The Bear Necessities

What a busy time of year for us all and Danville Elementary is no exception! We have been quite busy around here with the holiday programs and practices, our charity projects, December art projects, and of course the usual curricular areas as well.

We thank you all for your assistance with your child's charity project. We have been very impressed with the dedication and generosity of our families. I think it is very important that we are teaching our students about the joys of giving and to consider the needs of others at all times. I am so thankful this is a life lesson we are instilling in our students. Thank you for your participation.

Read on for a few more updates from the Bear Den!

*Wednesday, December 22nd is Pajama Day for all students at Danville Elementary.

*As the heart of the winter months are right around the corner, please make sure your child has his/her coat, hat, gloves, etc each day. In addition, please mark all items with your child's name.

*The Main Street School Zone lights are working once again! Thank you all for your patience through the repair process.

*Do you know someone that might be interested in serving the district as a paraeducator substitute? We are always looking for individuals to start subbing. Please contact the Danville CSD Human Resources Director, Debbie Bennage at debbie.bennage@danvillecsd.org.

*Please be reminded to call Nurse Enger or Miss Alice in the elementary office if your child will be absent from school.

*Unfortunately sickness is on the rise everywhere. Please encourage your child to wash his/her hands often.

*Please be reminded that your child should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school after being absent. In addition, they should not have vomited within 24 hours in order to return to school.

When students return to school in January, the state Winter FAST testing and our own IRLA testing windows will be rapidly approaching. We will begin our winter testing on January 13th and it will continue through the end of January until all students complete their winter reading and math assessments.

It is important that over the holiday break, students have an opportunity to maintain their reading and math skills. Please continue your 30 minutes of reading throughout the break, to avoid a vacation set back in levels. Students can also sustain their math skills by practicing flash cards, playing online math games, or practicing with a parent. Continuing these habits, will help your child on his/her assessments in January. Thank you!

*Wednesday, December 22nd - Early Out for Winter Break.

*Thursday, December 23rd - Friday, December 31st - Winter Break.

*Classes resume Monday, January 3rd.

*January 5th - Early Out for Professional Development.

*The 2nd quarter (and 1st semester) end on January 7th.

*Monday, January 13th is the Danville CSD Board Meeting at 5:30 in the 21st Century Room. Tune in on the Danville CSD Facebook page.

*Winter FAST & IRLA testing begin January 13th.

Each student will be bringing home a "Winter Break Reading Challenge". The form has multiple opportunities for students to continue their reading during the holiday break. Students are asked to complete at least 10 of the squares and have an adult sign the form. Students that return their completed forms to school when school resumes after the holidays, will earn a special lunch bunch event with Mrs. Thornburg. We would love to have our students continue to practice their reading throughout the break from school!

On December 10th we honored our November PBIS Students of the Month. Students were chosen for demonstrating outstanding "Thoughtfulness and Generosity" at school. Congratulations to our winners!

Check out some of the fun things going on at Danville Elementary this month!

I would like to wish all of our Danville Elementary students, staff, and families a wonderful holiday break! I hope you have an opportunity to spend time with loved ones and enjoy a restful few days. Happy Holidays to you all!

Jaci Thornburg

Danville Elementary Principal

Email: jaci.thornburg@danvillecsd.org
Website: danvillecsd.org
Location: 419 South Main Street, Danville, IA, USA
Phone: 319-392-4221
Facebook: facebook.com/danvillecsd.org