A Letter from the Health Office - Fall Into Healthy Habits from Susan Martin LPN/Health Assistant and Liz Lynch, BSN, RN, NCSN

As the season changes, temperatures start to drop and the days get shorter. We are surrounded by the cooler breezes, the changes of the leaves with bright and brilliant colors and the beauty of nature's sounds. In order to remina healthy and strong, here are a few tips for the fall season.

• Warm Clothes for Cold Weather

Brrrr….the weather is changing please have your children dress in the appropriate warm clothes.  Children should wear a warm jacket or sweatshirt, hat and gloves on cold days.

• 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.

• 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.  Drinking lots of water will also help our dry hands, skin and body stay healthy and strong.

• Cold and Flu Season

Wash your hands - Washing your hands is the first and best defense to protect yourself against germs.  Use Hand Sanitizer to help stop the spread of 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.

• Fall Family Bucket List Inspiration

Fall Bucket List

If your student has a change in their health or has a healthcare need at school, please contact   Susan Martin susanm.martin@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or Liz Lynch elizabeth.lynch@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Medication Information:

If your student will need to take 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

REMINDERS:

Directions on the medication bottle/box must match the written order on the medication request form.

• 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, Tylenol, 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.

Phy-Ed Update from Mr. Schneider

This month in PE, students in grades K–5 wrapped up our units on movement concepts, throwing, passing, catching, and rolling. Throughout the month, students focused on developing coordination, control, and accuracy while working both independently and with partners or small groups. We emphasized teamwork, communication, and effort—skills that help students build confidence and a positive attitude toward physical activity.

To close out October, we celebrated with a week of Halloween-themed games and activities. Students participated in relay races, obstacle courses, and tag-style games that encouraged them to use the skills they’ve been practicing all month in a fun, creative way. It was a great opportunity to see students laughing, working together, and showing great sportsmanship while staying active.

As we move into November, we’ll begin our soccer unit. k–1 students will focus on learning basic ball control and the fundamentals of kicking—such as using the inside of the foot, following through, and aiming toward a target. Grades 2–3–4–5 will build on these skills by working on dribbling, passing, and small-sided gameplay to improve ball handling, movement, and decision-making on the field. Our goal is for all students to gain confidence and enjoy learning the game of soccer while continuing to develop lifelong fitness habits.

We’re excited for another great month of movement, learning, and fun in PE.

Music Update from Ms. Noll

Here is what our Jefferson musicians have been working on in October! 

• 5th Grade has been continuing to learn new ways to use their singing voices in warmups and short songs. These include songs such as I Love the Mountains, Mango Mango, and the highly requested favorite Alfred the Alligator. They have been learning about time signatures and how each one varies and is counted. They also learned about the Steel Pan drum and what their ensembles sound like. Congratulations to the 5th graders who participated in Oshkosh Sings!

• 4th Grade has been learning about the instruments of the orchestra and how they are grouped by families. They have been loving the game that goes with the song Black Snake, using dynamics to play the game. 4th grade has also been learning I Love the Mountains and learning about the new time signature. They reinforced their knowledge about the music alphabet as well.

• 3rd grade has been performing rhythms to The Viennese Musical Clock using instruments and cup routines. This song is in Rondo form and we have learned about what different sections that consists of. They have also learned a game called "No Robbers Out Today" which has helped every child share their singing voice with the class. They have also been practicing identifying melodies by ear and matching them with the melody written out.

• 2nd Grade has been exploring melody in the song Falling Leaves."They also have been working on a song called Tony Chestnut that puts motions to the words. They have also worked on playing instruments in groups, and learning various beat and rhythm activities to the songs listed above and additional songs.

• 1st grade students have been learning about the large work called Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. They are learning about what instruments make up each song, the various elements of each one, and the animals that each song is supposed to represent.

• Lastly, Kindergarten students have been learning some fall songs such as Pumpkin Fat, Hayride, Falling Leaf, Spooky Looby-Loo, and Blowing in the Wind. They also colored their own unique buttons and used them to dramatize the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.

All grades have continued to work on following the music class expectations to keep the music classroom a place where everyone can be safe, learn, and make music together. Remember that there is NO winter concert this year and the Spring Concert is Tuesday, April 14th. Stay tuned for next month’s recap of what we are doing in music!"

Art Update from Ms. Keefe 

The Jefferson Mural has officially come to a close and is finished! The students showed such togetherness as they were working on this exciting project. Along with each class and student doing their part for the mural, each class also voted on a quote that will be attached to the mural once it is hanging. 

“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Not only as a school are we proud of this mural we all created, but we are proud of ourselves for coming together and putting in hard work to create something bright and beautiful that will light up our school hallways. 

When it comes to projects in the art room, we are finishing up our October and Halloween inspired projects and slowly moving into exploring more fall concepts in our art, along with diving deeper into understanding different Elements of Art.

Kindergarten students are learning more about letters and how we can incorporate other subjects into art. They will be exploring collage and chalk pastel. 

First grade and second grade are learning more about fall and why leaves change colors. While learning that we are exploring textures in art and different watercolor techniques. Creating a treescape to show our understanding of foreground and background.

Third grade will also be learning about watercolor but will be diving deeper into more complex ways to use watercolors using salt and oil pastels to create an abstract mountainscape. 

Fourth and fifth grade will also be working with watercolor, working on creating pigmented colors to create brightly painted pumpkins and gourds. We will also be learning about a new aspect of drawing called Zentangle. We will incorporate Zentangle into our pumpkins and gourds, creating abstract patterns and lines.

Media and Technology Update from Ms. Kese

Media Center NEWS:

Help Boost Kids' Safety, Privacy, and Security

This month’s digital citizenship lesson is around privacy and security.  When kids start to go online, whether they're playing multiplayer games, using educational apps, or just following their curiosity on Google, it's important that they understand the basics of online privacy and safety. With some general guidelines around what information is and isn't OK to share, and some help from parents when they're unsure, kids can have fun and learn a lot in the digital world.  Check out these 5 tips.

Discuss personal vs. private info.  Talk about the difference between what's OK to share online (favorite color) and what's not (home address).

Use privacy settings.  Together, go through the settings on all new apps to make sure you both know what information your kids are sharing. Especially in the beginning, it's better to share very little.

Avoid location tracking.  Location-aware apps can be super helpful. But apps that use a device's location to help people find your kid or offer them ads for nearby businesses should be used with caution. Turn them off if you can.

Power up passwords.  Work together with kids to help them come up with complex passwords. Think outside the dictionary. Use phrases and special characters that make passwords hard to guess but easy to remember. Remind kids to keep passwords private.

Skip quizzes.  Help kids identify and avoid clickbait, quizzes, special offers, and anything that asks for personal or private information. This helps keep information secure and devices safe.

Battle of the Books:  Battle of the Books is open to 4th and 5th grade students.  Ask your child if they are participating!  If they are, they should be reading the books listed here. Our first meeting during lunch recess will be the first week of November and go through January.  Students do need to attend the meetings at lunch in order to participate.  We have copies in the library as well as audio and ebooks available on the SORA app.  If using the SORA app, students sign in with their usual username and password.  Here is the list of the 12 books: 

School Counselor Update

Jefferson Elementary is still interviewing for a counselor position. Check back next newsletter for updates!

Math Update from Mrs. Bauer

🍁A context for math is so important in order for students to make connections. Here are some fun, fall-inspired activities to do with your children!

🌳Find twigs outside and form numbers (even fractions), tallies, bundles of 10, or shapes. Have your child build numbers, identify numbers, count the tallies, discuss place value or shape attributes.

🥧Bake an apple pie! Find a recipe and discuss the math while baking, especially the fractions! What does ¾ mean? How many more fourths to reach a whole cup? Which is greater, ⅓ or ¼ cup? 

📆Look at a paper calendar or even the calendar on your phone. Do the math and figure out the answers together (don’t ask Google! 🤓) : 

1. How many months are in fall?
2. How many days are in fall?
3. How many hours are in fall?
4. How many minutes are in fall?
5. How many seconds are in fall?

🍫Create a bar graph with candy! Ask your child mathematical questions about it or write down math observations. Compare amounts using < > = and practice reading the comparison statements. Find the difference between different kinds of candy. 

Literacy Update from Mrs. Boettcher and Mrs. Vollbrecht

November 1st marks the first day of Native American Heritage Month. Here are some book titles that can be enjoyed at home, all written by members of indigenous communities.

Source: www.childrenslitlove.com