APPLE NEWS
Franklin Elementary
November/December 2007

ICE SKATE INTO THE HOLIDAYS

APPLE's annual ice-skating party at Riverfront Park takes place Friday, Dec. 14. Buses will leave school at 9:30 a.m., and we will skate from 10 a.m. to noon. APPLE will pay the admission and skate-rental fees for all APPLE students, teachers and two skating chaperones per classroom. APPLE also will provide hot chocolate and apple cider.

Each student needs:

NOTE: Students with ice skates should bring them. Students without skates need to know their shoe sizes.

Parents and siblings are welcome. Buses may have space for adults interested in riding. Check the core area for a sign-up sheet.

If you have any questions, please call or email Gina Linke at 536-7943 or davidandgina3524@msn.com.

DO THE SHUFFLE

On Dec. 4, APPLE students had "snowball" fights in their new shuffle rooms.

Each Tuesday, our children finish the day in a room with students from the other classes. We started the year in our Reading Buddy rooms and switched to new rooms this week. The snowball fight was a "get to know you" activity so that students and teachers had a chance to meet new people and learn a little about them. Other shuffle activities have included singing, fall art projects, and reading and discussing picture books.

At the end of the day, we leave the building with our shuffle groups. We look forward to more activities with these mixed groups. So if you're a little confused on Tuesdays when you come to pick up your children, it's because we're getting to know each other!
From Beth Calkins, APPLE First-Grade Teacher

APPLE OFFERS A HELPING HAND

APPLE's public service committee is asking each class to assemble holiday care bags. Committee members hope the project reminds our children about the importance of giving, balancing the tendency to think about the holidays as a time to receive.

Each class is setting aside time to make the bags. Bag will contain items such as water bottles, Kleenex packets and Power Bars. The bags can be kept in the car and given to someone in need or taken to an organization that could use them. Each APPLE family can decide how to give them away.

Families that would like to participate can donate 12 of any of these items:

Bins labeled for each classroom will be in the APPLE core area. Contact Janeen Steer (838.7455) or George Critchlow (534.3826) if you have questions.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Auction Food Meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 10th @ 6:30 at Amy Garvin's home.

A fundraiser for Franklin's library takes place Dec. 15 and 16, from 10 am. to 10 p.m., at NorthTown Mall.

Franklin Library will get a portion of all Barnes and Noble sales made during the weekend when the sales are accompanied by a voucher. Our job is to get our vouchers into the hands of Barnes and Noble customers. Barnes and Noble will set up a table near the entrance where we'll welcome shoppers and distribute our vouchers. Sounds easy, huh? If you can spare an hour or two, sign up for a shift! Feel free to bring your kids, spouse etc. To volunteer or ask questions, call Becky (536-5651) or email: BeckyD@spokaneschools.org. Bonus:  You earn APPLE hours and get an excuse to drive to the mall for shopping and lunch.

The January 2008 APPLE Action Meeting has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 22, due to a conflict with the Children's Missoula Theater. The Leadership meeting will still take place Jan. 8, 2008.

Auction Procurement Packets. If you weren't at the APPLE Action meeting, check your child's backpack for a procurement packet. If it's not there, contact Andrea Heidenreich at 863.4892.

We have a winner (or two) in the APPLE T-shirt Design Contest. Deb Gore will be talking with the artists about color choices for lettering and fabric. Stay tuned for the T-shirt sale, which will take place after the first of the year.

APPLE photos can be shared more conveniently now that there's an account at the Web service Shutterfly, http://www.shutterfly.com/. Julie Cordero has agreed to maintain the site. If you have photos to share with the APPLE Community, put them on this Web site. If you have questions or need help, contact Julie at corderographics@msn.com.

Newsletter notice. Families getting more than one copy of an email from APPLE likely have more than one child in the program. Emails are sent in groups by grade. If you have questions, call or email Kris Morehouse, 328.2645 or krisanter@comcast.net.

From Tim Potts, Franklin's Head Custodian:

I would like to thank all of you who participated in the leaf raking on November 4th. It was a very delightful surprise to come by that Saturday morning to find several children and adults raking the front yard of our school. It is amazing how many hands can take a gigantic job and reduce it to nothing in short order. I was truly touched and inspired by your efforts to make Franklin a nicer and better-looking place to be.

CLASSROOM NEWS

First-Grade News

Our Auction Project has been decided. We plan to have a "Pub table" and two stools made. Then we will do a mosaic piece on top of the table that depicts a picture of a flattened globe. Stay tuned for more details. Once the items are built, we will schedule a time for the kids to do the mosaic.

Just a reminder: If you can come in and cook with the 1st graders, please contact me (Jessica Hieronymus) ASAP to schedule a day and time and get a recipe in place.

Primary Music Program. The first and second graders are putting on a play next Dec. 12 at 1 and 2 p.m. You are all invited. We hope to see you there.

From Jessica Hieronymus, first-grade classroom coordinator

Third-Grade News

Book Project Coming Home:

Back & Forth Homework:

Science Unit Wrapping Up:

Math Unit 2 Finished:

Literary Essay:

Readers Journals:

Holiday Celebrations:

APPLE HOURS:

Ice-skating party:

MAC Field Trip:

From Bronwynn Shew, third-grade classroom coordinator

Fourth-Grade News

The fourth graders have been very busy and are in full swing in the classroom.

New student. Last week, fourth graders welcomed Sarah Horn. Sarah and her brother, Jacob, joined the APPLE program last Monday. A big welcome to the Horn family.

In Math, the students are working hard on different strategies for multiplication and have learned the algorithm and are moving towards division. They are becoming quite the problem solvers as well!

In reading, the students finished their partner reading books and are going to be starting a book project on those books. Speaking of book projects, a new book report was assigned this week that is due Dec. 14. This report is a non-fiction report, and the assignment sheet and materials for the report came home early this week.

In writing, the students finished their personal narratives before Thanksgiving and have been spending the last week on an expository piece of writing. The prompt was, "My favorite food is...." They have been working on giving voice to their writing by using a sensory image and fun details. If you are in the classroom this week, read one or two!

Next Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the 4th graders will put together their care bags for the public service project. Parents are welcome to join us. A bin labeled for the fourth-grade class is in the APPLE core area. Please drop off your items no later than noon Wednesday. Please call Christa with questions. And thanks to the parents who signed up to bring items at Tuesday's meeting.

From Christa Arguinchona, fourth-grade classroom coordinator

Fifth- and Sixth-Grade News

Thought for the month: What is your favorite party of the winter holiday season?

New procedures for limiting classroom interruptions. To reduce classroom interruptions, parents should first go to the office for the following situations:

If you need to speak with Mrs. Jordan, please do not interrupt class. Even if the children are busy working on something, it is distracting for them. Please speak to her before or after school or during a break such as lunch, recess or their time with a specialist.

Child care during APPLE Action meeting. Please try to use other APPLE families to arrange for babysitting during the APPLE Action meetings. A parent not attending the meeting can watch your kid(s) and get two APPLE hours for doing so. You may still bring your kids to the on-site child care if necessary. But in an effort to reduce the number of kids being supervised and to help others earn hours, you are encouraged to make arrangements with other families. REMINDER: If you use the on-site child care, you will be called upon to supervise it.

Bathroom by the Express Room. Someone is repeatedly urinating on the floors and walls of this bathroom. If you are in that area, please be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.

Samantha Russell and Shawn Horn volunteered to go as skating chaperones from our class.

Hours. Please turn in your hours forms to Eba and Toraj Farzana by the 8th of each month. You can mail your sheet to their home or you can put it in the little red school house located in the core area outside of Beth Calkins' room. A few of you are short on hours. Please call me if you need help meeting your requirement. There are plenty of things to do inside and outside of class, both during and after school hours.

Hours update letters will be arriving by mail in the next couple of weeks. They will detail the number of hours Eba and Toraj have recorded for your family through October. You should have approximately 20 hours and attended at least one APPLE Action meeting. If you feel that there is a discrepancy on your hours, please contact me or Eba and Toraj (536.0915).

Adult jeans needed. Please remember to bring in an adult-sized pair of jeans by Dec. 18 so that Yoene Palmer can make the pockets for the backs of class chairs.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 532-9275 or kimmilah@hotmail.com. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

From Kimm Hill, 5/6 Classroom Coordinator

LEADERSHIP MEETINGS

Executive Meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. at Franklin on the Tuesday of the week prior to the APPLE Action Meeting. The meeting is open to committee chairs, executive members and interested Apple parents.

Upcoming leadership dates:

Committees meet at 6:30 p.m. prior to the Leadership Meeting. Check with your committee chair for more information.

QUESTIONS?

The following parents can help make your school year a success:

Classroom Coordinators 2007-08

Executive Committee

Apple Newsletter contact: Kris Morehouse at krisanter@comcast.net

Apple Website: http://www.sd81.k12.wa.us/franklin/Apple/appleweb.htm

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Spokane Public Schools complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability. This holds true for all students interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities. Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to the district Equal Opportunities office, Ivan Bush at (509) 354-7344.

Minutes from Dec. 5, 2007, APPLE Meeting

At 7:45 p.m., Lisa Regehr called the meeting to order.

Lisa introduced APPLE's newest family, Shawn and Joel Horn. Jacob Horn is in fifth grade and Sarah is in fourth.

Gina Linke of the Celebrations Committee detailed the annual ice-skating party, which takes place Dec. 14 at Riverfront Park. The committee also is planning a Ladies' Night Out in January.

Jodi Pierson announced that she and Ashli Myers will be taking over the Enrollment Committee. For next year, APPLE needs three second graders, five fourth graders, five fifth graders and 13 sixth graders. The enrollment committee urged families to spread the word so that the sixth-grade class gets filled. A new family meeting takes place Feb. 28.

George Critchlow of the Public Service Committee talked about the care bag project, which is designed to get children thinking about giving as well as receiving during holiday time of year. Each class will assemble that bags, which will contain items such as floss, water bottles and Kleenex packets. The bags will be sent home, and families can decide how to distribute them. The project isn't designed as a cure-all for homeless but to encourage larger discussion about neediness, homelessness and giving.

Jessica Hieronymus said the Auction Food Committee meeting takes place Dec. 10. Jessica, whose husband Dan is an Auction co-chair, also urged the APPLE community to pull together and work really hard on the auction, which takes place March 1. "Be creative. Think outside the box," she said.

Tania Olsen reminded APPLE families to save Christmas baskets, which can be used for auction items.

Andrea Heidenreich, Auction co-chair, detailed the procurement packet received by every APPLE family. The packet includes donation forms, incentive programs and auction details. All procured items are due Feb. 21.

Angie Hayes, former auction procurement chair, urged families to accurately complete the forms.

Lisa Regehr asked for nominations for two, one-year post to the Executive Committee running from Feb 1., 2008, to February 1, 2009. Ashli Myers nominated Becki Davis. Christa Arguinchona nominated Lance Shew for a second term. Both nominations were seconded. Both nominees will be voted on in January.

Joe Herzog spoke briefly about the budget he presented in October. The budget passed unanimously.

Lisa presented a new policy on classroom interruptions requested by APPLE teachers . If a parent needs to retrieve a student for an appointment or drop off a lunch box, ask Reda or another staff member to call the student out of class. And remember, anytime a student is late or needs to leave for an appointment, a parent must sign the student out or in.

Lisa also reminded families the child care available during meetings should be a last resort. If another APPLE parent babysits your child during the meeting, he or she can earn hours.

Mark Your Calendar

DECEMBER

Dec. 12             -   PTG meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13             -   9:30 a.m. start
Dec. 14             -   APPLE Ice Skating Party, 10 a.m. to noon
Dec. 18             -   Pajama Day for Winter Solstice
Dec. 19-Jan. 1   -   Winter Break

JANUARY

Jan. 2               -   Back to school
Jan. 3               -   9:30 a.m. start
Jan. 8               -   APPLE committee meetings at 6:30 p.m.
                       -   APPLE leadership meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 9               -   PTG meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 14-19        -   Missoula Children's Theater
Jan. 17             -   9:30 a.m. start
Jan. 21             -   NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday)
Jan. 22             -   APPLE Action Meeting at 7 p.m.
Jan. 24             -   9:30 a.m. start
Jan. 31             -   9:30 a.m. start

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1               -   Semester Break (No School)
Feb. 4               -   Franklin Family Reading Night
Feb. 7               -   9:30 a.m. start
Feb. 12             -   Lincoln's Birthday
                        -   APPLE committee meetings at 6:30 p.m.
                        -   APPLE leadership meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 13             -   PTG meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 14             -   9:30 a.m. start
Feb. 15             -   Learning Improvement Day (No School)
Feb. 18             -   Presidents' Day (No School)
Feb. 19             -   APPLE Action Meeting at 7 p.m.
Feb. 21             -   9:30 a.m. start
Feb. 27             -   Franklin Science Fair Grades 4-6
Feb. 28             -   9:30 a.m. start