November 2009 News

Please note: There is an error on the form announcing the PTA "S'mores & Hot Chocolate" social. The return form says the date of the social is December 6, however the correct date is DECEMBER 3. The correct date is stated on the announcement (not the form) and here on the school website. MESPTA apologies for any confusion that may result.

Happy Thanksgiving!! See you all Monday, November 30!

Madisonville Elementary's Veterans Day Celebration is airing on Channel 13! Please check the broadcast schedule here for times and dates. You may also view the program on the web! Just follow this link: http://stpsb.org/channel13_view.php.

Madisonville Elementary PTA is proud to sponsor an evening of mixing and mingling on Thursday, December 3. The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with a brief PTA general membership meeting followed by Hot Chocolate & S’Mores in the cafeteria. Please join us!

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools and The Green Schools Alliance have some suggestions of things YOU can do to save energy.

By using energy more efficiently at school and home, you can lower your energy bills by more than 30%. This involves how we use and choose lights, heating and cooling, appliances and water. Lighting alone accounts for 15% of all energy used in homes, much of which is unnecessary. These are some of the easiest changes you can make:

1. Turn off the light when you leave a room: A no-brainer. Simply don't leave a room without flicking the light switch off. It's just the right thing to do and couldn't be easier. Teach this to everyone in your school and at home and make it a household rule.
2. Don't turn the lights on and work by natural light: When possible, don't even turn the lights on. Work by daylight or sunlight.
3. Install automatic timers and dimmers on your lights: Automatic times are quite inexpensive and very easy to operate. They are purely mechanical and require no special electrical wiring. Dimmers reduce the amount of electricity used and are also quiet inexpensive and simple to operate.
4. Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL's): These more efficient bulbs will fit into most school and household fixtures and give the same steady light as your incandescents. CFL's are more expensive than the old light bulbs, but you'll save money over time because they use only 25-33% of the energy used by regular bulbs and last 10 times as long (average life of CFL is 8 years). Remarkably, each CFL keeps half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air over its lifetime. CFL's are only usec by 6% of consumers today!!!

*The St. Tammany Parish Public School System would like to acknowledge the Allen-Stevenson School Committe on the Environment (COTE) and the Natural Resouces Defense Council for these energy-saving tips.

- Orders from the MESPTA Fall Fundraiser will be delivered Monday, November 9, and distributed throughout the week. Look for specific pick-up times and dates soon.

In addition, MESPTA ran into some difficulty processing funds for the fundraiser. No orders have been delayed. The problem has been resolved and funds are being processed. Thanks to everyone for their tremendous support during the fundraiser and for your patience as we are resolving this issue.

- MESPTA would like to thank all of the parents and students for all of the donations for the Fall Plant Drive. The gardens are now ready for the fall and winter months because of your donations.

We'd also like to thank the following who came out and helped with planting: Brandi Young and her daughter Caroline, Bruce and Staci Betzer, their son Collen and his two sisters, Dennis Weese from Aquatic Landscapes, Shane Hodgson and his son Barrett, Stacy Bloecher and her daughter Zoe and Staci Kelley.

The class from each grade that donated the most time and plants will get an extra recess and a special treat! Our winners are:

• Pre-K ......................................Mrs. Burkhardt
• Kindergarten ........................Mrs. Posseno
• 1st Grade................................Mrs. Penn
• 2nd Grade ............................Ms. Cyprian
• 3rd Grade ..............................Ms. Badon

Again, thanks very much for all of the donations and assistance!

- For the safety of all children, please do not walk through the carline to bring your child to school in the morning. We have many parents walking through the car line as the duty teachers are opening the car doors. THIS IS NOT SAFE! We ask that you remain in the carline when dropping off in the mornings.

- The MES Volunteer of the Quarter is Lizzette Gambino. Lizzette had volunteered 89 hours this first marking period. Lizzette wins a $25 gift card to Target and a PTA volunteer shirt.

Lizzette has two daughters in Madisonville Elementary. Sydney is in second grade in Mrs. Whittaker's class and Lauryn is in Kindergarten in Mrs. Stephens class. Both daughters win as well, as they get to have lunch with Mrs. Spencer!

Congratulations Lizzette, Sydney, and Lauryn! A very big thank you, Lizzette, for all your volunteer hours. Thanks to all of our volunteers this first quarter, the school and the school functions would not be as good as they are without you.

- All entries for the “Beauty is...” PTA Reflections contest on due by November 19. For more information contact Chantel Lincoln at 845-3942 or chantel1@bellsouth.net.

- Once again this year, MESPTA is promoting Red Ribbon Week (October 26 – 30) at school. PTA will decorate the bus and car line entry with red tulle garland and place red bows on all support beams. In addition, each student will be given a red wristband Monday to wear throughout the week.

We will also hold a door-decorating contest. The idea will be for each class to decorate their doors with a message that promotes a drug-free lifestyle, something teachers can do along with their students. Judging will be October 30 for the best door in each aspect of school, with a class ice cream party for each winner and a 10 or 15 minute break for the teacher during the party.

Students can also celebrate the week with fun daily themes throughout the week:

• Monday - Team up against drugs! Wear your favorite Team Jersey (school shirts should be worn under jersey); all students will receive their wristbands this day
• Tuesday - Sock it to drugs! Wear your craziest socks
• Wednesday - Shade out drugs! Wear your favorite sunglasses
• Thursday – Put a lid on drugs! Wear a hat
• Friday - Drug Free and proud to be! Wear red shirts and socks (school shirts should be worn under a red shirt)

- The MESPTA Fall Plant Drive will be held October 12th-23rd. We are asking for several different types of flowers for different areas of our school and also are in need of pine straw. To make it easier on parents, we've divided the types of plants we need by grade:

• PreK, Kindergarten & First Grades: Johnny- Jump-Ups, Pansies, Dianthus and ornamental kale/cabbage. These flowers will be used for the butterfly and gazebo gardens.
• Second & Third Grades: Snapdragons, Calendulas (Marigolds), Petunias and Larkspur. These flowers will be used along the center side walk and near the fountain.

Our scheduled planting day is Saturday, October 24th, from 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Bring your children and enjoy some special time with your child while helping our school.

The class in each grade level with the most donations/participation, will receive a special treat and EXTRA RECESS! If you choose to send a donation, please put it in an envelope marked MES-PTA Grounds. Please make sure that all of plants, pine straw or donations are marked with the name of your child's teacher so we can keep track of the winners. Mark your calendar and don't forget your garden tools and gloves! Your time and energy are greatly appreciated!

Planting Rainout date-Saturday, October 24th

If you have any questions, please contact Marlene Clifton, 985-264-8118.

- The MES PTA Fall Fundraiser has been extended one week to September 30! Please help out our school with your efforts. Donations (of which we keep 100%) are also gratefully accepted. Thank you very much for all you do for MES!

- With all the concern about influenza, particularly the H1N1 virus being discussed in the news, the St. Tammany School Board is taking steps to be proactive and attempt to alleviate this and other health concerns. Follow this link to find out more about what St. Tammany schools are doing.

- With the increase in our student population, the traffic situation in the mornings and afternoons continues to be a problem. Please consider allowing your children to ride the school bus to and from school. If you have concerns about bus routes or other transporation issues, contact the school board's Transporation Office.

- The school board is offering 2 new communication services for parents. The first is an "instant alert notification system" that will alert parents via voice call or text when a situation occurs at a school or system-wide. The second is a quarterly e-newsletter with information about events and programs throughout the school system. You can find out more information and sign up for the services by following this link.

- Our school librarian, Mrs. W, is looking for parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents come help teach the students chess before the morning bell. From about 7:05am to 7:30am, the library is open for students with an interest in chess to play. They really enjoy playing against adults, learning from them and practicing new strategies. If you can spare 20 minutes of your morning and and enjoy a good game of chess (whether you know how to play or not), come hone your skills against our MES students; it'll be the best 20 minutes of your day! Contact Mrs. W for more details and schedule your match.

- Parents: if you are going to purchase a meal from the cafeteria, please call (845-3870) the DAY BEFORE you wish to eat with your child. Unless you call ahead, we will not be able to accommodate you. Please do not call the office.

- No fast food items are allowed in our school cafeteria even if they are transplanted into brown paper bags. This practice is unfair to the students who do not have this opportunity. Canned drinks are also not allowed.

- Parents, on special event days, please refrain from having lunch with your child, due to the limited space in our cafeteria. Special events include: parties, Art Day, Field Day, etc. On other days, please remember to call the cafeteria the day prior to coming for lunch so that our staff can adequately prepare enough meals for everyone.

As always, remember NO FAST FOOD OR CANNED DRINKS are to be brought on to school grounds. Our school cafeteria serves nutritionally balanced meals every day. Thank you for your attention and for being a part of your child's education.

- Looking to get involved around school? The Madisonville Elementary School PTA has many opportunities for you to consider. There are a couple of committee positions currently open; please consider joining the PTA Board and help us continue to make MES a wonderful place for out children. And, speaking of children, there are lots of volunteer opportunities coming up throughout the year. Watch your child's backpack and the PTA page for more details one the activities this year we need your help with. If you're considering becoming in involved with the PTA Board, these events are a great way to see first-hand how things operate. Come join us!

- Permission slips that are sent home for field trips and other school activities are available via the website. Look for the schedueled date in the Important Dates section of the home page or on the Upcoming Events page. If the event is hyper-linked, you can click on it and download the appropriate form (in PDF format).

- As a reminder, parking at the church is only allowed during special school events. Parking before and after school is strictly prohibited. If parking continues during unapproved times, we could lose theprivilege of parking during our school events.

- Looking for ways to lower your energy bill? Want to teach your kids about energy conservation at the same time? Download this neat checklist from the US Department of Energy to help out!

- IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please DO NOT use the church parking lot across Hwy 1077 in the mornings. Pastor Burris has asked that we only use the lot during major events such as Dads' Days, Moms' Moments and other crowded events. He has been very generous to us and we are very grateful, but if you park at the church before school, you risk being towed at you expense. Please use the car line or school parking lot when bringing your children to school.

For major events, please sign in at the tables in front of the main office. Someone will release you to the event at the proper time.

The bus loop is reserved for buses and special education drop-offs.

Copyright © 2007 Madisonville Elementary School
Last modified: 11/20/2009