Seminole County Public Schools

Allan F. Keeth ElementaryCelebrating 30 Years of Excellence in Education

COUGAR TALES

DATES TO REMEMBER

October 1 Book Fair Family Fun Night 6-8:00pm October 2 PTA Board Meeting 9:30am

Girl Scouts 6:30pm (Cafeteria) October 3 Book Fair EndsOctober 10 No School/ TWDOctober 15-17 Acting Cast AuditionsOctober 16 Picture Retakes

Acting Cast AuditionsGirl Scouts 6:30pm (Cafeteria)

October 17 Winter Springs Homecoming ParadeActing Cast Audition

October 20 Kindergarten Field Trips to Fire Station (Hadden, Codrey)

October 21 Kindergarten Field Trips to Fire Station (Moss, Loubier)

October 24 Fall Festival & Basket Night – 5-8:00pmKindergarten Field Trips to Fire Station (Kanistras, McClelland

October 27 Candy Grams Sales BeginOctober 27-31 Red Ribbon WeekOctober 28, 30, 31 4th Grade Field Trips to

Student Museum (2 classes/day)

October 29th Skate Night 6:30-8:30October 31 2nd Grade to Shakespeare Theater

Spirit Day is Every Friday – Please wear your school colors. The PTA Spirit Shop will be held Friday mornings from 7:30-8:00am by the front doors. On the last Friday of the month, the shop will be located at the back of the school by the basketball court.

Text Message Service- Stay connected with Keeth Elem! Receive alerts for weather, activities and other announcements. Remind 101- Text @mrgaffney to 321-392-2451

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL,

Mr. Peter Gaffney

Dear Parents: This month, I will divide my article into seven different sections for your reading pleasure. PTA Fall Festival, Friday, October 24: Our PTA Fall Festival is right around the corner! I want to thank our school’s PTA for their planning and organization of this great event. I say quite often that our PTA is the best in SCPS! I cannot thank our PTA enough for the wonderful things they do for our students, teachers, and staff. Please email our PTA President at jen.bened@gmail.com if you would be willing to assist with our Fall Festival in any way. I know it would be greatly appreciated. School Safety Message: All visitors to Keeth Elementary must stop by the office and get a visitors badge to be on campus. All of our staff have been trained to question anyone that does not have a badge. This is for the safety of our students and staff. Please make sure you always stop by the front office before visiting any areas of Keeth Elementary. Also, if you visit for lunch, please make sure that you stop by and sign-in at the front office and secure a visitors badge before eating lunch with your child. NOTE: If you invited someone to eat lunch with your child that is NOT on your emergency card, please make sure you notify Mrs. Neville in the front office that you approve the visitor to have lunch with your child.

Message from Deputy Anderson: There has been confusion at times with some of the parents regarding how to properly enter the school to drop off and pick up students. Every day some vehicles attempt to enter the school from Tuskawilla Road without using the right hand turn lanes. These vehicles are in the northbound right hand lane and wait until they reach the entrances to the school then turn in front of the other vehicles already established in the turn lane. These vehicles cause an unsafe situation per Florida State Statute 316.151 (1) (a); required position and method of turning at intersections. (1) The driver of a vehicle intending to turn at an intersection shall do so as follows: (a) Right turn—both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.Thank you for your help in keeping the roadway and entrances safe. Enrollment Update: Keeth Elementary was projected to have 573 students for the 2014-2015 school year. Our current enrollment as of Wednesday, September 25th is 692 students. We continue to grow and grow! As you may or may not know, our enrollment drives our school staffing and school budget – so we are excited to see so many students entering through the doors of Keeth Elementary.Thank you parents: We NEED your help with our Cougar Reading Club: I would like to thank all of our Keeth parents and guardians for your active participation in your child’s academic and school success. Without your support and guidance, your child will not reach their full potential– so thank you so very much! Currently, we are looking for Dividend volunteers to assist our Keeth Cougar Reading Club in the morning. Our Reading Club meets Monday-Thursday from 7:30am-7:50am. In this reading club, our Dividend volunteers, community members, and teachers/staff read with our students to improve fluency and reading comprehension. Please, if you have time in your morning schedule, come on by and help. One day, two days or more a month would be greatly appreciated. Please call Jennifer Dunaye at 407-320-5385 if you need more information or if you want to schedule a time to help.Positive Behavior Support – Student of the Week Program: The Student of the Week Recognition Program is back at Keeth Elementary. The program is open to all grade levels and is announced once a week on our KCBS news network. Each teacher submits the name of a student who is doing outstanding in the classroom, is a great friend to others, and one that is worthy of this recognition. Please look at our Student of the Week column in next month’s newsletter to see who was chosen as our October Students of the Week. These students will receive a certificate, a special pencil, awards from some of our school business partners, and will have their picture displayed on a bulletin board right outside the front office. Long summer ahead in 2015: Next summer, Seminole County Public Schools will start school no earlier than Monday, August 24, 2015. Students and staff will have a long summer ahead! Please keep this in mind as you begin to make your summer plans.

Have a great October and enjoy the cool weather that is approaching!

Caring for your child,Mr. Pete Gaffney, Principal, Keeth Elementary

SAFETY IS OUR #1 PRIORITY

Providing a safe and secure campus is of utmost importance to us. The following rules and procedures are enforced to ensure your child’s safety.

1. Students must not arrive on campus before 7:30 AM, when adult supervision begins.

However, your child should arrive before the 8:00 AM tardy bell.2. All visitors to our campus must report to the front office to sign in and secure a visitor’s badge.3. Bikes must be walked to and from the corner of Trotwood and Tuskawilla and at all times while on campus. Remember to wear your bike helmets. They are required by law.4. Skateboarding, roller skating, and roller blading are forbidden on campus.5.When dropping children off in the morning, please have them exit the vehicle on the passenger side so they do not cross in front of or behind traffic. Please ensure your child is ready to exit the vehicle upon arrival to help expedite the process.5. No child can leave campus during the instructional day without first being properly signed out in the front office. Persons unknown to the front office staff will be asked to show picture identification.6. Only a parent, guardian, or person(s) listed on the Emergency Information Card can sign a child out of school. Please send a note if someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking up your child.7. Prearrange a rainy day plan with your child. The threat of afternoon rain and/or storms is always present. It is not possible to deliver last minute messages near dismissal time. Please fill out and return the Rainy Day Dismissal Plan that was included in your child’s folder. 8. If your child’s dismissal arrangements change, please send a note to the teacher. Avoid calling the school at the end of the day to deliver a message to your child unless it is an emergency. 9. If a child custody court order exists, a copy of the order must be on file in the school office.10. Many Keeth students bike or walk to and from school. Review safety expectations. Remind students to cross the street at intersections where crossing guards are located. 11. Please make sure your child wears closed toed shoes to school. Your child will be having Physical Education twice a week and PAT (Physical Activity Time) everyday.

Thank you for your support.

CAR LOOP RIDERSAll car riders will exit the building through the side hall front double doors. If you are transporting your child by car, you can assist us greatly by displaying the “Car Rider” sign with your child’s name on the dashboard. These are available in the front office. When you enter the car loop, please pull forward as far as possible and allow your child to get in/out of the vehicle when you are parallel to the front of the building. Thank you for your cooperation.

CLINIC GREETINGS

Reminder -- No medications, prescriptions, or over-the-counter medications can be given to a student without a signed authorization form from the physician. (This includes medicated cough drops, lip balm, etc.) A student cannot carry these medications. Please fill out the Authorization for Administering Student Medication Form and return to school. You may pick up one of these forms from the clinic.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER

A Message from Your School Counselor…“Nobody Likes Me!”

“Nobody likes me.” Is there a parent alive who hasn’t heard this remark? Parents sometimes feel helpless in helping their child deal with relationships. So what do you

October 1, 2014

do? Often children may just need is a sympathetic ear, a chance to vent and an opportunity to work through their pain verbally with you. They don’t need to have a perfect solution. Often there is not a solution you can give them. Children need to be reassured. Take them seriously. Don’t tell them that soon they’ll get over it. You can help them put the problem in perspective. Believing in their ability to solve problems with your support can be a big first step. Ask them how they talk to their friends. Are there misunderstandings? Don’t try to find a quick solution. Instead tell them that you will listen and help them problem-solve. Help them to know that a good place to begin building friendships is by being a good listener for others. Contact Sue Arbuckle, School Counselor, for additional information or assistance. 407-320-5303 or Sue_Arbuckle@scps.k12.fl.us

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Seminole County School Board Policy states that when a student is absent the parent or guardian must provide a written excuse regarding each absence. Excused absence: an absence for an illness/death in the immediate family, religious observance, or a family emergency (approved by the principal).Medical excused absence: absence caused by child’s illness. Please note that after 10 absences due to illness in a span of 90 calendar days, written verification from a doctor is required for each medical absence thereafter. If a written excuse is not received or does not comply with the above definitions the absence is recorded as unexcused.

SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL UPDATES

Would you like to receive email updates from Mr. Gaffney? Here’s how to get them. You can either go to Keeth Elementary’s website through the SCPS website or type in the following link on your browser bar or fill out the form. This will allow you to receive email updates on events taking place at the home of the COUGARS! Don't forget to hit the SUBMIT button after filling out the form.https://www3.scps.k12.fl.us/secure/schoolmgt/listserve/email_subscribe.cfm?school=0661

Success in Reading

Here are some tips on how parents can help students succeed in reading:

-Provide a balance of fiction and non-fiction books at home. -Provide books and other written materials that are at a reading level your student finds challenging. -Know what reading is grade-level appropriate and what should be a challenge. Talk to your child’s teacher if you are unsure. -Encourage your student to read — try setting aside a specific “reading time” each day. -Read non-fiction books yourself to show that you enjoy non-fiction and think it’s worth reading. -Read aloud to your student and have your student read aloud to you. -Let your student see you read regularly. Discuss books that you and your child read together: -What did you learn from reading this book? -What is your opinion about what you are reading? -What do you predict will happen? -Why? Use evidence from the text.-Are there any new vocabulary words?

Students should re-read until they understand and form opinions about what they have read, and then use evidence to support those opinions. You can help your student learn to use evidence by asking them to back-up what they are saying in everyday discussions or arguments. Encourage them to look for facts that support their opinions, ideas or requests. (Caution: They may learn to use evidence so well that they use it to convince you to change your mind after you say no to something.) Most importantly, enjoy your time reading together!

BOX TOP FALL CONTESTOur box Tops Fall contest is here again! The due date for Box Tops collection is Friday, October 17th. Money raised from clipping Box Tops is used to support educational programs and technology at Keeth. When sending in, please place Box Tops in a plastic bag, include your teacher’s name, grade and student’s name, and total number of Box Tops or glue them to the collection sheet. There will be exciting prizes for the winners in early November. Your help is very much appreciated!

DIVIDENDS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!Calling all Dividend volunteers: Dividend applications are available on-line at the SCPS website. Click on Departments, then Dividends and Click here to volunteer. Fill in all the info, click on PREVIEW, and then SUBMIT. Please remember that you will need to resubmit your application every year. Please allow two weeks for processing prior to volunteer/chaperone participation. We appreciate our Dividends and thank you for all you do!If you have any questions, contact Ms. Porter, Assistant Principal, (407) 320-5350.

RED RIBBON WEEK

Keeth Elementary students and staff will celebrate Red Ribbon Week Oct. 27th-Oct.31st. We have a great week planned for the students and staff to celebrate:

Monday Oct. 27–WEAR WHITE! Healthy living leads to a “bright” future!Tuesday Oct. 28 - WEAR CRAZY SOCKS! Sock it to bad habits!Wednesday Oct. 29 -WEAR RED DAY ! Honor Red Ribbon Week and show your support for healthy choices. Thursday Oct. 30 – WEAR YOUR CLOTHES INSIDE OUT! Be healthy inside & out!Friday Oct. 31—WEAR YOUR FAVORITE TEAM JERSEY DAY! Team up for healthy choices! Wear a jersey or t-shirt from your favorite team or your Keeth spirit shirt.

We will hold a canned food drive all week to donate to a local pantry. WE CAN MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES & WE CAN HELP OTHERS! Grade level contest-who CAN collect the most?

Caring Cougar Candy Gram SaleStudent Council will be selling candy grams Monday through Wednesday morning, Oct 27th –29th from 7:30-7:55 in front of the office. For just one dollar, you can send a SKITTLES candy gram to any student or staff member. Candy grams will be delivered on Friday, 10/31. Parent Pre-orders are available by completing the candy gram & sending it to the guidance department.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Way to go to Jacob Butler- Third Grade and Ryan Mclaughlin- Second Grade, for being Keeth’s Let’s Read Seminole winners!

Congratulations to Keeth Student’s of the WeekKindergarten – Jacob Collins – HaddenKindergarten – Julianne Parker - Codrey1st Grade – Bradley Gurnett – Case1st Grade – Danielle Allen - Halerz2nd Grade –Jenna Reynolds – Underwood2nd Grade –Tristan Armstadt - Butler3rd Grade – Mason Dodds – Giambalvo3rd Grade – Daniel Gao - Goodnough4th Grade –Kaitlyn Bishop – DuBois4th Grade –Tyler Luther - Littlefield5th Grade – Luis Valdes – Pernal5th Grade – Lola Cowser – KpolleyESE – Jaxson Dunigan – Gendron

Kudos to the following students who auditioned for the FMEA (Florida Music Educators Association) Elementary All-State Chorus! We will find out in mid-October if we get selected! :)

Lexi Brown - AdamsElla Herman - AdamsVeronica Valdez - DuboisYazielis Perez-Ramirez - PolleyNicole Fong – Polley

SKATE NIGHT-We had a great first skate night on Wednesday, with 260 skaters, and a lot of friends, parents, and grandparents. Mrs. Raulerson’s 4th grade class had the most kids there and her class gets the Skate Night “Cougar Spirit” trophy in their room for the next month. In the races; Ryan Krug from Ms. Hadden’s class won the combined Kindergarten and 1st grade race. Taylor Diaz from Ms. Humphrey’s class won in the 2nd grade. Ella Pilacek in Ms. Kvalheim class was the winner of the 3rd grade girls’ race and Ryan Desabrais from Ms. Giambalvo’s class won the boys’ race. From Ms. Adam’s class, Leyla Finley won the 4th grade girls’ race and Devon Swain won the boys’ race. Abbie Akerson from Ms. Darby’s was the 5th grade winner. Ms. McClellan was the winner of the $25 Target gift card in the teachers and staff drawing. Don’t miss the next skate night on October 29th. There will be special prizes for the best Halloween costume from each grade.

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

Thank you to our business partners! We would like to recognize the following area businesses who have already signed up as our Partners in Excellence for this school year. As a reminder, business partners need to renew their agreements at the start of each school year.

Flipper’s Pizzeria

Jersey Mike’s

Mathnasium of Tuskawilla

North Wind Martial Arts

Orlando Solar Bears

Tijuana Flats

Spark! Family Enrichment Center Sea World

Championship Martial Arts

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice

If you are interested in becoming a Partner in Excellence or would like to renew your agreement from last year, please contact Kelly Mitchell, Assistant Principal, (407) 320-5350.