principal's coffee spelling bee patch elementary school stallion news

PATCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STALLION NEWS
Friday, January 8, 2010 Issue 15
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide an exemplary education that inspires and prepares all DoDEA
students for success in a dynamic, global environment.
Contents
Principal’s Coffee 1
Spelling Bee 1
PTA News 2
Reflections Program 2
Kids With Character 3
Spotlight on Literacy 3
Child Find Screenings 3
PRINCIPAL’S COFFEE
Are you new to our school or do you have a question or concern about
any aspect of the school program If so, then you are encouraged to
attend the January Principal’s Coffee. Bring your questions and
concerns to our school Principal, Dr. Robert Allen, for an informal
question and answer session. We will meet on Monday, January 11 at
8:10 in the school office. Our PTA will provide delicious refreshments,
so please come join us.
Important Dates 4
Walking Dogs Safely 4
Cold Weather 4
Monthly Calendar 5
Things may
come to those
who wait, but
only the things
left by those
who hustle.
~Abraham
Lincoln
SPELLING BEE
We will have grade-level bees for Grade 3 on Tuesday, January 12 at
8:50 a.m.; Grade 4 on Wednesday, January 13 at 1:15 p.m.; and Grade
5 on Thursday, January 14 at 1:15 p.m. They will be held in the
school lobby. At this time, the four finalists from each grade-level
will be announced. The final bee will be held on Wednesday, January
27 at 8:15 a.m. to determine the school champion.
There are still available spaces for those who would like to
participate. In order to take part in this event, please return the
permission slip following this newsletter signed by a parent. An
informal bee for grades K-2 will be held in February. If you have any
questions, please stop by Mrs. D’s classroom, Room 405, any day
after school or contact her by e-mail.
Parents of children in grades 3-5 may help their children by discussing
the spelling bee and encouraging them to participate. Word lists, study
hints, and rules are located on the National Spelling Bee website,
www.spellingbee.com, under the section for students and parents.
You will also find a Word Study List at the end of this newsletter.

Page 2 of 4
PTA NEWS
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED!
The PTA is looking for one or two people to chair/cochair
the school's Used Book Fair. The event is
usually held in January or February. This is a fun and
comparatively simple job, so please consider sharing
some of your time with us. We are also looking for
someone to coordinate the school’s Spring Pictures.
If you have questions or would like more information
please contact BC.
REFLECTIONS ART
PROGRAM
Judging for the 2009-10 Reflections Art Program has
been completed. Thank you to the teachers who
strongly supported the program and to all those students
who participated. With so many talented entries, the
judges found their jobs very challenging. This year’s
competition has proven to be the best ever!
Congratulations to all those who placed:
Visual Arts, Primary Division:
Emma, First Place
Perry, Second Place
Maia, Third Place
Madison, Award of Merit
Daniel, Award of Merit
School Newsletter
Visual Arts, Intermediate Division
Gabrielle, First Place
Damon, Second Place
Michaela, Third Place
Amanda, Award of Merit
SCHOOL T-SHIRT AND
SWEATSHIRT SALES
Did you know that every Friday is Spirit Day Why
not show your school spirit with a school T-shirt or
sweatshirt Starting January 12, T-shirts will be sold
in the school lobby on Tuesdays from 7:45-8:15 and
Thursdays from 2:15-2:45. In addition to a new
design for 2010, we are also now selling sweatshirts.
These can be previewed during the sale hours listed
above and must be ordered. Please see the attached
order form for more information or contact KT.
Thank you for supporting student spirit in our school!
PTA MEETING
Please attend the next PTA Meeting on January 11,
at 11:30 a.m. in the Information Center. Some topics
to be discussed are the upcoming Sock Hop and the
Used Book Fair.
Dance, Primary Division
Nicholas, First Place
Musical Composition, Intermediate Division
Isabella, First Place
Literature, Intermediate Division
Mika, First Place
Damon, Second Place
Madeline, Third Place
Anna, Award of Merit
Sara, Award of Merit
Photography, Primary Division
Annika, First Place
Photography, Intermediate Division
Annie, First Place
First place entries will advance to the European PTA
level of judging to be held in February.

Page 3 of 4
School Newsletter
KIDS WITH CHARACTER
JANUARY:
PERSEVERENCE
Each week, your PES Guidance & Counseling
Program will highlight a student from each class
who demonstrates the character trait of the month.
The character trait for this month is Perseverance.
Do you keep trying until you succeed Do you never
give up Are you able to overcome poor decisions
Do you learn from your mistakes If we answer yes,
we demonstrate perseverance. Difficult tasks are
challenges to be overcome with perseverance. When
we complete difficult tasks it gives us a sense of
accomplishment. We all make mistakes at times.
With perseverance, we can learn from our poor
decisions and correct our mistakes.
Award Recipients for the
Week of December 14
SPOTLIGHT
ON LITERACY
Start the New Year off right: Resolve to raise a reader!
Many New Year’s resolutions focus on developing healthy
habits. Here’s one that is important to make and keep:
provide a regular diet of books and reading for your child.
Reading Rockets offers these tips:
Read every day. A daily reading routine of at least 20
minutes will give all readers in your family a chance to get
cozy & expand horizons.
Do things, then talk about it. New experiences (visiting
a castle, zoo, or museum), as well as routine experiences
(commissary, park, a walk), can be educational. Discuss
and use interesting words to describe what you are seeing.
Ask for your child’s opinions.
Read everywhere you go. You can find reading on the
road, in the store and at the restaurant. Play a game to find
words and/or meanings when you are out and about or take
a look at home for words on everyday items like cereal
boxes, toothpaste, and household appliances.
Be a reading role model. Your child wants to imitate you
and be like you. Have plenty of reading material for
yourself as well as your child. Tell your child how much
you enjoy reading.
CHILD FIND SCREENINGS
Department of Defense Dependents Schools provide an
ongoing Child Find program to identify children with special
needs. If you have concerns about your child’s development
in the areas of language, speech, self-help skills, social skills,
thinking skills or motor coordination, and he or she is 3 to 5
years old, you may want to have your child screened for
possible delays. Please call DSN 430-5200, CIV 0711-680-
5200 to make an appointment for a screening.
Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
-Newt Gingrich

Page 4 of 4
School Newsletter
WALKING DOGS SAFELY
Jan. 11
IMPORTANT DATES
Principal’s Coffee, 8:10 a.m.
School Office
Jan. 11 PTA Meeting, 11:30
Information Center
Jan. 12-14
Jan. 18
Jan. 19
3 rd -5 th Grade Spelling Bees
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
No School for Students
AR Night, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Information Center
School Newsletter
Some families choose to walk their dogs while
bringing their children to school and meeting them at
2:30. While we continue to ask for your support in
maintaining the school courtyard dog free, there is
another concern about safety while walking dogs to
and from the school area. Some dogs, especially when
on leashes, are likely to "rough house" with other
dogs. When there are other dogs nearby, please let
them pass by to create a less disruptive situation.
When the dogs rough house it frightens some of the
children, and it is difficult for them to begin their
school day. Please maintain clear pathways for
children to walk through to and from school. Your
continued support for the well being of our students is
greatly appreciated.
Jan. 27
Jan. 28
Jan. 29
Feb. 1
Feb. 4
Feb. 5
Feb. 8
Final Spelling Bee
End of Second Quarter
Teacher Record Keeping Day
No School for Students
Beginning of Third Quarter
School Advisory Committee Meeting
3:00 p.m., Information Center
Parent-Teacher Conferences
No School for Students
Principal’s Coffee, 8:10 a.m.
School Office
Robert Allen, Principal
Ron Lathrop, Assistant Principal
Telephone: 0711-680-5200
430-5200 (DSN)
www.patch-es.eu.dodea.edu
Frank Roehl
Heidelberg District Superintendent
Telephone: 06221-7590-2312
388-9383 (DSN)
COLD WEATHER
IS HERE!
Now that cold snowy weather is in full swing, please
be sure that your child is dressed in layers of warm
clothing before setting out for school each morning.
We make every effort to ensure that students get at
least some fresh air and exercise on a daily basis.
They are scheduled to have 15 minutes of recess in the
morning as well as 20 minutes of recess after lunch. It
is a significant part of our education program. If
weather permits, students will have supervised outdoor
recess, if only for five minutes or so. Warm coats
with zippers that work, hats and gloves are a must.
Students are given the option to remain in the cafeteria
for their recess time if they do not wish to go outside.
PAPER-RECYCLING
This week, our Student Council began its new paperrecycling
program. Council members will be
collecting paper from classrooms twice a week, and
already it has been a huge success. On Wednesday,
January 6, the first day of the program, over 76
pounds of paper were collected!