BELLE SHERMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FRIDAY NEWS NOTES

December 14, 2007

School Telephone: 274-2206

Remember to call the Attendance Line (274-2132) if your child is going to be late or absent! To contact our principal, Mr. Spence, call 274-2206 and leave a message or e-mail him at jspence@icsd.k12.ny.us.

Calendar:

Check out the Web Calendar at http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/bellesherman

Belle Sherman PTA On-line http://www.bspta.org

Saturday December 15th Basketball at Belle Sherman

Friday December 21st Winter Recess begins – no school until Wed. January 2nd

Belle Sherman Basketball Home Games vs. Caroline. Belle Sherman Basketball teams will be playing Caroline this Saturday, December 15.The times of the games are as follows: 9 AM: 5th Grade Girls; 10 AM: 3rd Grade Boys; 11 AM: 4th Grade Boys; 12 noon: 5th Grade Boys (no game for 3rd/4th grade girls). Next games will be Jan. 5th at Northeast. Please come and support our teams!

Bottle & Can Collection: Consider donating your returnable bottles and cans to Belle Sherman 5th Grade to help raise money for our trip to New York City. You can drop them off in the collection box in the entryway of the main building or Annex, or you can return bottles to P&C and put the receipt in the collection jar at the service desk, marked “Belle Sherman 5th Grade NYC Trip Fund” or you can return them at K&H Redemption and ask to put the money toward BS 5th grade. Thanks for your contributions!

Thank you for Donated Winter Items: Thanks to all of you for your donated winter coats, hats, snow pants, etc. Items are being distributed through the Share the Warmth event through December 21st and you can be sure all donations will be put to good use this winter. Thank you again for your warm generosity!

Thank you to all who supported the 5th grade note card sale! Pre-ordered cards made from our 5th graders' stunning animal relief prints were delivered this week (see the prints displayed in the hallway outside the Teachers' Lounge). We have plenty of assortment packs in stock, so if you'd like to place an order, please contact Lauren O'Connell at 277-3023 or oconnell@ithaca.edu. If you'd like to order packs of cards by an individual student just let us know, we plan to place a second order in early Spring.

NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

In The Power of Our Words, we read that our language can help in Gaining academic skills and knowledge. We can expand children’s knowledge by the language we use and questions we ask.

Ex. “I wonder how many things we can observe about this____? (bird’s nest, salamander, tree in the backyard, picture, painting, illustration.)

Ex. “What are you most proud of about your work today?”

When reading a book with your child:

· Stop and say what you are picturing –then ask what the child is picturing.

· Supply words the child doesn’t know, take turns reading.

· Stop and discuss ideas and questions about the book.

Name specific positives about any job done by your child:

· “I noticed that you knew exactly where the knives, forks, and spoons go when you set the table.” (instead of “good job!”)

Pedestrian safety near Belle Sherman School: Neighborhood residents have been lobbying for the city to increase pedestrian safety on the first block of Cornell St. and upper Giles Street for several years. There is also concern about safety on Valley Road. These busy sections of road are poorly lit, poorly maintained, on a hill and a curve and lack sidewalks. Look for information on the Board of Public Works (BPW) meeting coming up, and please consider writing to Mayor Carolyn Peterson, the BPW, and city council representatives Maria Coles (liaison to BPW), Joel Zumoff and Mary Tomlan asking for action to improve pedestrian safety near our school. For more info or to get involved, contact Harry Littell, harrylittell@yahoo.com or Brenda Marston, bjm4@cornell.edu. Marybeth Tarzian is organizing a Belle Sherman group to apply for a grant from the NYSDOT Safe Routes to School program, contact mbt@twcny.rr.com to help.

Good news and thank you from the Elves program – all children are sponsored! The Elves are sponsoring 579 needy children from 26 schools this season and there is some Elf money to buy coats and/or boots in the neediest of cases. Thanks to all Belle Sherman families who contributed.

Community News

Encouraging employers to give employees time off work for involvement in the schools Research has shown that parent and community involvement in schools is essential to student success. Roberta Wallit, in conjunction with The Village at Ithaca and the Cornell Public Service Center, is asking working parents and community members to fill out an online survey to help with this project. One of the factors implicated in the underachievement of our students is the inability of willing parents, caretakers and community members to participate in the schools because they cannot get time off work to do so. To remedy this critical situation, we are undertaking a project that involves encouraging Ithaca employers to grant their employees paid release time that would allow for them to participate in efforts to support the Ithaca City School District.http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FXRF2dAmO6D_2fiagKmChrvA_3d_3d

Online ICSD updates about Ithaca High School; the state of the Facilities Bond; Technology; IPEI "Kids Discover The Trail";a Budget P-Funds link; and Equity Progress can be found at www.ICSDMEDIA.com.

Dewitt Middle School presents ‘Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Dec.14 & 15 at 7:30pm. and Dec.16th at 2:00pm.

Benefit Concert for Hurricane Katrina Survivors organized by Love Knows No Bounds. Sunday, December 16th at the Haunt 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm $10, children under 12 free Vitamin L will start the show, other performers include Hubcap, Jairo van Lunteren, Richie Stearns & Friends, Common Railers, Burke & Bone, and Chad Crumm.

Tompkins Girls Hockey Association has open enrollment for three programs: Initiation hockey for beginning girls age 4 and up meets Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at The RINK and/or Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. at Cass Park Rink. Recreation hockey for experienced middle/high school girls and Beginner Women’s hockey meet Thurs. 6:45 at Cass Park Rink. For registration, used equipment loans, and scholarships, call 539-6920 or email TGHA0708@yahoo.com or www.ithacagirlshockey.com.

VILLAGE AT ITHACA HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE! Thursday, December 20th, 2007 4:30 - 6:30PM Clinton West Plaza (609 W. Clinton St.) Suite 109. Light refreshements provided. Contact 256-0780, or villageatithaca@gmail.com or mak11@cornell.edu for more information.

Sciencenter presents: "Snowflakes" Saturday, December 15, 2 p.m. Learn how snowflakes form, watch a video of an ice crystal growing in slow motion, and watch real ice crystals grow indoors at the Sciencenter! Get ready for winter with Sciencenter educator Rae Ostman.

Museum of the Earth presents: Dinopalooza December 26, 28, 29 and 31 at 1 p.m.Kid-friendly dinosaur activities offered during the holiday vacation.

Friday News Notes are published weekly in cooperation with our school and the Parent-Teacher Association. Your input is welcome. News can be sent to fridaynews@verizon.net or put in the “Friday news” mailbox in the main school building. Please submit all news by 2pm on Thursdays. If you have questions, e-mail as above or call Karla Hanson at 277-6603. News Notes are posted to the BelleShermanFolks listserve at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belleshermanfolks. BelleShermanChat is our more informal online group for community announcements, classified ads, etc. from Belle Sherman families. You can join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BelleShermanChat or contact Jim Morris-Knower at 273-7695 or jpk15@cornell.edu. List serve for 5th grade families interested in planning and fundraising the NYC trip and graduation: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BSherman5thGrade