. Poor attendance at work is one of the top reasons why an employee can be terminated. Start good attendance habits now and set your child up for success. • Be prepared. Coming to school with the right materials, meeting deadlines and staying organized are life skills that will support career and work goals. After all, deadlines are more than mere suggestions. Adults can’t perform their jobs without their tools; children can’t learn their best if they aren’t prepared. • Be involved. Volunteer opportunities exist in the school. Safety Patrol, S.O.S. Squad [Save Our Scraps] and classroom jobs give children a chance to try out different roles. As children increase their self-awareness of their interests and their abilities, they will make connections with activities that suit them well. • Be respectful. One of our school rules, teaching children to be respectful and follow directions relates to the world of work. The number one reason adults are terminated from their jobs is for insubordination and inappropriate work behavior. • Be accurate. Teaching our children to do their best work is a skill that will benefit their future career. Mistakes in the world-of-work can be costly or even life-threatening. We are teaching students to take care and pride in turning in their best work.

Even though unemployment rates and the economic recession are on the minds of many, it’s important to instill a strong work ethic in our children. We thank you for partnering with our school to develop these work habits and traits.

Camas School District Counselors

Learning Gardens are Growing at Helen Baller!

Children can learn so much from gardening, from math and science to art and poetry. Baller students are lucky to have access to two learning gardens—the courtyard garden by the library and the Camas Roots Garden, across the street from the school. Starting early next year, we’ll be planning for how to get students more involved in using these garden spaces to enrich their learning experience. If you would like to get involved in this fun activity, please contact Elisa Wells at 833-0925. No gardening experience is required!

Success Book Roll Call Health Room Reminders:

Below is a list of students who have signed the ♦ Success Book during the month of November. Keep ill children home, and always update the office Any Helen Baller staff member can have a student sign with any new contact information. the Success Book for being successful with academics, ♦ Continue to check daily at home for head lice. behavior or work ethic. Several of the students ♦ Medications at school need a medication authorization signed the Success Book multiple times, but I have form completed by your Doctor (even cough drops). only listed their name once. ♦ Please remember to update the health room whenev- Way to go Helen Baller Bears! er your child receives an immunization. We are proud of you!

Ian Brown See our medication policy on the CSD website for Kayli Eckert Walker Holst Emily Barber additional information about this. Anna Chronister Edison Twymon Kate Damor Thank You Ethan Hansen Rantin Reynolds Dylan Goodwin Angela Bourquin Nils Brainard Lexie Terry Logan Coates Helen Baller Health Asst. Christian Charles Woodruff Charles Woodrow (360)833-5720 ext. 78004 Geigenmiller Ellee Anderson Nico Swanson Rachel Real Victoria Rose Bree McClelland James DelGiudice Lenor Edward Kovalanko Spirit Wear News!! Kayleigh Brough Darian Williams Elizabeth Gillespie Riley Robbins Grace Varsek Alyssa Dreyer The girl's headband has been a great hit! It was Lisette Rinnen Alex Johnson Brani Pratt sold out for a short while, but has re- Abigail Olsen Benjamin Brasher Emma Bliss Sophie Smith Ryan Potter turned with the same great paw print Nils Brainard Joshua Liksakova TJ Brossard ribbon around the band and a new Nicole Urick Tyra Schroeder Grant Heiser flower design. The flower is now a rose Janessa Terry Trinity Conde Thanh Do design in red fabric. More are on their Mason Wesner Martin Knysh Billy Schuldt Jack Damore way, so order yours today! Julia Bintz Tyobe Funk Sydney Dreyer DeLaney Ooms Alejandro Don't forget Christmas Spirit Gifts! Christmas orders Makenna Kinkaid Gail Doty Bella Distante for apparel (shirts, sweats, vests, beanies) can be Qua Lyman Devin Villanueva Lili Ford turned in up until Friday, December 10th. Stock spir- Lizzy Wing Jasmine Domenech Arianna Stogianis Zander Samordurov it items are available for ordering until the last day of Madison Bailey Mckayla Cowgill Jackson Emerson school, Friday December 17th. These items include: DeLaney Anderson Malik Morris Austin White stickers, license plate frames, patches, stainless wa- Cassie Templer Tania White Allyson Stroller ter bottles, & girl's headbands. Be sure and mark Blake Adair Sierra Craft Emma Stein your order "Xmas gifts" in special delivery instruc- Noah Dangerfield Elizabeth Nilles Hayden Sjostrom tions at the bottom of the Morgan Patterson James King Jaiden Fratwell Taylor Rhodig Bella Little order form and we will Arianna Stogianis Chase Zeman Ben Serfling contact you to make Sydney Fermenick Joseph Collins Jade Sosky arrangements for Mary Pipkin 'secretive order pickup.'

Family Holiday Assistance Happy Holidays from the Spirit Wear Team This is the time of year to offer assistance to families who might need a little extra during the holidays. Camas Fire Department has a great program

that helps with holiday food and gifts. If this is a pro- BOX TOP CONTEST REMINDER gram you would like to participate in or if you would like to refer a Helen Baller family, please leave a Please keep turning in those BOX TOPS. Be sure to message for me at work or email me. have your child put his/her name and room number on each box top and turn them into the RED BOX 833-5720 TOP box in the office (next to the chance [email protected] ticket box). At the end of each month we Edie Hagstrom, will draw 10 box tops and each winner Helen Baller School Counselor will receive a coupon for a free ice cream cone from Top Burger.

4 Mini-Olympics 2010

What a fabulous year for the Mini-Olympics! Everyone worked very hard and the kids who represented each class had lots of support from their classmates. A new school record was set in the Rope Climb by Jefferson Jackson! Every- one was in awe as he climbed up the rope 14 times to beat the record set 6 years ago at 12 ¾. T.J. Brossard also set a new school record in Arm Hang. He hung on for 2 minutes and 31 seconds! Derek Lawson tied the school record for Standing Broad Jump at 6’9’’.

The amount of volunteers and quality of help was also phenomenal! Mrs. Wing thanks everyone who came in to help with the testing and again stepped up at the Olympics to do timings and count. Our volunteers at Helen Baller always go above and beyond our expectations and we are incredibly grateful to each of them.

The Sportsmanship award went to Mrs. Houle and Hanawalt’s classes. Every- one displayed incredible sportsmanship and Mrs. Willson’s class even had matching t-shirts! The Mini-Olympics is a team event and that’s why Helen Baller is always able to pull it off. We are a community of workers! We have AMAZING families with INCREDIBLE kids. Goooooooooooo BEARS!!!

Coming Soon: ⇒ December 13-17th: Winter Wonderland ⇒ (Hockey, snowball fights, sleigh rides, etc.) ⇒ February 7-11th: The JUNGLE (gymnastics unit) ⇒ March 25th: School Wide Spring Program (please mark your calendars now) ⇒ Spring: School Wide Fun Run (to raise money for a new track at Helen Baller) We are hoping every family and student can be involved. We will get a date to you ASAP. 5 Teacher Gift Ideas Give your child’s Teacher what they want/need this Christmas! (plus it’s tax deductible!)

Wish Lists Kindergarten 1st Grade

*Small budget for lesson-related food items. *Art supplies (clay/play dough, black sharpies, *Large area rugs w/24 dots (or animals, spaces, water color paper, oil pastels). etc) for assigned seating at rug time. *Science supplies (bulbs, soil, pots). *Help with email/computer items. *Class snacks. *Hard cover books for class libraries.

2nd Grade 3rd Grade

*Mrs. Doyle could use help in the computer lab *Art supplies (paint brushes, acrylic paint). (see her for specific days and times). *Books and book sets for reading groups. *Art wires (from Ikea) for hanging art in the *Help with copy/prep work. hallway *Mrs. Youngblood needs help making globes. *Mrs. Gospe needs help in class w/parties, art, math and computer lab… see her for days and times. 4th Grade 5th Grade

*Books for class libraries and reading groups *Help putting together bulletin boards. (especially in Willson and Hooton). *Science equipment for experiments. *Help with small reading groups (see teachers *Help with copy/prep work. for days and times). *Mrs. Holt could use help putting together books with each child’s art from the year. *Art supplies (liquid water colors, chalk, pastels, acrylic paint in tubes). *Mrs. Houle could use more glue sticks. *Help putting together bulletin boards. *Mrs. Sleight could use help organizing book orders.

Specialists School Wide *Mrs. Eeds could use help in class (see her for *BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!!! Nearly every teacher specific info). *Easy reader and fun books in Eeds and Wood- needs age-appropriate books for class library in son’s classes. addition to level specific book sets. *Mrs. Meyerhoff needs tissues, glue sticks and *Your help in your child’s class is always wel- disinfectant wipes. come… your time is a gift!

For coordination or more information contact Kim Newell — call or text 360-210-5272 [email protected]

6 Timothy and Madison Kerby with their dad, Kevin Kerby.

It's that time of year again! Helen Baller is going to contribute a variety of grocery items for C.A.R.O.L. (Christmas Activities Relief Or- ganization) food drive.. Each classroom will have certain items to supply. If you would like to donate, please have your donations to school by Friday December 17th. Please do not send any perishables. Thank you for your support! Sincerely, Aaron Parman Principal, Helen Baller Classroom Grocery Items Room 162 Mrs. Michener Tuna, canned meats, peanut butter Room 164 Mrs. Perkins Tuna, canned meats, peanut butter Room 111 Mrs. Scurrah Pasta, cereals (hot or cold) Room 112 Mrs. Loghry Pasta, cereals (hot or cold) Room 114 Mrs. Wegener Packaged desserts, or toiletry items Room 115 Mrs. Gola Packaged desserts, or toiletry items Room 101 Mrs. Webb Vegetables (canned) Room 102 Mrs. Bailey Vegetables (canned) Room 104 Mrs. Andros Soups, stews, chili Room 105 Mrs. Doyle Soups, stews, chili Room 221 Mrs. Gospe Fruits (canned) Room 222 Ms. Miller Fruits (canned) Room 224 Mrs. Mahoney Baby food/juice (canned/powdered) Room 225 Mrs. Youngblood Baby food/juice (canned/powdered) Room 161 Ms. Willson Canned goods Room 211 Mrs. Brown Paper products Room 212 Mrs. Echeverio Paper products Room 214 Ms. Hooton Pasta, cereals (hot or cold) Room 215 Mrs. Pederson Pasta, cereals (hot or cold) Room 201 Mrs. Houle Canned goods Room 202 Mrs. Hanawalt Packaged desserts/toiletry items Room 204 Mrs. Sleight Packaged desserts/toiletry items Room 205 Mrs. Holt Canned goods

7 Inclement Weather Want to know if your child’s teacher likes Mocha Latte’s or a Chai Tea? Pepsi or Iced Tea? Now you can find As possible more winter weather approaches we out in the new ….. think about school schedule changes. In the event of a school closure or delay, the district will Staff Binder launch an emergency weather notification system, titled Alert Now, which will send a recorded mes- Our Staff Info Binder is finally ready. In it you will find sage via primary phone to teachers' birthdays, favorite coffee drinks, how you can every parent in the district help and lots more. There is also a wish list by grade when schools are delayed or and a staff birthday list by month. The binder is located cancelled. You will receive this in the bins by the Principal's window in the office. call at approximately 6AM. -Be sure to check out the monthly Staff Birthday list on The information is also availa- the PTA bulletin board... and feel free to shower these ble through local news media. teachers with gifts all month long! -Don't forget to show our teachers how much we love them by signing up to help with upcoming staff appreci- Helen Baller ation events. Check out signupgenius.com (search hbp- [email protected]) or sign up on the PTA bulletin board. Calendar of Events

Pay For Student’s Lunch, View Online Options

What did my child eat for lunch today? Why is my son/ daughter already out of lunch money? These questions and December more can be answered online through the district’s MealTime program. Parents can see how often their students eat lunch 3 Fri Downtown Camas Tree Lighting or breakfast and for secondary students, they can even see Helen Baller Musiking Group what menu items they chose to eat. Additionally, parents can also deposit money into their student’s account. performs 7:45 If your student is new to the district or you did not receive 13-17 PE Winter Wonderland passcode information you can call 360-833-5768 or send an 10 Fri December Birthday Table e-mail with your student’s name and school to 10 Fri Spirit Wear Christmas Order Deadline [email protected].

17 Fri Staff Appreciation Lunch 17 Fri C.A.R.O.L Donations deadline On-Line Payments for Lunch Accounts can be made at 20-31 Winter Break - No School www.mymealtime.com . (Transactions after midnight will be posted to the student’s account the next business day). Through this website you can also monitor your student’s

account balance and purchases – for FREE. January If you would like to use this feature, please contact Lisa at [email protected] or 833-5768 and she will 3 Mon Students return to School provide your student’s passcode to set up an account. 17 Mon Martin Luther King Holiday - no school JDZ Winter Camps 21 Fri January Birthday Table Grades K-6. Class are offered Monday-Thursday. Student 21 Fri Staff Appreciation Lunch will participate in a variety of fun activities including arts, crafts, organized games, science projects, cooking and more! Snacks are provided. Please bring a sack lunch from home. Call (360) 954-3837 for registration information. February JDZ Room 305 7-11 The Jungle Week in PE 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM Monday – Thursday 18 Fri February Birthday Table Dec 20-23 and/or Dec 27-30 21 Mon Presidents’ Day - No School Full day, over 5 hours $45 per day TBA Wild Night at Baller or $160 per 4 day week Half day, 5 hours or less $30 per day or $100 per 4 day week 8

Help Control the Spread of Infectious Diseases in Schools

Washington State Department of Health has provided this information on influenza.

GENERAL INFORMATION Influenza is spread from person to person when an infected person cough, sneezes, or touches things that others use. Droplets from a cough or sneeze can travel up to six feet and spray directly on another person or settle on surfaces (floors, tables, countertops and equipment). An infected person who coughs or sneezes into their hands can contaminate surfaces (phones, keyboards, door handles, and toys) when touching them. Influen- za germs can survive on surfaces for 2 to 8 hours—possibly longer—and can infect people who touch these contaminated surfaces. PREVENT THE SPREAD OF GERMS Personal steps Use proper hand washing. Cover your coughs and sneezes. Use proper cleaning and disinfecting methods. Cover open wounds. Stay home if you are ill. Get an influenza vaccination. Provide time needed for all students and staff to wash hands frequently. To remove germs from hands, 20 seconds of rubbing with warm water and soap is required. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol) are acceptable, but washing with soap and water is best. When hand washing is necessary: After recess, P.E. class, or returning from a field trip (hands are likely to be dirty). After using the bathroom. Before preparing food, eating or taking medication. After touching an infected wound. After sneezing into hands (teach kids to cough and sneeze into tissue or elbow). When hand sanitizer is acceptable: After blowing nose. Coughing into hands as long as there is no visible nasal discharge or saliva. Touching something that might be contaminated (a keyboard, door knob, railing, etc.). Alcohol-based hand sanitizers Must be 60-95% alcohol to be effective Unscented is preferred for public areas. Use by young children must be supervised. Are not to be used on children under one year old. Some children will be sensitive to them and not able to use. Must be stored safely – alcohol poisoning can result from ingestion and they are flammable. Teach students to: Cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Cough or sneeze into their elbow rather than hands when without a tissue. Put used tissues in a waste basket. Wash their hands frequently. Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with their hands.