Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource. 

 John F. Kennedy

March 17 to March 21 “Pennies for Patients” all week

Mon 3/17  Grade Level Meetings

                End of 2^nd Trimester

Tues 3/18 Safety Meeting

                     KG Registration (evening) 6:00 - 7:30
                1:00 Bullying presentation Primary (MPR)

Wed 3/19  1:45 Drill Team Performance Intermediate

                2:20 Drill Team Performance Primary
                     Viking Support Team 5/6
                7:00 Drill Team Performance KJH

Thurs 3/20       Report cards go home

Fri 3/21           1:00 Bullying presentation Intermediate (MPR)

March 24 to March 28

Mon 3/24  Individual Planning

Tues 3/25 Pizza w/principal

                Early Dismissal 12:46 Student Learning

Wed 3/26  Viking Support Center K/1

                     Title I Math and Reading Night 6:00 to 7:30

Thurs 3/27 CSIP Meeting

Fri 3/28           PTA Walk-a-Thon (more info to come)

Citrix Receiver

Did you know there is a new tool to access TAC from home?   This is a program called Citrix Receiver that installs on your computer one time and allows you to login to a website for access to district resources.  This is the preferred method and should be used with your district-issued laptop when working from home.

The attached document has detailed instructions, but the short and sweet version (if you are technically inclined) is here:

1.    Open Internet explorer, and go to http://remote.puyallup.k12.wa.us
2.    Log in with your PSD credentials
3.    Download Citrix Receiver from this website and install with defaults
4.    Select the Apps screen and click on the TAC tile
5.    Select “Permit Use” when prompted
6.    Login to TAC

Next time you visit http://remote.puyallup.k12.wa.us you will be prompted to login and taken directly to the Apps screen. For Help with Remote Access, please call x8600.  If you need help with TAC, call x8600 and press 3.

Bullying presentation

Preparing for this, it will be presented in the MPR.  A video will be played and discussed in terms of our schools 4 B’s. Students will return to class to discuss respect and bullying.  Discussion materials will be provided to teachers on Monday via email.

Pennies for Patients

Money will be collected daily in the morning.  Please be ready for students to come by and collect.  Daily announcements will be made to keep us informed of our progress and what classroom is in the lead.

St. Paddy's Day Fun Run

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR MARCH 15TH!

On March 15th, the Rogers HS choir students, along with the Blue Notes Music Booster Club are hosting their 2nd annual 1K/5K/10K Rogers St. Paddy's Day Fun Run at Pierce College - Puyallup campus.  www.rogersstpaddysdayrun.com 

Operation Suds
It is now available for the teachers that replied to reserve.  We have a sheet available in the office to sign-up for a time.  It’s only here until Thursday, March 20^th.  The pencils and handouts will be put in your box if you signed-up to use it.  We do have some extra handouts/brochures if you wanted to use this unit but did not request it, just ask Barb.

From Our Benefits Office

1.     Think twice about the emergency room. Don’t ever go to the emergency room (ER) when your regular doctor or an urgent care visit would suffice. Receiving treatment at the ER is significantly more expensive than in the doctor’s office or urgent care, and if it’s not truly an emergency the wait time for care can be considerably longer. 

2.     Generic Medications. Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that the FDA has tested and found to have met the same rigid standards as the innovator drug, and often cost significantly less. Check your medications to see if generics are available. For additional savings local retail store pharmacies (Target, Fred Meyer, Walmart) have $4 generic drug programs that are not processed through your insurance. Pick up their $4 generic list next time you’re out shopping!

3.     Consulting Nurse.  You have 24/7 telephonic support from a registered nurse through all Puyallup School District medical plans.  They are available to provide advice and, if necessary, direct you to the best location to receive care.

4.     Don’t skimp on preventive care. Be sure you and your family members get routine checkups and vaccines as needed, both of which can prevent medical problems (and bills) down the road.

5.     Stay in-network. Your medical costs can increase greatly when you visit a provider not in your plan’s network. Make sure your primary care doctor and any specialists you may need to see are in your network whenever possible.

6.     Fight back. If your claim has been denied, start with a phone call to customer service. If that doesn’t work, follow your plan’s appeal process. Document everything and keep copies. Also, look at bills closely as you may find mistakes. Keep track of your visits, tests and medications, and compare them against your bills. Request a corrected bill if you find an error and notify your insurance company.

7.     Choose your health plan wisely. Choosing the plan with the lowest (or highest) premiums, or sticking with the same plan year to year, may not be the smartest option. Anticipate your family’s medical expenses and look closely at each plan option to find the most appropriate and cost-effective one for you.  The Benefit Depots during Open Enrollment provide great assistance!

8.     Live a healthy lifestyle. Focus on eating nutritiously, cutting down on fast food and getting more physical exercise. Striving toward a healthier lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight can drastically reduce future medical conditions and diseases. 

9.     Let’s make a deal. Bargain with doctors, dentist and hospitals to pay less for services, and/or offer to pay in cash. You can routinely save up to 10% on your bill by paying in cash up front. Doctors win by avoiding credit card processing fees, unpaid bills and collection fees!

10.   Utilize carrier discounts.  Regence, Premera, and Group Health offer discounts on vision, dental and alternative health care, gym memberships, nutrition-based weight loss programs, and a number of other tools and resources to support your health, just by being a member! Visit the carrier websites for additional information regarding these perks.

Medical Carrier	Customer Service	Consulting Nurse	Website
Regence BlueShield	888-367-2112	800-267-6729	www.wa.regence.com
Premera BlueCross	800-722-1471	800-841-8343	www.premera.com/wea
Group Health	888-901-4636	800-297-6877	www.ghc.org
For non-WEA plans (Group Health and Regence), contact Kibble & Prentice’s Benefit Resource Center for assistance with benefit coverage questions, bill issues, and the appeals process!    Phone: 866-468-7272            email: 4ourBRC@kpcom.com

 

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.  Abraham Lincoln

March 10 to March 14
Classified Employees Week

Mon 3/10  Grade Level Meetings

Tues 3/11 Student of the Month Luncheon

Wed 3/12  Viking Support Team 3/4
                 Doors for Dr. Seuss will be judged

Thurs 3/13  Glad trainers are in the building

Fri 3/14     8:00 Report cards due to Collette

             2:45 March Gladness Assembly “Pennies for Patients”

March 17 to March 21

Mon 3/17  Grade Level Meetings

                     End of 2^nd Trimester

Tues 3/18 Safety Meeting

KG Registration (evening)

                     1:00 Bullying presentation Primary (MPR)

Wed 3/19  1:45 Drill Team Performance Intermediate

                     2:20 Drill Team Performance Primary

Viking Support Team 5/6

                     7:00 Drill Team Performance KJH

Thurs 3/20       Report cards go home

Fri 3/21           1:00 Bullying presentation Intermediate (MPR)

Dental Van

If any of you have students who are in obvious need of dental care (poor dental hygiene, obvious cavities, etc.) please let Charlene know.  A dental van coming to Hunt on 3-12 and need more students to fill appointments.  We have had Spinning families previously who were willing to drive to Hunt for this free care.  There are some qualifiers, but if you have any names for me, I will do the follow-up with parents.  Thanks!

Building Safety

With spring coming, more activity is happening on the playground after school.  Please remember that we should not be opening the doors to let people in to use the restrooms after school hours.  In addition, please remember to make sure you have closed and locked your door when you leave your classroom.  The front door is left unlocked to accommodate our afterschool programs/building usage and anyone can walk in.  Please keep your eyes open and report any suspicious activity.

We have been asked to not use door stops or wedges to prop our doors open at any time.  We need to abide by the district policy.  Discussions are occurring to ensure safety for all of us. Doors do not necessarily need to be locked at all times but when the room is empty and there is no adult to supervise it is a good idea.

March Gladness

We will be doing an assembly on Friday, 3/14, kicking off our Pennies for Patients FUNDRAISER.  This fundraiser will run from 3/14 to 3/21 with the winning class receiving a special surprise.  Boxes for change will be in your box for each student to take home that day.

PTA Walk-a-thon Fundraiser

The kick-off for our PTA Walk-a-thon Fundraiser will be presented during lunches on Thursday, 3/13.  Andre Douglas will present information to students during their lunch while they are a captive audience having lunch.  Fundraiser packets/forms will go home in the Thursday folder, same day.

Donated Books 

There are a few boxes of books that were donated from one of our parents that wanted to make sure that kids had books of their own.  Please help yourself to a few by Wednesday, 3/12, as the remaining books will be used for our Title I Reading and Math Night.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”  Dr. Seuss

March 3 to March 7

Mon 3/3          Principal Directed    

Tues 3/4         Early Dismissal 12:46 Grading Day

                     AVID Meeting

Wed 3/5          Viking Support Team 1/2

                     Early Dismissal 12:46 Conference Day

Thurs 3/6 Early Dismissal 12:46 Conference Day

Fri 3/7           Daylight Savings starts on Sunday (spring ahead)

March 10 to March 14 Classified Employees Week

Mon 3/10  Grade Level Meetings

Tues 3/11 Student of the Month Luncheon

Wed 3/12  Viking Support Team 3/4

Thurs 3/13       Glad trainers are in the building

Fri 3/14          Doors for Dr. Seuss will be judged

                     8:00 Report cards due to Collette

                     2:45 March Gladness Assembly “Pennies for Patients”

Conferences

Please make sure that you provide a copy of your conference schedule to the office prior to conference start date/times.  If a parent calls to cancel or reschedule on conference day, we (Barb/Robyn) will send you an email so we do not interrupt your conferences.  Please check email frequently for those messages.

Lockdown review

Just a reminder to staff regarding when we do our lockdown drills or are in an actual lockdown, please make sure to include visitors, volunteers, or extra staff that is in your room at that time in your response to the office when reporting in.  Also, if you can’t email, you must call with a report.

Operation Suds

Operation Suds is a self-administered interactive program that was developed to help educators teach children about the need for hand washing. The program is designed for children grades K through 6 and all necessary materials are available for check out to local residents through the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.

The program consists of a brief discussion about the importance of hand washing, a short animated video and a special blacklight activity designed to test each student's hand washing ability. Additionally, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department can provide hand washing related materials for educators to help reinforce the message in the classroom.

By participating in Operation Suds students will learn about:

• What germs are
• Where germs hide
• When to wash hands
• How to wash hands

The program takes approximately 45 minutes per class to complete depending on the size of each group

We have participated the last two year and are willing to provide this opportunity if teachers are interested.  Please respond to Barb by March 6^th if you are interested in this program so we can request if for our school.

Report Cards

Update regarding report cards! Teachers enter free text comments for your students by selecting the COM blocks at the end of the CPT line. For the full instructions on how to enter free text comments for your report cards, please logon to Edline and look at the documentation for elementary report cards located here:

Departments : Technology Services : Easy Guides & How-Tos : Teacher Access Center : Elementary Report Cards in TAC

The documentation has been updated for trimester 2 – so everyone should take a look at the updated instructions.

As always, if you have any questions or if you need help, please call 8600, extension 3.

Due to Collette by 8:00 AM on March 14^th.  Please make sure to let Barb know when they are ready to print.

Professional Development

Just a friendly reminder that the upcoming “GLAD with Journeys” Professional Development class is being offered Monday March 3rd from 4:30-7:30 (but probably only 7pm) at the Firgrove GLAD Lab with YOURS TRULY! I am leading this class and would LOVE to see you there! If you are concerned about dinner- have no fear, we will enjoy Teriyaki and I promise to get you out a little early and with some items to take back to your class and use immediately! Did you also know that we have a nice color printer, laminator, and lots of supplies for you to use?(….no copy codes or requests needed, FREE for all) J

Sign up on the Professional Development Site:

https://staffdev.puyallup.k12.wa.us/StaffDev/class_info.php?CID=5295

Kalles Jr High

Seussical, Jr. opens THIS WEEKEND at KALLES JUNIOR HIGH!!!  It is a fantastically fun show! Great for all ages!!

• Friday, February 28th at 7pm
• Saturday, March 1st at 7pm
• Thursday, March 6th at 7pm
• Friday, March 7th at 7pm
• Saturday, March 8th at 2pm – Understudy Performance
• Saturday, March 8th at 7pm

$5 with ASB and elementary students $7 without ASB and adults

 

Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.  Bill Gates

Feb 24 to Feb 28

Mon 2/24  Individual Planning

               7:00 Region 3 Band Concert PHS

Tues 2/25 8:15 Safety Meeting

                     Pizza with the principal

Wed 2/26  Viking Support Team KG

Thurs 2/27      

Fri 2/28          Read Across America

March 3 to March 7

Mon 3/3          Principal Directed    

Tues 3/4         Early Dismissal 12:46

                     AVID Meeting

Wed 3/5          Viking Support Team 1/2

                     Early Dismissal 12:46

Thurs 3/6 Early Dismissal 12:46

Fri 3/7           Daylight Savings starts on Sunday (spring ahead)

Conferences

Please make sure that you provide a copy of your conference schedule to the office prior to conference start date/times.  If a parent calls to cancel or reschedule on conference day, we (Barb/Robyn) will send you an email so we do not interrupt your conferences.  Please check email frequently for those messages.

School Messenger

We will be sending out a notice to parents on Sunday, March 2^nd to remind them of the early dismissal days and the time for pick-up.

Interpreter

If you are in need, we need to order as soon as possible.  I need to have the date, time and student name. 

Kid Mail coming soon

This is the second year of using Partnership Packets as a way for community non-profits organizations to publicize in the schools. Packets were compiled by PTA leadership this week and should be sent home with all elementary students on February 28 – next Friday.

To learn more about Partnership Packets, include the schedule for collection and distribution, visit the Communications and Information website.

Report Cards

Due to Collette by 8:00 AM on March 14^th.  Please make sure to let Barb know when they are ready to print.

Rolling Computer Lab

Please remember that any issues with the lab need to be reported to the office or a ticket created via the HELPDESK.  Putting a sticky note on a laptop and locking it back in the lab will only inform the next user there is a problem.  We need to be diligent in keeping this gift running smoothly and in great shape.