OB Weekly News 9_23

SEPTEMBER

27 1st Gr. Social, 7-8 p.m.
30 Dance-A-Thon, 5-7 p.m.(not a drop-off event)
Quarterly Newsletter goes home 
OCTOBER
10 FIELD DAY!

13 Picture Retake Day
14 OBPTO Board Mtg. 9a.m.
End of First Quarter Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m. 

18 3rd Gr. Performance, 7 p.m.
19 Walk in the Park (during PE)

Dine Out Night, Noodles & Co. 5-9 p.m. 
20 Kdg. Field Trip- Thies Farm, 9-1:30 p.m. 
25 P/T Conferences, 4-8 p.m.

27 P/T Conferences, 1:30-7 p.m.
Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m.
28 NO SCHOOL, Conference Compensation day 
29 Trunk or Treat @ OB, 3-4 p.m.
Announcements:

First Grade Social

The First Grade Social event is just around the corner. On Tuesday, September 27, from 7-8 p.m., in the school gym, we have one of the top 'kids' music entertainers in St. Louis, Babaloo, performing! The kids will be dancing and singing their hearts out. Please come out for this exciting evening! This event is sponsored by the OBPTO. (Siblings are welcome) If you have any questions, please contact Sandhya Vollala at vollala76@gmail.com.

Dance-A-Thon/Parking

On Friday, September 30, there will be no parking allowed on the upper blacktop all day, due to set-up for the Dance-A-Thon. It can be used for student drop-off in the morning, but student pick-up will be at Stacy Park ONLY in the afternoon.

Dance-A-Thon Update
The OB Dance-A-Thon is next Friday, September 30! We are at 31% participation and we would love to see this number soar! There is plenty of time to turn in your pledges to the office or by visiting https://99pledges.com/fund/danceathon3/ in order to receive your prizes! Want to join our students and boogie to the beat? We are still gathering volunteers to assist in handing out treats, selling baked goods, and stirring up excitement on the dance floor. Daytime or evening shifts are available. Become involved by visiting Dance-A-Thon VolunteerOpportunities. Remember, this is not drop-off event, all students should be picked up at Stacy Park at 3:50 p.m. and then we hope to see everyone at the After Party from 5-7 p.m., for food trucks, dancing and dessert! Thank you, OB Community, for supporting our efforts and strengthening our school’s resources!
Six weeks of After-School Fun!
Planning of the After-School Classes is well underway and we are finalizing some exciting classes for students in all grade levels. The Fall 2016 six-week program will begin the week of November 1, and run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after school. Please look for a registration packet to come home in your student’s Friday folder in mid-October. For more details about being a parent volunteer and earning a free class for your child or if you have any other questions about the After-School Program, contact Allison Brose at allison.brose@hotmail.com.

PTO News

We are looking for some adults willing to wear the Obi Eagle costume during school and PTO events. If you are interested, please contact Cathy Moore at cathymoocow@gmail.com.
Thank you to Bridget O'Neal and her committee (Debbie Pflanz, Jillian Thomadsen, Kelechi Loynd, Kate Haffenreffer, and Lori Sigel) for putting on an amazing Kindergarten Social Tuesday night. The kiddos had a great time making music with Babaloo!

We Are Family
Our O.B. families kick-off event occurred on Monday, September 19. Old Bonhomme is one big family who cares about each other! The goal of our families is to build relationships with staff and other students in the building. So, during monthly family meetings, your child or children will meet with their designated family and participate in engaging lessons that center on building relationships and choosing to be nice. The groups include a head of family which is someone who works at Old Bonhomme and 10-12 other students from kindergarten through fourth grade. From year to year your child will have the same family in order to build relationships within their school family. When fourth grade students move on to the Fifth Grade Center at the end of each year the incoming kindergartners will join each family the following year. We are excited to embark on this new adventure with our staff and students, knowing that it is our strong relationships that support learning and being the best we can be!

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. Derrick Wallace, Director of Student Services. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080. 

OB Weekly News 9-16

SEPTEMBER

20 Kdg. Social, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
27 1st Gr. Social, 7-8 p.m.
30 Dance-A-Thon, 5-7 p.m.(not a drop-off event)
Quarterly Newsletter goes home 
OCTOBER
10 FIELD DAY!
13 Picture Retake Day
OBPTO Board Mtg. 9a.m.
14 End of First Quarter
Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m.
Announcements:
Volunteer Opportunity in First Grade
R.A.V.E. Program
(Reading And Volunteers = Excellence)

Are you interested in Volunteering your time and talent? Do you love to read and talk about books with children? Are you interested in helping children practice reading and writing skills? Are you yearning to make a real difference in your community and in our school? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you...

Time Commitment:

One Training Session (30-45 min)
Two hours per week for two- nine week sessions (18 total days)
If you are interested, or would like more information about this rewarding opportunity, please contact Becky Bennick-Butts at bbennick-butts@ladueschools.net, or through voicemail at 983-5843.

CURE
Community, Understanding, Respect, Education
A committee of parents/guardians of African- American students that meets four times a year on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Administrative Center.
Join these invaluable conversations on topics related to student achievement. The 2016-2017 Meeting Dates are: October 20, November 17, February 16, and April 20.
Contact Beth Hufford at bhufford@ladueschools.net or 314-983-5302 if you would like to receive reminders of these meetings.
Dance-A-Thon
On September 30, during PE classes, students will participate in OB’s first ever Dance-A-Thon. Then that evening, from 5-7p.m., the fun will continue with a free After-Party on the OB Blacktop. All students, families & friends are welcome to attend. This is not a drop-off event.
Show us your Bonhomme Beat, or kick back with dinner & dessert from local food trucks and the OB Bake Sale! We look forward to announcing the grand total of our efforts! There will be shout-outs from DJ Mike Rocks, giveaways, games & grade level performances...We hope to see you at our first community event of the school year!

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. Derrick Wallace, Director of Student Services. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080.

OB Weekly News 9-9

SEPTEMBER

14 Walk in the Park (during PE)
20 Kdg. Social, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
27 1st Gr. Social, 7-8 p.m.
30 OBPTO Dance-A-Thon, 5-7 p.m.
Announcements:
Dance-A-Thon
Hello OB! We are so excited about all of the pledges that the Dance-A-Thon is collecting on behalf ofour beboppin' Old Bonhomme School! We are more than halfway to our $10,000 goal which will help achieve a "1-1 tech" ratio for our school. Remember, you can turn in cash or checks (payable to OBPTO) at anytime to the office. The faster that pledges are received, the sooner you will earn prizes! Check out our progress at https://99pledges.com/fund/danceathon3/. For more Dance-A-Thon information visit obpto.squarespace.com. Ask your child if he/ she has learned any new dance moves during PE this week. We are so proud of our superstar community!
PTO News
Membership information: Thank you to all 141 families that joined the OBPTO. We collected almost $11,000 in dues!! To add to that, did you know that some employers have "Matching Gifts" Programs? We know that Monsanto, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo will match your membership donation. Please check with your employer to see if they have a matching program you could take advantage of to earn more dollars to support our children and school.
Dad's Club Happy Hour- Wednesday, September 21st 8:00pm at Fallon's. Please mark your calendars for a fun dads night out at Fallons (note: this is not a school sponsored event).
Thank you- Thank you to Lisa Hirshberg and her volunteers for making Picture Day go so smoothly on Thursday!

Art News
We will be using the online digital portfolios again through the website ARTSONIA.COM We began using Artsonia last year and already have over 3,000 artworks uploaded from last year. I think the site is remarkable and the products for sale are excellent quality. Artsonia will replace the previous fundraiser through Square One Art.
This year the students will be uploading their own works of art using Ipads in the art studio. Ask your artist to show you their portfolio in Artsonia.
There are many ways to access your artist’s portfolio: You can purchase items with your artist’s artwork on them, comment on your artists’ work, you can see your child’s portfolio from last year and share your artists’ portfolio with family and friends. You can change your settings as to how many emails you receive and see other artworks to inspire your artist to create even more works of art!
Character Council
It's time for Old Bonhomme's Character Council 2016-17 to get underway! Character Council is comprised of third and fourth grade students who participate in different activities throughout the year to promote good character to everyone in our building. This is a SOARiffic way for students to develop their leadership skills and give back to our school. If you have a third and/or fourth grade student, please consider talking with them about this opportunity!
Click on the link: Character Council Application to go directly to the online application.
The deadline has been extended to Monday, September 12. If you have any questions contact Mrs. Arnold at harnold@ladueschools.net.
Cafeteria News
Students have You tried breakfast in the Cafeteria? Join us all month and you will have a chance to win fun prizes !

Old Bonhomme School
2016-17 Special Education Introductions
Ms. Sarah Remsen
Ms. Remsen is a Paraprofessional for Special School District. This is her second year being a Para. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education from UMSL. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Special Education from Fontbonne University. Her goal is to eventually receive another Master's degree in Fine Arts from Fontbonne University.
Mrs. Carol Litton
Mrs. Litton is an elementary ed graduate from Oklahoma Baptist University and she has taught first, second and third grades for many years. This is her fifth year with SSD as a paraprofessional (2 years were at Spoede Elementary). This will be her second year at Old Bonhomme. She has been married for over 40 years and has two sons and two grandsons. She is expecting her first granddaughter any day now!
Miss Christina Callahan
Miss Callahan is starting her fourth school year as a SSD paraprofessional at Old Bonhomme. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with honors and a Bachelor's Degree in Special and Elementary Education. She student taught with SSD in 2012 at Combs Elementary School in a K-3 resource room. She is now attending Graduate school at UMSL, and is working on her Masters in Autism Education. Miss Callahan also does respite care for the St. Louis Arc on the weekends. She is excited to start a new year with the amazing students and staff at OB!

Lunch at OB
We are always happy to have parents join us for lunch, however lunch is also a social time for students to sit and visit with their friends. Please consider making it a “special occasion" visit only, for example, birthday or star of the week.
When having lunch with your child you may invite up to two additional students to sit with you at another table that is not in use by classes. More than two friends makes others feel left out. After lunch, please say good-bye in the cafeteria and the student will walk back with their class. At that time, you will sign out in the office.

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. Derrick Wallace, Director of Student Services. Both administrators can be reached at Ladue Schools Administrative Center, 9703 Conway Road, Saint Louis, MO 63124; 314-994-7080. 

OB Weekly News 9-2

SEPTEMBER

5. 5  NO SCHOOL- Labor Day
   
6. 6  3-4 Curriculum Night, 6:30 p.m. (Parents Only)
   
7. 7  Dine Out Night- California Pizza Kitchen, 4-7 p.m.
   
8. 8  School Picture Day!
      PTO Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
9. 14 Walk in the Park (during PE) 
10. 20 Kdg. Social, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Announcements:
Dance-A-Thon
The Dance-A-Thon is in full swing, keep those pledges coming in! Prizes will be distributed as money is received. Want to help out with this event? DAT Committee is looking for volunteers interested in baking goods for the “After Party” on 9/30. If you are willing to bake for this event please contact Marianne Wolken at mariannewolken@yahoo.com
PTO News
Did you know that some employers have "Matching Gifts" Programs? We know that Monsanto, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo will match your membership donation. Please check with your employer to see if they have a matching program you could take advantage of to earn more dollars to support our children and school. We are looking for some adults willing to wear the Obi Eagle costume during school events. If you are interested, please contact Cathy Moore at cathymoocow@gmail.com.
OBPTO Frontenac Tennis Carnival
September 10, 6-8 p.m. is the Frontenac Racket Club "Tennis Carnival" fundraiser. It is limited to 120 students, and is first come first serve. The cost is $25 and pizza is served. Checks are made payable to the OBPTO. Look for more details on Peachjar! Still have questions? Email Chris Ward at chrisw@frontenactennis.com or call (314) 991-5599.

BOX TOP News
This year the art studio will continue to collect Boxtops! Boxtops are a great way to earn a little extra cash for our school. Each Boxtop is worth 10 cents and they add up fast! The art studio is offering a crayon eraser to any student that collects 25 boxtops. There are collection sheets outside the art studio to help you count or you can simply put the 25 boxtops in a baggie with your name and class on the bag.
Bring your collections to the art studio and Mrs. Roth will give you the crayon shaped eraser.
Thank you for supporting the art program, arts integration and special assemblies at Old Bonhomme through the Boxtops program!
Library News
This is the last call for summer reading forms to be turned in to the OB library! According to the St. Louis County Library, 58 students from our school completed the Summer Reading Club--that's spectacular! Mrs. Kelley would like to recognize each and every one of those readers, so please print off the summer reading record from the county library website and send it in to school!
Character Council
It's time for Old Bonhomme's Character Council
2016-2017 to get underway! Character Council is comprised of third and fourth grade students who participate in different activities throughout the year to promote good character to everyone in our building. This is a SOARiffic way for students to develop their leadership skills and give back to our school. If you have a third and/or fourth grade student, please consider talking with them about this opportunity! Click on the link to access the Character Council online application.
Interested students should fill out the application and submit it by Wednesday, September 7. If you have any questions contact Mrs. Arnold at harnold@ladueschools.net.

Old Bonhomme School 2016-17 Support Staff Introductions
Ms. Robin Mayfield
Ms. Mayfield joins us as a building Teacher Assistant (TA). She has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Elementary Education from UMSL where she was on the Dean’s List and a member of the Honor Society and Honors College. She student taught from August through May last year at Hanna Woods Elementary School in the Parkway School District. She was active in Girl Scouting and served as a camp counselor for 6 years. One interesting fact is that she’s an Old Bonhomme and Ladue graduate!
Mr. Kal Smith
Mr. Smith joined us last year as a teacher assistant in February when our kindergarten classes went over the class size policy. Mr. Smith has a B.A. in Elementary Education from UMSL and taught second grade for two years at Mullanphy in the St. Louis Public Schools. The TA position works out well since he is also in law school at St. Louis University and hopes to focus on educational law.
Ms. Ashley Powell
Ms. Powell has her B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Missouri Baptist University. Her field and student teaching experiences were at Rossman School, Bierbaum Elementary in the Mehlville School District, Twin Oaks Christian School, and the Parkway Central Early Childhood Center. Most recently she worked as a Teacher’s Aide at the Gateway Science Academy, which is a math and science magnet school in the city.
Ms. Chelsie Spellmeyer
Ms. Spellmeyer is our Title 1 Math TA. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education from Lindenwood and an M.S. in Educational Leadership and Curriculum. She has two years of classroom teaching experience and has been a substitute teacher in Francis Howell and the Wentzville School Districts the last two years while she worked on her Master’s Degree. She was a classmate of Mrs. Wright, our third grade teacher, at Lindenwood University.

Ms. Kalynn Keil
Ms. Keil comes to us as a graduate of Fontbonne University with her B.A. in Elementary Education, where she was on the Dean’s List. She student Taught for a full semester in Fort Zumwalt in fifth grade and she has two years of classroom teaching experience in first and fourth grade. She currently lives in Wright City, MO so we’re thrilled she is willing to make the daily commute and bring her talents to OB.
Ms. Danielle Myers
Ms. Myers joined us last year as a Supervisory Assistant (SA) who begins her five-hour day with bus duty in the morning. This year she assists in classrooms and interventions as well as all lunch shifts. Ms. Myers is working with us while finishing her degree in Early Childhood Education at UMSL, which will certify her to teach Pre-K through third grade. We’re hoping she’ll decide to student teach at Old Bonhomme in the near future.
Mrs. Deanna Kendrick
Mrs. Kendrick joins our team as a Supervisory Assistant (SA) who will work a five hour schedule in the middle of the school day. She has been a stay-at- home parent with her four kids and just sent her first off to college! According to the references from Dr. Mosher, a Principal in the Pattonville School District where her children attend, she is the volunteer extraordinaire. She is his go-to parent when something needs to get done. It sounds like she’ll fit in well around here! We recruited her through a neighborhood friendship with Coach Jander, one of our PE teachers.
Look for the introductions of our SSD Paraprofessionals coming soon!