April 2018

Notes from the Principal......


Greetings, Tanner families,

We have officially entered the home stretch!  4th quarter is here and off to a great start.  This quarter seems to go so fast as families are busy with school events, sports/recreation events, and the necessary enjoyment of the warmer spring temperatures.  

As we move through the quarter we will be doing our final assessments of your child's progress.  These assessments will likely start in early May.  As I shared earlier this year, our goal is to have 80%, or more, of our students meeting grade level expectations in Reading and Math by the end of the school year.  I'm excited to see how we finish up the year as I have been in all of the classrooms to witness amazing learning going on. 

4th quarter will also bring us celebrations that may also bring us to tears.  We will watch our youngest learners finish up 4K on May 31.  They will graduate 4K and enter the world of full-day school - Kindergarten!  Classroom teachers will communicate their plans for celebrating with all 4K families.  As a whole school, we will come together for our Spring Celebration with Tom & Stuart on May 10.  This is one of my FAVORITE nights of the year.  We hope to see you there!

Thank you for your continued support of Tanner School and your child's education,
Liz Thoreson, Principal

Yankee Candle Fundraiser March 23 - April 6

Don't forget to place your order for the Yankee Candle fundraiser.  Proceeds support our artist in residence program.  This year we are excited to have an author and two musicians join us at Tanner.  Musicians, Tom Pease and Stuart Stotts, will be here for a spring concert on May 10.  Author, Marla McKenna, will be joining us in April.  Thank you for your support!

Order now:  Link to Yankee Candle
Group #:  990082224

Community Event and Activity Flyers

All community flyers will be found on the district web page. Click here to access information about the following events/activities...Elementary:
  • The Great Bunny Train
  • 2018 Kaukauna Softball Flyer
  • 2018 Electric City Soccer Flyer
  • Safety Town Flyer
  • Walking for Wishes Flyer
  • ARTgarage Youth Summer Camp Flyer
  • Pop Warner Football - Grades Entering 3-5
  • 2018 Fox River Girls Hockey Club Flyer
  • Kids Fun Night YMCA Flyer
  • March of Dimes Registration
  • Best Friends Bike Tour Flyer
  • Earth Month Flyer
  • Kaukauna Strong T-Shirt Flyer
Secondary:
  • Raider Registration 
  • 2018 Kaukauna Softball Flyer
  • 2018 Electric City Soccer Flyer
  • FVTC Summer Camps
  • Walking for Wishes Flyer
  • ARTgarage Youth Summer Camp Flyer
  • 2018 Fox River Girls Hockey Club Flyer
  • Kids Fun Night YMCA Flyer
  • March of Dimes Registration
  • Earth Month Flyer
Link for Community Flyers and Events:
http://www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us/community/communityevents.cfm


Anyone requesting flyer distribution at the elementary level should submit an electronic copy to the district office, attention Erin Kape at kapee@kaukaunasd.org for consideration two weeks prior to the first of each month. Click here or visit the school district website to view the up to date list of events and flyers. 


Summer School 2018
Location:
Kaukauna High School


1701 County Road CE

Dates:
Tuesday, June 12 - Friday, June 29 (Monday - Friday)
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (some classes may run past this time, but no transportation will be available)
NOTE: Classes will also be on Fridays

PAYMENT INFORMATION:

  • Payment is due at the time of registration.
  • The Summer School Software requires payment in order to complete the registration. Therefore, your child will not be registered in a course if payment is not made online via debit/credit card.
    •  If you need to pay with cash or check please come to the district office to register.
    • If you have a financial hardship and are unable to pay the full fee, please contact Erin Kape at the District Office at: 920-766-6100 ext. 2002 or kapee@kaukaunasd.org prior to registering.
  • Refunds will be issued until Friday, May 18. After the closing of the window on May 18, no fees will be refunded.
Open House:
We will be hosting an Open House on Monday June 11, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Summer School Leadership Team and Student Volunteers will be available to assist students and parents in locating classrooms and answer questions. Please note that teachers will not be present during the Open House.

Registration Dates:

Sunday, March 18: Summer School Registration opened at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, May 18: Summer School Registration closes at 12:00 p.m.

Course Catalog: It is located on the Kaukauna Area School District Summer School website at:

http://www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us/district/summerschool.cfm

For any questions please contact:
Erin Kape
Phone: 920-766-6100 Ext. 2002
kapee@kaukaunasd.org





YMCA School Age Care

Registration for the 2018-19 YMCA School Age (before/after care) program begins on Monday, April 9 at 6:00 AM online.  Please visit www.ymcafoxcities.org and click on the ‘Programs’ link to get to our School Age webpage for more details.
If you have any questions, contact Meghan McKeithan at mmckeithan@ymcafoxcities.org.  .
What is it?
Care offered before and after school until 6:00 PM.   Children are supervised by qualified staff and will be offered a variety of different activities (homework time, large motor games, free choice) and a snack.
Program is held at your child’s elementary school.
When does registration begin?
Online registration will begin at 6:00 AM on Monday April 9, 2018. Registration is
accepted on a first come first served basis. There are capacity limits and enrollment is not guaranteed until you receive an email from the School Age Director (Meghan McKeithan).
Go to www.ymcafoxcities.org, click the Program Button, click the School Age webpage, click on your school district.
FREE PRESCHOOL SCREENING
The Kaukauna Area School District will be holding a free preschool screening at Tanner Early Learning Center on June 1st, 4th and 5th for Kaukauna Area School District children. Information about the screening has already been emailed to most parents of children who will be four on or before September 1, 2018.   In addition, parents of three year olds are encouraged to schedule a screening if there are any questions or concerns about their child’s development.
The screening results will be used to provide parents with information about their child’s current
development and to provide suggestions for follow-up activities. Parents will also receive information about district and community services.   When there is reasonable cause to believe a child may have an impairment, the child will be referred for an evaluation.

The screening will last approximately one hour.  Please call 766-6150 (Tanner School) if you have any questions.  Please sign up using this link: http://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/5317FDD05A1C9EBC42-4kscreening   


Early Childhood Development
Parents often wonder if their child’s functioning is within normal expectations for their age.  While no two children are alike in their skill development or social functioning, the following guidelines may be helpful:

By one year, most children will do things such as:
Pull to a stand and walk with assistance.
Say one or two simple words (ma-ma, da-da, etc.).
Pick up small objects with thumb and first two fingers.
Drink from a cup when it is held for them.
Enjoy playing “peek-a-boo” or “patty cake”.
By two years, most children will do things such as:
Run reasonably well.
Use 2-3 word sentences (more juice, no go bye-bye, etc.).
Point to animals or objects in a book.
Bring a familiar object from another room when asked.
Play near other children, and use toys meaningfully.
By three years, most children will do things such as:
Dress self with minimal help.
Speak in short sentences.
Nest objects of different sizes, and match objects by color.
Imitate lines and circles on paper.
Begin to play with other children.
By four years, most children will do things such as:
Catch a large ball tossed underhand.
Ask many types of questions.
State full name and age when asked.
Copy a plus sign.
Enjoy pretend play with other children.

If you suspect that your child may have delays or other difficulties, you can arrange for a free screening to help determine if developmental testing and special services might be needed.   Special school services can begin at the time of a child’s third birthday and are provided at no cost to the family.  County services are available for infants and toddlers with special needs. Residents of the Kaukauna Area School District may contact Lisa Sheppard at 766-6150 for further information.

Placement with Care


The elementary staff will soon be starting the student placement process for the 2018-19 school year.  Our goal is to create heterogeneous classroom groups to accommodate the learning needs and styles of every student.  The staff at each school spends a great deal of time and effort to determine the proper homeroom placement of children for the coming year.  The following factors are considered when seeking to provide the best educational program for all students in any given classroom:
Provide a balance by gender, ability, leadership qualities and classroom size
·  Balancing by gender
·  Balancing by ability levels (below, on or above grade level)
·  Balancing specific strengths and needs, including special needs, giftedness or language issues
·  Maintaining optimal classroom size
Create a positive match for students with peers
Considerations are given for students who do not work well together, and also for students who may get along “too well,” interfering with learning.  Specific behavior needs (such as assertiveness, shyness,
attention span and behavior choices) are also considered.
Information from other school staff and from other school environments
Information from related arts (music, art, physical education, library media) staff, Pupil Services staff, and Individual Education Plan (IEP) teams are considered based on knowledge and observations of children in multiple environments.
Parent input
Information from parents is considered as the final step in the process.
We find that most parents are comfortable with the classroom placements made by staff.  However, we realize that parents can also provide specific information about their child that could be helpful in assisting the student placement process.  Parents may choose to provide written input into the
placement process via the PARENT INPUT FORM available in the school office.  To obtain the
in put form, you may stop in the office or request that a form be sent home with your child.
Please note that:
· Input forms must be returned to the school office no later than Monday, April 30th, 2018.
· Forms returned after this date may not be considered.
· Completing a form is optional. The intent of this form is to provide additional child-specific information for the placement process, and not to specify a teacher preference. Requests that name a specific teacher will not be considered in the placement process.
· Verbal information or requests cannot be honored.
Please understand that while we attempt to honor parent requests where possible, we may not always be able to fulfill each request due to the multiple factors considered in the placement process.
The deadline for all input is April 30th, 2018.  Please return the form to the school office.
  
News from...
Mrs. Sundelius - school nurse

Are you thinking about planning a family vacation but aren’t sure if you want to have your child miss school?  The District does understand that time spent together as a family during a vacation can be an important part of family life.  Additionally State law and District policy does allow for 10 absences per year. However, the instructional process does not stop when students are not at school, and lost instructional time cannot be recovered or recreated. Therefore, the following are some helpful guidelines to minimize the loss of instruction time for your child during a vacation.
  • Schedule vacations in the summer or around the existing school vacation days.
  • Prearrange the absence with your child’s ​teacher so homework can be prepared in advance for your child
  • Try to minimize the pre-vacation excitement for your child to help reduce instructional time lost due to distraction and over excitement just prior to vacation.
You can also help your child make a smoother transition back to school by talking with them about the return to school and getting them back in the normal school day routine as soon as possible.

Art news - Mrs. Siegel

Kindergartners and first graders created a neutral colored castle.  They printed bricks with sponges with all neutrals, cut out castle-top lines, and glued it to a cool colored sky and grass.  They learned about the horizon line, and added details to the sky and grass with oil crayons.  Cut paper was used for windows, doors, and other details while learning how to fold paper to make a symmetrical shape or two of the same shapes.  Sharpies and Twistables were used for added color. Finally, a Medieval portrait was drawn, colored, cut, and glued to this landscape!  Students’ fine motor skills and ability to clean up their work space are tremendously improving!





Art news - Mr. Theder
Kindergarten Artists are currently working on their owl paintings. They got are learning about how to paint with tempera paint. They first found a picture of an owl they liked. They drew their owl and traced it with sharpie and erased their pencil lines. Kindergarten got a chance to learn about parts of a paint brush and how to use and care for it.
First Grade Artists are in the process of finishing their chinese dragon painting.They are learning about color family and how paint with tempera paint. They got a chance to learn about parts of a paint brush and how to use and care for it. They also learned briefly about dragons and how they are apart of the chinese culture.

Library update - Miss Brown
In library skills first grade students have been working on a research topic of their choice. This research will be turned into a Google Slides presentation during the month of April. Students will be learning how to change the background color, change the text color, insert pictures, citations, how to add transitions, and more! 5K students in library skills have been working on researching animals using the database PebbleGo. Students will present their research using the app ChatterPix.

If you would like to access PebbleGo at home click on the following link: https://www.pebblego.com/choose



Music notes - Mrs. Stangel


Our 1st graders and Kindergartners continue to sing, move, and play instruments with music. Both grades have also been working on transferring what we hear and play into written symbols – ta, ti-ti and rest for Kindergartners, and quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes for 1st grade.

Our 1st graders have been learning more about the four families of instruments – string, woodwind, brass and percussion. We’ve been using the stories of The Little Red Hen and Peter and the Wolf to reinforce instruments names and sounds.

Our composer of the month in March was Andrew Lloyd Weber. Mr. Weber is from England. He just turned 70 years old. He is most famous for writing musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera.

In April, we welcome Tom Pease and Stuart Stotts, our artists-in-residence, to our school. Students in Kindergarten and 1st grade will get the opportunity to help write a verse of a song which we will all perform together at KHS on Thursday, May 10. It is always a special time to work together with Tom and Stuart!

Gym news - Mrs. Wells

In March, we finished our fitness and striking units. The fitness unit consisted of cardio and strength lessons. We worked on running around the “fitness racetrack” and also learned new exercises at our fitness stations. During our striking unit, we worked on hand-eye coordination by using lollipop paddles and hockey sticks to strike different manipulatives. On our word wall we added the following words: strike, penalty, volley, fitness, exercise, sit up, push up, and jumping jack.

March had two holiday games: Leprechauns Gold and an Egg Hunt. During the egg hunt, students also used literacy skills. They had to work with their team to find their colored eggs that were hidden in the gym. On the egg was a letter. As a team, students used the eggs that were found to create words.


Early Childhood & 4K Students

The last day for the EC Blended Pre-School class is Thursday, May 24th and the last day for all 4K students is Thursday, May 31st.  The screening for those students who will be 4 years old on or before September 1st will be held on June 1st, 4th and 5th. Click here to sign up for an appointment.

Parents - Please Pass Information On


If you know anyone who has children age 0 to 18 who are not currently enrolled in the Kaukauna Area School District but live within the district’s boundaries, please direct them to our website to fill out a Census Update form. They can get a copy by visiting our website at www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us. Click on ”Prospective Family & Staff” and then click “How to Enroll”.





Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness
The National Weather Service is again sponsoring “Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week” the week of April 9-13. During this week, we will participate in a statewide tornado drill on 4/12. All n students and staff will go to their designated areas in the building. It is important to note that most tornadoes occur after school hours and during the summer. Please review safety precautions at home.


PBIS update...

We will kick off our April character trait of citizenship on April 12. For the month of April Tanner students will be learning and practicing the character trait of citizenship in multiple ways. Members of the Kaukauna community will be coming to our assembly on April 12 and talking about what citizenship is to them and the role they play in our community. Also, watch your child’s folder for a home activity to practice citizenship.

On Friday, April 6 we will celebrate being safe, respectful and responsible and all of our hard work following the Tanner Tiger Expectations. We are having FAVORITE Dress day. Students can wear their favorite clothing (sport jersey, favorite color, pajamas, etc.) to school on Friday.

Mark your calendars; Tom Pease and Stuart Stotts will be at Tanner School for our residency program on April 16, 17 and 23rd. We will have a song celebration on May 10 at Kaukauna High School at 6 p.m.




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