January 2025
IN THIS ISSUE
- Winter Gear Remindeer
- PBIS Update
- Monthly SEL update
- Dental Bus Sign-ups!
- December's Tree-Mendous Students
- Events & Dates
- Spirit Week Dress up Days
- Art News
- Yearbook Update
- ALPS Applications
- K-KIDS Meeting
- Family Nights per grade
- OASD Upcoming Events
- PSC Agenda (Nov.)
CONTACT
Carl Traeger Elementary
3000 W. 20th Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54904
920.424.0221
kendall.sander@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
Principal Message - January
Dear Carl Traeger Elementary Families,
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2025! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and an enjoyable winter break with your family and friends! It will be fun and exciting to be back together as our school and classroom families as the new year starts!
As we start back at school with our long winter months ahead, students will be reviewing expectations and processes around the school of what it means to follow the Pride of the Pack: Respectful, Responsible, Safe and Trustworthy. This will include a booster week the first full week back in January where classes will get to earn acknowledgements as a class for following the Traeger Way. Please review those expectations with your student at home. They can be found in our school handbook from the beginning of the year and are linked on our website.
Sincerely,
Kristin Burgert
If your Student forgets their boots or snow pants, they will play on the blacktop during both recesses.
Thank You !
PBIS UPDATE
Every classroom has a Safe Place. When children are overwhelmed by their emotions, they can go to that location’s Safe Place to calm down.
If your student finds this helpful at school, you could create a Safe Place at home. They might like to set it up in a room, a closet, their bed, a pop-up tent, or any quiet place a child can go. Ask them to think of things that calm them and include those in the space. You could add fidgets, art supplies, puzzles, journals, breathing techniques etc. If you need help, reach out to your child’s teacher.
JANUARY SEL:
This month’s SEL (Social Emotional Learning) key topic is Self-Management. Self Management is the ability to manage emotions and relate to feelings/thoughts in healthy and helpful ways. To grow your abilities in this area, you can practice executive functioning skills such as organization, planning and study habits.
Dental Bus still has openings here at Traeger. If you're interested, please fill out the form. Click the Bus Image for access. Great opportunity for teeth cleaning and more!
December TREE-Mendous Students
JANUARY EVENTS & DATES
January 7th - 2nd Grade Family Night 3:45 - 5:15pm.
January 14th - Kindergarten Family Night 4:00 - 5:30pm. AND PSC Meeting in Library at 6pm.
January 15th - ACCESS testing begins in school
January 16th - 5th Grade D.A.R.E graduation Ceremony from 8 - 8:30am.
January 17th - 2nd Quarter Celebration
January 18th - OASD Art Show from 4-7pm at the Masonic Center
January 19th - PSC Family Fun Night at Funset Order Tickets now!)
January 20th - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21st - NO SCHOOL for Students - PD/Record Keeping Inservice for Teachers
January 22nd - Dress Up Day : PJ / Cozy Clothes Day
January 23rd - Dress Up Day: Favorite Movie Character Day
January 24th - Dress Up Day: Crazy Mismatch / Backwards Day
January 27th - 3rd Grade Family Night 4:30 - 6:00pm.
January 28th - K-Kids Meeting in Creation Station 2:45 - 4:00pm.
January 31st - 2nd Grade Field Trip to Discovery World in Milwaukee
News from the Art Room
Hello Traeger Families! As we ring in the new year, we have much to celebrate. We had an amazing time during our clay unit in December. All Kindergarten through fifth grade students successfully created clay projects and learned so much about ceramics. We are especially thankful for all of the paraprofessionals that accompany students to Art class and our Art intern Miss Loest, who spent countless hours planning, wedging clay, cleaning the room and teaching. Her extensive knowledge of ceramics made this clay unit the best in my memory. Thank you!
Students enjoyed building with clay after finishing their pieces.
When challenged with creating his own name, Clayton P. spelled out the names of his entire family! Hailey D.’s clay bird is reading a book. Olivia G. was caught finishing up her dragon eye.
In January we will load the kiln and fire all of the clay projects so that they become rock hard and ready to paint or glaze.
Amazing job, everyone!
Coming up we have an art display at the district’s Central Administration and a large show at the Oshkosh Masonic Center. More news will come out about that shortly!
Items needed for the Art room:
- Amazon gift bags for a Rajasthani Indian puppet project
- Bubble wrap/bubble wrap mailing envelopes for sending home clay projects
- Paper grocery bags for taking artwork home
- Yarn - Any type, color or amount
With much gratitude-
-Mrs. Harmon
We have our Yearbook Contest Winner for 2024 - 2025
Winner: Hazel in Mrs. Nyman's Class
Oshkosh's Advanced Learning Program has opened their application forms for next school year.
Click on the image for more enrollment information!
Mental Wellness Check-Ups for Carl Traeger Elementary 5th Grade Students!
The Oshkosh Area School District has partnered with Samaritan Wellness Screen since 2014. During that time, Wellness Screen has offered thousands of free and confidential mental health screens to middle and high school students. To identify potential mental health concerns earlier, ALL fifth-grade families will be offered the opportunity to participate this school year using Wellness Screen’s new screening model. Both parents/guardians and students can complete the screen. Parents/Guardians are experts on their children, but identifying internal symptoms such as depression and anxiety becomes more challenging as children enter pre-adolescence. Participation in screening helps identify potential concerns early on when they may be easier to treat.
Look for more information regarding Wellness Screen throughout this school year. For additional information and/or questions please visit: samaritan-counseling.
Oshkosh Schools Academy: Learn More About Your School District
Do you want to learn more about how the Oshkosh Area School District works? The Oshkosh Schools Academy is a new six-month program designed to give community members an inside look at the district’s mission, priorities, and initiatives. (See FLYER)
Program Details:
- Start Date: January 17, 2025
- Meeting Dates: One Friday a month from 7:30 - 9 a.m. (OASD Administration Office)
- January 17, February 14, March 14, April 4, May 9, June 13
- Topics Covered:
- District operations and governance
- Leadership principles
- Academic priorities (e.g., reading, student wellness)
- Community engagement opportunities
Participants will attend monthly sessions, engage in a book study, and interact directly with district leaders and staff. This is a great way to get involved and make a positive impact on public education in Oshkosh!
How to Apply:
- Application Deadline: December 11, 2024
- Limited Spots: 20-30 participants. If more than 30 apply, selections will be made randomly.
- Those not selected will be placed on the waiting list for the 2025-2026 program.
Apply Today: Visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/district/oshkosh-schools-academy to learn more and submit your application.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the Oshkosh Area School District!
SAVE THE DATE: OASD MLK Day Celebration
Date: Monday, January 20, 2025 Time: 8 AM Location: Vel Phillips Middle School - Attrium
Join us for the inaugural MLK Day Celebration hosted by the Oshkosh Area School District on January 20, 2025. (See Flyer.) This community event will include:
- Continental Breakfast
- Community connections
- Keynote speaker
- MLK essay contest winners
- And more!
RSVP Required: While the event is free, guests must RSVP in advance for planning purposes. Students and children must be accompanied by a guardian.
Complete the registration form here: RSVP: OASD MLK Day Celebration 2025
For additional details, visit oshkosh.k12.wi.us/MLK-Day.
Questions? Contact Anthony Miller Jr., OASD Director of Community Engagement & Equity, at anthony.miller@oshkosh.k12.wi.us or 920.718.4309.
We look forward to celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with you!
Families are invited to the best indoor playground and arcade around! Join us at Funset for an exclusive CTE offer plus a portion of the proceeds go to our PSC. Wristband price is $6 each and adults are free (wristbands must be purchased in advance).
Forms will be sent home with children soon, so you can complete and return that with the appropriate payment via cash or check, or you can fill out the online form on PTBoard at https://traeger.ptboard.com/fo
Mark your calendars and be sure to bring the whole family for an evening full of fun!
* All PSC events and fundraisers are some great options we're all able to participate in if interested. The organizations we’ve partnered with provide our CTE PSC a portion of the proceeds, so that if families are looking for something to do in the area, they have great options like these that also benefit our school and bring the community into their businesses as well. Please do not feel obligated to attend or participate. We understand some of these events occur around the same time, so when we share the details on social media, it can seem like a lot. Again, this is just to offer different opportunities if you’re on the hunt for interactive and entertaining activities in and around Oshkosh.
PSC Agenda for upcoming meeting
01/14/2025, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Library Media Center or LINK to join virtually
PSC Mission Statement: The purpose of the Carl Traeger Elementary Parents and Staff for Children (PSC) organization is to serve in a voluntary, supportive and cooperative role bringing home, school and the community together; to make all children, parents and staff feel important, special, capable and a part of the community, to support Carl Traeger Elementary school by providing necessary resources for childrens’ educational benefit.
Who are we? PSC Officers:
- President: Nichole Casper
- Vice President: Megan Paulik
- Events & Volunteer Coordinator: Megan Paulik
- Communication & Outreach Coordinator: Kelly Zanders
- Co-Treasurers: Jolene Halbach & Nick Zanders
- Secretary: Kenlin Grams
1. Icebreaker-
2. Upcoming Fundraisers & Events
- Traeger Family Night at Funset Boulevard (Sunday, January 19th)
- Restaurant Days-January-Red Robin (Megan) & February-Eaton’s Pizza (Karisa)
- Trivia Night at Gabe’s
- Field Day Sponsors
- Bingo Night
3. Fundraiser/Event Updates
- K-2 Post Concert Social
- Brighten Someone’s Holiday
- Family Paint Night (December 6th)
- Restaurant Days-Rocky Rococo’s (December 17th)
4. Treasurer Report - Jolene
5. Future Agenda Items:
- Funset Boulevard Update- (January 19th)
- Restaurants Days-Red Robin Update (January)
6. Questions
7. Next Meeting Date: February 11, 2025
8. Motion to Adjour