PES Family Blog, Summer 2024

 Poynette Elementary School Staff are:

"Leaders in providing a positive, successful, and safe environment for ALL"

so our students can say,

"We are Pumas! I am learning and growing every day."

___________________________________________________________________________________

August 2024

We are so excited to see you again!  Last school year was great year and we continue to love learning and growing everyday. Thank you to the community for your continued support! We will continue to have a strong focus on student achievement and the development of all of our students across many areas. Following is some information about the upcoming school year. We look forward to working with you and your child(ren) this year.

4K Orientation and Great Start Conferences

• We have our 4K orientation on Thursday, August 22nd at 6 p.m. It will take place in the PES cafeteria and parents do not need to bring their child's supplies. Those can be brought at the Great Start Conferences.

• Students should have already received their teacher letter with their class assignment. IF you have not received a letter, please contact the school office at 635-4347 ext. 107 or 109.

• We are hosting our Great Start Conferences on August 29th from 10am- 7pm.  We have sent the schedule out via email, please sign-up for a time if you have not done so already.

Forms for Great Start Conferences

Our classroom teachers will have a form for you to fill out at Great Start Conferences if you choose to do so. The form is acknowledging that you have read our student handbook and the district's new AUP (Acceptable Use Policy). We do need a parent signature for both of these items. Here are links to the handbook and the policy so you can read them ahead of time if you wish.

2024-25 PES Student Handbook

School District AUP Policy

Packed with School Supplies Backpacks Available

You will hear from us throughout the year about how awesome our Parents' Club is. They start the year off with a bang, by offering fully packed backpacks. Our parents' club along with local businesses collect school supplies that our students need. The club then packs a with grade specific supplies and students can pick up the backpacks at Great Start Conferenes. If you would like to request a backpack, please call the school office at 608-635-4347 ext. 107 or 109.

School Directory

Another service that our PAD Parents' Club who does great work for us, offers is a student directory each year. If you would like your contact information to be available to other parents for birthday parties, playdates, etc., then you will want to get your name in the school directory. You can call the school office for more information. If you would like to be a part of our Parents' Club, please email the group at: Poynetteparentclub@gmail.com. They meet monthly at the Poynette Elementary School Cafeteria.

School Times/ Bus Loading and Pick- Up

Just a reminder that our school day runs from 8:10 a.m.- 3:10 p.m.  Instructional minutes are very important to us and school attendance is an important factor in student achievement.  Please make every effort to keep your children here at school. Students arriving late or leaving early on a consistent basis can accumulate many lost instructional minutes.  We ask that students please do not arrive at school until 8:00 a.m., when the first bell rings and the buses unload.  

We also have staff who will be available to help students find their way and arrive at their classrooms. We ask that parents drop their students off in the vestibule or office area and not walk around the hallways. This can create a safety concern and so for every one's safety we do not have parents' walking to classrooms.

Please click this link and watch a video about our Drop off and Pick up procedures at the front of our school. Also, please contact Go Riteway at (800) 236-5450 or email Rebecca Talley at portagebus@goriteway.com if you have any questions or concerns about busing.  

Attendance Information

We know that you have many hopes and dreams for your child’s success in school and beyond. To make sure those hopes and dreams are realized, we want to ask for your commitment to making sure your child attends school every day possible this year. The evidence is clear: children with good attendance are more likely to be successful in school. To accurately record attendance, we are asking that your child please bring a note from the doctor, dentist, or another designee to the office after an absence.  These absences will be marked MEDX and will not count towards your child’s absences. If your child is not feeling well, we do ask that you continue to keep your child home until they are feeling better. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the office. 

Student Safety Request

Last minute changes can be tough for our staff to handle and miscommunication can occur when dealing with pick ups or bus riders. We ask you to please notify the office by 2:30 p.m. on days that your child may have a different plan for going home. After 2:30 p.m., children will be instructed to follow their normal procedures.   We understand that life happens, and plans change, but the more notice the better.  The end of the day is very busy for our great secretaries and any early notice would be great for them.  Also please follow our pick-up and drop-off procedures at the front of our building.   

Insurance Option

Also, this year we have many field trips and great events planned.  We would like all of our students to be safe and protected. The School District offers Student Accident Insurance for any student who does not have medical insurance. Again you can contact the school office or district office for more information.

P.A.A.W.S. Program  (Poynette Area Adults Working with Students)

We are excited this year to again roll out this program that will encompass our school’s mentors, tutors, the WATCH D.O.G.S. and field trip volunteers.  We are really hoping to have a lot more adults participate this year! We can set up volunteer plans that are flexible, weekly, or day-long that will support our students.  Volunteers will have a T-shirt to wear for the day and also access to a free school lunch depending on your volunteer plan.  We have the saying on a wall in our school of “Strong Schools, Strong Communities”.  We would love to add your picture on our wall this year.  If you are intrigued by these offers or interested in volunteering at our school, please contact Mr. Hausser at 635-4347 ext. 100 or at jhaus@poynette.k12.wi.us.

In order to volunteer at our school or participate in a field trip, you need to pass our district background check.  These checks need to be completed every three years. Some of our parents/guardians will need an updated background check. If you are unsure of your status, you can contact the school office at 635-4347 ext. 107 or 109 to receive that information. The background check form is located on our website, here is the direct link:  Criminal Background Check for Volunteers.  We will seek additional volunteers in the Spring; continue to watch for communication updates.

We are so excited for the new school year and to see the learning and growth that will occur each and every day.  As always, please contact the school office if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you and Go Puma Nation!

Jay Hausser, Principal Lynn Sisco, Associate Principal

PES Family Blog May, 2024

We are Pumas, I am learning and growing everyday!

We have had some great activities happening here at school. A HUGE SHOUT OUT to Mrs. Ellis and our awesome Parents' Club. They have been fantastic to our students and staff this year. They just finished up some great Staff Appreciation activities this week and also led our "Pastries with Pretty Ladies" for kindergarteners on Friday, May 10, 2024. The PAD Parents' organization is a great group of people that have provided us with so many things this year, and they are not done yet!

What's Up at School?

BOGO Book Fair

Our wonderful Parents' Club is once again offering a Scholastic Book Fair. It features a buy one, get one free deal. We will be hosting the BOGO Scholastic Book Fair from May 21st to 23rd, from 3:10 PM to 7:30 PM each night. We have had so many successful events that the company wanted us to have even more. Thank you for supporting our literacy efforts and Parents' Club!

Thursday, May 16th and Friday, May 17, 2024- Superhero Fun Run

On Thursday, May 16th(4K) and  Friday, May 12th our (K- 4th grade) students will participate in our Superhero Fun Run. Students are encouraged to participate in the Fun Run and dress as a superhero for the day. The purpose of the run is to encourage healthy habits in our students and this is the only fundraiser that the school does for supporting any special projects at school. This year we hope to use the funds from this activity to add some professional motivational signage around the school, and furniture for an outdoor classroom. Donations for this fundraiser can be made at the following link:

PES Superhero Fun Run donation site.  

Students will be running around two loops at Poynette Elementary School. After they run, the students will have a healthy snack provided by our PAD Parents’ Club. Also, we will be able to have spectators this year. Teachers and staff members will also share photos of the day. We will have the rain date of Friday, May 24th.

Here is a link to the classroom schedule.  

4th Grade Walk-In

We are going to have a 4th-grade Walk-in on the last day of the school year. It will be similar to a walkout, but instead at the beginning of the day so families do not have to contend with end-of-the-day traffic. The community is invited to join us in the cafeteria to cheer on the 4th graders. The walk will commence shortly after 8:10 a.m.

Back Parking Lot

It has taken us a bit to get used to having two parking lots available. We apologize, but just wanted to let you know that we can use both of them. So if you arrive for field trips or other events during the day after 8:05 a.m. (when the buses are gone), you can definitely park behind the school in the bus loop. Please do not park in the fire lane at any time, but we can use both lots during the day and at night. Thanks for your patience, but we now have a routine down so the back doors are unlocked and supervised at these times. That way, you do not have to walk around the school to the front.

Upcoming Student Activities

May  

• 13th- 3rd Grade Field Trip- Knuteson/ Timmerman Olbrich Garden

• 16th- Kindergarten Field Trip to Aldo Leopold (8:30- 1:45 p.m.)

• 17th - 👕 Superhero Day; No 4K Classes

• 20th- Young Authors' Conference

• 20th- 3rd grade filed trip to Olbrich Gardens (Collins/Lindert/Manzi) (8:45- 12:45 p.m.)

• 21st - 2nd Grade Walking Fieldtrip in Poynette (9-10:45 a.m.)

• 24th - 👕 Brewer Day

• 27th - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

• 29th- 4th Grade Celebration Night (6-7 p.m.)

• 30th- 4K Fieldtrip to MacKenzie Center

• 31st- Poynette HS Senior Walk at the Elementary School (9:30ish)

• 31st - Sharing Writing Pieces with Reading Buddies

June

• 3rd- 3rd Grade Walking Fieldtrip (10- 12 p.m.)

• 3rd - Last Day of 4K

• 4th- 4th Grade Walk-In (8:10 a.m.)

• 4th - 👕 Puma Pride Day and Last Day of School & Early Release @ 12:30 p.m. 

Looking to help out at our School?

Field Trips and Volunteer Opportunities

We are excited that with Spring arriving we are going to be able to take some fieldtrips. However, it has been a while and so we wanted to remind you of the procedures. In order to volunteer at our school or go on a field trip, you need to pass our district background check. These checks need to be done every three years and some of our parents/ guardians are done with their last three-year window. If you are unsure of your status, you can contact the school office at 635-4347 ext. 107 or 109 to receive that information. If you have not filled out a form ever, then you can find one on our school district website. 

  Click Here:  Criminal Background Check for Volunteers 

PAD Parent Club

As we stated before, this outstanding organization that supports our schools in many different ways. They have donated/ provided many items from Chromebooks to road signs and so much more. This group is always looking for new members and meet monthly on the second Tuesday of the month during the school year.

Follow Us On Social Media

• Poynette Elementary School can be found on Instagram at: pes_pumas. Please follow us.
• The School District of Poynette also has a Facebook page for District information.

What's for Breakfast or Lunch?

Click Here: Breakfast/Lunch Menus

PES Family Blog March 2024

 Poynette Elementary School Staff are: 

"Leaders in providing a positive, successful, and safe environment for ALL"

so our students can say, 

"We are Pumas!  I am growing and learning every day."

It is hard to believe but time keeps flying. We surpassed the 100th day of school. There were special activities in some grade levels to celebrate this momentous occasion. We had another busy two months and look forward to finishing the year strong. We also have loved the nice weather for recess.

Conference Information 

• We do have conferences coming rather quickly on Thursday, March 7th.
• We are again using the District Google Document for sign-ups. The link is here.
• If you would like a conference please sign-up, and our teachers will honor it.
• If a teacher has requested a conference, we would really encourage you to attend.
• District-wide, we are asking that staff schedule 7:30 p.m. as the last time slot for a conference.
• If you have any questions or need assistance with signing up, please call the school office.

Upcoming Spring Concerts (New Times listed)

Please join us at Poynette Elementary School for Spring Concerts! We are trying something new this year with all concerts in the same week. Here is some more information:

• Students should report to their classroom at the arrival time.
• All concerts will be held in the elementary school gymnasium.
• Each concert will run roughly 30 minutes. We ask that the gym is cleared as quickly as possible.
• We will be utilizing both parking lots and door entrances to accommodate this system.
• There will be a letter coming home with even more information.

Grade	Date	Student Arrival Time	Concert Start Time
1st	Tues, March 12	5:45pm	6:00pm
2nd	Tues, March 12	6:45pm	7:00pm
3rd	Thurs, March 14	5:45pm	6:00pm
4th	Thurs, March 14	6:45pm	7:00pm

Upcoming Protective Behaviors Unit in Guidance Class

• As we do every year, our Second Step SEL program has a protective behaviors unit.
• This unit will be occurring in the last week of April and the beginning of May for all grades K-4th grade.
• The topics are similar for each grade level, but the examples used are age appropriate. 
• If you would like to see the lessons prior to your child participating please reach out to the school office.
• We will be sending home a letter in the middle of March that will have more details and will also contain an opt out signature sheet. 

Scholastic Book Fair During Conferences

Our wonderful Parents' Club is hosting our Spring Book Fair. It will be March 4th-7th/ M-W 3:10- 7 PM,  Thursday 1:15-8:00 p.m. during conferences. This is a great opportunity to purchase books and to also support reading in our schools. Please take a look at the attached letter linked here for even more information.

Summer School

We are gearing up for a great Summer School 2024 learning experience for our students in the School District of Poynette! Summer School will be hosted June 10th through June 27th, 2024. Some of our summer courses run for longer amounts of time or outside of our three-week summer school session. Be sure to pay attention to dates, meeting days and schedules when reviewing our course offerings online. We also offer Swimming lessons and Summer Reading programs. Teachers will be recommending courses at conferences and also following up with email as well. We hope that you seriously consider signing your child up for the recommended classes.
Registration Dates

• 4K-4th grade registration opens March 8st, 4pm and Closes March 22, 4pm
• Middle & High School registration opens April 1st, 4pm and Closes April 12, 4pm
• Swim Lesson registration opens April 22, 4pm and Closes May 3, 4pm

We hope by the 2nd week of April parents will know what their child’s elementary school schedule will be.
Registration and course requests for summer school are conducted via the Infinite Campus Portal. In order to be able to request courses, ensure that you are able to access the portal. For those families that have yet to create a portal account, visit this section of our website for more information on how to register: Creating a Portal Account. After the window closes, our team will load the requested courses to schedule students in sections, add any sections where feasible and notify families when courses are full. If you need help while registering for classes, you can view the Help documents for registration or view this help video.  Mr. Ferkovich is the summer school principal this year.  Please contact us at 608-635-4347 x411  or email Mr. Joel Ferkovich at jferk@poynette.k12.wi.us with any questions. We look forward to serving you. 

Student Podcasts

We have a few more podcasts that we have made:

Student Podcast/ Videocast #9- Cats and Packers

Student Podcast/ Videocast #10- Winter Activities

Student Podcast/ Videocast #11-Get To Know Officer Coleman

Student Podcast/Videocast #12-Get to Know Dr. Pritzl and Mrs. Schmudlach

Student Podcast/ Videocast #13- Get to Know Mrs. Kjorlie and Mr. Kartos

Student Podcast/Videocast#14- Famous People We Want to Meeet!

Important Dates Coming Up!

March - Youth Art Month

• 1st- Therapy Dogs Visit

• 4th- 7th- Scholastic Book Fair (after school)

• 7th - Second Trimester Ends (4K-4th); Early Release all grades @1:15 p.m.; P/T Conferences (1:30-8:00 p.m.)

• 8th - NO SCHOOL (Staff Professional Development)

• 11th - 👕 Primary Color Day (Wear red, blue, and/or yellow)

• 12th - 👕 Secondary Color Day (Wear orange, purple, and/or green)

• 12th- 1st Grade Concert at 6 p.m./ 2nd Grade Concert at 7 p.m.- PES Gymnasium

• 13th - 👕 Neutral Day (Wear brown, black, and/or white)

• 14th - 👕 Monochromatic Day (Wear as many shades of one color as you can!)

• 14th- 3rd Grade Concert at 6 p.m./ 4th Grade Concert at 7 p.m.-PES Gymnasium

• 15th - 👕 Pattern Day (Wear as many different patterns as possible)

• 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th - NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

Watch D.O.G.S. is Back

We are bringing back a very popular program to our school. Watch D.O.G.S. or Dads of Great Students is back. We are challenging our students' Dads out there to come to school and help out. The schedule can be flexible and can be for a half or full day. Check with your employers and many times they will give you a paid day to come. If interested, you can contact the office at 608-635-4347 ext. 107 or 109 to sign- up today.

PAD Parent Club

This is an outstanding organization that supports our schools in many different ways. They have donated/ provided many items from Chromebooks to road signs and so much more. This group is always looking for new members and meets monthly the 2nd Tuesday of the Month.

What's for Breakfast or Lunch?

Breakfast/Lunch Menus

Family Blog 1.5.2024

Poynette Elementary School Staff are: 

"Leaders in providing a positive, successful, and safe environment for ALL"

so our students can say, 

"We are Pumas!  I am learning and growing every day."

Poynette Elementary Continues to Strive for Excellence

We hope that you and your family had a great holiday break and enjoyed it as much as the 1st graders did watching some staff videos at our Winter Celebration. A huge THANK YOU to our Parents' Club for once again helping sponsor the cookies.

We are excited for what 2024 will bring for our staff and students. We were also very pleased with all of the hard work and effort that was put into 2023. We were extremely proud of our Significantly Exceeds Expectations that we received on our DPI School Report Card. At the same time, we know our work is not done and we will continue to be the best we can be while learning and growing every day!

Continuing to Grow in Math

In November 2023, Poynette 2nd - 5th grade students participated in the Noetic Math Learning Contest which is a national contest to emphasize that being talented at math is cool!  Students answer 20 very challenging, out-of-the-box type questions in 45 minutes.  Students in the Top 50% of the nation receive National Honorable Mention with a certificate and a ribbon.  Students in the Top 10% of the nation receive the National Honor Roll with a medal.  The top score in each grade also receives a team winner medal.

Congratulations are in order for the following students who all earned National Honorable Mention (Top 50%), except where noted for the Top 10%:

2nd grade:

Sophia H., Jase S., Charlotte Z., Joel S., Hazel L (Team Winner), Mae K., and Nora K.

3rd grade:

Crosby J. (Team Winner), Kirby S., Aiden M., Kira S., Sadie D., and Kelsey T.

4th grade:

Bella S., Austyn M., Lily M., Bristol R., Navelle D., Lyndzee J., Ella T., Quinn F., Liam E., Callen K., Harlan K. (Top 10%), Kaden K. (Top 10% and Team Winner), Argus V.

We are so proud of these students. Also, a special Thank You to Mrs. Kennedy for providing this opportnuity for our students.

Some New Assessments This Year!

We continue to look for ways to improve our students' academic success. We rely on data to help guide our instruction, and we have found some new ways to collect data. 

IXL-3rd and 4th Graders

This year, our 3rd and 4th graders have been using a program called IXL. This assessment helps gather data on the literacy and math skills of our students. It also allows us to target specific skill activities that teachers can assign to individual students. There is also an option for students to practice the skills at home. These assessments and practice are done on a Chromebook. If you are interested, more information can be found at IXL.com.

Fastbridge- 4K-3rd Grade

Since we did not renew our contract with our old assessment, STAR, we are going to be using a new one this year. The teachers have and will continue to work hard to be trained in implementing this assessment correctly. This assessment is different in the fact that some of it is given knee-to-knee. This means that a computer is not used, and the student reads or answers questions directly for the teacher to hear. We are excited since this will provide us with better information about our students' math and literacy skills. There is also an intervention piece to this assessment that we believe will support our students who have not yet learned the information, as well as those who have. If interested, more information can be found at Illuminate Education.

Since these assessments are new to us, we ask for some grace and time. We will definitely be sharing the data and information with you, but we do not have a timetable right now. Our goal is to have the Fastbridge assessments administered to our students by the middle of February.

Report Cards

You should have received your child's report card in the mail in December. We will be mailing them out after each trimester. We hope that you take a look at them and if you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or the school office.

Student Podcasts

We have a few more podcasts that we have made:

Student Podcast #5- Holiday Presents

Student Podcast #6-Pranks on People

Student Podcast #7-YouTubeCharacters

Student Podcast #8- Holiday Gifts

How to handle student illness? 

It is that time of year, when we see an uptick in illness around the state and our school.  Here is some great information from our district nurse, Mrs. Newell, about how to navigate this tricky time.

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

I would like to remind you of some guidelines about when to keep your child home from school.

When should I keep my student home from school?

• Common cold – irritated throat, watery discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, chills and/or general body aches. Keep your child home if symptoms are serious enough to interfere with your child’s ability to learn. Seek care from the doctor if symptoms persist beyond 7-10 days, fever or cough producing phlegm develops, or nasal discharge becomes yellow or green.

• Vomits two or more times or has diarrhea in the last 24 hours

• Oral temperature equal or higher than 100 degrees (before taking medication such as Tylenol or Advil) Must be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of a fever reducing agent before returning to school.

• Coughs almost constantly or complains of difficulty breathing or rapid breathing

• Sores on skin or mouth that are crusty, yellow, or draining(Impetigo)

• Symptoms of a contagious illness such as hand,foot and mouth disease,chicken pox, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough). May return as directed after evaluation by healthcare provider

• Constant runny nose with green or yellow discharge

• Unexplained skin rash (any location on body) unless evaluated by a healthcare provider with permission to return to school

• Skin rash with a fever

• Red eye(s) with crusting or green or yellow discharge drainage

• Diagnosed contagious illness (such as, but not limited to, strep throat or pertussis) until antibiotics are taken for 24 hours or as otherwise directed by healthcare provider

• Chicken pox – all lesions must be crusted over – no draining lesions

January

• 1st - NO SCHOOL

• 2nd - Classes Resume

• 12th - 👕 Puma Pride / School Spirit Day & Reading Buddies

• 15th - NO SCHOOL (MLK Day)

• 22nd - NO SCHOOL (Staff Professional Development)

February  

• 2nd - Make Valentines with Reading Buddies

• 14th - 👕 Hat Day

P.A.A.W.S. Program Still Looking for Volunteers

We have only 1 volunteer that is working with our students on a regular basis. We would sure love to have a lot more. If you are interested in working with students under our P.A.A.W.S. (Poynette Area Adults Working with Students) program, please contact our school office.  The schedule can be flexilbe. You can contact the office at 608-635-4347 ext. 107 or 109 to sign- up today.

PAD Parent Club

This is an outstanding organization that supports our schools in many different ways. They have donated/ provided many items from Chromebooks to road signs and so much more. This group is always looking for new members and meets monthly the 2nd Tuesday of the Month.

What's for Breakfast or Lunch?

Breakfast/Lunch Menus