MES Weekly Scoop

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its entire life believing it is stupid. (Albert Einstein)

Every child has their own talents. It is up to all of us to help children find their talents and inspire them to use those talents to be great.

Black Bat -- Miss Kroeger

Pink Ice Cream -- Mrs. Hawkins

rainbow Fish -- Mrs. Keenan

This week Bruno and I had the pleasure of visiting a few classrooms, including Mrs. A's preschool class! He had a great time visiting the children and listening as I read the book "Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs" by Wendy Wahman. The story describes the do's and don'ts of meeting new dogs, explains certain behaviors dogs may display, and how to react and stay safe. These are great reminders not only for Bruno, but for all dogs the students may interact with. It was a great day to be Bruno!

During library time, we've been reading books about monsters, pumpkins, Day of the Dead, and Darth Vader! Kindergarteners sang and danced their way through If You're a Monster and You Know It, and then designed their own monster friend. 1st graders got to sample pumpkin soup after they read a book called Pumpkin Soup (we had a lot of brave 1st graders try the soup, but there were mixed reviews!) 2nd graders compared and contrasted Spookley the Square Pumpkin book with the movie, then designed a new Spookley. 3rd graders read a book about Dia de los Muertas (Day of the Dead) and decorated a pennant that is hung up in the library for decoration. This week the 3rd graders listened to the book Are You Scared, Darth Vader? and then followed a directed drawing to draw Darth Vader. 4th graders read Widow's Broom and followed a video to try to recreate the widow's broom using string. 5th and 6th graders have been exploring creepy stories, and the 6th graders tried a digital escape room!

4th, 5th, and 6th graders also all started the Bulldog Reading Challenge, where each student reads a specific genre of book and takes the Accelerated Reader test. If everyone in their class receives an 80% or above, they get a class celebration! So far no one has achieved the goal, but we have a few classes that are VERY close!

We also have 6th grade helpers that come in every afternoon. They've been helping Mrs Kennan with the shelving most days, because we check in and out an average of 190 books a day! WOW!

WE HAVE A SAFETY OFFICER TO PATROL THE SCHOOL GROUNDS DURING DISMISSAL AND STUDENT PICK-UP TIME. TRAFFIC (VEHICLE SPEED, ETC.) AND CROSSWALKS WILL BE AN EMPHASIS. THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

Ashley Rengstorf teaches third grade here at MES. She has been in this position for 8 years. Ashley serves on many school improvement committees and is always willing to help out. She mentors new teachers and is always a friendly voice and face that others can turn to. She is great with her students and they work well for her. She has an easy going spirit about her that creates a great learning environment for her classroom. Thank you Ashley for all your hard work.

Robert Shelburne is a special education teacher here at MES. Rob has worked at USD 364 for 6 years and is in his second year at MES. He has a lot of experience in teaching students with behavior concerns. Mr. Shelburne does a great job of relating to his students and helping them meet expectations. Thank you Rob for making MES a special place.

Big thank you to all of our food service people for all their hard work preparing great meals for our students.

Monday: No School

Tuesday: Cheeseburger or House Salad, French Fries, Baked Beans, Fruit Cup, Milk

Wednesday: Chicken Tetrazini or House Salad, Garlic Bread, Carrots, Cinn Apples, Milk

Thursday: Quesadilla Pizza or House Salad, Tator Tots, Baked Beans, Orange Slices, Milk

Friday: Chicken Strips, wheat Roll, Or Uncrustable, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn, Peaches, Milk

Asking for time to cool down

1. Recognize how you are feeling

2. Calmly get the attention of an adult

3. Ask Politely, "I feel like I need a break, I am getting upset". May I please have a few minutes to calm down

4. If the answer is yes, Take a few minutes to quietly use the time given to use your calming techniques to calm down

5. If the answer is No, Accept No for an answer and calmly remain quiet