OB WEEKLY NEWS 12-20

December

23-31 Winter Break- NO SCHOOL
January
1-3 Winter Break- NO SCHOOL
6- School Resumes
8- OBPTO Open Mtg. 9:15a.m. (Cafeteria)
Announcements:
Community Basketball Chili Supper
Mark your calendar to attend the Community Chili Supper on Friday, January 17 starting at 5:00 PM and running until 7:00 PM at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. After you enjoy chili, plan on cheering on the girls basketball team. Each school will have a banner hung up for you to sit with your school. We are excited to bring the whole Ladue community together. Look in your child’s Friday folder for more details and sign-up sheet.
Socks and Sandwiches!
Don’t forget to donate new socks for this years Annual Community Service Event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The socks can be dropped off in the marked baskets outside the office. Please choose tube socks in large sizes for either men, women, or children. Look for information in an upcoming newsletter about donating sandwich fixings and helping to make sandwiches to donate to area homeless shelters on Monday, January 21. Questions? Contact Jill Wolgamot at jwolgamot@ladueschools.net
Thank you
Thank you to Kelly Becker and her committee for coordinating and serving a wonderful Holiday lunch for our teachers and support staff!

Winter Break
We hope you all have a fabulous winter break and spend the two weeks spending extra time as a family and celebrating all that is special to you! We’ll see you bright and early on Monday, January 6.
Old Bonhomme Eagle Mascot
All this week classes have been meeting our new eagle mascot! This gave us a great opportunity to practice some important social skills - like waiting and introducing yourself. Each child had one-on-one time with the mascot in their classroom and then the OB Eagle visited the winter parties on Friday afternoon. Thank you to our PTO for this terrific addition to the OB family!
Love the Bus Campaign
Start the New Year right! Save gas and help the environment by taking the bus to school. We are encouraging all our bus riders to take the bus next semester! All bus riders will be entered into a special drawing every time they ride the bus to school. The more you ride, the better your chances to win a lunch date with Mrs. Kirchgessner. The names of five students from each bus will be drawn on January 31 to have lunch the following week with Mrs. K! Special drawing tickets will be sent home with each bus rider and there will be a special tub on the bus for students to drop in a ticket each time they ride in the morning and another ticket in the afternoon.
The Ladue School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, socioeconomic status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs or activities. Inquiries related to the district’s employment practices may be directed to Ken Rossics, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. Inquiries related to district student programs may be directed to Dr. Laura Brock, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080. 

OB Weekly News 12-13

December

13- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
18- Walk in the Park, (during PE) 20- End of Quarter 2
20- Winter Assembly, 9:30a.m
20- Winter Parties, 2:30-3:30p.m. 23-31 Winter Break- NO SCHOOL
January
1-3 Winter Break- NO SCHOOL 6- School Resumes
Announcements:
MASCOT Volunteers Needed!
We need YOU to volunteer to help us from time to time with our mascot for special events. So far we have 3 teachers and only 2 parents volunteer. We still need help on Tuesday, 12/17, from 1:30-1:50 and Thursday, 12/19 from 1:30-2:20. We’ve pulled some basic Mascot How-To’s to share with volunteers, no experience needed! I bet it is on someone’s bucket list and we’d love to help you out! Admit it, you always wanted to be Fred Bird just once didn’t you? If interested, CALL the office TODAY!
DECEMBER SOAR RECOGNITION
We are excited to announce that OB's December SOAR Recognition Celebration will take place on Friday, December 20. In exchange for 5 SOAR tickets, students will have the opportunity to come to school wearing a hat and/or crazy hair. Classroom teachers will begin collecting SOAR tickets next week. If your child chooses to participate, they will be given a note to take home letting you know they have chosen to participate on Friday, December 20.

Get Ready for Socks and Sandwiches!
Don’t forget to donate new socks for this years annual community service event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The socks can be dropped off in the marked baskets outside the office. Please choose tube socks in large sizes for either men, women, or children. Look for information in an upcoming newsletter about donating sandwich fixings and helping to make sandwiches to donate to area homeless shelters on Monday, January 21. Questions? Contact Jill Wolgamot at jwolgamot@ladueschools.net
Thank you-
1. Thank you to Jennifer Scissors for chairing the Chess Club this year. Be on the lookout for Spring Chess Club sign-up sheets coming home. Sign-ups will be on a first come first serve basis this time, so be sure to turn yours in early!
2. Thank you to Olga Rynkewicz and Donna Mabbs for a great Fall Session of After- School Classes, the Spring Classes will start in mid-February. Look for more information coming home after Winter Break.
Fourth Grade News-
The Ads for Grads flyer will be coming home this week for parents that would like to put an Ad in the yearbook as a keepsake for their graduate.
Also, be sure to save the date for the Spring Home Alone Class on Monday, March 10 from 4-6p.m. for the fourth grade students. More information to come at a later date.

The Ladue School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, socioeconomic status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs or activities. Inquiries related to the district’s employment practices may be directed to Ken Rossics, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. Inquiries related to district student programs may be directed to Dr. Laura Brock, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080. 

OB Weekly News 12-6

December
10- 3rd Gr. Musical, 7p.m.
11- OBPTO Exec Mtg. 9a.m.
13- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
18- Walk in the Park, (during PE) 20- End of Quarter 2
20- Winter Assembly, 9:30a.m
20- Winter Parties, 2:30-3:30p.m. 23- Winter Break begins- NO SCHOOL
Announcements:
Giving Assembly Thank You
Thank you so much to the Old Bonhomme community. All of your donations of goods and volunteer service helped to make the Giving Assembly a great success. Old Bonhomme collected 2126 cans and countless boxes full of clothing, books, school supplies, baby care items, and household items.
Classroom Access
1. All school visitors must check-in through the office and remain in the office if picking up a student. Parents and guardians should not walk to the classroom to meet the student or visit with the teacher during the school day unless prior arrangements have been made. Thank you for helping us maintain the focus of our teachers on supervising our students from the 8:55 bell through the 3:45 bell.
2. Our custodians and our After School Care staff (BASK) are not permitted to let parents or students into classrooms for any reason before or after school. This is a matter of building security but also provides great teaching opportunities. It can be challenging for a student to remember what needs to go home, but it is part of learning good habits for students to thoughtfully take all materials with them at the end of the day.
Holi-Due Boutique
To help the many less fortunate families in our district, the family assistance committee, now
known as “DUE CARE” is hosting the HoliDUE Boutique on Saturday, December 7 from 9-3p.m. at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. Due Care has helped families at each and every school in the
district. Our funds are very low at this time, so Holidue Boutique is very important, as well as private donations. We have many families that are facing hardships during the holidays and need
our help, so please help support our adopt a family program. A flyer with more details about Adopting a Family and the HoliDUE Boutique were sent home through Peachjar. If you have any
questions please contact Diane Patershuk at (314)477-7673 or dpatershuk@gmail.com.

Old Bonhomme School Eagle Mascot
Thanks to our PTO we are the proud owners of a very professional looking Eagle mascot head and costume! We are in the planning stages of how to introduce the Eagle to our students this month. The OB Eagle will help us promote school spirit, pride, and school identity as well as encourage and celebrate positive academic and behavior success. We’ll start by introducing the Eagle to students in their classrooms later this month. We plan to teach students how to interact with a mascot and get their help choosing a name. We know some students may have had fearful experiences with mascots and we can work individually with you to help them get comfortable, please email Mrs. Arnold, our counselor, if this is a concern. At this time we also need to organize some enthusiastic parents or older siblings who are willing to help out from time to time with our special events. The costume will fit any size from a small to large adult. Please email Mrs. Kirchgessner if you are willing to help out.
Thank you
1. A huge thank you to Michelle Hawkins, Donna Mabbs and Stephanie Carpenter for an amazing Giving Assembly this year! Thank you also to all of the families that made donations and to those who volunteered to help sort the donations.
2. Thank you to Suzanne Sewell and her fantastic committee: Samantha Loeffelman, Lisa Lorenz, Dana Sandweiss, Hillary Hinz, Lisa Hirshberg and Kat Mulligan, for all of their work on the Buzz Book. We appreciate everyone's patience as we dealt with technical challenges.
3. A special thank you to the PTO Board for all of the hard work they put in to make the PTO and it's programs run smoothly. The members of the PTO Board are: Becky Marbarger, Nancy Belau, Archna Calfee, Jenny Toon, Pam Liesman, Lisa Hirshberg and Amy Fischer.
Get Ready for Socks and Sandwiches!
OBʼs Annual Community Service Event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We will be donating much needed socks and sandwiches to area homeless shelters on Monday, January 20.
How can you do a little community service?
Now through January 20, those wishing to participate can donate new socks. The new socks should be delivered to your childʼs classroom. Please choose tube socks in large sizes for either men, women, or children.
Look for information in an upcoming newsletter about donating sandwich fixings and helping to make sandwiches to donate to area homeless shelters on Monday, January 20.
OB's Got Character!
December's character word of the month at OB is PEACE. The Peace Museum, held on Wednesday, December 4, was peacefully enjoyed by all during the school day, as well as by those who attended the family session that evening. Thank you to the parents who volunteered their time during the school day to help make this event a success, and to OB staff who volunteered their time in the evening to make the family session possible. PEACE OUT!
The Ladue School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, socioeconomic status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs or activities. Inquiries related to the district’s employment practices may be directed to Ken Rossics, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. Inquiries related to district student programs may be directed to Dr. Laura Brock, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080. 

OB Weekly News 11-14

November
15- NO SCHOOL- Prof. Development Day for Teachers
20- Walk in the Park (during PE)

21- Last Day for Thursday After-School Classes
22- Quarterly Newsletter goes home
22- OB Dine Out Night @ Pei Wei
22-24 Barnes & Noble Book Fair @ Ladue Crossing
26- Giving Assembly, 9:30a.m.
27-29 NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break
Announcements:
Check out the OBPTO sponsored Gift Card Program!
Just go to www.ShopWithScrip.com and click on “Create Account” in the green family sign up box to get started. For full details see the flyer that was sent through Peachjar last week, or stop by the office for a copy. Orders are due Monday, Nov. 18. Questions? Contact Dana Sandweiss at (314)991-6888 or danasandweiss@gmail.com.
Important Note re: Late Starts!
The school Late Start times have changed! Elementary Schools will begin at 10:10a.m. and the BASK Late Start start time has changed to 8:15a.m. Bus schedules will run one hour and fifteen minutes late. These estimated times are published on the district’s website and can be seen by clicking the “Bus Information” icon.
Chess club
Parents, just a reminder that Chess Club will continue to meet on Tuesdays & Wednesdays until December 18. However, there will not be Chess Club the week of Thanksgiving.
Thank you-
Thank you to Terra Barnes and Louisa Douglass for organizing our first 2 dine-outs. Please look out for information about our next Dine Out at Pei Wei on November 22!

Peace Museum
The Peace Museum is returning to Old Bonhomme and the PTO needs YOU to volunteer! The Peace Museum will be at OB on Wednesday, December 4. We would like to have 15 parent volunteers for the morning session(8:45-11:30)and 15 parent volunteers for the afternoon session(12:30-3:30). To volunteer contact Lori Humphrey at lhumphrey@ladueschools.net. There will also be a special family time from 6:30-7:30p.m. that evening. Other questions? Contact Becky Marbarger at beckymarbarger@sbcglobal.net OB's Got Character!
We are excited to announce that OB's
November SOAR Recognition Event will be
professional storytelling by Mr. Schlamb! For 15
SOAR tickets, students will have the opportunity to
attend this fun event taking place Monday,
November 25. There will be a K-2 storytelling
session and a grades 3-4 storytelling session.
Shop with Scrip!
PEACHJAR
Parents, please be sure to check out our new flyer distribution system called Peachjar on the OB website. You should be receiving emails from them directly notifying you when a new flyer is available to view, or just visit: http://www.peachjar.com/index.php?a=28&b=138&region=93188 to see what you have been missing!
Giving Assembly-
This year’s Giving Assembly will be held on Tuesday, November 26 at 9:30a.m. Parents are welcome to attend. We are accepting donations of canned goods, books and school supplies, gently used clothing, baby supplies, and toys through Monday, November 25. Adult volunteers are needed Monday at 8:45a.m. to assist with sorting and boxing the donations, and also at 1p.m. on Monday afternoon to assemble the display. Please contact Michelle Hawkins with questions (993-5090 or hawkins.shell@gmail.com). This is an OBPTO sponsored activity.

OB Weekly News 11-8

November
12- Last day for Tues. After-School Classes
13- Last day for Stay & Bake Class
13- OBPTO Exec. Mtg. 9a.m.
13- Diversity Committee Mtg. 5:30p.m.
15- NO SCHOOL- Prof. Development Day for Teachers 
20- Walk in the Park (during PE)
21- Last Day for Thursday After-School Classes 
22- Quarterly Newsletter goes home
22-24 Barnes & Noble Book Fair @ Ladue Crossing
Announcements:
Giving Assembly-
It’s collection time! This year’s Giving Assembly will be held on Tuesday, November 26 at 9:30a.m. Your donations will be delivered to local charities serving the Greater St. Louis Area--the Family Shelter of the Salvation Army, KidSmart, Crisis Nursery, and Trinity Food Pantry. Please send your donations of canned goods, books and school supplies, gently used clothing, baby supplies, and toys to school with your children November 18-25. Adult volunteers are needed those mornings from 8:45-9:30a.m. to assist with sorting and boxing the donations. Please contact Michelle Hawkins with questions (993-5090 or hawkins.shell@gmail.com). This is an OBPTO sponsored activity.
OB Book Study
It’s not too late to join the book study on RULES by Cynthia Lord. You can subscribe to the blog and get up-to-date information by clicking here http:// bit.ly/OBbookblog. We will post fun and quick activities that are designed to be completed during a family meal. Be looking for more information in the next OB News. Our goal is to wrap up the book study by December 13.

November SOAR Event-
We are excited to announce that OB's
November SOAR Recognition Event will be professional storytelling by Mr. Schlamb! For 15 SOAR tickets, students will have the opportunity to attend this fun event taking place at the end of November (specific date and times to be announced soon). Have you had the opportunity to check out the items listed on this month's Eagle's Nest? If not, stop by and check them out, or ask your child about them!Let's continue to SOAR!
OB Wall of Honor
Veteran's Day is Monday, November 11 and we want to honor the veterans in your life. Please complete the attached star and return to school by Thursday, November 14. The stars will be displayed on our OB Wall of Honor.
Teacher of the year-
On Sunday, Mrs. Humphrey will be one of 103 teachers from the St. Louis metropolitan area honored at the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards Ceremony. As the District's 2013 Teacher of the Year, she will be representing our wonderful teaching staff. Congratulations, Mrs. Humphrey!
OB's Got Character!
November's Character Word of the Month at OB is Generosity. Generosity is a willingness to give, to share of one’s time and/or resources, without an expectation that the gift or act will be returned. Consider being generous with your time and resources this month by volunteering at/ donating items to OB's Giving Assembly! Any amount of time/resources donated are equally appreciated! 

OB Weekly News 11-1

November
2- Daylight Savings, FALL BACK

6- Last day for Wed. After-School Classes
6- OB Dine Out Night @ Fallon’s, 5-9p.m.
7- Picture Retake Day
8- 1st Gr. Trip to Art Museum, 9:45-11:45a.m. 
12- Last day for Tues. After-School Classes 
13- Last day for Stay & Bake Class
13- OBPTO Exec. Mtg. 9a.m.
13- Diversity Committee Mtg. 5:30p.m.
Announcements:
Giving Assembly-
This year’s Giving Assembly will be held on Tuesday, November 26 at 9:30a.m. This is an opportunity for Old Bonhomme Families to donate canned goods, books and school supplies, gently used clothing, baby supplies, and toys. Your donations will be delivered to local charities serving the Greater St. Louis Area--the Family Shelter of the Salvation Army, KidSmart, Crisis Nursery, and Trinity Food Pantry. Especially needed donations this year include canned fruits and meats, school supplies, children’s new underwear and socks, diapers of all sizes, pullups, and gently used play clothes. Please send your donations to school November 18-25. Adult volunteers are needed those mornings from 8:45-9:30a.m. to assist with sorting and boxing the donations. Volunteer signup sheets and more information will come home in backpacks today. Please contact Michelle Hawkins with questions (993-5090 or hawkins.shell@gmail.com). This is an OBPTO sponsored activity.

Candy Donations-
After Halloween, do you still have Halloween candy around your house?
Are you thinking that you have had enough, but don't want it to go to waste?
Are you aware that there are children that don't get to go trick-or-treating and would love a few treats?
We have a solution!
Bring any unopened candy to Miss Boudinet's room (room 208) by Tuesday, November 5. All candy will be boxed up and taken to the local Ronald McDonald House for other children and families in our community to enjoy.
Please do not buy any candy for this activity. Save that money to buy real food for our Thanksgiving drive!
Start our community giving today!
Picture Retake Day-
Mark your calendar! Picture Retake Day is coming on Thursday, November 7. Remember to send the original picture package back to school with your child. If they were absent on picture day, extra order forms are available in the office.
OB Dine Out Night-
Please join the OBPTO for dinner at Fallon's in Olivette on Wednesday, November 6, from 5-9p.m. A portion of the proceeds from the evening will return to OBPTO to support activities for YOUR child! Don’t forget to bring the flyer that was sent home in your child’s Friday Folder. Extra Copies will be available in the office.

CHANGE OF DATE:

Please be sure to update your calendars, as there has been a change of date for OB's Peace Museum. The Peace Museum will be coming to our school all day on Wednesday, December 4, and will be open for a special evening family session from6:30 -7:30 pm. also on Wednesday, December 4. More detailed information will be communicated later in November. It's family time you won't want to miss! Questions? Please contact Lori Humphrey at lhumphrey@ladueschools.net
Lice
Lice is a topic no one wants to experience or talk about, but as with other modern day realities we need to know the facts!
“Head lice are often a fact of life for school‐aged children. While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated. It is probably impossible to prevent all head lice infestations. Young children come into head-to-head contact with each other frequently.”
These words from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the notes that follow will perhaps help us all keep instances of lice in perspective for our students. Please note the footnotes (blue underlined numbers) and other links to the full text and references for more information.
A revised clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Head Lice,” published in the August print issue of Pediatrics (published online July 26), clarifies and updates protocols for diagnosis and treatment, and provides guidance for the management of children with head lice in the school setting.
Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned. Informed school nurses can help with diagnosis and suggestions about treatment. Because head lice are usually transmitted by head‐to‐head contact, parents should carefully check a child’s head before and after attending a sleepover or camp where children share sleeping quarters.

Transmission in most cases occurs by direct contact with the head of an infested individual. 16 Indirect spread through contact with personal belongings of an infested individual (combs, brushes, hats) is much less likely but may occur rarely. 17 Lice found on combs are likely to be injured or dead, 18 and a healthy louse is not likely to leave a healthy head unless there is a heavy infestation. 19 This is further illustrated by 2 studies from Australia. In 1 study, examination of carpets on 118 classroom floors found no lice despite more than 14000 live lice found on the heads of 466 children using these classrooms. 20 In a second study, live lice were found on only 4% of pillowcases used by infested volunteers. 21 Thus, the major focus of control activities should be to reduce the number of lice on the head and to lessen the risks of head-to-head contact.
Screening for nits alone is not an accurate way of predicting which children are or will become infested, and screening for live lice has not been proven to have a significant effect on the incidence of head lice in a school community over time. 2^,12^,24
A child should not be restricted from school attendance because of lice, because head lice have low contagion within classrooms. 86
Although lice is unpleasant and frustrating, our students react to verbal and non-verbal messages and form opinions based on those reactions so it is important we remain calm and matter-of-fact. We all want to support the emotional and physical health of our students and how we handle these episodes with children build their skills in coping with all kinds of unwanted and frustrating situations. Contact Mrs. Kirchgessner or Nurse Comens with any questions.
AAP-Offers-Updated-Guidance-on-Treating-Head-Lice
Pediatrics.aappublications.org 

OB Weekly News 10-24

October
24- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
24- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:15-6:30p.m. 24- No After-School Classes
25- NO SCHOOL- Conference Comp. Day
29- 4th Gr. Musical, 7p.m.
31- Fall Parties- 2:30-3:30p.m.
31- No After-School Classes
Announcements:

Red Ribbon Week (10/23-10/31)
OB Monsters Team Up to Make Good Choices.
Monday, October 28 OB Monsters Show Their Spirit. Students are encouraged to wear OB colors (blue and white) or spirit wear.
Tuesday, October 29 OB Monsters team up to make a difference. Students are encouraged to wear their favorite team jersey, shirt, or personal team uniform.
Wednesday, October 30 OB Monsters stomp out bad choices. Students are encouraged to wear boots (cowboy boots, snow boots, rain boots, dress boots).
Thursday, October 31 OB Monsters Look in the Mirror. Students are encouraged to show their individuality by wearing crazy/creative socks to show their personality.
OB Book Blog - Subscribe to the OB Book Blog by clicking here http://bit.ly/OBbookblog and learn about ways to get involved and help make a difference at OB.
Parent Portal Sign-up-
Parents, if you did not have a chance to sign up for the Infinite Campus Parent Portal yet, please be sure to stop by the school office to get this done. Our goal is to have 100% of our families signed up by Thanksgiving Break. This will give you access to your child’s attendance and will also be used to communicate your child’s report card.

Giving Assembly- In the spirit of community and compassion that defines Old Bonhomme School, we invite you to participate in the 29th Annual Giving Assembly. This year’s Giving Assembly will be held on Tuesday, November 26, at 9:30a.m. This is an opportunity for Old Bonhomme families to donate canned goods, books and school supplies, gently used clothing, baby supplies, and toys. Local charities such as Family Haven (a shelter of the Salvation Army), KidSmart, Crisis Nursery, and Trinity Food Pantry will receive your donations. Please send your donations to school with your student on November 18-25. Adult volunteers are needed those mornings from 8:45-9:30a.m. to assist with sorting and boxing the donations. Volunteer signup sheets and more information will come home in backpacks next week. Please contact Michelle Hawkins with questions (993-5090 or hawkinsm@charter.net). This is an OBPTO sponsored activity.
PTO NEWS- Thank you to everyone who came to Bowling for Bonhomme last weekend. We raised over $18,000 to support the activities of the OBPTO! From Arts Partners Assemblies to Mini-Grants for teachers, your support helps the PTO help our school.
Special thanks to Suzanne Epstein-Lang and her fabulous committee for all of their hard work!!! More information will be coming out soon about sign up parties that remain open.
Also, thank you to Kelly Becker and her committee for providing delicious dinner and desserts to teachers during conferences this week.
First Grade Musical Date Change- Please note that First Grade Musical has been moved to April 1, 2014. We apologize for the change but need to accommodate the recently
scheduled All District Choral Concert that includes our Show Choir and Mr. Hearn.
DOGS at Arrival and Dismissal - Some concerns have been expressed about children who are nervous around large and small dogs especially if the dogs start to bark at one another. It can be
quite scary for some children. We love to see our parents walking to and from school with their children but if you are going to walk with your dog to pick up or drop off your child at school, please stay on the grass area by the public sidewalk near the upper blacktop or outside the library at the side of the school. Thanks for your cooperation!
Cell Phone Use- Parents, just a reminder to please refrain from cell phone use in the school. If you must take a call you can step outside and the office will be happy to help you when your call is completed. Thank you. 

OB Weekly News 10-18

October   

19- OBPTO Bowling Event, 7-11p.m.(adults only)

22- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-8p.m.

22- No After-School Classes

23- Walk in the Park (during PE)

24- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.

24- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:15-6:30p.m.

24- No After-School Classes

25- NO SCHOOL- Conference Comp. Day

Announcements:   

Safety Notes From the Principal- Thank you for all the support this week around school safety!  I am so proud of the collaborative efforts of the school and district staff, parents, and the Olivette Police Department to ensure the safety of our students.  I have always believed the saying, “We don’t learn from experience, but rather we learn from our reflection on the experience.”  As we have begun to reflect on our experiences on Monday, we have started several new initiatives at school to improve our preparation, but there are also several things parents can help with from home... 

Blackboard Connect:  This is a great tool for us to communicate timely information to you in an emergency.  For it to be as effective as possible, please remember…

• It can seem like there is no one (or no message) there when you first answer your phone.  However, it really is just the nature of most recorded messages delivered by computer that there is a few second delay before the message begins. Give it those few seconds to start.
• You may find it helpful to put the school (314-993-0656) and district (314-994-7080) phone numbers in the contacts on your cell phone, so you know the message is coming from the school.
• Emergency messages are sent at the same time to all the contacts you have provided to us, so you could also check your email.
• Please understand we will answer your phone calls to the school office as we are able.  However, our first priority must be in-building needs and we also must have access to the phone lines for outgoing calls.  Tying up the phone lines for us to relay the contents of a Blackboard Connect message can make handling these situations much more difficult.   

Lock-down:  Depending upon the situation the police may direct us to move into an interior lock-down (no teaching or hallway movement) or exterior lock-down (teaching continues and hallway movement can continue at Principal's discretion but all students/staff remain inside the building and visitors to the school are not allowed in the building.)

During a lock-down situation, we will respond as directed by the police regarding limited access and entrance into the building by parents and others. Please think of it as providing for the safety of every child and not as limiting access to your child.  In most events, we’ll take the precautionary step of a complete lock-down into classrooms and as the situation becomes clearer, adjust accordingly.

Parent Portal Sign-up-    

Parents, it is not too late to sign up for the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. (Remember if you did this for an older sibling you do not need to do it again). Stop by the Computer Lab during any of the Parent/Teacher Conference Nights to sign up, be sure to bring your photo ID with you. 

Bowling for Bonhomme- Don’t forget the Bowling for Bonhomme event this Saturday at Olivette Lanes from 7-11p.m. for Adults ONLY. Hope to see you there!

Red Ribbon Week Contest: The National Family Partnership is hosting a "Healthy Me is a Drug-Free Me" decoration contest for students. Deadline isNov. 4. Learn more http://redribbon.org/contest/. 

Red ribbon week (10/23-10/31)- OB Monsters Team Up to Make Good Choices. 

Wednesday, October 23 H is for Healthy Choices and Healthy Choices are for me. Students are encouraged to wear a RED T-shirt/sweatshirt and exercise pants.     

Thursday, October 24 OB Monsters Have Manners. Students are encouraged to wear monster related clothes. Please no masks or props.

Friday, October 25  (No School) 

Monday, October 28 OB Monsters Show Their Spirit. Students are encouraged to wear OB colors (blue and white) or spirit wear.

Tuesday, October 29 OB Monsters team up to make a difference. Students are encouraged to wear their favorite team jersey, shirt, or personal team uniform.

Wednesday, October 30 OB Monsters stomp out bad choices. Students are encouraged to wear boots (cowboy boots, snow boots, rain boots, dress boots).

Thursday, October 31 OB Monsters Look in the Mirror. Students are encouraged to show their individuality by wearing crazy/creative socks to show their personality. 

SOAR Recognition Day- OB's October SOAR Recognition Day is coming up!  It's scheduled for Friday, November 1. Ask your child if they are choosing to participate!

All students will have the opportunity to exchange 10 SOAR tickets to attend the monster themed carnival taking place during their lunch recess time. Have you had the opportunity to check out the items listed on this month's Eagle's Nest?  If not, stop by and check them out, or ask your children about them!  Many students have been exchanging their SOAR tickets for some of the experiences being offered this month. Some students are choosing to save their SOAR tickets for experiences being offered in future months.  We look forward to introducing next month's Eagle's Nest items at the beginning of November.  Let's continue to SOAR!

PTO NEWS- Please accept the sincere apology of the OBPTO. Due to some technical difficulties, we were not able to meet our goal of having the OB Buzz Book to you by 10/1. We are working very hard to get it proofed and printed and will have it to you as soon as possible.

Thank you to Louisa Douglass and Terra Barnes for organizing our first OB dine out at Sweet Tomatoes. There was a great turnout. Keep your eyes out for our next dine out - in November at Pei Wei.

A huge thank you (in advance) to Suzanne Epstein-Lang and the Bowling for Bonhomme committee for a great fundraising event. We hope to see everyone on Saturday night at Olivette Lanes!

Box Tops Deadline- Calling all Box Tops! Please send in your Box Tops you have been collecting all year to Mrs. Roth, OB Art Teacher, by Wednesday October 30. Thanks for helping our school!

OB Weekly News 10-11

October

11- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
15- LEF Breakfast, 7:30-9a.m.
16- OB Dine Out Night @ Sweet Tomatoes, 5-8p.m. 
19- OBPTO Bowling Event, 7-11p.m.(adults only) 22- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-8p.m.
22- No After-School Classes
23- Walk in the Park (during PE)
24- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
24- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:15-6:30p.m.
25- NO SCHOOL- Conference Comp. Day
Announcements:
Red ribbon week- Red Ribbon week is October 23 through October 31. Each Fall, schools and community organizations across the United States focus on turning young people away from drugs/bad choices during Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week promotes positive choices, good character, and a healthy lifestyle for children of all ages. This is a good time also, for you to talk with your children about drugs, safety and being the best they can be. Take some time to get involved. Plan some special activities at home to celebrate being drug free/making healthy choices. Some examples are below:
• Participate in the OB community wide book study Rules by Cynthia Lord.
• Hide Red Ribbons around the house, when they find one they get a coupon to do something special with the family.
• Have a Red Ribbon Week Dinner highlighted with red foods.

• Tie a Red Ribbon around a tree in your yard or ask a neighbor or local business if you can tie some around their trees.
  
• Make Red Ribbon placemats with prevention/self esteem messages.
  At school we have the following planned around the theme OB Monsters Team Up to Make Good Choices. We wanted to give you plenty of time to plan with your child.
  Wednesday, October 23 (Walk in the Park) H is for Healthy Choices and Healthy Choices are for me. Students are encouraged to wear a RED T- shirt/sweatshirt and exercise pants.
  Thursday, October 24 (Early Release Day) OB Monsters Have Manners. Students are encouraged to wear monster related clothes. No masks or props are permitted.
  Friday, October 25 (No School)
  Monday, October 28 OB Monsters Show Their Spirit. Students are encouraged to wear OB colors (blue and white) or spirit wear.
  Tuesday, October 29 OB Monsters team up to make a difference. Students are encouraged to wear their favorite team jersey, shirt, or personal team uniform.
  Wednesday, October 30 OB Monsters stomp out bad choices. Students are encouraged to wear boots (cowboy boots, snow boots, rain boots, dress boots).
  Thursday, October 31 OB Monsters Look in the Mirror. Students are encouraged to show their individuality by wearing socks to show their personality.
  

OB Weekly News 10-4

October

9- OBPTO Mtg., 9a.m.
9- Third Grade trip to Art Museum, 11-1:30p.m. 
11- Quarter 1 ends
11- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
15- LEF Breakfast, 7:30-9a.m.
16- OB Dine Out Night @ Sweet Tomatoes, 5-8p.m. 
19- OBPTO Bowling Event, 7-11p.m.(adults only)
Announcements:
•Parent/Teacher Conferences-
Parent Teacher Conferences are right around the corner! We want to make sure the conference is as productive and beneficial for you as possible. If you need an interpreter to attend the conference with you please let your child's classroom teacher know what your spoken language is by Friday, October 11.
• OB's Got character!-
October's Character Word of the Month at OB is RESPONSIBILITY. What does it look like to show responsibility in your home? Consider talking with your kids about what types of responsibilities each family member has in your home. What does it look like when family members do/don't follow through on their responsibilities? As a family, check out this great child-friendly video about responsibility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I03JseHP1x4. After viewing the video, consider having a discussion about how showing responsibility at school compares to showing responsibility in your home. Click here to listen to a song about responsibility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMP_J-jkmr8 and click here for the lyrics to the song: http://havefunteaching.com/files/songs/song-lyrics/responsibility-song-lyrics.pdf

•SAVE THE DATE: The Peace Museum is coming to OB all day on Thursday, December 12. The Peace Museum will be open for a special evening family session from 6:30 -7:30 pm. on December 12. More detailed information will be communicated soon. For now, please mark it on your calendars for your family to attend the special evening Peace Museum session in the gym. It's family time you won't want to miss! Questions? Please contact Lori Humphrey at lhumphrey@ladueschools.net
•Field Day- Thank you to all the Staff and Parent Volunteers that helped
make Field Day happen again this year. What a fun and exciting day for our students!

• thank you- Thank you to Julie Devine, Jayme Fingerman, Betsy Kerner and their committee for a magical Kindergarten Social!Also, thank you to Lisa Hirshberg and Dawn Rosetti and their committee for planning the 1st grade social. Thank you to Lisa Hirshberg for coordinating Picture Day!

•Ladue Homecoming Parade- What: Ladue Horton Watkins High School is once again celebrating homecoming with a community parade! Fourth Graders from each of the elementary schools have been invited to walk in the parade. All are welcome and encouraged to cheer on from the sidelines of the parade! When: Saturday, October 5, at 11a.m. Where: Parade will begin at Ladue Middle School and end in the high school parking lot. The parade route goes west on Conway Road and then south on Warson Road. Questions? Please contact Hayley Arnold at harnold@ladueschools.net.

•SOAR Recognition Day- OB's Otober SOAR Recognition Day is scheduled for Friday, November 1st. All students will have the opportunity to exchange
10 SOAR tickets for a pass to attend a monster themed carnival taking place during their lunch recess time. And speaking of SOARing.... have you noticed an Eagle has landed (on the bulletin board by the cafeteria)? A special announcement about the opening of our Eagle's Nest will be made by Mrs. K. right after Field Day on Friday. More detailed information about The Eagle's Nest will be communicated to parents in next week's Weekly News, so keep your eagle eyes open for it! Let's continue to SOAR!

•OB Community Book Study- We love to celebrate our diverse
community and all of our differences that make our community unique and special. During Red Ribbon Week, OB is going to launch a community-wide book study using the book Rules by Cynthia Lord. The book revolves around the themes of acceptance and friendship. In order to make it community-wide, we are utilizing a “flipped” classroom approach. Families are encouraged to read the book at home with your children. Questions and activities to go along with the book will be provided. A book-study blog will be launched as well, which will include questions, and provide an opportunity for a school-wide discussion. The plan is to wrap up the book study by December 13. In order to prepare for the book study, we ask that you please locate a copy of the book Rules. Please let us know if you need help finding a copy of the book. Also, a good pre-reading activity would be to read Frog and Toad are Friends (this book is often mentioned in Rules). We are very excited to launch our book study and continuing to encourage acceptance, friendship and diversity in our community. Please contact Mrs. Susan Kelley, our school librarian, with any questions. Friendship Committee

OB Weekly News 9-20

September
24- Kindergarten Social, 6:30p.m.
25- Walk in the Park (during PE)
26- Mandarin After-School Class begins 
27- Quarterly Newsletter goes home
October
1- First Grade Social, 7-8p.m. 
1- After-School Classes begin! 
4- Field Day, 1-3:15p.m.
Announcements:
•After-School Class Sign-ups-Don’t forget to sign your child up for After- School classes. Spaces are filling up fast, and we don’t want your child to miss out! Extra sign-up forms are available in the office. Questions, or interested in being a parent volunteer to get a free class? Contact Olga Rynkiewicz @ olgairy@yahoo.com

•thank you- A BIG thank you to Sherri Connors for chairing the Entertainment Book fundraiser this year. Also thanks to her committee and helpers: Jamie Steinbach, Katrin Mulligan, Marianne Wolken, Novita Gan, Lisa Hirshberg, Craig Tatham, Samantha Loeffelman, Laura Silver, and Susanne Sewell.

•Lost & Found- As the weather turns chillier, just a reminder for parents to be sure to label their child’s personal belongings. We are already seeing a lot of jackets with no name in them. Be sure to stop by the Lost and Found if you are missing anything!

•Folk Tales for Fun- The LHWHS Fall Play is a great opportunity to introduce even your youngest children to the joy of live theatre. Folk Tales for Fun is a collection of multicultural folk tales- complete with talking animals, short, easy to understand scenes and tons of audience interaction. Performances are on Friday, November 1 at 4:30p.m. and 7p.m. in the High School Black Box Theater. Tickets are $5 (children 3 and under are free). For reserved tickets or questions call (314)993-3900 ext.5935. Leave your name and phone number along with how many tickets you will need. Tickets can then be picked up or purchased at the box office the afternoon of the show.

•Coming Soon...Field Day- An Adventure through Africa!! Friday afternoon, Oct. 4th. Please see the attached document for details and for information on signing up to help. Asante, Asante sana. Thank you!

•Spirit Wear- Blue 84 Spirit Wear is closed for orders. If you have not placed an on-line order or turned your form into the office by now, you will not receive a shipment. All hard copy orders have been received by Blue 84. They will combine these orders with on-line orders and begin to print this week. All orders will be shipped directly to OB. Volunteers will hand out orders to students at school. We anticipate this to occur the week of September 30. Just in time for cool weather to hit! If you would like to volunteer to distribute Spirit Wear when it arrives or have any questions contact Stephanie Kinney at gaksmk@mac.com. Thanks for your participation!