Tumalo Community School NL 11 11

							                                                    Tumalo Community School
                                                          Monthly Newsletter
                                                           December 2011


Upcoming Dates of Interest in December
5th- Wreath Delivery
9th- Waugh to Science Station
12th- Robertson to Science Station
13th- Ausfahl to Science Station
      PTC Meeting @3:45
16th- Last day before Winter Break

Note from the Principal
       Welcome to fall! As the temperatures drop, kids wear more layers, which means that more things end up in
our lost and found. Please write your child’s name in EVERYTHING that comes to school. Our lost and found is
overflowing. 
       If you are the parent of a 4th or 5th grader, you already know that we recently got approval to add a full time
teacher to our 4th/5th mix, which means smaller classes and no more blends. This is great news! Misty Nicklous is
our new teacher and she is fabulous.
       The next few weeks will bring more madness and mayhem as our construction project progresses. The crew
will be demolishing some wall and doorway areas in our 2nd and 3rd grade hallway, so access to that area will be
restricted from Nov. 7th – Nov. 18th, which impacts Grandparents’ Day and parent-teacher conferences. We can still
get through the building during this time, but it will be less convenient. Parents of 2nd and 3rd graders will be getting
notes from teachers about alternate locations for conferences. Although this is temporarily inconvenient, we are
very excited about the new and improved bathrooms and handicapped access we will have as a result.
       In closing, I’d like your help in asking your kids to treat everyone with respect. We have had an increase in
unkind kid-to-kid interactions recently. These incidents are minor and do not rise to the level of bullying, but they
are hurtful and unnecessary. On the whole, we still have very few discipline issues at Tumalo. The vast majority of
our kids behave beautifully. I have just noticed a blip on the radar recently and I think we can get back to our
normal calm and peaceful state with a few gentle reminders.
       We look forward to seeing all of you during conferences. Don’t forget to call to sign up for a time.
Michelle Herron
Tumalo Community School Principal

The Gift of Giving
Mrs.Germak’s and Mrs. Black’s 3rd graders are collecting slightly used clothing for the Bethlehem Inn shelter until
Dec. 13th. Please drop off donations to their classrooms.
** We are also accepting spare change for homeless animal shelters.**




New Service Announcement from Redmond School Nutrition Services – Online Meal Account Payment!
       You can now add money to your student’s meal account with either a credit card, debit card, E-check or
PayPal and check their meal account balance all online! Create an account with your email address a password of
your choice, and your student’s student ID number which can be found on their report card or transcript. Your credit
card information is not stored on our servers. Please visit our website for more details: www.redmond.k12.or.us –
Click on Nutrition Services under Departments.

Fiddle Club
       Permission Forms (they are a full page) are going home next week to kids who already expressed interest in
the club. It is free to join but will require a fiddle rental. Limited rental scholarships are available. Fiddle club will run
Dec. through March. Please ask Mrs. Hutchens for a permission form if you want to join but haven’t received a
permission form by November 4th.


Save money by applying for and reduced meal benefits!
      It is important that households apply for meal benefits to ensure correct free and reduced information.
Qualifying for meal benefits may help students with scholarships, test fees and additional funding. Free and reduced
school percentages are used to fund services through grants, provide schools with money for extra programs, and to
qualify sites for no charge meal programs.
Applications may be turned in at any time during the year and are available at your student’s school or ONLINE!

Notes from the Counselor:
Hello Tumalo Families!
       In case you haven’t had the chance to meet me yet – I would like to introduce myself. I am Meredith Hoyt, the
new counselor. I am very excited to be a part of the community here at Tumalo School. This is my fourth year as a
counselor in the district, and my first time at a community school.
       So far this year, we have had quite a few exciting happenings. The most exciting for me was “Mix It Up” day.
“Mix It Up” day was a day where we encouraged students (and staff) to do things a little differently. We asked
everyone to wear funny and funky clothes like mismatched socks, crazy wigs, or anything else unusual. We
challenged students to sit with different people at lunch time and learn something new about someone new. And
last (but not least) we mixed up the classes and teachers at the end of the day. We sent each class to a new
classroom to do a few activities with a new teacher. I think teachers and students alike felt that this activity
definitely “mixed it up.” This event is celebrated in schools across the nation. The idea is that the more people
know about one another, the more they care about one another – and therefore, less bullying, harassment and
teasing in our schools. I think here at Tumalo it was an excellent way to build community, and definitely have some
fun.

Don't let the flu bug get you this year!
      Vaccination is the most effective way to avoid catching the flu virus, and the best way to protect your children
from illness. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone aged 6 months and older should
receive an annual influenza vaccination. Deschutes County Redmond Clinic (phone: 541-617-4775) and Redmond
High School Clinic (phone: 541-923-8920) are offering flu vaccine for all children 6 months – 18 years. Medicaid and
private insurance are both accepted as well as children without health insurance. For those children who are
uninsured, the cost is $15.19. Call today to schedule a flu vaccine appointment for your child.
In addition to vaccination, these preventive measures can help stop flu:
 Cover your cough and sneeze.
 Wash your hands often. Use soap and warm water.
 Stay home when you’re sick. Protect others at school and work by staying home at least 24 hours after a fever
    (100+ degrees) subsides.
 Clean surfaces. Flu germs can live for hours on hard surfaces. Make sure your home and workspace are wiped
    down frequently, especially where children are playing.




             Christmas Assistance: Submit applications starting November 1 through December 2

 Bend residents go to Salvation Army Mon-Fri 8:30-11:30 am to apply in person. Make sure they have the
   following documentation; Proof of Income, Proof of People in the household and Proof of address. Distribution
   will be Saturday Dec 17. Gifts for children age 0-18
 LaPine residents go to St Vincent De Paul to pick-up and drop off applications.
 Redmond residents go to Fire Hall to pick up and drop off applications. Distribution Monday Dec 19. Gifts for
  children age 1-16
 Sisters submit to FAN or Kiwanis

   Note: Self Sufficiency program mailed the applications to the eligible TANIF clients and to some Senior and
Disabled.

Giving Basket Shopping List
Greetings Tumalo Families,
        Tumalo Community School is gathering food items so that we can provide a great meal for some of our local
families to enjoy this Thanksgiving Holiday. Each classroom is responsible for decorating their dinner gift box and
filling it with food items. If your class brings in duplicate items, they may be added to other baskets for another
family in need. Let’s work together to make a difference in our community.
Please do not bring things that will spoil without refrigeration.
        Shopping List:
               ___ Canned Corn                                ___ Turkey Roasting Pan
               ___ Chicken Broth                              ___ Olives
               ___ Gravy Mix                                  ___ Pumpkin Pie Mix
               ___ Green Beans                                ___ Cranberry Sauce
               ___ Mushroom Soup                              ___ Canned Fruit
               ___ Paper Plates                               ___ Sparkling Cider
               ___ Pie Pastry                                 ___ Evaporated Milk
               ___ Potatoes                                   ___ Yams
               ___ Stuffing Mix                               ___ Rolls
               ___ Table Cloth                                ___ Napkins

      Feel free to add to this list if you think of something that’s not on it. Please send in your food items by
November 14th. If you are able to purchase a gift card at a grocery store for a turkey, please contact our office staff
at 541-382-2853.
      This is a wonderful community service opportunity for our students and their families. Thank you for your
support in this very worthwhile project.


Tumalo School Staff