Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

January 15, 2021: Issue 19

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

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FOOD SERVICE POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Looking to earn some extra money?  The OASD Food Service Department has a number of openings!  You can apply on WECAN for any of the positions.  You can call Food Service with any questions you may have. 

Carl Traeger Elementary - Lunch Shift - 10:25-12:55

Emmeline Cook - Breakfast Shift - 7:00 -9:00

Emmeline Cook - Lunch Shift - 10:50 - 12:30

Oakwood - Lunch Shift - 10:30 - 12:45

Read - Lunch Shift - 10:15 - 12:15

Webster Elementary - 2 Lunch Shifts available - 10:35 - 12:50

Carl Traeger Middle - Lunch Shift - 10:30 - 1:00

Merrill Middle - Breakfast Shift - 7:15 - 8:45

South Park - Lunch Shift - 11:25 - 1:35

Webster Middle - Lunch Shift - 10:45 - 1:30

West High - Assistant Cook Float - 6:30 - 12:30 - 5.5 hours per day or more if needed

West High - Assistant Cook - Temporary Position - 7.75 hours per day 6:15 - 2:30

North High - Assistant Cook - 5 hrs per day - 11:00 - 4:30 

North High - Cook Helper - 4.5 hrs per day - 10:45 - 3:45

Substitute Workers - flexible to work at any school

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Picture Days

We will have 2 picture days this year to accommodate our A/B schedule.  They will be held on January 25 and 26 during the school day.  

In order to eliminate the mixing of cohorts, there are specific time blocks set aside for our eAcademy families: 

-January 25 - 9:00AM-11:00AM on the Stage

-January 26 - 11:00AM-1:00PM on the Stage

Follow the LINK to order online!

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Please find the following hands-on learning fun through the public library. 

 

TIY (Try It Yourself) Kits

Wonderlab STEAM Take Home Kits

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Thank you to all of our families for participating in One Book One CommuniTE.  Special thanks to our PSC for all their support-this would not be possible without it!  We hope you enjoyed the Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.  We had two amazing author visits with Karina Yan Glaser this week!  Her message was so applicable to what our young writers do every day!  We are excited to share one of Karina's recipes from her book!  Enjoy!

 

 

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Adult Crossing Guard Recognition Week

Each day, dedicated adult crossing guards across Wisconsin show up at their assigned crossings to assist students in their journeys to and from school.  Right now our crossing guard position at the corner of Oakwood and Newport is being staffed by members of the Oshkosh Police Department.  Please show your appreciation to then for keeping our children safe!

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PSC ZaRonis Fundraiser

Special thanks to everyone who supported this great fundraiser!  We raised $301.67 for your PSC!

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• January 18
  • No School
• January 25
  • Picture Day
• January 26
  • ​​​​​​​Picture Day

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

January 8, 2021: Issue 18

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 20.  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.  This year 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 😀 

Model 3 Begins January 11!

We are excited to welcome children back to our building on January 11!  As we continue navigating the challenges of learning during a pandemic, the district has reviewed feedback from families and teachers and has revised hybrid learning curriculum to better meet the needs of our learners, families, and staff. Students will be in the same cohort group they were in fall, but will be attending on set days each week either on Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday.  Wednesday will be a virtual day for all students. 

Here is what you can expect beginning on January 11 and 12:

• In person learning: Morning Meeting, Math, Reading, Writing, Phonics/Word Study, Science or Social Studies lessons daily with an emphasis on small group or 1-1 instruction to meet the needs of all students.  Students will also have specialist classes on in person days.

• Virtual learning: Live instruction in Morning Meeting, Number Corner and Interactive Read Aloud daily, assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you)

• Wednesday: Live instruction in Morning Meeting, Interactive Read Aloud and daily assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you)

• Quarantined/Absent children: Live instruction in Morning Meeting and Interactive Read Aloud daily, assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily and recorded videos from missed literacy and math lessons (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you). If quarantined, expect your child to meet with their classroom teacher on Wednesday for a 1-1 or small group lesson. 

• Week at a Glance: Week at a Glance will continue to be posted in Google Classroom. 

Classroom teachers will provide details specific to your child’s daily routines and schedule.

Now is a great time to start getting ready by practicing wearing a mask for an extended period of time if your child is not in the habit.  This is also a good time to practice opening any lunch items as we need students to be independent for safety reasons.  Lastly, practice putting on and off boots and snow gear quickly.  We have included some calendars to help with knowing when cohorts are in session and when they are learning at home.

We appreciate your flexibility, patience and partnership as we continue working through another change! 

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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.

•Due to COVID-19, Classroom teachers are providing supervision for their own class for all recesses.  All students must go out and stay in the class designated area.  If a child does not have boots/snowpants they may get wet.  Please consider sending extra socks and pants for your child as they will have to live with their choices.  

• Snow is NEVER to be thrown.  This year we will have a designated target for snow throwing, but that is the ONLY place snowballs may 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!

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Picture Day!

We have rescheduled our picture days for January 25 and 26!

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Karina Yan Glaser Author Visit

Next week we have the privilege of connecting with the author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st St. During our virtual author visit, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. In order to make this time valuable, we are asking students to submit questions ahead of time. If your child would like to ask a question of the author, please fill out this FORM by Monday, January, 11 . Questions will be reviewed and children that are chosen will be contacted before next Wednesday. If your child doesn't feel comfortable asking the question in front of the school or if their question isn't chosen, there is also an opportunity to write a letter to the author. We bet you will get a response! ATTACHED is the contact information if you are interested in that.  Post a picture of the letter to our Facebook page for a chance to win a signed copy of a Vanderbeeker book! There are three other books in the Vanderbeekers series.  If your family is interested in ordering a signed copy of any of the Vanderbeeker books you can do so at the LINK.

 

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PSC ZaRonis Fundraiser

Support our school and enjoy ZaRonis pizza, specialty MAC, and appetizers on Monday, January 11th . Order between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and a portion of proceeds will be donated back to Traeger.

Order at the link below:

https://weborder8.microworks.com/zaronis

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OASD Free School Meal Distribution During Model 3: Hybrid Learning

While the OASD is in Model 3: Hybrid Learning school meals (for virtual learning days, eAcademy students, and anyone age 18 and under) will be distributed as follows:

Meal Distribution During Model 3: Hybrid Learning: Meal distributions will continue to occur on Wednesdays ONLY at the following locations and times:

• North High School (circle drive in front of school) from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

• West High School (in front of door 20) from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.

• West High School (in front of door 20) from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m.

• North High School (circle drive in front of school) from 5 - 6 p.m.

NOTE: No school meals will be sent home with students at the end of their in-person learning days at this time. Families looking for additional school meals for virtual learning days are asked to visit the distribution sites on Wednesdays to receive those meals.

Meal Distribution Details:

• Meals will be distributed for five days at a time and will include a breakfast, lunch, and supper for each day. 

• Milk will be offered with all meals. 

• Meals are available and are free to anyone age 18 and under. 

• Children do not need to be present to receive free meals, a parent/guardian or sibling may pick up meals. 

• Children do not need to be enrolled in the Oshkosh Area School District to receive free meals. 

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Ring in the New Year with the Carl Traeger PSC January 14, 2021 at 6:00! 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 virtual 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 - Virtual Meeting

Zoom Link

Thursday 1/14/2021, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Who are we? PSC Board Members

• President: Nichole Casper
• Vice President: Holly Emons
• Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
• Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

1. Budget Update - Jen Sorenson

2. City Wide PTO Report - Nichole Casper

3. Fundraising Update - Jessica Graf

4. In Person PSC meetings? - Brenna

5. Holiday Giving Board Update - Katie Zurawski

6. School Crossing Guard Week January 18-22

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Out-Of-Attendance and Open Enrollment

Please follow the link to information regarding deadlines to apply.

 

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• January 11
  • Model 3 Begins!
  • School Colors Day!
  • PSC Zaroni's Fundraiser!
• January 12
  • School Colors Day!
• January 14
  • Virtual PSC 6:00pm 
• January 18
  • No School
• January 25
  • Picture Day
• January 26
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Picture Day

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

December 18, 2020: Issue 17

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.

What we know:

As kids get older it can still be really difficult for them to understand and express their feelings, thoughts and emotions. It may also be difficult for them to pick up on body language (non-verbal cues) from other people. Our job as a parent is to help them build strong and positive relationships by using good communication skills.

You might think, I can’t get them to put away their backpack, how will I get them to listen to a lesson on communication? Don’t worry. Communication can be taught by little everyday actions.

Try this:

• Describe Actions: You can help your child better understand how actions communicate. You can look at someone who is looking down with his arms crossed and ask your child, “What might he be feeling?” Or when your child communicates with actions you can describe it for them. For example, you can say to your child, “When you roll your eyes at me, you seem annoyed and I feel disrespected.”

• Start the Conversation: You can teach your child how to start a conversation. Talk to your child during car rides about where you are going and what you see. Talk during commercials about the TV show you are watching. Just as you taught your child new words as a toddler, you can show them how to start a conversation.

• Build on the Story: You can help your child learn to listen and build on someone else’s story. After your child has told you something, repeat some of it back and then follow up with a related question like, “it sounds like she was really excited about getting the award. How did other people around her act?”

For fun:

The Pixar short film For The Birds is a fun way to have a talk with your child about how body language and tone are used to communicate with others. Do you both agree on what the birds are saying?   ~ Mrs. G. 😀 (Source UW Extension)

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Traeger Virtual Holiday Sing Along

Mrs. Schmidt has provided our Traeger students with an all School Holiday Sing Along for many years and although we are Virtual at this time, she would like to still get our school family together to share in some Festive Music and Holiday Cheer. Please login to Mrs. Schmidt’s Music Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/mrs.schmidtsmusicroom. 

Mrs. Schmidt will be Facebook LIVE on Monday, December 21st at 6pm. The Sing Along will last approximately 30 minutes and all Traeger students, staff, families and friends are invited to join in our 1st ever Virtual Holiday Sing Along!

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Looking for a fun family activity?  Follow the LINK to learn about Ms. Moucha's Brown Bag Sweater Challenge!

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Our school community has been reading The Vanderbeekers of 141st St. It has been so exciting to hear all of the great conversations and thinking around this family’s story. The author, Karina Yan Glaser, loves to hear from her fans. Now is a great time to send her a letter to share your thinking and see if she writes you back! Click on this LINK for her contact information. Post a picture of your letter on our Facebook page to be entered into a contest to win a signed copy of the third VanderBeekers book, The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue.

Mrs. Runde will be hosting two exciting opportunities over break!  

K-2 students can join Mrs. Runde for a virtual story hour and craft on Monday, December 28 1:00.  From a student computer go to meet.google.com use the join code rundereads.   Students should come with a piece of white paper and a pencil.  Attendees will be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of the second VanderBeekers book, the VanderBeekers and the Hidden Garden.

On New Years Day at 1:00, Mrs. Runde will host First Chapter Friday and share the first chapters of some great books for students in grades 3-5.  Attendees will be entered into a drawing to win a signed copy of the second VanderBeekers book, the Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden.  From a student computer go to meet.google.com use the join code rundereads.

If you want to listen to any of the Vanderbeekers chapters over the break, click on the LINK!

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Model 3 Begins January 11!

We are excited to welcome children back to our building on January 11!  As we continue navigating the challenges of learning during a pandemic, the district has reviewed feedback from families and teachers and has revised hybrid learning curriculum to better meet the needs of our learners, families, and staff. Students will be in the same cohort group they were in fall, but will be attending on set days each week either on Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday.  Wednesday will be a virtual day for all students. 

Here is what you can expect beginning on January 11 and 12:

• In person learning: Morning Meeting, Math, Reading, Writing, Phonics/Word Study, Science or Social Studies lessons daily with an emphasis on small group or 1-1 instruction to meet the needs of all students.  Students will also have specialist classes on in person days.

• Virtual learning: Live instruction in Morning Meeting, Number Corner and Interactive Read Aloud daily, assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you)

• Wednesday: Live instruction in Morning Meeting, Interactive Read Aloud and daily assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you)

• Quarantined/Absent children: Live instruction in Morning Meeting and Interactive Read Aloud daily, assignments to support reading, writing, and math daily and recorded videos from missed literacy and math lessons (*your child’s classroom teacher will communicate details and schedules with you). If quarantined, expect your child to meet with their classroom teacher on Wednesday for a 1-1 or small group lesson. 

• Week at a Glance: Week at a Glance will continue to be posted in Google Classroom. 

Classroom teachers will provide details specific to your child’s daily routines and schedule.

Now is a great time to start getting ready by practicing wearing a mask for an extended period of time if your child is not in the habit.  This is also a good time to practice opening any lunch items as we need students to be independent for safety reasons.  Lastly, practice putting on and off boots and snow gear quickly.  We have included some calendars to help with knowing when cohorts are in session and when they are learning at home.

We appreciate your flexibility, patience and partnership as we continue working through another change! 

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PSC ZaRonis Fundraiser

Support our school and enjoy ZaRonis pizza, specialty MAC, and appetizers on Monday, January 11th . Order between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and a portion of proceeds will be donated back to Traeger.

Order at the link below:

https://weborder8.microworks.com/zaronis

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Brighten Someone’s Holiday

Thank you to all the generous families who have donated gifts and/or gift cards to Brighten Someone’s Holiday. We were able to support our very own Traeger families and 59 kids will have a better holiday season because of you! We’d also like to thank Katie Zurawski, Jennifer Borgmann and Kaelee Heideman for all their leadership in making this possible!

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• December 21 
  • Be Bright Like a Light Bulb OR Ugly Sweater Day
  • Holiday Sing Along with Mrs. Schmidt - 6:00pm
• December 22
  • PJ Polar Express Day
• December 23-January 3
  • Winter Break
• January 4
  • School Resumes
• January 6
  • Early Release
• January 11
  • Model 3 Begins!
  • PSC Zaroni's Fundraiser!
• January 14
  • Virtual PSC 6:00pm 

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

December 11, 2020: Issue 16

Traeger Tales

A LITTLE CARING GOES A LONG WAY

Empathy in children is linked to stronger relationship skills. Strong relationships help a person feel happy. Teaching children to care for others is a great way to help children be happy when they are older. There are a variety of strategies to build empathy in children.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share someone else’s feelings.

What we know:

• When children are asked to think about how other children feel, it can help them to better understand and share someone else’s feelings.

• Children who can see and know how someone else feels are more likely to get along with other people.

• When children consider how other people feel, they are more likely to reach out and help others.

Try this:

Many children believe that their parents value success more than being a caring person. You can show your child that it is important to you that they care about other people. Share age-appropriate news stories with your children and start a conversation. News sites for children like TIME for Kids allow you to filter news by age group and find news for your age child. Read stories like this TIME for Kids article about Hurricane Harvey with your child and talk about it together. Ask:

• How do you think those children felt during the storm? Why?

• How do you think you would feel if you lost your home and all your things?

• What can we do to help?

Try this too:

You can use your child’s life to help him think about how other people feel. When your child says that there is a new kid at school you can ask, “How do you think it feels to be in a new place?  How do you think it feels to not know anyone?”  By talking about other children’s problems, you build empathy and help your child begin to see how other people feel when things are new or difficult.  ~ Mrs. G. 😀 (Source UW Extension)

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Material Exchange 

Thank you all for your feedback regarding our previous material exchange! We know some of you had to make multiple trips to school within only a few days and we are working to make sure that is not the case this time around!  Our next material exchange will occur Monday, December 14 through Wednesday December 16 and this will be your opportunity to pick up ALL materials you will need through winter break.

Each and every student will have a math kit to pick up as well as certain grade level materials.

Monday, December 14: 8-3

Tuesday, December 15: 8-7

Wednesday, December 16: 8-3

Thank you for your continued patience during virtual learning!

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A note from Mrs. Miller media specialist

December Digital Citizenship Topic: Privacy & Security

When kids start to go online, whether they're playing multiplayer games, using educational apps, or just following their curiosity on Google, it's important that they understand the basics of online privacy and safety. With some general guidelines around what information is and isn't OK to share, and some help from parents when they're unsure, kids can have fun and learn a lot in the digital world. Click here for 5 tips!

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

Books, books, books!

Don’t forget all of the ways we can get books into your kiddos hands right now.

 

Theme Days for the countdown to winter break!

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Traeger Virtual Holiday Sing Along

Mrs. Schmidt has provided our Traeger students with an all School Holiday Sing Along for many years and although we are Virtual at this time, she would like to still get our school family together to share in some Festive Music and Holiday Cheer. Please login to Mrs. Schmidt’s Music Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/mrs.schmidtsmusicroom. 

Mrs. Schmidt will be Facebook LIVE on Monday, December 21st at 6pm. The Sing Along will last approximately 30 minutes and all Traeger students, staff, families and friends are invited to join in our 1st ever Virtual Holiday Sing Along!

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Looking for a fun family activity?  Follow the LINK to learn about Ms. Moucha's Brown Bag Sweater Challenge!

Student Writing Wanted!

Has your child been working hard on some great writing during virtual learning? Would you like to share the gift of stories with others? Maybe it is the writing they are doing during Writer's Workshop or maybe they have been doing some other writing on their own! We are looking to share some of our students' great work with our business community. If you have a story, a poem, a song, or any other writing your child would like to share, please drop it off during our school pick up or mail it to Traeger Elementary Attn: Mrs. Runde.  You can also email it to Mrs. Runde at julie.runde@oshkosh.k12.wi.us.  Please put Community Writing in the subject line.  We will take care of getting your story copied and out into our community during the week of Dec. 19 for others to enjoy during this holiday season!

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Paint at home & support your school!

Get creative with your family by ordering an art kit from Fire Escape. A portion of all kits ordered will be donated to Carl Traeger PSC. Kits are ordered online and include instructions, paintbrushes, and the 3-5 paints we used to create the example project.

To see all the details and support our fundraiser visit: https://bit.ly/39usUUq

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virtual check ins for 3-5 students

Ms. Heideman and Mrs. D will be hosting grade level gatherings for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders again next week! All Traeger students, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join! Here is the schedule and links to join!

• 5th grade: Tuesday at 12:00  link: https://meet.google.com/  join code: ctegrade5
• 4th grade: Thursday at 11:30 link: https://meet.google.com/ join code: ctegrade4
• 3rd grade: Friday at 12:00 link: https://meet.google.com/ join code: ctegrade3

We hope to see you there!

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• December 14
  • Material Pick Up 8-3
• December 15
  • Material Pick Up 8-7
• December 16
  • Material Pick Up 8-3
  • Winter Wonderland Day- blue or white or sparkles
• December 17 
  • Fancy Day!  We need an excuse to dress up!
• December 18
  • Elf / Reindeer Day (any type of reindeer antler hat or gear / elf shirt or elf on a shelf apparel)
• December 21 
  • Be Bright Like a Light Bulb OR Ugly Sweater Day
  • Holiday Sing Along with Mrs. Schmidt - 6:00pm
• December 22
  • PJ Polar Express Day
• December 23-January 3
  • Winter Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

December 4, 2020: Issue 15

Traeger Tales

THE GIFT OF TIME

Children love the gifts of the holidays! At school we hear all sorts of wishes for the gifts children will receive this Christmas.  While material gifts are fun, they break down over time. Children lose interest in them and move on to another toy they “have” to have.

One gift your child will never tire of is your undivided attention. Take time over the next few weeks to spend some quality time with your child. Invest in your child and watch the payback and returns for years to come.

THE GIFT OF TIME

Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day.

What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”. You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today. ~Anonymous

I hope this holiday season is filled with many wonderful memories together with your children! ~ Mrs. G. 😀

Paint at home & support your school!

Get creative with your family by ordering an art kit from Fire Escape. A portion of all kits ordered will be donated to Carl Traeger PSC. Kits are ordered online and include instructions, paintbrushes and the 3-5 paints we used to create the example project.

To see all the details and support our fundraiser visit: https://bit.ly/39usUUq

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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. This month's selection is We're All Wonders.

Jodie has created conversation starters that you can download and print here:

https://drive.google.com/.../1582S5YlquTMlvkq5Xh5.../view

Laura shares a Christmas kindness tradition.

https://www.sunnydayfamily.com/.../christmas-kindness...

And Sarah has a themed menu to go with the book.

https://chefsarahelizabeth.com/.../were-all-wonders.../

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.

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Virtual check ins for K-2 students

Hi everyone! Our school counselor, Ms. Heideman, and behavior interventionist, Mrs. D, will be hosting virtual check ins for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade next week. All students in those grade levels, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join this fun opportunity to check in and chat with each other! Here is the schedule with the links to join!

2nd grade- Tuesday at 11:30 link: https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade2

1st grade- Tuesday at 12:00 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade1

Kindergarten- Wednesday at 11:30 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctek

We hope to see you there!

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Paint at home & support your school!

Get creative with your family by ordering an art kit from Fire Escape. A portion of all kits ordered will be donated to Carl Traeger PSC. Kits are ordered online and include instructions, paintbrushes and the 3-5 paints we used to create the example project.

To see all the details and support our fundraiser visit: https://bit.ly/39usUUq

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Theme Days for the countdown to winter break!

Holiday Shopping? Be sure to remember Carl Traeger Elementary!

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select Carl Traeger PSC Carl Traeger Elementary School to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

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We are once again partnering with the Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club in sponsoring a food drive. Each year, Oshkosh Area School District elementary schools participate in this food drive to help families in the Oshkosh community. This is the 46th year of this partnership!  Things look a little different this year and we are grateful for any assistance you can offer.  We will be accepting food donations through December 10.  You can drop off donations any time during our office hours.  We are excited to help once again, and we know that our awesome Traeger families can help us meet our goal.

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• December 9
  • Early Release
• December 16
  • Winter Wonderland Day- blue or white or sparkles
• December 17 
  • Fancy Day!  We need an excuse to dress up!
• December 18
  • Elf / Reindeer Day (any type of reindeer antler hat or gear / elf shirt or elf on a shelf apparel)
• December 21 
  • Be Bright Like a Light Bulb OR Ugly Sweater Day
• December 22
  • PJ Polar Express Day
• December 23-January 3
  • Winter Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

November 20, 2020: Issue 14

Traeger Tales

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday we often spend time reflecting on what we are thankful for.  However, Thanksgiving isn't just a day...it's how we can live our lives everyday.  The Attitude of Gratitude mindset teaches us the importance of seeking the positives from every experience and being thankful for all that we have. Through this mindset, we learn that we can use the positives or the negatives of our lives as the foundation on which to build. Choose the positives, and we are on our way toward extraordinary success; choose the negatives, and we embark on path toward disappointment, resentment, and suffering. In these lessons, we guide students to focus on all the things they have, leaving no time to be distracted by what they don’t.

The 4 critical components of Attitude of Gratitude:

1. Treasure Yourself – We create the wonderful lives we want by harvesting the great things within us. There are often things we don’t like about ourselves, but we must recognize that we’re made of far more wonderful things than not. We need to recognize our own worth and see our uniqueness as something to treasure and develop so we can live the extraordinary lives we’re meant to live.

2. Be More Grateful – We all have the choice to focus on the good or the bad in life. If we focus on the positive things, they expand and guide us down the path to our dreams. If we spend our time in regret, jealously, and anger, then the negatives multiply and we likely find our dreams sidelined and our goals unattained. We must simply be more grateful, reflecting as much as possible on the good things in our lives as well as those that are coming to us.

3. Thank it Forward – One of the best and quickest ways to feel better and become happier is to do something for someone else. And the easiest as well as one of the most powerful things we can do for someone is express gratitude for who they are and what they mean to us. Thanking someone provides two wonderful gifts: it makes the other person feel good, and makes us happy at the same time.

4. Elevate Your Perspective – People who have achieved great lives point to moments of great adversity and challenge when they learned a critical lesson or built the essential skill that allowed them to be successful. Knowing this, we understand why it is important to seek the positives from all situations, even those that seem completely negative. When we do this, we get better, learn, and grow in essential ways that help us to live richer and fuller lives.

Top 5 Dos and Don’ts at Home:

1) Do practice gratitude every day, even if it’s only to tell your children how grateful you are to have them in your life. If you have a journal, write down the things that you’re thankful for every day, both the big and small. Verbalizing what you’re grateful for is a powerful way that both you and your children can keep from taking things for granted and remain thankful for all that you have.

2) Do say “thank you” regularly. Showing your gratitude to neighbors and teachers with a kind note or word is one small way to show your appreciation for them. Teaching your children to do the same is important in helping them to feel gratitude for the lives and friends that they have.

3) Don’t let the bad times be all bad. Become an “inverse paranoid” and believe that the universe is conspiring to do you good, and the bad times and obstacles are there to teach you something useful. Try saying to yourself, “I can’t wait to find out what good will come from this!” This helps you look at all situations as leading toward positives in life.

4) Do write a thank you note to your children for what you appreciate about them. For example, you might write and leave a note that says, “Thank you so much for picking up your room today without me even asking. You are an incredible kid and I am so thankful to have you in my life!”

5) Do treasure yourself and take care of yourself as a role model for your child. Many parents treasure their children but not themselves. Think about how you are living your life. Are you maximizing your potential? Enjoying how you spend your time? If parents are not able to live extraordinary lives and let themselves shine for all to enjoy, what kind of lives are we modeling for our children?

Activities to Do with Your Child:

1) A New Story of Me – link

2) Being More Grateful – link

3) My Thank You Notes – link

4) Gratitude Journal -buy a journal for child to write in every night what they are thankful for

With gratitude for all our Traeger families,

~Mrs. G.  😃 (Source: 7 Mindsets)

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We are once again partnering with the Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club in sponsoring a food drive. Each year, Oshkosh Area School District elementary schools participate in this food drive to help families in the Oshkosh community. This is the 46th year of this partnership!  Things look a little different this year and we are grateful for any assistance you can offer.  We will be accepting food donations through December 10.  You can drop off donations when exchanging materials or any time during our office hours.  Please note our office will NOT be staffed the week of November 30.  We are excited to help once again, and we know that our awesome Traeger families can help us meet our goal.

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Because we are not able to participate in art shows or school hallway displays this year, I thought I would put together a video to bring a fall art show to you!  The Carl Traeger artists have been working so hard and I wanted to take to time to celebrate their creations!  Thank you to all the adults out their helping with the projects, finding materials, taking photos and submitting!  I will begin a winter gallery next week! ~Ms. Moucha

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Our school is ready for our annual Kindergarten-5th grade book club called One Book One CommuniTE. Thanks to the generous support of the PSC, every family (including eAcademy) will receive a copy of the same book--The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser.   

One Book,One CommuniTE includes all grade levels in a shared literary experience. The book was chosen as a more recently published book from a series that will give us a peek into the lives of a bi-racial family from Harlem, NY. Readers will get to know the Vanderbeekers in this funny and lively story about the connections we make and the unexpected twists and turns life can take. We hope to bring our school family together around the family’s adventures in the first book in this Vanderbeeker series.

We look forward to joining you on this journey as you take the opportunity to connect with your family while helping your child/ren build a lifelong love of reading! With your support at home, we can create a powerful reading community at Traeger Elementary.  Please pick up your copy by November 24 at the school office!  Information and a reading calendar are included with the book.

Click here to sign up for an item!

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Allison Berndt - Paraprofessional

Hi! My name is Allison Berndt and I’m an EBD Paraprofessional! It is my first year at Carl Traeger. I went to Fox Valley Tech. In my free time I like to run and go camping! I also like to hike and hang out with my friends. I’m so excited for my first year!!

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PSC Minutes 

Thursday 11/12/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Who are we?

PSC Board Members

• President: Nichole Casper
• Vice President: Holly Emons
• Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
• Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

1. Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson - September and October

   • Very few changes to the budget, two private donations. 

2. Back To School Supplies Fundraiser - Jen Sorenson

   •  Tabling for future PSC meetings since we are not sure what next school year will look like 

3. Photography Fundraiser Update 

   • Did not fill all the spots but still a great fundraiser. The photographer will do this again next year and we will pick earlier in the year dates. We raised $912! The photographer will reach out to families on how to get to photos. Any questions - Message Heather on PSC Facebook.

4. City Wide PTO Report- Nichole Casper 

   •  Not able to attend for October. 

5. Spirit Wear Sale Update - Nichole Casper 

   • Donations from sales will be made to the Venmo account each month. 

6. Brighten Someone's Day Update - Katie Z. 

   • 189 line items (25 already filled at the time of meeting)

   • Hoping to help 59 children (23 families) 

   • Venmo account set up for direct monetary donations (CarlTPSC) 

7. Fundraising Update- Jessica Graf

   • Help Needed for 2 events: OshPop & Boosterthon 

   • OshPop Nov. 18th-December 1st  (order pick up on Dec 7th) 

   • Fire Escape Fundraiser Dec. 1st-10th (pick up Dec. 16th) 

   • Facebook posts scheduled for cheesecake, Brighten Someone's Holiday, ZaRonis fundraiser and reminders about spirit wear and Amazon - please comment, like & share whenever possible 

   • Amazon - easier now than ever before, set up your preferred non-profit right in the app (still need to visit smile.amazon.com when checking out on computer) 

   • Box Tops - download app and scan grocery receipts 

8. Motion to Adjourn: Jessica G. 2nd Motion: Sheri S.
    

Next PSC Meeting: January 14th

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• November 25
  • Virtual Turkey Trot!
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break
• December 9
  • Early Release
• December 23-January 3
  • Winter Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

November 13, 2020: Issue 13

Traeger Tales

Model 4 Feedback

Recently families had the opportunity to provide feedback on how Model 4, Virtual Learning, was going for them.  We wanted to know what is going well, how you feel about work load, how families are doing, and suggestions for improvement.  Our grade levels spent some time reviewing the data during collaboration this week and will be using your feedback as they plan for the coming weeks.  We wanted to share some insights from a school level.

Some families had trouble finding silver linings in this storm, but many noted celebrations which included:

• Safety
• Spending time together
• Flexibility
• Seeing growth
• Understanding what is being taught
• Completing work
• Getting into a routine
• 1-1/small groups
• Independence
• Growth in technology skills

Overall, people were comfortable with the workload with a satisfaction rating of over 70% in all areas.  

Many families expressed a desire to return to in person learning.  We want that as well and can't wait until we can safely welcome kids back into school!  In the meantime our staff will continue to do whatever it takes to support our students.   They are working tirelessly to provide a quality education during these unprecedented times.  We appreciate your feedback and will utilize it to make improvements going forward.

~Mrs. G.

 

 

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eAcademy Information

For information and process for enrolling/unenrolling from eAcademy for second semester please visit the eAcademy Website at:  https://www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/district/school-curriculum/oasd-eacademy 

If you are looking for additional information to further assist with decisions, feel free to reach out to the eAcademy coaches / staff at each level:  

Kim Groth - Elementary - kimberly.groth@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Melissa Schiek - Elementary - melissa.schiek@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Jean Framke - Middle School - jean.framke@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Jennifer Thede, North HS - jennifer.thede@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Duane Hartkopf, West HS - duane.hartkopf@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Julie Ruck, SPED Virtual Support Teacher - julie.ruck@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Lisa Lieder - Program Coordinator - lisa.lieder@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Marcie Gundlach - Principal - marlene.gundlach@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

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A note from Mrs. Miller media specialist

November Digital Citizenship Topic: Media Balance

Help your kids find balance with technology. 

From phones and tablets to streaming movies and YouTube, tech and media are everywhere. Kids love easy access to shows, games, and information. Parents and caregivers love that kids can learn on the go (and stay busy when dinner's cooking). But it's easy to overdo it when the phone never stops pinging and the next episode plays automatically. Families can keep media and tech use in check by following a few simple practices.

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

Books, books, books!

Don’t forget all of the ways we can get books into your kiddos hands right now.

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Virtual check ins for K-2 students

Hi everyone! Our school counselor, Ms. Heideman, and behavior interventionist, Mrs. D, will be hosting virtual check ins for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade next week. All students in those grade levels, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join this fun opportunity to check in and chat with each other! Here is the schedule with the links to join!

2nd grade- Tuesday at 11:30 link: https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade2

1st grade- Tuesday at 12:00 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade1

Kindergarten- Wednesday at 11:30 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctek

We hope to see you there!

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Jody Pinkerton - Second Grade eAcademy Teacher

I'm excited to be joining Traeger Elementary School! This is my 26th year teaching in the Oshkosh Area School District. I have a degree in Elementary Education with a Math Minor from UW-Whitewater and a Masters in Reading Education from UW-Oshkosh. Reading has always been a passion of mine. My husband, Mark and I have two sons. Lucas is a sophomore at UW-Madison and Logan is a Junior at Oshkosh North. The cutest member of our family is Lola, a poodle/shih tzu mix. As a family we love sports, traveling, and spending time in the outdoors. I look forward to meeting and getting to know the students and families at Traeger Elementary.

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Join us for our Virtual Traeger Turkey Trot. I would love to have as many families join as possible for our Fun Run/Walk on November 25! At any point during the day on November 25, complete a 3.2K (2 mile) run or walk (use MapMyRun.com to create a route). Find a “training schedule” in your child’s specialist google classroom (K-4) to help get you ready for the big race!

Follow Mrs. Wara’s Facebook page (Traeger Elementary Physical Education) to check into the event on the 25th and to post pictures! 

Use this link to order a Traeger Turkey Trot t-shirt.

https://jaegerwi.itemorder.com/ (sale code: trot20).

Shirts can be ordered until Friday, November 13. Shirt pick up will take place at Traeger on Monday 23rd or Tuesday 24th. You will be contacted to arrange a pick up time for your shirts.

Follow the calendar to work up to our virtual 3.2K on November 25. Here are some daily activities/challenges to help get you ready to complete your 3.2K.

Use “Map My Run” (https://www.mapmyrun.com/dashboard) to help keep track of how far you’ve gone. Day of the race, you can either map out your own route or use the track at the high school(s) to help keep track of your distance.

 

Please email Mrs. Wara with any questions! heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

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Click here to sign up for an item!

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• November 25
  • Virtual Turkey Trot!
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break
• December 9
  • Early Release
• December 23-January 3
  • Winter Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

November 6, 2020: Issue 11

Traeger Tales

The Importance of Attendance

No matter what learning model we are in-Virtual, Hybrid or In Person-we can't educate kids who are not present!  Getting kids to attend school is one of the most important things parents can do!  Here are some points to ponder...

• Absences add up. Even if your child misses just a few days here and there, his/her grades, and most importantly learning, are likely to suffer.
• Elementary attendance impacts reading. Frequent absences in elementary school have been shown to significantly affect a student’s reading skills.
• Elementary attendance problems can negatively impact a student’s future. Research shows that by sixth grade, attendance problems become a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
• Attendance affects social growth. At school, students learn to interact with others, make friends, and build relationships with adults outside their family.

Tips to Improve Attendance in any Learning Model

• Develop routines. Get everything your child needs for school ready the night before. Set out (or have your child set out) clothes, shoes, socks, coat, and backpack.
• Be informed. Know bus pick up times, parent drop off times, and school bell times. Determine what time your child needs to be “out the door” to get to school on time.
• Get support. If you have difficulty getting your child to and from school, or if your child doesn’t seem to want to go to school for any reason, talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or an administrator.

Thank you for all you are doing to help your child engage in learning!

~Mrs. G. 😃 

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Are you wondering if you child has library books that need to be returned to school?  You can watch this Video to learn how to access Destiny to see what books your child has checked out from the media center.  This is a great time to round up the books so they can be returned to school next week!

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Model 3 hybrid schedules

On November 12 will resume in person attendance using the new Model 3 Hybrid Schedule.  Students will remain in the same A or B cohort group. 

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Hannah Moon - Second Grade Teacher

This is the start of my teacher career and I couldn't be happier being a part of such a supportive team! I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay with my bachelor's in education and a minor in First Nation Studies. I completed my student teaching semester in a second-grade class at Oneida Nation Elementary School. It was a privilege to continue to grow in my understanding of cross-cultural education and see first hand how to integrate culture in the classroom. I am a member of Muskogee Creek Nation which is a tribe located in Oklahoma. I come from a big family of nine siblings! Some things I enjoy doing is hiking, biking, and painting! I am also a big traveler. I try to visit one new state every summer. However, this last summer I went on a camping trip instead! Let's get creative this year!

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Traeger celebrates each child’s birthday by wishing 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 and 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 playground.  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.  You can use the PSC directory to get this information.

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Join us for our Virtual Traeger Turkey Trot. I would love to have as many families join as possible for our Fun Run/Walk on November 25! At any point during the day on November 25, complete a 3.2K (2 mile) run or walk (use MapMyRun.com to create a route). Find a “training schedule” in your child’s specialist google classroom (K-4) to help get you ready for the big race!

Follow Mrs. Wara’s Facebook page (Traeger Elementary Physical Education) to check into the event on the 25th and to post pictures! 

Use this link to order a Traeger Turkey Trot t-shirt.

https://jaegerwi.itemorder.com/ (sale code: trot20).

Shirts can be ordered until Friday, November 13. Shirt pick up will take place at Traeger on Monday 23rd or Tuesday 24th. You will be contacted to arrange a pick up time for your shirts.

Follow the calendar to work up to our virtual 3.2K on November 25. Here are some daily activities/challenges to help get you ready to complete your 3.2K.

Use “Map My Run” (https://www.mapmyrun.com/dashboard) to help keep track of how far you’ve gone. Day of the race, you can either map out your own route or use the track at the high school(s) to help keep track of your distance.

 

Please email Mrs. Wara with any questions! heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

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National school psychologist week - November 9-13

For more information on who school psychologists are and what we do, click here! 

How to Contact Your School Psychologist, Ms. Berndt: 

Email: megan.berndt@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Phone: (920) 385-9671

Virtual Office: Welcome!

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Have You Started Your Holiday Shopping?  Ordering something from Amazon? We have a great way you can start supporting our school while shopping on Amazon. Instead of going to amazon.com, simply go to Amazon Smile at www.smile.amazon.com and designate “Carl Traeger PSC Carl Traeger Elementary” as your charitable organization or go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1912920 and click on “Start Shopping.” Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Carl Traeger PSC Carl Traeger Elementary School whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.   If you shop on the mobile app, you need to set up your account on the Amazon website and then your app purchases will generate funds for Traeger.  AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.

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PSC Tamara's Cheesecake Fundraiser

Support our school and enjoy some delicious Tamara's cheesecake!  Orders are due November 14th for pick up on November 20 or 21-just in time for Thanksgiving!  The PSC will earn $7 for each cheesecake sold!  Order at the link below!  

https://www.cognitoforms.com/TamarasTheCakeGuru/CheesecakeFundraiserCarlTraegerPSC

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• November 10
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 11
  • Early Release at 12:30pm
• November 12
  • Virtual PSC Meeting 6:00pm
• November 14
  • Cheesecake Fundraiser Orders Due!
• November 25
  • Virtual Turkey Trot!
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break

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PSC Agenda - Virtual Meeting

Thursday 11/12/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Zoom LINK

Who are we?

PSC Board Members

• President: Nichole Casper
• Vice President: Holly Emons
• Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf
• Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

1. Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson - September and October

2. Photography Fundraiser Update - Heather (Not Present - Has conferences at her school). We did not fill all the spots this year but we still raised money for the PSC! Good News - The photographer will do this again next year and we will pick earlier in the year dates. We still raised $912! The photographer will reach out to families on how to get to photos. Any questions - Message Heather on Carl Traeger PSC Facebook.

3. City Wide PTO Report- Nichole Casper

4. Spirit Wear Sale Update - Nichole Casper

5. Brighten Someone's Holiday Update - Katie Z. 

6. Fundraising Update- Jessica Graf

   • Help Needed for 2 events: OshPop & Boosterthon

   • Upcoming Fundraisers... 

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

October 30, 2020: Issue 10

Traeger Tales

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STUDENT SUCCESS          STARTS AT HOME

As we reflect on all of our success from the first quarter, we are grateful for the fabulous partnerships we have with our Traeger families! You probably know that a student’s academic success is affected by many factors and this year caregivers have an even greater impact! When it comes to achievement, activities outside the virtual classroom, especially at home, can be just as influential as what happens inside the classroom.

The following are five important areas to emphasize to ensure the success of your children:

• Establish a daily routine by providing a quiet time and place for your children to study. Be firm about bedtimes so the child is well-rested and alert in the classroom. Having dinner together as a family is also important because it gives you an opportunity to talk about your children’s daily school activities, projects, and expectations. Encourage communications through conversation and questioning.

• Monitor your children’s extracurricular activities closely. Whenever possible, arrange specific after school activities or supervised care, always monitor television watching, and install computer software to block inappropriate websites. Also be mindful of video game content. If you can’t be home right after school, call or email frequently to check in with your children, or have a trusted neighbor, relative, or friend stop by. Search out after-school programs and association activities that could serve as alternatives for children going home alone after school.

• Reading books, magazines, and newspapers and talking about what is learned from them is another important aspect to pursue at home. Discussing current events and/or the day’s activities is a good habit to develop. Tell stories, share problems, and write letters, notes, and messages to one another. These types of communication bring families closer together, especially today, when everyone is busy with his or her own individual activities and commitments.

• Stay in touch with teachers and school staff, and express sincere interest in your children’s progress at school. Work together with your children’s teachers to set age-appropriate goals and standards, and to recognize and promote special talents. Compliment your children and share school success stories with family and friends.

• Be a positive role model. Demonstrate ways that achievement relates to hard work and dedication. Discuss the value of a good education to possible career options, and explore ways your children can turn their true interests into satisfying career possibilities.

We are looking forward to our parent teacher conferences on November 5 and 10 to further enhance our home-school partnerships!

~Mrs. G. 😃 

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DEVELOPING  SELF-CONTROL

Even though elementary-aged children may learn rules and understand the importance of following them, they often have trouble with self-control. They sometimes make choices that are disruptive, harmful, or disrespectful, even when they know they shouldn’t.

Here’s how you can help your child develop better self-control and make smarter choices.

Talk about it. Have your child verbalize what he/she should and shouldn’t do in a given situation. (“When I’m mad, I can’t throw things. I should sit down and count to ten.“)

Reward good self-control. When your child exhibits good self-control, compliment him/her. Be specific. (“I can tell you wanted to yell at your brother when he messed up your room, but you didn’t. I’m proud of you.”)

Model good behavior. Adults sometimes do things they know they shouldn’t. For ex- ample, if you’ve taught your child to always be kind to others and never yell, it can be confus- ing to see parents get angry while driving or yell at others when they’re frustrated.

Use the same calming strategies you teach your child (e.g., breathing, walking away, and counting to ten). 

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Honoring our Veterans    

November 11, 2020

If you have a “HOMECOMING PHOTO” or your Military Photo, we would love to share it with our school community. Another option would be to send a short video of a meaningful story about your time of service. In the past we have invited our Veterans to share in the classrooms after the assembly. This video would be an opportunity for students to learn more about your experience. If you could include the year the photo was taken and your name (we also need this information for the video) that would be AWESOME!

Please email a copy of the photo and/or video to teresa.moucha@oskosh.k12.wi.us  

NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 6th at 3:00 p.m.   

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Jackie Gill - Media Assistant

Hello, my name is Jackie Gill and I'm the new library assistant, and new to the Oshkosh Area School District this year. I am also a children's book author and illustrator, and have written 6 of the 25 books published that I've illustrated so far. Look me up online under Jacqueline Paske Gill! I grew up in Sarasota, Florida and moved to Neenah with my son Colby, where I worked for the Neenah Joint School District as a substitute teacher for the past 4 years while working on children's books. We live with my boyfriend, Dennis and his 2 kids, Mason and Alexa. Winter is still a big adjustment compared to summer all year round in Florida, which I miss, but I love art and books, and I love working with kids, so the library is the perfect place for me.

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virtual check ins for K-2 students

Hi everyone! Our school counselor, Ms. Heideman, and behavior interventionist, Mrs. D, will be hosting virtual check ins for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade next week. All students in those grade levels, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join this fun opportunity to check in and chat with each other! Here is the schedule with the links to join!

2nd grade- Tuesday at 11:30 link: https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade2

1st grade- Tuesday at 12:00 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctegrade1

Kindergarten- Wednesday at 11:30 link https://meet.google.com/ code: ctek

We hope to see you there!

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Join us for our Virtual Traeger Turkey Trot. I would love to have as many families join as possible for our Fun Run/Walk on November 25! At any point during the day on November 25, complete a 3.2K (2 mile) run or walk (use MapMyRun.com to create a route). Find a “training schedule” in your child’s specialist google classroom (K-4) to help get you ready for the big race!

Follow Mrs. Wara’s Facebook page (Traeger Elementary Physical Education) to check into the event on the 25th and to post pictures! 

Use this link to order a Traeger Turkey Trot t-shirt.

https://jaegerwi.itemorder.com/ (sale code: trot20).

Shirts can be ordered until Friday, November 13. Shirt pick up will take place at Traeger on Monday 23rd or Tuesday 24th. You will be contacted to arrange a pick up time for your shirts.

Follow the calendar to work up to our virtual 3.2K on November 25. Here are some daily activities/challenges to help get you ready to complete your 3.2K.

Use “Map My Run” (https://www.mapmyrun.com/dashboard) to help keep track of how far you’ve gone. Day of the race, you can either map out your own route or use the track at the high school(s) to help keep track of your distance.

 

Please email Mrs. Wara with any questions! heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

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PSC Tamara's Cheesecake Fundraiser

Support our school and enjoy some delicious Tamara's cheesecake!  Orders are due November 14th for pick up on November 20 or 21-just in time for Thanksgiving!  The PSC will earn $7 for each cheesecake sold!  Order at the link below!  

https://www.cognitoforms.com/TamarasTheCakeGuru/CheesecakeFundraiserCarlTraegerPSC

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An investment in schools is an investment in our community's quality of life. This 90-second video answers the "Why now?" question related to our capital funding request on the November 3rd ballot. We understand that we are living in challenging times. In fact, it is why the phased-in tax impact of question 2 is so important. However, we also know that as a community we must come together to build our future. Ultimately, voters have the chance to take advantage of the "Why now?" opportunities outlined in the video and explained further in our FAQ section on our referendum webpage.

To learn more about the two referendum questions visit www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum.

---

 

 

• November 5
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 10
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 11
  • Facebook Live Veterans Day slideshow 11:00am
  • Early Release at 12:30pm
• November 25
  • Virtual Turkey Trot!
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

October 22, 2020: Issue 9

Traeger Tales

Honoring our Veterans    

November 11, 2020

Thank you so much for your service to America! We are so grateful for your dedication, responsibility, and respect for our country.

This year we would like to honor our veterans through a LIVE sharing of our Veterans Day Video on our Traeger Facebook Page. We will air it at 11:00 a.m. on 11/11. In the past we have had a large school assembly and breakfast. This year we wanted to keep this school tradition alive in a way that would be meaningful to our students, families, and Veterans. It is so important for all of us to remember and honor those who have been members of the Armed Forces. We are really excited to meet you and learn more about you!

We have one request. If you have a “HOMECOMING PHOTO” or your Military Photo, we would love to share it with our school community. Another option would be to send a short video of a meaningful story about your time of service. In the past we have invited our Veterans to share in the classrooms after the assembly. This video would be an opportunity for students to learn more about your experience. If you could include the year the photo was taken and your name (we also need this information for the video) that would be AWESOME!

Please email a copy of the photo and/or video to teresa.moucha@oskosh.k12.wi.us  

NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 6th at 3:00 p.m.

With Sincere Gratitude,

The Veteran’s Day Planning Committee     

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One of our annual Traeger traditions is our Halloween costume parade.  Whether we are in person or continue to be virtual, we will not be able to hold our parade in our normal manner.  This year we are going to do a virtual parade with a slideshow.  Mrs. Kidd sent out a Google form so you can send in a picture of your child in his/her Halloween costume.  Please remember that this slideshow will be viewed by Kindergarten through 5th graders so keep your costumes appropriate; nothing too scary, no weapons, and don't cover your face.  Photos are due by October 28.  If you misplaced the email, please contact Mrs. Kidd at abigail.cornell@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

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Carl Traeger Elementary School

Virtual K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 5 and November 10 from 4:00-7:00pm

Dear Traeger Families,

On November 5 and 10 we will be holding virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences for Carl Traeger K-5 students.  The focus of this conference will be your child’s progress this year and how we can continue work together as a team to make your child's educational experiences successful.  

Once again, this year you will be signing up for Parent Teacher Conferences Online.  Conference registration will open at 4:00pm on October 22.

Due to limited slots, one slot per family per child.  Dates available will be on a first come, first serve basis.  So, please sign-up early for a 15 minute conference slot for your child.

To pick a slot, enter this link in your internet browser:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Carl_Traeger_Elementary

Registration Deadline:  October 30 at 3:00pm - Parents who do not sign up will be scheduled and sent an appointment.

If you would like to schedule a conference with our art, music or physical education specialists please email them directly and they will reach out to you to set up a conference.

• K-4 Music Mrs. Schmidt <jennifer.schmidt@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• K-4 Art Ms. Moucha <teresa.moucha@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• K-4 PE Mrs. Wara <heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell Music Ms. Schneider (long term sub for Mrs. Cibula)<april.schneider@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell Art Ms. Larson <jenna.larson@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell PE Mrs. Zerbe <traci.zerbe@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>

If you have any questions or need assistance scheduling your conference, please contact Carl Traeger Elementary at 920-424-0221.

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Jenna Larson - Art Specialist

 

Hi! My name is Jenna Larson and I am excited to be joining the Carl Traeger staff as an art teacher! Although this is my first year teaching, I have spent the past (almost!) 20 years as a Substitute Teacher in the Oshkosh Area School District and as an active part of the Fox Valley art community. My husband and I have three amazing children, ages 14, 12, and 10. In our free time we enjoy adventuring, creating, playing, laughing, and relaxing together. If I am not creating art, you will most likely find me in the garden, on the tennis court, or in the kitchen! I look forward to joining the staff of Carl Traeger and having a fun and creative school year!

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Internet Tips

District-wide we are hearing of so many internet issues. We try to troubleshoot as best as we can, but we have also compiled a list of some other things that you can try too. Check to see if any of these will help!

• If possible, turn your camera off in Google Meet. This lowers the bandwidth that is getting used.

• Disconnect all devices that are using the WiFi network (cell phones, tablets, etc) that aren’t a school device during work time. Multiple devices connecting will slow everything down.

• Close tabs that you do not need for what you’re working on. The more tabs that are open and running, the slower it will be for you.

• Music/video streaming can bog down the wifi, be aware if you are working and having music playing from your device at the same time.

• Avoid Streaming Media on another device on the same network. 

• Clear browsing history, cache, and cookies.

• Your wireless router sitting in the dark corner of the basement is not the best place to have it. Preferably on the same level that you’re working and not having to go through many walls or even worse, walls with pipes in them.

• If you are having troubles with your device connecting to the internet try testing it out at the Public Library or McDonalds/Starbucks. If it is not having problems at either of those locations it might be your Router or an issue with your connection to your ISP.

•  Reboot your modem or router

• Upgrade your modem or router - recommended every two years as equipment becomes obsolete with new technology. Check with your internet service provider if there is an upgrade or a newer modem that you need.

Make your teacher aware if your internet connection is preventing you from accessing an assignment or materials needed for an assignment.

virtual check ins for 3-5 students

Ms. Heideman and Mrs. D will be hosting grade level gatherings for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders again next week! All Traeger students, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join! Here is the schedule and links to join!

• 5th grade: Tuesday, October 27th at 12:00 link: https://meet.google.com/  join code: ctegrade5
• 4th grade: Thursday, October 29th at 11:30 link: https://meet.google.com/ join code: ctegrade4
• 3rd grade: Friday, October 30th at 12:00 link: https://meet.google.com/ join code: ctegrade3

We hope to see you there!

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• October 23
  • No School
• October 28
  • Halloween costume pictures due to Google form for costume parade
• November 4
  • Picture Day if in person
• November 5
  • Picture Day if in person
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 10
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 11
  • Facebook Live Veterans Day slideshow 11:00am
  • Early Release at 12:30pm
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

October 16, 2020: Issue 8

Traeger Tales

Feeling All My Feelings

Children whose parents support them when they express feelings have stronger social skills and better friendships. Just like adults, children feel different emotions such as happiness, sadness, embarrassment, and anger. Children’s emotions get more complex as they get older. This can be hard for children to understand. You can help by talking to them about how they feel in different situations.

Happy: glad, cheerful, calm, safe, playful, proud, joyful

Sad: gloomy, unhappy, hurt, disappointed, lonely, awful

Mad: annoyed, mean, crabby

Afraid: anxious, worried, concerned, alarmed, trembly

What we know:

• Parents teach children about emotions when they talk about how they feel and show feelings at home.
• When parents show more happiness and joy, their children also show more happy feelings and have a greater understanding of emotions.

Try this:

Teach your child about emotions by choosing different words to share how you feel. Try using words like “grateful” or “disappointed” instead of “happy” and “sad.”

For fun:

Use movies or TV shows to start a conversation about emotions. Grab some popcorn and cuddle up to watch Inside Out for your next movie night. In this movie, the main character, Riley, feels mixed emotions for the first time. You hear what’s going on inside Riley’s brain while she’s going through big life changes – like moving to a new city. Children may relate to what Riley is feeling, helping them to understand their own and others’ emotions.

Here are a few questions that you could ask your child about the movie:

• What feelings did you have during the movie? Joy? Excitement? Sadness?
• How did Riley feel during the movie?  Why do you think she felt that way?
• Can you tell me about a time that you felt angry? Or joyful?
• What helped Riley feel better? What helps you to feel better when you’re sad?

For more information, read this Parent Toolkit article on using Inside Out as a parenting opportunity.

~ Mrs. G. 😃 (Source: UW Extension)

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october counselor's corner

By Kaelee Heideman

October is National Bullying Prevention Month!
Bullying has become an issue we are increasingly aware of. It can occur in many forms. It is important to recognize the different forms bullying can take and how to get help if it is happening.

What’s the difference between bullying and peer conflict?
The core components of bullying are: unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; and repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition (stopbullying.gov). One child may be bullying another if every day on the playground they are name calling or hitting. The power imbalance may come into play if a third grader is doing this to a first grader.

Peer conflict, however, is something that happens once. Sometimes our friends might say something unkind or might push us. While these behaviors are unexpected and have consequences, they are not considered bullying because they happen just one time. Peer conflict can often be resolved through mediation with a teacher, counselor, or supervisor. Peer conflict is a natural part of life and happens all throughout our lives. 

What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices, including cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying might occur through texting, emails, and various apps or social media forums. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. The content is often meant to cause embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying even crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. Students sometimes assume they can get away with sending this content because it “disappears” or is “anonymous,” but there are always ways to track down the harmful content. Cyberbullying incidents are increasing in frequency, especially as children are spending more time doing things virtually.

How can I prevent cyberbullying?
The most important thing you can do is be aware of how your student is using technology. What apps are they allowed to have on their phone? Who are their contacts? What is the primary purpose of them having a phone, computer, or tablet? Be sure to have a way for your student to let you know if they are receiving inappropriate content or are witnessing it being sent to someone else. If your student reports cyberbullying to you, know which outlets are most appropriate to report to. You can report inappropriate and offensive content on social media apps directly to the platform.

If you have questions or concerns about a student who is being bullied, you can always reach out to Ms. Heideman, our school counselor, for support through email: kaelee.heideman@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

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Carl Traeger Elementary School

Virtual K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 5 and November 10 from 4:00-7:00pm

Dear Traeger Families,

On November 5 and 10 we will be holding virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences for Carl Traeger K-5 students.  The focus of this conference will be your child’s progress this year and how we can continue work together as a team to make your child's educational experiences successful.  

Once again, this year you will be signing up for Parent Teacher Conferences Online.  Conference registration will open at 4:00pm on October 22.

Due to limited slots, one slot per family per child.  Dates available will be on a first come, first serve basis.  So, please sign-up early for a 15 minute conference slot for your child.

To pick a slot, enter this link in your internet browser:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Carl_Traeger_Elementary

Registration Deadline:  October 30 at 3:00pm - Parents who do not sign up will be scheduled and sent an appointment.

If you would like to schedule a conference with our art, music or physical education specialists please email them directly and they will reach out to you to set up a conference.

• K-4 Music Mrs. Schmidt <jennifer.schmidt@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• K-4 Art Ms. Moucha <teresa.moucha@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• K-4 PE Mrs. Wara <heidi.wara@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell Music Ms. Schneider (long term sub for Mrs. Cibula)<april.schneider@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell Art Ms. Larson <jenna.larson@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>
• Amel, Nyman, Purtell PE Mrs. Zerbe <traci.zerbe@oshkosh.k12.wi.us>

If you have any questions or need assistance scheduling your conference, please contact Carl Traeger Elementary at 920-424-0221.

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Elizabeth Barczak - 4K Assistant

Hi! My name is Elizabeth Barczak and I am the new 4K para working with Mrs. Gorski and Ms. Czap. I have 14 years of teaching experience and LOVE the 4Kers! I live in Neenah with my husband, twin boys who are 10 (Caleb and Sam), and two cats (Boris and Pickles). During the spring quarantine, I learned the new skill of refinishing furniture. I've refinished many pieces of my own, and also some pieces for friends. My other hobbies include gardening, reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, and being outside.

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Digital Citizenship Week 

October 19-23, 2020

Dear OASD Families,

We teach our students to be responsible, respectful, safe, and trustworthy. This includes when they’re on a device too! We know our students are online right now more than usual. That’s why talking about digital citizenship topics is so very important. D.C. topics include communicating online with others, privacy, media balance, copyright, cyberbullying, and how to determine real VS fake information.

For the past few years, OASD has recognized the National Digital Citizenship Week at our schools. This year we are offering a few opportunities for you to do with you children at home as well.

1. Digital Learning Agreement: Read through this together with your child.

• K-5th Digital Learning Pledge

• 6th-12th Digital Learning Agreement

2. Police Officer Video: Watch this video put together by Officer Tori Heidemann of the OAPD and a teacher at Oshkosh North High School.

• 3rd-5th Video (Parents, watch this first and decide if it’s appropriate for your kids. There is one sensitive topic.)

• 6th-12th Video (Warning: the topic of sexting is addressed.)

3. Interact Module: WDOJ- Internet Crimes Against Children Unit created this module for parents and kids to do together. It’s meant for starting a discussion around these topics. 

• Interact 6th-12th/Parent Module

Parents only: 

• Guide to Setting up Parental Controls

• Follow our Internet Safety Resources for Parents Facebook page

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virtual check ins for K-2 students

Hi everyone! Our school counselor, Ms. Heideman, and behavior interventionist, Mrs. D, will be hosting virtual check ins for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade next week. All students in those grade levels, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join this fun opportunity to check in and chat with each other! Here is the schedule with the links to join!

2nd grade: Tuesday, October 20th at 11:30 am              https://meet.google.com/  code: 2ndgrade

1st grade: Tuesday, October 20th at 11:00 am                https://meet.google.com/  code: 1stgrade

Kindergarten: Wednesday, October 21st at 11:30 am  https://meet.google.com/ code: kindergarten

We hope to see you there!

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This November’s election is not just about electing our next president and other leaders - it’s also about school funding for the Oshkosh Area School District. Read our Referendum at a Glance (bit.ly/3mYlTiO) for the quick facts about the two ballot questions - or learn even more on our referendum webpage - www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum.

 

• October 23
  • No School
• November 4
  • Picture Day if in person
• November 5
  • Picture Day if in person
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 10
  • Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7pm
• November 11
  • Early Release at 12:30pm
• November 25-27 
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

October 9, 2020: Issue 7

Traeger Tales

Model 4 -Virtual Learning

The pandemic has certainly changed the face of education.  This year we have to be prepared to shift back and forth between in person, hybrid, and virtual models of education.  Decisions about the safest model for learning will be made based on community data.  Follow the LINK to the OASD COVID dashboard.  

At this time we will be continuing with Model 4 (virtual learning) and want to share what you can expect during this time.  There will be a combination of live (synchronous) and recorded (asynchronous) instruction.  All Traeger teachers will be using Google Classroom as our platform for housing instructional resources.  Each week you will find “A Week at a Glance” posted on the first page or stream within Google Classroom.  This provides an overview of what your child will be doing for the week.  Staff continue to reflect and revise their Google Classroom layout to make it more user friendly.  Teachers will continue to follow our district curriculum, making adjustments as needed for the virtual environment.  We will follow our normal pacing and teach our district standards.  

Each day your child will be able to participate in a live morning meeting at a set time.  These meetings will not be recorded as they are often very personal in nature.  Students will receive math lessons at least 4 days a week and may be live or pre-recorded depending on the content being taught.  Live math lessons will be recorded so students not in attendance can access the material.  Number Corner will also be pre-recorded and posted each day.  A daily read aloud will also be live or prerecorded (live sessions will be recorded).  Daily prerecorded reading and writing lessons will be posted. In grades K-3 recorded daily pre-recorded phonics lessons will also be posted.  At least one science lesson will be posted weekly.  Most lessons will typically have follow up independent learning activities.

In addition to these lessons, teachers will be incorporating more opportunities for kids to meet with their teacher, with a goal of working toward 3 weekly individual or small group live opportunities per student (this will vary for our split class teachers).  This helps teachers check in with students and provide more individualized learning opportunities and feedback throughout the week.  

Our specialist teachers will also post “A Week at a Glance” in your child’s specialist Google Classroom which will include both synchronous and asynchronous learning.   Art, music, and PE teachers will host a live session once a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at a set time.  These sessions will be recorded and posted for students who are unable to attend the live session.  Specialist resources support a week of learning based on when your child has a live lesson.  Specialists will also be offering opportunities for students to connect in small groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  You can also find lessons and activities from our school counselor, Ms. Heideman in the specialist classroom.

Teachers will continue to assess and grade during virtual learning, which is different from last spring.  Students may be submitting pictures of assignments, turning in electronic assignments, recording videos in Flipgrid, participating in live assessments along with other means of assessment.  Teachers may also be using some of their small group time to assess students.  Some assessments are informal and are used to guide instruction.  Other assessments will be graded and entered into our electronic gradebook in Infinite Campus.  

We know parents are continuing to work and our goal is to have students be as independent as possible with their learning.  It is important that children complete all of the lessons/activities assigned as lessons will continue to build on previous learning.  Videos are a wonderful resource as children can pause and re-watch if they did not get the concept the first time.  Do not feel like you need to watch all the videos.  It is very easy to feel the need to ensure that all your child’s work is 100% accurate; however, we want students to have the opportunity to learn from mistakes.   Please allow your child to engage in productive struggle as this is when learning occurs! 

If you have any questions about your child’s education, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher.  Now more than ever we appreciate your participation and partnership!

~ Mrs. G. 😃 

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Referendum At A Glance

Remember to Vote on the School Referendums Nov. 3rd!

The November 3rd election is not just about our next president and other leaders - it’s also about whether the Oshkosh Area School District will receive continued operational funds and investments in our school buildings. 

If voters approve question one, the district will be able to maintain academic programs, technology for learning, and student support services - with no tax increase. If voters approve question 2, capital funds would be used to provide safe and accessible schools, flexible and collaborative learning spaces, and cost-effective schools to maximize taxpayer investment. If the referendums are not approved, the district will face millions in budget cuts and continued maintenance of aging buildings without the benefit of important improvements.

Be sure to learn about the two referendum questions (visit https://www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum) and vote on or before November 3rd. Everything you need to find out where, when, and how to vote is on the MyVoteWisconsin website.

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virtual check ins for 3-5 students

Hi everyone! Our school counselor, Ms. Heideman, and behavior interventionist, Mrs. D, will be hosting virtual check ins for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades next week. All students in those grade levels, including eAcademy students, are welcome to join this fun opportunity to check in and chat with each other! 

5th grade: Tuesday, October 13th at 12:00 pm 

4th grade: Wednesday, October 14th at 11:30 am 

3rd grade: Friday, October 16th at 11:30 am 
We hope to see you there!

WELCOME TO THE PACK

Megan Berndt - School Psychologist

Hi everyone! My name is Ms. Berndt or Ms. B, and I am the new school psychologist! This is my first year as a school psych, and I'm so excited to be here at Traeger Elementary! The past couple of years I was a substitute and summer school teacher. I'm currently finishing up my graduate studies at UW-Milwaukee, and before that, I attended Marquette University, in which I studied elementary education and psychology. I love to spend a lot of time outdoors and stay active by backpacking, biking, and boxing! I also really enjoy photography and music! A life goal of mine is to one day get my private pilot license! I look forward to meeting and working with all of you!

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A note from Mrs. Miller media specialist

Books, books, books!

Click here to see all of the ways we can get books into your kiddos hands right now.

Something new that is not listed on this document is audiobooks. We are so excited to have just subscribed to Tales2Go. This subscription allows students to listen (only) to a book and there are thousands of titles! Here are the directions for getting started. An exciting feature is that you can download the app onto a tablet or phone at home to make it easier to listen to for car rides!

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Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.  Children's literature is a great springboard for learning and talking about this important issue.  Below are great titles followed by conversation starters on the topic of bullying.

Books About Bullying for Children

-Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

-Bully by Patricia Polacco

-I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët

-Chick-O-Saurus Rex by Lenore and Daniel Jennewein

-Arnie and the New Kid by Nancy Carlson

-Red by Jan De Kinder

-The Juice Box Bully by Maria Dismondy

-My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

-First Day in Grapes by L. King Perez

-The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts

-Spirit Day by Joy Yang

-The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

-Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks 

Conversation Starters About Bullying

-Have you ever witnessed someone being bullied? How did it make you feel? What did you do?

-How did the main character in the story deal with bullying? 

-What can you do to stop bullying?

-What do you want others to know about bullying?

-Why do you think some people choose to bully?

-Have you ever been bullied? 

 

Source: https://growingbookbybook.com

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• October 14
  • Early Release
  • No 4K Classes
• October 23
  • No School

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PSC Agenda: Thursday 10/8/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Who are we? PSC Board Members                

President: Nichole Casper Vice President: Holly Emons
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

 

1. Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson (Not Present) - Will table for next meeting.

2. Virtual Book Fair - Mary Geffers

   • $2,042 in sales as of today for the online book fair. $510.50 for scholastic books. 

3. Photography fundraiser update 

   • Saturday Oct. 17th 10:30AM and Saturday Oct. 24th 1:00PM. $95 for 5 edited photos and a disc. Lots of spots left. Sarah Bradway and Amanda Sue Hurray volunteered in September (not present- Heather will reach out to them separately).

4. Ideas for Covid safe fundraiser:

• Community Connection Us Cellular Fundraiser: $406 made 

• Raise Monday Campaign - no strings attached. Just a fundraiser for the PSC. Jenny B. and Mary G. can check with middle school PTO, they do something similar. Table for next meeting. 

5. City Wide PTO Report- Nichole Casper

• Last meeting was all about the referendum. There is a 18minute video available and will be posted. Next meeting is Oct. 15th via zoom. Reach out for an invite. 

 6. Brighten Someone's Day -Katie Z. 

• Paypal/Venmo account to receive donations? People would need to comment what the donation is for so funds are for Brighten Someone’s Day. Nichole will have the secretary set this up.  

• How can we make this happen safely? No contact drop off during school hours. Katie can pick up after. 

• Restrictions on # of families and gifts? Maybe” 2 needs a want” to limit gifts and families to make this work Katie will check into this. 

  7. Scouts: Wreaths Sale going on right now to support Scouts. Reach out if you need some! 

 8. End of meeting. Mary Geffers - Motion to close.  Mandy Stein -Second motion. 

Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

October 2, 2020: Issue 6

Traeger Tales

Changing the Way You Look at the World

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change – Wayne Dyer.

Perspective taking requires you to put yourself in another person’s position and imagine what you would feel, think, or do if you were in that situation. Perspective taking helps children to be more successful as adults because they are better able to deal with other people. Seeing and understanding the world from someone else’s point of view is an important life skill you can teach children to build healthy and satisfying relationships.

Perspective-taking is thinking about how another person might feel and think when something is happening.  This may also be called their point of view.

What we know:

Children with better perspective-taking skills are less likely to be involved in conflicts with other children. It helps them know how to behave in social situations, care for others, communicate effectively, solve problems, and work together. Understanding what others are thinking also helps children feel more comfortable in new situations.

Try this:

Take time to listen to your child. When you listen and care about their thoughts and feelings, you demonstrate how to care about another person’s point of view. Over time, children learn how to care about another person’s point of view because they have felt it themselves. As parents you can:

• model how to look for and listen to another person’s perspective,
• explain your own views and talk about your thoughts and feelings, and
• talk with your children about the possible feelings and thoughts of someone else.

Check out this Michigan State Extension resource to learn more ways to help develop perspective taking.

For fun:

Consider reading some of the books about point of view on Adrienne Gear’s list with your children to help them gain a better understanding of someone else’s perspective.

~Mrs. G. (Source UW Extension)

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Referendum At A Glance

Future funding for all Oshkosh Area Schools and our school buildings will be decided by voters in the November 3 election. Question one would renew existing funds for operating our schools, paying our staff, and providing learning materials. Question two would provide funding to invest in school building improvements across the district - for safe, flexible, and cost-effective schools. Learn more about what will happen if the questions are or or not approved in this Referendum At A Glance or by visiting the referendum website. 

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MISSING BOOKS!  CAN YOU HELP?

Our PSC has generously donated thousands of dollars over the last few years to help us purchase books for our guided reading library.  We are currently missing approximately $1000 in books.  Could you please check your homes and send any books that you may find back to school?  Thank you in advance for your help!

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Leigh Wiitanen - Educational Interpreter

I have been with OASD for 15+ years as an sign language interpreter. I have worked at all levels (EC-HS). Currently working as the sign language interpreter with 4k in the afternoons and working the other half of my day as a cross cat paraprofessional. I am a military wife to a deployed soldier in the Army Reserves. We just celebrated 14 years of marriage. We have a 6 year old son Ethan and a 4 year old daughter Trinity. We live in Appleton.  We love the outdoors, spending time at our family cottage in the Dells and soaking up family time.
 

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• October 5 
  • Blue Shirt Day to Stomp Out Bullying
• October 6
  • Traeger Colors Theme Day
• October 7
  • Pajama Theme Day
• October 8
  • Work Out Theme Day
  • PSC 6:00
• October 9
  • Spooky Theme Day
• October 14
  • Early Release
  • No 4K Classes
• October 23
  • No School

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PSC Virtual Meeting Agenda 

Zoom Link

Thursday 10/8/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m. 

Who are we?

PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper

Vice President: Holly Emons
Co-Secretaries: Heather Swenson & Jessica Graf

Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

1. Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson 

2. Virtual Book Fair - Mary Geffers

3. Photography fundraiser update  

4. Ideas for Covid safe fundraisers

5. City Wide PTO Report- Nichole Casper

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

September 25, 2020: Issue 5

Traeger Tales

PBIS Home-School Connection

Schools that implement PBIS utilize school-wide behavior expectations to communicate how students should behave in all areas of the building. When students demonstrate the expected behavior, they are recognized for “doing the right thing.” At Traeger we do this with our blue/pink Pride Prints that are given to individual students. When a whole class is following the Traeger Way they will receive a class Pride Print.

When students demonstrate inappropriate behavior, they are re-taught the behavior expected from them. For serious misbehavior, an office discipline referral is initiated. Each school’s behavior expectations are unique because the expectations are determined by the building staff.

Many parents have found that using the same expectations as their child’s school has also supported behavior at home. When home and school have the same behavior expectations and use the same language it is easier for children to make good decisions.

Working Together

Parents can support positive behavior for their child by:

1. Requesting a copy of the School and/or Classroom Expectations Matrix.

2. Placing a copy on the refrigerator for easy reference.

3. Discussing the expectations with their child.

4. When contacted regarding problem behavior, refer to the Matrix and discuss the correct choice their child could have made. 

Thank you for your support!  Mrs. G. 😃

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COVID DATA AND SYMPTOMS

In an effort to still track return to school dates for students, we would like you to continue to notify your student's school when they have symptoms, have tested positive or have been a close contact/household contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID. Please either call 920-424-0221 or email elizabeth.lynch@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 

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Our annual Scholastic Book Fair is online this year from September 20th through October 3rd.  It may not be as fun as our in-person fair, but there are definitely some perks --  shop in your pajamas and no waiting in line to check out.  Traeger families have been so generous in past years, raising almost $10,000 in sales at our in-person fairs.  My goal is to raise at least $5,000 in sales during this two week online fair.  Books make great gifts, so don't forget to shop for those upcoming birthdays and the holidays are right around the corner.
Please click on the link below ... happy shopping!
Thanks for your support!

Mary Geffers

geffersmj@yahoo.com

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/traegerelementaryschool

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School Funding Requests on Nov. 3 Ballot

The Oshkosh Area School District has two school funding requests on the Nov. 3 ballot:

• Q1: renew existing funds for school operations

• Q2: invest capital funds to improve district school buildings

If voters approve Q1, funds would support academic programs, technology for learning and student support services - with no tax increase.

If voters approve Q2, funds would be invested in our school buildings to improve safety and accessibility, provide more flexible learning spaces, address building maintenance needs and create more cost-effective schools.

Learn more at www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us/referendum. 

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A note from Mrs. Miller media specialist

Chromebook help

If you are having technical difficulties at home with your chromebook, please email: maggie.miller@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (me) I will reach out to you and we will get your issue resolved!

E-books

Did you know that we have ebooks to check out? Watch this video to see how to do that!

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Picture Days

We have rescheduled our picture days to November 4 and 5.

In order to eliminate the mixing of cohorts, there are specific time blocks set aside for our eAcademy families: 

-November 4 - 9:00AM-11:30AM on the Stage

-November 5 - 11:00AM-1:30PM on the Stage

Follow the LINK to order online!

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Virtual Attendance/Participation

It is the parent's responsibility to take attendance (instructions below) on their child's virtual learning days. 

-If you do take attendance, it will be recorded as present and nothing will show up on your child's attendance tab.

-If you forget to take attendance, it will automatically change to "XDLD" (exempt digital learning day) at 11:59 PM.  This does not hurt your child's attendance and does not count against their 10 days.

-The system does not allow our office  to make any changes to your child's virtual day attendance.  Only the parent can check them in and if you forget, the XDLD will remain on your child's attendance.

Instructions for taking Virtual Attendance

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Wendy Dey - Paraprofessional

Hello! My name is Wendy Dey (students call me Mrs. Dey (like "eye")) and I am a paraprofessional. This is my first year at Carl Traeger Elementary but my 13th year in the district. My most recent position was working at Oakwood as a 4K para. I am so excited to get to know the students and families here at Carl Traeger. My husband Willis and I have 4 adult children. Two are out of college living their adult lives and my youngest 2 are twins and in their 3rd year of college. In my free time, I love being outside, hanging out with my family, walking my 2 dogs, and exercising at the Y. I can already tell that the Traeger School family is special and am happy to be here.

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BLUE SHIRT DAY-OCTOBER 5

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 5 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 5, 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.

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• October 5 
  • Blue Shirt Day to Stomp Out Bullying
• October 8
  • PSC 6:00
• October 14
  • Early Release
  • No 4K Classes
• October 23
  • No School

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

September 18, 2020: Issue 4

Traeger Tales

Is That a Good Choice?

Will children always make the choice we want them to make? No; and that’s okay! At times, we may be upset with decisions children make. As children grow older and become more independent, they will make more decisions on their own. It is natural to want to help children make good decisions. It can be hard to let them face a bad outcome and learn how their choices impact themselves and other people. Parents and caregivers help children to think through and make responsible choices.

Good judgement develops through practice and reflection.

What we know:

Each child is learning about life.  They are learning about how they fit in.  They are learning how what they do impacts the people and things around them. When children are told they made a bad choice, they tend to give up without fixing the problem.  When this happens they also don’t learn how to do something differently the next time.

Try this:

According to Myrna Shure’s book Raising a Thinking Child, teaching children to pause and think about what might happen before acting can help them to see different options.  Asking “what could you do different next time?” or saying, “let’s think of another option” can help a child think about other ways to problem solve. Follow these steps (outlined in our video “Perspective“) to help kids practice problem solving and make good choices:

1. First, find out what the problem is by asking your child what happened or what is the matter. Then ask how your child feels.
2. Next, ask your child what he or she did and ask how that made them feel.
3. Once you understand what happened, ask if they can think of other ways to solve the problem. Help your child to think of a several ideas and talk about which ones are best.

When we help children think about and talk about their problems, we can help them learn to make good choices. You can read more at Aha!Parenting.com about how helping your child develop good judgement builds responsibility and helps them make decisions that are right for their age. If you want to learn more you may want to sign up for a University of Wisconsin – Extension Raising a Thinking Child class. Contact your local UW-Extension office for more information.

Print this as a 1-page handout (Is That a Good Choice?, PDF).

~Mrs. G. (Source UW Extension)

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Picture Days

We will have 2 picture days this year to accommodate our A/B schedule.  They will be held on September 28 and 29 during the school day.  

In order to eliminate the mixing of cohorts, there are specific time blocks set aside for our eAcademy families: 

-September 28 - 9:00AM-11:30AM on the Stage

-September 29 - 11:00AM-1:30PM on the Stage

Follow the LINK to order online!

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Virtual Attendance/Participation

It is the parent's responsibility to take attendance (instructions below) on their child's virtual learning day. 

-If you do take attendance, it will be recorded as present and nothing will show up on your child's attendance tab.

-If you forget to take attendance, it will automatically change to "XDLD" (exempt digital learning day) at 11:59 PM.  This does not hurt your child's attendance and does not count against their 10 days.

-The system does not allow our office  to make any changes to your child's virtual day attendance.  Only the parent can check them in and if you forget, the XDLD will remain on your child's attendance.

Instructions for taking Virtual Attendance

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Jackie Chapman - ESOL Teacher

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Hello Everyone! My name is Jackie Chapman and I am teaching ESOL this school year. It is my first year teaching at Carl Traeger Elementary and I will also be working at the Middle school. I first started teaching in 2005. I've taught High School English, worked as an interventionist, and also at Bilingual school teaching fourth and fifth grade. I also own an art studio and teach painting classes! My husband, Ben and I have six children; Eli (16), Jocelyn (14), Katherine (14), Lillian (12), Simon (12), and Madeleine (9). I live in Kaukauna and I also have a cabin in the Black River Falls area. In my free time, I enjoy sewing, spending time in the woods either at our cabin or camping, spending quality time with all of my family, and traveling to new places! I am so excited about this new chapter in my life and being a part of the Traeger team!

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BLUE SHIRT DAY-OCTOBER 5 & 6

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 5 & 6, 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 7, 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.

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Happy Birthday! 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.

 

• September 28 & 29
  • Picture Days
• October 5 & 6
  • Blue Shirt Days to Stomp Out Bullying
• October 8
  • PSC 6:00
• October 14
  • Early Release
  • No 4K Classes
• October 23
  • No School

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Our annual Scholastic Book Fair is online this year from September 20th through October 3rd.  It may not be as fun as our in-person fair, but there are definitely some perks --  shop in your pajamas and no waiting in line to check out.  Traeger families have been so generous in past years, raising almost $10,000 in sales at our in-person fairs.  My goal is to raise at least $5,000 in sales during this two week online fair.  Books make great gifts, so don't forget to shop for those upcoming birthdays and the holidays are right around the corner.
Please click on the link below ... happy shopping!
Thanks for your support!

Mary Geffers

geffersmj@yahoo.com

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/traegerelementaryschool

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Welcome to the Traeger Green Team - our mission is to improve the environment and reduce our environmental impact at Traeger Elementary and in our community through education, reducing waste, recycling, minimizing our carbon footprint, and improving health & wellness.

Unfortunately, since clubs are unable to meet, we will not hold Green Team meetings this year.  Keep up your work of loving and caring for our earth, she needs us now more than ever!  "Like" the FB page Traeger Elementary, Green Nature-Ally for continued updates about our mission!

TerraCycle Recycling Programs: Colgate and Tom’s of Maine have partnered with TerraCycle.  For every item collected we receive $0.02 - back to Traeger Green Team.

The programs accept ONLY EMPTY oral hygiene products and deodorant tubes which includes - PLEASE ONLY include items listed below…. We do not want to sort through more than necessary:

• 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 outer packaging (ex. of blister packaging - not to go in curbside)

• Any brand of floss containers

• Any brand of deodorant

Due to COVID this year we are NOT collecting in school.  Please collect from your household. Families please contact Alicia Alsberg, abalsberg@gmail.com to arrange a drop off, for Traeger Elementary Staff please contact Mary Jo Vanderloop, mary.vanderloop@oshkosh.k12.wi.us. 

Traeger Elementary Green and Healthy School - Seedling School 

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Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

September 11, 2020: Issue 3

Traeger Tales

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Humankind. Be Both.

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness makes people feel good and helps develop friendships. In a recent study, kids who did kind things for others had more friends. Social and relationship skills, such as kindness, can be developed. One way to practice this skill is through random acts of kindness.

Random Act of Kindness – doing something nice for a person when it is not expected.

Social skills are the skills needed to get along with other people.

What we know:

Nine to eleven year-olds who practiced kindness had bigger circles of friends because they didn’t see some classmates as different or as outsiders. Practicing random acts of kindness helps children be more thoughtful friends.

Try this:

Help your child think of age-appropriate “random acts of kindness” they can do with you or alone. Start with nice things to do at home or in the neighborhood, like:

• clean the dishes without being asked,
• put a note that says something nice under a parent’s pillow, or
• shovel a neighbor’s sidewalk or mow their lawn.

Then help your child think about people at school they could do something nice for, such as:

• classmates who have only a few friends,
• teachers,
• school cooks,
• custodians, or
• bus drivers.

Randomactsofkindness.org has a collection of kindness ideas. Help your child think of different kindnesses for different people. For example, one day your child could let someone go ahead of him in the lunch line, the next day your child could sit with a child who eats lunch alone, and another day your child could make a thank you card for the school cooks.

Try this too:

Watch the video Kindness Boomerang – “One Day” with your child. Count each time someone is helpful. Ask them to watch what happens to the first helper at the end of the video. That is the “boomerang” effect when something is returned to you. In the video, you can see the kindness returned to the first person who helped — like a boomerang.

For fun:

Watch this remake of the same video by third graders.

~ Mrs. G. 😃  (reprinted from UW Extension)

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Infinite Campus Messenger

 

One of the benefits of our student information system, Infinite Campus, is the messenger program. Through the Parent Portal you have the option to set up your account to receive messages in your Portal Inbox, via Email, Voice, and/or Text. In order to save paper we e-mail the link to Traeger Tales. There may be times we send out a message via phone or text as well, so it is important that we have current contact information in our system.

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Madysen Weiss - First Grade Teacher

Hello! I am Madysen Weiss. I am a recent graduate from UW Oshkosh. I am working at Carl Traeger Elementary as a first-grade teacher. I’m lucky enough to be a first year teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thrive on challenges, so I am excited and ready. I have worked the past three years at the YMCA’s Summer Fun Club where I have come to know many Oshkosh students. I want to thank all the staff that have accepted me and helped me get caught up, I hope to return the favor.

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Joke of the Week!

“Knock Knock!”

“Who’s there?”

“Joke”

“Joke who?”

“Joke of the week!!”

Do you have a favorite joke or riddle that you would like to share with the school? Here’s your chance!

Every Friday morning during announcements we will be telling a joke of the week submitted by a Traeger student. Just fill out the application below and we will randomly select one joke each week. Keep in mind that your joke must be appropriate for school.

 

Student name________________________________

Grade/teacher________________________________

Please check one of the following:

____Yes, I would like to read my joke over the loudspeaker.

____No, I would prefer to have the office read my joke.

Please submit your joke on the following lines:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

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News From the Office

• When dropping off or picking up your child please do not leave your vehicle.  Children who use the circle drive should be independent.  This keeps traffic flowing.  Please practice this skill if your child does not have it mastered.

• We have a number of students who are being marked tardy.  Students need to be ready to go into school at 7:40 when the bell rings so they can be in their classrooms at 7:45.  If you arrive when or after the bell rings your child will not likely make it to class on time.

• After school supervision is provided until the circle drive is cleared.  If you are late picking up your child you will need to buzz the office.

• It is imperative that Infinite Campus contact information is accurate.  If phone numbers change please update your account or call the office so we can make changes.  

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Book Fair Update

Welcome back!!  We cannot have our annual Book Fair and Ice Cream Social this year, that would have taken place next week, September 15-18.  Stay tuned for more information on an online Book Fair.

 

• September 16
  • Early Release at 12:30
  • No 4K Classes
• September 28 & 29
  • Picture Days

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PSC Agenda: Thursday 9/10/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Who are we?

PSC Board Members                     President: Nichole Casper

Vice President: Holly Emons         Co-Secretaries: Jessica Graf and Heather Swenson

Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

 

• Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson

  • Mrs. G: Slideshow on site budgets and why we need PSC funds.

    • Examples of items funded by site budget: tables, chairs, doors, birthday/classroom/guided reading books, art/gym/music supplies, celebrations, and much more. With a limited budget and so many high cost items we need PSC funds to help.

  • Jen: Went over Excel document on this year's budget. 

    • Amazon Smile - could be a larger donation to school than the past with more promotion and information sent out to families.  

    • Box Tops - Last donation received Jan 2020. Jen S. and Jen B. will look into this.

    • A lot of zeros for events that may not happen because of Covid restrictions. 

      • • Some events cancelled or on hold: Craft Fair, Ice Cream Socials, Funset, Bingo Night, Boosterthon, Family Nights, Veterans Day

        • Some events still going on: Culvers (Eventually), Herd, Open Gym, Possibly Online Book Fair (Mary Geffers)

• Budget: Sheri Schmidt Motion Approved, 2nd by Emma Hill. Motion Carried

• Added reimbursement for Mrs.G for classroom equipment. Motion to add to budget - Sheri . 2nd - Katie Z. 

• Photo Fundraiser - Heather Swenson 

  • Oct. 17th at 10:30AM and Oct. 24th at 4:00pm. Rain days - Oct 18th and 31st. 1 Location, 1 photographer. 15 minute session- 60% of funds go to PSC. $95 for 5 lightly edited photo prints and a disk. Cattail Creek Photography.  Could use 1 or 2 volunteers. Sarah Bradway and Amanda Sue Hurray volunteered.

  • Flyer will be printed at school and put in mailboxes next week. Online sign up will be active right away.

• Committee Chair Update - Holly Emmons 

  • Need Chairs for: All covered for now (until we have more fundraisers), will revisit at the January Meeting.

• Spiritwear Update  - Nichole Casper

  • Nichole will send some designs to the school next week. 15% back to school. Her plan is to change the designs quarterly.

• Citywide PTO Meeting - September 17; 6:00; Central office

  • Representative: Nichole will try to go to next week's meeting. We are looking for future representatives.  

• Ideas for Covid safe fundraisers? 

  • Us Cellular - Sheri Schmidt

  • Dec. Cupcakes, Nov. Cheesecakes  - Holly Emons

  • OshPop, Zaronis - Jess Graf 

  • Eaton’s Pizza - Heather

  • Asked participants to look into more ideas and bring them to the  October PSC Meeting. 

• Virtual Watch Party: For upcoming referendum. Reach out to Mrs. G. if you want an invite. 

• Motion to end meeting: Jen S. 2nd Motion: Liza O. 

Upcoming Events/Any Questions? Next PSC Meeting is October 8th

Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

September 4, 2020: Issue 2

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. 😃   

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IMPORTANT CONFERENCE DATES 2020-2021!!  MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

November 5 and November 10 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.

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Early Release Days

School will dismiss at 12:30 PM on the following Wednesdays:

• September 16
• October 14
• November 11 
• December 9
• January 6
• February 10
• March 10
• April 14
• May 12

Please mark your calendars! There will be NO 4K classes on these dates.

Staff will be participating in various collaboration sessions on these early dismissal days.  Their work day is actually extended beyond the regular work day to allow for large blocks of collaboration time as a team, building, or district.

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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.

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Ordering something from Amazon? We have a great way you can start supporting our school while shopping on Amazon. Instead of going to amazon.com, simply go to Amazon Smile at www.smile.amazon.com and designate “Carl Traeger PSC Carl Traeger Elementary” as your charitable organization or go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1912920 and click on “Start Shopping.” Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Carl Traeger PSC whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Thanks for helping make our school amazing!

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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

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Morning Drop Off

Children may arrive at 7:30 and enter their assigned door to go to their classroom.  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.  Only 4K parents may accompany their child to the playground doors. Please ensure that your child is dropped off in time to enter the building through their assigned door.  Children should be wearing their masks during this time as there is a potential for congestion.

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WELCOME TO THE PACK

Hannah Groth - Kindergarten Teacher

Hello everyone! My name is Hannah Groth and I will be teaching kindergarten this year. I graduated from UWO in May. This is my first year teaching and I am excited to be back at Traeger. I was a practicum student and I student taught here. I am originally from the LaCrosse area. I grew up in a small town called West Salem. I love the Fox Valley and I am excited to start my teaching career here. In my free time, I enjoy traveling (although COVID ruined my summer plans...), being outdoors, reading, and spending time with my family. I have had such great experiences at Traeger and I am so thrilled to be apart of the Traeger family. I look forward to meeting & working with you all this year!

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News From the Office

• Student hours for 2020-21 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.

• Parents need to log into Infinite Campus on your child's virtual days to submit your attendance.  Instructions are at the LINK.

• 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! Our first Early Release day is September 16. Students will be dismissed at 12:30pm. There are no 4K classes on Early Release days. Please make arrangements for your child to be picked up.

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• September 10
  • Virtual PSC meeting at 6:00pm
• September 16
  • Early Release at 12:30
  • No 4K Classes
• September 28 & 29
  • Picture Days

PSC Agenda 

Thursday 9/10/2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

LINK to Zoom meeting

Who are we?

PSC Board Members

President: Nichole Casper

Vice President: Holly Emons
Co-Secretaries: Jessica Graf and Heather Swenson

Treasurer: Jen Sorensen

 

1. Budget Update  - Jen Sorenson
    

2. Photo Fundraiser - Heather Swenson
    

3. Committee Chair Update - Holly Emmons
    

4. Spiritwear Update  - Nichole Casper

 

5. Citywide PTO Meeting

 

6. Ideas for Covid safe fundraisers?

 

Upcoming Events/Any Questions?

 

Carl Traeger
Elementary School 

 

August 2020: Issue 1

Traeger Tales

ANOTHER GREAT YEAR BEGINS!

Carl Traeger Elementary is gearing up for the 2020-2021 school year!  Classroom and building preparations are underway as we anxiously await the arrival of students!  The first day of school is Tuesday, September 1, and it will be here before you know it!  

We have a lot of enrollment changes this summer which has resulted in some shifting of staff.  We had to redo our class lists, so parents will be notified later normal this year about class placement.  Once we have everything finalized you will receive information about your child's placement.  Teachers will then be reaching out to schedule a Get to Know You Conference.  

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 meeting the teacher prior to the first day 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 21st 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 tenth 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 34 years.   Our son, CJ, is 31 and our daughter, Emma, is 29. 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.  During the pandemic we took on a lot of projects around the house.  

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 😃

Early Dismissal Wednesdays

Please mark your calendars for the early dismissal dates this year.  The city bus does pick up on early dismissal days, but we need to call them to stop at Traeger.   Please call the office if your child will be riding the city bus on early release days so we can ensure that the city bus stops at school.

School will dismiss at 12:30 on the following Wednesdays.  There are NO 4K classes on Early Release Days:

• September 16
• October 14
• November 11
• December 9
• January 6
• February 10
• March 10
• April 14
• May 12

Staff will be participating in various collaboration sessions on these early dismissal days.  Their work day is actually extended beyond the regular work day to allow for large blocks of collaboration time as a team, building, or district.

Carl Traeger Elementary Classroom Teachers 2020-2021

4K

Mrs. Gibson & Mrs. Gorski

Kindergarten

Mrs. Ballard, Ms. Groth & Mrs. VanHeuklon

First Grade

Mrs. Cardinal, Mrs. Martin & Ms. Weiss

Second Grade

Ms. Moon, Mrs. Sopata & Mrs. Witt

Second/Third Grade

Mrs. Lepper

Third Grade

Mrs. Branson, Mrs. Gustrafson & Mrs. Trebiatowski

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Kordus & Mrs. Wolff

Fourth/Fifth Grade

Mr. Amel

Fifth Grade

Mrs. Nyman & Mrs. Purtell

eAcademy

Mr. Clark, Ms. Konen, & Mrs. Pinkerton

We had several staffing changes over the summer.  Mrs. Rindo (ELL) and Mr. Kleinhans (APE) have been reassigned to other buildings.   Mrs. Liebergen resigned and Mrs. Druecke took a position in another district closer to home.  Best wishes to Mrs. Wolosek who retired.  We also have several name changes due to summer weddings!  Ms. Cornell is now Mrs. Kidd; Ms. Klinka is now Mrs. Gustafson and Ms. Gross is now Mrs. Ballard.

Please welcome our new staff:  Hannah Groth who is joining the kindergarten team.  Madysen Weiss is joining our first grade team.  Hannah Moon will be teaching second grade.  Jackie Chapman will be serving English language learners and Corey Knudsen will be teaching adaptive physical education.  Jordan Blevins has joined our paraprofessional team.  We are still looking to fill several paraprofessional positions. 

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 COVID-19 procedures.

• Student hours for 2020-2021 are 7:45-2:45. 

• In an effort to provide safety and security, the doors remained locked before, during and after the school day.  

• Due to the pandemic, breakfast will be served in the classroom.  We will NOT have early arrival time for breakfast this year.

• Students may arrive at 7:30am-no earlier.  Students should wear their mask when they are dropped off or arrive on school grounds and go directly to their classroom through their pod door.  Students should NOT be playing on the playground before school.  More specific information will be provided closer to the start of school.

• 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.

• Due to the pandemic we are not able to have guests for lunch this year or have volunteers in the building. 

 

• September 1
  • First Day of School!
• September 7
  • No School - Labor Day
• September 10
  • Virtual PSC meeting at 6:00pm
• September 16
  • Early Release at 12:30
  • No 4K Classes
• September 29
  • Picture Day

               WE ARE IN NEED OF NOON HOUR                  CAFETERIA SUPERVISORS

Do you enjoy interacting with children and being a positive role model?  Have we got an opportunity for you!  

TIME NEEDED: 10:30 AM -12:30 PM Monday thru Friday

DUTIES: Supervise students in the lunchroom

REQUIREMENTS:

• Noon Hour Supervisor Application

• Criminal Background Report Authorization

(included in application packet)

• Tuberculin Skin Test Certification (WI. Statute 118.25)

• Visit Oshkosh Area School District Central Office to fill out paperwork in the payroll office

If interested please contact the Carl Traeger Elementary office at 424-0221.

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.”

 

 

June 3, 2020

May 29, 2020

May 22, 2020

May 15, 2020

May 8, 2020

May 1, 2020

April 24, 2020

April 17, 2020

April 9, 2020

April 3, 2020

March 20, 2020

March 13, 2020

March 6, 2020

February 28, 2020

February 21, 2020

February 14, 2020

February 7, 2020

January 31, 2020

January 24, 2020

January 17, 2020

January 10, 2020

December 20, 2019

December 13, 2019

December 6, 2019

November 22,2019

November 15, 2019

November 8, 2019

November 1, 2019

October, 24, 2019

October 18. 2019

October 11, 2019

October 4, 2019

September 27, 2019

September 20, 2019

September 13, 2019

September 6, 2019

August 2019