December Newsletter 2022

Amy Belle Elementary

Principal's Corner-Mrs. Kohel

Dear Families,

December is a magical time in an elementary school! The excitement around all of the various holidays and traditions that families take part in builds throughout the month. The cold weather has also come in with the start of December. Although it causes some additional challenges, I am hoping for another round of snow this month. The students love to build and play in the snow at recess. It is so much fun to see them enjoying the outdoors and embracing winter. Please make sure that you are always sending in appropriate outdoor clothing so that your child is able to take part in the fun! If you need help getting outdoor gear for your child, please reach out to me.

Building a sense of community at Amy Belle School is a priority, and we foster this through whole school activities like our monthly Belle Fest assemblies. In November we focused on what we are grateful for which included how we can serve our greater community through our food drive. At the November Belle Fest the students were able to see the amount of food that was donated. We also had someone from the Food Pantry speak to the students and explain to them how their donations helped families within the community. We continue talking about service this month, with the Kapco Toy drive that is taking place. This ties right in with our December character focus of empathy. We define empathy as understanding and connecting to other peoples' feelings. Ask your child what it means to have empathy and ways that they practice empathy in different environments.

I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing break with family and friends later this month. If you ever have any questions or concerns, always reach out to a staff member or to me. We are here to work with you on behalf of all of our students to make their learning experiences the best they can be!

Happy Holidays,

Katie Kohel

Counselor Corner

During Classroom Guidance Lessons (Grades 5K-4) students have recently learned to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Students also learned how to take another’s perspective and how to show compassion. Coming up, we will be learning more about the specific skill of calming down when experiencing strong emotions such as anxiety or anger. Students who can identify their emotions tend to be more socially and emotionally competent. It is always helpful to model healthy coping strategies to our children at home as well. This can be done by talking about how you are feeling and how you cope with challenges. For example, “This is hard for me right now, I am going to take a break to cool off, so I don’t say something hurtful.” Some parents have even added ‘Calm Down’ spaces in their homes to help their children develop a plan and try strategies while they have big emotions. Feel free to check out my website to learn more about our classroom guidance lessons and find other helpful parenting resources.

Link to my website

Jennifer Runde, School Counselor

jrunde@gsdwi.org

December Spirit Wear Days

Thursday's

12/1 - winter/holiday colors

12/8 - winter/holiday accessories

12/15 - winter/holiday sweater

Wednesday

12/21 - winter/holidays PJ's

Kids Night Out

A Kids Night Out, hosted by Boy Scout Troop 165.

Drop off your K-5th Grader for a night out of fun-filled games Including: Football Toss, Human Foosball, Box hockey, Super Jenga and Hot Wheels racing.

Event takes place next Friday, December 2nd, see details on flyer attached.

Kids 2 Kids Toy Drive

Amy Belle, under the leadership of K-Kids, will be collecting new, unopened toys from November 30th thru December 8th. Kapco Metal Stamping will pick up our toys and bring along some visitors! They will work with the Salvation Army and Newsradio 620 WTMJ regarding toy distribution. If you can, please help brighten the holiday for a child who is less fortunate.

Please use the link below to see more information regarding their festive event you may be interested in, located in in Grafton.

Kapko Kids 2 Kids Events

Destination Imagination Candy Cane Sale

Amy Belle Destination Imagination teams will be selling Candy Cane Grams for $1.00 during the lunch/recess hours on December 19 th 20 th 21 st and 22 nd . This is fund raising event for all teams. We appreciate your support.

Candy canes will have cards attached for students to write messages to students and staff.

Watch for details on flyer. Questions contact Jill North 414-881-7449 or jnorth@wisconsindi.org

Event Information

PTA Booster Night - Chipotle

Please join us for a PTA Booster event at Chipotle in Menomonee Falls on Wednesday December 21st from 4-8PM. Please be sure to MENTION Amy Belle when paying in person. More information coming home as we get closer. Thank you for your support!

When?