Elmwood Newsletter - January 11, 2012

Made possible in part by Community Sustaining Sponsor

IT'S GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME!!!! Have your billfold ready because when they come knocking they will also have the cookies with them! No more waiting for the Chocolate Thin Mints! Be kind to the Girl Scouts and they will bring you cookies! Sometimes they have a table down at Elmwood's C Store, too.

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A big Happy 16th Birthday to these three cuties!

Can you guess who they are? Check at the bottom of the newsletter for their names.

THE KNIGHTS VS THE BULLDOGS

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Elmwood has become my new hometown. We’ve lived here 11 years and I probably know more people here than in my real hometown, Auburn. I still work in Auburn and go there nearly every day but I just go to work and come home and rarely see anyone outside of work. Facebook helps me connect with people though.

Last Saturday Joe got a message on Facebook from one of his cousins. She and her family were coming to Elmwood to watch her brother and sister play in basketball tournaments. The 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders were going to duke it out. Of course we had to go to see this. I was looking forward to seeing Vince’s family and it never occurred to me that I would see other people from Auburn. Duh. So when we walked in and I started seeing familiar faces it was great! But it was also like and episode from the Twilight Zone. My two worlds were colliding. I recognized a lot of people and after awhile I noticed that I wasn’t sure which world some people were from!

As I talked to my Auburn friends I found I was very proud of my Elmwood friends and school. They were full of compliments of the facility, the concessions, and mostly the referees. They appreciated the fact that the refs seemed to try to explain their calls to the kids and let them know what was going on. They were respectful and fair.

The referee team on Saturday was the Kuhlman family. Brent and Robin Kuhlman were referring in the new gym while their kids, Alli and Jake were taking care of the games in the old gym. How cool to see the tradition continue.

The kids played great. They played with heart and enthusiasm. For some it was their first time in a game. Others were more experienced. Win or lose they were all winners. The gyms were full of parents, friends, and family all cheering for their kids. That’s what it’s all about.

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The girls were intent on the game.

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You can barely see Robin, she is such a blur. She was back and forth up and down the floor. And I don't think she was even winded.

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Brent Kuhlman gives Katie-Bug the ball. (that's what her Grandpa calls her anyway.)

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Alli Kuhlman is ready with the whistle.

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Jake also has the whistle handy.

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Drake Spohr dodges the Auburn boys to get the ball.

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Miss Mills was working the concession stand. They were sold out of meat nachos! Sad. The Elmwood Murdock concession stands are famous for the delicious food.

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THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN!!!!

The Boy Scouts have begun meeting again with a new, experienced scout master, Rick Kuenning of Murdock. We are meeting every Tuesday evening, at 7:00, in the American Exchange Bank basement, entrance on the East side. In addition to the meetings we are planning monthly events and outings. Requirements to join: Be a boy who is 11 years old, or one who has completed the fifth grade or earned the Arrow of Light Award and is at least 10 years old, but is not yet 18 years old. Our scoutmaster is Rick Kuenning. 402-525-4108.

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KNIGHTLY NEWS From the Elmwood Murdock Schools

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE DATE CHANGE

The Parent-Teacher Conferences that were originally scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2012 have been changed to Friday, February 10, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The date has been changed because of scheduling issues with school activities. There now will be school on Thursday, February 9, 2012 and there will not be school on Friday, February 10, 2012.

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.

STUDENT TEACHERS

We will be having two student teachers working in the elementary this semester. Evanne Wipf is working in kindergarten with Mrs. Vice and Cody Cahill in working with Mr. Warner in physical education. Miss Wipf is originally from Weeping Water and is attending UNL. Mr. Cahill is originally form Deshler Nebraska and is attending Peru State College. We would like to welcome them both to the Elmwood-Murdock Public Schools.

SEED FUNDRAISER

SOS is participating in a fundraiser developed by Seed Savers Exchange, a major non-profit organization established 35 years ago to save, preserve and collect heirloom seeds for future generations. Students will be bringing home a brochure with six heirloom collections of gardener-pleasing varieties. 40% of each sale will go toward to the school. Seed Savers Exchange, whose mission is to assure garden biodiversity, believes food choices positively affect health, nutrition and sustainability.

For more information, contact Erin Clymer at 402-867-2188 or erin@ballinsurance.biz. You may also fax your order to Erin at 888-900-1167. Deadline is February 15, 2012.

THE 2012 SCIENCE FAIR

This week an entry form is coming home for children who would like to sign up for the Elmwood-Murdock Science Fair. The Science Fair is February 28, 2012. For students in 5th grade it is a school requirement for E-M standards testing. For students in K-4 and 6th grades the Science Fair is an optional activity. Students may work as individuals or as groups. If your child would like to participate, please sign the entry form and return it back to the office. A more detailed packet will come home with your child when they sign up. All entry forms are due January 16, 2012.

SPRING CARNIVAL NEWS

The S.O.S. Spring Carnival is scheduled for Friday, April 13, 2012. This is our major fundraiser for the year. If any parents work or frequent places where donations may be possible, please contact an S.O.S. member. We can either contact the business or provide a letter for the parent to use when asking for a donation.

CUB SCOUT NEWS

There will be a Cub Scout meeting on Monday, January 9^th at 6:30pm at the Elementary School.

BIRTH TO FIVE SERVICES

If a parent or a physician has questions or concerns about their child’s development for infants and toddlers to 3 years of age that person should contact the local Early Development Network Referral Agency of the child/family or call: Nebraska Child Find (toll Free) at 1-888-806-6287.

For additional information on Nebraska Child Find for all children, please visit: http://www.childfind.ne.gov.

Once a referral has been made the following will take place:

The referral will be appointed to a Services Coordinator from Education Service Unit #3, who will contact the family within seven days to determine if they are interested in Early Development Network services.

With the family’s permission, the Services Coordinator will arrange for an assessment with the local school district to determine the unique needs of the child and his or her eligibility. The Services Coordinator can link the family with community resources before the assessment if needed.

If the child qualifies, the Services Coordinator will identify others who can participate on a team to help the family develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), which sets goals for the child and family and identifies activities and services needed to achieve these goals. The IFSP will be completed within 45 days, so the family can access Early Development Network services as quickly as possible

If there are any additional questions or are if you would like to set up an appointment for your child that is three to five years of age to be screened please contact Heidi Zierott at 867-2341 or 994-2125.

EXCESSIVE ABSENTEEISM

State Law requires school officials to contact the County Attorney once a student misses more than twenty days of school for the year. Parents will be notified once their child is absent five days in a quarter and ten days in a semester, and fifteen days in a year. (See page 16 in the Student-Parent Handbook). Please contact Mr. Friedrich if you have any questions regarding this policy.

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