November 2023

If your student has a change in their health or has a healthcare need at school, please contact Susan Martin via email at susanm.martin@oshkosh.k12.wi.us. or contact the office at 920-424-0165.

If your student will need to take a medication during the school day, please have your child’s provider fill out and sign the appropriate form below. These can then be returned to the office or faxed by the provider to: 920-424-7583.

Over the Counter Medication Form *parent signature only required

Prescribed Medication Form 

Inhaler/Asthma Action Plan  

Epipen/Allergy & Anaphylaxis Form

*Reminder: The directions on the medication bottle/box must match the written order on the medication request form.*

REMINDERS:

• Stock Epi-pens do NOT go on field trips. 

• Please fill out an Emergency Epi-Pen/Anaphylaxis Plan even if you don’t have a personal Epi at school.

• PRN medications (Ibuprofen, Tyelnol, Tums etc.) must come in a New and  unopened Bottle.

• Is your child up to date with their immunizations? Please contact the doctor for physicals and immunizations! All students at Jefferson are required to have their Tdap, Polio, MMR, Varicella and Hep B! Please check with your doctor to see what wellness requirements are needed for your child.

A Letter from the Health Office - Thankful for November

Susan Martin LPN/Health Assistant and Liz Lynch, BSN, RN, NCSN

As the weather starts to change from cooler to colder days/nights, more leaves start to fall to cover the ground, days grow shorter and nights grow longer.   The cold and flu season is upon us as we have some information to share with you on how to prevent the spread of germs and stay healthy during this season. 

Fall back into Daylight Savings Time - Sunday, November 5th

Remember to turn the clock back one hour.  An extra hour of sleep does a body good.

 

Cold and Flu Season

Washing your hands is the first and best defense to protect yourself against germs.  Use Hand Sanitizer to help stop the spread of germs.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.  Clean and disinfect common surfaces that are frequently touched that may carry germs.  School age children should get between 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night.  Drink lots of water to keep your body healthy and safe.  Talk to your Pediatrician about yearly vaccinations to protect against diseases.

 

Dry Hands/Skin

As we all know the changes of the season can bring dry hands and skin.  It is important to use lotion to keep our hands and skin moist.  Wearing a hat and gloves can help keep our skin protected.  Drinking lots of water will also help our dry hands, skin and body stay healthy and strong.

 

Lip Balm/Chapstick

Is it the time of the year again when your lips can get dry, red and cracked.  It is important to use lip balm/chapstick to keep your lips moist and hydrated.  Avoid licking your lips as this will only exacerbate the problem.

 

Warm Clothes for Cold Weather

Brrrr….the weather is changing please have your children dress in the appropriate warm clothes.  Children should come to school with a winter jacket, hat, gloves and possibly boots on rainy days.

Bucket List Inspiration

 

In November we will be exploring new art mediums, color theory, and mixing mediums! Kindergarten and 1st graders will be working on a project called Color Theory Rainbows, this project is the first of a color theory series where students will learn the Primary Colors, the Secondary Colors, Cool and Warm Colors, shades and tints, and how all of this works together. Their rainbows will be made out of painted paper, where they get to experiment with mixing Primary Colors into Secondary Colors. Second and Third graders will start a project called Watercolor Resist Mountainscape. In this project, students will experiment with mixing the mediums, oil pastel and watercolor paint. Fourth and fifth graders will work on a project called Weaved Landscapes. Students will work with embroidery techniques and create a sunset background with yarn, later adding felt designs.

Hello Jefferson Families! October in the music room has been filled with learning new rhythms, accompanying songs with percussion instruments (drums, tambourines, triangles, bells, and many, many more!), as well as playing Fall and Halloween games. Starting in November, students will begin practicing for the Winter Concert on Monday, December 18th at 6pm. We look forward to sharing an evening of music with you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at maria.cibula@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

 

Have a thankful November!

Mrs. Cibula 

 

 

 

National No Bullying week takes place from Monday, Nov 13 – Friday, Nov 17. Children's literature is a great springboard for learning and talking about this important issue.  Below are some great titles followed by conversation starters on the topic of bullying. There are many books (fiction, nonfiction, and everybody books) about bullying on display in the media center for National No Bullying week.

Books About Bullying for Children

-Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

-Bully by Patricia Polacco

-Red by Jan De Kinder

-The Juice Box Bully by Maria Dismondy

-The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

-Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks 

-Starfish by Lisa Fipps

-Restart by Gordon Korman

Conversation Starters About Bullying

• Have you ever witnessed someone being bullied? How did it make you feel? What did you do?

• How did the main character in the story deal with bullying? 

• What can you do to stop bullying?

• Why do you think some people choose to bully?

• Have you ever been bullied?  

Source: https://growingbookbybook.com

 

Writing is an important skill to have as a learner. It allows us to teach someone about a topic, to share a significant moment, to express our feelings, and to change the world. 

Sometimes writing can be tricky. It requires children to combine several different skills such as composing their ideas, thinking about the order of words and letters, knowing how to form the letters, and holding the ideas in their heads all at the same time. Because it can be tricky, often the fun of writing can get lost along the way. That’s why it’s important to make writing exciting and engaging for kids. Here is a list of ideas for how to do that from Growing Readers.

 

1. Play a game with pictures. Photos and images are great story starters. Do a web search and find a few interesting images. Or cut out pictures from magazines. The pictures can be realistic or make believe. Glue a couple images into a notebook. Then ask your child to write about one of them. You can prompt them, asking them to include what they see, what the people are thinking, what will happen next — or just let their imagination run free. 

 

2. Make an “I Can” book. Making an “I Can” book will let kids practice writing skills and keep track of their other accomplishments. Staple together a bunch of blank sheets of paper to make a book. As your child reaches a new milestone, such as learning to tie her shoes or hit a baseball, they can draw a picture on a new page of the book. Younger kids can then write, “I can tie my shoes.” Older kids can write a few sentences about what they’ve accomplished.

 

3. Make a journal jar. A journal doesn’t have to be a diary. It can also be a book where your child writes about ideas or answers questions, like “If you could do anything next summer, what would you choose?” A journal jar is a place to keep all those ideas and questions. Wash and decorate a wide-mouthed jar, like one that used to contain peanut butter. Then, write or print out journal prompts on slips of paper. Ask your child to pull out one prompt each day and write about it in their journal.

 

4. Create a family scrapbook. A family scrapbook is a great way to save memories and jump-start your child’s writing. Use an inexpensive photo album to keep souvenirs of things you do together. This can include photos, ticket stubs, and found objects, like pretty leaves. Your child can begin by writing the date and a line about where you were and what you did. Then, you can work together to write a more detailed summary. Don’t forget to include funny or even annoying moments!

 

Source: Growing Readers online. https://www.readingrockets.org/pdfs/edextras/143020-en.pdf

What are Mathematical Practices? You may have noticed a category under the subject of Math called Mathematical Practices. Bridges in Mathematics explains that they are, “The attitudes and ways of thinking and working that characterize successful mathematicians. They are much bigger and somewhat more amorphous than math content skills, and at least as important.” We think of them as habits of mind when working in math. Check these out from the Math Learning Center source.