Hinton 4-6 Newsletter

Hello Blackhawks! It is hard to believe but we are soon approaching the end of the first nine weeks. Students have been working real hard to start the year. As the seasons change please have your child(ren) prepared for outside recesses and the elements.

Parents if you would like to help our school and be a member of the School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) please let me know. This committee meets 3-4 times per year to discuss how to improve our school.

Please check your child(rens) lunch accounts regulary. Kids are welcome to seconds, however, if the lunch account is negative then seconds will be denied. Also, sixth graders are able to purchase flavored bottled water. Those purchases do add up so please discuss this with your student(s). We have five microwaves that are used during lunch. Please educate your child on the "how to" and be ing prepared when cooking food. We are seeing students forget bowls or plates when preparing food. The school does not have those available. We do not allow outside drinks unless students bring cold lunch (no soda.)

Our school wide PBIS positive behavior celebration will be held October 17. The entire 4-6 student body along with staff will be attending the Sioux City Muskies Hockey game at 11AM. Students will eat a sack lunch during the game and will return back to the school in time for dismissal. Information will be sent home with the students.

Our fall sports teams have had a great season so far. War Eagle Conference Championships in volleyball and girls cross country. Our football team also made the playoffs. As we approach post season tournament time please remember that all tickets will need to be purchased electronically. Many places do not honor cash at the door. More to come out later when those events occur.

As always should you have any concerns or questions you can reach me at brian.dejong@hintonschool.com or 712-947-4428

Mr. DeJong

4-6 Principal

This year you will be seeing 2 Students of the Month from each classroom. Student selection will be based on the Word of the Month. September's word was respect. Classmates and the teacher each selected a student that they felt did a great job showing respect.

October's word of the month is responsibility.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 16 and 17. We will dismiss school at 2:20 on both days. Conferences can be scheduled between 3:30 and 7:30 each evening. There will be no school for staff or students on Friday, October 21. Parents will schedule their conferences electronically at www.myconferencetime.com/hintonschool . We ask that parents be on-time for their conferences and end on time to be respectful of all of our families’ time. If more time is needed to discuss something more in-depth, a follow up meeting can be scheduled.

The fourth annual Trunk or Treat will take place for the 4-6 graders on Monday, October 30. If you would like to participate and decorate your trunk for this event, please call Janet at 947-4428 to reserve a spot. There are 20 available spots. If you are unavailable to come, but would like to help out, candy donations are being accepted for the treaters. You will need to be set up by 2:30. There are approximately 185 students. Everyone is sure to have a ghoulish good time

There is a new method for ordering school pictures this year. Your student should have brought home a flyer from school earlier this week that has the proof of their picture on various backgrounds. You will be able to choose your background and photo package then order your pictures on-line. These orders are due by October 13. The pictures will be mailed directly to your home. Picture retakes are scheduled for October 23.

As we are full swing into school, it’s time to check in with families on their homework routines for their children. Research has shown that there are some best practices for children completing work and practicing skills at home.

1. Find a quiet location where the student can focus - a student desk, a work tray, a corner of the kitchen table

2. Clear away distractions: turn off the tv, remove toys and electronics

3. Set up a homework center with necessary materials- lined paper, a school box with sharpened pencils, eraser, calculator, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, etc.

4. Establish a homework time: some students need to take some time for exercise and a snack while others work best immediately after school. Choosing a time as early in the evening as possible can avoid fatigue and frustration.

5. Establish a daily/weekly homework schedule: create a calendar and mark any upcoming tests and establish practice expectations. Examples: read vocabulary words & definitions, read spelling words and write 2 times - circling the words that are most difficult, practice math facts for 5 minutes, read for 20 minutes, test tomorrow - read and rewrite notes.

Ag in the Classroom began in September for second and fourth graders at Hinton and surrounding schools. In rural Iowa, we are surrounded by agriculture and its impact on America's economy every day, yet many children in our region are still unsure of the origin of their food. It's not uncommon for today's youth to believe chocolate milk is produced by brown cows - or even more surprising - the grocery store. This growing issue becomes more apparent as each day passes. Thus, Siouxland Agriculture in the Classroom was created. A group of individuals who saw the need for increased agriculture education came together to create a non-profit organization to address this issue. We work to lessen the gap between producer and consumer that is so prominent is today's society. The programming provided by our organization gives students in the area the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and recognize the vital role agriculture plays in our lives. These youth are America's future buyers, voters and influencers. We need them to understand the importance of agriculture!

The 5th grade class spent a day at Hillview doing team-building activities. They rotated through different activities learning how to work together. We talked about our strengths and how to use those strengths to become a better team. The students got to try their skills in canoeing and orienteering.

Sixth-grade students had the opportunity to attend a presentation at the Le Mars Museum on September 29th. The "Birds of Prey" put on by the Regalia International out of Oklahoma presented several birds of different species. This unique opportunity allowed students to learn and observe birds that are not native to our area. After the presentation, the sixth graders enjoyed a lunch outdoors to finish out their field trip.

The 4th-6th Student Council will be hosting their annual food drive in October and Holiday Helpers in November. If your family could use assistance with food, clothing, coats, snow pants, or boots please contact Danica Held (danica.held@hintonschool.com). We would be more than happy to help support your family and get you the items that you need!