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BLOG BITS 10/12/12

BLOG BITS 10/12/12………..  Happy Friday Georgetown Parents!!!  

NEWS FROM THE OFFICE……… It has been a fairly quiet week here at Georgetown.  The MEAP testing started on Tuesday and today we are just doing some make-up testing.  Next week we will be doing make-up testing on Monday and finishing up the other MEAP tests on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Let’s help get these kiddos off to a good start on these days!  Try to make sure they get a good night’s rest and start the day with a good breakfast too!  : )  

ATTENDANCE………. Parents we are asking for some help on your end.  Attendance here is very important as we are trying to make sure all of our students are safe and accounted for.  We are just asking that if your student is going to be absent or even late that you call and notify the office.  By you calling your student in it saves us an enormous amount of time in the morning because we do not have to ask the teacher if they have heard from the student/parents and we do not have to make phone calls home to check in.  With 615 students here at Georgetown these extra steps for attendance can take a long time.  Our attendance line can be reached 24 hours a day so you are welcome to call at anytime and leave us a message.  Thank you  : )

NOTES FOR AFTER SCHOOL CHANGES……….  Please, Please, Please try to remember to send a note with your student if there will be an after school change in transportation or where your student will be going at the end of the day.  We are receiving a high volume of changes on a daily basis and that therefor means a LOT of interruptions to the classrooms!  : (  Not only does it mean interruptions, but it is hard for the teachers to remember all these changes without a handwritten note as a reminder.  Most of the teachers like to post the notes by their doors/bus schedules so they have a reminder as to all of the changes for the end of the day.  Thank you so very much for your consideration in this matter.

SCHOOL PICTURES………..   We have been receiving many phone calls as to when pictures will arrive.  We spoke with Geskus yesterday and they informed us that they should be in by the end of next week.  We will do our very best when they  come in to get them out ASAP to the students.  So look for them by the end of next week.  : )  Another little reminder, if you ordered a yearbook, these WILL NOT come until the spring sometime.  Picture RE-TAKES will be held on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30. Remember to send in your picture packet that you already received if you would like re-takes.  If your child was absent on picture day this will be your opportunity to have their photos taken.

SCHOOL CALENDAR CORRECTIONS…….. Please see the following update that shows Calendar Corrections for the district.  A couple of the dates do affect Georgetown!!  

PTC NEWS………  The winning class for our OCTOBER Jet’s Pizza night is……….  4th Grade….. Mr. Bowen!!  : )  Way to go and enjoy your pizza party!  

COMMUNITY NEWS………..  THE HEAVENLY HARVEST PUMPKIN PATCH/FAMILY FESTIVAL……..  Don’t miss the Heavenly Harvest pumpkin patch and family festival coming to Hudsonville Congregational U.C.C.  4950 32nd Ave in Hudsonville.  Choose the perfect pumpkin and other harvest decor from an amazing selection from October 17-31.  The patch is open Monday- Friday from 12-8pm and Saturdays from 9am-5pm.  Special family events on Saturday, October 20 and 27.  Proceeds from the sale will benefit the church’s local mission projects and other church ministries.  Bring the whole family!

HUDSONVILLE CUB SCOUT REGISTRATION NIGHT……….  This will be held on Thursday, October 18 at 6:30pm at Riley Street Middle School.  Registration will be $15.  This is for boys in grades 1 through 5.  Please read the attached sheet for more information……  Cub Scouts

CITY OF HUDSONVILLE URBAN HAY DAY……….. The orchard experience is coming to the City! Join us for the first ever City of Hudsonville Urban HayDay on October 27, 2012 from 12-5pm.  This unique event will feature a Hayride which will start at Gemmen’s parking lot and travel through the
heart of downtown Hudsonville to a marketplace & fall ball which will be bustling with activity.  The hayrides will drop you off at the marketplace & fall ball which will be full of free activities, crafts, and games, vendors & crafters, and delicious food.  The orchard experience won’t stop there though. Hop on a bus to take a tour of Hudsonville, stopping at several event stops throughout town which will feature pumpkin bowling, pumpkin carving demonstrations, live animals, and cookie decorating, among others. The whole family will find something to entertain and excite at this fun event where we will bring the orchard to the city.  For extra excitement, you can take part in a Costume walk & contest hosted by Grand Valley Health Plan which will offer prizes for the best family, adult, and kids costumes. The walk will depart from the Marketplace & Fall Ball at 11:30am, but will bring you back just in time for the start of the Urban HayDay!
For updated event information, including maps and event details, visit http://
business.hudsonvillechamber.com/events/details/urban-hayday-638 or call Michelle Fare at 616-662-0900.

HUDSONVILLE COMMUNITY ED…………  Hudsonville Community Education has many offerings for your kids this fall.  For more information or to register, please visit www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org or call Rebecca at 669-7747, ext. #3.

Boys Wrestling ~ Grades K-6

After School Tennis ~ Grades PK-5

Learn to Ice Skate ~ Ages 3 and up

Intro to Hockey ~ Boys/Girls w/skating experience

Home Alone Class ~ Ages 9-13

Learn to Skate ~ Ages 4 and up

Golf Lessons ~ Grades 1-8

UPCOMING EVENTS

10/16-10/17 ~ MEAP Grades 3-5

10/17 ~ Marco’s Pizza Night

10/23 ~ Turkey  Trot

10/29-11/1 ~ Raey Guang Visits

10/30 ~ Picture Retakes

Have a great weekend!!

Mrs. Nurenberg  : )  

 

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Award Winning Teacher

Diana Bast: 2012 Innovation in Education Award Winner

The Hudsonville Education Foundation is pleased to announce the first recipient of the Innovation in Education Award.  The new award was made possible through a generous donation in honor of teachers who are exceptionally innovative in their efforts to support all learners.

The first award recipient is Mrs. Diana Bast, Georgetown’s outstanding reading teacher.  She was presented with a beautiful award and a check for $500.  Some of the innovations Mrs. Bast has brought to Georgetown are teacher book clubs, her school blog for teacher/parent interaction and our summer open library.
Congratulations Mrs. Bast!  We are so lucky to have you at Georgetown!

 

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October 8-12 Highlights

The weekend weather was a reminder of the damp, chilly days autumn in Michigan is known for.

As the weather gets cooler, our LOST & FOUND grows with sweatshirts, jackets and other outwear accessories.  If your child is missing a sweatshirt remind them to search in this order:

  1. Backpack
  2. Bottom of locker
  3. Lost and Found  (located on tables across from the library).

 

This week’s highlight include MEAP testing for our children in grades 3, 4 and 5.  For those of

you who follow education in the news, these scores are used to ranks schools statewide and also determine ongoing support via funding and/or sanctions.

The pressure on teachers is tremendous.   While we work diligently to improve our instruction for all learners AND to prepare our students for these tests, we also believe it is critically important foster a climate that encourages all our learners do their best on all learning activities, including the MEAP tests.

If you child is in grades 3-5, suport them with a healthy snack each day and words of encouragement.  We are proud of them and their focus on these grueling days.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Reagan

 

 

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Help Us Schedule November Conferences

On November 5, 7 and 8 we will hold parent/teacher conferences at Georgetown.  Please help us schedule a time for you to learn about your child’s progress at school by completing thisParent/Teacher Conference Survey.

Once information is collected for all students, we will create a schedule and notify you of your schedule time on or before November 1.

Thank you for your help with this task.

Mrs. Reagan

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BLOG BITS 10/5/12

BLOG BITS 10/5/12………  HAPPY FRIDAY GEORGETOWN PARENTS!!!

NEWS FROM THE OFFICE………   We had another good week here at school.  Almost seems like we never left, everyone seems to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing : )  A little note from the Administration Building……..  we as a district raised a little over $4000 at our HEF Fun Fest last Friday night before the Varsity Homecoming game!  Way to go Hudsonville!!  With this money teachers are able to apply for mini-grants for items/programs that they feel will benefit the students.  

One more thing……. as much as I do NOT like having to tell all of you this…… we have been seeing a fair amount of students with the stomach virus already.  So be aware of this and make sure to remind your child to be washing their hands regularly.  As a reminder we like students to be fever free and not having any stomach symptoms for 24 hours before they return to school.  

If anyone would be willing to donate Clorox/Lysol wipes to the office that would be greatly appreciated!  We go through a lot of these as we wipe down a number of things in the health room and phoneswhen the students are sick.  

SCHOOL CALENDAR CORRECTIONS…….. Please see the following update that shows Calendar Corrections for the district.  A couple of the dates do affect Georgetown!!   LIBRARY NEWS………   We have enrolled Georgetown Elementary in the Double JJ Resort Reading Program.  This program is used in conjunction with the Pizza Hut Book It Reading Program.  When your student’s monthly reading goals have been met they will turn in their reading calendar for the Pizza Hut Book It program to their teacher.  In return, they will receive their free pizza coupon to Pizza Hut and a certificate to Double JJ Resort for either One Gold Rush Waterpark Day Pass or One Snow Tubing Hill Pass.  Georgetown understands the importance of reading and LOVES to reward our students anyway that we can.  If you have any questions, please direct them to Mrs. VandenBerg in the Library.  

P.E. NEWS…….. TURKEY TROT……. REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE MONDAY!!!! Turkey Trot is coming OCTOBER 23!  Registration forms came home this past week, they are due by OCTOBER 8!  Check out the P.E. Blog if you need another form, there is a link there for the registration form.

COMMUNITY NEWS……….. THE HEAVENLY HARVEST PUMPKIN PATCH/FAMILY FESTIVAL……..  Don’t miss the Heavenly Harvest pumpkin patch and family festival coming to Hudsonville Congregational U.C.C.  4950 32nd Ave in Hudsonville.  Choose the perfect pumpkin and other harvest decor from an amazing selection from October 17-31.  The patch is open Monday- Friday from 12-8pm and Saturdays from 9am-5pm.  Special family events on Saturday, October 20 and 27.  Proceeds from the sale will benefit the church’s local mission projects and other church ministries.  Bring the whole family!

THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD OF PARENTING…… featuring Dan Seaborn.  A morning of inspiration and encouragement for parents of college, high school, elementary, and preschool aged children.
Saturday, October 6, 2012, 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  ResLife, 5100 Ivanrest Ave., Grandville, MI 49418 616-534-4923 $15.00 per person or
$25.00 per couple.  Pre-registration appreciated.

Questions? Contact Sandy North at sandyn@reslife.org or 616-249-3723  Child care will not be provided for this event.

HUDSONVILLE CUB SCOUT REGISTRATION NIGHT……….  This will be held on Thursday, October 18 at 6:30pm at Riley Street Middle School.  Registration will be $15.  This is for boys in grades 1 through 5.  Please read the attached sheet for more information……  Cub Scouts

CITY OF HUDSONVILLE URBAN HAY DAY……….. The orchard experience is coming to the City! Join us for the first ever City of Hudsonville Urban HayDay on October 27, 2012 from 12-5pm.  This unique event will feature a Hayride which will start at Gemmen’s parking lot and travel through the
heart of downtown Hudsonville to a marketplace & fall ball which will be bustling with activity.  The hayrides will drop you off at the marketplace & fall ball which will be full of free activities, crafts, and games, vendors & crafters, and delicious food.  The orchard experience won’t stop there though. Hop on a bus to take a tour of Hudsonville, stopping at several event stops throughout town which will feature pumpkin bowling, pumpkin carving demonstrations, live animals, and cookie decorating, among others. The whole family will find something to entertain and excite at this fun event where we will bring the orchard to the city.  For extra excitement, you can take part in a Costume walk & contest hosted by Grand Valley Health Plan which will offer prizes for the best family, adult, and kids costumes. The walk will depart from the Marketplace & Fall Ball at 11:30am, but will bring you back just in time for the start of the Urban HayDay!
For updated event information, including maps and event details, visit http://
business.hudsonvillechamber.com/events/details/urban-hayday-638 or call Michelle Fare at 616-662-0900.

HUDSONVILLE COMMUNITY ED…………  Hudsonville Community Education has many offerings for your kids this fall.  For more information or to register, please visit www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org or call Rebecca at 669-7747, ext. #3.

Boys Wrestling ~ Grades K-6

After School Tennis ~ Grades PK-5

Learn to Ice Skate ~ Ages 3 and up

Intro to Hockey ~ Boys/Girls w/skating experience

Home Alone Class ~ Ages 9-13

Learn to Skate ~ Ages 4 and up

Golf Lessons ~ Grades 1-8

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

10/9-10/11 ~ MEAP Grades 3-5

10/12 ~ ECSE Field Trip to Post Family Farm

10/16-10/17 ~ MEAP Grades 3-5

10/17 ~ Marco’s Pizza Night

10/23 ~ Turkey  Trot

10/29-11/1 ~ Raey Guang Visits

10/30 ~ Picture Retakes

Have a great weekend!!

Mrs. Nurenberg  : )

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE….

Limo Winners are HAPPY!

for our TREK for TECH walkathon winners!  Together we raised a record amount of money for our WALKATHON.  The total:

$14, 283.64

Our winners are: 
Top 5 earners for pool party:
  • Sheyla Plummer (Huizenga)
  • Eva Burlison (Quigley)
  • Annelise Ham (Van Arkel)
  • Eva Ham (Van Arkel)
  • Alivia Peterson (VanKoevering)
Top earners from each grade for pizza party with Mrs. Reagan:
  • K grade:  Seth Miller  (Iwema)
  • 1st grade:  Isabelle Swiercz  (Taber)
  • 2nd grade: Patrick Jones  (Greenlund)
  • 3rd grade:  Ethan Impens  (Vanderstel)
  • 4th grade: Sophia Vanderkolk  (Kooiker)
  • 5th grade:  Leah Vandenberg (Gort)
Top classroom for Limo ride
  • Mrs. Quigley’s Second Grade Class
Laser Tag Family Fun Package Winner
  • Emma Everts in Mr. Kooiker’s 4th grade class

HUGE THANKS to all of you for your donations and support.  

Mrs. Reagan

 

 

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Girls on the Run: 2012-13

All of our girls in grades 3-5 are invited to participate in the national program, GIRLS ON THE RUN.  Information regarding registration and fees will be arriving home this week.

To find out more about Girls on the Run and the registration on November 1, visit the GOTR site.  [map id=”2″] will be hosting the registration for all Hudsonville schools this year.

If you are interested in coaching the girls this year, please send me an email.  We need inspiring coaches for these wonderful girls.  treagan@hpseagles.net

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October = MEAP TESTING, Grades 3-5

As we move into the month of October, all elementary students in grades 3-5 will be participating in the annual MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program). MEAP is Michigan’s general assessment for students in grades 3 through 9. It is based on Michigan’s grade level content expectations in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students are assessed in the fall of each year on the prior year’s expectations.

Test dates and times are predetermined by the Michigan Department of Education. Assessments are administered in sections over a course of several days. Administration times vary from 20 – 80 minutes per section. 2012 test dates are as follows:

  • Oct. 9 & 10: Reading(grades 3 – 5)
  • Oct. 11: Writing Day 1 (grades 4)
  • Oct. 16: Mathematics (grades 3 – 5)
  • Oct. 17: Writing Day 2 (grades 4), Science (grades 5)

The MEAP results are used for many purposes, including informing instructional practice and tracking student performance. MEAP is also used for a number of high-stakes accountability measures, such as determining a building’s and district’s Adequate Yearly Progress, school rankings and designations (Reward, Focus or Priority), and educator evaluations.

As the uses of the test results expand, the importance of ensuring high-quality, fair, and
standardized test administration increases. Schools must administer tests within state and
federal guidelines. These guidelines sometime appear restrictive; however, these guidelines ensure equitability between all schools and all students.

For example, resources, such as writing posters, maps, multiplication tables, and other content information on the wall, that might provide students with clues to answers of test questions must be removed from classrooms. if students can view these resources during testing, they will have an advantage over students who cannot use these resources.

In addition, we have found that students do their best when additional distractions are removed from the testing environment such as snacks, books, and art supplies. Students who finish early are encouraged to go back and recheck their answers and then wait quietly while their classmates complete the assessment.

We are asking that you partner with us to ensure that your child be prepared for the MEAP test in these ways:

  • Attend school on all testing dates,
  • Before each test, get a good night’s sleep
  • On test days AND ALL DAYS eat a healthy breakfast
  • Understand  the importance of doing his/her personal best!
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Walkathon Winners Announced on FRIDAY

Due to the overwhelming support of our TREK for TECH Walkathon, the PTC Board has asked for time to make sure that they have counted every penny, nickel and dime correctly.  The winners will be announced this coming Friday, October 5.

Thank you for your support!  And…thank you PTC Board Members for all you do.  Our board members have busy families and work lives.  They generous donate their time to help organize events for our school and also serve as a sounding board for our staff.  We appreciate ALL YOU DO FOR US!

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