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