East School Panther Press #6

February 7th 2025

Message from the Principal

Dear East Elementary Families,

Welcome to February and the second semester! As we settle into the new semester, we have several important events coming up in February.

Upcoming Events

🌊 Wilderness Waterpark Night – Join us for a fun-filled evening at the Wilderness Waterpark on Tuesday, February 11th! See info below.

☀️ Summer School and Summer Kid Stop - Registration opens for Summer School and Summer Kid Stop on Monday, February 3rd. See more details below!

📚 Professional Learning Day (No School for Students) – There will be no school on Wednesday, February 12th as our staff engages in professional learning.

💖 Friendship/Valentine’s Parties – Classroom teachers will share specific details about their class celebrations.

Yearbooks

Each 5th grade student will receive a complimentary yearbook as a special parting gift as they move on to middle school! All other students can order a yearbook through LifeTouch. Be sure to order yours before the deadline!

Hope House Lessons

During the weeks of March 3rd-7th and March 10th-14th, Hope House will be supporting guidance lessons alongside Mr. Davies. The topics for this year are as follows:

Kindergarten - Hands Are Not For Hitting

1st Grade - Brush Up On Respect

2nd Grade - Healthy Friendships

3rd grade - Making a Difference in the Community

4th Grade - Internet safety

5th Grade - Self-Esteem

Attendance Matters!

January was a challenging month with illness, and we truly appreciate your efforts to keep our school community healthy. Let’s work together to improve attendance in February! Please remind students to wash their hands frequently and practice healthy habits to stay well.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to a great month ahead!

Sincerely,

Jori Ruff, Principal

East Elementary School

Ask Your Child...

What is something you were really good at today?
What songs have you learned in Music?
Were you a good friend today? Tell me about it.

Check out some new artwork in the office created by Mrs. Willer’s 1st grade, and Mrs. Martin’s 5th grade classes!

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

Summer School and Summer Kid Stop

Summer School Registration opened on February 3rd and ends March 21st.

Families can register by visiting our summer school webpage <-- Click here!

Elementary Summer School Academy:

June 16th - July 10th (Monday - Thursday)

K-4th Grade

Middle School Summer Academy and Camps:

June 16th - July 10th (Monday - Thursday)

5th - 8th Grade

High School Summer Academy and Fitness Programs:

June 16th - July 23rd ( Monday - Thursday)

IMPORTANT SUMMER KID STOP

Enrollment for the Summer Kid Stop program began on Monday, February 3, 2025.

Information and registration forms will be available on the District website to print off or paper copies will be available at all elementary school offices and the East, GLW and West Kid Stop sites.

Completed enrollment forms may be

submitted by scanning to the Kid Stop Coordinator’s email address at pgavin@barabooschools.net or dropping your form off at the Gordon L. Willson Elementary School office during business or Kid Stop hours.

Any questions, please contact Pat Gavin at the above email address.

Order Your Student's Yearbook Today!

Yearbooks for the 24/25 school year are on sale now for $15! All 5th graders will receive a yearbook as a graduation gift. Sale ends April 21st!

Click here to order!

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 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

Feb 11:

East Family Wilderness Waterpark Night

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 11:

East Family MAPE Night 4pm-6pm

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

Spelling Bee Winners

Congrats to our 4th and 5th grade spelling bee winners!

4th Grade:

1st- Kai S

2nd- James T

3rd (alternate)- Jensen M

Kai and James advanced to the Regional Spelling Bee in Portage on January 28th and Kai placed 3rd. We are so proud of you for representing East Elementary!

5th Grade:

1st- Annie S

2nd- Colton J

3rd (alternate)- Zulema B

We are so proud of you for representing East Elementary at the SCRIPPS Spelling Bee on January 17th!

National School Counselor Week

We're so lucky to have Mr. Davies as our guidance counselor! He's not just a counselor, he's a champion for our students and staff. From teaching us valuable lessons about social and emotional skills, self awareness and safety, to supporting everyone with a smile and an optimistic outlook, Mr. Davies makes a difference every day. You can always count on him for a kind word and a helping hand. Thanks, Mr. Davies, for all you do!

Young Authors Writing Contest

Click here to read Mrs. Kramers letter for more information. Para español haga clic aquí.

SAVE THE DATE

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.

Please let our Parent Group (ESPG) know if you need financial assistance purchasing a ticket for your East School Student. You can send them a message on Facebook or email espgbaraboo@gmail.com.

4K Registration and Child Find Dates at West School

(707 Center St.)

February 19th from 2:00PM-4:30PM

March 6th from 4:00PM-6:00PM

4K Registration for Full Day or Half Day Programs

-Register in person at West Elementary

-Students must be 4 years old by September 1, 2025

-Both full day and half day options are available

Child Development Day Located at West Elementary

-Two-and-a-half to three-and a-half Years Old

-All children develop at different rates.

-Please visit us on Child Development Day if you would like to learn more!

For more information, call 608-355-3955

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

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:

Mar 4th

April 1st

May 6th

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.