FOXY TALES DOROTHY FOX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2017

I N S I D E T H I S N E W S L E T T E R

DEC 19 FOXY SPIRIT DAY—Sports Day!

DEC 19 Annual Staff VS Student Volleyball Game

DEC 20– JAN 2 NO SCHOOL—WINTER BREAK

JAN 5 FRIDAY SPIRIT DAY—WEAR RED

JAN 8-12 The JUNGLE is coming to the Fox Gym for PE!

JAN 15 NO SCHOOL—MLK Observed

JAN 17 Martin Luther King Assembly

JAN 17 FOXY SPIRIT DAY—PJ Day!

Switched to a NEW DAY

JAN 18 7:00pm-8:15pm Short PTA Meeting followed by Parent Workshop on Mindfulness for Families

Guest Speaker: Profession Therapist Jennifer McMillian

JAN 31 PTA Birthday Table

FEB 1 Yearbook Sales Begin

FEB 2 FRIDAY SPIRIT DAY—WEAR RED

FEB 5-9 National School Counselor’s Week Let Mr. Baxter know how much you him

FEB 7 Obo Addy Rhythm & Dana of Ghana Assembly

FEB 14 FOXY SPIRIT DAY—Hat Day!

UPCOMING DATES: (Can go to Fox School Website for Calendar Information) http://schools.camas.wednet.edu)

I N S I D E T H I S N E W S L E T T E R

Books Suggestions from the Fox Library

Connecting Resources, Supporting Families

Parenting Tips & Ideas from the Counselor

4th Graders get into National Parks for Free

Artist in Residence Need Recycled Ribbon

Our Math Motto: Mistakes are expected, inspected, and respected. Mistakes are how we know we are learning.

MESSAGE FROM DR. SORK,

PRINCIPAL

As Fox heads into the Winter Break, I would like

to thank students, staff, and families for

contributing to a Dorothy Fox community that

we are all proud to be a part of and I congratulate everyone

for a wonderful first trimester that had many opportunities

for students to demonstrate their talents and growth.

Report cards were sent home this month. We hope that

parents and guardians had a chance to review and

understand the progress reported for Term 1 and discuss any

concerns with teachers. Be sure to take time to celebrate

success and times when students gave a good effort and did

not give up. January is a perfect time to set goals for growth.

When we return we have many amazing things in store for

our entire school community! We will be starting a weaving

Artist-in-Residence program, hosting many guest assemblies,

and honoring the life of Martin Luther King. We invite you to

join us for these all school events. Watch the school Google

Calendar for times and details.

I wish you a safe and restful winter vacation.

Students have worked hard; time for a break!

CHOOSE KINDNESS DOROTHY FOX ELEMENTARY

Fox had 77% excellence attendance during the

first trimester. (3 or less absences.)

Our goal for the second trimester is to hit at least 85%.

We know that sometimes kids are sick or have appointments

that cannot be made at other times. Those are excused absenc-

es and are a part of life.

We want to improve on the number of

times students miss school for being

out of town or kept home for other

reasons at parent request. An increase

in daily attendance could help improve our educational perfor-

mance for all kids when teachers do not have to stop or slow the

pace of teaching to get kids caught up on what they missed.

With the way we teach today, sending home work does not

catch up a student. You have to be present to know all that is

going on with concepts, activities, assessments, and projects.

Let’s work together to improve our attendance to Fox!

Crossing the Street Across

from the Park at 23rd

Please teach kids to be Careful!

Obstructed view from the West Hard to see from the East

Photos from Mrs. Loughrey. Thank you to she and Mrs.

McNickle for meeting with Dr. Sork, Heidi Rosenburg from the

Camas School District Office, and Jeff Englund, Engineer I from

Camas Public Works to review the issues and brainstorm ideas

for improvement.

The City recognizes that some improvements could help im-

prove the safety to this crossing spot, but there are many of

those spots around the city and only so many resources. They

are reviewing with the district what they can do.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

Dress kids in bright clothing to cross streets

Review and Practice how to safely cross the

street regularly

Write letters to the editor or email the City

Public Works Department about your concern as

a citizen of Camas.

Notes from the Fox Library with Mrs. Logan:

The short, cold, wet days of winter make for great reading

weather! Here are a few book suggestions to read snuggled

under a blanket with your favorite kid (or on your own).

Family Read-Alouds:

The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown. When a shipwreck lands an advanced, adaptive

robot on an uninhabited (by people) island, it must learn to live in nature among the animals—and the

animals must learn to live with it. The second book in this series will be released next year.

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White. Charlotte’s Web is a classic, sweet story of friendship that will warm your heart

even if the weather is cold. You might also check out Some Writer by Melissa Sweet, a fascinating look at

the life of E.B. White.

Books for Mature Readers:

The Secret Sherriff of Sixth Grade, by Jordan Sonnenblick. Before middle school, Maverick decides that he is going

to stand up for kids smaller than him. However, things don’t always go according to plan. Throughout the

year, Maverick learns that everyone is facing a struggle, even though you might not see it. This book

contains references to domestic violence. Students who enjoy this book may also like All Rise, for the

Honorable Perry T. Cook, by Leslie Connor.

Refugee, by Alan Gratz. This book weaves together the stories of three characters—Josef, a Jewish boy from

1930’s Germany, Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015. The three stories are

told in alternating chapters, until eventually they come together in the end. Students who enjoy this book

may also like A Long Walk to Water by Linda Park.

Series for Emerging Readers:

If they like unexplained mysteries, try The Notebooks of Doom by Troy Cummings, Looniverse, by David

Lubar, or Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabert.

If they like animals, try Shelter Pet Squad by Cynthia Lord, or Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet by Jaqueline Kelly.

If they like to read about other kids, try George Brown, Class Clown by Nancy Krulik, Clementine, by Sara

Pennypacker, or Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon.

Note: For students just transitioning to chapter books, I suggest Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliot or Boris by

Andrew Joyner, or try a classic like Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.

Picture Books:

After the Fall, by Dan Santat, focuses on the internal struggle of Humpty

Dumpty after the doctors fix his shell. This is a beautiful book about

resilience with a great surprise at the end.

Flora and the Peacocks, by Molly Idle, is the 3rd book in the Flora series.

These wordless picture books feature lift-the-flap and foldout layouts with

beautiful illustrations. This is a great choice for pre-readers who love to

tell stories but can’t yet decode the words.

Reminder: See if books got returned by going to the DFE website, clicking on

“Library Media Center,” and following the link to Destiny. Your student’s

user name is their name (first.last), and the “super secret password” is

foxes.

Greetings from the Dorothy Fox Music Room!

‘Tis the performance season! December kicked off right away with the Fox Pack Swingin’ Ukes performing at the annual Hometown Holidays event in downtown Camas. This group of hard-working 3rd, 4th and 5th grade kids has been rehearsing before school since September to learn these tunes, and loves to share them with others!

Students in the general music classroom are busy working with new rhythms, new melodic pitches, new songs, and some are already working on music for the Martin Luther King Jr. assembly scheduled for January. While the majority of our work in music has so far focused mostly on singing, following winter break we’ll move into some instrumental music including drums, ukuleles, recorders and more.

I hope your winter breaks are all filled with warmth, love, and beautiful music! Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Dustin Hunley (360) 833-5700 x78184 Dorothy Fox Elementary Music

NEWS FROM THE FOX GYM:

For the month of December, all students participated in

volleyball games and activities. In addition to basic

volleyball activities and skills, lower grades were

introduced to hop sports fitness. Upper grades learned

basic skills of bumping, setting, and serving while

applying those skills to a variety of games.

Finally, our 5th graders are looking forward to the annual volleyball game against our staff

coming up December 19th. Troy Dunn, Fox PE troy.dunn@camas.wednet.edu

Fox Swingin’ Ukes 4th/5th performing for our neighbors at Kent Place Assisted Living.

Connecting Resources, Supporting Families

Below are the resources available to Dorothy Fox families who could use some extra

assistance. If your family would benefit from or you would like to contribute to any of the

programs listed below, please contact your school counselor, Chris Baxter,

chris.baxter@camas.wednet.edu, (360) 833-5700 ext. 78963. Fox would be happy

to help connect you with resources.

Food for Families

Treasure House provides food for the Backpack Program which provides food support for families over the

weekend. Your donations to Treasure House directly help support our Gryphons and their families. Treasure

House is always in need of the following: Canned meals (chili, stew, ravioli, etc..), Soups, Small jars of peanut

butter, Jelly/jam (no glass jars), Canned meats (tuna, chicken, etc…), Oatmeal packets, Dry cereal, Macaroni

and Cheese, Spaghetti, Dried nuts, Dried fruit, Canned fruit, Granola bars, Crackers, Fresh fruit, Fresh veggies

(baby carrots, celery sticks), Juice, Soap, Deodorant, Shampoo, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Floss, Toilet paper,

etc. Donations can be dropped off at Treasure House (91 C Street, Washougal) or in the main office of

Odyssey. Please clearly mark that donations are for the Backpack Program. Families who need extra assistance

with meals for their kids over the weekend can request to be part of the Backpack Program by contacting our-

school counselor.

School Supplies

As you know, school supplies are expensive and can add a financial burden to families that are already strug-

gling. Here at Dorothy Fox, we want kids to have the tools they need for learning. We also get yearly dona-

tions from the local Rotary Club. If you would like to donate supplies school supplies, please drop them off in

the main office. We try to have all necessary supplies on hand. If your student could benefit from these school

supplies, please talk with your student’s school counselor.

Coats/Shoes/Clothing

Please contact the school counselor if you need clothing, shoes, or toiletries for your child.

If you would like to contribute clean, new or gently used items please let us know.

Camas-Washougal Community Chest allows Camas schools to cover school fees, scholarship PE

uniforms, and purchase shoes, sports equipment, coats, hats, gloves, boots, socks, and hygiene

supplies for students in need. This fund can also help pay for eye exams and glasses and medical treatments,

such as lice removal products when needed. If you would like to donate to the Camas Washougal Community

Chest, please visit their website at www.camaswashougalcommunitychest.org.

If your family could benefit from help with school fees or buying

shoes, sports equipment, coats, hats, gloves, boots, socks, or

News from Chris Baxter, Your school counselor!

Hello. It is my pleasure to be a support to kids,

teachers and parents here at Dorothy Fox. Some of you have sent me an e-mail or given me a call about something school related. Thanks! I have over 20 years’ experience supporting kids and families with life stress, changes, behavior challenges and school difficulties. I also try to keep track of what resources are available out of school. So ask. If I don’t know, I bet I can direct you to someone who can help you with your concern.

One of these resources is the monthly “Home & School Connection.” This is provided by the Camas elementary counselors. I found the short articles about Sticky Note Math, and Independence to be interesting. Other topics this month include; loyalty, reading, stress, and memory. You will find these articles at the end of the Fox Newsletter for December.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Chris Baxter M.A.

Chris.baxter@camas.wednet.edu

27th

Thank you to all of

the families who

helped

provide 59 gifts

for the annual PTA

wishing tree. Kids

from all around

Camas will get a

gift that they need and a gift that they want

during the holiday season thanks to your in-

credible generosity.

Congrats to the Dorothy Fox Science Olympiad

Teams who competed in the regional competition

on November 18th! Thank you Mrs. Gilronan, staff

adviser, and all the parents who helped to support!

Hey 4th Graders (and parents)!! See America’s natural wonders and

historic sites for FREE. Every Kid in a Park gives you and your family free access to hundreds of parks, land, and waters for an entire year!! Visit https://www.everykidinapark.gov for all the details

and get your pass. You need to print your pass and bring it with you when you visit. Electronic copies aren’t accepted. Your pass has a unique code. That means you can’t copy it and give it to friends. Encourage your friends to get their own pass if they’re in the fourth grade. This program only pro-vides passes for fourth graders.

Congratulations to Aubrey Schultz who won

first place of all the 4th graders in the re-

gional essay contest sponsored by the Vet-

erans of Foreign Wars. Her writing was se-

lected from 100’s of essays from elementary

schools throughout Clark County.

Topic this year was “What does a Veteran

mean to me?”

Good job to Emma and Eva for initiating a

Food Drive for Animals. Thank you to all

who donated. Fox Kids make a difference!

If you didn’t get a chance to give, there’s still time! We’d love to reach our goal of $10,000 by December 31st. Help us get there!

Our website is still open: www.cefcamas.org/givingtuesday

Checks and cash can be mailed to our address: 841 NE 22nd Avenue, Camas, WA 98607-1142

Does your company match funds? Go to www.cefcamas.org/donate for more information on how to submit your request

Consider a recurring donation

Thank you for donating to Camas Educational Foundation. Please visit our website to read about our vision, our mission & last year's innovative grant recipients and programs.

TREX Recycling Challenge

WHAT is it? The TREX Recycling Challenge is a re-gion-wide recycling program focusing on collecting and recycling plastic film (flexible plastic film, bags, wrappers, over wrap etc.) that would normally be des-tined for the landfill. NOTE: plastic bags should NEV-ER be included in our curb side pick-up. They gums up the recycling machinery and causes big problems at the recycling centers.

WHEN will it be collected? Plastic film will be collect-ed all year long for recycling but the contest only runs from Nov. 15-Earth Day in mid-April. The winning school will be announced on Earth Day. The winner will receive a new TREX bench for their playground!

WHERE should bags go? Ask kids to place bags in the big TREX box near the office.

WHAT kinds of plastic can be included? Plastic grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, food wrappers, newspa-per bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, over wrap from cases of water bottles, cereal and cracker bags etc. Plas-tic needs to be generally clean. (NO PLASTIC TUBS OR BOTTLES)

WHY make such an effort to recycle plastic? Plastic is causing a MAJOR problem worldwide…. especially when it makes its way into our water ways. There are 6 GIANT plastic patches (or gyres) floating in our oceans. The gyre in the Pacific Ocean is twice the size of Texas! This plastic is eaten by marine animals and birds, which kills them. This plastic photodegrades and breaks into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. The microplas-tics are eaten by fish and then WE EAT the plastic the fish have ingested. Microplastics, it’s bad. Look it up.

NEWS FROM THE PTA

Happy Holidays from Tammy Speer, PTA President!

I absolutely love this time of year! Cold weather moves in and we transition to flannels, warm fuzzy blankets and hot cocoa! This year has flown by and I’m so proud just thinking about what our PTA has accomplished so far. I’m also looking forward to the activities we have planned for 2018. Here are just a few of our December updates:

Volunteers- Thank you to the many volunteers who dedicate their time at Fox! If you’d like to get involved, we have many opportunities, so please check our Facebook or website www.dorothyfoxpta.com for details.

Fundraising & Donations- Fundraising and donations make it possible for us to offer: curriculum support, assem-blies, field trips and family nights to name just a few. Thank you to those who have already contributed by direct drive donations, purchasing and selling Payback books, buying books at our Scholastic Book Fair, and participating at Dinners Night Out. Your donations make a difference!

Seasonal Giving- Our Fox PTA Wishing Tree is up and located by the red couches in the school. This year, we have the opportunity to not only help Fox families in need but we’ve partnered with Lacamas Elementary as well. Please take this opportunity to pick out a gift tag (with the gift item listed you’d like to donate) and fill out the sign-up sheet. Mr. Baxter will be collecting wrapped gifts with tags and delivering them before our winter break.

Spirit Gear- Hopefully everyone has had an opportunity to check out our new online Spirit Gear ordering system and order some new spirit gear, including our Fox Droid shirt. We made deliveries to the classroom

Artist in Residence Program Donations Needed- We are excited to welcome Peggy Ross, our weaving artist, to Fox on January 30th. In preparation for her visit, we’re looking for some material donations: fabric, colorful plastic bags, ribbon, thick yarn, surveyor’s tape, lace, ric rac, etc. (Anything that’s flexible and strong). Paper doesn’t work. If you have time to cut the materials into ¼”-1” wide X 12”-24” strips that would be great or just drop off and we’ll take care of it. Our deadline is Jan.10th.

Have a fantastic December!

Tammy Speer, PTA President

Hi, I’m Peggy Ross and I’m looking forward to creating with your students beginning in January. I’m a weaver and textile artist and I thoroughly enjoy sharing the joy of discovery and creativity with kids.

We will be making weavings with all sorts of fun and tactile materials. We’ll look at textiles from different cultures and read stories about the makers. And, as we grow our weaving skills, we’ll practice life and learning skills.

I invite you to join the process. If you can, sign up to help dur-ing the sessions. Also, we’re collecting weaving materials - this really makes the art fun and unique!

Things we’re looking for in approximately ¼”-1” wide X 12”-24” long strips:

Fabric, colorful plastic bags, ribbon, lanyard, fat/thick yarn, surveyor’s tape, lace, ric rac, etc. (Anything that’s flexible and strong). Paper doesn’t work.

Parents! Students! Teachers!

Have an amazing idea that will empower stu-dents and teachers to innovate, extend and inspire? Apply for a CEF Mini-Grant for ex-traordinary learning opportunities! Check out the grants awarded last year and the applica-tion at https://www.cefcamas.org/2018-mini-grant-application-procedures/!

The Camas/Washougal Schools collected 47,000

pounds of Food. The Dorothy Fox Student Leaders

(SLT) planned, advertised, organized, and loaded the

food.

Thank you to all who gave to help others.

Kindness Counts!

Is your child getting a new bicycle, scooter or some

other form of wheels? Don’t forget to PUT A LID ON

IT! (Need help getting a helmet for a child, please contact the Fox office

and we have donated helmets.)

Parenting isn’t about doing it right or wrong. It is about doing it more effectively. Learn ways to use mindfulness in your parenting practice to help reduce stress and create positive connections.

This workshop is more like a conversation than a lecture, and you will go home with information and tools that you can apply imme-diately in your family.

This conversation is designed to help you feel like a more successful parent and help create healthy family connections.

Presented by Jennifer McMillan, Local Family Therapist for 20 years

SAVE THE DATE

January 18, 2018 Mindfulness for Parents

Free Presentation at Fox

A NOTE FROM the NURSE: DECEMBER 2 0 1 7

DON’T LET THE FLU

GET YOU! WHAT IS THE FLU?

The FLU is passed from one person to another through GERMS we release when we

cough or sneeze.

It spreads quickly in crowded areas (schools & offices).

People get the flu most often during colder times of the year.

The flu is an INFECTION that is caused by lots of different nasty viruses.

A VIRUS is a tiny particle that multiplies and makes you sick.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE FLU? Your body gives you lots of clues called SYMPTOMS.

Some symptoms of the flu include a fever (between 101-104 degrees Fahrenheit),

headache, body aches, chills, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, exhaustion and

vomiting.

A visit to the doctor can help confirm if you have the Flu.

MOST COMMON FLU TREATMENTS: DRINK WATER; SIP SOUP; REST UP; SNEEZE IN YOUR SLEEVE; GARGGLE WITH SALT

WATER; USE A HUMIDIFIER.

Today, people use lots of different remedies to make themselves feel a little less

miserable, including cough syrups, pain relievers, hot tea with lemon, and even

laughter.

NOTE TO THE PARENTS: Influenza viruses are always changing. Because of this, influenza vaccines are updated every

year, and an annual vaccination is recommended.

Each year scientists try to match the viruses in the vaccine to those most likely to cause flu that year. When there is a close match the vaccine protects most people from serious influenza related illness. But even when there is not a close match, the vaccine provides some protection. It is recommended that all children from 6 months through 18 years of age receive a flu shot.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS: PRIZES for the FIRST 3 students

to visit with NURSE KAREN in the office with correct answers! How are GERMS released into the air? a. _________________________________________ b. _________________________________________

When do people often get the flu? a. Summer b. Fall c. Winter d. Spring

What are a few SYMPTOMS of the FLU? a. Runny nose & lots of energy. b. Body aches, chills, cough, sore throat, exhaustion and vomiting. c. A stomachache after eating lots of chocolate. d. Feeling like you want to skip school & watch a movie.

What can you do when you have the FLU? a. Stay home from school & have a party. b. Go to school & sneeze on your friends. c. Stay home, Drink lots of water & Rest up! d. Listen to your parents about what is best for you! e. C & D