A note from Susan…

As I looked around last Friday night at Wonders of the Woodlands, I was so impressed with the community spirit that I felt. There were so many that volunteered their time and energy to make this event the success it was. All of the food provided was donated and baked by the parents, grandparents, and staff at Stonewall. All of the tours were guided by volunteers, all the tables manned by volunteers. Everyone had an awesome time. The Lafayette drama club did a fantastic job teaching our children about the international critters.

This event was a beautiful example of what the PTA, teachers, and parents can accomplish when we all work together as a team. The PTA is not about fundraising, but about promoting the welfare of our children, and to bring into closer relationship the home and the school. Thanks to the many who participated in the fundraiser, our PTA is able to support such programs as this. Continue watching throughout the year for activities your fundraising efforts are making possible.

The Board has the responsibility of deciding where to use your fundraising dollars. We have National guidelines or purposes for us to go by when making these decisions. We would like to start including our financial reports as part of the newsletter so that you may see how your PTA is spending your money.

The Board will also be sending out a Parent Survey this month. Please take the time to fill this out and return it. It will help the PTA to know what the parents on a large scale feel the PTA should be doing. Thanks again for your support. It takes all of us working together to make Stonewall a community our children can feel safe and secure in to excel to their true potential.

Thanks for your support,

Susan Honican, PTA President

Notice

Meeting Time Change

Beginning December 2, 2003 all PTA board meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. This time change, along with other format changes, is an attempt to shorten meetings and get everyone home at a decent hour. We appreciate your dedication to our mission and hope that these changes will be positive for everyone involved. Thanks again for all of your help.

News from the Cafeteria

Due to state regulations, we are not allowed to take adult lunches out of the student lunch account deposits. We welcome everyone to visit and have breakfast or lunch with their students. Please bring exact change when you can. When everyone brings large bills, we have a problem. Thank you.

STLP

We are members of STLP! Wait, what is STLP? It stands for Student Technology Leadership Program. We learn about computers and how to operate digital cameras. Now, we bet you are wondering who is in STLP. Any fifth grader who is interested in technology was chosen at the beginning of the year. Currently, we are making backpack tags for students to purchase at the Stonewall Bookstore. The backpack tags have the school’s name and address on them. They are available in six different designs ranging from a Stonewall Stallion to a school to a basketball player. Don’t forget to stop at the bookstore and purchase one of these awesome backpack tags!

Written by: Taylor Linville and Lindsey Hilen

Chess News

We attended the LTMS tournament on 10/25 a week ago. The primary team came in second place even though we did not have a full team. Meghan Waters (received 3^rd overall), Ajay Lingireddy, and Nikhil Lingreddy were the primary team. Our elementary team came in 5^th place with Kevin Kocinski, Connor Cesario, Benjamin Brown, Jacob Shaub, and Katherine Jacob participating.

On behalf of our chess club, we want to thank you and all the board members for your generous support of our effort. The funding is crucial for us to provide a training environment to allow growth in our students' chess skills. We look forward to spreading the "chess bug" further into the Stonewall population.

Shih-Ling Wedlund

Get an “Early Start” on Your Spring Cleaning

Do you have an extra kitchen sitting in your attic or a picnic table in your garage? Well then, you are reading the perfect article. The Early Start Program at Rosa Parks that serves Stonewall School district has received approval from Central Office to accept needed “gently used” toys and other items. This is the ONLY was that the program will be able to fulfill these needs. Any donation in “gently used” condition is appreciated. However, the following needs have been identified by the teacher:

Play kitchen/stove; play food items; doll house; doll house furnishings and dolls; sturdy big wheels or riding toys; EZ-Stor Picnic Table; collapsible tube to crawl through; and flannel puppets.

Children going through the Early Start Program will benefit for years to come from your generosity. Contact Heather Robertson at 219-2382 to make a donation. Your help will make a great difference!

ATTENTION PARENTS !!!

Even though the state tests (KCCT) and CTBS won’t be given until spring, you can begin to prepare your child to be a better test taker.

These tests consist of multiple choice questions and Open Response Questions (ORQ) that test how well the students can apply the knowledge they have acquired. Rarely are these questions only factual or literal.

To help your child develop the necessary skills (called higher level thinking skills), after reading a passage together ask questions that begin with words such as analyze, categorize, and create rather than words like state or tell.

For example, in discussing this past weekend’s UK football game with your child instead of asking how many yards were gained by each team, ask your child to analyze which method of moving the football was more effective based on the game statistics, running the ball or passing and explain why.

Or instead of asking Mr. McCaw what his score was on this past weekend’s golf game, ask him to analyze various aspects of his game, driving, chipping, and putting to determine which aspect he will focus on to improve.

Try to make the examples as “real life” and current as possible such as presenting the menu for your holiday meal and asking your child to use the food pyramid to analyze the choices, decide if the meal is well balanced, and offer possibly more nutritious alternatives.

As you read with your child (which you can do even with your 5^th graders; it’s a great “together” time), you can ask questions such as:

· Why do you think the author wrote this story?

· Does this story remind you of anything else you have read?

· What do the character’s actions tell you about the character?

· What makes it difficult for the character to solve the problem in the story?

· What message do you think the author wants you to learn from reading this story?

· How is the setting important to understanding the story?

Keeping these strategies in mind and practicing them will help your child score higher on the state tests. In the near future there will be sample open response questions on our school website.

Stonewall Night at CiCi’s

November 12th from 5 p.m. –9 p.m. is once again Cici’s pizza night. Come and join in the fun. Make sure you mention that you are from Stonewall and part of the proceeds from our sales that night will go towards the PTA.

Special Minority Election to the Stonewall SBDM Council

Dear Parents,

As you know from the letter you received last week, we will be having a special election to place a minority candidate on our SBDM Council. We are grateful to Ty Sturdivant and Shih-Ling Wedlund for agreeing to run for this position. I know both of these parents and I can tell you that whoever is elected, our Council and Stonewall School will be the winner. Please read the short and impressive "bios" they have prepared for the PTA Newsletter.

The election will be held on Friday, November 14, 2003 between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. Votes will be cast in the office. You will be asked to sign a sheet indicating that you have voted, and then you will be given a ballot with our candidates' names on it. Please take advantage of the opportunity to vote for your parent representative on our Council.

Please contact me if you have any questions, and thanks in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

James E. McCaw, Principal

SBDM Minority Candidate: Shih-Ling Wedlund

Family:
Husband: Peter
Children: Jason, 17; Aaron, 15; and Leia,

Education:
BS, MS, and Ph.D.

Experience:
Analytical toxicology and Management at Commonwealth Technology.

Teacher’s Assistant at Creative Montessori School

Organizer for Scholastic Chess Tournament

Quad C Region Scholastic chess Coordinator for KY Chess Association

Certified ESL Tutor by Operation Read.

We are a three-time Stonewall family. My youngest is currently a third grader. I have always considered it to be one of life’s most precious privileges to send my child off to a warm and caring environment each morning for her schooling. I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve on the SBDM Council for the school.

Stonewall has a strong leadership and community support. As a SBDM member, I will be a listener and learner first. I would be actively involved in the continued efforts to strive for ever higher performance by our students. I look forward to being a positive contributing member at the SBDM. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Shih-Ling Wedlund

SBDM Minority Candidate: Ty Sturdivant

I received the October 27 letter from Principal McCaw that stated that Stonewall would elect another minority parent representative to the SBDM council. Although the letter was addressed “Dear Parents” and went to hundreds of people, it registered so strongly with me that I felt as though it was addressed specifically to me. I knew that it was Time To Serve.

I’m Trey’s dad, Ty Sturdivant. Trey is a first grader in Ms. LeBlanc’s class. Trey is a great kid; I love being his dad. My family has had a wonderful experience at Stonewall – it’s a terrific school. This is our third year at Stonewall; Trey was initially a part of Stonewall’s Four Year Old Program.

I want to serve on the SBDM council to do all I can to make sure that all the children are successful at Stonewall. I am an executive manager at Community Action Council, a local non-profit organization. Denise, my wife, is a registered nurse at a local hospital. Trey is our only child.

I hold a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Science degree with a major and minor in Computer Science and Mathematics from Eastern Kentucky University. My responsibilities at Community Action Council include directing a department of over 160 employees who provide quality services in more than 20 programs. Of these programs, none are more important than our three child development programs – Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant Head Start, serving over 1,200 children.

As a parent representative on the SBDM council, I want to make sure that the teachers and the students have all the possible resources for our students to continue to excel academically. With my having some direct responsibilities in managing the company’s program budgets of about $20 million annually, I want to transfer some of that skill to the SBDM council. I also think that the school should continue to make sure that the students are enriched through a diverse population. Thank you.

Ty Sturdivant

MEMORIES IN THE MAKING….

Your memory book committee is hard at work capturing memories. All parents and/or teachers who take photos of children at school events are encouraged to submit photos to the committee for consideration. (Submissions accepted in digital, negative or printed format). We have begun the layout and will unveil some of the changes in the upcoming order forms. Here are a few other exciting things we would like to share with you:

COVER DESIGN CONTEST is underway. All fifth graders are encouraged to submit their design. Drawings must be students' own work, not copyrighted, can be photo collage, drawing and can be in FULL color. All entries are due December 1, 2003. A drop box is located in the teacher’s workroom beside the library. Try to keep our theme in mind, “We lead, other’s follow”. One design will be chosen to beautify the cover of this year’s memory book.
SPONSOR SPACES are still available for small business owners and home based consultants (i.e. Mary Kay, Tupperware, Kelly’s Kids, Pampered Chef, Creative Memories etc). Reserve your space TODAY and get your information printed in 600 +/- books. A ¼ page space is $25 and business card size is $15. These prices are for a limited time and available on a first come basis. You will find a form in this newsletter (use it or pass it along).
PARENTS’ SPACES is NEW this year. Parents of fifth graders can have their personal message printed in the memory book for a $2 fee per message. Surprise your child with a heartfelt message in print to last for years.
MEMORY BOOK SALES are about to begin....be sure to watch your child's backpack for the exciting news!! Get your order in early!!
FIFTH GRADERS MEMORY WALL is also a NEW feature this year. We invite fifth graders to share their memories at Stonewall with us! For $1, students can purchase space in the memory book where they can leave their personal poem, memory, or message to siblings, favorite teacher etc. SPACE IS LIMITED – LOOK for more information on this soon!!
2003 MEMORY BOOKS on sale...for $5 each. Quantity is LIMITED!

Programming News

We are so blessed at Stonewall Elementary. We have such a great community spirit, and a giving spirit. Ms. Wiles the Principal of Harrison Elementary was so grateful when I presented her with a check for $341 from our Day of Caring collection on September 11th. The 4 barrels for our God's Pantry Food Drive are overflowing in the front hall. Thank you for your support and donations. Over 1,000 families in the area receive food every month from God's pantry. Walk your Kids to School Day was also a big success this year. Our enrollment is around 682 students and we had approx. 781 walkers this year!! Squires Elementary actually won the monetary prize for the highest percentage of walkers, but I think we did great and it appeared everyone enjoyed having a muffin and juice before school! As you know, these events wouldn't be possible without all the great Stonewall Volunteers!

Looking forward into November.....Be on the look out for information about our Book Donation Program. We will have a box in the front hall to collect any gently used books. The program will help put more AR books in our library and we will also donate books to Harrison and Rosa Parks Early Start program. I will also send home information on a winter care project. Requested items will be broken down and specified for each grade level (Example 1st grade might be asked to donate various sizes of socks, underwear, and undershirts. 2nd grade might be asked to donate various sizes of hats and gloves , etc.) We will also take donations of gently used winter coats. The coat donation will extend beyond December and into January. These donations will be given to Harrison Elementary.

I will also announce a date for a Stonewall Skate at Champs in the near future. Thanks again for supporting your school and PTA.

Stacey Rearic
Second Vice President, Programming

Stonewall Staff Stories

Ms. Mooney received her Bachelor’s Degree in music education from Houghton College in upstate New York. She received her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky. She has also taught middle school and elementary level reading, as well as ESL. She has two daughters, Katie and Megan. Parent Tip: “Take time for your children, read with them, sing with them, because they grow up so fast!”

Mrs. Clark received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from the University of Kentucky. She taught 4^th grade at Northern Elementary for 14 years and is in her 18^th year of teaching at Stonewall. She is married to a retired teacher and they have two grown children. Parent Tip: “I hope that all families remember to take time daily to eat together, share, read, play, and work on math.”

Mrs. Veinot received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Florida and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky. She has taught Kindergarten, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th grades. She was also a 1^st grade reading teacher. She is married and has a grown son and daughter-in-law. Parent Tip: “Continue to support at home what’s taught at school.”

Mrs. Guise graduated from Marywood College in Pennsylvania and received her Master’s Degree from UK. Both of her degrees are in Elementary Education. She is certified K-8 and has an endorsement as an elementary program consultant in math. She has been married for 33 years and they have two grown sons. Parent Tip: “Keep the lines of communication open with your child’s teacher.”

Ms. Mitchell received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Kentucky. She received her Rank 1 from Georgetown College. She has taught at Stonewall for the past 28 years! Her family is currently spread out from Los Angeles to New Zealand and a few places in between. Parent Tip: “Be sure that your child gets the required sleep that they need nightly. Sleep deprivation really affects school performance (ability to focus, etc.)”

Ms. Davis received her undergraduate degrees in psychology and elementary education from SUNY at Stony Brook and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from St. John’s University in New York. She has taught 1^st through 4^th grades in both Kentucky and New York. She has a daughter, Jamie, who attends La Fayette High School. Parent Tip: “Give your kids lots of time with you to share their day. Try to have meals together when possible, and talk about school, friends, and what’s going on in their lives.”

Mrs. Kinman received her undergraduate degree from EKU and her MA from the University of Kentucky. She has taught 1^st through 7^th grades and is certified to teach K-12. She is married with two children, Ben 23 and Amy 17. Parent Tip: “Discipline with a strong hand, but with love. Be true to your word, make the child responsible for his/her actions, and behave the way you want them to.”