Wolverine Track 6

The Wolverine Track Volume 32, no. 6

November 23, 2009 Wellington PTA 6.10.43

President’s Message... What is Classic Books and Why is it so Important? Starting the first week of January, one of my favorite PTA enrichment programs, Classic Books, begins for our 3 rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. If you’re like me, when I first heard about it several years ago, I didn’t understand what this program was all about or why it was important. My daughter, who was a third grader at the time, brought home a flyer and wanted to sign up for the six week program. After reading the flyer and asking questions of parents who had done the program in the past, I learned what Classic Books was all about. Trained parent volunteers are assigned a small (same grade) group that meet once a week for six weeks. Two volunteers per group, guide the students in discussion of the selected book they have read for that week. The district provides training for the Classic Book Chairs, and they in turn train the parent volunteers. The district also provides an approved list of books for each grade level. Wellington PTA purchases the books needed for our program. Like all parents, I am always encouraging my kids to read, so I was happy to sign the permission slip for my daughter to start classic books. At that time, Stacey Knoles, our current PTA Classic Books Co-Chair, was the volunteer who led my daughters group. Mrs. Knoles, along with another parent volunteer, picked out six books from the Classic Books list and gave each child in their group one of the selected books to read in advance of their first meeting. Each student understood that to participate in the group all six weeks, they had to commit to reading the assigned book each week and be prepared to discuss the book at the following meeting. After just a few weeks of attending, I saw my daughter taking ownership of sitting down to read the book in order to have it finished in time for her next meeting. She was having fun reading a variety of books that were different from what she would have normally chosen and liked meeting with her group to discuss it. Continued on page 2

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Inside this issue: Family Movie Night

Plan to attend

3

Gift Drive Coming

Donations accepted

3

Dates to remember

Staff Appreciation

Donation details

3

Nov. 26-27: No School

Reflections Update

Thanks & Congrats!

4

Student Choir

Volunteers needed

4

Chess Club

Sign-up details

5

Spirit Wear

Fundraising recap

5

Box Tops/Cartridge Recycle

Fundraising recap

5

Directory info

Join PTA & Get yours!

5

Advocacy Update

Get Involved

6

Colonial Days

Donations needed

7

Newsletter Editor:

Sarah Dziuk, [email protected]

Nov. 30-Dec.11: Gift Drive Dec. 4: Popcorn Friday 21: Start of Winter break Jan. 5: Start of Classic Books

Wellington Elementary Est. Fall 1978

From the Executive Commit‘09/‘10 PTA Executive Committee President: Joan Ritter 425-750-3840 [email protected] President-Elect: Stacy Meyer 425-481-2927 [email protected] VP Membership: Sandy Mollerup 425-806-4970 [email protected] VP Fundraising: Danielle Glessner 425-485-6986 [email protected] Secretary: Gayle Hickey 425-485-2155 [email protected] Treasurer: Lisa Stefanzick 425-483-8632 [email protected]

The PTA Board of Directors recently approved the following purchases: 1) Twenty-four active board wands for student use – these work like electronic pens, but are much longer so students can easily use them during lessons with the white active boards in the classrooms. 2) Two new library wire book shelves to house the remaining paperback collection in the library. These will join the other one that PTA purchased earlier this year and keep all our paperback books easily accessible and in better shape. 3) Additional safety helmets for the safety patrol. These will ensure that each student has a particular helmet to use during their entire week of patrol. The ones not being used that week will be bagged for sanitary purposes. This will keep any lice that try to invade Wellington at bay! 4) A new slab roller that will be used to roll out clay for those great projects our art docents are planning this year. Our school kiln will be getting lots of use; so be on the lookout for some wonderful clay projects to adorn your mantles at home! Lisa Stefanzick Treasurer

Veterans’ Day Salute! The Wellington staff, our own Army Reserve Diana McCoy, and four visiting U of W ROTC cadets were treated to a warm and homey lunch after the Nov. 9th Veterans Day assembly. Thank you to the following generous volunteers who donated hearty soups, lasagna, salads, breads, beverages, paper goods, and yummy desserts for the occasion. Mike and Liane Logan, Pam Russell, Kelly Reinholdtsen, Cary Thompson, Theresa Beers, Kelly Vedaa, Shelley McMaster, Laurie Rohrich, Meggin Mann, Lisa McKenney, Judith Kennamer, Niki Gummer, Maja Kralj, Stacy Cheuvront, Jennifer Darzinski, Katrina Brooke, Kristin O’Hara, and Lisa Culhane. If you are interested in contributing to the monthly staff appreciation lunches please e-mail Lisa McKenney at [email protected] or Theresa Beers at [email protected].

President’s Message continued... I signed up the following year to volunteer and took the short training program. Along with another parent volunteer, we had a great time listening to all the different perspectives each student had. It was wonderful to see kids begin to feel comfortable talking within the group, developing their opinions and sharing them with everyone. It was also a valuable time for my daughter and I to share our thoughts about the books we were reading. For this program to be successful, it takes a lot of volunteers. Depending on the number of students that sign up, the Chair tries to keep the group size from 6 to 9 students with two parent volunteers. Many parents have signed up, but more are needed. If your child has signed up for classic books, consider helping out. It only takes an hour of training and then just one hour a week of your time, for six weeks. I believe that you will find it as rewarding as I have, and like me, you will want to do it again. Let’s help increase our children’s reading skills and love for books. I have already signed up, you can too!

- Joan Ritter “Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones to genius.”

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-Elbert Hubbard

Wolverine Track

Wellington Elementary PTA presents ... Wellington’s First Family Movie Night! >> Save the Date: Friday, January 22, 2010<< Come and enjoy a fun evening watching a movie and eating popcorn with fellow Wellington families. Your PTA is hosting this special event FREE for the whole family! Keep watching for more information and details. PTA will also be hosting an informational meeting about the upcoming school bond and levies that same night (Jan. 22nd, 2010) right before the movie begins. This will be a short meeting (approx. 1/2 hour) for parents to hear information and ask questions about the bond, four-year Renewal Education Operation Support (M&O) Levy, and a four-year Renewal School Technology Levy scheduled to be on the election ballot for district residents to vote on Feb. 9, 2010. Your kids will be supervised in the gym while they play games and get ready to watch the movie. After the meeting, parents will be able to join their kids for the movie and popcorn. Please keep in mind that this is not a "drop off event" for your kids. The district rules state that in order to provide this movie night for our school, ALL parents must stay at the school during the whole movie. We know that parents time is very limited so we combined the FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT with the bond/levy meeting. We hope that you and your kids will join in the fun!

Gift Drive Begins Nov. 30

Coffee, Tea, or Cocoa?

Help make the Holidays a little brighter!

Show appreciate for the staff!

It’s almost time for the Wellington Gift Drive! We will be collecting new, unused, gifts and toys during the weeks of November 30th through December 11th.

The Staff Appreciation committee is planning a series of refreshment stations during December for our wonderful staff. Hot water will be supplied for beverages.

This years recipient will be the Starlight Foundation, serving local, ill and hospitalized children and their families. All gifts do need to be new due to compromised immune systems in some of the children. Wrapping is not necessary, but rolls of wrap and bows are always welcome! Books, puzzles, games (video as well as regular), and other toys are all great ideas. The age range is from infant to teen.

We are looking for individual cocoa and cider packets, tea bags, marshmallows, tiny peppermint sticks, coffee, festive paper napkins, plates, and hot drink cups. We will have a donation box in the office if you would like to help provide any of these items.

There will be a box in the front office area to collect all gifts. Thanks for helping to make the holidays a little brighter for a child! Volume 32, no.6

The Staff Appreciation committee co-chairs: Theresa Beers Lisa McKenney

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Beauty Is… a Great Turnout for Reflections! Thank You!

A big “thank you” to all the kids who submitted a reflection entry this year. We received 65 entries in literature, visual arts and photography. Thanks to our judges, Lisa Norrgard of Norrgard Optik and Beth Roberts of Beth Roberts and Dave Garvey Photography. They were very impressed with the high quality of work. Choosing just a few to advance is always difficult as each piece is such a personal and wonderful expression of the theme. Thanks is also extended to all the volunteers who worked on reflections this year helping with event set up/break down, baking of all those yummy cookies we enjoyed at Gallery Night. Rae Shepherd Meghan Whittle Yvonne Weaver Melinda Hallen Susan Huso

Kelly Vedaa Kaelyn Everham Liz Bohlin Mikele Scheffer Emily Savage

Maja Kralj Lissa West Katrina Brooke Judy Kennamer Liane Logan

Anne Davidson Helen Florentine Amanda Mason Kristin O’Hara Gina Farina

Thank you also to Pam Otto and Jo Testu-Rumsey in the front office, Charles Young our custodian, Julie Barry, Susan Carpenter and Tara Barth for lending their classrooms for workshops and of course our principal Marsha Moore for handing out the recognition ribbons during Gallery Night. Thanks to Aaron Brothers in Woodinville for fitting us in and cutting mat board. There will be a district open house on January 8 from 4-9pm & January 9 from 10-3pm for all interested in seeing those advancing to the next level at the Northlake Lutheran Church in Kenmore. Next year’s Reflections them is “Together we can” and it is exciting to imagine how Wellington kids will express themselves in literature, film, visual arts, dance choreography and music composition in this long-time PTA nation-wide program.

Do YOU Love to Sing? Will YOU share your Talent with Children who Love to Sing? W ellington PTA Choir was a Great Success last year… the Students had Fun and Sounded Fabulous! Please contact Joan Ritter ([email protected] or 425-750-3840) for more information and to discuss how you can help the students of Wellington sing out loud and strong!

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Wolverine Track

Winter Chess Club January—March Calling all students grades K-6 who would like to learn or improve their chess playing skills - or even just meet some new friends in a low-stress club! Winter session of Chess Club will start in January until March! Take advantage of this 12 sessions of chess class opportunity before track and field starts. Our club is growing and we have quite an array of players, from beginners to advance. Experienced coach Matthew Warburg from Chess4Life will continue to head up the team of coaches coming to ensure an enjoyable, lowpressure, and enriching chess club.

Spirit Wear Fundraiser Results Thanks to all of you who participated in our annual fall Spirit Wear fundraiser. You have helped make the program a great success! An amazing 185 pieces were sold with a resulting profit of almost $1,000 for our PTA. Way to show your Wolverine Spirit! Questions? Please contact Laury Kohut at [email protected].

To register or find out more, visit www.chess4life.com or watch for the flyer with the registration form coming home soon - first come first serve, limited spots available. Also, feel free to contact Wellington Chess Club Coordinator Brigitta Suwandana by phone 425.488.6028 or by email [email protected]. We are also looking for volunteer to help with student attendance, please call/email if interested.

for Education and Cartridge Recycling

BOX TOPS

At the end of October we sent our first batch of box tops. Wellington families collected 2500 box tops. That means we will receive a check from Box Tops for Education for $250.00. Congratulations Wellington! Don’t forget to keep sending them in as our next deadline is in February. There are other ways to earn money for Wellington from Box Tops for Education, just visit their website for coupons and shopping deals. http://www.boxtops4education.com/ If you have any questions please feel free to contact Shanna Seet 206-669-9718 or [email protected] Thanks for your support!

Volume 32, no.6

Student Directory Update The directories are complete and were delivered to PTA members and those that purchased them. If you should have received a directory and didn’t, please contact Gary Schatz at (425) 415-0952. Free copies of the directory are still available to those who join the PTA (if you haven't already, please consider joining!) or purchasing one for $5.00 through Gary Schatz or the school office. A special thanks to Kim Hansen, Kasey Adams, Stacy Meyer, Pam Otto and Gary Schatz for making this year’s Directory fabulous! Note: Within the directory, please update the email address of Laurie Roberts, the ELL instructor, to [email protected].

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Advocacy Update! Y OU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ’S EDUCATION Northshore School District Board of Directors Results from the school board elections held on November 3rd, 2009, confirm three new members: Todd Banks, Sandy Hayes, & Julia Lacey. They will begin serving their four-year terms after being sworn in at the Northshore School District board meeting on November 24th. Thank you to Gene Hawkridge, Cathy Swanson, and Sue Buske for their years of service as Northshore School Board members.

2010 Bond and Levy Information

Summit Home Equity Jeff Miltenberger (206)295-8455

Northshore School District will have three propositions on the February 9th, 2010 ballot. Please take the time to learn why these propositions are so important to Northshore School District and your child’s education. Don’t forget these are renewals or continuations of levies and bonds that are currently in place and set to expire in 2010.

Butler, Butler & Butler

Renewal Education Operations Support Levy: This levy provides 20% of the district’s budget for daily operations and educational programs. It will replace/renew the current four-year levy that expires in 2010. This levy helps provide funding for such things as

Kim Hansen - Mary Kay

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Smaller class sizes than the state funding provides

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School resource officers for increased safety

Professional development and extra prep time for teachers Curriculum updates to meet standards Advanced academics for high achievers and interventions for struggling learners

(206)300-7078

Independent Sales Director (425)486-7820

Northshore Gymnastics (425)402-6602

NW Green Clean (206)353-4155

Extra-curricular activities: music, drama, sports and clubs Basic education no longer supported by state and federal funding Special education and transportation not funded by the state

Renewal School Technology Levy: This levy would maintain and enhance classroom technology to support student learning. It will replace/renew the current levy that expires in 2010. This levy helps provide funding for such things as:

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Real Estate

 Update student computers to maintain a ratio of 5 students to 1 computer  Provide training to incorporate technology into classroom instruction  Install classroom technology including interactive whiteboards  Update existing information systems and networks

PACE at Wellington (425)788-4291

Please SUPPORT these and the many other businesses that generously give to the Wellington PTA. For more information visit our website at: www.wellingtonpta.org

Capital Projects Bond: This bond will continue the districts long-range facilities plan to maintain and renovate aging schools and provide key infrastructure support such as:

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Modernize or replace outdated mechanical, heating and ventilation systems Replace carpets and roofing Complete indoor air improvements and seismic upgrades Replace playfields, tracks and tennis courts Renovate Pop Keeney Stadium Update voice and data networks Continue renovation on Woodinville High School

Continue renovation on 47 year old Kenmore Junior High, etc… You can contact the NSD Communications department at 425-408-7670 or go online to www.NSD.org for more information. Or come to the information night on January 22nd at Wellington.

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PTA/PTSA district disclaimer “These activities are not sponsored nor endorsed by the Northshore School District or any of its schools. The district assumes no responsibility for the conduct during or safety of the activities. Northshore School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action, claim, or petition filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials including attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.”

Wolverine Track

Colonial Days Planning is Underway Colonial Days, a fifth-grade wide event will be held on April 23rd this year, and the committee has begun planning. If you would like to be involved, please contact Joan Ritter at [email protected] (425-7503840, or Diana Boyd at [email protected] (425-482-6378). If any sixth grade parents have costume items they would like to donate, please contact Heather Church at [email protected] (425-481-5884). Fifth grade parents can begin thinking about colonial era costumes for your child – this is a great time of year to find leftover costume parts at Value Village. We are in need of the following donated items: mandarin orange cans, new or old bed sheets (any color), and baby food jars with lids. Please bring your items to the donation box in Mr. Shelton’s room. Here are a couple great recipes using mandarin oranges – so you can empty some cans right away!

HOLIDAY SALAD 2 c. fresh cranberries 1 c. sugar 2 heads butter or Boston lettuce 1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, Freshly ground pepper Poppy Seed (or other favorite) dressing Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cranberries in shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. They will shrivel and appear soft. Cool, refrigerate up to 2 days. Wash lettuce. Tear in bitesize pieces. To serve, toss lettuce with oranges and Poppy Seed Dressing. Divide among salad plates. Sprinkle with cranberries.

PECAN FRUIT SALAD 2 small cans chunk pineapple 2 cans mandarin oranges 1 1/2 cups juices (from cans) 1 pkg. vanilla pudding (not instant) 1 cup green seedless grapes 1 cup maraschino cherries (optional) 2-3 bananas, sliced 1 cup whole pecans Drain pineapple and mandarin oranges. Reserve juices to make 1 1/2 cups, add to pudding Cook the pudding mix as directed. Cool. Add pudding to pineapple, oranges, grapes and maraschino cherries. Then just before serving, add sliced bananas and pecans.

Thanks, The Colonial Days Committee

Volume 32, no.6

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