February 2013 - PSD - Poudre School District

Page 1 L inton Elementary Sch oo l New sletter Febr uary 2013
Upcoming Events…
February 27th
Skating Party at
Rollerland
March 1st-Read A
Thon sponsored by
PTO
Schools on the Move
forms due March 4th
March 4th-Student
Wellness Committee
Meeting 7:30 AM
March 5th PTO
Meeting 6:30-8:00
PM
March 13th Class
Picture Day
March 14th Music
Program for 3rd
Grade
March 15th-NO
SCHOOL Teacher
Work Day
NO SCHOOL the
week of March18th-
Spring Break
Monday, March 25 th
is Linton Night at
Firehouse Subs! 10%
of your total will
come directly back
to Linton for ECO
Week next year. We
continue to hold
fundraisers so the
ECO cost to families
can stay as LOW as
possibly can. PLEASE
consider coming out
and helping support
ECO at Linton!
Thoughts from your Principal
“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is
someone today”. ~Stacia Tauscher
February brings the 100 th Day of School, the Winter Family Dance, Kindergarten
Orientation, Valentine’s Parties, School of Choice applications, and hopes for still
more snow.
As we continue to plan for the remaining 80 days of school, we continue to focus
on providing an exceptional learning environment for ALL students. Our staff
continues to look at data and best practice information as we continually strive
for excellence.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions this time of year…………..
We rarely have room to take any School of Choice students. We typically have
a few spots for incoming kindergartners, but our neighborhood enrollment
is solid and we have a waiting list for virtually all grade levels.
Our staffing process will begin in a few weeks. This involves input from staff,
SAC, and PTO. As always, I will continue to communicate our student
count, our overall budget, and information about our discussions.
Class placement is also right around the corner. Watch for more information
in the March Newsletter for the steps to this process and how families
can provide input.
Yes, our building will be “closed” this summer during all the construction. You
will be so pleased with our added security, building “updates”, and new
playground!
Please continue to read this newsletter, as it is truly packed with lots of celebrations
and updates for our families.
We hope to see you at school very soon!
Fondly,
Kristin W. Stolte
March 28th-All
School Art Show
Advertising in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by Poudre School District.

Page 2 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
Congratulations to Ms.
Adams!
Ms. Adams was the K99
Tuesday Teacher of the
Week last week! Woo
hoo!
Thanks to Nicole West for organizing our Valentine Dance! Thanks also
to the many volunteers…including the 4 th grade team…..and our
wonderful band, “You Get What You Pay For”.
Red Cross is the WINNER!
Thank you to everyone
who donated to our
Penny Wars! As you
know, students Blake
Templeton and Dana
Ordonez-Sanchez
organized and promoted
our Penny Wars against
Kruse Elementary.
And………….Linton came in
just over $800.00, and
Kruse came in at just over
$1200.00!
Congratulations to both
schools and both sets of
student leaders!

Page 3 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
We had another great year for Battle of the
Books! Ms. Scheirman would like to thank all of the
coaches who volunteered their time to work with
the reading teams this year. Thanks for supporting
our school! The Linton PTO also provides most of
the financial support to keep this program running
at Linton, so a HUGE thanks to them as well. The
following 3 teams will represent Linton at the
District Battle of the Books on April 4th with Lopez,
O'Dea, Traut, and Tavelli.
3rd Grade
Dyson Diaz
Milo Anderson
Josh Sommer
Parker Allen
4th Grade
Owen Preston
Mason Helm
Joseph Connor
Jacob Iverson
5th Grade
Sydney Purnell
Megan Morales
Jocelyn Burnside
For a complete list of teams click here
Congratulations to Rafael Boyle!
Rafael won the Linton Spelling
Bee….and advanced to the PSD
competition…and advanced
again……..and now has advanced to
the state level! He is the ONLY 4 th
grader in PSD to advance to state.
We are proud of you, Rafael!

Page 4 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
Linton’s Playground Update:
The playground design committee is moving right along. We have had several meetings
since the last update and it looks like we are very close to finalizing the plans. Here is a brief
summary of the work that we have accomplished. The team first had to decide on the overall
layout of the playground and what surfaces will be needed and the possible placement
of new structures and game areas. After much deliberation of layout, our next step was to
decide on free standing structures and features that would be attached to the main structure
so we went to the students for feedback. The student wellness team discussed the pros
and cons of a variety of climbers, swings, slides and monkey bars. I was so impressed with
their discussion on safety, what would be more suitable for primary or intermediate and of
course the fun factor! After the student wellness team’s feedback we took it to the Linton
student body. During one of their recent lunch periods several student wellness members
went around and surveyed the students in kindergarten all the
way through fifth grade. We currently have the data they collected
and will use it to complete the design process by the end of
February. It has been an exciting process and observing the kids
in this process has been wonderful. When all design plans are
complete and we are within budget a prototype will be unveiled
to the whole Linton school.
COURTSIDE: with Mr. Ranglos
LINTON PHYSICAL EDUCATION
We have moved into a very exciting and highly anticipated part of our PE curriculum this February for 3 rd ,
4 th , and 5 th grade. The badminton unit is in full swing! This is an exciting sport and one that I probably enjoy
teaching more than any of the others, and I enjoy them all! Our basketball unit finished up at the end of
January and I am impressed with the amount of skill and gameplay development that was made. Primary
grade levels performed wonderfully with their basketball skills and are not starting “pickle ball” and paddle
ball, both lead-ups to badminton.
Congratulations to the “Celtics, our Team Champions from the 5 th grade Intramural Basketball season. We
had a total of 5 teams playing 3 on 3 in a round robin regular season and culminating with the post season
tournament. We will start Badminton Intramurals, which will include singles and doubles play, February
19 th . Track and field qualifying for the annual District Track meet for 4 th and 5 th grade will take place during
Intramural times after spring break.
We also started another new enrichment opportunity in PE, the “Badminton Club”, which meets Tuesday
and Thursday mornings at 7:30-8:10. The kids that have been coming have had a great time and the focus
of the program is for “fun and gameplay”. The club will end the 28 th of February so there are only four more
days left to take part. We will certainly have this activity next year as well. Spring Mileage Club will start after
spring break.
“Schools on the Move” logs will need to be turned in no later than March 4, 2013. Please make sure all logs
are filled out properly with the child’s name, grade, school and class. Please also fill out the questions and
indicate the t-shirt size needed. Any logs turned in late will not be counted and t-shirts or prizes will not be
awarded.
I really do appreciate the students here at Linton. We have had great year so far in PE and I look forward to
having a strong spring. Field Day will be here before we know it!!!!!!
Mr. Ranglos

Page 5 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
Media/Technology News
Join us for Early Bird Reader Club on Tuesday mornings from 7:50-8:20! No Sign up required-just
come in, relax, and read!
Ask your Kindergartner about a new computer program we tried called Key Skills.
The kids are reviewing sight words, building compound words, and sorting vocabulary
words.
Ask your 1st Grader about making their own personal flags on Pixie after learning
about the American flag.
Ask your 2nd Grader about their state posters we are making.
We are almost done!
Ask your 3rd Grader to tell you the three ways to search for
books on the online catalog.
Ask your 4th Grader about a book called The Boy Who Loved
Words. Which word were they an expert on
Ask your 5th Grader about different ways to take notes. Can they tell you the difference
between trash words and treasure words
Art Room News:
This month in the art room we have been focusing on various artists and
art styles. Fifth grade and Kindergarten are both working on self-portraits,
the former being inspired by the Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein. Fourth grade
is working on chalk drawings inspired by the work of Georgia
O’Keefe. Third grade has finished up some horse drawings based on the “
Blue Horse” by Franz Marc. Second Grade also just completed a blue work
based on the popular “blue dog” series by George Rodriguez.
Looking forward, the school art show is scheduled for March 28 th , this will
be a new experience for me, but the goal is to
show one work of art for each student in our
school. Sometime after the art show, students
will begin to bring home some of the
work they have produced this year. Putting
artwork in picture frames, even old ones
found at yard sales, can make student artwork
something great to look at forever.

Page 6 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
If you need access to a computer, please come on
over to the school. You are welcome to use one of the
computers here in the building to fill out your survey.

Page 7 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
Music Notes!
Our four Honor Choir participates are McKaiden Ayraud, Joanna Olsen, Ben Poulsen and Sydney Purnell.
They have been practicing with a choir of 100 singers from every school in PSD and will perform on February
26, 2013 at 7 PM at the Lincoln Center..
LINTON MUSIC PROGRAMS 2013
Honor Choir Performance ~ February 26, 2013,
7:00 PM at the Lincoln Center
Grade 3
March 14- 7:00 PM in the Linton Gymnasium
The Granny Awards
Grade 2
April 11- 7:00 PM in the Linton Gymnasium
It’s A Jungle Out There!
Don’t forget to fill out your Schools on the Move Papers with all the time we’ve been dancing in
our music classes, and also the Valentine’s Dance last Friday!
Naomi Germer
gives a thumbs
up during our
recent dental
and vision
screening
sponsored by
Project Smile.

Page 8 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013

Page 9 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
March 2013 SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS
For more information, contact:
Deb Hooker, communications specialist, (970) 490-3549, dhooker@psdschools.org
2011-12 Annual Accountability Report to be Posted on PSD Website
Poudre School District’s 2011-12 Annual Accountability Report will be available on the
PSD website (www.psdschools.org) by the end of February.
Every year, school districts in Colorado report about their performance to their communities,
based on requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act. The Annual Accountability
Report features summary information regarding PSD's performance, assessment and accountability,
teacher quality, finances, demographics and post-secondary readiness.
If you would like a paper copy of the 2011-12 Annual Report, please contact PSD Communications
at 490-3543 or email info@psdschools.org
TCAP Testing Dates
TCAP will be administered during the dates below. Tests are typically given in the morning
and after lunch. PLEASE contact your child’s teacher if you will be gone any of these
dates. ****We start right when we return from Spring Break!
3 rd : Feb 27-28, and the week of March 25 and April 1 st
4 th The week of March 25 and April 1 st
5 th The week of March 25 and April 1 st
Hints for Standardized Tests
If it’s spring, it’s usually time for standardized tests. Here are some ways to help your child
get ready to test.
Reassure your child that he or she does not have to answer all the questions correctly
to do well on the test.
Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blanks.
Remind your child that the test is important, and he or she should do his or her best.
Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on a
question, encourage him or her to go to the next question and come back to the
difficult one later.
Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast before taking
the test.
Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one. This will alleviate some of your
child’s stress.
Get your child to school on time the day of the test.
Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read
the directions and each question carefully.
Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.
If your child is unusually anxious, practice taking deep breaths and repeating positive
self-talk such as, “I know I can do this”, “I’m going to be fine”, and “I feel good
about my abilities, everything will be fine”.

Page 10 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013

Page 11 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013

Page 12 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
PSD Student Meal Charge Policy
It is the policy of Poudre School District that charging of meals or snacks is not al-lowed in secondary
schools for any student. Elementary schools can charge a maxi-mum of 2 meals, but the parent/
guardian is expected to send a sack meal until the balance is paid in full.
No charging for teachers, staff or guests at any Poudre School District sites.
Poudre School District’s Child Nutrition Department is an enterprise fund and does not receive general
fund support from the school district, and thus must generate funds though meal sales in order
to pay operating expenses. Therefore, unpaid charges affect the ability of the district to pay for operating
expenses and keep meal prices down.
Meal payment can be sent to the school kitchen manager as cash or a check. Payments can also be
made by credit card online at schoolpaymentsolutions.com.
To see if your family is eligible for free or reduced school meals, please fill out an ap-plication at no
cost. Free and Reduced applications are available at your school, at Child Nutrition’s office (490-
3557) or online at psdschools.org.
Meal activity and low balance email notifications can be set up for each of your students at no
charge by signing up at schoolpaymentsolutions.com.
Should you have any questions about these procedures, contact your school or Child Nutrition at
490-3557.
Elementary Schools
When a student incurs a negative balance in their account, the parent/guardian is expected to send
a sack lunch until the account is paid in full. State law does not al-low the gifting of food. The student
is charged for every meal they receive.
Two (2) student federal reimbursable meal charges (lunch and/or breakfast) total is the maximum
amount of meals that can be charged to a student’s account. No Ala Carte can be charged at any
time (including milk).
The student is charged for every lunch or breakfast meal they receive.
No charging for any student after May 1st through the end of the school year.
Charge notes, phone calls and emails will be sent to notify the parent/guardian when a balance
becomes negative.
- Activity Zone

Page 13 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
Suicide Prevention Training Addresses Warning Signs and Intervention Skills
Poudre School District is offering a free suicide prevention training that will teach participants how to
recognize someone at risk for suicide, intervention skills and referral resources in the community.
The QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) method training, facilitated by PSD mental health professionals,
is for parents interested in learning more about suicide prevention.
The 1 1/2 hour training will teach participants the three-step QPR method. Participants will learn how
to recognize and identify at least three warning signs of suicide and how to ask someone about their
potential suicide intent. Participants will learn how to listen and will be taught skills to assist a person
at risk of suicide. In addition, participants will learn about myths and facts related to suicide and
about suicide as a national and local public health concern.
There is no charge for the training, however pre-registration is required. Participants can preregister
by calling Betty Englert Backlund, PSD Student Services, at 490-3264. Class size will be limited.
Upcoming QPR trainings (the same training is offered four times):
• 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the Blevins Middle School Media Center (must preregister by
Feb. 22)
• 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, at the Fort Collins High School Media Center (must preregister
by March 8)
• 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 16, at the Blevins Middle School Media Center (must preregister by
April 12)
Safety
Fort Collins police are hosting free Internet safety presentations for families to increase awareness and provide
tools to keep everyone safe from the dangers of the Internet.
Topics covered will include:
● Sexual predators
● Online enticement and grooming
● Social networking websites
● Cyber bullying
● Email, Instant Messaging (IM) Smartphones, and Sexting
Family sessions will be held in the Fort Collins Police Services Community Room, 2221 S. Timberline Road,
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings (Feb. 5, March 5, April 2, & May 7) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Families
will be divided into three groups: adults; pre-teens 8 to 12 year-olds; and teenagers 13 to 18-year-olds for
age appropriate presentations.
Research shows that:
● 1 in 5 kids are subjected to unwanted sexual solicitation on the Internet;
● 1 in 5 teens ages 13-19 are taking photographs of their intimate parts and sending them to friends;
● 25% of kids sexually solicited on the Internet told a trusted adult; an
● 64% of teens report posting personal photos on the Internet and 58% report posting personal information
such as where they live.
Much like a large metropolitan city, the Internet is a wonderful place with so many available resources. You
would never drop your child off in a big city and expect them to explore it and remain safe. The goal of this
presentation is to give your family awareness and tools to keep everyone safe from the dangers of the Internet.
Contact Detective Keith Maynard at (970) 416-2051 or by e-mail atkmaynard@fcgov.com to reserve your
space.

Page 14 Linton Elementary School Newsletter February 2013
School Accountability Team 2012-2013
Amanda Adams
amandaroseadams@gmail.com
Matt Brinkman 377-1128 mbrinkma@psdschools.org
Marge Crockett 484-0136
Emily Demmler 631-5233 chickpea2002@msn.com
Sue Harbour 488-5888 suzanneh@psdschools.org
Shaugna Ortiz 206-0715 shaugna.ortiz@gmail.com
Lisa Rusch 223-1178 needarusch@comcast.net
Adela Sotelo
adela1967iz@yahoo.com
Bailey Stanfield Harner 481-3038 ailtc@msn.com
Kristin Stolte 488-5850 kstolte@psdschools.org
LINTON ELEMENTARY
4100 CARIBOU DRIVE
FORT COLLINS, CO
80525
Phone:970-488-5850
Fax: 970-488-5852
Website:
www.psdschools.org/linton
Attendance Line
488-5851
Click here to View
Linton Handbook
Love vs. Hate: The Duel of the Century
By Joanna Olsen
Love kisses Hate on the cheek,
Loud, with a SMACK!
Hate hits Love on the head
With a loud THWACK!
Love looks over and gives Hate googly eyes.
Hate cracks his knuckles,
Telling Love to say its goodbyes.
With his fist strong and hard,
Hate pounds Love on the head.
Love shouts out, “For you, a thousand tears I have shed.”
Hate plugs his ears and kicks Love in the shin.
Love loudly proclaims, “My heart you’re always in!”
Hate growls and punches Love in the nose.
Love smiles and says, “My love for you always grows!”
This fight of the years had a kiss to begin,
When they finally stopped…
They found that Love will always win.