East School Panther Press #5

January 1st, 2025

Message from the Principal

Welcome Back and Happy 2025!

Dear East Elementary Families,

Welcome to the new year! The 2024-25 school year is especially meaningful to me, as it marks my 25th year in education. It’s hard to believe we’re already in 2025—time truly does fly! I’m so grateful to be part of such a wonderful school community, and I look forward to all the opportunities this year will bring.

January is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month:

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

Benchmark Assessments: This month, students will participate in iReady, AIMsWebPlus, and FastBridge assessments. These benchmarks provide valuable insights into student progress and help us tailor instruction to best support their learning.
Bingo Night – January 10th: Mark your calendars! Our annual Bingo Night is back, and last year’s event was a HUGE success. We hope to see many of you there for a fun evening with family and friends.
End of the First Semester: We’ll wrap up the first semester this month. It’s a great time to celebrate all the hard work and accomplishments of our students.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: There will be no school on Monday, January 20th, in observance of this important day honoring Dr. King’s legacy.

Focus on Attendance

Attendance continues to be a priority at East Elementary. Consistent attendance is critical to student growth, helping children build strong academic foundations and stay connected with their peers. Thank you for your efforts in ensuring your child is at school and ready to learn each day!

Winter Weather Reminders

Cooler weather has arrived, and with it comes snow! To enjoy playing in the snow during recess, students must bring boots to school. Snowpants are highly recommended as well to keep them warm and dry. Please help your child come prepared so they can make the most of their outdoor time!

As always, thank you for your continued support. Wishing you and your family a joyous and successful new year!

Warmest regards,

Jori Ruff

Principal, East Elementary

Ask Your Child...

What exercise did you do today?
What has been the best story you have read or heard this year?
What has been the most interesting fact you have learned in Mystery Science?

Contacts

Jori Ruff

Principal

608-355-3920 ext. 4010

jruff@barabooschools.net

Andrea Schroeder

Administrative Assistant

608-355-3920

aschroeder@barabooschools.net

815 6th Street

Baraboo, WI 53913

Attendance

Please call the office to report an absence or if your student will be late to school

or leave early.

Call 608-355-3920

and leave a voicemail

or send an email to aschroeder@barabooschools.net

Rebecca Christensen

School Nurse

(608)355-3920, Ext. 4160

rchristensen@barabooschools.net

Fax: 608-355-3975

Pat Gavin

Kidstop

(608)355-3925, ext. 7150

pgavin@barabooschools.net

Important East Elementary Routines including drop off and pick up information

Click Here!

ELECTRONIC ONLINE PAYMENTS

Parents/guardians can pay fees and add funds to the child's lunch account from a phone or computer without having to send cash or check. If parents/guardians wish to make payments in person, each school has a credit/debit card reader available.

Pay with a checking account online to avoid service fees.

East Elementary Staff

Click here for our staff list and their contact information

Important Reminder: Background Check Renewals

Two years ago, we implemented a new background check process with Raptor Technologies. Background checks are valid for two years, so most of our volunteers' checks will be expiring or have already expired.

Benefits of Completing a Background Check

Streamlined Entry for School Events: Completing a background check will streamline the process of entering school buildings for school functions and events.
Support for Spring Field Trips: If you plan to chaperone any upcoming spring field trips, please renew or complete your background check now to avoid any last-minute delays.

Here's what you need to do

Look for an email from Raptor Technologies about renewing your background check.
Follow this link to complete a background check

We appreciate your continued support of the Baraboo School District!

Reaching the Office

The school office can ge be busy at times. If you're unable to reach someone by phone, please leave a voicemail. All voicemails are forwarded directly to our email and are checked promptly. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Vacations

It's important that you inform your child's teacher and and the office in regards to vacations.

From the Student Handbook: Parent requests for their child to be absent for more than two days in a row must be made in writing at least one week in advance to the building principal. Please email Ms. Andrea in the office with any vacation plans.

Updated East School Website and App

At East School we have been working to update our website with current events and important information. Stay up-to-date with access to events, documents, emergency notifications, and lunch menus.

You can download the app for free on Google Play or Apple App Store.

Download for Android https://bit.ly/3qihQnJ
Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3qnlv3y

School Safety Protocol Updates

Please check out this section of our website to review our NEW Standard Response Protocol for school safety this year. This information has been shared previously, but it is important to review.

East Calendar - Upcoming Events

Jan 10:

Family Bingo Night - 6pm in the school gym

Jan 20:

No School - Martin Luther King Jr Day

Jan 24:

No School - Teacher Work Day

Feb 12:

No School- Staff Professional Development Day

Mar 18:

Asynchronous Day - Parent Teacher Conferences

Mar 24-29:

No School- Spring Break

Apr 9:

No School- Staff Professional Development Day

Apr 18:

No School- Easter Friday

May 26:

No School- Memorial Day

May 28:

Full Day of School

June 4:

Full Day of School

Jun 6:

4K Last Day of School

Jun 10:

K-5th Last Day of School

EAST SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Pink Out

East staff recently held a "Pink Out" to support a fellow staff member in their fight against breast cancer. Staff wore pink and participated in fundraising activities to show their love and support.

Winter Wonderland at East

Students at East enjoyed a snowy recess before winter break. The playground transformed into a winter wonderland, with children building snow forts, snowmen, and creating snow angels. Students embraced the wintery fun!

Jingle Bell Joy!

Our 4K class brought holiday cheer to the school with a festive Jingle Bell Walk! Dressed in their best, they jingled their way through the halls, greeted by cheering students and the sounds of "Jingle Bells." It was a heartwarming display of school spirit!

SAVE THE DATE

We hope to see you at East Family Bingo Night on January 10th in the school gym for an evening of friendly competition and family fun! Doors open at 5:45 PM and games begin at 6:00 PM.

Join us for an East Family Waterpark Night at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells on February 11th! Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased through here. Be sure to fill out the waiver on their website to save time checking in.

A NOTE FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

Illness Management

We continue to require that students and staff who are ill stay home if they have a fever (100.4 or higher), are vomiting, or have diarrhea.
Students will need a medical note to return to school after five (5) consecutive illness absences, per the Student Handbook.
We will also continue to follow the District’s Communicable Disease Policy 453.3

If you have questions regarding current illness guidelines or have a positive test to report, please email or call the East Health Office.

rchristensen@barabooschools.net

bhelton@barabooschools.net

or 608-355-3920 x4160

Lice Update: Parents, in the past weeks, lice have been found in a few students. Please check your child’s heads for lice. Students should be treated with lice shampoo before returning to school.

Notify your school and school nurse if you have had lice in your home. It helps us monitor for potential outbreaks in classes.

Symptoms to watch for are: itching of the head, seeing lice (bugs) or nits (eggs) in the hair. Nits are cemented to the hair shaft, near the scalp and do not come out easily.
Ask your school nurse if you need any tips or help. We are happy to check heads, if you are not sure.
If you have lice in the house-- don’t forget to remove the nits (eggs) after you treat them! Even one leftover egg (nit) can restart the whole process again.

Seal A Smile Visits at East

Seal a Smile visits were in November and they will return in February to re-vist students who have signed up.

Contact Seal-A-Smile Coordinator Katie if you have questions katie.homar@saukcountywi.gov or (608) 963-925.

Calling All Volunteers

The Baraboo School District will use Raptor Background Check moving forward to streamline the process and provide further protection to volunteer information. All applications will be completed online no longer requiring volunteers to bring information into the buildings for application. Click the link above to access the form.

This is needed if you plan to volunteer for any upcoming field trips with your child.

EAST SCHOOL PARENT GROUP

The East School Parent Group (ESPG) has many plans underway for ways to support the students and staff at East. The funds we raise throughout the year are used by classroom teachers and to support special school projects and events, such as the Pumpkin Walk and school Carnival!

There are a couple of easy ways to support the ESPG with things you're probably already doing. Follow our facebook page for volunteer opportunities, donate to our Venmo account for special events, and you can even earn money for the school by scanning eligible receipts with the Box Tops for Education app.

We would love to see you at our meetings, held the first Tuesday of each month in the Library at East from 6pm-7pm. Can’t attend? No problem! Visit our Facebook page to just learn more about ways you can help out. If you have any questions about ESPG, send us an email espgbaraboo@gmail.com or a Facebook message.

Future meetings:

Feb 4th

Mar 4th

April 1st

CLASSROOM SNACKS

CLICK HERE FOR THE APPROVED SNACK LIST

Home baked community/classroom treats are no longer allowed to be distributed in classrooms. This would include shareable items such as cupcakes, cake, brownies, fruit, vegetables, etc. Only pre- packaged, factory sealed, individual snack items are allowed to be shared in a classroom. Please make sure the ingredients list is on the box or package as well.

A NOTE ABOUT ATTENDANCE

Families with students entering All-Day 4K-Grade 5 may enroll their students in the Fall 2024-2025 Kid Stop Program. Enrollment forms and information may be viewed on the district website or paper copies will be available at all elementary school offices and the East and GLW Kid Stop sites. Online registration is not an option. You may complete the registration form and schedule and either turn in to Gordon L. Willson Elementary School office or scan to the coordinator’s email at pgavin@barabooschools.net Once your enrollment form has been processed you will receive an email from the coordinator regarding whether your child is enrolled or on the waitlist.

Registration is on a first come first serve basis.

With questions, please contact Pat Gavin, Kid Stop Coordinator, at pgavin@barabooschools.net or phone (608) 355-3925 ext. 7150.