Keystone Elementary Important Upcoming Dates

March Newsletter

Dates on Deck

Wednesday, March 1st- 1:00 p.m. dismiss end of K-6 2nd trimester-grade reporting

Wednesday, March 8th- 1:00 p.m. dismiss- P/T conferences

Monday, March 13th- 1:00 p.m. dismiss- P/T conferences

Wednesday March 15th through Friday March 17th- NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

Monday, March 20th- Classes resume

Friday, March 24th- 1:00 p.m. dismiss K-6 PD

Read Across America- dress up day!

Keystone Elementary will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America on Friday, March 3rd.  Students are encouraged to dress as their favorite storybook character that day.

BCPTO

BCPTO meeting is Monday, March 6th at 6:30 p.m. at Keystone Elementary.  All are welcome to attend.

Preschool and Kindergarten Registration

Preschool and Kindergarten registration is scheduled for Monday, March 6th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Keystone Elementary Center.  Please, bring proof of age and immunization records.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

On Wednesday, March 8th and Monday, March 13th conferences will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Classes will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. on those dates.  Online scheduling is open at http://www.myschoolsystems.com/benton/keystone-elementary . If you are unable to schedule your conference online, please call the office at 319-442-3221.

Book Fair

The book fair is back!! The book fair will be open March 6th through March 13th and open online until March 22nd.  Parents make sure to stop in and check it out during conferences!  Students will also be participating in a change collection throughout the book fair.  Change collected will be used for books in their classrooms!  http://www.scholastic.com/bf/keystoneelemsch

Spring Break

Benton Community students will not have classes on Wednesday, March 15th through Friday, March 17th for Spring break.  Enjoy!  Classes will resume Monday, March 20th.  

Spring Portraits

Spring 2017 portraits will be taken on Monday, March 27th.  Students are not required to have their pictures taken. More information will be sent home at a later date.

PT Conference Sign Up for Mar. 8th, 13th is ready.

Keystone PT Conference Sign Up is ready for our upcoming March 8th and March 13th options. Please follow the link. Passwords will be coming home today with your child. Passwords are the same as in the fall.

https://www.myschoolsystems.com/benton/keystone-elementary/conferences.php?where_from=student&language=english

3 and 4 year old Pre-school, AK, and Kindergarten Registration

Keystone Elementary will be having their 3 and 4 year old Pre-school, AK, and Kindergarten registration on Monday, March 6th from 4:30-6:30.

3 and 4 year old PK parents - You will need proof of child's age and immunization records.

AK and Kindergarten - You will need proof of child's age, if not already in our system, and immunization records.  You can give us the immunization records prior to starting school in the fall.

If you can't attend on March 6th during those times please call 319-442-3221 prior to March 6th to register with us in the office.

If you have any questions about 3 or 4 year old Pre-school, AK, or Kinder please call 319-442-3221 or email me at rjunge@benton.k12.ia.us


Sincerely,

Mr. Junge

Return to normal bus routes

Benton CSD will return to normal bus routes effective tomorrow, Friday 1.27.  Thank you for your patience.

Mr. Junge

Keystone Elementary Student Council Fundraiser

Keep your child's skills sharp over Holiday Break

Keep Skills Sharp During Winter Break

Help your child stay at the top of his learning game during the holiday vacation — no flashcards involved!

 

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LEARNING BENEFITS

Hover over each Learning Benefit below for a detailed explanation.

Creativity

Literacy

Compassion

Winter break means a well-deserved reprieve from homework and daily obligations. But before you know it, the holidays will be over and it will be back to the bus stop. To prepare for a smooth re-entry and a successful second semester, don't let school skills like reading, writing, and math slide completely during winter vacation. Try these family-friendly activities to keep skills sharp:

• Read for pleasure. Whether your child is in the mood for holiday stories like The Night Before Christmas or the newest installment from his favorite series, winter break provides the perfect opportunity to stash schoolbooks and read for fun. Encourage relatives to give books as holiday gifts or gather in front of the fire (big kids too!) to take turns reading from classic tales.
   
• Cook up an easy lesson. Invite your child into the kitchen to help you whip up a special dish — from Christmas cookies to potato pancakes. All of those half-tablespoon and quarter-cup measurements are great practice with fractions.
   
• Write thank-you notes. Penning notes of appreciation to gift-givers teaches gratitude and helps polish writing and spelling skills. Not sure what to say? Check out our thank-you note template for wording. One final tip: a mug of hot cocoa can make this task feel more festive!
   
• Make the most of car rides. Turn the drive to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity to practice letters and numbers. You can look for license plates from different states, try to find the alphabet on the license plates, or count the number of red (or white or green) cars you see.
   
• Maintain reasonable bedtimes. With no school to get up for in the morning, it can be tempting to let kids become night owls. A few days before school starts up again, ease back into the regular bedtime schedule so your child can start the year bright-eyed.
   
• Ask for grocery list assistance. Have your child help choose what to buy, decide how much you need, check your supplies to see what you've already got, write or draw pictures on the list, and sort coupons.
   
• Let kids help with online shopping. Need a last-minute gift for Grandma or Uncle Joe? Log onto your favorite shopping sites and let your child help you select presents. This helps children work on their computer and research skills.
   
• Have a family game night. Chances are many of your family's favorite board and card games reinforce skills such as counting, reading, and drawing. Gather the group to play games you usually don't have time for on school nights.

Upcoming December Dates to Know

Keystone Friday Notes--12/16/16

NEXT WEEK SPECIAL SCHEDULE 12/19 thru 12/23

Monday-Day 1 PE/Guidance

Tuesday- Day 2 Art/Guidance

Wednesday-Day 3 PE/Music

Thursday- Day 4 Art/Guidance

Friday- NO SCHOOL

WINTER BREAK

Benton Community will dismiss classes on Thursday, December 22nd at 1:00 p.m. for winter break.  Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd.  Enjoy!

Keystone Center “Holiday Concert” Video

If you are interested in purchasing a video of the Christmas program, order forms are available in the school office. Cost is $12 each and must be prepaid. DVDs will be delivered to the school and sent home with students.   

SCHOOL VISITORS

Just a reminder to all visitors to our building, please stop in the office before going anywhere else in the building;  unexpected visitors can be a distraction to students. Thank you.  

WINTER APPAREL

Keystone Elementary outdoor recess policy states that if the “feels like” temperature is 10 degrees or above, students will go outside for recess.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately and has all available winter wear each day.  Thank you.

Late start/school cancellations

School delays and cancellations can be found on local t.v. stations as well as the Bobcat Voicelink 1-830-2164 or 515-830-2164.  Parents may also choose to subscribe to the notification system offered by Govdelivery.  https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAEDU0609/subscriber/new  Just a reminder that there is no breakfast offered to students at school when there is a weather delay.