Where Eagles do Their Best...and Nothing Less
729 Hazen Road DeLand, FL 32720 (386) 626-0053
Volume 3, Issue 1
September 2013
2013 Walk-A-Thon Kickoff at Citrus Grove
Citrus Grove had some very animated visitors on September 9.
Pablo Montanez and Jake Howard were here for an assembly to help us
kick-off the 2013 “Go Take A Hike” Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser.
The Walk-A-Thon is an important event as it is our only PTA
sponsored fundraiser for the year. Monies earned go toward student
technology and extracurricular activities. Last year, our PTA, parents,
and students raised over $9,000 with this fundraiser. Our goal is to raise at
least $10,000 but we plan on raising more!
Our Walk-A-Thon will take place on Friday, September 20. If we
reach the minimum goal of $10,000 for Citrus Grove, our Principal, Mrs.
Head, and our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Korkus, have agreed to be turned
into HUMAN ICE CREAM SUNDAES! The top selling student in each grade
level will help “create” the sundaes. The following prizes will also be
awarded (based on PAID pledges): 1st Place Student (School-Wide)
receives an I-Pod Touch; 2nd Place Student (School-Wide) receives a $50
Wal-Mart Gift Card; 3rd Place Student (School-Wide) receives a $25
Wal-Mart Gift Card.
Let’s get ready to GO TAKE
A HIKE Citrus Grove Eagles!
***Special Area Schedule for Walk-A-Thon***
4th
2nd
3rd
8:05 – 8:40
9:25 – 10:00
10:45 – 11:20
5th
1st
K
8:45 – 9:20
10:05 – 10:40
12:05 – 12:40
School Calendar
September 17
September 19
September 20
September 23
Early Release
Days:
1st Midterm Grading Period
Ends
Open House from 6:00 to 7:00
Media Center will open at 5:30
Annual Walk-A-Thon
Student Holiday (No School)
September 4th, 11th, 18th,
& 25th
Parent
Pick up
Drop off/
Tips
A few reminders about our parent drop off
procedures: Parents can either park vehicles and
walk children across the crosswalk or pull into the
drop off loop. Pull your vehicle as far forward as
possible before allowing your child to exit. Once
your vehicle has come to a stop, your child may
exit along the curb. To prevent children walking
through traffic, do not drop your child off in the
parking lot.
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Important School Attendance
Information
SAFETY PATROL NEWS
The Citrus Grove community encourages a healthy start
to the school day. Students who eat breakfast in the school’s
cafeteria should arrive by 7:30 a.m. and report directly to the
cafeteria. This will provide them enough time to eat and get to
class on time. THERE IS NO SUPERVISION PRIOR TO 7:25
A.M.
Congratulations to our first round of Safety Patrols for
the 2013-2014 school year! They are doing an awesome
job patrolling the hallways and keeping “The Grove” a
safe place to learn. These 5th grade students have been
selected by their teachers based on their exceptional
behavior and positive attitude.
If you are a 5th grader and would like to be a safety
patrol, we will be adding new patrols to our team later
this year.
Edward R., Alexis F., Taylor K., Joey M.,
Kane H.,
Maverick P., Riley B., Rayna G.,
Keishana C., Lane F.,
Tyler T., Dudley T., Haydon A., Blake C.,
Stephanie D., and Isaiah P.
Students are expected to report to school on time every day for
an Excellent Eagle Education. The first bell to report to class rings
at 7:45 a.m. The second bell for the official start of the school day
rings at 7:55 a.m.
Tardies: Students arriving to their homeroom class after 7:55
a.m. are considered tardy to school. Any student arriving after
8:00 a.m. needs to report to the front office for a tardy pass. Most
tardies are UNEXCUSED without verification of a medical or
dental appointment. Please provide a doctor’s excuse for all
scheduled appointments.
When a student is absent or tardy, a parent/guardian must call
the office (386) 626-0053 to report the absence/tardy. When a
telephone call is not possible, a note of explanation is required
and must accompany the student when returning to school.
Absences and tardies are monitored and reported to our social
worker as required by the State of Florida.
Early Checkout: Check your students out early only if it is
absolutely necessary. Being at school for the duration of the day is
also essential to and Excellent Eagle Education.
COACHES’ CORNER
Dear Parents,
that are secure on their feet.
The Physical Education Department is excited about the
2013-2014 school year. We have a new member on our
team. Coach Webb has joined the Citrus Grove family
this year and comes to us with 16 years of teaching
experience at both the elementary and middle school
level.
Starting September 30th, students in
the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will begin
taking the Presidential Fitness Test
and students in Kindergarten, 1st,
and 2nd grades will take part in a
motor skills test.
Next week, Friday, September 20th, all students will
participate in the school’s Walk–A–Thon Fundraiser.
During each grade’s special area time, students will
report to the field and will try to see how many laps they
can complete within the allotted time. Students will be
given water and Gatorade during the event.
In addition, Coach O’Neill will be starting the run club on
Wednesday, September 25th. The run club will be held on
early release Wednesdays throughout the school year from
1:30–2:30. Students in grades 2 through 5 are invited to
join. The run club will be limited to the first 30 students
who return their permission slips.
In class, students are working on loco-motor skills as well
as dodging, chasing, and fleeing. Just a reminder, on PE
days, students are required to wear athletic shoes
V OLUME 3, I SSUE 1
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Parent Portal:
A Private Link to your Student’s
Progress
The Parent Portal is a tool designed to enhance the communication and involvement of
parents in their child’s education. The Parent Portal will allow you to monitor your child’s
progress in school by providing Internet access to grades, attendance, academic history,
graduation verification, and standardized test results. This is all secured by using a
special use ID and password. All parents should have received a letter from the district
that includes a login authorization code. Contact Robyn Koch at 386-626-0053 for access
and support.
Don’t Forget
Picture Day at the Grove is
Monday,
September 30th.
Box Tops are due
October 1st!
Citrus Grove is excited to have the Rotary Readers
program returning to our school. The Rotary Readers program was established over 10 years ago by the
DeLand Rotarians, who firmly believe education is
the key to all success. Volunteers from the DeLand
Rotarians will be visiting some of our classrooms and
reading with students. The Rotary Readers are
geared up and ready to assist our Eagle teachers and
students.
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Club News
The first Art Club of the year was held on Wednesday,
September 11th, from 1:10 – 2:30.
Our members are working hard on papier mache oranges
which will be part of our school exhibit at the Volusia
County Fair. Other fun and interesting projects are
planned for the rest of the year.
Girls on the Run will meet each Tuesday and
Thursday from 2:10 to 3:30 beginning September 17 through the end of November.
Art Club begins
September 11 and will meet
Wednesdays from 1:10 to 2:30.
Art Club information is posted on the school web site.
Girls on the Run begins September 17 and
Congratulations to this year’s Art Club Members!
will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:10 to
3:30.
Joey M.
Blake S.
Wyatt W.
Sarah E.
Diana I.
Autumn O.
Jaquelyn B.
Alexis L.
Diego B.
Laura S.
Rayna G.
Ian G.
Eduardo R.
Lane F.
September 24th and will meet Thursdays from
2:15 to 3:20.
Preston L.
Vanessa B.
Sabrina N.
Amhya P.
Drama Club begins October 29th and will meet
Olea L.
Amaya L.
Nicole H.
Technology Club begins September 19 and
will meet every other Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00.
Chorus for 2nd and 3rd grade begins
September 24th and will meet Tuesdays from 2:15
to 3:20.
Chorus for 4th and 5th grade begins
Tuesdays from 2:00-3:30.
FFEA information will be available later this month.
News from
Citrus Grove’s annual Scholastic Book Fair
We had a great start to our annual Scholastic Book Fair on Thursday September
12th. The Book Fair-OH even showed up to greet families in the morning at curbside and then later in the Media Center. Ms. Young, our Media Specialist, had art
and craft activities available for students as well. The Scholastic Book Fair is open
weekdays from 7:30am to 2:30 pm until September 20th. The Media Center will
open at 5:30pm September 19th for our annual Open House event.
Health News at Citrus Grove
Germs Are Spreading!
Some food borne illnesses are spread through lack of hand cleaning. In fact,
certain strains of E. coli, salmonella, and other bacteria can live on surfaces like
cafeteria tables and doorknobs for up to two hours.
Rotavirus, a germ that causes gastrointestinal illness - can be transferred from a
dry, smooth surface to a clean hand for as long as 20 minutes after the surface has
been contaminated. Salmonella infections are responsible for an estimated 1.4
million illnesses each year.
Illnesses Impact Students, Teachers and Families
Infectious disease accounts for millions of lost school days and costs the U.S. $120
billion a year. Diarrhea is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost working time, with about 25 days
lost from work or school each year for every 100 Americans.
Teacher illness costs time and money - not to mention the negative effects that teacher absences may have on
student learning. In fact, teachers can be absent from school more days a year than students. One study found
that teacher illness-related absences averaged 5.3 days a year, in contrast to an average of 4.5 days a year for
students.
More than 160,000 people in the U.S. die yearly from an infectious disease. The 15 leading causes of death in
the U.S. for 2006 include influenza and pneumonia.
Hand Cleaning Helps Control Illness…
One study involving Detroit school children showed that scheduled hand washing at least four times a day,
can reduce gastrointestinal illness and related absences by more than 50%.
A case-controlled study of 6,080 school children showed that those who used classroom-dispensed, instant
hand sanitizers at specific times during the day in addition to normal hand cleaning habits experienced 20%
fewer absences due to illness. A four-week hand washing program for a class of first grade students was
associated with fewer absences and prescribed antibiotics than were reported the previous school year.
Check Us
Out Online!
Check out our great news, events, and information at:
http://myvolusiaschools.org
Click on the “Schools” tab near the top of the page and select Citrus Grove Elementary
from the list in the Elementary Schools box on the right hand side of the page.
You can also go directly to our school website by typing the following address into your
navigation bar:
http://myvolusiaschools.org/school/CitrusGrove/Pages/default.aspx
To get help navigating to our website, call Robyn Koch at 626-0053 x22578
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V OLUME 3, I SSUE 1
This newsletter is provided as a wellness resource by our School Way Café’s Evelyn Klironomos, RD, LDN
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.