Connie Haessly, Principal

April, 2009

Taylor Prairie News Dear Taylor Prairie Families, We would like to thank all the parents who attended our Parent-Teacher conferences in March. 93% of our families attended conferences! We hope your conference was a valuable experience and that you were able to share important information about your child with his/her teacher. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Lastly, we would like to thank the PTO for the delicious meal during the conferences! It’s always a special treat to have a great meal waiting for us in the lounge on conference nights. April will be at busy month at Taylor Prairie! Listed below are some of the highlights for the month:
Our theme for the month is Cooperation & Fairness. If possible, please reinforce these concepts at home with your child, and call attention to when your child is being cooperative.
Look for our new webpage beginning in April. We hope you will find our updated cites easier to navigate.
During the April 8th in-service, teachers will be participating in discussions about cultural competency. Our discussions will focus around values, practices, and assumptions of cultural diversity.
Our Way Out Wednesday theme for this month is, “When I Grow Up” on April 15th.
Our Kindergarten Breakfast with Books event will be held on April 16th in the IMC. We hope you will be able to come and read a book with your child on this special day.
Come and marvel at the wonderful artwork the children have created! The Art Show Grand Opening will be on Monday, April 20th in the Step Room.
Preserve, protect, and defend our environment on April 22. The children will be decorating grocery bags to celebrate Earth Day. Look for special messages about how to be kind to our earth on the groceries bags at the local Piggly Wiggly store toward the end of the month.
National TV Turnoff Week is April 20-26. This is a great opportunity for you to spend time playing, reading, and exercising with your child. Children who read for fun are typically better readers. Students who read a wide variety of styles and genres are more likely to have fun with reading and make it a permanent part of his/her lifestyle. The act of reading fosters habits of analysis, questioning, comprehension, and rationality.
We will be honoring our volunteers on April 24th. We would like to express our greatest appreciation for all the work you do for our staff and students at Taylor Prairie. Without your help, we would not be able to do as many educational activities and events for our students.
Our staff will be working on placements for the 2009-2010 school year in the near future. Thanks to all the parents who returned the optional Parent Input Regarding Student Placement form. The information provided helps to guide our placement decisions. Happy Spring!

Connie Haessly

Mark Your Calendar for Important Events!

“Celebrate the Earth” Kindergarten & 1st Grade Sing - May 1

April - Word of the Month: Cooperation 3 EC & 4K to Gymfinity (AM 8-10:30, PM 12-2:30) 8 EARLY DISMISSAL (10:40) Teacher In-Service NO SCHOOL 4K & EC 9 NO SCHOOL 4K 10 EARLY DISMISSAL (10:40) Comp Time NO SCHOOL 4K & EC 13 NO SCHOOL Vacation Day 14 1st Grade to Geology Museum

Mark your calendars for the Kindergarten and 1st grade Sing, being held Friday, May 1st. Performance times are: 8:20 am: Frydenlund, Manke, Powers, Schmied, Balaam, Dailey, May, Rentschler 10:00 am: Drewes, Groves, Hoffman, Kugle, Bradt/Connor, Croak, Sutter

8:30-10:30: May, Rentschler, Sutter 12:15-2:15: Connor, Dailey

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Way Out Wednesday - ”When I Grow Up” Day 1st Grade to Geology Museum 12:15-2:15 Balaam, Croak

16 20 21 22 23 24 29 May 1 4 18 20 22

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Kindergarten Breakfast with Books 7:10-7:45 Art Show Grand Opening (4:30-6) Schmied-Drewes to America’s Best 12:15-2:15 “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” 6-7 pm IMC Groves-Frydenlund to Americas Best 12:15-2:15 Powers-Kugle to America’s Best 12:15-2:15 Volunteer Appreciation 7:30-8:15 am Manke-Hoffman to America’s Best 12:15-2:15 NO SCHOOL - Teacher In-Service

Word of the Month: Appreciations Kindergarten & 1st Grade Sing! NO SCHOOL 4K 1st Grade to Cottage Grove School 9:45-11:45 Way Out Wednesday - Sports Day Fitness Fun Day EARLY DISMISSAL (10:40) Comp Time NO SCHOOL 4K & EC NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

June - Word of the Month: Fun! 2 EARLY DISMISSAL (10:40) Teacher Report NO SCHOOL 4K & EC 8 Kindergarten to Vilas Park Zoo 8:50-1:30 9 1st Grade to Milwaukee Museum 8:15-2:30 10 4K & EC Last Student Day 11 EARLY DISMISSAL (10:40) LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Kindergarten & 1st Page 2

The Annual Student Art Show will be held the week of April 20-24. The grand opening will be held on Monday, April 20, 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the Step Room. If you can’t make it on opening evening, feel free to stop in during anytime during the school day (7:30-3:30). Help us celebrate another year of hard work and achievement in the visual arts! Also, if you have any pieces from the “Perfection Game”, Mrs. Hanus would welcome your donation. Please send with your child to school to give to Mrs. Hanus.

K-5 Summer School Summer school will be held at Taylor Prairie for grades K-5, June 16 - July 10, 2009 (no school on July 4th). On-line registration begins at 6:00 pm on April 21st. Taylor Prairie News

News from the IMC ...Kathy

Registration for 2009-10 School Year

Sanders, Library, Media & Technology Specialist

Taylor Prairie School and Cottage Grove School students will register for the 20092010 school year on Thursday, August 13, 2009 from 1-7 p.m. at Taylor Prairie School. Registration information will be sent home with your child’s report card on the last day of school.

In celebration of National Library Week and to encourage family literacy at Taylor Prairie School, we have scheduled “Breakfast with Books” for Kindergarten students and their parents. The program will be held on Thursday, April 16 from 7:10-7:45 am in the IMC. The theme will be Amazing Animals - light breakfast snacks and beverages will be served. We hope you can join us! Worlds Connect @ Your Library

Lost & Found

Ten Reasons to Read to Your Child Lost & Found has been on a table near the front entrance since Parent-Teacher conferences held in March. Unclaimed items will be donated to a charity on April 10th.

Important Information coming home May 1st! Look in your child’s backpack on May 1st for Student Update and 2009-10 Transportation forms. Please make any changes to the forms and return them to school by May 22nd. Thanks!

Getting Ready for Kindergarten April 21 Parents of children entering Kindergarten are invited to a session at the Taylor Prairie Library from 6-7 to learn about the District’s Kindergarten Program. Come with your questions for Kindergarten Teachers and Principal Connie Haessly. Page 3

1. The more a child is read to the more exposure they will have to words that expand their vocabulary. 2. Reading out loud exposes children to sentence patterns that might not be part of their everyday speech. 3. Reading encourages their ability to listen. 4. It expands their background knowledge of the world around them. 5. It teaches them that words can represent ideas. 6. Reading expands a child’s curiosity and creativity. 7. It helps them develop a sense of the importance of reading. 8. Reading helps them identify with characters and explore new places. 9. Reading can provide a special time together to share your interests. 10. It is fun and shows how much you love them. Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.

-EmilieBuchwald-

Taylor Prairie News

Notes from the Office...

Food Service Information ..Barb Waara, Food Services

A few reminders from the office … …..Our school day begins at 7:50 a.m. Students who are late will be marked tardy and unexcused (unless they have an appointment or other reason). Student supervision begins at 7:20 a.m. on the playground. ….If you have a new cell phone number, e-mail address, or change of employer, please let us know in the event we have to call you during the school day. … If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please call the office by 8:30 a.m., so we can include you in the lunch count!

On March 11, 2009, The Department of Public Instruction and The Wisconsin Department of Health Services rescinded their recommendation to Wisconsin Schools to hold Smuckers Uncrustable Sandwiches; therefore, we will once again offer these sandwiches in our field trip lunches. We will continue using turkey ham sandwiches in our grab and go lunches at this time. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact Barb Waara, Monona Grove Food Service Director, 221-7660, ext. 6. DAIRY FOR A DAZZLING SMILE ...It’s well known that calcium and other nutrients found in dairy products will help build strong teeth. Research demonstrates that several types of cheese, including Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack,

Swiss and American can actually help protect against cavities.

….If you plan to move out of the Monona Grove School District next year, please let your child’s teacher or the office know as this affects our student placement process. ….With the warm weather approaching, please remember that your child should dress appropriately. The Student Handbook states “...spaghetti-strap tops and/or tops that expose the bare midriff or back are strongly discouraged. Flip-flops or other shoes without backs are not recommended for safe work and play…..We rely upon your discretion and good judgment as to what your child should wear to school.” ...All visitors should register in the office and wear a visitor’s badge in school.

Taylor Prairie News

Eating a small piece of cheese after a meal will wash away harmful acids and play a protective role in dental health. The calcium, protein and phosphorus in the cheese stimulate saliva production to help wash away cavity-producing acids. These nutrients plus vitamin A in cheese also help strengthen teeth and the bones that support them. Beverages can also protect and build strong teeth. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, chocolate milk is not likely to cause cavities since it is a liquid that washes over teeth, not a sticky food. Please help your child make good choices.

For strong teeth: *Brush after each meal or at least twice each day *Rinse mouth with water after eating a snack *Floss every day *Eat healthy meals and snacks *Avoid sugary, sticky treats *Limit sweetened soda Page 4

EARTH WEEK APRIL 19-25 Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. We will celebrate our earth and learn about how to take care of it through various activities at Taylor Prairie during the week of April 20-24. Our all-school activities will include paper grocery bag decorating for Piggly Wiggly, and a daily pledge to respect our earth. We will also celebrate Earth Day every day by doing the following, whenever possible.

1. REDUCE Use reusable cloth bags for all shopping.

2. REUSE

3. RECYCLE

Reuse the plastic bags you have already acquired for example, picking up dog doo-doo or putting wet swimsuits in them.

When the bag no longer functions, take it to your grocery store and put it in the recycle bin.

Use biodegradable plastic bags or Use it until it breaks or is other- When bag no longer functions, paper bags when you can’t use wise no longer usable. place in your recycle bin. your reusable cloth bags.

More ideas to help eliminate the creation of waste, or “reduce:” -Let the cashier know that you do not need a bag when you only have a few items to carry, or bring your own paper or cloth bag to the store with you. -Avoid purchasing plastic products when there is a non-plastic alternative. -Turn off lights when you leave a room. -Turn off the computer and monitor when not in use. -Unplug appliances when they are not being used. -Turn off water when you brush your teeth. -Turn down the heat, especially when you are not home. -Walk or ride a bike instead of driving, whenever you can.

Taylor Prairie News

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Reid Miller performed for students on March 19th. This performance was made possible by the PTO Cultural Arts Committee. The children enjoyed listening to stories and singing songs with Mr. Miller. The theme was “Roaring with Reading”.

Children from Mrs. Groves room enjoyed March’s Way Out Wednesday, “Pajama Day”!

Taylor Prairie News

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Get to know your PTO! We can make a Difference! PTO Meeting Update At the March meeting, the PTO donated $1,463.38 to TP and CG for their Reading Programs. We also donated $2,775.91 to the Physical Education Departments to purchase “World of Wellness” materials and fitness equipment to integrate health topics into the P.E. curriculum. The next PTO meeting will be Monday, April 6, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in the TP Library. We will vote on TP’s Special Request for $1,256.79 for digital cameras for the First Grade Team. The agenda can be found on the PTO’s website at http://cgrovepto.googlepages.com/. Hope to see you there! Childcare will be provided.

Election day – Tuesday, april 7th Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, April 7th. There are four candidates running for three seats on the MGSD School Board. Learn more about the candidates at the PTO’s website at http://cgrovepto.googlepages.com/2009schoolboardelection. There are also exciting races in the Village and Town of Cottage Grove. Get out the vote!

Thank you for using Target VISA! Because you designated our schools and shopped with your Target® Visa® or Target® Card, we recently received our second donation of the year from Target through their Take Charge of Education® program. Our total earnings for the year are $1,266.29! A big thanks — we couldn’t have done it without you. Remember, grandparents, alumni, friends or neighbors can help too by designating either Taylor Prairie or Cottage Grove School. They don't even have to be local residents. Program details can be found at www.target.com/tcoe or by calling 1-800-316-6142

Lions Club Donation to the PTO The PTO would like to thank the Cottage Grove Lions Club for their generous donation of $250.00 last month. Thanks to this donation, we were able to give each school extra money to spend this year in their Special Request Funds. The Lions also plan to collect Box Tops for the PTO in the future. Many thanks to this wonderful organization!

Market Day – sweet rewards! Get a FREE insulated bag when you purchase three qualifying desserts! You can also get 10% OFF your entire April internet order of $80.00 or more at marketday.com – just enter the promotion code SAVE10 online at checkout when you submit your order. FREE-quent Buyers can earn a free insulated bag by placing a minimum order of $35.00 in two months between February and April, and then again in May! See www.marketday.com for complete details. This month’s Market Day pick up is Thursday, April 9th from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Taylor Prairie School. Internet orders are due by noon on Monday, April 6th. Thanks for supporting Market Day!

“Girl World” – Free Lecture – Thursday, April 16th Back by popular demand, Janice Gerlach will repeat her free lecture entitled “Girl World” on Thursday, April 16th at 7:00 p. m. in Glacial Drumlin’s Library. This presentation will address the issue of bullying and intimidation among school-age girls. Ms. Gerlach was a high school guidance counselor for 14 years and a Love and Logic facilitator for the past seven years. Please join us for this informative program.

Culver’s PTO Night a Great Success! Thank you to everyone who ate at Culver’s on Tuesday night – you raised $450 for the PTO! A big thank you to Tim Holtzman who brought this new fundraising idea to the PTO and volunteered to organize it. The two restaurant events brought in $1,150 – and it is estimated that we generated an extra $100 in Scrip profit by selling extra Culver’s Scrip cards for these events! Thanks also to all the people that helped out on Tuesday!