OB Weekly News 5_19

MAY
19 Last day of School, 1:15 p.m. dismissal 
End of Quarter 4
24 Report Cards mailed 
AUGUST
14  Back-to-School Packet Pick-up, 7:30-10:30a.m.
(Packets not picked up will be available in the classroom on Meet the Teacher Night)
15  Meet the Teacher Night, 4-5:30p.m. 
OBPTO Welcome Back BBQ Social, 5p.m.
16  Kdg. Orientation, 10-11a.m.
17  First Day of School!
Principal’s Message
Wow, another amazing year is over for Old Bonhomme School students and there is much to celebrate! It is with great pride that we can say this school and our students are something special.
From the focus and enthusiasm they bring to school each day as they rush in to class every morning or the creativity they use in the classrooms, they bring a smile to our faces! With engaged parents and high quality staff who collaborate so well, I’m a lucky principal indeed. Enjoy your summer break!
OB Garden Help Wanted
Your help is needed to maintain the OB Vegetable Garden over the summer! Please sign up for a week (or half a week) when you would be able to weed, water, and harvest the produce that is growing in the garden. Whatever is ripe during your assigned time is yours to enjoy- strawberries, peas, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, kale, and more!! No green thumb required- the garden team will provide you with an orientation so you know what to do and how to harvest. Help us keep the garden looking great through the summer and sign up today!!

Contact Kate Hellmann at ktpichon@yahoo.com or 510-316-3151 with questions.
Here is the link for the sign up genius Summer Maintenance Schedule
OB Library
Unfortunately, there will be no summer library hours this summer. The library will be closed to install new carpet. Don't let that stop your child from reading, though! The St. Louis County Library has a fabulous summer reading program that offers incentives for students to reach reading milestones. A librarian from the St. Louis County Library visited with each grade level this week to promote the summer reading program--please consider signing your student up!
PTO NEWS
As we come to the end of the year, the PTO board members would like to thank our chairs, volunteers, and community for making this year so successful. All of our events could not be possible without your time and energy.
Please help us to make next year even better by taking our End of Year Survey using the link below. It will help us plan for the next school year.
OBPTO End of Year Survey
Also, we are still looking for some volunteers to chair a few more events. Please consider donating your time to make our events/fundraisers a success.
Back to School Bake Sale
Dance A Thon
Giving Assembly
Schnuck's E-scrip
Spirit Wear
Fun-Raiser (sign-up parties and online auction) Dad's Club
Trunk or Treat
If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer for a position, please contact oldbonhommepto@gmail.com

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 5_12

MAY
15 2nd Gr. Zoo Trip, 9 a.m.
17  4th Gr. Party @ Stacy Park 11-3 p.m.
18  4th Gr. Transition Ceremony, 7 p.m.
19  Last day of School, 1:15 p.m. dismissal
End of Quarter 4
24 Report Cards mailed
Announcements:
PTO NEWS
As we come to the end of the year, the PTO board members would like to thank our chairs, volunteers, and community for making this year so successful. All of our events could not be possible without your time and energy.
Please help us to make next year even better by taking our End of Year Survey. It will help us plan for the next school year. OBPTO End of Year Survey
Also, we are still looking for some volunteers to chair a few more events. Please consider donating your time to make our events/fundraisers a success.
Back to School Bake Sale
Dance A Thon
Giving Assembly
Schnuck's E-scrip
Spirit Wear
Fun-Raiser (sign-up parties and online auction) Dad's Club
Trunk or Treat
If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer for a position, please contact oldbonhommepto@gmail.com

THANK YOU
We have some mighty talented students at Old Bonhomme. A huge thank you and great job to all of you that shared your talents with us! The Spring Fling could not have been possible without the help of Lizzie Berman, Lauren Murov, the Dad's

Club, Ms. Ladue and all of the volunteers (including the freezing 4th graders). Thank you everyone!!

Summer Reading
Are you looking for a good book to read this summer? Check out How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott- Haims. This semester a few of us met to discuss the book and had the opportunity to hear Dean Julie speak. She made us feel better about parenting by being honest and real with us. She gave us tips to improve our relationships with our kids and strategies to prepare them for success. Here are a few of the things that stuck out for our book study group.

"You are not your child's concierge. It is not your job as a parent to make everything in your child's life smooth and comfortable. If we do everything for children, they do not learn that they are competent and independent people with hopes and aspirations parents may not even be able to imagine.”
- Melora Pruneau (OB teacher and parent of three adults)

"Perfectionism is not only the enemy of the good; it is the enemy of adulthood.” (p.174) Allowing our kids the freedom and safe space to fail encourages independent thinking.
- Stephanie Afful (OB parent of 2)

“Dean Julie got me thinking about how I greet my son the minute he walks in the door from school. Do I bombard him with questions before he even gets a chance to sit down? Putting myself in my child's shoes, how would I feel if every day when I got home from work, I was questioned. i.e. How was work today? Did you turn in all your projects? Did you listen to your boss? How was your behavior? Now, I give him a chance to relax, and ask a simple "How was your day?" or "Tell me something good about your day." Not interrogating him about every little thing every day shows him that I trust him to do what's required each day without me checking up on him and I am genuinely interested in what he chooses to share with me about his day.”
- Camilla Wilson (OB parent of 1)

“If we teach our kids not to talk to strangers, then they leave home as adults and literally everyone is a stranger. Teach them how to discern among the 99.9% harmless and 0.1% creepy.”
- Stacy Jurgiel (OB parent of 4)

“You have to be brave to do the right thing for your kids. Julie talked about letting them fail now so they learn how to be resilient as adults. It's hard to do, but letting them learn how to deal with forgotten homework or lunch boxes in elementary school is a far kinder place to learn that lesson than high school or beyond.”
- Stacy Jurgiel (OB parent of 4)

“It's not healthy to set unrealistic goals for your kids, such as is done at the high school level competition to get into the very few most prestigious highly selective colleges. If they only accept 5% of applicants, it's like taking an umbrella when the chance of rain is 5% - it's foolish!”
- Stacy Jurgiel (OB parent of 4)

“Dean Julie told us to stop cutting our ten year olds meat. I felt like she was talking directly to me. Ever since then I have let my son cut his own meat. He is getting pretty good.”
- Hayley Arnold (OB counselor and parent of 2)

“Julie had me at....I'm not really into this parenting thing....and yet she adores and loves her children fiercely. I have thought many times how draining this whole parenting thing is...and how much happier I am as an individual, and thus as a parent and spouse, when I do NOT hyper focus on parenting, but rather on GOTR, the Race for Refugees, friends etc. I really think it's important for us to understand that our kids are not obligated to be the one and only source of our joy - that if our children do not have a good day then we do not have a good day. Too much pressure on our kids! I felt very relieved that yes, it is possible to love our children so much but not really be into this parenting thing. And that what we are really trying to do is help humans to thrive."
- Heather Huewe (OB parent of four)


Read this New York Times Article and check out Julie'sTed Talk to learn more about the book. You can follow Julie on Twitter @DeanJulie and learn more about her work by visiting http://www.howtoraiseanadult.com/.

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 5_5

MAY

5 Parent Pick-Up at Stacy Park! Spring Fling- 5-7:30 p.m.
8  4th Gr. Trip Laumeier Park, 9:30 a.m.
OB Family Tech Week begins (see classroom teacher for schedule)
9  2nd Gr. Performance, 7 p.m.
10  Walk in the Park (during PE)
Dine Out Night, Lulu’s 3-8 p.m.
15 2nd Gr. Zoo Trip, 9 a.m.
Announcements:
OB TEACHER GRATITUDE!!
Thank you to our amazing PTO and families for all the wonderful treats, chair massages, and Cinco de Mayo Lunch during teacher appreciation week. Also, a special shout out to Sign Gypsies for the awesome yard greeting in front of Old Bonhomme that was donated! If you would like a sign for any occasion just give them a call at 314-580-1664 or email: signgypsiesstl@gmail.com.
http://www.signgypsies.com/st-louis.html Follow us on FB at Signgypsiesstl
PTO NEWS
Did you attend an OBPTO event this year? Would you like to get more involved? We are looking for a few good leaders to help us with some events for next year. If you don't want to go at it alone, you can find a partner, or we can help you find someone. Please consider helping us with one of the following events...
Dad's Club
Passport Night
Second Grade Social
Giving Assembly
Schnuck's E-scrip
Spirit Wear
Dance-A-Thon
Fun-Raiser (online auction and sign up parties) Back-to-School Bake Sale
Contact us at oldbonhommepto@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions about them.

YEARBOOK ORDERS
The Old Bonhomme Yearbooks are selling out fast, if you have not ordered yours yet extra order forms are available in the office and the cost is $15. Get yours before they are gone!

OB Birthdays

Next year, OB student birthdays will be celebrated differently. The PTO will be providing a birthday button to each child on their birthday or half birthday. We'll continue the birthday announcements in the morning, but the goal is for each child’s birthday to be recognized throughout their special day by more people! The exciting part is that it is a custom button designed by third graders through a design contest at the end of the preceding year. Each year's button will be designed by one of that year's fourth graders.

OB Family Tech Week

Students at OB are using technology to develop their Super Skills (Connect, Create, Communicate, and Critically Think) to becoming lifelong learners. Our classrooms are using technology each and every day! What a wonderful night at our OB Interactive Art Show on April 25. Mrs. Brown teamed up with Mrs. Roth to help our students share art reflections through QR codes. Check out the show https://goo.gl/b93vF5
Save the date for OB Family Tech Week May 8-12. This week highlights all of the wonderful ways we integrate technology in our classrooms. Check with your child's teacher to find out what time your child's class is scheduled. We invite you to come and share with us. Are you on twitter? Check out our twitter handle @obeagles to get up-to-date classroom experiences live from our classrooms.
Spring Fling
We hope to see everyone at the Spring Fling tonight from 5-7:30p.m. Come support your friends as they wow us with their talents at the first ever OB Talent Show! If you did not pre-order your wristband they can be purchased at the door for $7. Please contact Lizzie Berman with any questions at lizzierberman@gmail.com
From the Principal
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. Your input is always helpful to our planning and we'd love an even greater response than the 72 we got last year! The survey can be accessed from any device . You can access the survey until May 12 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OBParentClimate2017 or from a link on the Old Bonhomme website. Your time is appreciated! 

OB Weekly News 4_28

MAY

8. 1   3rd Gr. MAP Testing begins
   
9. 2  How to Raise an Adult Book Club, 7 p.m.
10. 5  Spring Fling- 5-7:30 p.m. (Student pick-up at Stacy Park)
11.    Wear your College T-Shirt Day
12. 8  OB Family Tech Week begins (see classroom teacher for schedule)
    
13. 9  2nd Gr. Performance, 7 p.m.
    
14. 10 Walk in the Park (during PE)
       Dine Out Night, Lulu’s 3-8 p.m.
    

Announcements:
PTO NEWS
Did you attend an OBPTO event this year? Would you like to get more involved? We are looking for a few good leaders to help us with some events for next year. If you don't want to go at it alone, you can find a partner, or we can help you find someone. Please consider helping us with one of the following events...
Dad's Club
Passport Night
School Picture Day
Second Grade Social
Giving Assembly
Third Grade Social
Fourth Grade Transition Party
Schnuck's E-scrip
Spirit Wear
Dance-A-Thon
Fun-Raiser (online auction and sign up parties) Back-to-School Bake Sale
Contact us at oldbonhommepto@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions about them.

ART GRATITUDE!!
A big shout out to the parents who helped make this week's art events a huge success!
The City Center Mosaic Tree is installed and ready to view. If you missed last Saturday's ribbon cutting please go by and see the tree when you can. The City Center is open for business. This piece would not have been possible without the help of Stacy and George Jurgiel. Thank you both for lots of gluing and organizing!! I could never have finished in time without you both!!
The Art Show was amazing! So many families were able to come and view the work on display. This show would not have been possible without the help of these super helpers!! Thank you Kelly Bock, Cathy Moore, Jen Jim, Qi Lu, Jenny Kissel, Summer Roberts, Marianne Wolken, Allison Brose, Gul Batool, Mohsina Batool, and Nicole Addison. I appreciate each of you, thank you!!!
The art show will be up through next week. If you weren't able to come on Tuesday evening drop by before or after school to see your students work. Love, Mrs. Roth.
Counselor News
Career Presentations
Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who made career presentations in January and April. We have a REMARKABLE group of parents and appreciate everything you do to help us grow and learn. Click here to check out our 2017 Career Presentation slide show.
Olweus Bully Prevention Results & Next Steps Click here to see the results from our third and fourth grade Olweus Bully Prevention Survey. Visit our Olweus Bully Prevention Blog page for more information.

OB Family Tech Week
Students at OB are using technology to develop their Super Skills (Connect, Create, Communicate, and Critically Think) to becoming lifelong learners. Our classrooms are using technology each and every day! What a wonderful night at our OB Interactive Art Show on April 25. Mrs. Brown teamed up with Mrs. Roth to help our students share art reflections through QR codes. Check out the show https://goo.gl/b93vF5
Save the date for OB Family Tech Week May 8-12. This week highlights all of the wonderful ways we integrate technology in our classrooms. Check with your child's teacher to find out what time your child's class is scheduled. We invite you to come and share with us. Are you on twitter? Check out our twitter handle @obeagles to get up-to-date classroom experiences live from our classrooms.
Scholastic Book Fair
Thank you to Jamie Steinbach and all of the volunteers who helped to make the Book Fair a success. Thank you to Stacy Jurgiel for running the Book Bucks. Every student at Old Bonhomme came home with a free book!
Spring Fling
We hope everyone is getting excited for this year's Spring Fling on Friday, May 5, from 5-7:30p.m. This year we are shaking things up a bit! We will NOT have games with prizes. There will still be bounce houses, a dunk tank and face painting. New this year is a talent show. Come support your friends as they wow us with their talents. We can't wait to see everyone there!
Wristbands and pizza can be preordered through Friday, April 28. Please contact Lizzie Berman with any questions at lizzierberman@gmail.com

From the Principal
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. Your input is always helpful to our planning and we'd love an even greater response than the 72 we got last year!
The survey can be accessed from any device . You can access the survey until May 12
at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OBParentClimate2017 or from a link on the Old Bonhomme website. Your time is appreciated!

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 4_21

APRIL
22 Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting, 3-6 p.m.
24  4th Gr. MAP Testing begins
25  Art Show/Open House, 7-8 p.m.
MAY
1  3rd Gr. MAP Testing begins
2  How to Raise an Adult Book Club, 7 p.m.
5 Spring Fling- 5-7:30 p.m.
Announcements:
From the Principal
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. Your input is always helpful to our planning and we'd love an even greater response than the 72 we got last year!
The survey can be accessed from any device . You can access the survey until May 12
at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OBParentClimate2017 or from a link on the Old Bonhomme website. Your time is appreciated!
Lunch Refund Requests
If your child will NOT be returning to Ladue School District next school year and they have a credit balance on their lunch account, please see the office for a Refund Request Form.

Spring Fling
We hope everyone is getting excited for this year's Spring Fling on Friday, May 5, from 5-7:30p.m.! This year we are shaking things up a bit! We will NOT have games with prizes. There will still be bounce houses, a dunk tank and face painting. New this year is a talent show! Come support your friends as they wow us with their talents! We can't wait to see everyone there! Wristbands and pizza can be pre-ordered through Friday, April 28. Please contact Lizzie Berman with any questions at lizzierberman@gmail.com
Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting
Parents and Families,
Please mark your calendars for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Olivette Civic Center, April 22 from 3-6 p.m.!
Our community came together to create a mosaic tree that was installed in the foyer of the community space at the Civic Center! Your artists’ have a tile included in the mosaic along with every firefighter, police officer, city administrator and community members like you! This is a huge piece of art and will beautify the space for many years to come!
In addition to seeing the mosaic, you can have a tour of the entire new Civic Center which includes the fire slide, the firefighter’s bunk room, and the jail!
Hope to see you all there!
Love, Mrs. Roth

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 4_14

APRIL

24. 17  Scholastic Book Fair begins
    
25. 18  2017-18 Kdg. Parent Mtg. 7-8 p.m.(Parents Only)
    
26. 19  Rescheduled OB Jump Day! (during PE)
    
27. 20  Principal’s Picnic (during lunches)
28. 22 Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting, 3-6 p.m.
29. 24  4th Gr. MAP Testing begins
    
30. 25  Art Show/Open House, 7-8 p.m.
    

Announcements:
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is right around the corner and we are looking for volunteers to help make this year's fair the very best ever! If you are able to give a couple hours of time, either during the school day to help students while visiting the fair with their class or during one of the two evening shopping times, please follow this link to sign up. https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/signup/ndQmGdiae You will have to register for a Scholastic account to use the online volunteer registration; if you prefer, you can email Jamie Steinbach at jehitter@hotmail.com to sign up.
There are opportunities to contribute to the success of the book fair outside of school, too, such as picking up pretzels from Pretzel Boys to sell during evening shopping hours and making trips to the Scholastic Warehouse in Fenton to pick up restock orders. If you are willing to do one of these big jobs, please contact Jamie Steinbach (email above). There is a lot that goes into making this a fun and exciting experience for our students--all help is appreciated!
The book fair will be open for business the week of April 17-21 with family shopping the evening of Tuesday, April 18 and after school on Thursday, April 20. Stay tuned for more information about this fun event!

PTO News
Science Night- Thank you Mushtaq Ahmed, Ms. Keil (OB Staff), and the amazing Science Night committee for putting on a great event last Friday Night!
OBPTO Board- A huge thank you to our outgoing board members (Heather Huewe and Sara Goellner) for making this year such a success. This year we tried new events (Dance-A-Thon, It's A Small World, and Trunk or Treat, etc.) and made great strides to getting Old Bonhomme 1:1 with technology!
Welcome to our new PTO board which is as follows: 
President- Jen Jim
VP Events- Alison Brose
VP Fundraisers- Sarah Glasser
Treasurers: Stephanie Dahl & Jillian Thomadsen
Recording Secretary- Jenny Kissel
Corresponding Secretary- Heather Lloyd
PDC Representative- Kate Hellmann
PDC Representative- Tango Walker
Past President- Becky Marbarger
Jump Rope for Heart
Jump Rope for Heart ends next week! Please join us on the upper blacktop for our Big Jump Day on Wed., April 19, during P.E. classes. The students will show off all of the skills we've been working on. At the end of the day, we'll reveal O.B.'s total donation to the American Heart Association. We've already reached our goal of $20,000. How close can we get to last year's record of $24,918? It's not too late to donate at: www.heart.org/jump.

Innovation Celebration—Ladue Education Foundation’s Spring Event
What’s New about the LEF Spring Event?
The registration deadline is 4/18.
Friday, April 28, 2017 from 7 – 11 p.m. *Doors open at 7, dinner at 8:30
Donald Danforth Plant ScIence Center 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO
»NEW FORMAT«
Sit-Down Dinner By Butler’s Pantry and Open Bar Hands-on, Interactive Innovation Stations »FEATURING«
Live Auction and Entertainment:
Los Hacienda Boys
»BRIEF PROGRAM«
A Conversation with Jim McKelvey, LHWHS Alumnus Class of 1983 and Co-founder of Square
»ADMISSION«
$90 per person — includes dinner and open bar ($18 is tax-deductible and will fund STEAM opportunities)
$125 per person — includes dinner and open bar ($53 is tax-deductible and will fund STEAM opportunities)
ONLINE REGISTRATION HERE
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting
Parents and Families,
Please mark your calendars for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Olivette Civic Center, April 22 from 3-6 p.m.!
Our community came together to create a mosaic tree that was installed in the foyer of the community space at the Civic Center! Your artists’ have a tile included in the mosaic along with every fire fighter, police officer, city administrator and community members like you! This is a huge piece of art and will beautify the space for many years to come!
In addition to seeing the mosaic you can have a tour of the entire new Civic Center which includes the fire slide, the fire fighters bunk room, and the jail!
Hope to see you all there.
Love, Mrs. Roth

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 4_7

APRIL
7 OB Science Night, 6-8 p.m.
11  How to Raise an Adult, Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
12  Dine Out Night, Fallons 3-8 p.m.
17  Scholastic Book Fair begins
18  2017-18 Kdg. Parent Mtg. 7-8 p.m.(Parents Only)
19  Rescheduled OB Jump Day! (during PE)
20  Principal’s Picnic (during lunches)
22 Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting, 3-6 p.m.
24  4th Gr. MAP Testing begins
25  Art Show/Open House, 7-8 p.m.
Announcements:
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is right around the corner and we are looking for volunteers to help make this year's fair the very best ever! If you are able to give a couple hours of time, either during the school day to help students while visiting the fair with their class or during one of the two evening shopping times, please follow this link to sign up. https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/signup/ndQmGdiae You will have to register for a Scholastic account to use the online volunteer registration; if you prefer, you can email Jamie Steinbach at jehitter@hotmail.com to sign up.
There are opportunities to contribute to the success of the book fair outside of school, too, such as picking up pretzels from Pretzel Boys to sell during evening shopping hours and making trips to the Scholastic Warehouse in Fenton to pick up restock orders. If you are willing to do one of these big jobs, please contact Jamie Steinbach (email above). There is a lot that goes into making this a fun and exciting experience for our students--all help is appreciated!
The book fair will be open for business the week of April 17-21 with family shopping the evening of Tuesday, April 18 and after school on Thursday, April 20. Stay tuned for more information about this fun event!

PTO News
There are still openings in the "Lights, Camera, Action" Movie party scheduled for Friday April 21, at 6:45p.m., so “POPcorn on OVER!” and join us for a family movie night on the BIG screen in the OB gym. Pajamas welcome and encouraged. Bring a blanket for your family to sit on. The cost is $15 per family and includes the movie, popcorn, and water. Please send a check made out to OBPTO to school with the number of family members that will be attending.
Hosted by The OBPTO Board: Jen Jim, Becky Marbarger, Sara Gollner, Sarah Glasser, Stephanie Dahl, Jillian Thomadsen, Jenny Kissey, Heather Lloyd, and Heather Huewe
Olivette Civic Center Ribbon Cutting
There will be a reception to unveil the Olivette Civic Center mosaic tree on April 22, from 3:00-6p.m. Mrs. Roth would love for parents and students to come see it!
Innovation Celebration—Ladue Education Foundation’s Spring Event
The LEF's annual spring event takes a new direction this year with Innovation Celebration, an evening devoted to innovative approaches to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
Save the date for April 28, 2017 at 7pm at the Danforth Plant Science Center for a hands-on evening of themed entertainment and surprises, featuring fabulous live auction items and a keynote conversation with entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, Ladue School District alumnus and co-founder of Square. Tickets available soon!

Staffing for Next Year
We are in the first steps of planning mode for next school year and that means some changes for Old Bonhomme! We anticipate four sections each in all grade levels except for five sections of second grade. We’ll be watching enrollment to see if another section may be needed in Kindergarten as well.
First, we’ll say a sad farewell to Mrs. Shockley, one of our 4th grade teachers, who is retiring at the end of this year. She has touched the lives of many Old Bonhomme families and we wish her all the best in her retirement!
Mrs. Crawford (4th Grade) and Mr. Kelley (3rd Grade) will be switching grade levels. So next year Mrs. Crawford will join the 3rd grade team and Mr. Kelley will join the 4th grade team.
Ms. Spellmeyer will move from her position as the Title 1 Math Teacher to join the 2nd grade team. Ms. Spellmeyer has a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Educational Leadership and Curriculum. She has two years of classroom teaching experience and also has two years of experience as a substitute teacher in Francis Howell and the Wentzville School District, while she worked on her Master’s Degree. Since we will have five 2nd grade rooms next year, Mrs. Chapie is moving up into the front hall to make room for the new 2nd grade team member.
Since we will only have four 1st grade rooms next year, Mrs. Harrison will be moving from the 1st grade team to the 4th grade team. She is originally from Montana where she taught a 3rd and 4th grade classroom. Before she joined us this year, she worked as a Reading Intern at Wydown Middle School in the Clayton School District.

Lunch Q & A
Parent Question: It’s great that you have started giving pizza to kids on Monday which is store bought. However, each slice is cut into smaller pieces and given to kids. At home my kid eats 3 slices of pizza. Is there another option?
Chartwell’s Answer: On pizza day, student do only get one slice of pizza, but are given a hot vegetable and are encouraged to choose additional vegetables and fruits from the food bar along with a carton of milk. This makes a well-balanced meal. Our job is to make sure we serve healthy, well-balanced meals that students will enjoy eating. School lunch is
made up of whole grains, meat and meat alternatives, fruits, vegetables and milk. We offer all of these each meal to students. For instance, on Monday, April 10, students are given pizza and steamed broccoli and then can choose a Caesar salad, cherry tomatoes with ranch, orange wedges, and peaches from the food bar. I understand that students are used to eating several slices of pizza at home, but seldom do “pizza nights” at home include 3 vegetables and 2 fruits! Our goal so to teach students to follow the ‘my plate’ suggestion of building their plate with more fruits and vegetables. Thank you for reaching out to me. Now I know there is some more education of our kids to be done!

Safety Reminder at Morning Drop-Off

Students should not be let out of the car on Old Bonhomme Rd! Oncoming cars may not see them and certainly nothing can be more important than the safety of our children. On the upper blacktop, if you pull into a parking space, you need to walk your child over to the designated safe area. Students should not be walking through moving traffic to get to the school. Remember the front circle is a busy spot as well, so please watch your speed and drive slowly. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!

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 3_16

MARCH

16  Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m.
Parent Teacher Conferences, 1:30-7:15 p.m.
17  NO SCHOOL- Conference Compensation Day
20-24 NO SCHOOL- Spring Break
28 After-School Classes begin
How To Raise an Adult Book Club, 7 p.m.
30  4th Gr. Trip to Jeff City, 7:30a.m-5:30p.m.
31  Quarterly Newsletter goes home
Announcements:

Class Lists

Don’t forget, teacher input letters are due on March 29! Details are below:

The staff and principal build the class lists together, in a series of meetings, considering each student’s achievement level, motivation level, special program needs, strengths/talents, and learning style. Our goal is a balanced classroom that will enable a teacher to meet the needs of all the students in the classroom. If you wish to provide input to the process, with your perspective of a child’s learning preferences and learning style, or previous school experiences, a letter or email to Mrs. Kirchgessner must be submitted no later than March 29. Input letters that request a specific teacher are not accepted and input based on a teacher’s reputation, or other parents’ opinions will not be considered, since each child’s learning profile and school adjustment is unique.

Your input will be taken into consideration when the final decision is made; however, it is not possible to honor specific input. Hopefully this explains how your input will be made a part of the process. As you can see from the many things considered when class lists are built, it is not a process done quickly. For this reason, it is not possible to honor parent input as the sole determiner of a classroom assignment. It is a thoughtful process that balances classrooms, considers the needs of all students, and provides a successful learning experience for each of them.

LECC Scholarship Available for 17-18SY
The Ladue Early Childhood Center is looking for families that have children who will be eligible for preschool, (3 by August 1) who live in the district and are low income and/or ELL families. They currently have 12 spots available for full and 1/2 day programs. Please contact Kerri Wetzel at kwetzel@ladueschools.net for more information on how to apply for reduced tuition enrollment.
Nurse News
The nurse is in need of girl's pants and new or gently used girl's underwear, sizes 7 or larger. If your daughter has outgrown any clothes that you would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciated!
Introducing the O.B. Morning Running Club!
At Old Bonhomme, we know the value of movement in the learning process. A healthy and moving body makes for a better learner. That’s why we are going to try out a morning running club! Beginning April 3, all students are invited to come for a run each Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning from 8:25-8:45a.m. All participants must complete the Running Club contract which is available in the school office or at obpe-ladueschools.blogspot.com Questions? Ask Coach Jander.
Jump Rope for Heart
Please check your students' backpack TODAY for JRFH materials. We'll start jumping after Spring Break. O.B. has quite a tradition of giving record- setting donations to the American Heart Association. Let's do it again, O.B.! You can use this LINK to go straight to O.B.'s JRFH website to get started.

 Raising An Adult Book Study- Starting Tuesday, March 28

Would you agree that this parenting gig is hard? Would you like to join a book club to hear what an expert has to say and talk with other parents? Well, Old Bonhomme is hosting a book club on the National Best Selling book, How to Raise an Adult, by Julie Lythcott-Haims. Our meeting times will be Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on the following dates: March 28, April 11, and May 2. On Tuesday, April 25, 7-8:30 p.m. Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author will speak at a LEF co-sponsored event at John Borroughs School. If you are interested in participating in the Old Bonhomme book study, RSVP by emailing school counselor, Hayley Arnold at harnold@ladueschools.net.
Courageous Conversations - Continuing April 6
Earlier in the year, at our OB Parent Town Hall Advisory meeting, a small group of teachers and parents decided to gather for informal conversations about race. On April 6, from 6:30-8p.m., we will continue our Courageous Conversations about race and invite you to join us. At this meeting we will discuss the PBS documentary The Talk - Race in America. It is a two-hour documentary about the increasingly necessary conversation taking place in homes and communities across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police. Click here to watch. Please RSVP by clicking here. If you have any questions, you can reach out to staff/parents Hayley Arnold, Patricia Brown, Leah Crawford, Kate Hellmann or Jessica Glunt.
Career Presentations - Can you present during the week of April 17?
Elementary is a time for children to be exposed to different career opportunities. We are looking for parents and/or grandparents to come in and present about their career. During the thirty-minute presentation, we would like for the following points to be addressed:

Describe your career.
What subjects you should be good at to have this career.
Some of the things you did as an elementary student that led you to this career.
What character traits are important to have in this career field.
Discuss what kind of training you received to be in this career.
Click here to sign up to present.
Innovation Celebration—Ladue Education Foundation’s Spring Event
The LEF's annual spring event takes a new direction this year with Innovation Celebration, an evening devoted to innovative approaches to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
Save the date for April 28, 2017 at 7p.m. at the Danforth Plant Science Center for a hands-on evening of themed entertainment and surprises, featuring fabulous live auction items and a keynote conversation with entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, Ladue School District alumnus and co-founder of Square. Tickets available soon!

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 3_10

MARCH

13. 13  Deadline for After-School Class sign-ups
    
14. 14  Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-8 p.m.
    
15. 15  Walk in the Park (during PE)
    Dine Out Night- Five Guys, 3-8 p.m.
    
16. 16  Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m.
    Parent Teacher Conferences, 1:30-7:15 p.m.
    
17. 17  NO SCHOOL- Conference Compensation Day
18. 20-24 NO SCHOOL- Spring Break 
19. 28 After-School Classes begin
20. How To Raise an Adult Book Club, 7 p.m. 
21. 30 4th Gr. Trip to Jeff City, 7:30a.m-5:30p.m.

Announcements:
After-School Class Registrations Due
Don’t forget to turn in your child’s registration for After-School Classes by Monday, 3/13. Classes are filling up quickly! Any questions, contact Allison Brose at allison.brose@hotmail.com
Class Lists
Later this Spring we will begin working on class lists and teacher assignments. We anticipate four sections each in all grade levels except for a fifth section of second grade. Staff decisions have not yet been finalized so teachers may be changing grade levels.
The staff and principal build the class lists together, in a series of meetings, considering each student’s achievement level, motivation level, special program needs, strengths/talents, and learning style. Our goal is a balanced classroom that will enable a teacher to meet the needs of all the students in the classroom. If you wish to provide input to the process with your perspective of a child’s learning preferences and learning style, or previous school experiences a letter or email to Mrs. Kirchgessner must be submitted no later than March 29. Input letters that request a specific teacher are not accepted and input based on a teacher’s reputation, or other parents’ opinions will not be considered since each child’s learning profile and school adjustment is unique.

If you choose to provide input, send your letter to the office before March 29. Your input will be taken into consideration when the final decision is made; however, it is not possible to honor specific input. Hopefully this explains how your input will be made a part of the process. As you can see from the many things considered when class lists are built, it is not a process done quickly. For this reason, it is not possible to honor parent input as the sole determiner of a classroom assignment. It is a thoughtful process that balances classrooms, considers the needs of all students, and provides a successful learning experience for each of them.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Check your calendar for the time and date of your parent-teacher conference next week! We look forward to sharing with you about your child’s progress and goals for next quarter. As part of their contract, teachers are required to be at school for two evenings of conferences. The goal is that parents will have one of the two evenings available to schedule their conference, and teachers will receive a day of compensation for the two evenings. Due to the negotiated contract time, all parents should plan to schedule their conference within this time frame with their child’s teacher. All of the special teachers (Art, Music, PE, Spanish, Library, Learning Lab, Gifted, Counselor, ELL and Mrs. Kirchgessner) are also available, so feel free to stop by or email us for a time to meet with you. See you soon!
LECC Scholarship Available for 17-18SY
The Ladue Early Childhood Center is looking for families that have children who will be eligible for preschool (3 by August 1) who live in the district and are low income and/or ELL families. They currently have 12 spots available for full and 1/2 day programs. Please contact Kerri Wetzel at kwetzel@ladueschools.net for more information on how to apply for reduced tuition enrollment.

Raising An Adult Book Study -Starting Tuesday, March 28
Would you agree that this parenting gig is hard? Would you like to join a book club to hear what an expert has to say and talk with other parents? Well, Old Bonhomme is hosting a book club on the National Best Selling book, How to Raise an Adult, by Julie Lythcott-Haims. Our meeting times will be Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on the following dates: March 28, April 11, and May 2. On Tuesday, April 25, 7-8:30 p.m. Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author will speak at a LEF co-sponsored event at John Borroughs School. If you are interested in participating in the Old Bonhomme book study, RSVP by emailing school counselor, Hayley Arnold at harnold@ladueschools.net.
Courageous Conversations - Continuing April 6
Earlier in the year, at our OB Parent Town Hall Advisory meeting, a small group of teachers and parents decided to gather for informal conversations about race. On April 6, from 6:30-8p.m., we will continue our Courageous Conversations about race and invite you to join us. At this meeting we will discuss the PBS documentary The Talk - Race in America. It is a two-hour documentary about the increasingly necessary conversation taking place in homes and communities across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police. Click here to watch. Please RSVP by clicking here. If you have any questions, you can reach out to staff/parents Hayley Arnold, Patricia Brown, Leah Crawford, Kate Hellmann or Jessica Glunt.
Career Presentations - Can you present during the week of April 17?
Elementary is a time for children to be exposed to different career opportunities. We are looking for parents and/or grandparents to come in and present about their career. During the thirty-minute presentation, we would like for the following points to be addressed:
Describe your career

What subjects you have to be good at to have this career
Some of the things you did as an elementary student that led you to this career
What character traits are important to have in this career field
Discuss what kind of training you received to be in this career
Click here to sign up to present.
Leaving School During the School Day
Per the district student handbook, if a parent wishes to pick up a child from school during school hours, the parent should come to the office and sign the child out of school. A note or email to the classroom teacher on the morning of an early pick up is also requested. If the child is to be picked up by an adult other than the parent, the office must be notified and given that adult’s name. The adult picking up the child will be required to provide a photo I.D. at the time of pick up and will need to sign the child out in the office. Children may not wait outside the school for arrival of the parent or other designee. Please note: If a child needs to be picked up right before school dismisses, please do so at least twenty minutes prior to regular dismissal time to avoid bus arrival and traffic congestion.
Update on Tardies
Due to the construction issues and the resulting tardies we dealt with first semester in Olivette, Old Bonhomme has been given permission from the district to adjust the way we are sending tardy notification letters to parents. For the remainder of this year we will only be sending excessive tardy letters to parents if a student has ten or more tardies since January. Attendance, including tardies, will continue to be reported to parents on the report cards. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kirchgessner.

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.