Mark Your Calendars

October 11 – 17 – bookfair 14 – Superintendent’s State of the schools address – 6:00 17 – Spooktacular – 6:00 21 – SAC - 6:30 24 – Parent information evening-6:00 25 – Teacher planning day 31 – Report cards 31 – Literacy Parade November 4 – PTO – 8:30 11 – veterans day 15 – boosterthon fun run 27-29 – thanksgiving break

Core Values, Vision, Mission

Where Children Excel

We are Lighting the Way to Leadership

A Franklin Covey “Leader in Me School”

OUR CORE VALUES

We believe that:

* The Character Counts Pillars of Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring

and Citizenship are essential qualities to model and instill in our students.

* The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People are the foundation for developing leaders.

* All individuals are valuable and can make meaningful contributions.

* A caring and compassionate learning environment will support the needs of the whole child

and inspire all to reach their full potential.

* Leaders are life-long learners.

OUR VISION IS TO: Be a school

Where Children Excel by developing strong character and a passion for lifelong learning.

OUR MISSION IS TO: Engage learners to Excel in life and Embrace Leadership to Enhance

our Local and global society.

The 7 Habits of happy kids

1. Be Proactive – I am in charge!

2. Begin with the end in mind – Have a plan!

3. Put first things first – Work first, then play!

4. Think win/win – There’s plenty for all!

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood – Listen before you speak!

6. Synergize – Together is better!

7. Sharpen the saw – Balance feels best! BONUS:

8. Find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs – I’m on a mission!

The Principal’s Pen In these few short weeks, we have already accomplished so much!

In the area of safety, we have practiced several drills, developed

classroom cultures with student-written mission statements, held

widely attended Curriculum Chats, and enjoyed our schoolwide

PTO-sponsored Tailgate Party! I am so amazed and impressed with

how well our students, parents, teachers, and staff have acclimated

and settled in to the new year.

There are many big topics in education and Common Core is

certainly the buzz right now. As our curriculum shifts to these new

standards, we are seeing students think more deeply, explain their

reasoning, write across all content areas, and read a wide variety of

complex text. These changes are geared to help our students

prepare for the real world application of skills. We appreciate the

partnership we have with our parents and thank you for your efforts

to support the educational program. To help at home, you can ask

your children "why" questions in lieu of the typical "whats". Have your

children give answers to you with supporting evidence and facts

and ask them to give you reasons for their thinking. Encourage your

children to explain and discuss real life challenges that occur in the

home, neighborhood, and community and to brainstorm possible

solutions. Have your children compare how things are both alikeand

different including books, movies, food, etc. Have your children look

for patterns, describe and categorize, and encourage and

celebrate opinions, as well as proactive thinking and problem

solving. The single most important habit a student can develop is

reading daily! As students acquire a love for reading, they develop

all the skills necessary to be supremely successful in life! I continue to

look forward to all that our children will accomplish this year!

We are having a parent information evening on October 24th to

discuss important issues including Common Core, Report Cards,

FCAT, MAGIC, School Improvement Plan, School Grading system,

and The Leader in Me. More information will be coming home soon.

We hope you will plan to attend!

Guidance I would like to thank the Wards Creek faculty, staff, and parents for the warm welcome I

have received as the new Warrior Guidance Counselor. The guidance website has been

updated with helpful links for parents. The GIFTED SCREENING/EVALUATION

timelines have been posted, along with a link to community resources that are available

in St. Johns County. Please visit the website at:

http://www-wce.stjohns.k12.fl.us/guidance/

Why Elementary School Counselors?

Elementary school years set the tone for developing the knowledge, attitudes and skills

necessary for children to become healthy, competent and confident learners. Through a

comprehensive developmental school counseling program, school counselors work as a

team with the school staff, parents and the community to create a caring climate and

atmosphere. By providing education, prevention, early identification and intervention,

school counselors can help all children achieve academic success.

At Wards Creek Elementary, two social skills group have been formed to assist students in

being successful academically and socially. I have also started several lunch bunch groups

that meet on Thursdays.

Please feel free to contact me with any guidance related questions at (904)547-8743 or I

can be reached by e-mail at Leanne.adolf@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Leanne Adolf

School Counselor

Clinic News School is back in session!

As all parents know, that means sniffles, sneezes and potential exposure to lice. Listed below are

some tips on lice and lice prevention. Also, please remember that St. Johns County has a “lice and nit

free” policy. If your child is found to have lice

or nits, you will immediately be contacted to pick your child up from school. Once treated, your

child may return to school, lice and nit free, the next day. After treatment, please bring your child to

the clinic to be checked. A parent must accompany the child to the school for this (7:30 a.m. or

after). Please do not send your child in on the bus, as you may have to take your child home if any

lice or nits are found.

PREVENTION

Head lice can be picked up anywhere in the community if there is direct contact with an infested

person or their combs, brushes, hats, hair ribbons, scarves, etc. Shared pillowcases or towels can

also be a source. Check your children frequently. Be aware of who their playmates are, whose

homes they visit and who visits your home. Remember, anyone can get lice.

Check the head for lice and nits. Lice are about the size of a sesame seed, have six legs, and are tan to grayish-white. Nits are tiny white specs that are attached to individual hair shafts. They resemble dandruff, but unlike dandruff, they are extremely difficult to remove.

Ordinary shampoo will not kill lice or nits. You should routinely check your child’s head at least once per week. Check the heads of

all other children in your family and be sure they are not infested. Head lice pass from one child to another when they touch heads, share hats, scarves, combs,

etc. Caution your child or children to avoid touching heads, sharing combs, hats, etc. Head lice are most commonly found on the scalp behind the ears and the neckline at the

back of the neck.

The best method of controlling an outbreak of head lice in school is regularly checking your

child’s hair at home. If you find the presence of lice or nits, TREAT IMMEDIATELY! Before

one family member is treated, all should be examined. Those showing evidence of infestation

should be treated at the same time. Individual treatment is a two step process involving the use of a

product such as a commercial pediculicide shampoo and a comb made especially for nit removal.

Cold and Flu Season

Flu season runs November – April, however it can start as early as October and continue as late as

May, with a peak time during January and February. Readily spread when people are indoors, cold

and flu viruses are often passed along from person to person and surface to surface in the

workplace and at school. According to the CDC, people are most contagious during the first 2-3 days

of contracting a cold and almost immediately and for about 5 days thereafter after being infected

with the flu – even before symptoms develop. However, there are many actions you can take to

prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses.

o Wash Your Hands for at least 15-20 seconds with soap many times a day or sanitize with an alcohol-gel hand sanitizer, especially following contact with potentially contaminated surfaces such as the hands and faces of others (including shaking hands and hugging), door handles and light switches and countertops.

o Following washing, turn off the faucet with a paper towel o Dry your hands with an air dryer or a clean paper towel o Use a paper towel to open the bathroom door and dispose of paper towel in a trash bin outside

of door o Use a hand sanitizer between washing o Avoid touching your face, eyes, or rubbing your nose o Clean shared items such as phones, keyboards, handles and door knobs with alcohol wipes

or other sanitizer- type wipes o Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold or flu o Sneeze and cough into a tissue, throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands. If you

don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hand

o Drink plenty of fluids, but do not share drinking cups or straws o Eat healthy foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables o Don’t smoke and decrease alcohol consumption o Relax – stress can decrease immunity o Avoid contact with known allergens - allergies affecting the nose or throat may increase the

chances of getting a cold or flu

Prevention Myths According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases there are some common

myths about preventing and treating colds and flu.

Myth 1: Take antibiotics

Fact: Antibiotics only act on bacterial infections, and they do not work against viruses, including

cold and flu viruses

Myth 2: Starve a cold and feed a fever/flu

Fact: There is no conclusive evidence for withholding or increasing food or drink intake to reduce

the symptoms or duration of a cold. The body needs adequate nutrition and fluids, especially during

stress, to maintain body functions.

Myth 3: Vaccines prevent colds

Fact: Vaccines only work against the specific type of influenza virus for which it was designed and

there are no effective universal vaccines against the common cold viruses.

Myth 4: Take Vitamin C to prevent or stop colds

Fact: Vitamin C trials have shown encouraging results for reducing some cold symptoms and

reducing the duration of illness; however, it hasn’t been proven to cure or prevent infection.

Myth 5: Dress warmly or you’ll catch a cold.

Fact: While it’s important to keep warm, colds are spread person-to-person or from contact with a

contaminated surface.

Wash your hands! The single best thing you can do to prevent cold and flu.

Treating a Cold or Flu

If you do get sick, stay at home if you can Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water or juices – between 9-13 cups per day De-stress and avoid strenuous activity – physical, emotional, or mental stress can be major

drains on the immune system Get plenty of rest – most people need seven to nine hours of sleep each night Drink green tea or ginger tea each stimulate the immune system to fight off infections Ask your doctor about over the counter drugs which may alleviate symptoms

Extended Day

We are pleased to announce that we have opened a fourth class in Extended Day and we are currently taking registrations. The Extended Day Enrichment Program is a community service available here at Wards Creek. We offer a safe and secure environment to our Warrior families before and after school. We have a good variety of fun activities for the children to

participate in everyday. These activities range from arts & crafts, computer games, wii, board games, sports, and outside play. If you have any questions please contact: Casie Messenger (904)547-8750 or casie.messenger@stjohns.k12.fl.us

From the Media Center

The Scholastic Book Fair will be in our library on Friday, October 11 through

Thursday, October 17. We hope that you can visit the book fair with your

student during the Spooktacular event on Thursday,

October 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. or during the

school week of the fair. The book fair will open

each morning at 9:20 a.m. and close at 2:20 p.m.

(1:20 on Wednesday).

Odyssey of the Mind Congratulations New Odyssey Warriors!

We are pleased to announce our Odyssey Warrior Teams for the 2013-2014 Tournament Season!!!

Problem 1: Drivers Test Coached by Mrs. McGlasson/Mrs. Hadsell Amber McGlasson Piper Hadsell David Dinenna Gavin Dinenna Trey Leeber Nicholas Adamec Alex Adamec Problem 2: It’s How You Look at It Coached by Miss Clubb/Mrs. Kotsis Jordan Kotsis Dawson Therre Ava Haymes-Maree Claire Calleremi Jonathan Karneol Grace Shields

Emma Lasswell Problem 3: It’s How We Rule Coached by Mrs. Capezzera/Mrs. Carns Sydney Carns Anna Capezzera Emma Witmeier Nicholas O'Leary Lauren Martell Cassie Smith Gavin Downs Problem 4: The Stackable Structure Coached by Mrs. Hjort Astrid Hjort Declan McCarthy Carlee Cashwell Ammon Sanchez

Carson Reynolds Tommy Klein Kirsten Villarreal Problem 5: Seeing is Believing Coached by Miss Boardway/Mrs. Glynn Connor Webster Bruno Degaudenzi Hannah Darnell Jacey Cable Sohum Shinkre Lindsey Mize Selah Johnson

What we’ve Been Up to: Teams have been hard at work analyzing their problems and are in the beginning stages of planning their performances. We will be representing Wards Creek at the first Team Skillshop in Jacksonville on October 19th! Spontaneous Problem of the Month: OotM stands for Odyssey of the Mind. Name other groups which could have the initials OotM, and what the group is for. Ex: Often on the Mend; a group of clumsy people. Creatively Yours, Mrs. Amanda Zikos

PTO News

Food Pantry Announcing the Opening of Our Lady of Good Counsel Food Pantry

Location: 5950 SR 16, St. Augustine, Fl 32092 Dates: Saturday, Oct. 12, Nov.16th, and Dec. 14th

Time: 10:00am till 12:00pm

Open to residents of Zip Codes 32092 &32095 Please bring SS card for children under 18, Adults must bring a photo ID and current

Utility Bill to verify address

Help for Homeless families

Are you living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground; on the street; in abandoned

buildings; or living with friends or relatives to to an economic hardship, are you a teenager and

living independently or with someone other than a parent or legal guardian; then you may be

eligible to receive services provided under the McKinney-Vento Act. Contact your school

Computer Operator or your local Homeless Liaison-Mr. Chris Stone @ 547-7589 for more

details. You may also visit: http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/student/homeless/

Ancient city kids day Attention Parents! Looking for something fun to do with your kids that doesn’t cost a lot of money? Then the

18th Annual Ancient City Kids Day is for you! Ancient City Kids Day will be held on Saturday, October 26,

2013 from 11am-3pm at Francis Field on Castillo Drive. This event, coordinated by local agencies, is a day of

fun-filled activities for children and families. The event is free for the public, and will include over 40 youth

service agencies offering carnival style games and activities, arts and crafts, contests for the kids and free

entertainment all day plus Smokey the Bear. No child will leave empty-handed as t-shirts, prizes or goodies

are given out all day. Educational information on resources in our community is available for parents. The

only cost to the public will be for food or drinks. Ancient City Kids Day has grown to be one of St. Augustine’s

biggest youth activities, and is a popular event for the whole family. Last year’s event brought approximately

3,000 people out for the fun.

Please Join Us for the Planning Meeting of a new Parent Support Group!!

October 22,2013 at 6:30PM

This is your chance to help form a support group, so bring your ideas, thoughts, hopes and concerns and Let’s Talk!

We will provide some snacks/ refreshments.

SJC youth basketball league Do you have a son or daughter between the ages of 7 and 14 who just can't stop bouncing that basketball? The SJC Youth

Basketball League is here! Registration starts on Oct. 1st and will end on tryouts, Nov. 2nd. All players make a team so

sign your child up for only $25! Visit sjcfl.us/youth for more info.