Foothills Elementary PTA

Hey, cut that out!
Get your scissors out and get clipping Box Tops and Campbell's Labels! We are having a contest for 7 weeks, starting August 23rd, to see which class can collect the most! Glue the Box Tops to a collection sheet or simply put them in a ziploc bag and turn them in to your teacher! Cut the Campbell's Labels UPC code off of participating products, such as: Campbell's soup, Spaghettio's, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers, Prego Sauce, V8 & V8 Splash caps and Swanson broth/stock/canned chicken. (Links to Box Top collection sheets and Campbell's Labels product lists can be found at the Foothills PTA website.) Turn in Box Tops and Campbell's Labels UPC codes to your teacher. Contest ends at the start of school on October 8th. The winning class will receive mini-pumpkins and a story from Mrs. Yost. (Feel free to ask your grandparents and other relatives to help your class win!)

FYI: Watch the PTA website and future newsletters to see what last year's money was spent on. During the 2009-10 school year we raised $3,012 (cash!) from Box Tops. Last year Foothills Elementary was ranked #19 of #969 in the state of Utah for most Box Tops collected. The teachers at Foothills Elementary were recently told they each get to spend $2 per student (in their class this year) on whatever they choose. Your children get the reward from all your hard work cutting and collecting Box Tops! We will be reporting to you what each teacher/grade purchased with the money and how it will benefit the students. We earned 8850 points with Campbell's Labels which is used towards their merchandise. We "banked" those points and will adding to our total this year. We hope to earn enough points so when we redeem them it allows every classroom to get something they can use, such as PE equipment, art supplies, etc.

Smith's Earn and Learn

Our school is participating in the Smith's Earn and Learn program again this year. Even if you enrolled last year you MUST ENROLL AGAIN for the 2010-2011 school year. An information sheet and bar code was included in the Back to School packets. Take the bar code with you next time you shop and have the cashier scan it. It's as simple as that! Or you can sign up online at the Smith's site.

First Day Openhouse This letter was sent to parents:

"The new school year is almost here and we are excite to invite you to our "First Day Open House". This 'Open House' will take the place of the traditional 'Back to School Night'. The format however will remain basically the same. We will invite students and parents to visit student's classrooms for a short presentation. We will schedule 3 presentations from 8:30 to 9:30. At 9:30 students will line up outside by their grade doors or portable classroom and their school day will begin. Parents will be invited to go to the gym for a short PTA meeting."

The letter also encourages parents and students to walk that day to avoid traffic, and invites students to play on the playground after they have visited their teachers (supervision WILL be provided). Kindergarten students will meet their teachers at the one on one interviews and 1st grade students will also be meeting their teachers at the individually scheduled interview.

The letter is signed: Mrs. Yost, Mr. Hansen

July-August School Lunch Calendar

Click on image to enlarge and print.

On the information bar above is a link to a printable lunch deposit slip. Deposit slips are also available in the front office.

"When making lunch deposits, students must bring cash or check and a deposit slip in a sealed envelope or baggie. The following information should be included on a deposit slip: Student's first and last name, personal lunch account number, grade, teacher, check #, and total dollar amount for each child. You can fill out one deposit slip for all of your children with one check." Foothills Cafeteria

Cost for a lunch is $1.75 per day or $8.75 a week. Reduced lunch is $.40 per day or $2.00 a week.

Notes from a Librarian: Reluctant Readers Helping Reluctant Readers
It is a fact that some kids really don’t like to read. Sometimes it is because they are not good readers and reading is a struggle. Other kids would just rather do something else. Being a good reader takes practice, and if a child doesn’t read well it makes every aspect of school harder. Assignments take longer and it is harder to finish reading based tests. Even after schooling is complete reading opens the door to lifelong learning. If parents can help a child become a reader, it blesses the child for the rest of their life. Here are some suggestions for helping reluctant readers discover the joy of reading.

Let the child read what they want to read.
One day at the library a woman came to the desk and said that her son hated to read (her son was standing next to her). One of the librarians smiled and said, “Let me see if I can find something that will interest him.” She went into the stacks and came back with a nonfiction book about mummies. The boy’s eyes lit up, he snatched the book out of the librarian’s hands and said, “Wow, Cool!” The mother rolled her eyes and said, “I don’t want him to read that kind of garbage,” gave the book back to the librarian and stormed off.

Some kids prefer to read nonfiction.
Some kids, especially boys, cannot be bothered with stories that “are not real.” Reading fiction seems like a waste of time to them. The best book for this kind of child might be a nonfiction book about a topic of particular interest to them. In the last 20 years nonfiction books have become very appealing. They have great color illustrations and interesting interactive formats. Also, they are often shorter than a novel, so they are less intimidating for a slower reader.

The best book might not be a book.
Provo library has an outreach program at the juvenile detention center. Some of the tough kids there wouldn’t be caught dead reading a book, so each time the librarian visits she brings a big stack of magazines. Even the coolest kid is OK about being seen with a Sports Illustrated or Popular Mechanics. The library has a wide range of magazines for kids like American Girl or National Geographic Kids.

Try a recorded book.
A lady came into the library who was concerned about her son’s reading. He was dyslexic and reading for him was slow and difficult. I suggested that she try recorded books, so she chose some books on CD and also checked out the paper version of the same books. As the boy listened to the books he followed the text on the page. It turned out that he really liked listening to the stories, and as he followed along his reading skills improved. After about a year, he began to read paper books independently. This is a good trick, especially when a child is required to read a book for school that may be too difficult for him/her.

Resist the temptation to recommend a book you loved as a child.
There may be books you loved as a child and you feel eager to share them with your own children. That is fine for a child that is a confident reader, but a bad idea for a reluctant reader. The pace of writing in children’s books has really increased since we were children. Books like Anne of Green Gables or Treasure Island will seem painfully slow to a modern child. The best way to find faster paced books for modern kids is to ask a librarian. Another great resource for boys is Jon Sciescka’s web site, www.guysread.com, and for teens, the YALSA website (just google the term, YALSA).

Donna Cardon is a children's librarian at Provo City Library and a well known children's book critic. We'd like to thank her for allowing us to republish her articles for our readers.

Foothills PTA makes every effort to ensure that links to other websites are appropriate. However, Foothills P'TA can not be held responsible for the content on other websites.

Spend the Summer Getting an Early Start on Reflections

Reflections is a nationwide arts program sponsored by PTA. The program “provides opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for their artistic efforts.” (http://www.pta.org/)

The theme for Reflections 2010-2011 is "Together we can..."

Every student is invited to enter as many or as few of the eight categories as they would like (only one entry per category, each entry is the work of only ONE student). The categories are: Literature, Musical Composition, Photography, Visual Arts, Dance, Film/Video, Theater, and 3D-Art.

This last year we had two Foothill's students that made it all the way to the State Level with their entries! This year we can do even better!

Entries are usually due in November.

Last Day of School: Friday, July 2nd The last day of school for 1st - 6th grade is Friday, July 2.

On Friday, July 2nd, School will be 8:25am - 12:30pm (earlier out than usual).

Lunch will NOT be served.

Kindergarten's last day is Thursday, July 1, 2010 (Regular Hours)

School starts again on July 26th A,B,C tracks and Aug 16th for D.

Field Day is this Wednesday, June 30th A fun Foothills field day will be held the morning of June 30th for B,C, and D tracks. Make sure your children have plenty of sun screen and wear clothes that can get wet.

Notes from a Librarian: Summer Reading Research has shown that kids that don’t read over the summer can lose as much as three months of reading progress they had gained during the school year. When that loss is compounded year after year, it can put kids who don’t read over the summer at a marked disadvantage. How do you get kids to read over the summer? When children like to read, simply going to library often and getting them a fresh supply of new titles is enough to keep them reading. Reluctant readers may need more encouragement. You can get involved with summer reading incentive programs at the library, or create your own program. Another strategy may be to require that a certain amount of reading be accomplished before computer or TV time. The most important thing is to match children up with books (or magazines) that really spark their interest. Here are some hot new titles to try this summer.

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley.
Jack is one of the most popular kids at school, until he gets orthodontia. Then suddenly he finds himself outcast and part of the social group he had always persecuted. He soon realizes that there is more to the school nerds than he ever imagined. They are really international spies with James Bond like skills and gadgets who are on a mission to save the world from an evil mastermind. (Grades 3-6)

Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede
Here is a new book from one of my favorite children’s fantasy authors. The fantasy world in this book is based on 1850’s America but it is an alternate reality where magic is a normal part of life. Eff lives on the frontier with her very large family. Her twin in a seventh son of a seventh son, and so has amazing magical powers. Eff, as the 13th child, fears that she will someday go bad and bring ruin on her family. (Grades 5-8)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
This is the Newbery award winner from this year. It is a tightly woven mystery that delves into the realm of science fiction. It is also about the complicated relationships between the 12 year old Miranda, her friends, her mother, and a homeless man who hangs out in front of her New York apartment. (Grades 6-8)

The Roar by Emma Clayton
Mika lives in a dark and damp slum of London. Most of the world has been destroyed by a terrible animal plague 30 years previously so now all the earth’s population has to crowd into a few densely populated cities. Mika’s twin disappeared more than a year before the story starts, but Mika believes she is still alive and will do anything to find her. This is an intense science fiction mystery with an environmental message for teens. (Grades 7-10)

Forbidden Sea by Sheila Nielson
This one was written by my dear friend, and fellow Provo City librarian. It will be published by Scholastic in July, but I have already read it and I think it will do very well. It is about a girl who lives in 18th century England on a small island. Her family is having difficult times, and Adrianne works hard to hold everything together. When her sister is almost stolen by a mermaid, Adrianne knows that it is up to her to keep her sister safe. We will be having a release party for Sheila at the Provo Library on July 12th. It is open to the public and it is your chance to hear how the story came about and to get a signed copy. (Grades 7-10)

Webmaster Note: This site has received permission to reprint a series of articles written by Donna Cardon, a Children's Librarian at Provo City Library, and a well known Children's Book Reviewer. Check back to this site for future articles.

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