Newsletter - September 22, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

September 22, 2022: Issue 4

Traeger Tales

THE TRAEGER WAY

This week students reviewed our grade level policy talk videos featuring Ms. Heideman and me. We shared that while we have many jobs at Traeger, our most important job is to ensure that school is safe. We also explained that as students, it is their job to help keep it safe. We reviewed several board policies as requested by the district and talked about how these rules are in place to keep students safe so they can learn.

Parents also received information about how the discipline process is used when a child struggles to make a good choice at school in the annual discipline letter. In addition to this information, we also shared that on rare occasions, students making unsafe or highly disruptive choices can be suspended, which means they are not able to be in their classroom for a short time in order to keep everyone safe and learning. We feel it is important that children know what consequences can occur for poor choices at school.

Thank you for your continued focus on safety and learning at Traeger!

~Mrs G. 😃

WELCOME TO THE PACK

julie hartwig - autism teacher

Hello! My name is Julie Hartwig, and I am an autism teacher for grades K-3 at Carl Traeger. I am very excited to be here! I graduated from UWO in August, 2021 with a degree in Early Childhood Education Special Education. I am starting my second year teaching this year, but have worked with children in many different roles for 15 years. In my spare time I like to walk my two dogs, Tessa and Sawyer. I also enjoy traveling and visiting state parks. I have a nephew who is 11, and a niece who is 8. I live in Montello, WI and commute to Oshkosh each day. I am excited to join the Carl Traeger Elementary family, and am looking forward to a great school year!

Angie Dodge - speech and language pathologist

Hi! My name is Angie Dodge and I am a Speech and Language Pathologist who will be providing communication services and support to the students in Ms. Hartwig's class (SUN room). In addition, I see the students at Oakwood School for speech services. I have been with the district for 8 years. Prior to working in the district I provided home based early intervention speech services to families in Fond du Lac County for 15 years. I enjoy building relationships with students with all abilities and helping families to support their student to become effective communicators. I have been married to my husband David for 24 years and we have 3 daughters (Sierra -21, Alaina-19, Geneva-14). We enjoy boating, going to concerts and playing pickleball! I look forward to working with the staff at CTE. Let's have a great year!

caitlin fox - Paraprofessional

Hello, my name is Cait Fox. I am an autism paraprofessional and will be working with k-3 students. This is my first year at Traeger, but I have worked in education and home care for over 10 years. Outside of school, I train and show horses and also do a lot of crafting.

mckenna gebhart - paraprofessional

Hi everyone! My name is McKenna Gebhart, the students call me Ms. McKenna and I am a para for Julie Hartwig in the K-3 autism room. This will be my first year at Carl Traeger but my second in the district and second year working with Julie. I am excited to continue to meet the rest of the very welcoming and friendly staff! I also can't wait to see all the kiddos and get to know them and their needs and also see how much the kiddos I worked with last year have grown and changed! In my free time, I love photography and taking pictures of anything nature related! I enjoy camping in the woods and just chilling out in a hammock by the fire, love swimming, climbing trees, snowmobiling, and being outdoors in general. However, I'd say my all time favorite thing to do is spend quality time with the ones I hold closest to me. I look forward to my first year at Traeger and can't wait to see it live up to the great expectations I have heard!

Kathy Schreve - Paraprofessional

Hi! My name is Kathy Shreve, an I am a new para in Ms. Hartwig's classroom. I have been a stay at home parent for the past 16 years, the last 5 years of that I was homeschooling my son. I love working with kiddos and am excited to be at Carl Traeger Elementary. My husband and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 22 years. We have two teenagers, Kaylie (16) and Kaden (13), and three dogs. When school year sports or club events aren't keeping us busy, we like to just hangout as a family and watch movies or take drives to the middle of nowhere. I look forward to a great school year with the Traeger Family and all that is to come.

Orange shirt day celebration!

On September 30 we will wear orange to acknowledge the healing journey for those survivors of Indigenous residential schools across the United States and Canada. What is a federal holiday in Canada, is now celebrated by many first nation communities across the United states. "Wearing an orange shirt and promoting the slogan, Every Child Matters, is an affirmation of our commitment to raise awareness of the residential school experience and to ensure that every child matters as we focus on our hope for a better future in which children are empowered to help each other." (orangeshirtday.org).The date was chosen because it is the time of year that children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. (orangeshirtday.org)

BLUE SHIRT DAY-OCTOBER 3

Have you been bullied? Chances are you have.

According to Stomp Out Bullying, a national anti-bullying program website, one in every four children is bullied. Indeed, it is estimated that 160,000 students nationwide miss school each day because they fear a bully.

On October 3, the Carl Traeger Elementary Community would like to bring awareness to the issue of bullying by participating in a world day of bullying prevention known as “Blue Shirt Day”. On Monday, October 3, we invite all members of the Carl Traeger Elementary Staff, students, parents, and visitors to join us in wearing blue to bring awareness to the issue of bullying. We further invite you to discuss bullying in your homes with your children, as well as ways to maintain healthy friendships at home and at school. Only when children feel safe are they able to learn.

For more information about Blue Shirt Day, the world wide day of bullying prevention, please visit www.stompoutbullying.org.

We are looking for 3-4 volunteers to walk to school on October 5 for International Walk to School Day. Routes will be determined by the number of volunteers/location, but in the past, we have had locations a little further out so that students can join the group along the way.

Let Mrs. Wara know no later than September 28 if you are able to help out with a route. Info with starting locations for our routes will go home in Traeger Tales on September 30. Since not all kids are able to walk, we will also offer a walking option at lunch recess. If any parents would like to volunteer to come in and walk with students during lunch recess (K/2nd: 10:35-10:55, 1st/4th: 11:00-11:20, 3rd/5th: 11:25-11:45), please let Mrs. Wara know by September 28.

heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

All volunteers that are helping out with the walk to school routes and recess walking, will need to complete the district background check process. Please follow the link to complete the background check:

https://docs.google.com/a/oshkosh.k12.wi.us/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjMQI4FVpujwmVjDfVCbb2wijeprivB9XTnuS29Z1eKoCwTA/viewform?c=0&w=1

Gildan Youth Open Bottom Sweatpants, Style G18400B

Pants Needed!

Our office clothes closet is in need of some plain black or grey pants for emergency situations. In the past we have had donations of fitted pants like jeans, but it has been difficult to match the sizes with children. We would like to get a collection of unisex elastic top pants that will be more functional. If you would like to help out, here is an Amazon link or your local store like Target or Walmart carries them too. You can order and ship right to Traeger or send with your student to deliver to the office! We are in need of all sizes. Thank you for your support!

Image result for school calendar

September 21
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 22
- Amel/Aronson Sailing Field Trip
September 23
- No School for Students
September 24
- PSC Photography Fundraiser
September 27
- K-Kids Meeting 6:00pm
September 26-30
- Book Fair Week!
September 28
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 30
- Orange Shirt Day - Raising awareness about Indigenous Residential Schools
- Book Fair and Popcorn Social 5:30-7:00pm
October 3
- Blue Shirt Day
October 4
- School Colors Day
- PSC Photography Fundraiser 4:30-6:00pm
October 5
- International Walk to School Day
- Be Bright, Be Bold, Be Seen Theme Day
October 6
- Work Out Wear Theme Day
- PSC Photography Fundraiser 4:30-6:00pm
October 7
- Picture Retake Day
October 13
- Family Literacy Night 5:30-7:00pm

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Community Flyers and Events

The Oshkosh Area School District invites families to explore all that Oshkosh has to offer. A variety of community events, activities, and resources are available on the District's Community Links webpage. This listing is updated in real-time so please check back often to stay in the know!

Newsletter September 16, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

September 16, 2022: Issue 3

Traeger Tales

IMPORTANCE OF MINDSET

WHAT IS MINDSET AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success. Dr. Dweck identified two mindsets people can have: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like intelligence or talent, are fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them, and believe that talent alone creates success, which is wrong. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all people who achieved top performance had these qualities. Research shows that people with this view reach higher levels of success than people with fixed mindset beliefs. Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of business, education, and sports. It enhances relationships, and increases achievement.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT A GROWTH MINDSET IN YOUR CHILDREN?

No parent thinks, “I wonder what I can do today to undermine my children, subvert their effort, turn them off of learning, and limit their achievement.” Of course not. We think, “I would do anything, give anything, to make my children successful.” Yet many of the things we do boomerang. Our best intentioned judgments and our motivational techniques often unintentionally send the wrong message. In fact, every word and action sends a message. It tells children – or students or athletes – how to think about themselves. It can be a fixed mindset message that says: “You have permanent traits and I’m judging them,” or it can be a growth mindset message that says: “You are a developing person and I’m interested in your development.” The most important thing you can do to help your child develop a growth mindset is to praise them for effort rather than for talent. Messages like “You learned that so quickly! You’re so smart!” teach the child that they either are or aren’t smart, and that effort is a sign of weakness. When they encounter difficulty in the future, they tend to then feel not smart and retreat. Instead, messages such as “I like the way you approached that problem”, or “Good job to hang in there and find a different strategy that did work,” or “Sorry, that seemed to be too easy for you, let’s do something more challenging,” teaches kids that effort is something we can all benefit from to reach our full potential, and that they need to be working purposefully and taking on challenges in order to grow.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?

You can visit the Mindset Works website, www.mindsetworks.com, read Dr. Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, or visit the Mindset Works Parenting pages at www.mindsetworks.com/parents to learn about ways to infuse the growth mindset into your parenting. (Source: Mindset Works) ~Mrs G. 😃

WELCOME TO THE PACK

Jackie Reichenberger - Speech Language Pathologist

Hello! My name is Jackie Reichenberger and I am a full time SLP (Speech Language Pathologist) at Traeger Elementary. I have been an SLP in the district since 2001. Prior to working in the district, I worked as an SLP at St. Elizabeth Hospital and Bethel Home. Traeger is a special school for me since my daughters (29 and 26) are both former Traeger students and still say that their favorite teachers are from Traeger. I personally think that I have the best job in the world because I get to spend the whole day teaching children how to communicate! You can find me in a room off the media center or outside on the playground after school. Since my husband Kevin and I also live in this neighborhood, you will probably see us walking our two dogs (Gus and Oatley) or riding around on our new electric bikes. I am very excited to be here and look forward to meeting or re-connecting with families!

Sarah Scheidell - Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Hi there! I'm Sarah Scheidell. I'm a new teacher to the building, but not to the OASD or the profession. This is my 12th year as a Special Education Teacher, and 7th year teaching in the OASD. I'll be co-teaching 4K in the afternoon with Mrs. Hellmer this year. When I'm not at Traeger you'll find me at community partner sights like UW Oshkosh or in other school buildings in our district. Aside from teaching, I was recently married (June 2021) to my husband Vinson and we welcomed our daughter Harper this past April. Finding the best work/home balance has been my latest challenge, but I am happy to be included in the Traeger school family.

Faye Wells - 4K Paraprofessional

Hello, my name is Faye Wells and I will be the 4K para working in Mrs Hellmer and Mrs. Scheidell’s classroom. I am very excited to be a part of this teaching team! My husband and I have two married daughters who have blessed us with 3 grandsons ages 8, 6, and 3 weeks old. Family time is what I cherish most, and with both daughters living on the same street, a mile and a half from our house, we often find ourselves enjoying each other's company. I also enjoy time out in nature hiking, biking, and kayaking. In the couple of weeks I have been at Carl Traeger, I have found the staff to be very welcoming and helpful. Looking forward to the 2022-2023 school year here at Carl Traeger!

Walk and Roll Wednesdays

Each Wednesday is Walk/Bike to School Day at Traeger! Students who use non-motorized transportation can receive a punch on their frequent walker/biker card. When a card is filled with ten punches it can be turned into the office for a prize drawing. Staff will punch cards on Wednesdays when students enter the building.

Happy Birthday!

What are the odds? Mom, dad, son all share a birthday | Trending News,The Indian Express

Traeger celebrates each child’s birthday. We wish students a happy birthday over the morning announcements, and for students with summer birthdays, we announce half birthdays. Each child receives a birthday book courtesy of the PSC. Classrooms also have birthday traditions. Per board of education guidelines, birthday treats are not allowed. If you send a treat we will not be able to serve it. Should you feel the need to send something, a gift to benefit the class is always welcome. This could include a book with an inscription written by your child or perhaps a favorite game for indoor recess. If you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday outside of school, the invitations may not be given out in the classroom, building or grounds. We do not want hurt feelings if a student does not receive an invite. Mailing them or delivering them on your own are great options.

Family Night Author Visit!

We are excited to have author Stephani Curran join us at our Family Night on October 13. Stepheni is a speech-language pathologist (SLP), a children’s book author, and a mother of two elementary students. Stepheni completed her school-based speech therapy externship at Carl Traeger Elementary School during the fall of 2007. Stephani will host two readings and a book signing. Book order forms went home with students this week and are due on Monday, September 19.

Rock On, Kindness! Pass It On!

Summary: This story is about a 7-year-old girl named Ally whose favorite hobby is painting and hiding rocks to bring happiness to others. In the story, Ally creates opportunities for the reader to make predictions and learn new vocabulary as she introduces the reader to her five best friends who will be receiving her painted rocks. The five best friends include Ty, Katie, Noah, Latifa, and Max. Ally explains how she met every friend and notes their uniqueness as these friends differ in terms of race, physical appearance, preferred language, religion, etc. Despite these differences, Ally finds similarities between herself and every friend introduced. The theme of moving past differences to find common interests and create friendships is reiterated throughout the story.

Rock On, Kindness! Even When Your Heart Hurts!

Summary: This story is the second children’s book in the Rock On, Kindness! series. The story is about a 9-year-old boy named Ty who wants to do something special for his grandpa’s birthday, as his grandpa has recently passed away. In the story, Ty takes the reader on an adventure by painting kindness rocks for four of his friends in celebration of his grandpa’s birthday. These four friends include Luke, Stacy, Zane, and Lily. Ty has chosen to paint kindness rocks for these friends as each friend is experiencing a personal challenge, such as moving to a new city, giving a class presentation while having a fear of public speaking, dealing with the deployment of a parent, and having a parent who is battling cancer. Ty teaches the reader about the importance of kindness, compassion for others, friendship, expressing emotions, positive coping strategies, diversity, and inclusion. This story takes difficult topics and embeds them into an engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking read for children 6 through 12, with opportunities for personal discussions along the way!

Did you know Traeger Elementary takes advantage of TerraCycle’s Tom’s of Maine and Colgate Recycling Programs? TerraCycle is a global leader in recycling the hard to recycle waste. 2021-2022 we saved 59 lbs of waste from going into the landfill.

The programs accept EMPTY oral hygiene products and deodorant tubes which includes:

ANY BRAND of toothpaste tubes and caps
ANY BRAND of toothbrushes (DO NOT INCLUDE ELECTRIC OR BATTERY OPERATED TOOTHBRUSHES or HEADS)
ANY BRAND of toothpaste cartons
ANY BRAND toothbrush packaging
ANY BRAND of floss containers
ANY BRAND of deodorant (no aerosol)

With a convenient drop location just inside the main entrance across from the office (in the cafeteria by the stage wall). Please collect items from your household and drop them in a small plastic film bag (like the dentist bag or a bread bag), your student can drop in the box! Traeger K-Kids earns $0.02 for every item collected.

To learn more please watch two of our Traeger’s students teaching us: YouTube - Terracycle Video

Traeger Elementary also participates in the BIC Recycling Program, recycling pens, markers, pen packaging, and glue sticks. We saved 119 lbs from going to the landfill in the 2021-2022 school year! Students are able to dispose of dried out writing utensils and glue sticks in the hallway pods.

Questions please contact: Alicia Alsberg, K-Kids Advisor, abalsberg@gmail.com

COME LEARN TO CODE AND CHANGE THE WORLD...

JOIN A GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB!

WHAT IS A GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB? Girls Who Code Clubs are spaces where girls can join our sisterhood of supportive peers and use Computer Science to change the world. When you join a Club, you will learn by reading excerpts from our books Learn to Code and Change the World and The Friendship Code, practice new skills by completing fun and simple online coding tutorials, and build community through interactive activities with the rest of your Club.

WHAT WILL I LEARN? Our 3rd-5th Grade Clubs help build the foundational skills and understanding of computer science concepts and sisterhood through a reading discussion and coding activities. In order to build the skills you need to make an impact, you will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help you build fun projects to share with friends and family.

CAN I JOIN? Yes! Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the movement! Club membership will be limited to 20 members and it will be first come first served based on parent permission slips being returned. If interest is over 20 students, a waiting list will be created and a spring session will be considered. Permission slips will go home on Wednesday September 14th.

POINT OF CONTACT: Mrs. Monigal

DATES: Mondays from October - December (approximately 12 sessions)

TIMES: 3:00 - 3:45 PM

HOW TO SIGN UP: Flyer and permission slip will go home to interested girls on September 14. Both the flyer and OASD permission slip MUST be returned for membership.

Gildan Youth Open Bottom Sweatpants, Style G18400B

Pants Needed!

Our office clothes closet is in need of some plain black or grey pants for emergency situations. In the past we have had donations of fitted pants like jeans, but it has been difficult to match the sizes with children. We would like to get a collection of unisex elastic top pants that will be more functional. If you would like to help out, here is an Amazon link or your local store like Target or Walmart carries them too. You can order and ship right to Traeger or send with your student to deliver to the office! We are in need of all sizes. Thank you for your support!

OASD Cybersecurity Update Impacting K-8 StudentsThe Oshkosh Area School District's commitment to student safety and student data privacy and security is on-going. With this understanding, please see below for an important email security update impacting K-8 students.

The District has disabled outside email for students in grades K-8.

This change was made on September 9, 2022 based on the District's ongoing review of best practices and amid recent cybersecurity attacks targeting school districts.
Parents/guardians are no longer able to email K-8 students at their district email address and K-8 students cannot email non-OASD email addresses.
Parents/guardians who need to get information to their children during the school day should contact their school office. Additionally, parents/guardians are also able to email their child's school secretary and ask that information be shared/forwarded to their child if needed.

This information was initially shared with K-8 families on September 13, see OASD Technology Update 09.13.22: K-8 Email Access. Additional information explaining this decision is available below.

The OASD’s Technology Team was made aware of several districts in Wisconsin who were the victims of cyberattacks as school started (Elmbrook School District Article). These attacks resulted in student, family, and staff data being compromised as well as ransomware in some instances. The OASD is deeply committed to protecting student, family, and staff information and has put in several protective measures in recent years. What we realized is that our main area of risk centered on our youngest learners in grades K-8 and a data incident could easily come from those accounts. We worked with our teachers to learn what educational impact there would be from this change and realized that having outside email is not used for education purposes in those grade levels.

What We Missed: What we missed were those instances where parents were using this email access to communicate with their children. In previous situations, and with the proliferation of students using cellphones, we observed that most communicated with their children via text. We assumed that this would continue and in those instances where that was not possible, an email or call to the building secretary would provide that line of communication as it had in past years.

Resolution Going Forward: Cybersecurity is always a balance between protection and convenience. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect students and our student, family, and staff data while at the same time trying to make things as easy and convenient as possible. We will continue monitoring the situation as it is unfolding in other districts to learn more about how the attacks occurred and what we can do to ensure it does not happen here. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to continually monitor and whitelist the emails of our 17,000 parents and guardians. We will, however, monitor the situation with our clerical staff to see what type of message volume they are relaying and at what grade levels. If there is any way to restore access without putting student, family, or staff information at risk, we will gladly do so. Until that time, please email or call your building secretary if you wish to have something relayed to your child.

CONTACT: If you have any questions related to this update or the District's commitment to data privacy and security, please contact Deputy Superitendent Dave Gundlach (david.gundlach@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or 920.424.0016).

All About Family Dinner Book Club

Family Dinner Book Club invites you to share a great story, great art, great conversation, and great food each month. Time for a new Family Dinner Book Club. This year we are focusing on social emotional learning and our next topic is- Friendship

This month's featured book is The Elephants Come Home by Kim Tomsic.

Jodie has created a book list and conversation starters, which you can get here:

https://growingbookbybook.com/books-about-making-friends/?fbclid=IwAR3FMWSdsjAY8A3uFqYfRNwEjqnUyDvB_9zl_DlDg3M8-raCcBVfwCN1-48

Laura has created an awesome guide that will set you up with all the activity ideas and links you need. Sign up for it here:

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61d5c126b0306b55f06cb8e1?fbclid=IwAR0Wguev0wlbWgvZG_e94x8vfst-UqGDYf3Jy6pY7YlRlJPylffwy1m9LD4

Sarah may not have a menu for us this month. But, Jodie suggests inviting friends over for dinner and enjoying foods that go well together. Perhaps meatloaf and mashed potatoes with a side of peas and carrots. Round it out with a dessert of chocolate chip banana bread. Jodie likes this recipe:

https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-chip-walnut-banana-bread/?fbclid=IwAR2oTJjnaGe09uP0508aWouhMyfgdUy0vG_svu_nPrJgXLCHfYul-SP629U

We love to see pictures of your dinner. Please share them on our Facebook page.--->Family Dinner Book Club Facebook Page

PSC Minutes
9/13/22, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Library Media Center or LINK to join virtually

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

Who are we? PSC Officers

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Mandy Stein
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders
Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Megan Paulik

Introduction of PSC Officers
Introduction of administrators and staff
Explanation of what the PSC is, why it exists, its goals for the year, and what it supports
1. Coordinates many fundraisers and family/school events
2. PBIS support (aka “Traeger Way”) - purchase incentives for students/staff
3. Playground maintenance - district builds initial playground but maintenance transfers to PTO
4. 5th grade gift for the school
5. SOAR and Veteran’s Day
Ice breaker/introduction of attending members
Volunteer opportunities
1. Book Fair (Kenlin) - 9/26-9/30
  1. Setup on Mon, 9/26 from 8-10am - hoping to complete within an hour because first student preview at 10:35
  2. Jenny H and Katie Z will run during the day but looking for additional volunteers to help
  3. Evening volunteers are needed too
  4. Clean up on Fri, 9/30 at 7pm after popcorn social
  5. ALL VOLUNTEER SPOTS POSTED ON PT BOARD
  6. Baked goods for teacher preview - purchased in past but looking for someone to make and donate this year
  7. NEW - Scholastic fuel surcharge - decide if $75 cash deduction or $150 scholastic dollar deduction? Chose $75
2. Popcorn Social (Sara J) - 9/30
  1. Will purchase popcorn
  2. Request donations for toppings
3. Craft Fair Setup & Bake sale (Nichole) - 10/15
  1. Setup on Fri, 10/14 - no school that day
  2. Bake sale drop off Thurs, 10/13 during One Book One CommuniTE event
  3. Yard signs available to take home and place in yard - need to be returned after event
4. Oshkosh West Homecoming Float (Nichole) - 9/30
  1. Traegar has not participated in past - same night as book fair/popcorn social
  2. Cash prizes available if anyone is interested in participating
  3. Parade starts at 5:30 - line up at 4:30 and judging at 5:15
Treasurer Update
1. 2021-2022 Income Statement vs Budget Update
  1. PT Board 2021-2022 Update
2. 2022-2023 Income Statement vs Budget Update
  1. PT Board 2022-2023 Update
3. Proposal to move profits to playground restricted funds
  1. We can vote to move money if repairs are needed and funds don’t cover
  2. Prior fundraiser push was “catch up” from pandemic
  3. Propose cyber grants, McDonald’s fundraiser and/or wishing well to playground fund
  4. Suggestion to move extra money to enhancement fund instead - was eliminated during pandemic but has been bumped up this year
  5. Current playground issues: missing swings (maintenance has them but unclear if repairs are needed), cuss word on climbing wall, prairie sign in bad shape
  6. Playground needs may not be here now but consider using current fundraisers instead of introducing new ones because we have a lot scheduled this year
4. Raffle licenses are set for this year
5. Teriyaki Madness - accommodated tight budget to supply food for teachers during GTKY conferences
Fundraisers Updates
1. Rhapsodies - raised about $150
2. Pollock Pool - minimal raised due to timing - consider changing date next year
3. Rev Bowling - raised about $150
Treasurer Announcement
1. Alicia has resigned as treasurer so appointing Jolene Halbach and Nick Zanders as new co-treasurers
2. Vote will occur next year
Upcoming events
1. Mini Golf (Mandy) - 9/17
  1. Starts at 11am and costs $10 per person - no scheduled time to arrive this year and not limited to foursomes
  2. Traeger table with 50/50 raffle will be onsight until 2pm but fundraiser is open until course closes at 6pm
  3. Also having a pizza fundraiser with Pizza @Hwy 44 - runs all day - 10% of sales will be donated back
2. Photography Fundraiser (Heather) - 9/25, 10/4 and 10/6
  1. No volunteers needed
3. Cedar Yard Greetings (Tina)
  1. “You’ve Been Boo’d” - available the month of October
  2. Cost $50 and 20% goes back to Traeger - raised $75 last year
  3. Includes small Halloween display and goodie bag
4. One Book One CommuniTE (Mrs. Runde/Mrs. Treb) - 10/13
  1. Books donated by PSC
  2. Amazon wish list - need to reshare link because doesn’t work
  3. Reading raffle baskets for students and parents - Sign up on PT Board to donate items
Next meeting date, time, and location: October 11th, 6pm in library media center (LMC)
Questions
1. Directory
  1. No longer using directory within PT Board because allowed access to anyone who signed up
  2. Will work with Sarah B to reinstate directory used in the past - this isn’t posted anywhere but rather a link is included in IC and access is limited so cannot be downloaded
2. Where to find the latest PSC Updates
  1. Access PT Board or PSC Facebook page to
  2. Repost “parent directions” to sign up for PT Board
Motion to end meeting - Kelly Z; Second - Liza O

Image result for school calendar

September 13
- 6:00pm PSC mtg. in LMC
September 14
- Walk to School Wednesday
- Kordus/Demeny Sailing Field Trip
September 17
- PSC Mini Golf Outing
September 21
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 22
- Amel/Aronson Sailing Field Trip
September 23
- No School for Students
September 25
- PSC Photography Fundraiser
September 27
- K-Kids Meeting 6:00pm
September 26-30
- Book Fair Week!
September 28
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 30
- Orange Shirt Day - Raising awareness about Indigenous Residential Schools
- Book Fair and Popcorn Social 5:30-7:00pm
October 7
- Picture Retake Day

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Community Flyers and Events

The Oshkosh Area School District invites families to explore all that Oshkosh has to offer. A variety of community events, activities, and resources are available on the District's Community Links webpage. This listing is updated in real-time so please check back often to stay in the know!

Newsletter - September 9, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

September 9, 2022: Issue 2

Traeger Tales

Fulfilled, happy, confident, responsible, kind, and loving. We have learned that these are goals families want for their children, and as teachers, what we want for our students.

We recognize that as a family member, you are our students’ first teacher and we want to partner with you to help our children become tolerant, compassionate, and caring adults. To support achieving these goals and to help our students build their social and emotional skills, we are pleased to share that we are implementing Harmony SEL in our school community.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) helps children by promoting their health and emotional well-being and contributing to the prevention of violence, truancy, bullying, and substance abuse. In addition, SEL is associated with significant gains on academic achievement tests.

Harmony is designed to build healthy relationships among students by having them engage in activities that promote understanding and respect. Over the course of the five units listed below, students will enhance their abilities to learn, work, and spend time together.

Diversity and Inclusion
Critical Thinking
Communication
Problem Solving
Peer Relationships

Information will be sent home periodically, sharing activities in each unit. You will find out more about Harmony Goals, Meet Up, Buddy Up, and other fun strategies being used in the classroom. We welcome your feedback. To learn more about Harmony please visit harmonysel.org.

Thank you for your support! ~Mrs. G. 😃

Safety and Security at Carl Traeger Elementary

The Oshkosh Area School District is deeply committed to keeping students, staff, and school communities safe, secure, and focused on teaching and learning. The District’s Emergency Preparedness Collaborative Operations Team (EPCOT) is continually reviewing current and past safety events, along with proactive strategies to address the ongoing and ever-changing needs of school safety. Additionally, each school has an extensive emergency management plan that is reviewed regularly. Please see below for a few important safety and security reminders specific to Carl Traeger Elementary.

Carl Traeger Elementary, along with all schools in the district, provides a secure entrance. Upon arrival, visitors must ring the doorbell to gain access to the building. Visitors who are dropping off items such as lunches, boots, etc. will be asked to leave the item on the table in the vestibule. Office staff will retrieve the items and arrange for students to pick them up. The door between the vestibule and the office will remain locked at all times.

If visitors need access beyond the vestibule, the door will be unlocked and visitors will enter the office. All visitors who enter the building will need to be screened using our Raptor system. Visitors will need a driver’s license or government issued identification the first time they access the building. On subsequent visits we will be able to look up the information without an ID. A visitor badge with photo identification will be printed and must be worn and visible while in the building. Visitors must check out at the office when leaving.

IMPORTANT: EVERY visitor must gain access to the vestibule via the office screening process. Visitors should NOT let other people into the building who are behind them or when they are exiting the building.

REMINDER: Review and update your Emergency Contact Settings in IC! In an emergency, District staff will work with school staff to notify families of the situation as quickly as possible. To ensure that you receive emergency communications from the District please check your Contact Preferences within Infinite Campus (IC). You can choose how you are notified in an emergency situation, and update your phone number(s) and email addresses if needed.

Instructions - Updating Emergency Notification Settings in IC

Communication with Staff

We are so fortunate to have a staff full of dedicated professionals at Carl Traeger Elementary who have chosen education for their careers. Although we know our staff are superheroes, they are not superhuman. Like all of us, they require downtime to dedicate to themselves and their loved ones in order to rest and recharge so they can be at their best for your children each day.

In order to be mindful of their need for downtime, teachers are not expected to respond to contacts after their contract hours. In addition, we live in an age of instant access. However, our teachers are busy throughout the day providing our students with the love and attention they need to learn and grow. Therefore, it is not always possible to respond to communication immediately.

It IS an expectation that our staff:

Respond to all communication in a reasonable amount of time (24-48 hours).
Provide consistent communication and keep families informed
Respect the privacy of all students and maintain professionalism in all communication

We also know that school is not our students’ whole lives. Your children need down time, play time and family time so they are able to come to school each day prepared to put forth their best. Therefore, any homework that is assigned is intended to reinforce the skills we are working on at school.

We look forward to partnering with you as we support learning and growth this year!

Ravenel Elementary

Children may arrive at 7:30 and enter their assigned door to go to their classroom. The staff work day begins at 7:30 therefore children should not be be at school prior to that time and should not play on the playground! All children should be entering school from the playground in the morning. 4K parents need to accompany their child to the their meeting spot. Please ensure that your child is dropped off in time to enter the building through their assigned door. Should you need an earlier drop off time, the YMCA does offer before school childcare services. More information can be found at the LINK.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE DATES 2022-2023!!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

November 10 and November 15 4:00-7:00 pm--This will be your opportunity to meet individually with your child’s teacher and discuss your child’s progress and goals.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day a written request is received.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

4. The right to know that school districts can disclose education records to each other without parent consent if student is enrolling or transferring to another district.

5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by a school to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

Note: for a review of additional details for each of the above items, please go to the following website:

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/lea-officials.html

Do you know about our PSC? Our school’s PSC, which stands for Parents and Staff for Children, holds events throughout the year that help raise funds for Carl Traeger Elementary. Some events are the Craft Fair, Bingo Night, and Golf Outing in addition to so many more including the ones mentioned in this Traeger Tales. Funds from these events go to things like the One Book, One CommuniTE, classroom field trips, and playground maintenance. The PSC meets every second Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 7:00pm during the school year and welcomes all parents and staff to attend to listen in, support, and volunteer. We hope to see you at our next meeting on Tuesday, September 14th in the CTE Library! And don’t forget to check the PSC Facebook page and PTBoard for more information! Learn more about our upcoming events below!

Mini Golf Outing & Pizza Fundraiser Saturday, September 17th - Golf isn't just for the pros and adults! Bring the whole family and show off your putt putt skills by joining in our mini golf event on Saturday, September 17th at Settlers Mill in Oshkosh. It's just $10 per person to get in on the fun! Come anytime during business hours (11:00am - 6:00pm) to golf and between 11:00am - 2:00pm to enter our raffle for a chance to play (and win!) our 50/50 raffle! We also have some sponsorship opportunities available including hole sponsors at only $36 per hole (family sponsors are welcome, too!). Huge thank you to our presenting sponsor, Aquire Restoration, Inc. and lunch sponsor, Arya Cares! To register or to be a sponsor, please visit https://traeger.ptboard.com/formvw/form?store=3016&form=1. And on the same day, you can stop at Pizza at Hwy 44 to grab some pizza for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! A portion of the proceeds from sales throughout the day will come back to our school!

Fall Photography Fundraiser September 24th, and October 5th & 6th - We’re excited to have Cattail Creek Photography offer 10 minute mini sessions for our Traeger families! For $125, you will receive five edited photos and 40% of the proceeds will go to the school! To check availability and signup for a time slot, please head to https://book.usesession.com/s/lNiEZLeMy.

Book Fair & Popcorn SocialSeptember 27th - 30th - Kickoff the school year with some new books to read! Update your at-home library with some new favorites, plus we will have teacher wishlists available, so you can purchase books for a classroom. Better yet, every purchase at the book fair fundraises Scholastic dollars that we can use to purchase books throughout the school year. The weeklong event will cap off with a build your own popcorn social on Friday, September 30th 5:30pm - 7:00pm, so you and your family can grab a snack and grab any last minute books on your list! Exact hours and volunteer signup information will be posted on PTBoard soon!

Recently, the Wisconsin RtI Center recognized our school in BEHAVIOR at the SILVER level for our work toward fully implementing a school-wide system that, according to national research, leads to improved student outcomes.

By establishing our equitable, multi-level system of supports, we increase consistency of effective instruction, build staff knowledge and skills to equitably support all learners, use data to proactively identify and provide support for students, and create a positive culture that nurtures relationships with students and their families, and communities. This strong foundation helps learners gain the skills needed to graduate ready for college or a career!

Healthy Back to School Snacks - Healthy Family Expo

School Day Snacks

Carl Traeger Elementary will again be offering milk as a snack this year. With normal breakfast and lunch consumption, school age children should need nothing more than one mid-morning/mid- afternoon snack milk during the school day. Keep in mind, many children go home after school and have a snack. A good definition of a healthy snack is one that is low in added sugars and sodium, and provides important nutrients like fiber, protein, and heart healthy fats, such as those found in nuts. Parents may elect to send a snack to school with their child. Please consult the suggestions the Traeger Family Handbook. Snacks should be sent daily in single serving portions.

News From the Office

Student hours for 2021-2022 are 7:45am-2:45pm. All children should enter the building through their assigned door from the playground.
Sometimes parents are surprised to see their child has been marked tardy. This can happen if children dilly dally in the hallway. Please remind your child about the importance of being in the classroom when the bell rings. You can access your child’s attendance information in Infinite Campus.
When calling your child in for the day you can reach our voicemail 24 hours a day. It does ring several times before going to voicemail, so please stay on the line.
Reminder! There is no school on September 23.

PSC Agenda
9/13/22, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Library Media Center or LINK to join virtually

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

Who are we? PSC Officers

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Mandy Stein
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Megan Paulik

An introduction of PSC officers
Introduction of attending members & administrators and staff
An explanation of what the PSC is, why it exists, its goals for the year, and what it supports.
Ice breaker
Volunteer opportunities
1. Book Fair Sept. 26th-30th (Kenlin)
  1. Popcorn Social 30th (Sara J.)
2. Craft Fair Setup & Bake sale
3. Oshkosh West Homecoming Float
Treasurer Update
1. 2021-2022 Income Statement vs Budget Update
  1. PT Board 2021-2022 Update
2. 2022-2023 Income Statement vs Budget Update
  1. PT Board 2022-2023 Update
Fundraisers Update
1. Rhapsodies
2. Pollock Pool
3. Rev Bowling
Vote for new treasurers
Upcoming events
1. Mini Golf Sept 17th
2. Photography Fundraiser Sept 25th, and October 6th and 8th (Heather)
3. Yard Greetings - Tina
4. One Book One CommuniTE Oct 13th (Mrs.Runde/Mrs. Treb)
  1. Raffle basket
5. Craft Fair October 15th (Nichole)
  1. Setup Friday October 14th-Liza
  2. Bake Sale- drop off at One Book One CommuniTE
Next meeting date, time, and location: October 11th, 6pm
Questions

COME LEARN TO CODE AND CHANGE THE WORLD...

JOIN A GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB!

WHAT IS A GIRLS WHO CODE CLUB? Girls Who Code Clubs are spaces where girls can join our sisterhood of supportive peers and use Computer Science to change the world. When you join a Club, you will learn by reading excerpts from our books Learn to Code and Change the World and The Friendship Code, practice new skills by completing fun and simple online coding tutorials, and build community through interactive activities with the rest of your Club.

WHAT WILL I LEARN? Our 3rd-5th Grade Clubs help build the foundational skills and understanding of computer science concepts and sisterhood through a reading discussion and coding activities. In order to build the skills you need to make an impact, you will learn how to code from our fun online tutorials and activities that will help you build fun projects to share with friends and family.

CAN I JOIN? Yes! Whether you’re a beginner or a computer master, you’re invited to join the movement! Club membership will be limited to 20 members and it will be first come first served based on parent permission slips being returned. If interest is over 20 students, a waiting list will be created and a spring session will be considered. Permission slips will go home on Wednesday September 14th.

POINT OF CONTACT: Mrs. Monigal

DATES: Mondays from October - December (approximately 12 sessions)

TIMES: 3:00 - 3:45 PM

HOW TO SIGN UP: Flyer and permission slip will go home to interested girls on September 14. Both the flyer and OASD permission slip MUST be returned for membership.

Image result for school calendar

September 13
- 6:00pm PSC mtg. in LMC
September 14
- Walk to School Wednesday
- Kordus/Demeny Sailing Field Trip
September 17
- PSC Mini Golf Outing
September 21
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 22
- Amel/Aronson Sailing Field Trip
September 23
- No School for Students
September 25
- PSC Photography Fundraiser
September 27
- K-Kids Meeting 6:00pm
September 26-30
- Book Fair Week!
September 28
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 30
- Orange Shirt Day - Raising awareness about Indigenous Residential Schools
- Book Fair and Popcorn Social 5:30-7:00pm
October 7
- Picture Retake Day

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Community Flyers and Events

The Oshkosh Area School District invites families to explore all that Oshkosh has to offer. A variety of community events, activities, and resources are available on the District's Community Links webpage. This listing is updated in real-time so please check back often to stay in the know!

Newsletter - August 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

August 2022: Issue 1

Traeger Tales

ANOTHER GREAT YEAR BEGINS!

Carl Traeger Elementary is gearing up for the 2022-2023 school year! Classroom and building preparations are underway as we anxiously await the arrival of students! The first day of school is Thursday, September 1, and it will be here before you know it!

Our K-5 Open House and Get to Know You Conferences will once again be held before the start of the school year. Each grade K-5 family will schedule a 15 minute appointment on August 29 to bring in school supplies and meet the teacher. We are excited to offer this one-on-one time before the school year starts. Get to Know You Conference sign up begins August 17 at 8:00am. https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Carl_Traeger_Elementary. Families will receive information about about class placement via email on August 15.

We are excited to be able to offer school pictures on August 29 as well. Please have your child’s picture taken AFTER your conference so that we can stay on schedule. You can prepay for your pictures at the LINK. Yearbook sales will take place second semester.

Teachers are anxious to meet families and welcome students to their classrooms! Everyone gets a little nervous before the first day of school, so hopefully this visit will help calm those nerves.

The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to celebrate and reinforce the essential link between school and home. Throughout the year please feel free to contact any of the Traeger staff, myself included, to make your child’s learning experience more positive and productive! Welcome Back! ~Brenna Garrison-Bruden 😃 (AKA Mrs. G.)

Meet Mrs. G.

This is my 23nd year as a member of the Oshkosh Area School District. I grew up in Fond du Lac and graduated from UW Oshkosh. I have a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Marian University. For nearly eight years I had the privilege of team teaching second and third grades at Webster Stanley Elementary. In February 2008 I began my three and one half year principalship at Webster. I am very excited to begin my twelfth year at Carl Traeger Elementary. Our school staff has a reputation for being on the cutting edge of teaching and learning and for doing whatever it takes to meet the needs of students and families. I look forward to reconnecting with children and families and welcoming new members to our school family.

My husband, Chris, and I have been married 36 years. Our son, CJ, is 33 and our daughter, Emma, is 31. It seems like just yesterday our children were starting their elementary careers. I can’t believe our kids are all grown up and living on their own. Now that we are empty nesters, Chris and I enjoy doting on our “fur babies,” Ginger and Nutmeg. In my free time I enjoy gardening, reading, traveling, decorating for the holidays, knitting, home projects, cooking and strumming my ukulele.

Remember that I am here for you and your family. Sometimes just someone to listen, some words of advice or an extra pair of hands is just what you might need to help you through those challenges we all face as families in our society, today. Don't ever hesitate to call me here at school (424-0221) or at home (921-6322) - that is what I am here for - to help you and your child. Here's to a successful launching of another great school year! Brenna 😃

Carl Traeger Elementary Classroom Teachers 2022-2023

4K

Mrs. Gorski & Mrs. Hellmer

Kindergarten

Mrs. Ballard, Mrs. Minten & Mrs. VanHeuklon

First Grade

Mrs. Cardinal, Mrs. Martin & Ms. Weiss

Second Grade

Ms. Moon, Mrs. Sopata & Mrs. Witt

Third Grade

Mrs. Branson, Mrs. Gustafson, Mrs. Lepper & Mrs. Trebiatowski

Fourth Grade

Mr. Amel, Ms. Aronson, Mr. Demeny, & Mrs. Kordus

Fifth Grade

Mr. Clark, Mrs. Nyman & Mrs. Purtell

Special Education

Ms. Hartwig, Mrs. Rost & Mrs. Walsh

Please welcome our new staff:

Mrs Boogren - Special Education Paraprofessional
Ms. Fox - Special Education Paraprofessional
Ms Gebhart - Special Education Paraprofessional
Ms. Hartwig - Special Education Teacher
Ms. Heidl - Special Education Paraprofessional
Ms. Wells - 4K Paraprofessional
Ms. Radig - Occupational Therapist
Mrs. Reichenberger - Speech & Language Pathologist
Mrs. Scheidell - 4K Special Ed Teacher
Ms. Shreve - Special Education Paraprofessional
Mrs. VanDeraa - Special Education Paraprofessional
Ms. Yang - ESOL Teacher

Due to the number of sections this year, we again have additional support for art (Jenna Larson), music (Maria Cibula) and physical education (Traci Zerbe). First hour each day will be taught to fifth graders by these traveling staff members.

News From the Office

Watch for a separate communication with arrival and dismissal procedures.
Student hours for 2022-2023 are 7:45-2:45. If students arrive in the classroom after 7:45 they are marked tardy.
In an effort to provide safety and security, the doors remain locked before, during and after the school day.
Breakfast will be served in the classroom. We do NOT have early arrival time for breakfast.
Students may arrive at 7:30am-no earlier. The YMCA provides before school childcare for families who may need it. Students should NOT be playing on the playground before school. More specific information will be provided closer to the start of school.
Carl Traeger and Food Service invite you to have lunch with your child any school day. If you wish to order a school lunch, please call the office at least two days in advance so a lunch will be ready for you.
Please read the attendance procedures in the Family Handbook. Students are only allowed to miss part or all of 10 school days for any reason the entire year. This includes illness, vacation, weddings, funerals, ...anything.
Oshkosh Transit System provides service to Traeger. The cost is FREE! Maps and detailed information are in the school office and the Family Handbook. Please contact Oshkosh Transit System at 232-5340 for more information on this service.
If your child requires medication to be administered during the school day, please drop off completed Medication/Treatment Request forms and medications in the originally labeled containers to the school office, preferably before school starts.
The YMCA offers child care at our school site before and after school hours. Please contact them for more information, as the program fills up quickly! More information about enrollment can be found at the LINK.
As you review supply lists for the school year, please note teachers may have additional supplies requested in their teacher letter. Teachers may also have additional requests of supplies for the classroom after school begins.
Middle school students are dismissed almost an hour after elementary dismissal. We are not able to provide supervision for students to wait for middle school siblings. Please make alternative arrangements if this impacts your family. The YMCA does provide after school child care. Children age 8 and up are able to walk to the YMCA after school.
Thanks to our custodial crew for all their hard work in preparing for another school year! It is great to start the year with shiny floors, clean rooms and tidy hallways!

The Value of an After-School Conversation

Asking your kids about their school day is a good idea, according to Vanderbilt University researchers.

Why? The researchers say they already knew that children learned best with their mothers or a peer, but it wasn’t clear whether this was because the children were getting feedback and help, or merely because they were explaining their solutions to someone. In the study, the researchers had mothers simply listen to their children without providing any assistance.

“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” says Bethany Rittle-Johnson, professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations.”

Image result for school calendar

August 29
- 11:30am-6:30pm Get to Know You Conferences by appointment
August 31
- Chalk the Walk
- Kindergarten Play Date 4:00-6:00pm
September 1
- First Day of School!
September 5
- Labor Day - No School
September 7
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 13
- 6:00pm PSC mtg. in LMC
September 14
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 17
- PSC Mini Golf Outing
September 21
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 23
- No School for Students
September 25
- PSC Photography Fundraiser
September 27
K-Kids Meeting 6:00pm
September 26-30
- Book Fair Week!
September 28
- Walk to School Wednesday
September 30
- Book Fair and Popcorn Social 5:30-7:00pm
October 7
- Picture Retake Day

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Community Flyers and Events

The Oshkosh Area School District invites families to explore all that Oshkosh has to offer. A variety of community events, activities, and resources are available on the District's Community Links webpage. This listing is updated in real-time so please check back often to stay in the know!

Newsletter - May 27, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

May 27, 2022: Issue 34

Traeger Tales

A WONDERFUL YEAR!

Thank you for another wonderful year at Traeger Elementary! The children have done so much wonderful learning throughout the year. It is hard to believe the year is coming to an end!

Thank you for sharing your children with us each day. Traeger has a community of families that is generous, giving, and supportive. We appreciate you all!

Thank you for ALL your support as we continued to navigate education during a pandemic. Caregiver support is one of our greatest assets at Traeger. We appreciate your time and care!

Thank you for sharing your ideas, concerns, and successes with us throughout the year. The partnership with our families is so beneficial in educating the children, and we appreciate the feedback!

Thank you for continuing to encourage learning over the summer! Keep your child reading, writing, and computing throughout the summer. Children are curious and love to learn new things, and learning with their family over summer is a great extension to the classroom!

Thank you for sharing your children with us. We will see you at Get to Know You Conferences August 29 and on the first day of school on September 1.

~ Mrs. G. 🙂

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022-2023

While we wrap up one terrific school year, we are also preparing for the upcoming year. The district has reviewed the status of the budget and enrollment numbers. Staffing is based on district guidelines which include kindergarten through third grades at 24 students and grades four and five at 27 students. We are excited that for the first time in many years, our grade level staffing configurations will remain the same. This means that we don't have any classroom teachers that will be changing grades!

We do have a few staffing changes, however. Mrs. VanderLoop is retiring-see her message below. Ms. Hein and Mrs. Augustine from 4K are moving to new roles. Ms. Hein will be teaching 4th grade at Merrill and Mrs. Augustine will be the 4K Teacher Associate. Mrs. Chapman will be supporting 4K ESOL next year and we will welcome a new full time ESOL Teacher, Ms. Yang. Mrs. Rojas will be spending more time on the middle school side. We will be welcoming a special education program from Oakwood and their staff Ms. Hartwig, Ms. Fox and Ms. Gebhart will be joining us. With our new program coming, we will be saying goodbye to some of the eAcademy staff who are moving to a new location-Mr. Kelley, Mrs. Schiek and Ms. Groth. Mrs. Timm is moving to Sheboygan to be closer to family and we welcome back a former CTE speech therapist, Mrs. Reichenberger. Watch for further updates next fall.

We wish everyone well as they embark on new adventures and look forward to getting to know our new school family members! We are looking forward to continuing the Traeger tradition of excellence in education for 2022-2023!

Wishing Mrs. VanderLoop Well in Retirement!

After quite a few trips around the sun, 19 years worth to be exact, it is time to hang up my lanyard. :)

I have learned so much and greatly enjoyed my time with coworkers and students through the years. The many amazing and creative ways our connections with each other continued through our virtual covid time, really made us appreciate being back to school in person. This has reminded us to never take that for granted again! Being a part of magnificent teamwork is something I have cheered about during all of my years in the OASD.

Something I am particularly proud of is being an “instigator” of the Traeger Elementary Green Team which is now combined with our school's K-Kids. The like-minded students and adults, both staff and parents involved, are a constant inspiration and great example of what can be accomplished to make the Earth a better, greener place when we work together!

Joining my husband Steve, in the retired world, will include more traveling and the advantage of less crowded fall camping. When we’re home, we “enjoy” :) projects at the 4 fixer-upper homes in the family, including the cabin up north. The “home remodel teams” in our family include our sons Ben (planning a wedding with his fiancé Carlie :), Grayson, and his girlfriend Emily. So far, the closest thing we have to a grandchild is their hysterical Corgi puppy, Harlow. Our slightly demanding husky dog, Diesel, keeps us all busy and amused. We love every minute of it!

Retirement might teach me how to truly relax but I think there will always be something more fun to do in the yard or garden, houseplants to putter with or a resale shop to be explored.

Thank you to all the amazing coworkers, students and their families that have made my time being a part of the Oshkosh Area School District so memorable.

FIELD DAY will be on Tuesday, May 31. This year we are going to be celebrating field day ALL DAY!! We have some activities planned for the morning and we will be participating in our stations for the afternoon. In order to help your child come prepared, please send them with good shoes; sandals do not work great for all the activities we have planned. Make sure they bring a water bottle and sunscreen. You can apply sunscreen in the morning, but if they bring sunscreen with them, we can help reapply for the afternoon if they need assistance.

Old PE shoes that you no longer have a need for? Mrs. Wara will have a shoe donation bucket outside the gym door for gently used gym shoes to be donated!

Last Day of School Dismissal traffic on the last day of school is typically VERY heavy. It is often difficult to get in or out of the driveway on that day. Please plan ahead and consider walking or biking to school next week. If you do drive to school on the last day, please be prepared for long traffic lines upon departure. Thank you!

Traeger Family Book Club

It’s time to sign up for a summer edition of our Family Book Club! This summer, you will have the option of signing up for two different themes. The first theme will be “bravery”. Mrs. Runde has chosen a picture book and a chapter book that allows you to explore the topic of bravery through these fictional stories. The picture book, How to Be a Lion by Ed Vere, is intended for students at any grade level and the chapter book, First Rule of Punk by Celia Perez, is intended for students in grades 3 and up. Resources are created to support you with your family discussion. Materials will be limited to the first 20 families for the chapter book & 10 families for the picture book. Watch for information about an optional get together to discuss with other families at the beginning of July and for your opportunity to sign up for a 2nd book club this summer. Please complete the attached FORM by Monday, May 30 so materials can be put together and sent home.

Core Values of K-Kids:

Character Building: The ability to do the right thing, even when it might be the unpopular choice.
Leadership: The ability to listen, communicate, serve, and guide others.
Inclusiveness: Accepting and welcoming differences in other people.
Caring: The act of being concerned about or interested in other people or situations.

*No sign-up required *You can join at any time during the year

Thank you to our 2021-2022 K-Kids Officers:

President: Brooke Alsberg (4th Grade)
Vice President: Leland Crane (5th Grade)
Secretary: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)
Treasurer: Ellen Volkening (2nd Grade)

At our May 19th meeting we voted in the officers for the 2022-2023 school year. We heard five incredible speeches, and students voted for four officers.

Congratulations to our 2022-2023 K-Kids Officers:

President: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)
Vice President: Morgan Sparr (4th Grade)
Secretary: Aisha Akinyele (2nd Grade)
Treasurer: Jocelyn Lawsing (4th Grade)

2022-2023 is going to be an exciting year for K-Kids and Traeger. We are going to start a few K-Kids committees to host during lunch recess/lunch. Watch for more information about the committees and the K-Kids meeting schedule at the start of the next school year.

Our first established committee, proud to announce the K-Kids Kindness Committee, led by Anna Alsberg (3rd Grade), runner up for president.

I am so proud of Carl Traeger Elementary’s K-Kids. Students inspire me to be a better me, helping the environment, our community. Thank you K-Kids ~ I am proud of each and every one of you!

Alicia Alsberg abalsberg@gmail.com

Tips to Make Summer Reading Happen

by Mrs. Runde

1. CHOICE: Let your kids choose the books that they read. Kids Need to Pick Out Books.

2. BOUNTY: Fill your house with lots of books. More books = more chances for your children to find a fantastic, amazing, very good book that they can’t put down.

Recently, we set a new money spent record at the bookstore. Gulp. I shouldn’t even tell you but it was well over $300. There’s something magical about mom taking you to the bookstore where you can pick all the books you want to read. (Magically expensive. But worth it.)

Of course, we do visit the library weekly, and it’s much more economical.

3. LIBRARY: Use your library. Let your kids go WILD and check out lots of books!

4. TIME: Kids need opportunities for reading. So, make sure they’re not filling all their time with TV, video games, and iPad time.

5. TECHNOLOGY: Don’t forget about audiobooks, Kindles, iPads, and Nook reading. Ebooks and audiobooks count as reading, too. (See: audiobooks for tweens & audiobooks for teens.)

6. READABILITY: Make sure your child is reading books that he or she can actually comprehend. When choosing a book, use the 5 finger test to decide if it’s a just-right book. During and after reading, ask your child to tell you a little bit about the story. If you haven’t read the story, read the back and ask questions pertaining to that summary. Make sure your child is understanding what he reads — and that he KNOWS IF HE DOESN’T. For more clarity about reading comprehension, visit this post.

7. COZY READING SPACE: Kids LOVE a Cozy Book Nook. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it does need to involve the kids. Find a corner – those work best. Let your child add pillows, lamps, books, stuffed animals, a headlamp or flashlight, and create a special space.

Read more tips on how to make an enticing book nook.

8. DOWNTIME: Kids Need Margins Just Like We Do. We all need unscheduled time to rest and relax. Kids especially. Remember to make time during the day for rest and reading.

Summer is quickly approaching and with calendars filling up, make sure to save the dates for our PSC summer events:

• June 2nd (The last day of school): Ice Cream @ Rhapsodies

• July 22nd: Pool Party @ Pollock Pool

• August 6th: Bowling @ Rev’s (NOT August 7 in the note that went home)

More details on our PSC Facebook page and PTBoard!

What: 5th Grade Advancement/DARE Graduation
Who: Parents and Family of 5th Grade Students
When: Wednesday, June 1 at 1:30 PM (Gallery Walk at 1:15)
Where: Carl Traeger Elementary School Gym

We hope you can join us as we celebrate elementary school and bid our 5th graders farewell!

The fifth grade celebration is Wednesday, June 1 at 1:30. Parents are invited to come watch their fifth graders be recognized for successful completion of the elementary years and the DARE curriculum!

This year students will be participating in one of many ways: greeting guests, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, singing the school song, sharing a favorite memory, presenting the class gift, or participating in a gallery walk of their favorite projects. Students are encouraged to dress nicely for this event.

Parents will have the opportunity to enjoy the gallery walk from 1:15 to 1:30 or immediately after the ceremony. The gallery walk will be set up in the elementary school gym. After the ceremony we will have a reception in the cafeteria with with cookies and lemonade. Students and families can mingle and reminisce about all the great times we have had together.

Join us in the elementary school gym as we honor our fifth grade students and send them off to middle school!

Hello Traeger Families!

Growing Oshkosh, a non-profit urban farm, has partnered with OASD to bring raised bed gardens to our schools. This year our Empower Academy class will be planting our beds.

All families are welcome to enjoy and work with the school gardens throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The school gardens will require some watering and light weeding throughout the growing season.

Families are encouraged to bring their children to the gardens throughout the summer to see how the plants are progressing and take home any produce that is ready. All the produce grown in the gardens is free and can be harvested by anyone at any time!

We invite families to sign up for one week over the summer months to water the gardens if needed.

If you are interested, please click on this LINK and sign up for a week to water.

Note: A watering “key” is needed to turn on the outdoor watering spout. The key will need to be passed from one family to another. Please include your contact info on the sign up document so you can plan how to hand off the key to the next person/family.

Image result for school calendar

May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
May 31
- Field Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- Grade 5 to Barlow Planetarium
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!
- PSC Ice Cream Social at Rhapsodies after school!
July 22
- PSC Pool Party at Pollock Pool!
August 6
- PSC Bowling event at Rev's
August 29
- GTKY Conferences and School Pictures by appointment 11:30am-6:30pm

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

This is the final edition of Traeger Tales for 2021-2022!

Newsletter - May 20, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

May 20, 2022: Issue 33

Traeger Tales

COPING WITH ANXIETY

It’s normal to get anxious in a new situation. When your child has to face something new, here are some concrete steps you can take as a parent to help ease them in.

1. Validate, validate, validate.
Tell your child that what they’re feeling is normal. It is perfectly okay for a child to feel their feelings, even if those emotions aren’t comfortable. Gently commenting on those feelings won’t make them worse—it will actually help your child feel understood. Try something like, “It’s okay to feel worried,” or “It’s hard to try new things sometimes.”

2. Keep a “You can do it!” attitude.
Express full confidence in your child’s ability to manage the situation they are in. Let them know that you believe they can handle the new challenge (even if it is hard). You can say statements like, “You’ve got this,” or “I know you can handle this.”

This confidence will work really well with your validation to show your child that you understand what they’re going through but still know they can do it. It might sound like, “I know you’re worried about going to the birthday party, AND I know you can do it.”

3. Take small steps toward a goal.
Some situations are harder for kids than others. Before you put your child in a new environment, think about whether you believe they can handle it right now. If it is too difficult, set them up for success by breaking up the task beforehand. Then start with a mini-step instead. For example, instead of just dropping your child off at soccer practice, let them know you will stay and watch. For the next week, make a plan to stay for only half of practice and then build toward dropping off and leaving. Make sure to tell the truth — no sneaking off if they seem more comfortable than you expected!

4. Practice makes progress.
For some kids, it’s going to take more than one time to warm up to a new situation. Give your kids time and don’t give up on something just because the first time was a little rough. Most things take a couple tries to get good at. Think of a skill you’ve been working on for yourself and compare it to the first time you tried it. I’d imagine you’re better now than when you first started. Putting kids in a new environment is the same—the more they do it, the easier it will get. If they quit piano after just one lesson, they’re probably never going to learn that it gets easier with time. Set a specific number of practices or lessons in advance and stick to it so your child can learn what happens to their worries when they keep trying.

5. Praise goes a long way.
It feels great when someone tells you they notice your hard work, doesn’t it? Let your child know they are doing an awesome job just by trying something new. Say something like, “I’m so proud of you for going to a new school even though you were worried,” or “Awesome job walking to the bus stop by yourself. I know that was a hard one.” You can praise effort toward a goal, even if your child hasn’t fully gotten to the end goal yet.

6. Check yourself.
As caregivers, it can be tough to see a child worrying. Children are emotional sponges; they pick up on what the adults in their lives are feeling. Make a plan to manage your emotions so that you can help your child through a new situation. Remind yourself that your child is safe—you wouldn’t put them in a dangerous situation. We can’t protect children from their feelings because feelings are natural, but we can help them through their feelings by supporting, validating, and giving them confidence.

Mrs. G. 😃 ~Source Read Brightly

End-of-Year Celebration

The countdown to the last day of school has begun!

To celebrate and say goodbye for the summer, all Traeger students, staff and parents are invited to attend the end-of-year celebration and dance. This will be held on the playground from 1:30-2:30 pm on Thursday, June 2. Ed Eaton from Sound Sensations Entertainment will be our DJ and each student will receive a popsicle during the event.

At 2:30 pm all students must go back inside with their teachers for final wrap-up and goodbyes. Students will be dismissed at 2:45 pm.

Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Please head to https://traeger.ptboard.com/ to see what volunteer opportunities are available and how you can help.

Summer is quickly approaching and with calendars filling up, make sure to save the dates for our PSC summer events:

• June 2nd (The last day of school): Ice Cream @ Rhapsodies

• July 22nd: Pool Party @ Pollock Pool

• August 6th: Bowling @ Rev’s

More details on our PSC Facebook page and PTBoard!

What: 5th Grade Advancement/DARE Graduation
Who: Parents and Family of 5th Grade Students
When: Wednesday, June 1 at 1:30 PM (Gallery Walk at 1:15)
Where: Carl Traeger Elementary School Gym

We hope you can join us as we celebrate elementary school and bid our 5th graders farewell!

The fifth grade celebration is Wednesday, June 1 at 1:30. Parents are invited to come watch their fifth graders be recognized for successful completion of the elementary years and the DARE curriculum!

This year students will be participating in one of many ways: greeting guests, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, singing the school song, sharing a favorite memory, presenting the class gift, or participating in a gallery walk of their favorite projects. Students are encouraged to dress nicely for this event.

Parents will have the opportunity to enjoy the gallery walk from 1:15 to 1:30 or immediately after the ceremony. The gallery walk will be set up in the elementary school gym. After the ceremony we will have a reception in the cafeteria with with cookies and lemonade. Students and families can mingle and reminisce about all the great times we have had together.

Join us in the elementary school gym as we honor our fifth grade students and send them off to middle school!

PSC Meeting: May 12th, 2022 5 pm

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

Who are we? PSC Officers

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders
Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Megan Paulik

Treasurer Update - Alicia
2022-2023 Budget Approval - Alicia
1. 2022-2023 Budget for Approval - Google Drive
2. 2022-2023 Budget for Approval - PT Board
3. Green column is the fundraising totals. We are doing great compared to where we were at the beginning of the year! Way to go PSC!
4. Monthly Report Approval : motion Kelly, second Tina
5. 2023 Budget Approval Motion : motion Kelly Zanders, second Jenny Approved 2022-2023 Budget Approved 2022-2023 Budget - PT Board
6. Alicia Alsberg gave verbal resignation for her Treasurer position effective September of next school year.
2022-2023 PSC Meeting Schedule/Magnets - Heather Swenson
1. Will be done and ready for August.
UPDATES
1. BINGO-Megan
  1. Success! Bingo Night was back to it’s original fundraising totals and was a great family night. Megan will give an update on the specific changes that she recommends for the 22-23 Bingo Night
2. Culvers- $300 raised
3. Teacher appreciation week-Nichole
4. Cheesecake- Erin : No Update
5. Candy Bars- Jessica : Ordered as a simple fundraiser, no promotion to families
6. 5th Grade Gift- Jessica : May 20th Gum Day benefiting the 5th Grade Advancement gift
7. Photography Fundraiser- Heather Swenson
  1. We will move forward this year and see how it goes. New location is preferred. Heather will reach out to Cattail Creek Photography to arrange.
Field Day-Nichole/Heidi
1. Order mistake - white tshirts now coming from 4imprint, received a discount along with a 25% “oops” discount for the trouble
2. This means we have significant funds leftover for the 22-23 school year. Would still like to have t-shirts and sponsors and maybe just keep the funds rolled over
5th Grade Advancement/DARE- Jessica
1. Cookies + lemonade for all in attendance
Volunteer Opportunities-Nichole
1. Boohoo breakfast - switching to a Kindergarten play day. Invite families the day before to a specific time period on the school playground to meet other Traeger K families. Optional provide a photo opportunity, Chalk the Walk will also be happening
2. GTKY conferences
  1. Provide subs for teachers
3. PSC Table at GTKY
  1. Need volunteers to staff the table, hand out magnets and promote people joining the PSC
UPCOMING EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS-
1. Golf Outing at Lake Breeze on May 22
2. Last Day of school/dance party June 2nd
3. Ice Cream Party, Rapsodies June 2nd
4. Pool Night, Pollock Pool July 22nd
5. Bowling, Rev August
Open Discussion
Adjourn - motion Liza, second Mary

Out of this World!

Every month each class recognizes a student who consistently follows the Traeger Way! Congratulations to our February students who are also featured on the bulletin board in the cafeteria!

Hello Traeger Families!

Growing Oshkosh, a non-profit urban farm, has partnered with OASD to bring raised bed gardens to our schools. This year our Empower Academy class will be planting our beds.

All families are welcome to enjoy and work with the school gardens throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The school gardens will require some watering and light weeding throughout the growing season.

Families are encouraged to bring their children to the gardens throughout the summer to see how the plants are progressing and take home any produce that is ready. All the produce grown in the gardens is free and can be harvested by anyone at any time!

We invite families to sign up for one week over the summer months to water the gardens if needed.

If you are interested, please click on this LINK and sign up for a week to water.

Note: A watering “key” is needed to turn on the outdoor watering spout. The key will need to be passed from one family to another. Please include your contact info on the sign up document so you can plan how to hand off the key to the next person/family.

Are you looking for a fun way to keep your child creatively engaged over the summer? Author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner has put together an online Creator Club! During this 6 week course, he will work with children to teach drawing and story creating through a variety of topics. Bonus: He offers courses for adults! You can learn alongside your child throughout the summer and hone your storytelling and creation skills!

For more information, check out his site:

jarrettlerner.com/creator-club

Fox Wolf Watershed Clean Up

Image result for school calendar

May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 23
- Third Grade to YMCA
May 24
- Fifth Grade to YMCA
May 27
- Kindergarten to Westhaven Circle Park
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
May 31
- Field Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- Grade 5 to Barlow Planetarium
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!
- PSC Ice Cream Social at Rhapsodies after school!
July 22
- PSC Pool Party at Pollock Pool!
August 6
- PSC Bowling event at Rev's
August 29
- GTKY Conferences and School Pictures by appointment 11:30am-6:30pm

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - May 13, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

May 13, 2022: Issue 32

Traeger Tales

SMALL STEPS, BIG GOALS

How did Barack Obama become president? Why is Serena Williams such a good tennis player? We often look at the end of the story – the A+ or the star athlete – and think that success came without effort. Instead, success often takes great effort and planning. Parents and teachers build children’s goal setting and problem solving skills by talking about the little steps needed to reach large goals. Here’s how to do it.

Teach children how to think rather than what to think by asking questions and offering choices.

What We Know:

You can help your child move from “what do I want to be?” to “how can I be that?” by helping them identify simple steps that can lead to their long-term goal. Even young children are capable of thinking about the steps to solving a problem. As early as age 4, children can offer many solutions to a problem. And, by age 8, children can think of the steps needed to reach a goal and the problems they might have along the way.

Parents can teach children how to think rather than what to think by asking questions and offering choices. For very young children the questions are simple: “Would you like the door open or closed?” “Would you like one book or two books?” By elementary school, the questions can be more complicated: “What could you do differently?” “How did that make you feel?” “What can you try next?”

Try This:

Help your child set and achieve big personal goals by reading picture books that show how lots of little steps are needed to reach a goal. (The We Are Teachers website has a list of 12 books about reaching goals to check out from your library.) While you are reading, ask questions about how the character becomes successful like: “Was she always good at playing the violin?” “How did he become a better runner?” “What happened when she made a mistake?”

For Fun:

Watch Dr. Becky Bailey’s TedX Talk “Wiring the Brain for Success” for an entertaining look at the brain science behind how our mental state prepares us to reach goals. (Source: UW Extension)

Mrs. G. 😃

Hello Traeger Families!

Growing Oshkosh, a non-profit urban farm, has partnered with OASD to bring raised bed gardens to our schools. This year our Empower Academy class will be planting our beds.

All families are welcome to enjoy and work with the school gardens throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The school gardens will require some watering and light weeding throughout the growing season.

Families are encouraged to bring their children to the gardens throughout the summer to see how the plants are progressing and take home any produce that is ready. All the produce grown in the gardens is free and can be harvested by anyone at any time!

We invite families to sign up for one week over the summer months to water the gardens if needed.

If you are interested, please click on this LINK and sign up for a week to water.

Note: A watering “key” is needed to turn on the outdoor watering spout. The key will need to be passed from one family to another. Please include your contact info on the sign up document so you can plan how to hand off the key to the next person/family.

Did you know we start every K-Kid meeting with a pledge?

As a K-Kid, I promise to serve my neighborhood and my school. I will show respect toward my environment and I will try to make the world a better place in which to live.

2021-2022 K-Kids Officers

President: Brooke Alsberg (4th Grade)
Vice President: Leland Crane (5th Grade)
Secretary: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)
Treasurer: Ellen Volkening (2nd Grade)

Agenda for Thursday May 19th - 6 pm - Library

Day by Day and Hope Fridge Update
Fall Fundraisers: eRecycle and Pasta
Special Guest: Mr. Eric Sparr from Day by Day
Officer Elections for 2022-2023 school year
- Bring your speeches!
Year End Celebration - Bring your favorite outdoor activity/game to share (weather permitting)
2022-2023 K-Kids will be on Tuesdays once a month

Please reach out with any questions:

Brooke Alsberg (President):

alsbeb1248@oshkosh.k12.wi.us for student questions or

Alicia Alsberg abalsberg@gmail.com or

Mrs. Vanderloop mary.vanderloop@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

*No sign-up required *You can join at any time during the year

Bird Fest 2022

Congratulations!

These students had artwork selected for the Oshkosh Bird Fest Student Bird Art Exhibit. This is a wonderful achievement! Their work was displayed at the Oshkosh Masonic Center during the Downtown Oshkosh First Friday event. If you would like to learn more about Bird Fest check out their website! www.oshkoshbirdfest.com

Kindergarten

Talia Baumgartner
Matthew Cisewski
Cami Delfosse
Logan Finch
Willow Fredrickson
Aubrey Heimos
Becca Mondragon
Hannah Mullenbach
Amelia Phelps
Trevor Stein
Lennon Stewer
Sawyer Stini
Tessa VanDeraa

Grade 2

Bennitt Neibauer
MacKenzie Sanchez
Owen Yang

Grade 3

Tommy Hirsbrunner
Tieran Hunt
Addelyn Kennedy
Aubrey Witt

Introducing to Carl Traeger Elementary is

the Oshkosh Community Bike Program E-Bikes Save You Gas—Shop Our Picks

Carl Traeger Elementary recently had the pleasure of working with Steve Sagmeister, retired police officer. Steve started the Oshkosh Community Bike Program in 2010, he is the director. Steve, along with help from other volunteers, repairs used bikes to be donated to those in need of a bike.

The program provides transportation to seek employment, get to employment, ride to school, and to accomplish daily activities that most of us take for granted. They currently give out about 400 bikes a year. The need is greater.

CTE joined forces with Steve to help provide ‘new to you’ bikes to students in need of a bike. We were able to deliver 10 bikes to students and 6 helmets. Special thank you to Oshkosh Police Department and Traeger K-Kids for donating helmets.

Families interested in helping the Community Bike Program can donate bikes to the Oshkosh Community Bike Program. Drop off at Sadoff Recycling at 36 10th Ave, Wednesdays from 10 am to 2 pm.

Thank you!

Alicia Alsberg

DONATIONS WANTED!

Each month our students have the opportunity to exchange their Pride Prints for a variety of incentives ranging from school supplies to books to time with staff. After the last Pride Print Cart visit, we want to be able to provide motivation for students to continue to follow the Traeger Way. We are looking for donations that can be used for drawings on the last day of school at the dance party. Students can place their Pride Prints in the containers of the items they would love to win. We are hoping parents can help out with donations. Our theme is Summer Fun! We can put smaller items together – all donations are appreciated!

SUMMER “SILENT” FUNDRAISING UPDATES

Box Tops for Education

Box tops for Education has gone digital! No more clipping, saving and remembering to turn them in at school. All you do is scan your receipt after shopping and the rest is done for you. We currently have only 69 current supporters and we can do much better!

To learn about the program and how easy it is to do, go to https://www.boxtops4education.com. Only shop on-line or do grocery pick up, you can participate too! There is a video at https://www.boxtops4education.com/emailgroceryreceipts. You can also sign in to https://www.boxtops4education.com to help our school by entering sweepstakes, clip coupons and keep up with the latest promotions.

Loaves for Learning

We are registered to participate in a loyalty rewards program offered by the bakers of Country Hearth and Village Hearth breads. Please continue to save UPC Proof-of-Purchases from any Country Hearth or Village Hearth product, each one is worth $.05 for the school. You can drop your UPCs in the school office. Visit Loaves4Learning.com for more information.

Coca-Cola Gives

Carl Traeger Elementary is registered with the Coca-Cola Gives program. It is easy to donate. Use your phone and go to coke.com/give, choose to donate to a school, select Carl Traeger Elementary, scan or enter the code under the cap of any participating coca cola product or enter the code found inside the cardboard packaging and we earn a minimum of $.10 per code. Don’t feel like entering the code, please save your caps from any participating product and bring them to school in the fall. For more information, please visit https://us.coca-cola.com/give/schools/

If you have an idea for other silent fundraisers please bring your ideas to the PSC meeting! Thank you for your support.

Image result for school calendar

May 17
- Kindergarten to YMCA
- Fourth Grade to YMCA
- First Grade to Library/Menominee Park
May 18
- Second Grade to YMCA
May 19
- K-Kids 6:00pm
May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 23
- Third Grade to YMCA
May 24
- Fifth Grade to YMCA
May 27
- Kindergarten to Westhaven Circle Park
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
May 21
- Field Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- Grade 5 to Barlow Planetarium
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - May 6, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

May 6, 2022: Issue 31

Traeger Tales

BIKE TO SCHOOL WEEK

Hey Traeger families! In an effort to promote physical health and an active lifestyle, next week May 9-13, is Bike to School Week at Traeger. All week long your kids will have a chance to earn tickets for prizes! On Friday we will give away prizes donated by Safe Routes to School! All kids have to do is get themselves to school by any means other than a motorized vehicle. This could include walking, biking, scootering, or rip sticking. It’s that easy! Each day that they do this, they will earn a ticket to go into the prize drawings at the end of the week. Wearing a helmet will earn them a ticket too! We realize that these non-motorized means of transportation just aren’t realistic in some cases. If this is the case, just send your child to school with a helmet to earn a ticket each day.

On Wednesday, May 11, we have some staff and local celebrities leading bike trains. If your child would like to participate in this, check out the map.

Just to add to the excitement, we are going to be having some fun theme days next week:

Monday: Workout wear day
Tuesday: Traeger colors day
Wednesday: Be bold, be bright, be seen day
Thursday: Favorite hat day
Friday: Favorite sports team day

We hope to see lots of bikes and helmets at school next week! ~Mrs. Wara & Mrs. G. 😃

END OF YEAR HEALTH INFORMATION

Medications at school

All medications are to be picked up by parent/guardian on or before the last day of school – June 2, 2022. Our policy will not allow us to keep them for the next school year.

If you know your student will need medication next school year, we are asking you to obtain an order from your doctor/nurse practitioner before the start of the next school year. You can pick up this Medication/ Treatment Request form from your school secretary before the end of this school year. A physician/nurse practitioner signature must accompany all medications/treatments.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the Health office at 424-0065 Ext 1483.

The medication/treatment form, when completed by you and your doctor, can be given to the school secretary along with the properly labeled container of medication at the start of the next school year.

Important Notice for Parents of all 5th Grade Students

(2022-2023) Immunization Requirements

The State of Wisconsin requires that all 5th grade students receive:

1.) TDAP

BEFORE the first day of 6th grade

Please send proof of dates to your child’s school when completed.

Requirements for Tetanus, Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap) went into effect at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. In Wisconsin, parents are required to have their children vaccinated, or must claim a medical, religious or personal conviction waiver.

If you have any questions please call: Health Services at 424-0065 ext. 1483.

DONATIONS WANTED!

Each month our students have the opportunity to exchange their Pride Prints for a variety of incentives ranging from school supplies to books to time with staff. After the last Pride Print Cart visit, we want to be able to provide motivation for students to continue to follow the Traeger Way. We are looking for donations that can be used for drawings on the last day of school at the dance party. Students can place their Pride Prints in the containers of the items they would love to win. We are hoping parents can help out with donations. Our theme is Summer Fun! We can put smaller items together – all donations are appreciated!

All About Family Dinner Book Club

Family Dinner Book Club invites you to share a great story, great art, great conversation, and great food each month. TThe theme for April is: dealing with separation. Our featured book for the month is I’ll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca.

Jodie has created a book list and conversation starters, which you can get here:

https://growingbookbybook.com/childrens-books-about.../

Laura has created an awesome guide that will set you up with all the activity ideas and links you need. Sign up for it here:

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61d5c126b0306b55f06cb8e1...

And Sarah has created a mashup dinner menu.

https://chefsarahelizabeth.com/.../01/ill-go-and-come-back/

Also, follow along with us on our Facebook page! We love to see pictures of your special dinner. Plus, we share extra materials to support your book club each month.

PSC Meeting: Thursday, May 12, 2022 5:00pm in the Media Center

LINK to join virtually

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

PSC Officers:

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia
2022-2023 Budget Approval - Alicia
1. 2022-2023 Budget for Approval - Google Drive
2. 2022-2023 Budget for Approval - PT Board
2022-2023 PSC Meeting Schedule/Magnets - Heather
UPDATES
1. BINGO-Megan
2. Culvers- Jessica
3. Teacher appreciation week-Nichole
4. Cheesecake- Erin
5. Candy Bars- Jessica
6. 5th Grade Gift- Jessica
7. Photography Fundraiser- Heather
Field Day-Nichole/Heidi
5th Grade Advancement/DARE- Jessica
Volunteer Opportunities-Nichole
1. Boohoo breakfast
2. GTKY conferences
3. PSC Table at GTKY
UPCOMING EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS-
1. Golf Outing at Lake Breeze on May 22
2. Last Day of school/dance party June 2nd
3. Ice Cream Party, Rapsodie June 2nd
4. Pool Night, Pollock Pool July 22nd
5. Bowling, Rev August
Open Discussion

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd: Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration form is located at https://traeger.ptboard.com/formvw?store=2434&form=2! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

Image result for school calendar

May 9
- Workout Wear Theme Day
May 10
- School Colors Theme Day
May 11
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Bike to School Day
- Be Bright Be Bold Be Seen Theme Day
May 12
- Favorite Hat Theme Day
- PSC mtg. 5:00pm
May 13
- Favorite Team Shirt/Jersey Theme Day
May 17
- Kindergarten to YMCA
- Fourth Grade to YMCA
- First Grade to Library/Menominee Park
May 18
- Second Grade to YMCA
May 19
- K-Kids 6:00pm
May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 23
- Third Grade to YMCA
May 24
- Fifth Grade to YMCA
May 27
- Kindergarten to Westhaven Circle Park
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- Grade 5 to Barlow Planetarim
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - April 29, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

April 29, 2022: Issue 30

Traeger Tales

NATIONAL STAFF APPRECIATION NEXT WEEK

Next week is Staff Appreciation Week! It is a time to thank the men and women who dedicate their days to educating and supporting your children each day. We are especially grateful for all the extra efforts of our staff during the pandemic! If your child/family would like to write a personal message to a staff member follow this LINK or this LINK for a template. Children can bring completed notes to school any time next week.

The Traeger Staff is a dedicated team, focused on helping students achieve their fullest potential while engaging them in the learning process. As a staff we also recognize the important role that parents and families play in a child’s education. Thank you for your involvement with your child. The partnership between home and school is important and we appreciate you!

Thank you for sharing your children with us each day!

~Mrs. G. 😃

A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way for others."

I Am A Teacher

By John Wayne "Jack" Schlatter (Adapted from his book I Am A Teacher)

I was born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child.

Throughout the course of a day I am called upon to be an actor, friend, nurse and doctor, coach, finder of lost articles, money lender, psychologist, substitute parent and a keeper of the faith.

I am the most fortunate of all who labor. I know that what I build with love and truth, will last forever. I am privileged to see that life is reborn each day with new questions, ideas and friendships.

And who do I have to thank for this wonderful life I am so fortunate to experience? You, the public and the parents who entrust to me their greatest contribution to eternity, their children.

I have wept for joy at the weddings of former students, laughed with glee at the birth of their children and stood with head bowed in grief and confusion by graves dug too soon for bodies far too young.

I have a past that is rich in memories, I have a present that is challenging, and fun, because I am allowed to spend my days with the future.

I Am A Teacher And I Am Thankful For It Every Day.

Bike to School WeekCarl Traeger Elementary will be celebrating Bike to School Week May 9-13! We have lots of great activities planned! On May 11 we would like to do a bike train. We have some staff and celebrity riders that will be joining us. Watch for more information about Bike to School Week next Friday in Traeger Tales!

It’s Tick Season!!

I know, it’s not something to be excited about, but we can learn about ticks to make tick season more tolerable. The beautiful playground and woods surrounding our school are the exact type of area that ticks love to live in. So, what can our students do to prevent ticks from attaching to their skin?

Students should watch for ticks on their clothes when entering the building in the morning and after any recess. If the tick is crawling on their skin or clothes they should remove the tick immediately and notify a teacher or recess supervisor. If a student finds a tick that is already attached to their skin they should come to the health office as soon as they notify their teacher. While we are unable to remove the attached tick at school, we will call and notify parents what we have found. Parents can then come to school and remove the tick or take the child home to remove the tick. Please remember that if you do remove an attached tick at home it is best to keep the tick in a clear baggie in case you later need to identify the type of tick.

The CDC has great information on tick removal, bite prevention and when to contact a doctor after a tick bite. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at elizabeth.lynch@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

DONATIONS WANTED!

Each month our students have the opportunity to exchange their Pride Prints for a variety of incentives ranging from school supplies to books to time with staff. After the last Pride Print Cart visit, we want to be able to provide motivation for students to continue to follow the Traeger Way. We are looking for donations that can be used for drawings on the last day of school at the dance party. Students can place their Pride Prints in the containers of the items they would love to win. We are hoping parents can help out with donations. Our theme is Summer Fun! We can put smaller items together – all donations are appreciated!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd: Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration form is located at https://traeger.ptboard.com/formvw?store=2434&form=2! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

Image result for school calendar

May 2
- Pajama Theme Day
May 3
School Colors Them Day
May 4
- Star Wars/Space Theme Day
- Walk to School Wednesday
May 5
- Dress Like a Rock Star Theme Day
May 6
- Wear Bright Colors/Sunglasses Theme Day
May 11
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Bike to School Day-Be Bright Be Bold Be Seen Theme Day
May 12
- PSC mtg. 5:00pm
May 17
- Kindergarten to YMCA
May 19
- K-Kids 6:00p
May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 27
- Kindergarten to Westhaven Circle Park
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - April 22, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

April 22, 2022: Issue 29

Traeger Tales

How To Teach Your Kids To Care About Other People-Empathy is a skill parents can cultivate.

As deep-seated divisions, vitriol and disturbing news fill headlines, many people are wondering what happened to the qualities of empathy and kindness in our society.

In the same vein, many parents are wondering how to raise kids who will be a force for love and goodness in the face of bitterness and hate.

Huffington Post spoke to psychologists, parents and other experts about how to instill empathy in children.

Talk About Feelings

“The gateway to empathy is emotional literacy,” said Michele Borba, an educational psychologist and the author of numerous parenting books, including UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World.

A simple way to foster emotional literacy is by promoting face-to-face communication in the age of texting and smartphones. “Digital-driven kids aren’t necessarily learning emotions when they pick emojis,” Borba said. “Make it a rule in your house to always look at the color of the talker’s eyes because it will help your child tune in to the other person.”

Another key aspect is teaching kids to identify their own emotions early on. “Use emotional language with kids. Say things like, ‘I see you’re really frustrated,’ or, ‘I see you’re really mad,’” Laura Dell, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Education, told HuffPost.

“Before children can identify and empathize with other people’s feelings, they need to understand how to process their own feelings,” she continued. “Once they can identify their own emotion, they’re better able to develop those self-regulation skills to control their own emotions ― and then take the next step to understand the emotions of others.”

Ravi Rao, a pediatric neurosurgeon turned children’s show host, believes parents should teach feelings as much as they teach things like colors and numbers.

“You’ll see parents walking through the park and taking every opportunity to ask, ‘What color is that man’s jacket?’ ‘What color is the bus?’ ‘How many trees are there?’” he explained. “You can also practice emotion by saying things like, ‘Do you see the woman over there? Does she look happy or does she look sad?’”

Rao also recommends playing a “guess what I’m feeling” game at home by making happy or sad faces and asking your children to identify the emotion. “You just get their brains in the habit of noticing the signals on other people’s faces.”

Once kids have a better sense of emotions and how things make them feel, you can ask them about the emotional perspectives of others. “You can ask things like, ‘How do you think it made Tommy feel when you took his toy?’ or, ‘That made Mommy really sad when you hit me,’” said Borba.

Use Media To Your Advantage

Watching TV or reading books together presents another great opportunity to cultivate empathy, according to Madeleine Sherak, a former educator and the author of Superheroes Club, a children’s book about the value of kindness.

“Discuss instances when characters are being kind and empathetic, and similarly, discuss instances when characters are being hurtful and mean,” she suggested. “Discuss how the characters are probably feeling and possible scenarios of how the situations may have been handled differently so as to ensure that all characters are treated kindly.”

Borba recommends engaging in emotionally charged films and literature like The Wednesday Surprise, Charlotte’s Web, Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Set An Example

Parents need to walk the walk and model empathy themselves, noted Rao.

“Kids will pick up on more things than just what you say. You can say, ‘Pay attention to other people’s feelings,’ but if the child doesn’t perceive or witness you paying attention to people’s feelings, it doesn’t necessarily work,” he explained.

Rao emphasized the importance of parents using language to convey their own emotional states by saying things like, “Today, I’m really frustrated,” or, “Today, I’m really disappointed.” They can practice empathy when role-playing with dolls or action figures or other games with kids as well.

It’s also necessary for parents to recognize and respect their children’s emotions, according to Dell.

“For kids to show empathy to us and others, we need to show empathy to them,” she explained. “Of course it’s tough as a parent trying to get multiple kids to put on their clothes and shoes and get out the door to go to school in the morning. But sometimes it makes a difference to take that pause and say, ‘I see it’s making you really sad that we can’t finish watching ‘Curious George’ this morning, but if we finished it, we wouldn’t be able to make it to school on time, and it’s really important to get to school on time.’”

“It doesn’t mean you have to give in to their wants all the time, but to recognize you understand how they feel in a situation,” she added.

Acknowledge Children’s Acts Of Kindness

“Parents are always praising children for what grades they got or how they did on a test. You can also boost their empathy by letting them know it matters to develop a caring mindset,” said Borba, noting that when children do things that are kind and caring, parents can stop for a moment to acknowledge that.

“Say, ‘Oh, that was so kind when you stopped to help that little boy. Did you see how happy it made him?’” explained Borba. “So your child realizes that caring matters, because you’re talking about it. They then begin to see themselves as caring people and their behavior will match it.”

Expose Them To Differences

“Parents have to help their children grow up and thrive in a diverse society through education about and exposure to others who are different, whether culturally, ethnically, religiously, in physical appearance and ability or disability,” Sherak said.

There are many ways to expose your children to the diversity of the world ― like reading books, watching certain movies and TV shows, eating at restaurants with different cuisines, visiting museums, volunteering in your community, and attending events hosted by various religious or ethnic groups.

“It is also important to follow up such visits and activities with open discussions and additional questions and concerns, if any,” said Sherak. “It is also valuable to discuss differences in the context of our children’s own environments and experiences in the family, at school, in their neighborhoods, and in the larger community.”

Parents can urge local schools to promote cross-cultural awareness in their curricula as well, said Rao.

“We also just have to eliminate jokes about race and culture from our homes,” he added. “Maybe back in the day making jokes about race like Archie Bunker seemed acceptable and part of what the family did when they got together on holidays. But that actually undermines empathy if the first thought a child learns about a race or group of people is something derogatory learned from humor. It can be very hard to then overcome that with other positive messages.”

Own Up To Your Mistakes

“If you make a mistake and behave rudely toward someone who messes up at a store checkout, for example, I think you should acknowledge that mistake to kids,” said Dell. After the bad moment, parents can say something like, “Wow I bet she had a lot on her hands. There were a lot of people at the store right then. I should’ve been a little kinder.”

Acknowledging and talking about your own lapses in empathy when your kids are there to witness them makes an impression. “Your child is right there watching, seeing everything,” Dell explained. “Own up to moments you could’ve made better choices to be kinder to the people around you.”

Make Kindness A Family Activity

Families can prioritize kindness with small routines like taking time at dinner every night to ask everyone to share two kind things they did, or writing down simple ways to be caring that they can all discuss together, said Borba. Playing board games is another way to learn to get along with everybody.

Borba also recommended volunteering together as a family or finding ways that your children enjoy giving back.

“If your kid is a sports guru, then helping him do arts and crafts with a less privileged kid might not be the best match, but you can find other opportunities for face-to-face giving that match their interests,” she explained. “Help them realize the life of giving is better than the life of getting.”

Families might also consider writing down their own mission statements, suggested Thomas Lickona, a developmental psychologist and author of How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain.

“[It’s] a set of ‘we’ statements that express the values and virtues you commit to live by ― for example, ‘We show kindness through kind words and kind actions’; ‘We say we’re sorry when we’ve hurt someone’s feelings’; ‘We forgive and make up when we’ve had a fight,’” he explained.

Lickona also recommended holding everyone accountable to the family values at weekly family meetings centered around questions like, “How did we use kind words this week?” and, “What would help us not say unkind things even if we’re upset with somebody?”

“When kids slip into speaking unkindly ― as nearly all sometimes will ― gently ask for a ‘redo,’” he said. “‘What would be a kinder way to say that to your sister?’ Make it clear that you’re asking for a redo not to embarrass them, but to give them a chance to show that they know better. Then thank them for doing so.”

Another piece of advice from Lickona: Just look around.

“Even in today’s abrasive, angry, and often violent culture, there are acts of kindness all around us. We should point these out to our children,” he said. “We should explain how kind words and kind deeds, however small ― holding the door for someone, or saying ‘thank you’ to a person who does us a service ― make a big impact on the quality of our shared lives.” ~Mrs. G. 😃

PSC Culver's NightDon’t mess with the hassle of making dinner and go out to eat at Culver’s with the family. Stop by Culver’s on Westowne on Monday, April 25th between 4:30pm-7:00pm and a 10% of sales during that time will go to our school! Be sure to bring your flyer (your student will be bringing this home) with in order for us to receive the credit. Reach out to CarlTPSC@gmail.com with questions.Thank you!

100 Reasons to Love Reading

In honor of Scholastic's 100th Anniversary, it asked a hundred of its authors and illustrators to answer the question: What's a reason you love reading?

Here is what Katherine Applegate, author of Animorphs, Remnants, Everworld, and other book series, had to say:

Reading gives you the power to understand

If you can read this sentence, congrats. You are in possession of the most amazing superpower on the planet.

Nothing as mundane as something you'd find in the MCU or the DC Universe, None of that invisibility or telekinesis stuff. No turning into animals after you acquire their DNA.

Nope. This is way better.

Reading gives you the power to understand.

To understand others. Your family. Your friends. Your dog. To understand yourself. Your moods. Your fears. Your hopes. To understand the world. The present. The past. And most importantly, the future.

Maybe you're thinking, Meh. I'd rather be able to morph into, say, a red-tailed hawk. (And yeah, that would be pretty cool.)

But here's the thing. When you understand the world, you can change the world. And in case you haven't noticed, the world could really use some changing.

Superpowers evolve in strange ways. Maybe you're bitten by a radioactive spider. Maybe you travel to Earth from another planet. Maybe you touch a glowing blue cube.

Or maybe you simply open a book and begin to read.

How does your reading superpower work? Well, as you read, you become part of the story. You imagine. You empathize. You participate.

Participation. That's what separates reading a book from all other forms of entertainment. Movies and TV show you. Books need you.

Movies and TV show you the action, the setting, the characters. There it all is, right in front of you on the screen. Filmmakers lay it out for you, like a meal in a restaurant, all cooked and plated and garnished.

Books don't do that. The difference between a book and a screenplay is that the screenplay is a set of instructions for a whole bunch of other people: producers, directors, casting agents, cameramen, stunt coordinators, wardrobe folks, props guys, tech wizards ... on and on it goes.

When you read a book, all of those jobs are yours. You aren't just a bit player. The whole enterprise depends on you and your imagination.

Movies and TV are incredible. But let's face it, your pet cat can watch TV. It's not that it isn't involving, but you can sort of turn your brain down to a low setting and watch a TV show. You aren't contributing: you're just watching. Your name does not appear in the credits.

Ah, but with a book, you're necessary. You fill in the gaps, expand the ideas, make characters live. A screenplay cannot come alive without a whole crew of professionals.

A book needs just you.

Every time you read-every time you participate in a story-you understand the world just a little bit better. The more you read, the more your superpower grows, and the more you can change yourself and the world around you.

Now get to work. The universe needs you. No pressure

SAVE THE DATE!!!

This year is going to be our best field day yet!! Field day is set for Tuesday, May 31. There will be opportunities to volunteer in the morning (with set up) or in the afternoon to help run stations. More info to come!!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd: Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration form is located at https://traeger.ptboard.com/formvw?store=2434&form=2! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

Image result for school calendar

April 25
- PSC Culver's Night 4:30-7:00pm
April 26
- Aronson/Demeny Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 27
- Walk to School Wednesday
May 4
- Walk to School Wednesday
May 11
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Bike to School Day-Be Bright Be Bold Be Seen Theme Day
May 12
- PSC mtg. 5:00pm
May 19
- K-Kids 6:00p
May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - April 14, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

April 14, 2022: Issue 28

Traeger Tales

BINGO Returns!

Friday evening, April 22, the cries of “Bingo!” will echo through the school cafeterias as we gather for our annual Spring Bingo & Basket Raffle event! Join us for a fabulous evening of fun! Doors will open at 4:30 with concessions available and browsing of the popular classroom baskets, which will be given away at the end of the evening. Admission is $1 per person, and each child will receive 5 basket tickets as they enter. As we play BINGO from 5:30 to 7:00, the prizes will include additional basket tickets. At 7:00, we will stop playing BINGO and all tickets will be turned in for the basket drawings. The drawings will begin at about 7:10 and conclude around 7:30. There will also be adult raffle tickets on sale for $1 or 6 for $5. Back for another year! We will play "Heads or Tails" - free for the children, $1.00 for adults. We will also have tickets available for purchase for a 50/50 raffle and a chance to win one of our adult raffle baskets. Volunteer information can be found below. We need your help to make this wonderful event possible! Classroom theme basket information went home. Basket items are due back Tuesday, April 19. Basket themes can be found at the LINK. Join us for the fun! I look forward to seeing you at BINGO! ~Mrs. G. 😃

Bingo Night is one week away and we need YOU to help make it yet another success!

Head to https://traeger.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=eYmYqEXKQUigXTBTOu7fcXN___6E7b7Zt3___oA9xfD6 to see what volunteer opportunities are available and how you can help!

Flags for First Graders

Last week our first grade classes had some special guests from Voiture 751-40 & 8. The program includes a magic show that has the first graders putting red and white ribbons, 50 stars, and some thread into a magic container.

With the help of some magic dust and the kids providing the magic word “abracadabra” at the top of their lungs, a flag is magically formed. With the newly formed flag in place the students recite the Pledge Of Allegiance. The program also includes a little flag history, flag etiquette, the proper flag folding procedure, and a short question and answer period. The program concludes with the students receiving their own small flag on a wood base. The wood bases for the flags are made using wood donated by local businesses and are manufactured by local high school industrial arts classes.

This year’s schedule will visit every public and parochial school in Winnebago County and provide flags to over 2000 first graders. The 40 & 8 is an independent veteran's organization of men and women U.S. Veterans. The name originates from World War I when troops were transported to the front lines in French boxcars called voitures. On the side of each boxcar was stamped the numbers 40/8, meaning the boxcar could hold either forty men or eight horses. Thank you members of the 40 & 8 for your generosity!

With the advent of warmer weather we have noticed kids arriving earlier to school. Our staff work day begins at 7:30am so kids should not be arriving before that time. Thank you for your help in ensuring that kids are safe and supervised!

6th Grade Immunization Requirements

Your 5th grade child will need the Tdap immunization before entering 6th grade as required by Wisconsin State Law.

If you choose to sign a waiver, please contact your school office or click on this link to obtain the paperwork. You will need to fill out Step 1, Step 4, and Step 5, sign and and return to your school before the start of 6th grade.

Please inform your school office of the immunizations your child has received.

PSC SOCK SALE!

Check out these fun new Traeger spirit socks! Kid + adult sizes available. Ordering is only available for one week. Make sure that your order forms make it to the office by Tuesday April 19th. Order forms went home with students this week, but you can print one at the LINK.

Did you know we start every K-Kid meeting with a pledge?

As a K-Kid, I promise to serve my neighborhood and my school. I will show respect toward my environment and I will try to make the world a better place in which to live.

2021-2022 K-Kids Officers

President: Brooke Alsberg (4th Grade)
Vice President: Leland Crane (5th Grade)
Secretary: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)
Treasurer: Ellen Volkening (2nd Grade)

Agenda for Thursday April 21st - 6 pm - Library

Recycling Right Update
Day by Day and Hope Fridge Update
Teacher Appreciation May 2nd - May 6th Project
Prepare for May Officer Elections
Our last Meeting is Thursday May 19th!

Please reach out with any questions:

Brooke Alsberg (President):

alsbeb1248@oshkosh.k12.wi.us for student questions or

Alicia Alsberg abalsberg@gmail.com or

Mrs. Vanderloop mary.vanderloop@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

*No sign-up required *You can join at any time during the year

Unnecessary vehicle idling is a contributor to air pollution and increased health risk in our community.
One of the areas where unnecessary idling occurs the most is at our school when children are being
dropped off or picked up. High concentrations of idling vehicles greatly increase the presence of toxic
chemicals such as; nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. By turning our
engines off in school zones, we can drastically decrease the amount of toxic chemicals that we release
near our children. Join us in creating a healthier environment for our children.

Facts about vehicle idling:
1. Children take in more air than adults per pound of body weight, therefore children near idling
take in more harmful emissions than adults.
2. Athletes take in even more air during practices and games.
3. Idling prolongs the cold start period for an engine, leading to increased amounts of emissions.
4. Stopping an engine for a short time ( from several seconds to a few minutes) reduces the fuel
consumption of gasoline vehicles, while idling vehicles continued to consume fuel during the
idling process.
5. The higher the concentration of idling cars, the higher the concentration of
pollutants/ particulates entering the air.
6. Emissions have shown an increased effect of asthma symptoms in 7- 8% of the population,
especially for young children ( American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,
2005)

What you can do:
1. Reduce your idling in school zones and near children' s sporting events.
2. Talk with other parents about idling. Pass along the message to stop vehicle idling in school
zones.
3. Consider carpooling to reduce emissions.
4. Reduce your idling during other times of non-moving traffic (trains, open bridges, etc.)

Please join us as we seek to reduce the level of idling in the City of Oshkosh, and, in particular, at our
Oshkosh Area Schools. Thank you for taking steps to provide your child with a healthier school
environment.

PSC Culver's NightDon’t mess with the hassle of making dinner and go out to eat at Culver’s with the family. Stop by Culver’s on Westowne on Monday, April 25th between 4:30pm-7:00pm and a 10% of sales during that time will go to our school! Be sure to bring your flyer (your student will be bringing this home) with in order for us to receive the credit. Reach out to CarlTPSC@gmail.com with questions.Thank you!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd: Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration form is located at https://traeger.ptboard.com/formvw?store=2434&form=2! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

Wisconsin Forward Exam testing has begun! Please ensure that your child is in school on their scheduled testing days. Makeups are challenging to schedule and result in lost instructional time.

OUT OF THIS WORLD STUDENTS!

Every month each class recognizes a student who consistently follows the Traeger Way! Congratulations to our April students who are also featured on the bulletin board in the cafeteria!

PSC Meeting: Tuesday, April 12th, 2022

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

PSC Officers:

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Meeting Highlights

Link to full meeting notes

5:00-6:00 PM BINGO & CRAFT FAIR Committee Meeting

BINGO update – Megan
1. Pizza - pending delivery confirmation from Lil C’s Corporate
2. Registration - utilizing middle and elementary doors – split by alphabet
3. Volunteers - need more for concessions – may shift from prize patrol
4. Adult raffle - Need to track number of tickets sold
5. Classroom baskets – Mary needs helpers next week M/T/W from 8-10:30 (come to elementary cafeteria)
CRAFT FAIR update – Nichole
1. Vendors - still looking to fill openings in hallway
2. Concessions/Food Truck - working to secure Food Truck vendors –
3. Yard signs - use what we have and promote on social media

6:00-7:00 PM Monthly PSC Meeting

Treasurer update – Alicia
1. Bracelets – sell at Bingo night – use remainder for staff appreciation
2. Transfer budget for PT Board subscription to 5th grade gift
3. Release any amount above what’s budgeted for Bingo to School Enhancement
4. Move budget from monthly staff appreciation to weekly due to donations received
Teacher Appreciation Week – Nichole
1. Monday – donuts/coffee – Nichole/Jess
2. Tuesday – snacks – Donna R.
3. Wednesday – Fruit – Alicia
4. Thursday – Taco bar – Melissa F.
5. Friday – dessert – Heather
6. K-Kids giving sunflower seeds and providing raffle baskets
SOAR Residency – Mrs. G
1. Copper Box - May 4-6 - PSCS funded half of the residency
End of Year Dance – Mandy
1. Secure volunteers to hand out popsicles and monitor doors
Bike to School week – Nichole
1. May 9-13 - Tickets for bike to school and wearing helmets
2. Bike donation pending
Field Day – Nichole/Heidi
1. Secured 7 sponsors for bounce houses/t-shirts - looking for total of 15
2. Paper form for shirt sizes will go home on April 25th
3. Need 20x20 tent because going to be outside all day
Tamaras – no update
Upcoming Fundraisers:
1. BINGO – April 22nd
2. Culvers – April 25th – flyer going home on 4/14
3. Golf outing – May 22nd – registration is open – looking for sponsors
4. Sock sale - $7/each – no minimum purchase
5. 5th grade gift – gum/hat day to support donation to Makers Space - allocate dollar amount to each classroom
VOLUNTEER opportunities:
1. BooHoo Wahoo Kindergarten Breakfast – outgoing kindergarten parent
2. Teacher meals for Get to Know You (GTKY) Conferences – August 29th
3. PSC Table at Open House – shifts to hand out flyers/magnets
Summer events
1. Ice cream party @ Rhapsodies – June 2nd
2. Pool night @ Pollock Pool – July 22nd
3. Bowling @ Rev’s – August 6th

Image result for school calendar

April 20
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 21
- K-Kids 6:00pm
April 22
- Amel/Kordus Field Trip to Paine Art Center
- BINGO Night - 5:30-7:00pm
April 25
- PSC Culver's Night 4:30-7:00pm
April 26
- Aronson/Demeny Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 27
- Walk to School Wednesday
May 4
- Walk to School Wednesday
May 11
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Bike to School Day-Be Bright Be Bold Be Seen Theme Day
May 12
- PSC mtg. 5:00pm
May 19
- K-Kids 6:00p
May 22
- PSC Golf Outing
May 30
- No School - Memorial Day
June 1
- Grade 2 to Green Bay Botanical Gardens
- Grade 3 to Bubolz Nature Center
- 5th Grade Advancement/Dare Graduation 1:30pm
June 2
- Last Day of School!

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - April 8, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

April 8, 2022: Issue 27

Traeger Tales

severe weather awareness week

This week was Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in the state of Wisconsin. On April 7 we practiced a tornado watch followed by a drill as part of the state-wide observance. In this situation, students are asked to move to their safe area and take the safety “tuck” position.

Did you know...

Wisconsin averages 23 tornadoes annually? Last year Wisconsin had 40 confirmed tornadoes, but the state has had as many as 62 in one year!
Peak tornado season in Wisconsin is April to August but can occur any time. Kenosha had tornadoes as part of the January 7, 2008 storms.
Tornadoes are most frequent between 4 PM and 9 PM.
About 80% of tornadoes that hit Wisconsin are relatively weak, with winds under 110 mph. Only 1% are violent with winds over 170 mph.

~Source: Wisconsin Department of Emergency Management

Our school tornado drill is a great reminder to families to be sure everyone knows the safest place at home to go in the event of a tornado. Wishing you a safe spring! ~Mrs. G. 😃

All About Family Dinner Book Club

Family Dinner Book Club invites you to share a great story, great art, great conversation, and great food each month. The theme for April is: dealing with separation. Our featured book for the month is I’ll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca.

Jodie has created a book list and conversation starters, which you can get here.

Laura has created an awesome guide that will set you up with all the activity ideas and links you need. Sign up for it here.

And Sarah has created a mashup dinner menu.

Also, follow along with us on our Facebook page! We love to see pictures of your special dinner. Plus, we share extra materials to support your book club each month.

PLANNING FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEARThis annual enrollment process is required and secures a student’s place at school for the next
school year. The process is done through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal and includes
updating demographic and contact information. NOTE: Fees and payments for the 2022-2023
school year cannot be paid until mid-August, additional information will be provided at that time.

● Instructions: CLICK HERE for Step-by-Step Instructions | CLICK HERE for a Quick Guide (simplified instructions)
○ NOTE: This process should be completed on a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet. It is not recommended to use a cell phone.
○ SUGGESTION: New! Follow these instructions to set up a recovery email to be able to use the IC username/password reset function so you always have immediate access to your IC Portal.

● Link: CLICK HERE to log in to your Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal and click on the “Online Registration” link (located on the bottom left side of the home screen)
○ HELP: If you do not have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account OR need your password reset complete the following form: https://forms.gle/bEXT8Wd8t5c2dcTC8

● Contact: If you have any questions or need assistance during the online annual enrollment process you can contact your child’s school office OR the OASD Administration Office at 920.424.0395.

● In-person Support: If you need in-person assistance/access to a device or internet, a Central Registration Day will be held at Oshkosh North High School on August 9, 2022. More information will be provided in the coming months.

Additional information regarding the 2022-23 school year, including important dates, will be
provided to families by their child(ren)’s school.

Thank you for choosing the Oshkosh Area School District for your student’s educational
experience. We look forward to continuing to work with your family to meet your student’s
individual needs and provide them with the best education possible.

Bingo Night is three weeks away and we need YOU to help make it yet another success!

Head to https://traeger.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=eYmYqEXKQUigXTBTOu7fcXN___6E7b7Zt3___oA9xfD6 to see what volunteer opportunities are available and how you can help!

PSC Culver's NightDon’t mess with the hassle of making dinner and go out to eat at Culver’s with the family. Stop by Culver’s on Westowne on Monday, April 25th between 4:30pm-7:00pm and a 10% of sales during that time will go to our school! Be sure to bring your flyer (your student will be bringing this home) with in order for us to receive the credit. Reach out to CarlTPSC@gmail.com with questions.Thank you!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration forms will open soon! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

PSC Meeting: April 12th, 2022

PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.

Who are we? PSC Officers

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Mandy Stein
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders
Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Megan Paulik

5:00-6:00 PM BINGO & CRAFT FAIR Committee Meeting

BINGO update- Megan
1. Raffle ticket reporting- Alicia
2. Best method paying for pizzas- Alicia
Craft Fair update- Nichole
1. Vendor Update
2. How many similar products?

Concession Update
1. Food license?
Reservation for Oct 14th setup & Oct 15th event for elementary and middle school side
Yard signs

6:00-7:00 Monthly PSC Meeting

LINK to join virtually

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
1. Summer mail heads up
Teacher Appreciation Week - Nichole
1. Monday- Donuts/Coffee-Nichole/Jessca
2. Tuesday-Snacks- Donna R.
3. Wednesday-Fruit-Alicia
4. Thursday-Taco Bar- Melissa F.
5. Friday-Desert-Heather
6. K-kids project-Alicia
SOAR Residency - Copper Box May 4-6
End of year Dance Party- Mandy
Bike to school week-Nichole
Field Day-Nichole/Heidi
Tamara’s-Erin
UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS-
1. BINGO April 22nd
2. Culvers-April 25th
3. Golf Outing- May 22nd
4. Fifth Grade Gift
Volunteering Opportunities
1. Boo Wahoo Breakfast
2. Teacher Meals-GTKY
3. PSC table at Open House
Make thank you cards for all teachers

Wisconsin Forward Exam testing has begun! Please ensure that your child is in school on their scheduled testing days. Makeups are challenging to schedule and result in lost instructional time.

Image result for school calendar

April 12
- PSC 6:00pm
April 13
- Early Release
- No 4K Classes
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 14
- Grade 2 Field Trip to Discovery World
April 15
- No School
April 20
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 21
- K-Kids 6:00pm
April 22
- Amel/Kordus Field Trip to Paine Art Center
- BINGO Night - 5:30-7:00pm
April 25
- PSC Culver's Night 4:30-7:00pm
April 26
- Aronson/Demeny Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 27
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - April 1, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

April 1, 2022: Issue 26

Traeger Tales

How Hard Should You Push Your Child to Try New Things?

One of the many challenges of being a parent is knowing how hard to push your child into something new — or to stick with something they’re thinking of giving up on — and when to back off. I’m a mom of two and I often feel myself bouncing between being pushy and relaxed. Like: No, you don’t have to play sports if you don’t think it’s your thing. Sure, you can skip that camp you’re nervous about. But also, you need to be brave when things feel frightening and learn to seize new opportunities even when you feel unsure. And on it goes.

Of course, knowing when you’re pushing too hard, or not pushing enough, is an art, not a science, and a very specific one at that. No one can ever really say where that sweet spot is, and parents and kids might never see eye to eye. (Twenty years later, my own mom still sometimes laments that I gave up the trumpet, an instrument I was truly terrible at, in high school.)

Are you trying to figure out when to push your child to try something new, or empowering them to quit something they say they’re not into? Here’s some guidance to have in mind.

“Ask yourself: Am I doing this for me or for them?”

Again, no one can tell you whether you’re doing the right thing by pushing your child to try something that they’re not particularly excited about. But a quick gut check can help.

“Get clear about why you’re asking your child to do something new,” said Robbin McManne, founder of Parenting for Connection.

Ask yourself: Are they doing this for me? Or am I doing this for them?

As parents, we sometimes push kids into things that have more to do with ourselves for any number of reasons. We may be comparing them and ourselves to other kids and families, and are feeling worried about falling behind. Or maybe we were pushed into certain things when we were a child. Maybe we’re holding on to the idea that kids “should” do certain things, but we’re not even really clear where that idea comes from.

On the other hand, you might be pushing your kiddo because you really think this is an important experience, whatever it is, and one that will really help them in the long run. And there are benefits to pushing kids beyond their comfort zone — for the right reasons.

“We know that being able to tolerate discomfort is a wonderful life trait, and in addition to that, it makes [kids] grittier and more resilient,” said Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the founding president of the Child Mind Institute, in a blog post on the group’s website.

So really ask yourself: “Are you meeting them where they’re at, or where you think they should be?” McManne said.

Get curious

In order to determine how hard you should push your child, it is essential to have a good understanding of why they’re resisting or putting up boundaries.

“Curiosity is everything,” McManne said. “Ask them why? How come?”

That might sound obvious, but when we’re busy parenting — and feeling frustrated that our kids aren’t just going along with our plans — it’s easy to stop taking that time to get to the root of children’s hesitancy. Maybe there’s a problem you can solve together. Or maybe your child is really showing you a personal boundary that you should respect.

“Ask yourself: Are they doing this for me? Or am I doing this for them?”

Helping children develop emotional intelligence, or EQ, from a young age can help with this process, because it helps them name what they’re feeling.

Sometimes when you probe why your child isn’t interested in something you think they should be, you might uncover a bigger underlying issue that you can help with.

“Sometimes when pushing kids you bump into a real limitation. It can be an anxiety disorder, or a learning disability,” Koplewicz explained on the CMI website. It’s not that they don’t want to do it; it’s that it’s genuinely too hard without additional and specific support.

Ease them in

When your child is really reluctant to try something new, it is important to be respectful of that, McManne said, and go slow. Just like you’d probably like someone to take their time and be gentle with you if you were learning a new skill or, say, starting a new job and trying to learn the ropes.

“You offer compromises,” she said. So say you have a toddler who is really reluctant to go into the pool at swim lessons. Model confidence, McManne said, and take it slow. Maybe they just put their feet in at first. Maybe you sit at the edge of the pool with them. Again, your goal is to meet them where they are — then nudge them forward.

McManne said she often talks to clients about an idea from the book “The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity and Resilience in Your Child,” which talks about how parents have to provide some “pushin’” while also acting as the “cushion.”

Encourage your child to try new things and work through discomfort, as that is a skill that will help them develop resilience and serve them well in life. But respect their boundaries and be empathetic.

“You need to be that soft place for your child to land,” McManne said. (Source: Huffington Post)

~Mrs G. 😃

March Madness of Books!

During the month of March each year, we do a Sweet 16 competition of picture books. K-2nd grade classes read 8 books and vote on them to their final one and 3rd-5th read the other 8 books and vote on them to their final one. Now we need your help! We need you to help us decide which book should be our winner! Here were our brackets. Here are the final two books: Hardly Haunted and Norman Didn’t Do It. Please watch these with your family and vote here on your favorite. Thanks for your help!

Please join me in celebrating art made by all our local elementary students. ArtFest is an exhibition of works by Oshkosh Area School District Kindergarten-5th Grade students. The exhibit is open for viewing in the Oshkosh Public Library Lower Level during regular hours from April 1-April 27. A very special shout out to these amazing artists from Carl Traeger Elementary! ~Ms. Moucha

Grade 4

Aria Anonich (Ceramic Mask)
Easton Belville (Ceramic Mask)
Miles Ellis (Metal Facade)
Devon Janke (Ceramic Mask)
Oliver Praznik (Ceramic Mask)
Morgan Sparr (Metal Facade)

Grade 3

Briza Bryden (Rainbow Eagle)
Evan Galica (Rainbow Frog)

Grade 2

Owen Bettger (Rainbow Chalk Animal)
Elliot Erdmann (3D Painting)
June Moorhead (Rainbow Chalk Animal)
Lucy Rahmlow (3D Painting)
Simon Schiek (3D Painting)
Vinny Yang (3D Painting)

Grade 1

Luca Bolanos (Wild Thing)
Charlotte Sander (Dancing Giraffe)

Bingo Night is three weeks away and we need YOU to help make it yet another success!

Head to https://traeger.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=eYmYqEXKQUigXTBTOu7fcXN___6E7b7Zt3___oA9xfD6 to see what volunteer opportunities are available and how you can help!

Golf Outing Presented by Soper Companies on May 22nd!

Our golf outing is back and scheduled for Sunday, May 22nd as the perfect way to start wrapping up the school year! Join us for what’s sure to be a fun Sunday on the course at Lake Breeze in Winneconne. Grab your foursome and participate in the event, volunteer to help the day of, and/or be a sponsor! The sponsorship form can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1giPB2QAk5sP8hA5jgfwIuizCdcOXg8GQR3ExVYPcp74/edit and the registration forms will open soon! We absolutely cannot wait for another great outing and hope to see you all there!

Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup by Cora Volkening

Dear Traeger families,

Have you ever heard of the Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup?

The Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup is an event where volunteers pick up trash in and around the water.

This is a great opportunity because it has open slots with a whole variety of places and times.

The Cleanup provides plastic gloves and trash pickers so that participants do not have to handle the trash. They also hand out two large garbage bags, one for trash and one for recycling

This program is a lot of fun because you get to explore and hunt for trash near rivers and in woodland areas. It is a great community service activity to do with young children because it is easy and fun.

K-Kids recommends the Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup as a way to help the environment by picking up trash.

Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup takes place May 7th from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, follow the link to register Fox-Wolf Registration join Carl Traeger Elementary K-Kids team. Some families registered for Oshkosh - Menominee Park, but please register for any site you are feeling connected to.

Help Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Every year, people from around the world join together in support of Autism Awareness Month by lighting up their communities or wearing blue. Join us on April 4 as we Light it Up Blue at Traeger!

Wisconsin Forward Exam testing has begun! Please ensure that your child is in school on their scheduled testing days. Makeups are challenging to schedule and result in lost instructional time.

Image result for school calendar

April 4
- Light it Up Blue for Autism Theme Day
April 6
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 7
- Kindergarten Field Trip to Kelly's Farmstead
April 12
- PSC 6:00pm
April 13
- Early Release
- No 4K Classes
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 14
- Grade 2 Field Trip to Discovery World
April 15
- No School
April 20
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 21
- K-Kids 6:00pm
April 22
- Amel/Kordus Field Trip to Paine Art Center
- BINGO Night - 5:30-7:00pm
April 26
- Aronson/Demeny Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 27
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - March 18, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

March 18, 2022: Issue 25

Traeger Tales

How to Really Love a Child

The end of March is near!! The longer days and warmer sunshine are pleasant reminders that spring is just around the corner. With the “dog days” of winter behind us, it is time to refocus on this opportunity for renewal. I have inserted a poem which I find inspirational, and most importantly, a great reminder of how simple it is to truly LOVE a child. Enjoy!!

How to Really Love a Child

Be there. Say yes as often as possible. Let them bang on pots and pans. If they’re crabby, put them in water. If they’re unlovable, love yourself. Realize how important it is to be a child. Go to a movie theatre in your pajamas. Read books out loud with joy. Invent pleasures together. Remember how really small they are. Giggle a lot.

Surprise them. Say no when necessary. Teach feelings. Heal your own inner child. Learn about parenting. Hug trees together. Make loving safe. Bake a cake and eat it with no hands. Go find elephants and kiss them. Plan to build a rocketship. Imagine yourself magic. Make lots of forts with blankets. Let your angel fly. Reveal your own dreams. Search out the positive. Keep the gleam in your eye. Encourage silly. Plant licorice in your garden. Open up. Stop yelling. Express your love. A lot. Speak kindly. Paint their tennis shoes. Handle with caring. Children are miraculous. By Sark

~Mrs. G. 😃

Wisconsin Forward Exam testing will begin soon. Please ensure that your child is in school on their scheduled testing days. Makeups are challenging to schedule and result in lost instructional time.

PSC Cheesecake Fundraiser!Who doesn't love a good cheesecake?! Order your favorites from one of Oshkosh's favorites, Tamara's The Cake Guru! Head to https://www.cognitoforms.com/TamarasTheCakeGuru/_2022Cheesecake?fbclid=IwAR2U2EsR1hzdZOzMgDgWLQfsGM7n4fKUFDt1X_nzLWd3lOKjl9KTArPngDQ to purchase these for a loved one's birthday, your Easter get together, or just to have for dessert! You have until March 27th (or the last day of Spring Break) to place your orders and pickups will be available at their Westowne location April 1st - 2nd. So get your cheesecake all for a good cause!

Help Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Every year, people from around the world join together in support of Autism Awareness Month by lighting up their communities or wearing blue. Join us on April 4 as we Light it Up Blue at Traeger!

Online registration for the 2022 Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Summer School program is available through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent/Student Portal. Online registration will remain open until March 25, 2022. Detailed course information about all course options, including special camps and registration instructions are available on the OASD Summer School Webpage in the Summer School Course Guide.

Traeger Way Bucket Filling

Starting on Monday, March 28, classes will once again be recognized for following the Traeger Way. As a way to review and practice our school-wide expectations, staff members will be naming and noticing classrooms that follow the Traeger Way by being respectful, responsible, safe, and trustworthy. Classes will receive rain drops to add to their class bucket which will be displayed in the cafeteria. Classes will receive a rainbow and an entry to win an ice cream party for every 10 rain drops that they receive between March 28 and April 8. There will be an ice cream party awarded at the K/1, 2/3, and 4/5 grade levels.

PSC Agenda/Minutes

March 10, 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

1. Treasurer Update: Alicia Alsberg

a. $300+ in account that can donated to Maker Space

b. Had $200+ deposit in March from AmazonSmile

c. PuraVida bracelet sales have been stale; bring to upcoming events including the Ice Cream Social to sell

d. Received $1,635 in checks for the Craft Fair

e. PTBoard subscription is good through 2024

f. February Staff Appreciation Month was donated

g. April 3^rd for Board only meeting to discuss budget

i. If anyone has anything to add, please let Alicia know before then

2. Nominating Committee Report – Jessica Graf

a. Jessica nominates Heather Swenson and Mandy Stein for Co-Secretaries

i. Motion: Kelly, Alicia

b. Jessica nominates Nichole Casper for President

i. Motion: Nichole Casper

3. ~~President and Secretary Elections – Nichole Casper~~ Included above

4. Sock Fundraiser – Nichole Casper

a. Hype reached out to Mrs. G about potential fundraiser:

i. We would sell socks for $15 per pair

ii. We would need to pre-order 30 pairs per design

b. Jessica found a post regarding Sock Concepts for a lesser price

i. Jessica and Nichole will look into this route as an alternative option

5. Hwy 44 Pizza – Megan Paulik

a. We raised $300 both from sales and donations

b. Is there a way Traeger families can help (similar to Culver’s) when we partner with them in the future?

6. Herd Game Update – Nichole Casper

a. Sold 160 tickets and received $322. Herd has a $100 deposit we would like them to keep for first priority tickets next year

7. Tamara’s Cheesecake – Erin Anderson

a. Erin will receive order form link this week, so we can start selling next week. Cost is $20 and we can charge what we want

b. Pickup is scheduled the first weekend in April

c. Selected 10 different cheesecakes/combo packages for people to choose from

d. Can look at having volunteers signup, so vehicles can drive up and volunteers can load their orders in their car. People can signup for timeslots

e. Received cheesecake samples from Gourmets Delight Inc. (a non-local company) we can do at a later date if interested (they are a little cheaper)

8. 5^th Grade Gift / Maker Space – Jessica Graf

a. Last year, we hosted a Gum/Hat Day where kids who want to chew gum/wear a hat have to pay $1; would like to do something similar this year

Proceeds to go to Maker Space
Jessica to coordinate (maybe on a Friday and do PJ Day)

9. Venmo alternative meeting IRS regulations for 501c3 (currently have credit card option: Stripe through PTBoard) – Nichole Casper

a. Remove Venmo; strictly use Stripe

10. Teacher Appreciation Week May 2^nd – Nichole Casper

a. Tina/Cedar Yard to have an outdoor sign up in front of the school

b. Come up with fun-themed days throughout the week:

Monday – Breakfast (Nichole)
Tuesday – Snacks (Chips)
Wednesday – Charcuterie?
Thursday – Taco bar
Friday – Treats (Heather)

11. Golf Outing Update

a. Sponsorship form is available; will be uploaded to PTBoard (along with registration)

b. Looking for a Raffle/Games Coordinator

12. Field Day – Heidi Wara

a. PSC donates popsicles and a family donated an outdoor inflatable last year; Mrs. Wara would like to get similar donations again this year (money towards the inflatables)

b. Can look at having proceeds from a fundraiser towards costs for inflatables in future years

13. Look at Culver’s fundraiser – Jessica Graf

14. Bingo Night – Katie Zurawski

a. Winners of adult raffle baskets do not need to be present at the event; can pickup at a later date

b. Looking for volunteers to help

15. Summer Fundraisers – Jessica Graf

a. Ice Cream @ Rhapsodies in June - Jessica

b. Swimming @ Pollock Pool in July – Jessica

c. Bowling @ Rev’s in August - Mandy

$25 Kwik Trip gift card winner: Nichole Casper

A Message From Your School Nurse

6th Grade Immunization Requirements

(First dose given at age 11, before entering 6th grade)

Your 5th grade child will need the Tdap immunization before entering 6th grade as required by Wisconsin State Law.

Please inform your school of the immunizations your child has received by emailing the school nurse with your child’s name and date of immunization(s).

Nurse’s Email: elizabeth.lynch@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Phone: 920-424-0065 ext. 1324

If you choose to sign a waiver, please contact your school office or click on this link Student Immunization Record to obtain the paperwork. You will need to complete Step 1, Step 4 and Step 5, sign and return to your school before the start of 6th grade.

Additional resources:

Tdap Fact Sheet for Parents

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March 21-25
- No School - Spring Break
March 28
- School Resumes
March 30
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 4
- Light it Up Blue for Autism Theme Day
April 6
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 7
- Kindergarten Field Trip to Kelly's Farmstead
April 12
- PSC 6:00pm
April 13
- Early Release
- No 4K Classes
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 14
- Grade 2 Field Trip to Discovery World
April 15
- No School
April 20
- Walk to School Wednesday
April 21
- K-Kids 6:00pm
April 22
- Amel/Kordus Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 26
- Aronson Demeny Field Trip to Paine Art Center
April 27
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - March 11, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

March 11, 2022: Issue 24

Traeger Tales

Planning for the 2022-2023 School Year

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Class lists are created with the belief that student needs are best met through heterogeneous/mixed groups that take into consideration such variables as student numbers, boy/girl ratios, student behaviors, and achievement levels. The services of our special education teachers and other academic specialists also impact a student’s placement. As a result, requests for classroom placements are usually not necessary.

The talents of our teachers at Traeger Elementary are diverse. Matching teaching and learning styles requires appropriate knowledge of both the learner and the teacher. In addition, OASD Board Policy charges us with the important task of creating balanced classes. It also includes this statement in the Rule:

“Parent/guardian request for assignment of students to specific teachers prior to receiving notice of placement will be carefully limited to assure an equal opportunity for all students.”

The staff at Traeger Elementary firmly believes in an equal opportunity for all students. We will again utilize the process that was used in the past for classroom placements, considering requests only after balanced classes are first constructed for the upcoming school year.

If parents still would like to submit a request, they must base the request upon a legitimate need of the student, not upon teacher popularity or rumor. Recommendations of other parents are not educational reasons for requesting a teacher. The teacher who may work well with your child’s needs does not necessarily possess the same instructional style that was important for your neighbor’s child or even a brother or sister.

If a parent has an educational reason to support a classroom placement, the following guidelines should be followed:

Please submit a Request for Specific Teacher of Class Prior to Assignment form, stating the reasons why such a placement is important for your child's education. Forms are available in the office.
All recommendations should be received in the office no later than Friday, April 8. No requests received after this date will be honored.

The staff at Traeger Elementary is charged with the significant task of creating balanced classes to contribute to the learning environment for ALL students. When parent requests conflict with that goal, honoring the request may not be possible. Due to the need to balance classes, distribute learning abilities, place students together in workable groups, and numerous other variables that must be considered, we are unable to guarantee that requests will be honored. All families will be notified of their child’s classroom placement in August, 2022.

We appreciate our parents as partners in their child’s education. Classroom placements are a very difficult task for our school each year. Thank you for your understanding of the magnitude of this task and its challenges.

~Mrs. G. 😃

Welcoming Visitors in Our Schools

The Oshkosh Area School District is allowing visitors to return to school buildings. This change is being made based on the continued decrease in COVID cases in our community, as well as the widespread access to the COVID vaccine for those ages 5 and older and booster for those eligible.

Visitors must follow any COVID mitigation strategies that are in place, including wearing a face covering if an elementary classroom or middle/high school is temporarily requiring face coverings due to COVID spread.

Please read the following reminders specific to visiting OASD schools during the school day.

All OASD schools use a visitor management system (Raptor). Upon entering a school building, visitors are asked to show an ID. If a parent/guardian or visitor does not have an ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and/or manually enter the person’s name and date of birth into the Raptor system.
A volunteer application must be completed each year for those that wish to volunteer in one or multiple OASD schools. To learn more and complete the application visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/families/volunteer.

We are excited to once again welcome parents/guardians and other visitors into our school. Your involvement and engagement in your students’ education is critical and greatly appreciated!

ESOL Resources (ESPAÑOL, HMONG, SWAHILI, ARABIC, KAREN, URDU)

All About Family Dinner Book Club

Time for a new Family Dinner Book Club. This year we are focusing on social emotional learning and our next topic is- Recognizing Feelings and Emotions, This month's featured book is Henry at Home by Megan Maynor.

Jodie has compiled a book list of books to get your Family Book Club started. You can see/get the book list here.--->SEE THE BOOK LIST

Laura has created a handy guide that includes all the ideas, conversation starters, and links for you too. If you would like to sign up for that and have it emailed to you, you can do so HERE.

Sarah has a yummy breakfast for dinner menu.--->CHECK IT OUT

Also, follow along with us on our Facebook page! We love to see pictures of your special dinner. Plus, we share extra materials to support your book club each month.

Online registration for the 2022 Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Summer School program is available through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent/Student Portal. Online registration will remain open until March 25, 2022. Detailed course information about all course options, including special camps and registration instructions are available on the OASD Summer School Webpage in the Summer School Course Guide.

Wisconsin Forward Exam testing will begin soon. Please ensure that your child is in school on their scheduled testing days. Makeups are challenging to schedule and result in lost instructional time.

Traeger 3-5 Concert

“Positively Prepared to Perform”

MONDAY, MARCH 14

6pm at Alberta Kimball Auditorium-West High School Doors open at 5:15
Students need to stay with parents until teachers arrive at 5:45pm
Check out the seating chart to see where the class is seated

STUDENT ART SHOW

On March 5 we had an opening reception at ArtSpace Collective to celebrate Youth Art Month! All schools were represented from the Oshkosh Area School District. Congratulations to Charlie Mattice who has this beautiful rainbow turtle representing Carl Traeger Elementary.

You may also view your artwork throughout the month of March during regular gallery hours. Please note that masks are required in the gallery.

ArtSpace Collective Gallery Hours:

7 Merritt Avenue

Wednesday, Thursday 5:00-8:00 pm

Saturday 10:00 am-1:00 pm

Sunday 1:00-4:00 pm

Out of this World!Every month each class recognizes a student who consistently follows the Traeger Way! Congratulations to our March students who are also featured on the bulletin board in the cafeteria!

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March 13
- Spring Forward - Daylight Savings Time Begins!
March 14
- Pi Theme Day - Wear a Shirt with a Number
- Grade 3-5 Spring Concert 6:00pm
March 15
- Leap Into Spring Theme Day-Wear Comfy/Athletic Clothes
March 16
- Ready for Break Theme Day-Wear PJs
March 17
- Wearin' O'the Green Theme Day
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
March 18
- Dress Like Spring Theme Day-Wear Bright Colors
March 21-25
- No School - Spring Break

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - March 4, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

March 4, 2022: Issue 23

Traeger Tales

using values to guide good decisions

Children learn to tie their shoes, read and write, solve math problems, and remember science facts and events in history. Children can also learn to be good people. You can help children learn to be honest, to care about others, and to make good choices by talking about morals, values, and ethics together.

Morals describe how to be a good person.
Values guide decisions about what is right and what is wrong.
Ethics are rules about what is right or wrong.

what we know:

Values, morals, and ethics guide decisions — now and in the future.
Openly talking about family values can help children feel secure (especially if adults are willing to listen when children have different values).

try this:

When you see your child doing something that you value, notice it and tell your child what you saw that was good. Be specific. Here are some examples:

“I noticed how kind you were to Ben when you tried to cheer him up.” (Value: caring)
“I really appreciated that you were honest with me about what happened at school.” (Value: honesty)
“How generous of you to give one of your stuffed animals to Carmen!” (Value: kind)
“You figured out all by yourself how to get the homework assignment you missed. That’s what I call resourceful!” (Value: resourceful)

Positive values you might notice include:

Hard-working
Creative
Caring
Brave
Kind
Dependable
Loyal
Motivated
Honest
Respectful
Helpful

For fun:

Talk about your family values. Start with the short list above. Then create a digital “family values” photo book with your child. For example, the next time your child works hard on an project for school, take a picture of her holding it and add the photo to your “family values” photo book. Add a label or hashtag to the photo and tell how the value of hard work played a role in finishing the project.

Talking about values helps children learn to feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and for other people. Source: UW Extension ~Mrs. G. 😃

It's not too late to sign up at the LINK! The form will be open until 8:00am March 7!

This week was Read Across America Week. At the beginning of the year, all classes got a map of the United States. As teachers read a book in class, they would fill in the state that the author is from to show how they are reading across America. While we’ve been working on this all year, we found that a lot of authors are from the same state which had us feeling like we weren’t making progress! If any class finishes their map, though, they get to move on to a world map!

Yearbooks can be ordered at the LINK through March 11 (There was NOT an option to order yearbooks with student photos). The cost for a yearbook is $14.00. Yearbooks will be delivered to school in late May.

Online registration for the 2022 Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Summer School program is be available through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent/Student Portal. Online registration will open at 8:00am March 7 and will remain open until March 25, 2022. Detailed course information about all course options, including special camps and registration instructions are available on the OASD Summer School Webpage in the Summer School Course Guide.

This year, we have been offering family book club opportunities for all students. Families who wish to participate get a copy of a book with a different theme each month, a discussion guide and thinking journal. This monthly book club allows for families to learn more about ourselves and others through stories and engage in important conversations that help us grow. Mrs. Runde has funding left to provide some family book club opportunities throughout the summer. We would like to gauge interest in order to plan accordingly. Please complete the LINKED SURVEY to express your interest in this opportunity by March 11 in order to allow time for purchasing materials and planning ahead.

Watch for our next family book club opportunity in an upcoming Traeger Tales. The theme will be “celebrate differences”.

PSC Agenda/Minutes

March 10, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

LINK to join virtually

Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
Nominating Committee Report
President and Secretary Elections - Nichole Casper
Sock Fundraiser-Nichole
Hwy 44 Pizza- Megan
Herd Game Update-Nichole
Tamara’s Cheesecake- Erin
5th Grade Gift / Maker Space- Jessica Graf
Venmo alternative meeting IRS regulations for 501c3 (currently have credit card option: Stripe through PT Board)

Spring Reminders

Our playground is extremely wet and muddy this time of year! Please consider packing a spare set of clothes in your child’s backpack. This may help avoid a phone call to parents at work for dry clothes if a mud or rain puddle is encountered outside.
This is the time of year when Sawyer Creek can overflow and be very dangerous with rushing water. If your child uses the bridges and walking paths, please talk with them about not playing near the creek and being safe.

Traeger 3-5 Concert

“Positively Prepared to Perform”

Mark your calendars...MONDAY, MARCH 14

(6pm at Alberta Kimball Auditorium-West High School).

You are NOT going to want to miss this year’s Spring Concert brought to you by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Students. We have created an amazing show for you. This concert is entitled “Positively Prepared to Perform!” and will not only feature our Traeger students sharing their amazing voices but will also include a wide variety of talents such as dancing, solos, duets, baton twirling, dynamic drumming and some super kids having a really great time on stage!

We cannot wait to POSITIVELY perform for everyone and we are again expecting a full auditorium. We will feature fun and positive songs and the students are really going to be ROCKING the stage that night. Students will meet their classroom teachers and sit with their class at 5:45 pm (doors will open at 5:15). The concert starts promptly at 6:00 pm.

We sincerely hope you join us and enjoy this wonderful night of fun and great music!!!

See you Monday, March 14, 2022

Sincerely,

Mrs. Schmidt (Music Teacher for Grades 3 and 4)

and Mrs. Cibula (Music Teacher for Grade 5)

Dear Caregiver,

Wisconsin state law requires schools to provide staff and students with basic awareness materials to prevent suicide. We are sharing this information with all families through the newsletter so that you are also informed of the suicide warning signs. Please contact me or our school counselor if you have any questions about the information or specific concerns regarding your child.

Sincerely,

Mrs. G.

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March 8
- STEM Night 6:00-7:30pm
March 9
- School Colors Day
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Walk to School Wednesday
March 10
- PSC 5:00pm
March 13
- Spring Forward - Daylight Savings Time Begins!
March 14
- Pi Theme Day - Wear a Shirt with a Number
- Grade 3-5 Spring Concert 6:00pm
March 17
- Wearin' O'the Green Theme Day
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
March 21-25
- No School - Spring Break

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - February 25. 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

February 25, 2022: Issue 22

Traeger Tales

NEWBERY AWARD WINNERS

This week we will take a look at the 2022 Newbery award winning books. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to literature for children.

2022 Medal Winner

The Last Cuentista, written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Newbery Medal winner. There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

2022 Honor Books

Red, White, and Whole, written by Rajani LaRocca and published by Quill Tree Books. Red, White, and Whole is the lyrical and poignant journey of a first generation Indian American girl growing up in the eighties. LaRocca weaves together a beautiful mix of themes– identity, belonging, love, devastating loss, and eighties pop music rendered in seamless verse.

A Snake Falls to Earth

A Snake Falls to Earth, written by Darcie Little Badger and published by Levine Querido. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.

Too Bright to See, written by Kyle Lukoff. In the wake of his uncle's death, a boy on the cusp of middle school grapples with grief, friendship, and identity. Bug lives in a haunted house, but the ghosts of long ago never bothered him before this summer.

Watercress, written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin. Gathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage. Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. ... Together, they make a new memory of watercress.

Happy New Readings! ~Mrs. G. 😃

Kickstart the work week by making dinner an easy choice: Pizza from Pizza @ Hwy 44! When you order your favorite pizza from Pizza @ Hwy 44, 10% of all sales on Monday, February 28th between 5:00am and 8:00pm will support our school! How cool is that?! Thank you, Pizza @ Hwy 44 and to everyone who participates for this great (and delicious) cause!

Reservation forms went home with youngest K-5 students this week!

Yearbooks can be ordered at the LINK through March 11 (There was NOT an option to order yearbooks with student photos). The cost for a yearbook is $14.00. Yearbooks will be delivered to school in late May.

February 28-March 4

It is time to celebrate Read Across America! Although this event was started to commemorate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, it has evolved into a celebration that encourages a love for reading. This year, we will be celebrating the power of books as we explore how books can act as mirrors (to see ourselves), windows (to peek into the lives of others) and sliding glass doors (step inside and experience life from a different perspective).

We encourage you to get involved in this celebration by checking out more books that go with each theme day and engage in conversations about what we can learn about others from the stories we read. Check out our theme days below and some great books that celebrate the diversity of the world!

Monday: Let’s Celebrate You - Dress up day: Wear something that celebrates what makes you special.

Find a book that acts just like a mirror for you. Can you see yourself in the characters or the storyline? What can you learn about yourself from the story?

Tuesday: Look at Those Who Take Action! - Dress up day: Wear a kind message

Find a book that provides a window into the lives of those who take action to create change. How is your life or the lives of others better because of the action these heroes have taken? What action can you take to make a positive change?

Wednesday: Celebrate Diverse Authors/Illustrators - Dress up day: Dress like your favorite book character or author

Being mindful of the authors of our children’s books helps us to take a step through that sliding glass door to learn more about the lives of others. What did you learn about the characters and their culture?

Thursday: Recognize Different Perspectives - Dress up day: Backwards day

Books provide us the opportunity to step through a sliding glass door to experience life in someone else’s shoes. How have books helped you to experience life from someone else’s perspective? How did that change you or your thinking?

Friday: Learn about Influential Americans - Dress up day: Dress up like someone who inspires you

Wrap up your week by reading books to learn about influential Americans. What do those that influence you and others have in common? How do others inspire you?

Traeger 3-5 Concert

“Positively Prepared to Perform”

Mark your calendars...MONDAY, MARCH 14

(6pm at Alberta Kimball Auditorium-West High School).

You are NOT going to want to miss this year’s Spring Concert brought to you by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Students. We have created an amazing show for you. This concert is entitled “Positively Prepared to Perform!” and will not only feature our Traeger students sharing their amazing voices but will also include a wide variety of talents such as dancing, solos, duets, baton twirling, dynamic drumming and some super kids having a really great time on stage!

We cannot wait to POSITIVELY perform for everyone and we are again expecting a full auditorium. We will feature fun and positive songs and the students are really going to be ROCKING the stage that night. Students will meet their classroom teachers and sit with their class at 5:45 pm (doors will open at 5:15). The concert starts promptly at 6:00 pm.

We sincerely hope you join us and enjoy this wonderful night of fun and great music!!!

See you Monday, March 14, 2022

Sincerely,

Mrs. Schmidt (Music Teacher for Grades 3 and 4)

and Mrs. Cibula (Music Teacher for Grade 5)

Image result for school calendar

February 28
- Wear something that celebrates what makes you special Theme Day
- PSC Pizza Fundraiser - Pizza @ Hwy 44
March 1
- Wear a kind message Theme Day
March 2
- Dress like your favorite book character or author Theme Day
- Walk to School Wednesday
March 3
- Backwards Theme Day
March 4
- Dress up like someone who inspires you Theme Day
- PSC Herd Night
March 8
- STEM Night 6:00-7:30pm
March 9
- School Colors Day
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- Walk to School Wednesday
March 10
- PSC 5:00pm
March 13
- Spring Forward - Daylight Savings Time Begins!
March 14
- Pi Theme Day - Wear a Shirt with a Number
- Grade 3-5 Spring Concert 6:00pm
March 17
- Wearin' O'the Green Theme Day
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
March 21-25
- No School - Spring Break

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - February 11, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

February 11, 2022: Issue 21

Traeger Tales

CALDECOTT AWARD WINNERS

February is a great month to take a look at the newest award winning children's books! Recently the American Library Association (ALA) announced the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the John Newbery medal winners! This week I am sharing the Caldecott winners and next week we will look at the Newbery awards. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The 2022 Caldecott Medal Winner is Watercress illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang. Embarrassed about gathering watercress from a roadside ditch, a girl learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage after learning why the plant is so important to her parents.

2021 Honor Books

Have You Ever Seen a Flower, illustrated and written by Shawn Harris. Have You Ever Seen a Flower? is an enchanting picture book exploring the relationship between childhood and nature. In this simple yet profound story, one child experiences a flower with all five senses—from its color to its fragrance to the entire universe it evokes—revealing how a single flower can expand one's perspective in incredible ways.

Mel Fell, illustrated and written by Corey R. Tabor. Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, written by Carole Boston. A powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa's Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community.

Wonder Walkers, illustrated and written by Micha Archer. When two curious kids embark on a "wonder walk," they let their imaginations soar as they look at the world in a whole new light. They have thought-provoking questions for everything they see: Is the sun the world's light bulb? Is dirt the world's skin? Are rivers the earth's veins? Is the wind the world breathing? I wonder . . .

Happy New Readings! ~Mrs. G. 😃

Out of this World!Every month each class recognizes a student who consistently follows the Traeger Way! Congratulations to our February students who are also featured on the bulletin board in the cafeteria!

Mission

K-Kids in an international student-led organization providing members with opportunities to perform service, build character and develop leadership.

2021-2022 K-Kids Officers

President: Brooke Alsberg (4th Grade)
Vice President: Leland Crane (5th Grade)
Secretary: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)
Treasurer: Ellen Volkening (2nd Grade)

Agenda for Tuesday February 15th - 6 pm - Library

K-Kids discuss: donate to The Ocean Clean Up
Special Guest Jessica Hanson: Communications & Program Development Specialist from Winnebago County Solid Waste
Recycling Right at School - how to continue our efforts - bring your ideas - brainstorm
March meeting Thursday the 17th

Please reach out with any questions:

Brooke Alsberg (President):

alsbeb1248@oshkosh.k12.wi.us for student questions or

Alicia Alsberg abalsberg@gmail.com or

Mrs. Vanderloop mary.vanderloop@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

*No sign-up required *You can join at any time during the year

Fleece Blanket Update!

At the start of every K-Kids meeting we say a pledge “I promise to serve my neighborhood and my school…. I will try to make the world a better place in which to live.”

During the K-Kids December and January meetings we worked together to make 6 fleece blankets. We elected to donate the blankets to Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace - Oshkosh Chapter is led by Kathy Marsh and Sandy DeYoung. Their mission is to build beds for children who are sleeping on the floor. K-Kids was inspired to help put blankets on the amazing beds Kathy and Sandy were working so hard to build.

“Delivered your blankets to 3 homes this evening. By absolute chance, they matched perfectly to not only the color scheme, but what the kids loved.” Sandy shared, “The family loved them!!”

K-Kids were successful in not only serving our neighborhood but also helping make the world a better place in which to live. A lot to be proud of!

Winter Walk to School Day!

We will be participating in the annual state-wide Winter Walk to School Day on February 23 (weather date March 2). Students who walk to school that day will be eligible for prizes from the Safe Routes to School program! We will have a special Polar Bear Walk and Roll day to help cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions which are harmful to polar bears and the Arctic. Walking to school will help us accomplish this!

Do you live too far away from school for your child to walk? Consider dropping him/her a couple blocks away and letting him/her walk the rest of the way. We have many parents who use the path on Woodstock as a drop off point. Walking up the path does not really meet the concept of walking to school. However, if you drop your child off a block or two from the path that would count!

Gildan Youth Open Bottom Sweatpants, Style G18400B

Pants Needed!

Our office clothes closet is in need of some plain black pants for emergency situations. In the past we have had donations of fitted pants like jeans, but it has been difficult to match the sizes with children. We would like to get a collection of elastic top pants that will be more functional. If you would like to help out, here is an Amazon link. You can order and ship right to Traeger! We are in need of small and medium sizes. We have already received some direct shipments from Amazon! Wow! Thank you for your support!

PSC HERD NIGHT!

Our next PSC fundraiser is one for the books! Join us to cheer on our very own Wisconsin Herd as they take on the Capital City Go-Go on Friday, March 4th! Plus, our Traeger families, friends, and staff get to enjoy a private VIP watch experience before the game! How cool is that?! Head to https://fevo.me/carltraeger to get your tickets today. Tickets are limited, so be sure to get yours early. We look forward to seeing you there!

PSC Agenda/Volunteer Meetings- February 10, 2022
5-6pm BINGO/ Golf/ Craft Fair Volunteer Meeting

1.BINGO Night - April 22nd - Megan
Volunteers will needed from: 430pm-730pm

Committee Chairs
- Concessions- Erin
  - Need volunteers for: Cashier, Pizza, Concessions
- Baskets - Katie and Kenlin
- Front Table/Registration - Jess
- Adult Baskets- Katie and Kenlin
- 50/50 Raffle- Dustin Montalvo
- Prize Patrol - Liza
Kohls Cares & OWHS Student Volunteers

2. Craft Fair explanation- October 15th - Heather

Committee Chairs
- Bake Sale - Sarah & her girls :)
  - Set up Friday the 14th (night before) to bag up goodies.
- Concessions - Need Co-Chair. Heather will mentor the new chair with past years information.
  - Planning menu for breakfast (vendors) and lunch (vendors and customers), signs, ordering food, picking up food.
  - Optional - getting donations to pay for food/items.
- Admissions- K-Kids
  - Day of - 10/15
- Vendors - Nichole Casper
- Setup - Megan & Erin
  - Set up Friday the 14th (booths, tables, signs, etc)

6. Setup Next Committee Meeting - April 22nd, 2022. 5:00pm. Please attend if you want to help out with any of our big fundraisers. More big fundraisers helps us so we don’t have so many fundraisers going on.

7. Golf Outing- Sun May 22nd, 2022

Volunteers
- Event planning
  - Mini-Golf will be in the fall - Date TBD
  - Lead Volunteers - Kelly, Mandy, Jess, and Paul
- Sponsorships - We are looking for sponsors for a whole, cart, lunch, etc. Different price options available. Reach out to carltpsc@gmail.com
- Volunteers needed for
  - Raffles, Lunch, Prizes, Marketing, and Signage. Reach out to carltpsc@gmail.com

2/10/2022, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
1. We are completely moved over to Verve Credit Union for the PSC finances.
2. Venmo/Paypal/Stripe -We should look into an alternative for non-profits. We are a 501c3 and have to follow the IRS rules. We encourage everyone to bring ideas and research to the next meeting. We will vote at the next meeting on how to move forward.
3. Budget Updates - Releasing $500 to School enhancement. All attendees and board members voted yes.
Maker Space - Amy Monigal
1. Collaborative workspace for creating and inventing. Range of high-tech to low-tech options. Improves 21st century skills: construction, robotics, engineering, planning, developing, and revising. Students can experience what is in the real world instead of just learning it in a book. Can be built into the curriculum.
2. Mrs. Monigal would like us to share a Maker Space Material wanted poster to get materials for the area. Nichole C. will take care of this.
3. Jess Graf will set up the PTBoard donation site for Maker Space.
Bingo Night/Golf Outing/Craft Fair Update - See Volunteer meeting notes.
Rocky Rococo’s & Papa Murphy's - Megan Paulik will look into
Tamara’s Cheesecake - Erin will look into
Herd Game Update - Nichole
1. 38 - $12 tickets, 29 - $20 tickets available
Events & Volunteer Coordinator Nominations - Nichole Casper
1. Megan Paulik offered to take on this in addition to the VP position
  1. Jess nominates Megan. No other nominations. Mandy motioned. Alicia 2nd motion. All in favor.
Election Committee for President and Secretary, elections to be in March
1. Nomination Committee - Jess, Katie, Liza
Future agenda items
1. March Agenda
  1. Tamara’s - Cheesecake Fundraiser. - Erin
  2. Pizza Fundraisers - Megan
  3. Discuss current fundraisers
  4. Raise Craze & Zaronis - September Agenda
2. April Agenda
  1. Easy Summer Fundraisers
Motion to adjourn - Katie, 2nd - Alicia Alsberg

Next Meeting March 10th at 5 pm

Image result for school calendar

February 10
- Walk to School Wednesday
- PSC Volunteer meeting 5:00pm
- PSC Meeting 6:00pm
February 14
- Wear Red Theme Day
- Classroom Friendship Celebrations
February 15
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
February 16
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 17-21
- No School for Students
February 22
- Twos Day Theme Day
February 23
- Winter Walk to School Day
- Polar Bear Walk and Roll Theme Day
March 2
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

There will not be a new issue of Traeger Tales next week due to the short week. Enjoy the extra long weekend!

Newsletter - February 4, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

February 4, 2022: Issue 20

Traeger Tales

GLOBAL SCHOOL PLAY DAY

A day of promoting the importance of regular, unstructured play for the best development of children

In 2015, a small group of six educators took action and created Global School Play Day because of their concern that adults and technology were encroaching on playtime for children. Schools are eliminating recess. Teachers assigning more and more homework. Parents scheduled every waking minute for their kids. Young children becoming addicted to their devices. Skyrocketing anxiety and stress. Severe mental health issues and the highest suicide rates in younger and younger children in recorded history. The GSPD team were compelled to take action after seeing the effects in their schools and after hearing Dr. Peter Gray’s TEDx talk. In his talk, he argues the case that today's kids are losing much more than play time and from that the grassroots effort to bring awareness to this problem was born. On February 4, 2015, over 65,000 children participated in the first ever Global School Play Day after only four weeks of social media promotion from those six educators.

On Feb.5, 2020, the Sixth-Annual Global School Play Day continued to spread around the world. Over 560,000 young people from 85 nations were registered by their administrators or teachers to participate. Schools from around the world stood together to say, “Unstructured play is a vital part of proper child development!”

Global School Play Day is for public schools, private schools and homeschool families! Even adults and businesses are starting to join in the movement. Many are helping to spread the word about the benefits of play. Why has this movement been so well-received? Because kids have started forgetting how to play and so many parents and educators are seeing the negative impacts. We need, want and will turn things around!

Traeger will be joining the Global School Play Day movement on February 9. Our students will engage in unstructured play from 8:15-10:15am. Students will have the opportunity to bring non-electronic toys to school that day. A permission slip went home this week. Play isn’t all fun and games — it’s also an important teaching tool! Through play, kids learn how to interact with others and develop critical lifelong skills. ~Mrs. G. 😃

February 7th-11th is National School Counseling Week!

Each year the school counseling profession is celebrated during the first full week of February. The theme of the week is “School Counselors: Better Together.” We will celebrate the way teamwork strengthens the school counseling role.

Did you know that school counselors used to be called guidance counselors? This is because guidance counselors would “guide” students toward the right answer or the right way to do things. School counselors are no longer called guidance counselors because school counselors help give students the tools to decide what the right answer is for themselves, instead of doing the work for them.

Kaelee Heideman is Carl Traeger Elementary’s school counselor and she loves her job! Her favorite part of being a school counselor is connecting with students and having conversations with both students and staff about equity. She loves teaching classroom lessons and creating video announcements while wearing silly costumes with her dog, Milo. Her favorite part about Traeger is all of the wonderful students and staff she gets to work with. Being a school counselor wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the great people!

Ms. Heideman takes on many roles at Traeger. She teaches classroom counseling lessons, works with students in small groups, and meets with students individually. She helps support social emotional learning and the Traeger Way and is included on the school’s crisis response team. She is part of the school’s equity team and has been enjoying the staff social justice book club. This year Ms. Heideman has been grateful for the new fun that coaching Girls on the Run has brought!

If you ever have any concerns about your child or would like to get more information on Ms. Heideman’s comprehensive school counseling program, please feel free to contact her at kaelee.heideman@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or 920-471-3433 ext 1226.

Traeger Family Book Club

It’s time to sign up for our next book club now that we have wrapped up our school’s One Book One CommuniTE! This month’s theme is “Gratitude & Generosity”. Mrs. Runde has chosen a picture book and a chapter book that allows you to explore the topic of gratitude & generosity through these fictional stories. The picture book is intended for students at any grade level and the chapter book is intended for students in grades 3 and up. Resources are created to support you with your family discussion. If you are interested in receiving the resources to have your own family book club, please complete the attached FORM by Tuesday, February 8 at 3:00 and resources will be sent home as soon as they have arrived.

PSC Agenda/Volunteer Meetings

February 10, 2022

5-6pm BINGO/ Golf/ Craft Fair Volunteer Meeting

1.BINGO explanation-April 22nd 430pm-730pm -Megan

Committee Chairs
- Teacher Baskets/ Raffles-Mary Jo, Katie, ?
- Volunteers
- Prizes
- Concessions/Pizza
- Admissions- Jessica
Presale
Kohls Cares

2. Additional Ideas/ Task for BINGO

3.. Craft Fair explanation- October 15th - Heather

Committee Chairs
- Bake Sale
- Concessions
- Admissions- K-Kids
- Vendors
- Setup

4. Signage (updating, needing additional)

5. Addition Ideas/ Task

6. Setup Next Committee Meeting

7. Golf Outing

Volunteers
- Event planning
- Sponsorships
- Raffles
- Prizes
- Marketing
- Signage

2/10/2022, 6:00-7:00 p.m. PSC Meeting

Google Meet LINK

Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
Maker Space - Amy Monigal
Raise Craze - Jessica Graf
Zaronies - Erin
Bingo Night Update - Megan Paulik
Golf Outing - Kelly Zanders
Herd Game Update - Nichole
Events & Volunteer Coordinator Nominations - Nichole Casper
Election Committee for President and Secretary, elections to be in March
Future agenda items

Next Meeting March 10th at 5 pm

Winter Walk to School Day!

We will be participating in the annual state-wide Winter Walk to School Day on February 23 (weather date March 2). Students who walk to school that day will be eligible for prizes from the Safe Routes to School program! We will have a special Polar Bear Walk and Roll day to help cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions which are harmful to polar bears and the Arctic. Walking to school will help us accomplish this!

Do you live too far away from school for your child to walk? Consider dropping him/her a couple blocks away and letting him/her walk the rest of the way. We have many parents who use the path on Woodstock as a drop off point. Walking up the path does not really meet the concept of walking to school. However, if you drop your child off a block or two from the path that would count!

Gildan Youth Open Bottom Sweatpants, Style G18400B

Pants Needed!

Our office clothes closet is in need of some plain black pants for emergency situations. In the past we have had donations of fitted pants like jeans, but it has been difficult to match the sizes with children. We would like to get a collection of elastic top pants that will be more functional. If you would like to help out, here is an Amazon link. You can order and ship right to Traeger! We are in need of small and medium sizes. Thank you in advance!

PSC HERD NIGHT!

Our next PSC fundraiser is one for the books! Join us to cheer on our very own Wisconsin Herd as they take on the Capital City Go-Go on Friday, March 4th! Plus, our Traeger families, friends, and staff get to enjoy a private VIP watch experience before the game! How cool is that?! Head to https://fevo.me/carltraeger to get your tickets today. Tickets are limited, so be sure to get yours early. We look forward to seeing you there!

Image result for school calendar

February 9
- Walk to School Wednesday
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- School Colors Day
February 10
- Walk to School Wednesday
- PSC Volunteer meeting 5:00pm
- PSC Meeting 6:00pm
February 14
- Wear Red Theme Day
- Classroom Friendship Celebrations
February 15
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
February 16
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 17-21
- No School for Students
February 22
- Twos Day Theme Day
February 23
- Winter Walk to School Day
- Polar Bear Walk and Roll Theme Day

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - January 28. 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

January 28, 2022: Issue 19

Traeger Tales

What’s in a Face?

The ability to understand how people feel by looking at their faces is an important skill. To see and know how someone feels can help children get along with other people and be successful learners. Parents and teachers can help children learn to look closely at a person’s body language and face to build on the important skill of understanding how others are feeling.

Body Language

Non-verbal communication where actions are used to show feelings.

What we know:

Faces are important for communication and connection with other people.
Children who struggle with this skill may need help to make and keep friends, get along with others, and behave properly.
Kids who can identify feelings in faces are more likely to be good learners.

Try this:

Children as young as 6 years old can be good at looking at a person’s face and telling if they are happy, sad or angry. Watch a television show with the volume off. Ask your child to look at the actor’s faces and what they are doing without hearing their voices. See if your child can tell you how the people in the show feel.

For fun:

Take the Emotional Intelligence Quiz from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center to test your own ability to understand emotions by only looking at faces.

~ Mrs. G. 😀 (Source UW Extension)

Traeger is once again participating in the Kid's Heart Challenge. We will be doing our Kid's Heart Challenge event NEXT WEEK in your child's PE class on February 2, 3, or 4th. Donations/envelopes will need to be turned in by February 11th.

Even if you don't donate...you can still help out! By just registering online...your child's classroom teacher could earn an Amazon gift card!

Click here to get started today!

PSC UPDATE

Our February PSC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10th and will be broken into two parts: 5:00pm - 6:00pm: Discuss volunteer needs for our upcoming events, Bingo Night in April, the Golf Outing in May, and the Craft Fair in October. We need volunteers like you in order to make these events happen. Without you and your support, we cannot hold these larger fundraisers, which means more smaller events will need to be planned to help make up the difference. 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Board meeting We will post the formal agenda and Google Meets link in our FB page event for those who cannot attend in person prior to the meeting.

You can also sign up at the LINK!

PSC HERD NIGHT!

Our next PSC fundraiser is one for the books! Join us to cheer on our very own Wisconsin Herd as they take on the Capital City Go-Go on Friday, March 4th! Plus, our Traeger families, friends, and staff get to enjoy a private VIP watch experience before the game! How cool is that?! Head to https://fevo.me/carltraeger to get your tickets today. Tickets are limited, so be sure to get yours early. We look forward to seeing you there!

Image result for school calendar

February 2
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 3
- 5:30-7:00pm Family Night
February 9
- Walk to School Wednesday
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- School Colors Day
February 10
- Walk to School Wednesday
- PSC Volunteer meeting 5:00pm
- PSC Meeting 6:00pm
February 14
- Wear Red Theme Day
- Classroom Friendship Celebrations
February 15
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
February 16
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 17-21
- No School for Students
February 23
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - January 21, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

January 21, 2022: Issue 19

Traeger Tales

Discussing Your Child’s Report Card

A report card is one way teachers communicate with parents and students. The following tips may be helpful to parents in discussing a child’s report card with the child:

Meet privately with your child, without distractions.

o Be sure you have enough time.

o Your child deserves your attention without interruptions. Be sure you allow enough time for a relaxed discussion.

Focus on the Positive.

o Regardless of the grades your child brings home, you must first focus on positive aspects of the report. This is not always an easy task. For some, this might mean highlighting a strong score in life and career skills, or praising an academic accomplishment or a perfect attendance record. Starting on a positive note shows your child that you truly care about the accomplishments, not only areas that need improvement.

Review what your child has learned in each subject during the past grading period.

o Ask your child to tell you about the activity in each subject. Talk about what the child has learned.

o Ask your child to tell you how the report card grade was determined in each subject. Tests? Daily Assignments? Exit Slips? Reports? Special Projects?

o Ask your child to tell you if he/she is satisfied with the grade. If not, what could the child do to improve the grade? Discuss concrete steps your child could take. How can parents help?

o Review other indicators on the report card. Teacher’s comments, number of absences, marks for effort, conduct, and attitude. Listen to your child’s explanation of each indicator.

Discuss your child’s goals for the next grading period.

o Are the goals reasonable and challenging?

Help your child plan his or her next steps.

o Should your child talk with the teacher to discuss concerns, explain new goals, or ask for the teacher’s suggestions?

o Are changes needed in your child’s study habits at home? Is your child interested in learning more about certain topics?

Discuss your next steps.

o If your child is to talk with the teacher, will you discuss the meeting with your child afterwards?

o How will you help your child meet his/her goals?

o If your child is interested in learning more about certain topics, what can you do to help?

If you don’t understand something or have any questions about your child’s report card, please contact the teacher. It is important to us that parents are informed so we can work together as a team to help each child reach his/her potential. Thank you for all you do to support your child’s education! ~Mrs. G. 😃

First semester report cards were posted to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on Wednesday, January 19. The office will be mailing report cards to families after that date. If you need help setting up your Parent Portal access please contact the office for assistance.

PSC HERD NIGHT!

Our next PSC fundraiser is one for the books! Join us to cheer on our very own Wisconsin Herd as they take on the Capital City Go-Go on Friday, March 4th! Plus, our Traeger families, friends, and staff get to enjoy a private VIP watch experience before the game! How cool is that?! Head to https://fevo.me/carltraeger to get your tickets today. Tickets are limited, so be sure to get yours early. We look forward to seeing you there!

PSC UPDATE

Our February PSC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10th and will be broken into two parts: 5:00pm - 6:00pm: Discuss volunteer needs for upcoming events, Bingo Night in April and the Craft Fair in October. We need volunteers like you in order to make these events happen. Without you and your support, we cannot hold these larger fundraisers, which means more smaller events will need to be planned to help make up the difference. 6:00pm - 7:00pm: PSC meeting- We will post the formal agenda and Google Meets link in our FB page event for those who cannot attend in person prior to the meeting.

A Note From Mrs. Miller Media Specialist

January’s Digital Citizenship topic is: Your Digital Footprint

Digital Citizenship is teaching students how to be respectful, responsible, safe, and trustworthy when using technology.

As soon as you share the first photo of your kid, you're establishing their digital footprint. As kids get older and start creating their own content or engaging with others online, it's important for them to understand the tracks they're leaving behind and what those tracks might reveal. Parents can help guide kids toward creating the kind of footprint they can be proud of.

Follow the media specialists’ Internet Safety Resources for Parents Facebook page for more info.

The PTBoard is a PSC hub filled with many helpful tools and resources for our Traeger families and staff. You can access information regarding our PSC events including how you can get involved and volunteer your time, sponsorship and partner opportunities, and where to donate to and pay for specific fundraisers and items. Plus, you can reference class directories and contact information, which is a great way to connect with others in your child's classroom. To learn more and create your account today, visit https://www.ptboard.com/nlg/register.

Image result for school calendar

January 26
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 2
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 3
- 5:30-7:00pm Family Night
February 9
- Walk to School Wednesday
- Early Release - No 4K Classes
- School Colors Day
February 10
- Walk to School Wednesday
- PSC Volunteer meeting 5:00pm
- PSC Meeting 6:00pm
February 14
- Classroom Friendship Celebrations
February 15
- 6:00pm K-Kids in LMC
February 16
- Walk to School Wednesday
February 17-21
- No School for Students
February 23
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - January 14, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

January 14, 2022: Issue 18

Traeger Tales

Teaching Children About Diversity

People have many different personality traits and physical features. So, it seems normal when we pick out the differences between ourselves and others. However, making judgments about these differences can interfere with our openness, our willingness to try new experiences, and our acceptance of others who are different from us. As adults, we have the ability to reflect on our own biases, expand our understanding of differences, and challenge our preconceptions about different groups of people. Children need examples of others who are open and accepting of differences because they are heavily influenced by the behaviors of adults. Parents can play an active role in shaping their children’s behaviors, helping them to be more accepting of and kind toward those who look different from them.

Children tend to base their stereotyping on physical traits, such as race, gender, or age. Children understand their environment through categorization, so they make sense of the world by grouping people together according to how they look. As a result, children will most likely identify with a group of people who have a similar appearance to them, and they will become disengaged from people who appear different from them. For example, if a Latina girl's family or classroom divides people by race or gender, she will most likely believe that someone who is physically dissimilar from her is very different from her. This experience of sub-grouping in her family or classroom will reinforce any differences and create negative judgments or behaviors toward the other group of people. Likewise, when parents or teachers talk about the differences among groups of people in a negative way, children learn to separate themselves from others who appear different.

Parents can help their children value and appreciate diversity in everyday experiences by modeling behaviors that are open and kind toward others.

Practice Unity. Do not segregate yourselves from people based on gender, age, disability, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. Parents can provide their children with living examples of equality when interacting in a kind way with people who appear different from them.
Use Kind Language. Refrain from using explicit remarks that categorize people. For example, there is a popular saying, “boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider, girls go to college to get more knowledge.” Even though this may seem harmless, it instills an idea in children that girls are smarter than boys, which could lead to segregation. As parents, it would be beneficial to be neutral or affirming of different groups.
Be Kind in Action. Sometimes, we are not aware of our body language around others. For example, a white individual might act standoffish around an African American individual. By increasing our awareness of our nonverbal behaviors and treating everyone the same, we model for our children how to treat others with equality and kindness.
Have Multicultural Experiences. As a family, becoming engaged in multicultural experiences could be a fun learning experience for everyone. Diversity experiences lead to fewer stereotypes. Introduce your children to diverse groups, such as a new religious setting or cultural community events. The whole family will discover new things about themselves and others through participation in new cultural experiences.
Redirect Intolerant Behavior. If you witness your child acting or speaking out in judgment of diverse groups, speak with him about it. Talk with him about why it is important to treat everyone with kindness and equality.

It is important for children to have role models who motivate them to engage in multicultural activities. While children are in many different learning environments, parents have the greatest impact on how their children perceive and act toward others. These strategies for valuing diversity can also be shared with other family members, friends, or teachers. Through collaboration, caregivers can reduce stereotyping in children, leading to stronger relationships with all types of people. As children become more comfortable with diverse people, they will gain mutual acceptance of themselves and others. They will no longer think of themselves as different from others. Rather, they will feel more connected with their peers and become more accepting of peoples’ differences.

~Mrs. G. 😃

Source: Melissa M. Gericke, B.A. & Janet L. Muse-Burke, Ph.D., Marywood University

Out of this World!Every month each class recognizes a student who consistently follows the Traeger Way! Congratulations to our January students who are also featured on the bulletin board in the cafeteria!

Objectives

To provide opportunities for working together in service to school and community.
To develop leadership potential.
To foster the development of strong moral character.
To encourage loyalty to school, community, and nation.

2021-2022 K-Kids Officers

President: Brooke Alsberg (4th Grade)

Vice President: Leland Crane (5th Grade)

Secretary: Lucy Abalan (3rd Grade)

Treasurer: Ellen Volkening (2nd Grade)

Agenda for Thursday January 20th - 6 pm - Library

Recycling Video Committee Update
Fleece blanket making
Special Guest speaker: Ms. Heideman - Equity focus on diversity.

**February Meeting moved to Tuesday February 15th!

Please reach out with any questions:

Brooke Alsberg (President):

alsbeb1248@oshkosh.k12.wi.us for student questions or

Alicia Alsberg abalsberg@gmail.com or

Mrs. Vanderloop mary.vanderloop@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

*No sign-up required *You can join at any time during the year

Adult Crossing Guard Recognition Week

January 10-14

Each day, dedicated adult crossing guards across Wisconsin show up at their assigned crossings to assist students in their journeys to and from school. Our crossing guard position at the corner of Oakwood and Newport is Pam Miller. Please show your appreciation to her for keeping our children safe!

PSC Minutes
January 13, 2022, 5:00pm

Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
- Gift card for Crossing Guard Week completed.
- Playground Slide Repair will come out of Playground Expense Fund
- Suckers purchased for end of quarter celebration will come out of PBIS Fund
- New PSC Account will be with Verve Credit Union.
Fundraiser Update - Jessica Graf
- Raise Craze - Will start in March. The kids do acts of kindness and ask other people to pay it forward. Similar to Jump Rope for Heart with pledging money. Online account needs to be created. Will be added to Feb. agenda for what help is needed.
Traeger Funset Night (1/16/22) Update - Sheri
- 138 wristbands sold. We have 12 wristbands left. Event is this Sunday.
Brighten Someone’s Holiday Update - Katie
- Success. Everything was fulfilled and there is money leftover that can be used to shop for families next year.
Zaroni’s
- Nichole will look into this for a Feb. fundraiser.
Ice Cream Social (After 3-5 Concert) Chairs Needed
- Kelly Zanders will chair.
Craft Fair Committee Discussion- 15th or 22nd of October
- First Volunteer Meeting for BINGO NIGHT and CRAFT FAIR will be February 10th 5:00pm, prior to the next PSC meeting.
- Positions for craft fair (October 2022) we need help with: Bake Sale/Volunteer, Concessions, Vendors/Placements, Admissions
- Positions we need for Bingo (Event is April 22nd): Lead (Megan Paulik), Classroom Baskets, Volunteer Coordinator, Admissions, PreSale, Adult Raffles, Concessions
- Let’s get the Craft Fair going - we would need to do a lot LESS fundraisers if we get this going again.
Events & Volunteer Coordinator Nominations - Nichole Casper
- No nominations at this time. We will check again at the next meeting.
Future agenda items
- Building Reservation for April 22nd for Bingo Night and will check next months reservation to the library at 5:00 to accommodate volunteer meeting prior to next PSC Meeting - Megan Paulik

Motion to End - Sheri Schmidt, 2nd - Kelly Zanders

Next PSC Meeting will be 2/10/22.

Image result for school calendar

January 17
- No School for Students
January 19
- Walk to School Wednesday
January 23
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - January 7, 2022

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

January 7, 2022: Issue 17

Traeger Tales

Happy New Year!

Many people use the passing of another year as a time to reflect on the past and set goals for the New Year. The end of the second quarter is approaching and report cards will be posted in Infinite Campus on January 19. One area in which students will be receiving grades is Life and Career skills:

Flexibility and Adaptability - Applies problem solving skills in a changing environment.

Initiative and Self-Direction - Works towards goals with pride.

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills - Interacts effectively with others.

Productivity and Accountability – Accountable for group or individual tasks in a timely manner.

Leadership and Responsibility- Encourages others to contribute positively to school and/or larger community.

As a parent you can support your child in these areas by discussing and reinforcing these concepts with your child at home. You can also help by ensuring that your child has a nutritious breakfast each day. Studies show that kids who eat breakfast behave better than kids who don't. But what can a parent do when a child refuses to eat this most important meal of the day? If the child says he or she isn't hungry, be patient and allow him or her to begin slowly. Eventually, most children will get accustomed to eating early in the morning before school. They begin to understand that it helps improve their all-around performance and ward off hunger before lunch.

Many simple but healthy food choices are available. Just find a few that your child agrees upon and you will eliminate morning squabbles. Here are some suggestions on the types of foods to stock up on and other ways to get through the breakfast controversy:

• Cheese sticks or cubes, yogurt or fruit can be a great, fast start. It may not be a full breakfast in your mind, but at least your son or daughter is eating something nutritious.

• Get out the blender and make smoothies together. A varied combination of such things as bananas, strawberries, yogurt, frozen yogurt and fruit juices can give a child a great start to any day. There are also pre-packaged instant breakfast drinks that offer a lot of nutrients.

• Whole grain toast with peanut butter can be a healthy choice as well as instant oatmeal. The flavors of oatmeal available these days can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.

• Granola bars and healthy breakfast bars can also be a quick alternative. Make sure to read the labels to identify if the bars really do have any nutrients instead of just sugar and sodium.

• Frozen waffles, pancakes and French toast are fast and can be made even healthier with a helping of strawberries or blueberries on top.

• Don't turn on the television, computer or radio while you sit down with your child to eat breakfast.

• Have your child set his or her alarm 15 minutes early to allow for breakfast time.

As a busy parent, I know it can be challenging to prepare breakfast on top of all the other tasks necessary to get kids to school on time each day. At Traeger we are fortunate to have a school breakfast program. All students have the opportunity to receive a nutritious breakfast right in their classroom. Whether your child has breakfast at home or school, we thank you for your support in helping each child start the day ready to learn!

~ Mrs. G 😀

Children and Social NetworkingIt's all about hanging with friends -- online.

Recently we have become aware of some very concerning online behavior involving some of our students that has been going on outside of school. Now is a good time to have a conversation with your child about social networking. The following information may be helpful to families to guide discussions and for monitoring your child's online presence.

Posts, status updates, comments, instant messages, video uploads, tweets, and texts have become a regular part of our kids' lives. In today's 24/7 digital world, kids are logging on from everywhere, including smartphones, gaming devices, tablets, and laptops, and many parents simply don't know what their kids are up to, or much about the social media they're using.

The reality is that most kids start developing online relationships around the age of 8, usually through virtual worlds like Club Penguin. By age 10, they've progressed to multiplayer games and sharing their digital creations and homemade videos on sites like YouTube. By age 13, millions of kids have already created accounts on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

There are many positives to social media. It's a fun way for kids to interact with friends. It can also be a great way to learn new things, collaborate with others, express creativity, and safely experiment with identity.

Why social networking matters

The problem comes when kids share their private thoughts, photos, videos, and personal information. These revealing posts can become very public and last a long time. A post of a provocative photo or a picture with a beer bottle in hand could end up damaging a kid's reputation.

Even more troubling are the privacy and safety issues that come with social networking. Marketers collect data based on your kids' online activity and then target ads to them. And now with the ability to easily post your location, physical safety becomes a concern.

While no one knows what effect increased social networking has on kids' development, it's clear that young people do need some guidance regarding use. So how can you help your kids make good decisions as they navigate their virtual lives?

Parent tips

· Stick with age-appropriate sites. For elementary age children, there are sites with strong safety features that help kids play without risking inappropriate content or contact.

· Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all require children to be at least 13 years old to join. That's because of the "Children's Online Privacy Protection Act," which limits companies from collecting personal information about kids under 13. Some kids younger than 13 dodge those age limits by faking their birth date and setting up an account, whether their parents know it or not. "Parents need to ask their children on a regular basis, ‘Do you have a Facebook account? Do your friends?'" says Shawn Marie Edgington, author of The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media. She recommends that when you buy your child a cell phone, one of the conditions is that she can't get a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account until age 13 and you approve it. If you’re tempted to make an exception for them, you might want to consider the message you're sending if you allow them to break the rules by lying, about whether they're mature enough to behave safely and responsibly, and about what you will do to monitor their activity (such as "friending" them).

· Tell your kids to think before they post. Remind them that everything can be seen by a vast, invisible audience (otherwise known as friends of friends of friends). Each family is different, but for middle school kids, it's a good idea for parents to have access to their kids' pages, at least at first, to be sure that what's being posted is appropriate. Parents can help keep their children from doing something they'll regret later.

· Make sure kids set their privacy settings. Privacy settings aren't foolproof, but they're important. Take the time to learn how privacy settings work on your kids' favorite sites, and teach your kids how to control their privacy.

· Kindness counts. Lots of sites have anonymous applications like "bathroom wall" or "honesty boxes" that allow users to tell their friends what they think of them. Rule of thumb: If your children wouldn't say it to someone's face, they shouldn't post it.

· Go online. If you don't have one already, get an account for yourself. See what kids can and can't do.

Sources: Common Sense Media, Web MD, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

We have early release on Wednesday, January 12. Students will be dismissed at 12:30pm. Please ensure that your child is picked up on time so staff can get to their collaboration session!

Winter Safety

Safety is important in the winter, especially on the playground at school! Please take some time to review with your child a few of our playground rules for winter:

• Boots and snow pants must be worn to play in the woodchip area or on the field. If children do not wear boots, they bring in water on their shoes with the snow. The classrooms then get wet and it is difficult to manage an orderly learning environment throughout the day.

• Snow is NEVER to be thrown.
• No sliding on the ice is allowed. The threat of injury is too great.
• The slide must be used one child at a time, feet first. Ice can accumulate on the slides, so children should always be careful when using them in winter.
• No tunnels or snow forts with roofs will be allowed on the playground. The danger of collapsing on top of children is too great. Please respect the
“creations” of other students and leave their forts and large snow “boulders” in tact. (This means do not knock over someone else’s fort.)
• No climbing on snow hills. The threat of injury is too great.

Thank you! We want our winter fun at school to be safe and enjoyable for everyone!

Ring in the New Year with the Carl Traeger PSC January 13, 2022 at 5:00! It's our first meeting of the New Year and it's time to make some resolutions. Want to make a difference in your child's life? Start by attending a PSC meeting and become knowledgeable about all the great ways you can get involved or just find out what is going on at Carl Traeger! Never been to a meeting before? There is not a better time to start!

PSC Agenda

January 13, 2022, 5:00pm

LINK to join virtually via Google Meet

Who are we? PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper
Vice President: Megan Paulik
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
Treasurer: Alicia Alsberg
Communication & Outreach: Kelly Zanders

Treasurer Update - Alicia Alsberg
Fundraiser Update - Jessica Graf
Traeger Funset Night (1/16/22) Update - Sheri
Brighten Someone’s Holiday Update - Katie
Zaroni’s?
Raise Craze - Jessica Graf
Ice Cream Social (After 3-5 Concert) Chairs Needed
Craft Fair Discussion
Events & Volunteer Coordinator Nominations - Nichole Casper
Future agenda items

Board Only meeting to follow 6:00pm

Image result for school calendar

January 12
- Walk to School Wednesday
- School Colors Day
- Early Release/No 4K Classes
January 13
- PSC 5:00pm in LMC
January 14
- End of First Semester
January 16
- PSC Funset Boulevard Event 3-8pm
January 17
- No School for Students
January 19
- Walk to School Wednesday
January 23
- Walk to School Wednesday

Questions, Concerns, Suggestions

At Carl Traeger Elementary, we are dedicated to providing the best educational program possible for our children. Should something occur that you have a question about or are unhappy with, please give your child's teacher a call first and then your child's principal so that they can work together with you to address your need. Brenna Garrison-Bruden can be reached at 424-0221. If you have a concern that you have been unable to resolve with a staff member or the principal, you may call the district office at 424-0395 and they will help you address your concern and/or connect you with others who can help.

Newsletter - December 17, 2021

Carl Traeger
Elementary School

December 17, 2021: Issue 16

Traeger Tales

BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COMMUNICATION

From the beginning of life your child has been communicating with you. Communication with your child can be amazing. Do you remember seeing your child’s first smile or celebrating your child’s first word? Communication can be challenging, too. It doesn’t feel quite as amazing when a child communicates by having a temper tantrum, rolling his eyes or slamming a door. Naming emotions and showing your child examples of body language can help them understand how actions may express what someone is feeling or thinking.

Body language is a type of non-verbal communication where actions are used to show feelings.