
Crocker Chronicles
March 2023
WELCOME TO THE CROCKER CHRONICLES
Crocker's One Word Tree
We hope that you were able to view our Crocker One Word Tree during conferences that showcases our student's and staff's One Word!
Thank you to Mr. Griggers, Ashlee Martin, Mr. D (John Drosieko), Mrs. James, and Mrs. DenBeste for their time and vision in creating this incredible tree.
Star Award Recipient - Mrs. Dunne
Congratulations to Mrs. Dunne for receiving the STAR Award!
Mrs. Dunne received this award and traveling trophy that celebrates any Ankeny Community School District staff who embody four characteristics of excellence: Selflessness, Tireless, Adaptive, Remarkable.
Jennifer was nominated last school year, and below is what her nominator said about her:
Jennifer strives every day to ensure that her students are receiving targeted, individualized instruction. She helped bring a Maker Space to Crocker, and regularly uses it to give her class a chance to flex and develop their creativity while exploring STEM fields. Jennifer contacts parents every week letting them know at least one accomplishment or learning gain made by their child that week. This helps keep parents informed of their child's progress, and also allows the parents to echo positive reinforcement at home. At home, she consistently reads the latest research into effective teaching to ensure that best practice in teaching is always employed in her classroom. Even over the summer, she sends "happy notes" to her former students, letting them know what she is reading, and encouraging them to continue diving into new books.
Lost and Found
Is your student missing a hat, mittens, shoes, or coat?
Please stop in or have your student check our lost and found tables! Lost and found items will be up front to check until Spring Break, and then will be donated.
Counselor's Corner
Hello Families!
This month in classroom guidance students will learn about bullying prevention through our Second Step curriculum. Students are taught to recognize, refuse, and report bullying behavior.
The Second Step definition of bullying is: Bullying is when someone keeps being mean to someone else on purpose. It happens over and over again and the person it is happening to can’t get it to stop. It is unfair and one-sided.
We spend time focusing on the key words in the definition.
Keeps being mean - Bullying is a repeated pattern of mean behavior (hitting, pushing, name-calling, excluding, and getting others to be mean)
On purpose - The student’s intent is to hurt another’s body, feelings, or property.
Unfair - The balance of power between students is unequal. Power can come from size, age, popularity, number of students, or status.
One-sided - When one person or group keeps being mean to another and the other person or group is not mean back.
Please reach out to Mrs. Kennedy, School Counselor, if you have any questions.
NOTES FROM NURSE JULIE MAILE
Hello, Crocker Families!
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Every 9 seconds in the United States, someone sustains a brain injury. These brain injuries can be the results of a trauma from a fall or vehicle accident, or can be from illness, seizures or strokes. At school we teach your students to be responsible and safe while on the playground, and wear helmets when doing activities like roller-skating in PE. I’d like to encourage you to talk to your students about wearing proper protective equipment when riding their bikes, scooters or hover boards and while playing sports. You can rest easy that if your student suffers any kind of head bump while at school, I will always check them over and contact you so you can keep an eye on them at home!
After a long winter with lots of illness, I am starting to see less sickness in our students 🙂 Thank you so much for continuing to monitor your students for illness and keeping them home when they truly do not feel well. No matter what virus they may have, students should stay home for 24 hours after having a fever, vomiting, or having diarrhea. If your student has a sore throat or cough from spring allergies and needs cough drops, remember those need to be stored in the nurse’s office in their original package. You can contact me for a medication permission slip at julie.maile@ankenyschools.org
I’d also like to encourage you to pack some extra clothes for your student, no matter how old they are—spring brings a lot of mud, and kids can get wet and dirty during recess. A change of clothes is also appreciated if your student has a bathroom accident. The nurse’s office has a limited supply of extras, so please put a change of clothes in your student’s bag! Thank you!
Snack Donation Opportunity
We have been blessed this year to give students the opportunity to have a snack during their day to fill in the gap between meals. These snacks are intended to be optional, parent provided, and healthy.
Through generous donations we have been able to help provide snacks for students in need but our supply is running low. If you would like to help with snacks for this purpose, please see the Wish List below.
Thank you for considering.
Crocker AELP students participate in a national math contest for students in grades 4-6. They take five timed tests throughout the contest, each consisting of five questions. These questions are very challenging, and getting a perfect score is rare.
Congratulations to these students who've already earned 100% on one or more tests:
- Grade 5 (L to R) Ethan Schulz, Frankey Westphal, Natalie Rockwell, and Lawson Rowedder
- Grade 4 Saleem El Hachimi Alaoui
Crocker Community Stars!
We appreciate your time and braving any type of weather to keep our students safe!
Crocker Cruisers
If you would like to volunteer to help with cheering on the students and celebrating their accomplishments please visit the Crocker Volunteer Page to sign up!
Fun Photos!
CROCKER READS Guest Reader
Reading Buddies
Registration for 2023-2024
Registration for the 2023-24 school year opened February 3, 2023.
Please help us plan for next school year by completing before the end of this school year. The link above will take you to the registration page.
The registration process is best completed on a laptop or desktop computer; using a mobile device will not allow for registration to be completed. If you have questions, please contact the district registrar by email, or by phone, (515) 289-8955.
BACK-UP CLOTHING
Unforeseen accidents in the classroom, lunch room and playground can result in wet or soiled clothing. Please make sure your student(s) has the following back-up items in a grocery sack or large ziploc that can be kept in their locker for those unforeseen accidents.
Appropriate back-up clothing suggestions:
- Shirt
- Long pants
- Underwear
- Sock
- PE shoes
CROCKER PTO
Follow us!
We are now on Instagram at @crockerelementaryschool!
Make sure to give us a follow to stay updated on all things Crocker!
Attendance Reminder
STUDENT APPOINTMENTS AND DELIVERIES
If your student forgets to bring something needed that day for class, we ask that you ring the Aiphone doorbell and we will ask for you to put the items on the table just inside the door. Please label item with the student's name and teacher.
Please remember that delivery's of flowers, candy, balloons, or presents are not accepted for students as stated in the parent handbook and will be sent back with the delivery driver.
Water Bottles
LATE START WEDNESDAYS
TENNIS SHOES FOR PE
Register for School Cafe`
School café is a great resource for lunch information click here to register.
Register for TouchBase
VIRTUAL BACKPACK
The information distributed in the Virtual Backpack (vBackpack) is provided as a community service to inform members of the community of available activities or services. The majority of information included in the vBackpack is from community organizations. Community groups can submit their information within certain guidelines, governed by Board Policy #1004.25.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
March
10-17 - SPRING BREAK ~~ NO SCHOOL
20 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30
21 - Crocker Cruisers Resumes
Crocker Elementary
Email: cr.office@ankenyschools.org
Website: crocker.ankenyschools.org
Location: 2910 Southwest Applewood Street
Phone: 515-965-9710
Facebook: facebook.com/CrockerElementarySchool
Twitter: @AnkenyCrocker