Friday, March 14, 2014

OB Weekly News  3-14


March
17-21 NO SCHOOL- Spring Break
28- Quarterly Newsletter goes home
28- Family Fun Night @ Creve Coeur Ice Arena, 6-8p

April
1- First Gr. Musical, 7p.m.
9- OBPTO Open Mtg. in Cafeteria, 9:15a.m. 

11- OB Science Night, 6p.m.
Announcements:
PTO NEWS
Thank you to Mark Biernacki for an amazing Passport Night. A special thank you to all of the families that hosted countries and the Mayer-Torno School of Irish Dance for their performance.
Thank you to Melissa Klein for coordinating the Fourth Grade Home Alone Class on Monday.
OB's Got Character!
Our District Fill The Bus event was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who participated by sending in canned food donations. Ladue School District collected a whopping 9,274 cans! With Old Bonhomme contributing 500 of the cans. Ladue School District is truly the KIND of district that cares! We showed that together, we CAN make a difference! All can donations were delivered on Wednesday afternoon. A special thank you to Miss Marlow and the Fill The Bus Character Council sub-committee for gathering/counting cans all week, boxing and loading the donated cans onto the bus.
Just before the bus headed off to its donation destination, it was KINDly "wrapped in love" with a string of hearts, labeled by each student with a recent act of kindness.
Counselor Notes
Check out the OB Counseling Blog http://obschoolcounseling.blogspot.com/ to get information about different ways for OB Champions to Soar during Success Week (March 31-April 4). Students can bring in a picture of them being a champion to be displayed in the halls, support the Find-A- Bench campaign by donating to the cause, and participate throughout the week by dressing up. You are going to see us SOAR!
OB Spirit Wear
The Blue 84 Spirit Wear Program will
run March 24 through April 4. All students will receive a paper order form in this weeks friday folder.
You may place your order one of two ways:
1) Paper order form to be returned to OB office by Friday, April 4. Order forms received after April 4 will not be processed.
2) Place your order on-line via this website:
http://stores.blue84spirit.com/MO1579
ORDER BY FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014
Once all orders are placed (paper or on-line). Products will be produced and shipped to OB. All Spirit Wear will be delivered to your child's classroom.
For returns or product quality issues: Contact Blue 84 customer service team
at
800-328-6681 or spiritinfo@blue84.com. They are available 8a.m.-5p.m. central time.
Family Fun Night
Save the Date for the Annual OB Family Fun Night! Join the OBPTO on Friday, March 28 from 6-8p.m. for ice skating fun at the Creve Coeur Ice Arena. Get all of the information on the flyer that will be coming to you via the OB Peachjar! Hope to see you there!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
We had wonderful attendance this year for conferences! It is great to see the parent interest and commitment to working collaboratively with us. Thank you!
LEF Announcement
As you know the Ladue Education Foundation is busy funding special projects for students in all schools within the district. In addition to programs being considered through our traditional grant process the foundation is working to raise funds for two very specific initiatives.
*Current Initiatives Taking the Spotlight*
The Ladue Education Foundation is seeking funding for two programs to help keep our district competitive, provide world class learning opportunities, and advance our students ability to learn and compete in a global environment.
1. TI-Nspire CX Navigator System for use by every math student at Ladue Horton Watkins High School (LHWHS).
2. Installing a videoconferencing system in the high school's Performing Arts Center that will be available for district-wide utilization.

*For more information or to make a donation please visit the Ladue Education Foundation Website at www.laduefoundation.org or contact Kristen Wild at kwild@laduefoundation.org or 314-983-5334 or Diane Patershuk at dpatershuk@pruall.com or 314-477-7673.
TI-Navigator System
TI-Nspire CX "handhelds" are sophisticated graphing calculators that use math and science examples to help students make real- world connections to problems. The pilot for this program was funded by the LEF and was so successful, the district is hoping to expand the program so it is available to all math students. The calculators are enabled for wireless communication between teacher and student, providing an interactive learning
experience at a total cost for the system of approximately $26,000.
"The most powerful aspect of the TI-Nspire Navigator system is how it allows me to have a window into the minds of my students," said Barb Dwyer, the LHWHS mathematics teacher who is spearheading the Navigator program. "Every student has the device in their hand and has the ability to show what they are thinking, without worrying if they might have the wrong answer. Instead of evaluating only outcomes, I can instantly assess the learning process itself and adjust instruction accordingly."

Videoconferencing System
The Videoconferencing System costs approximately $90,000 and will allow the district to expose students to global learning experiences without leaving the classroom, making virtual field trips and collaborations with students in other countries possible. Speakers and industry experts can be "brought in" without the cost of time and travel. In addition, district staff members can participate in additional professional development opportunities, or substantially lower the cost of attending conferences in person.
"Both of these programs were brought to the LEF for consideration by our teaching staff, who are eager to identify and implement instructional resources that bring real-world application to our students," explains Superintendent Dr. Donna Jahnke. "Learning is no longer about simply memorizing a series of facts. It's about applying knowledge and helping our students truly understand how interdisciplinary thinking is essential to succeeding in post-secondary education, as well as in their future careers."

Enjoy your Spring Break! 

Friday, March 7, 2014

OB Weekly News 3-7


March
3-12 Fill the Bus Can Collection
7- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
7- Passport Night, 6-8p.m.
10- 4th Gr. Home Alone Class, 4-6p.m. 

11- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-8p.m. 
13- Early Dismissal, 1:15p.m.
13- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:15-6:30p.m.
14- MAKE-UP SNOW DAY- FULL DAY OF SCHOOL 17-21 NO SCHOOL- Spring Break
28- Quarterly Newsletter goes home
28- Family Fun Night @ Creve Coeur Ice Arena, 6-8p

Announcements:
Birthday Treats
We know how much our students look forward to the birthday treats each month to celebrate all of our student’s birthdays in the classroom during their birthday month. Unfortunately, there were many families that did not turn in their $10 at the beginning of the school year, and the funds are running low for this special celebration. Any contributions to this fund can be turned in to the school office and would be greatly appreciated so we can continue this tradition for the remainder of the school year.
Self-Guided Motor Lab Tours
Next week you can check out the Motor Lab and walk through the stations before or after your Parent-Teacher Conference. The Motor Lab is located in room 206. Don't miss this opportunity to see how engaging both your body and brain make a big academic difference. Be looking for information about the Smart Moves book study in the PE section of the Quarterly Newsletter.
OB CHAMPIONS
We will be celebrating “Success Week,” formerly “Map Kickoff Week,” the week of March 31. Our theme this year is: “I am a champion, you’re going to see me SOAR!” We would like to have pictures of all of our students being a champion to display in the hallways. Please send in a picture of your child being a champion by March 28, to the attention of Mrs. Arnold. Some examples might be of them participating in a organization like girl scouts, a sport, playing an instrument, painting, volunteering, dancing, the possibilities are endless!
!
Old Bonhomme parents and guardians, please tell us what you think!
!
Your input is always appreciated, but sometimes finding time to pick up the phone or write a note is not always possible. Each year we use Survey Monkey, an on-line tool, to gather your input. Last year we only collected 27 responses. Your input is helpful and we’d love an even greater response this year!
The survey can be accessed from any computer since it is internet-based. If you would like to use our computers at school, you may stop by the Computer Lab when you are here for your Parent-Teacher Conferences next week.
You can access the survey beginning Friday, March 7, at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OB_Parent_Climate_Survey_2014 or from a link on the Old Bonhomme School website. The survey will be available until March 31.
Your time and input is valued! Cheryl Kirchgessner, Principal
14-15 Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration for the 2014-15 school year has begun! Please get the word out to your family and friends that NOW is the time to call the office to schedule your child’s Kindergarten screening!
14-15 Kdg. Parent Mtg. Rescheduled
Please note that the REVISED date of the 2014-15 Kindergarten Parent Meeting is Tuesday, April 29 at 7p.m. This meeting is for parents ONLY.
SOAR Recognition
We had a great turn-out at our February SOAR Recognition Celebration on Tuesday, March 4. A total of 226 students chose to participate! Students really enjoyed meeting and getting to know a Chill hockey player, Shiver, their Polar Bear mascot, and Mr. Troop, spokesperson for the Chill hockey team, and our very own Nurse Comen's son! All participants were excited about receiving 4 tickets to a future Chill hockey game! March Eagle's Nest menus have been dispersed to classrooms. Ask you child about them! Our March SOAR Recognition Celebration will be based around showing kindness to others through a service project. The celebration will be 5 tickets. Details of the celebration will be announced when we return from Spring Break.
OB's Got Character
OB's character word of the month is KINDNESS. Thank you to those of you who have KINDly donated canned items this week. We will continue collecting cans until our Fill The Bus project comes to a close on Wednesday, March 12. We will be the last school the bus comes to before it heads to its final donation destination, so we wanted to send it off in an especially KIND way!! Students and staff will be recording a random act of kindness they have done, on a paper heart, and the hearts will be connected to form a large chain that we will wrap around the bus, to fill it with kindness, as it heads off.
LUNCH MENU UPDATE FOR MARCH 14
Since we will be having school on March 14, we need a lunch menu! Please see the lunch choices below:
CHOICE A: Pancakes with Sausage (tur) CHOICE B: Waffles with Scrambled Eggs
Hashbrown Patty Baby Carrots
Warm Baked Apples
SACK: Breaded Chicken Patty Sandwich

Caesar Salad Baby Carrots
Assorted Fresh Fruit
AFTER-SCHOOL CLASS REMINDER
Don’t forget there will be NO After-School Activities for the next TWO weeks due to Parent/Teacher Conferences and Spring Break.
La'Due It 5K
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Ladue walks, runs, and cares!
This event is brought to you by the Ladue Schools Physical Education Department and District Wellness Committee. Proceeds will support Due Care, an organization which provides financial assistance to district families and students in need. Bring your old shoes to donate to Shoeman Water Projects, helping bring clean water to communities around the world. T-shirt is guaranteed with pre-registration by March 15. To pre-register, go to:
www.ladueschools.net
Coming Soon: Jump Rope for Heart!
Be sure to ask your child about the Show-Me Jumpers who performed for us today. Look for information and donation envelopes to come home next week!
PASSPORT NIGHT
Please be sure to stop by OB tonight @ 6p.m. for the next Annual OB Passport Night! Hope to see you there!