In This Issue
  IMPORTANT DATES  
Jan. 26, 5:00-7:00 PM - PWS Family Night

Jan. 27 - Lifetouch Casual Individual & Classroom Group Pictures

Feb. 1, 4:30-8:30 PM - Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night

Feb. 2, 7:30-8:30 AM - Breakfast with Dad (Kdg-2nd)

Feb. 3, 7:30-8:30 AM - Breakfast with Dad (3rd-5th)

Feb. 9, 6:30-7:30 PM - 1st Grade Music Program (MHS Auditorium)
7:30-8:30 PM - 2nd Grade Music Program (MHS Auditorium)

Feb. 10, 10:45-11:45 AM - Valentine's Party (AM Kdg)
2:45-3:45 PM - Valentine's Parties (PM Kdg, AD Kdg, 1st-5th)

Feb. 13, 9:30 AM -2:30 PM - City Arts (2nd Grade)

Feb. 15, 4:00-8:00 PM - P/T Conferences

Feb. 16, Noon-8:00 PM - P/T Conferences - NO SCHOOL

Feb. 17 - Conference Comp Day - NO SCHOOL

Feb. 23, 9:15 AM - 2:00 PM - Exploration Place Field Trip (4th Grade)
4:30-8:30 PM - Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night!

Feb. 24, 1:30-7:00 PM - Pie Pick Up Day

 


 Mission :

The mission of Maize USD 266 is to inspire students to discover their potential through connecting, learning and leading.


 

QUICK WEB LINKS

The Pray-Woodman Way

January24, 2017

Volume 21, Issue 5
  
Pray-Woodman Elementary  
605 W. Academy Ave.
Maize, KS  67101

(316) 721-0902
 
 
 
  


A Note from Nils...


Welcome back! We hope that the new year is off to a great start for your family!

Special thanks to our awesome PWS PTO!! They recently donated 30 Chromebook computers for our Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade classrooms. These devices will enable our teachers to utilize small group instruction more effectively. We have also received two carts of Chromebooks to use with 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade students from district funds. We are getting closer to our long-term goal of having a device for every student.

Two special events are coming up for our Dads. Breakfast with Dad is Feb. 2 (K-2) and Feb. 3 (3-5). We hope you can join us! We are getting ready to start a special program for Dads. We will have a pizza party for Dads and their PWS kids on Thursday evening, March 9 to launch the WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program. We hope you can come learn more about this exciting program and get signed up to be one of our daily WATCH D.O.G.S.

We hope your family can come to our Mad Scientist Family Night on Thursday, Jan 26 from 5:00-7:00. Come enjoy some exciting learning activities with your kids. Exploration Place is providing lots of fun learning activities and see if your family can solve some exciting mysteries to open the break-out boxes.

We're looking forward to a great second semester!!!!



Nils Gabrielson
Principal
Pray-Woodman Elementary School 
Maize, Kansas
316-350-2603 
MUSIC NOTES
Snow Show!
February 9th, 2017
1st Grades at 6:30 p.m.
Hill, Hubert, H. Johnson, & Sidwell
2nd Grades at 7:30 p.m.
A ndrus, Eikelman, Hobbs, & A. Johnso
n
Maize High School Auditorium
PWS FAMILY NIGHT
-Save the Date-
PWS Family Night
"Mad Scientist"

Thursday, January 26th
5:00 PM-7:00 PM

 
PTO NEWS

Parents,

Thank you for all the support you have shown by attending the spirit nights and skate nights, these have helped us a lot. We hope that you have enjoyed the time with fellow PWS families like we have. 

You may have gotten a flyer this week for the Dillon's contest, if not be on the look out for it in your child's backpack. We would like to have all our PWS families link their Dillon's shopper card to our school. Dillon's then gives us a donation based on how many families are signed up for our school. This needs to be renewed each year so now is as good a time as any. Be sure you ask your other family members to link theirs as well. The grade with the most families participating will earn an extra recess and a treat. The instructions are on the form as well as further down in this newsletter. It just takes a minute!

The upcoming fundraiser that PTO is doing is selling Carriage Crossing homemade pies. Although we have stayed clear of sales we had popular demand for these yummy pies! We will not be having any incentive prizes to motivate the kids. We feel the delicious pies are the reward. We don't want any pressure on the children to make sales if they, or you are uncomfortable with it. The pie order forms will be coming home soon and they will be due on February 6th. Pick up will be on February 24th from 4-6pm at the school cafeteria. We will be asking for volunteers to help that day so mark your calendar and come help out if you can.

Our next PTO meeting is on Thursday, January 19th, from 6:30-7:30 pm. If you want to get your voice heard or help out please join us! You can also like our Facebook page to be sure you stay up to date with what we have going on, just look for PWSPTO. Our email is pwspto@yahoo.com.

Thanks again!

Petrissa Palmer PTO President
Taryn Myers PTO Vice-President
GIRLS ON THE RUN

The Pray-Woodman Girls on the Run team is looking for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls that are ready to be part of something great! Girls on the Run is a 10-week program that focuses on the importance of developing a well-balanced and healthy young girl and incorporates training for a 5k. Practices will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4 to 5:30. More information will be coming home about the program, along with important dates. You can sign-up starting on January 28th. There are only 15 spots available and they will fill up quickly! For more information or questions please contact Angie Baird at abaird@usd266.com.
PWS TEACHERS WIN GRANT
Pray-Woodman Teachers Win $10,000 Grant For Teacher-Led Coaching Model



Pray-Woodman Elementary School teachers Angela Knapp, left, and Crystal May have won $10,000 for their grant Peer Coaching to Implement Effective Teaching Strategies.

The Teacher Impact Grant comes from the ASCD, the nonprofit Alexandria, Virginia-based organization, formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Maize USD 266 project will create a teacher-led coaching model that will allow teachers to collaborate with certified math trainers and master teachers to help build conceptual understanding of grade-level standards. The program is part of Teach to Lead, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, ASCD, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Earlier this month, Mrs. Knapp and Mrs. May traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. Congratulations to them

Click on the link below to access the Wichita Eagle article.
http://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article124134469.html



EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Wanted: Substitute teachers!

Maize USD 266 is looking for substitute teachers. If you are available for occasional work during the school day and enjoy working with students and being in schools, please consider joining us as a sub! We are especially in need of subs for our elementary schools. Please share this information and encourage qualified candidates you know to apply.

Our subs:
* are paid $95 a day.
* have the option of indicating specific schools, grade levels, etc. they would like to work with.
* always have the option to pass on subbing opportunities that may not meet their interest and/or schedule. 
* must have either their current teaching license or a Kansas State Department of Education-issued Emergency Substitute License, available to those who have at least 60 hours of college credit or a degree (that does not have to be in education).

Interested? Please contact Debbie Stiverson at  dstiverson@usd266.com  or 316-722-0614.
NOTES FROM THE NURSE
It's January and we are definitely experiencing cold temperatures. It can be a real shock to the system to step out into the cold, chilly air. In order to keep your kids from missing school, it is important that you dress them appropriately. Here at Pray-Woodman, if the wind chill is 19 degrees or lower, we will have indoor recess. Although this helps, kids can still be subjected to some pretty cold temperatures. It is very important to bundle up your kids before they leave for school. Dress them in layers so that they will be comfortable both inside and outside. In general, children should be wearing at least one more layer than adults. Keeping students warm is the first step in keeping them healthy. It is my number one priority, as you child's school nurse, that each child remains in the classroom as much as possible. Let's work together to keep all of the students at Pray-Woodman warm and safe this winter season.

Alli Lampkin, RN
LIBRARY LOWDOWN

Calling all readers!  It's that time again--time for our book fair! Stop by during conferences to find the perfect book for you.  We will be open Wednesday (February 15th)  during the day from 9am-8pm.  We will close at 8:00 Wednesday night.  Our Thursday (February 16th) hours are 12:00pm-7:30pm.  We look forward to seeing you!

The PWS Box Top Drive will be February 13-24.  Students are encouraged to bring box tops that are not expired to school during these two weeks.  Box tops can be found on all sorts of groceries and paper goods including Ziploc bags, granola bars, cereal, yogurt, and more.  If you don't have box tops, often friends and family might. Many people throw these away but they are worth money to us--as they say, one person's trash is another's treasure.  During our summer and first semester drive we collected 17,000 box tops.  That's $1,700 we will use for books, Reading Counts, and Battle of the Books. Classes will compete to see who can collect the most per student. Winning classes will get 30 minutes of free time in the library.  The overall winning class will also get a special snack.  Thank you for helping us out!

If your 4th or 5th grade student has been reading for Battle of the Books, the deadline to have six of the books read is Friday, March 3rd. Contact Mrs. Rodell in the library if you have any questions.
YEARBOOK
Order yearbook  Your Yearbook Today!
Order Deadline: March 03, 2017
Cost: $20  

Payment can be made by either logging into your Skyward account and clicking on Fee Management or by picking up a payment envelope in the office.

Our school will receive a portion of all sales.
ONLINE BULLETIN BOARD
The Maize School District introduced an Online Bulletin Board, which replaced all paper flier distribution.  Click here for information about student-related activities and events, which could include those sponsored by a Maize school or partner agency and that are related to academics, athletics or fine arts. 
 Dillon's Fundraiser

ATTENTION DILLON'S CUSTOMERS

 

Pray-Woodman School was recently accepted into the Community Awards Program with Dillons!!  PWS will get credit for most purchases its members make using their registered Plus card.  The more we shop at Dillons, the more opportunity for PWS to earn big rewards.  It's so easy!!

 

To enroll:

  1. Visit Dillons website at  www.dillons.com/communityrewards.
  2. Sign in OR create an account.
  3. Click on "Enroll now."
  4. Enter the 5-digit NPO and search ( our schools unique NPO number is 84604).
  5. Select PWS and click "Enroll."

To create an online account at Dillons Website:

  1. Visit Dillons website at  www.dillons.com/communityrewards.
  2. Click on "Register" at the top of the page.
  3. Enter your email address, password, zip code (select preferred store).
  4. Click on "Create Account" at the bottom of the page.
  5. You will receive an email confirmation to your inbox, to activate your account click on the link in the body of the email and enter your sign in information to confirm.

For assistance in setting up an online account or with general questions, please feel free to contact Dillons at 800-576-4377, option 3. 

 

THIS IS A TERRIFIC WAY TO EFFORTLESSLY SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL.

 

THANK YOU!!

 INCLEMENT WEATHER PARENT PICK UP  PROCEDURES

With wintery weather coming soon, we will need to take precautions at the parent pickup area after school. Students will be held in the cafeteria if there is extreme cold, wind, or precipitation. At this time, we will have a staff member walk down the car line and call names by walkie talkie to the waiting area inside for your student to come out. To make this process go efficiently, please have your student's name inside your passenger window so the staff member may read it quickly and call for your student to come out. Parents are free to come into the cafeteria as well to pick up their student.
 AFTER SCHOOL PICK UP/PARKING

  Parking along Academy Street or in one of our parking lots is an option for picking up your children after school. If you choose to pick up your students this way, we ask that you walk over and pick your students up from the waiting area. If you are unable to do this, please wait in our parent pick-up car line. Thank you!

After School Transportation Changes:

1. When you leave a message on the after school instruction line, please indicate parent pickup (the car line outside), bus, or office (you will need to come in and get them).

2. If you have a confirmed response from the teacher (email or text), written in the agenda, or sent a note, you DO NOT need to contact the office.

After school transportation changes need to be made before 3:00 pm on M-T-TH-F, and before 2:00 pm on Wednesdays.  Thank you!
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

EMERGENCY ALERTS & NOTIFICATIONS
In the event of an emergency in your child's school, the Blackboard emergency Connect parent notification system will be used to notify you of the situation and will alert you to steps you need to take in order to reunite with your child.  Voice messages will be sent to all phone numbers and emails listed in Skyward Family Access "Family 1" and Guardian 1 of "Family 2".  To view the contact information the district has on file, please log on to Skyward Family Access and click on "Student Information."  If you are unsure how to log on to Skyward Family Access, please contact your child's school for assistance.
January - SELF-DISCIPLINE
Practicing self-control...setting long range goals and achieving them...making good choices.

February - HONESTY
Speaking the truth...keeping your promises...being trustworthy and reliable...being sincere in both actions and words...doing what you know is right.