Elmwood Newsletter - December 21, 2011

Made possible in part by Community Sustaining Sponsor

church

Josoffs

Merry Christmas from my family to yours...

Last Saturday we celebrated Christmas with my family. We joined my cousins and their families at my aunt and uncle's house in the country near Auburn. The kids are mostly teenagers now so they are content with eating, playing cards, throwing frisbees, playing guitar, and a little target practice. The weather was perfect for outside activities.

family bow

Bradley showed Maggie how to hold the bow.

family frisbee

Frisbee was a hit. They had to step high because of the dog bombs. Gary took a tumble and managed to roll clear of any.

family annie_pat

Annie went for a walk with Grandma Pat to check out the cows and bulls and horses.

family joe

Joe had his air soft gun and pellets. He was ready to shoot targets. Vince brought the real guns, too, so there was a lot of shooting going on. I just stayed out of the line of fire.

family car1

Uncle Ralph and Paula went for a ride in the "Bug". It was a great day to bring out the old car. Ralph spent many hours and a lot of money to restore this bug. Paula has one at home that she and her husband are restoring, too.

family car2

If you look close you can see the big smile on Paula's face. Bradley and Gary were chasing the car down the lane.

family guitaring

Bradley is playing the "Can-Go" and Gary is playing his new guitar. They were jammin'!

family pat

Pat was showing off her new centerpiece and we suggested it would make a nice hat. It does look nicer on the table though. (this picture is for Uncle Wes in California, thought you would like this!)

family group

Here is part of the family...from left to right my cousin, Paula and her dad, my Uncle Ralph. Front row is Paula's daughter, Maggie, her mom, my Aunt Pat. Paula's husband Gary and their son, Lil Gary. My other cousin, Marcy and her kids, Bradley and Annie, had to leave early and missed the group picture. We'll catch them on Easter.

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family and faithful readers from

the Anderson's, the Lampe's, the Tobin's and the Strothkamps!

Recycle 12_-_December_Calendar

Dec menu_breakfast

Dec menu_lunch

KNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER FROM EM SCHOOL:

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Dec 22 – School will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m. We met our goal and more!

Jan. 4 - School resumes – beginning of 2^nd semester.

AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE

We have been discussing ending our After School Childcare Program because of the low numbers of students using the program, thus causing financial hardship to the program. We consulted the Board of Education at Wednesday’s Board Meeting and have decided to try and continue the program the rest of the school year. We will need to raise our prices to $5.00 per hour per child beginning January 4, 2012.

Our goal is to try and get through the school year and then end the program in May. However, if our numbers continue to decline we may need to end the program before the school year ends. At this time, we are not planning to offer the program for the next school year. Please contact Principal, Bruce Friedrich, if you have any questions regarding the After School Childcare Program.

FOOD DRIVE

At the time of this writing, we have nearly 3800 items counting money and food! We have met and surpassed our goal of 2500. Thanks for all of your donations!

CANDY FOR COATS

Because of the overwhelming response, we are ending our coat drive on Monday, December 19^th. The coats will be displayed on Tuesday, December 20^th. At that time students may choose a coat to take home. The rest of the coats will be donated to Goodwill. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DONATIONS OF COATS!

FOOD ALLERGIES

We have had some students identified in our school with peanut and tree nut allergies. We have sent letters home to the classroom parents explaining the allergies and the kinds of treats/foods the students can and can not have. We have also identified some areas in our lunchroom that are peanut and tree nut free. We are also eliminating peanuts and tree nuts from our school menu.

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Although an individual could be allergic to any food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats, there are eight foods that account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions. These are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.

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A small amount of the offending substance triggers the reactions, which commonly occur in the respiratory tract, digestive system or skin in the form of a rash.

A more severe reaction to the allergen that is life threatening is an anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a sudden severe, potentially fatal, systemic allergic reaction that can involve various areas of the body (such as the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system.) Often students with peanut or tree nut allergies can go into anaphylactic shock from ingesting any form of peanut or tree nut product. Some students have such a severe reaction that just breathing in peanut or tree nut dust can cause a reaction.

Due to these concerns and the potential of other food borne diseases or allergens, we are directing parents not to send homemade treats to school. All snacks and treats must be unopened store bought items. If fresh fruit or vegetables are brought as a snack, please do not prepare or cut at home. We also encourage parents not to bring peanuts or tree nuts as snacks. These restrictions include treats and foods for birthdays and other parties.

Bakeries such a Eileen’s in Lincoln can not guarantee their products to be nut free because of cross contamination. Please check with the bakery before items are brought to school for students.

Parents may bring baked items for activities that are not during the school day. These activities would include soup suppers, concessions, or other activities that are hosted outside of the regular school day.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO THE MURDOCK FIRE HALL

Santa Claus will be making a special appearance at the Murdock Fire Hall on Saturday, December 17^th from 1-3 p.m. Get your picture taken with Santa and stay for hot chocolate, cookies and fun! Decorate your own gingerbread man and make a special photo frame for your picture with Santa.

CUB SCOUT NEWS

There will be a Cub Scout meeting on Monday, December 19^th at 6:30pm at the Elementary School.

Community Sustaining Sponsors 2011

2011 Community Sustaining Sponsor