Student Wellness Alert

We have not had any official cases of the Swine Flu reported at SLE, but there are cases around the county. Please talk to your children about how to avoid exposure to the flu by following these tips:

• Do not put fingers, pencils, and other objects in your mouth
• Do not share food or drinks with other students
• Cough into the bend of your arm to avoid spreading germs
• Wash hands with soap while humming the "Happy Birthday" tune to do a really good job
• Use GermX (but don't forget washing hands with soap)
• Stay away for other people who are running fever

If your child does get sick, please do the following:

• Take your child to the doctor immediately at the first sign of the flu
• Keep your child at home so she will not spread the flu.
• Keep children at home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone
• Tell the school of your child's condition and progress

Thank you for helping to keep your children well. Don't worry about absences and test exemptions, we are working on an alternative policy during these unusual circumstances. Please call the school and ask for the principal or the counselor for more information. - Mr. Henderson

SWCD to Honor Mrs. Summers-Jones

The Leake County Soil and Water Conservation District selected second grade teacher Peggy Summers-Jones for their Outstanding Educator Award. This award is given to teachers who have done an outstanding job in teaching or demonstrating conservation education to their students. Mrs. Summers-Jones will be honored at the SWCD annual meeting in October. (Those window butterbean guardens paid off!)

NED Said...

Steve and NED talked to our students today giving them a great, positive message for everyone. The uplifting program was the first of our Good Friday events, and Steve had the audience laughing and cheering as he talked about what it takes to be a champion. In the picture above, Austin (middle) shows off his "fancy smancy" yoyo Steve (right) gave him for participating in the show.
Students learned that NED stands for:

N- Never Give up

E - Encourage Everyone

D - Do Your Best

If your child asks for money to purchase a yoyo, please help them do so. It is how the school was able to bring this positive message to the children. Learning how to use the yoyo is also a great way to build confidence and interests in a hobby. Prices are $6.50, $10, and $15. The school doesn't retain any of the money. It is a service for the children.

Teachers on the Radio

SLE's second grade teachers Peggy Summers-Jones and Crystal Todd will be featured on Rurual Voices Radio in September. This is part of the Writing Thinking Institute and Mississippi Public Broadcasting's efforts to improve writing across the state. Tune in to public radio on these dates:

Monday September 7: Peggy Summers Jones/ 12:04 p.m

Monday September 14: Crystal Todd/ 12:04 p.m.

Open House Survey

I hope you were part of the crowd that visited SLE during our Open House Monday evening. If you were, please give us some feedback by completing the survey that we sent home by the students Tuesday. If you did not get one, email me. I'll see that you do. I'll also post the results on this blog soon. Your responses will help us as we plan future events.

MCT2 Scores

Please plan to come to the SLE Open House Monday, August 24 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and ask your child's teacher about his/her MCT2 Scores. Students in grades 4 through 6 at SLE will have them.



The whole community will need to know and understand what these scores mean to our school and community before they can begin to help. And they will need to help! For more information, please go to The Parents Campaign link.



Also, ask your teacher about your child's progress for the first three weeks of school. Most teachers have several grades and can give you a good idea of how things are going.



Let me know, if I can help.

Open House Planned

Please plan to attend the SLE Open House Monday, August 24 from 4 p.m to 7 p.m.

We will have activities for kids in the gym so parents and teachers can talk more casually. Please pass the word along and plan to be at SLE Monday. - JH

Library Research from Home

If your child has a research project, and you need a source for articles, follow the instructions below. They were provided by the Carthage Library for the public to use. - JH


How to Access Magnolia Data Bases From Home

Type  in the web address: http://www.mlc.lib.ms.us/
Click on “Services to General Public”
Click on “Magnolia” (left-hand column)
Click on “Public Libraries”
Click on “C” and scroll down to the Carthage-Leake County Library
Click on database from selections in left-hand column
If site requires a password or ID, type in: magn1026

Free Carpentry Training

The Leake Career and Technical Center (formely called the Votec Center) is offering free carpentry training, and I thought you may know someone who would be interested in it. Registration is 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday, August 10. Classes start August 11.

One must be 18 years old or older, unemployed or under-employed, registered with the Selective Serivce, and be able to pass a drug test.

Pre-registration is required by calling Timmy Fanguy at 601-267-8442 ex. 215.

Calendar Events for 2009-2010

For those of you who like to plan WAY ahead, here are some events we are planning at SLE for this school year. Some dates may change as the year goes along, and we'll update you when this happens, but this will give you a preview of some of the things we have planned.

2009

August

3 - District Professional Development
28 - Good Friday – and YO YO program
10 – SLHS Booster and Band Meeting
15 – Wildcat Day/Community Day
21 - STAR Reader and Math
24 – Open House (4 p.m. - 7 p.m.) to

TBA:
Fall AIMS Assessment
PTO meeting
MCT 2 Proficient and Advanced Students Celebration/Recognition

September

7 – Labor Day
10 – PTO 6 p.m.
25 - Good Friday
25 -Native American Day
8 – Progress Reports

TBA:
3rd Grade Assembly Program

October

22,23 - 5/6 grade trip to Birmingham
26-30 - Red Ribbon Week
29 – Beta Induction Program
30 - PTO/Fall Festival/Halloween Festival
30 - Good Friday (plan a "give away reward" rather than an event)

TBA:
Homecoming Week

November
2-6 – Book Fair
3 – Book Fair Parent Night
11 - Veterans Day observance (school in session)
16-20 American Education Week

20 - Good Friday
23-27 - Thanksgiving Holidays

TBA:
2nd Grade Assembly Program
PTO Meeting

December
14 - Good Friday
16 - Faculty Christmas Party
15, 17,18 - 9 Weeks Tests
21-31 Christmas Holidays

11 -Assembly – K & 1st Grades

TBA:
11 - Fall STAR Reader/Math Assessment
Winter AIMS Assessment

2010
January

4 - Professional Development (no students)
5 - Students Return
18 - Holiday (no school)
29 - Good Friday

TBA:
4th Grade Assembly Progrm
PTO meeting

February

2-Progress Reports go out
3 - Conduct needed parent meetings
11 - Valentines Banquet
12 – Beta Sale and Dance
25 - Black History Month Program (5th/6th Grade Assembly Program)
26 -Good Friday
TBA:
PTO meeting

March

1-5 Dr. Seuss
3 - MCT Science Test
10 - MCT Writing Test
17 – St. Patricks Day
15-19 - Spring Break
26 - Good Friday

TBA:
PTO meeting

April

1 – Kindergarten Easter Egg Hunt
2 - Easter Good Friday Holiday
20 - Progress Reports
21 - Conduct needed parent conferences
30 - Good Friday

TBA:
Spring AIMS Assessment
PTO meeting

May

3 – 7 Teacher Appreciation Week
4 - National Teacher Appreciation Day
5 - SLE Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
11 - MCT 2 Reading
12 - MCT 2 Writing
13 - MCT 2 Math ; 6th Grade Graduation program
14 - Awards Day / K Graduation

TBA:

Final STAR Reader/Math Assessments
6th Grade Farewell Party/Awards Program
Spring Festival – PTO

Welcome Back

I want to thank all the staff who have made this opening of school a success! We welcome back all our wounderful children and their parents. We hope you will see our school and staff as you second home. Remember that we all win when we help our children be successful in school!

Remember to take the survey that should be on the right hand side of this blog.

Send us some feedback by posting an answer to the following question:

What was your impression of the first day of school for your child this year?

Professional Development

The first day of school for the teachers went well Monday. I will try to post the PowerPoint presentation on this blog (to the right, maybe?) for your information. However, we had a lot of great discussion that is not in the slide presentation. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a post. (NOTE: I've looked, but there is no way to leave a whole slide presentation easily. So, I'll email it to the staff.)

By the way, if you're prompted to sign in for a Google account, I encourage you to do so. It's free, and there are a lot of free applications to use.