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!