Originally delivered on 9/11/2018 3:32 pm

SUBJECT: The Edge - September 2018


 

Dear Edgewood Friends,

It has been an AMAZING start to the school year! It is hard to believe that August is in the rear view and we are looking forward into September and beyond. We have been blown away by the support of our Edgewood families already this year. The 2018-2019 school year marks the third year of our Best Me initiative at Edgewood Elementary. This research-based positive behavior support program has grown to become not only something we say, but more importantly something adults and students alike put into action each day at Edgewood Elementary. Edgewood students, faculty, and staff were in for a treat in August when we had the UAB and ME athletic group visit to help kick-off the Best Me initiative for this year. That experience was great for everyone!

We are very excited about the new playground installation at Edgewood. Our PTO was the benefactor of a generous private donation from one of our families. The construction is slated to wrap up in mid- to late-September; we appreciate the patience! Speaking of financial contributions, the Homewood City Schools Foundation and the Edgewood PTO will be offering fall grant opportunities to faculty and staff. We are excited to see what our amazing teachers come up with in regards to making their classroom the Best it can be! As we look to the end of September, please remember to mark your calendars for the annual Edgewood Grandpals' Day! This is an awesome day for students and families to share in the school community we have at Edgewood.

In conclusion, I want to thank each and every Edgewood family for the continued support and synergy. It is the community, coupled with the best teachers in the state, that make Edgewood such a wonderful place to learn and grow. I am continually in awe that I am allowed the opportunity to work alongside such wonderful people. Have a great September!

Dr. Matt Kiser, Principal

Welcome back Edgewood Family! It has been a wonderful start to the school year. We started in our newly renovated space, and our building looks beautiful. It is truly a blessing to work and go to school at Edgewood Elementary School.

Our 3rd - 5th grade students have already taken the Scantron Assessment. They all worked very hard and were their “Best Me” each day. I have had several questions regarding when last year’s scores will be sent to parents. At this time, we are still waiting for scores to be sent to us from the state department. As soon as we have those scores, we will send them to parents. As always, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

This month we are focusing on the Best Me characteristic of taking risks. Part of taking risks is trying something new. This year, students will be given a key chain each month with the month’s Best Me expectation. Many of your students have already received the pink star keychain. This is a fun way to learn and be reminded of each Best Me expectation.

Thank you again for being a great community.  We look forward to Grandpals’ Day at the end of the month (September 28). It is truly one of my favorite days of the year. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything.

Laura Tate, Assistant Principal

Hello September and parents! We are so excited about the school year. There are so many wonderful things happening at Edgewood Elementary. We would like to extend a THANK YOU to every volunteer, parent, teacher, and student for giving time and resources to support the PTO-teacher partnership. Our key mission it to extend our tables to and create a positive environment for our community and people to grow and learn.

Our committees are diligently preparing for upcoming events such as Grandpals' Day on September 28 and the Turkey Trot Fun Run in November. Please consider volunteering for these events. They are truly what makes Edgewood a special place to be! I also encourage you to go online today and register your family at www.edgewood-pto.org. The website is an incredible resource for our school calendar of events, the directory, registration tools, ordering EES gear, and more. You can also sign up to volunteer online in areas such as the media center, Art Class, and other specials areas. Our promise to you is the time you give will be FUN.

Please reach out to us if you have questions or would like to share an idea. Our next PTO meeting is Friday, October 5 at 8:15am in the Little Theater.

We can't wait to meet each of you!

Hannah Johnson
PTO president 2018-2019

It’s easy to connect with Edgewood Elementary—just register your student(s) on the PTO website, www.Edgewood-pto.org! On the website, you can sign up to receive PTO communications, purchase Edgewood gear, and find out about Edgewood events and PTO volunteer opportunities. You can also join the PTO, donate to the classroom assistance fund, and buy your student(s) memory book. Finally, by joining the PTO, you can access the Edgewood online directory, which will come in handy to contact the new people you are meeting! If you’d like your information listed in the Edgewood Directory, please register on the PTO website: www.edgewood-pto.org

Also, pease consider downloading the Membership Toolkit app to your device. The app includes our Edgewood Elementary directory and calendar—and links you to our website through your internet browser.

The app is available for purchase in the Apple Store and in Google Play. Purchase it one time for all of the organizations that you are affiliated with that are using Membership Toolkit. If you belong to multiple organizations that are using Membership Toolkit, when you log in to the app you will see all organizations presented and you can toggle between organizations.

We look forward to working together to have a great school year!

Please contact us at ptoedgewood@gmail.com if you have any questions.


I am so excited to begin my ninth year teaching art at Edgewood! In art students will work with a variety of materials including clay, paint, technology, printmaking, and drawing. Through art experiences we are exploring different methods of becoming artists. All projects are designed to help students use their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Our theme this year in the art room is Handmade with Care! On the first day of class, I asked students what this means to them. They responded with:
Creating one of kind artwork!
Thoughtfulness in their artwork!
Paying attention to detail!
Hard work takes time and effort!
Creating artwork that stands out!

I also expressed to students that we tend to treasure artwork that is handmade over store-bought art as well. Students in 1st grade - 5th grade all created artwork featuring their own hands and a heart to demonstrate our theme. Kindergarten students are drawing, sharing their artwork, and learning what it means to create with our hands

These projects took time, attention to detail, and creativity. I am proud of our students and look forward to creating more masterpieces that demonstrate Handmade with Care!

I enjoy posting images on Instagram and receiving feedback from parents and teachers on our projects. Please follow me to see weekly updates of what each grade is creating, @edgewood.art.

Celia Castle

As of now...all students are checking out Library books! Grades 1-5 started checking out the very first week and all of Kindergarten has now learned the process. Ask your child about, “Go stand by the banana.”

With all of these books checking out (over 9,000 so far this school year!), we are grateful to our Library Volunteers who faithfully keep the bookshelves full of books! We had our Volunteer Breakfast meeting last week, but if you missed it, you are not too late. Please contact me if you would like to help our students with this flexible, soothing, satisfying service.

This week we have our first meeting of our 4th Grade Paper Bag Book Club! Signed permission slips are required so contact me if your child would like to join us...we are limited to 30 students, and we will meet three times this fall to share favorite books!

One of my favorite books I read this summer: I was surprised to enjoy the latest Newbery winner Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly! I totally thought I Love You Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted was going to win the Newbery so I was disappointed that it didn’t make the cut...but Hello, Universe is deserving of praise! The strengths and weaknesses of Virgil, Valencia, Kaori, and Chet come together for good in an unexpected way. Definitely a great family or class read-aloud with discussion topics of bullying, shyness, and diversity.

During the first week of October, Homewood City Schools will once again focus on Digital Responsibility Awareness. The Library will host activities for classrooms to discuss healthy use of electronic devices. Look for information to come home and prompt family discussions.

We have lots of Library events this fall, but we are also looking ahead to Author Day 2019! This year we will host historical fiction author Deborah Hopkinson on March 8. I’m excited to focus on this genre as we meet this new friend! Look for information starting in January…

And as always, you can find more information by following us on Instagram @edgewoodbooks or by checking the Library Blog: www.http://edgewoodbooks.blogspot.com

Happy Reading!!

Fran Woodruff
Instagram: @edgewoodbooks
Blog: Edgewood Books

It is our goal for students to attend classes everyday school is in session. However, there are times when students need to stay home for their own health and/or the health and safety of others. Below are some guidelines to help families decide when to keep students at home:

  • FEVER: Your child should stay home if he/she has a fever of 100.5 degrees (orally, temporal artery, or tympanic route) or higher. Your child needs to be FEVER FREE for 24 hours before returning to school. Your child is NOT considered to be fever free if you are still giving medication to keep fever down (i.e.: acetaminophen, ibuprofen). Remember that aspirin is NOT recommended for children. 
  • VOMITING OR DIARRHEA: Your child should stay home if he/she has vomited or has diarrhea (more than one loose stool) within 12 hours prior to the start of school. If your child becomes sick at school, they need to have 24 hours with no vomiting or diarrhea before they can return to school.
  • PINKEYE: Conjunctivitis is very contagious. If the white of your child’s eye is red and has any type of drainage you should keep hour child at home. Contact your child’s doctor. If the pinkeye is caused by a virus, the child can usually return to school when symptoms begin to improve, typically in 3 to 5 days. If the pinkeye is caused by a bacteria, the child can return to school 24 hours after an antibiotic has been started if symptoms have improved. Please notify your teacher and Nurse Geer if you are treating your child’s eyes for allergies. 
  • HEAD LICE: Children with lice cannot come to school until they have been treated with a lice-killing product. They must be checked by Nurse Geer upon returning to school. Please contact the nurse if you discover lice or nits on your child.
  • STREP THROAT: If your child has been diagnosed as having a strep throat (this requires a test by a healthcare provider) your child should stay home 24 hours after antibiotic therapy has been started (either by mouth or injection). He/she must be fever free for 24 hours without medications, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, before returning to school.

Your child’s physician can help you determine if your child is able to return to school. However it is important to make sure that they are truly feeling better and able to make it through the school day. If they still seem tired, pale, have little appetite, are not tolerating solid foods, and are generally "not him/herself," please do not send them to school. With viral illnesses it may take longer before your child is well enough to return to school. We appreciate your help in preventing the spread of disease in school.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions: 423-2403, cgeer@homewood.k12.al.us

Cynthia Geer

For those of you who have already secured your Memory Book, thank you! If you have yet to order, go ahead and check it off your list at www.edgewood-pto.org.

The "Order your 2018-2019 Yearbook" link is on the right side of the page. You will need to create a PTO account to use this option. Remember the graduating class of 2026 (also known as our 5th graders!) receive a free memory book for their final year at Edgewood! To pay by cash or check, head to the front office to find the order forms. Deadline to order is January 15.

We would love your photos, too! For easy sharing from your phone, download the Balfour ImageShare app and set up your account using the school project number: 920473. If you want to share from your computer, you can simply go to www.images.balfour.com and upload your pics there, using the same project number to set up your account.

Email us at EdgewoodMemoryBook@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thanks!

The Memory Book Committee

 

September 28 | Grandpals' Day
October 3 | Picture Day
October 5 | PTO Meeting (8:15a; Little Theater)
October 17 | Class Pictures
October 19 | Parent Conference Day

 



Edgewood Elementary PTO - Homewood, AL
901 College Ave
Homewood, AL 35209