December 2015
Berrian
Upcoming DECEMBER
Dates to Remember
School Board Meeting @
Monroe School 6:00 pm
16
BLT’s K-3 @ Blast-off
17
Christmas Program at the
Kroc Center 6:00 p.m.
17
End of 2nd Quarter
18
UPCOMING OCTOBER
DATES TO REMEMBER
Christmas Sing Along in the 18
gym after Blast-off
Winter Parties 1:45 - 2:30
18
Winter Break - No School
Dec. 21st to Jan. 4th
Upcoming JANUARY
Dates to Remember
School Resumes
5
December BLT’s K-3
@ Blast-off
5
No School
Martin Luther King Jr.
18
Learn & Lead Together
@1:30 (Parent/Child)
22
RIF
BLT s K-3 @ Blast-off
25
28
Upcoming February
Dates to Remember
Conversations with Chrissy
Berrian Library 8:30
17
Learn & Lead Together
@ 1:30 (Parent/Child)
19
November BLT’s
Celeste Pfeifle, Vayda Swango,
Preston Staff, David Bentley,
Roland Johnson, Calogero Stanton, Katelyn Nutt, Mateo Walker,
Ariyanna Hodge, Grayson
Brunier, Xavior Shaffer, Mercayah Rainbolt, Lillian Thompson, Jack Meyer
Elementar y School
B I G RO C K S F I R S T
December is a very short month
in Quincy Public Schools due
to winter break which begins on
Monday, December 21st. We
have been talking with the students about putting 1st things
1st. When we put our BIG
ROCKS first, we still have time
for fun. Big rocks may be
school work or homework and
chores at home. With a lot of
excitement going on around us
with the holidays, it’s important
to put first things first!
We will have our annual winter
program entitled Elfis and the
Frozen Princess on Thursday,
December 17th @ 6:00 p.m. at
the Kroc Center. Doors will
open at 5:30 with priority seating given to parents of students
that are in drama club. All
students are asked to arrive no
later than 5:45 as the performance will begin on time at
6:00. All families are invited to
attend. Students are asked to
dress festively. Please note that
theater behavior will be expected to ensure the success of
this event. Children not participating in the performance will
need to sit with their parents
and are asked to use their
“listening” skills for 30 minutes.
If you think that your child that
does not attend Berrian can
listen for this period of time
please consider making arrangements for them to stay home
with a caregiver. Thank you
for your consideration.
Once again Berrian will be
offering the Christmas Shop to
support our scholarship program for graduating a high
school senior that attended
Berrian Elementary School.
Students may bring in money
to purchase gifts for their family members. An adult will be
available to help supervise the
shopping as well as help students find the perfect gift!
Wishing everyone a very
hopeful and happy holiday
season!
Chrissy Cox, Principal
Berrian Elementary School
NEW OPPORTUNITY: Conversations with Chrissy
When school staff and parents/guardians partner together, student achievement significantly improves. We
have the opportunity to make this happen at Berrian!
Last quarter a group of parents got together and discussed topics that impact our students. The classes listed
below for 2nd quarter have been invited to meet with school staff to partner together to improve our children’s
school experience. We want parent/guardian input on several issues that matter!
This is an informal time for parents/guardians to have their voices heard at Berrian. Coffee and breakfast
treats will be offered.
When: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Berrian Library
3rd Quarter: Mrs. Kniel (K)
Mrs. Craven (1)
Mrs. Wilson (2)
Ms. Cannady (CC)
LEARN & LEAD TOGETHER
Friday, January 22, 2016 at 1:30
Parents/Guardians are invited to join each other in the gym to hear about your child’s learning and
how you can help them grow to their full potential.
This month Janelle Wathen, QPS Occupational Therapist will be sharing idea on ways to increase your child’s attention. You will walk away with practical things that you can do at home!
Mrs. Craven’s class will be performing a skit!
Upcoming dates for Learn & Lead Together: Feb. 19th, March 11th, & April 22nd
Most Words in a Child’s Vocabulary...
B e r r i a n
S c h o o l
E l e m e n t a r y
Most words in a child's vocabulary come from everyday encounters with language.
Children pick up language from books, media, and conversations with the people in
their lives.
You can increase your child's vocabulary and background knowledge — two important
pieces of the reading puzzle — by having conversations with them. Giving children a
rich language environment is one of the best ways to build a foundation for reading
success.
1327 South 8th Street
Quincy, Il 62301

Talk about the things you see in your neighborhood, on trips around town, or on
television. These conversations help build a child's understanding of her world.
Phone: 217-228-7691
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: Berrian PTA

When reading, pause to ask questions or comment on the story. Ask, "Why do
you think he did that?" or "What do you think is going to happen next?"

We’re on the web!
www.qps.org/Berrian
Use interesting and new words with your child. For example, "This cookie is
scrumptious! It is really good!" or I can see you're reluctant to leave, but we can come
back tomorrow."
Tell your children stories from your own life, or about the day they were born. This
helps develop their personal and cultural identity.
Berrian School Easy Fundraisers
Box Tops: Save Box Tops from specially-marked General Mills products and
various partner brands. Most box tops are worth 10 cents and some are worth
more! Please send your saved box tops to school frequently. Eligible products are listed are at www.boxtops4education.com/AboutBoxTops/
Labels For Education: Specially marked Campbell’s products tell you what to
save: UPS barcode, the lid, or bonus certificates. The school redeems these
for free educational items! For more information, visit the website,
www.labelsforeducation.com.
HY-VEE and Midwest Country Fare: Save the UPC codes from any HY-VEE or
Midwest Country Fare items. The school receives 5 cents per code!
County Market Max Card: Register your County Market Max Card to earn a
donation to the school! Registration forms are available at the store or at Berrian.
Coke: Turn in soda caps or the cardboard section from cases with the Coke
code on it.
Sunny D: Turn in the UPC code from the large bottles of Sunny D and our
teachers earn free books for our classroom libraries.
Prairie Farm Milk Caps: Turn in caps with a code from Prairie Farms gallon or
½ gallon milk jugs.
It’s Great to be at Berrian!
Table Talk
Talk to your child about their math homework. Ask “what are you learning in math?”
Have them explain how they came up with their answer. Can you say aloud how you
thought about it in your head? Is there another way you could figure it out? If someone didn’t know the answer, how would you explain to that person how to figure it
out?
You can play fact games at home or spend time solving basic fact problems together.
This will help strengthen their fact fluency and help us meet our goal set for our academic WIG.
N OV E M B E R
H E ALT H N E W S
BY SHEILA BENZ, RN-SCHOOL NURSE
As the weather is getting
colder please remember proper clothing is essential. Warm
hats, gloves, scarves and coats
will ensure your child the
protection needed. If you
need any assistance with these
items please contact the
school nurse.
Strep throat seems to occur all
year long. Some have a headache or a stomachache without a sore throat. Some have
nausea and vomiting. Some
are quite sick while others are
fairly chipper. The throat can
look normal, or it can be red,
swollen and covered with a
white slimy coating. Some
have “strep breath” (you
know it when you smell it), a
red, swollen uvula (the little
thing that hangs down in the
back of your mouth), strawberry
tongue (red tongue with raised
white “taste buds”, and petechial (tiny reddish purple dots) near
the uvula at the back of the
throat or on the roof of the
mouth. It is recommended to
check with your doctor when
your child complains of a sore
throat. If your child is diagnosed with strep throat he/she
may return to school 24 hours
after starting antibiotics if the
fever is gone without the help of
Tylenol or Motrin.
Strep can be prevented by washing hands, disinfecting services,
and avoiding contact with other
people’s saliva and mucus.
Cover coughs and sneezes with
your elbow. Discourage sharing food and drinks and kissing
on the lips. Keep sick children
home from school, and keep
sick people away from your
family.
Over the holidays please be
proactive and remember to
check your child’s head for lice.
Treat their head and your home
items as needed.
Enjoy a Healthy Holiday Season!!!
Sheila Benz, RN
Berrian School Nurse
217-228-7691