Snow Day

There will be NO School on Friday, January 29th.

Check out this classroom blog

Check out Mrs. Pam Flower's blog. She's been working on it for a while and is ready to share. It has some great pictures from her classroom, drawings from her students and much more!
Click here.

You can also find a link in our blog list on the right.

More Haiti Items

Here are some more items that Dr. James Tompkins could use on his trip to Haiti in February.

• Children’s vitamins
• 4x4 Square gauze
• Chux disposable underpads
• Tylenol
• Wound care supplies
• Scalpels
• Tourniquets
• Lindane lotion
• Kwell shampoo
• Portable stretcher
• Children’s Suspension
• Scissors
(Other items listed in a previous post are here.)
If you can help with any of these, Mr. Tompkins will collect them in the K-8 office. All donations need to be here by February 23, because Dr. Tompkins's group will be leaving on February 25th.

*You noticed that many of the supplies needed are medical items that an individual can't purchase, so if you want to help with some of those you may give a cash donation and Dr. Tompkins can purchase what he needs the most.

Celebrate 100

Wednesday, January 27th was the 100th day of school. Mrs. Booher's kindergarten celebrated!

The first graders did some 100 day math.

Some girls wore 100 day crowns.

And some boys wore

100 day glasses.

Mrs. Angie R.'s kindergarten class all had 100 day glasses. . . but wearing them

made them silly!

New Total

Mrs. Jamie reports that Pickett County K-8 and their families helped her send 170 health kits to Haiti. They are on the way now. Thanks again for helping.

Health Kits Total

Mrs. Jamie reports that she had 157 health kits turned in yesterday and she is still counting what came in today. Thanks to everyone who helped out with this project.

Miss Delilah's Birthday Giveaway

I'm having a birthday and I want you to have a present! To win all the items you see here just enter my birthday giveaway by 12:00 P.M, Monday, February 1st.

Here's what you will win:
A 14 x 14 dry erase board with a cork border
A children's book The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado
A set of lunch notes that you can stick in your student's lunch bag or backpack
A birthday cake cookbook
A just for kids snack recipe book
And a 160 page book filled with reading activities that parents or teachers can use. It is not just reading activities, but other areas of language arts are included.

How do I win:
It's simple just send an e-mail (gibsond2@k12tn.net) telling me to pick you
or
make a comment on this post telling me you want my birthday present

I will draw a winner from all the entries on my birthday, February 1st!

Any reader of the K-8 computer lab blog may enter, so go ahead what are you waiting for, start entering!

Helping the People of Haiti

Mrs. Jamie ask for your help and like always you came through in a big way. The second graders and Mrs. Jamie are busy checking each kit and getting them ready to send to Haiti. She will have a number later and we will let you know just how many health kits we prepared.

If you did not get the opportunity to participate in this, or would like to help even more, here's another way to help the people of Haiti. Mr. Tompkins's brother, Dr. James Tompkins will be leaving for Haiti with a group of doctors from U. T. Medical Center on Feb. 24th or 25th. They are working in conjunction with Sevier Heights Baptist Church in Knoxville and One Vision International. Below is a list of items needed. If you would like to help, please drop the items off at the K-8 school and Mr. Tompkins will get them to Dr. James Tompkins before he leaves on this mission.

Items needed:

* Ace wraps
* Gauze bandages 4 4 and 2 2
* Bandage rolls
* Medical tape
* Band aids large and medium
* Health care masks
* Q-tips
* Germ-X wipes
* Antibiotic ointment
* Eye drops, saline only
* Ziplock baggies all sizes
* Sharpie pens
* Tylenol and Motrin (pills and chewables)
* Imodium tablets or capsules
* Individual servings of vitamin powder for water
* Individual servings of baby formula for bottles (no cans)

Items that CANNOT be accepted….bottles of liquid, alcohol, peroxide, etc.

How much time should children spend. . .

Here's an interesting article from the New York Times. It's titled, If Your Kids are Awake, They're Probably Online.

What do you think?
Are we letting our children spend too much time connected to electronic devices?

Do your Valentine Shopping @ the Book Fair

If you are looking for a Valentine gift for your student that will last long after Valentine's Day, why not try shopping the book fair. Miss Cross will allow you to choose a gift from the book fair then she will package and deliver it to your student on Feb. 12th. A valentine card will be included with your book choice.
Don't have much time, just stop by or send Miss Cross the amount you wish to spend and she will choose an age-appropriate book for your child.

Need a valentine for your teacher? Teachers love books for themselves and their classrooms, so make a choice or send the amount you want and let Miss Cross choose!

The fair arrives on February 3 and will be set up and open by the 4th. Family Day is scheduled for Saturday the 6th. If you visit on Family Day you can sign up to win free books. Miss Cross will be giving away $50.00 in books to a grown-up and $50.00 in books to a student.

All proceeds from the book fair are used to buy books, equipment and supplies for the K-8 Library.

Everybody Needs A Healthy Breakfast

Now that we are back in school on a regular basis, after several snow days, I wanted to remind you of the importance of a healthy breakfast. If you are like me and have cereal for breakfast, here is some information that you need to know.

General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets.

Other cereal benefits:
Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.


The good folks at General Mills provided me with the coupons for free products, and information, through MyBlogSpark.

Menu change

Wednesday and Thursday lunch choices have been flipped.

Report Card Day

Students were given their report cards for the second nine weeks today.

Health Kits for Haiti

If you would like to help the people of Haiti, Mrs. Jamie Evans, in second grade has a way you and your family can become involved. Her church is collecting  health kits and they will be delivered to Haiti by her church's organization. The information you need is below. You may send your kits to her or bring them by the school. She needs to have donations by January 25th. Jamie will get them to the right location. This is an excellent way to give your children an opportunity to help out with this relief effort. They have seen the devastation on the news and this is a simple and easy way to help.

UMCOR Health Kits for Haiti

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A HEALTH KIT TO SEND PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AND DROP THE BAG OFF WITH ME BY MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010

Kit Contents

Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.

**** ALL ITEMS MUST BE NEW***

1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”, no kitchen towels)

1 washcloth

1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)

1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)

1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)

1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)

6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages

$1.00 * See note below

(NOTE: UMCOR Sager Brown is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before it is sent. Please include $1 for each kit you send toward the purchase of toothpaste.)

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO e-mail Miss Jamie at

jevans@k12tn.net

January Newsletter

PICKETT COUNTY K-8 JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Dear Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas break. I hope everyone had a wonderful snow break as well. January is already half gone and we are just getting started back after the holidays.
The snow has caused report cards to go home later than planned.
Expect report cards to go home on Tuesday, January 19th. Remember
there is no school on Monday, January 18th. We are scheduled to be
out for Martin Luther King day.
The following are important dates coming up in the near future:

Jan. 18th—no school—Martin Luther King day
Jan. 19th—report cards go home
Jan. 21st—5/6 girls, 7/8 girls/boys—makeup game—
Allons—home—5:30 p.m.
Feb. 2nd—TCAP writing assessment—grades 5 & 8
Feb. 15th—no school—President’s Day


Kenny Tompkins, Principal

Monday Holiday

On Monday January 18th we will be closed for Martin Luther King Day.

Mark your calendar

Mark your calendar and start saving your money, because the book fair will be here soon. It will begin on February 3rd and last until February 12th. Family day will be on Saturday, February 6th.
It will be a Scholastic Book Fair, like those in the past and the proceeds from the fair will be used to buy books and supplies for the library. There's always something for everyone, even adults at the book fair.
This year Miss Cross will be offering parents the opportunity to select a book/books for delivery to your child as a Valentine's Day gift on February 12th. More information will be coming in the next few weeks.

2 hours late

School is 2 hours late on Thursday, January 14th.

Another Snow Day

Wednesday, January 13th will be snow day number 7! Are you bored yet?

Anticipation

There is much hope and anticipation around here about snow! If the forecast is wrong many students hopes will be dashed and disappointment will rule. They are even looking up the weather in the computer lab during their free time!

Update on Jan.5

An announcement from the sheriff's office just came on the scanner(9:00 A.M), saying that all students who were on the buses now will be returned to their bus stops.
The snow began falling just at the time buses would be running on delay. I know that making decisions like this is very difficult for Mrs. Elder and she always has the safety of all students as the number one priority.

2 Hours Late

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 5th school will begin 2 hours late-- we can all get a little extra sleep to begin the first day back from Christmas break.

Monday, January 4th--First Snow Day