Principal’s Message

At Harrison, we strive to continually meet the needs of our students and their families. The New Year brings thoughts of what we can do better to support one another. We welcome your input about and involvement in our school – a strong home & school connection serves to enhance a child’s education.

If you haven’t done so already, why not try to accomplish one or more of the following:

Attend a PTA meeting.

Volunteer in your child’s classroom or in the parent resource room.

Have breakfast or lunch with your child at school.

Accompany your child’s class on a field trip.

Take some time to check-in with your child’s teacher.

If you haven’t visited the district and Harrison websites, do so. There’s lots of good information.

Mark your calendar to attend upcoming school events.

We are proud of our school and look forward to seeing you in and around the building!

The students will hear the following message as they return to school in January. It is a message that can have meaning to

all of us, as we set goals and make resolutions moving into 2013.

This is the traditional time of year for setting goals. It’s called making a New Year’s resolution. When we make resolutions, we set goals for the coming year. Goals give our lives direction. They help us figure out where we are going and how we will get there. When we write down our goals, we are making a road map into the future. Today, take the time to write down your goals for this semester. When you are writing down your goals, remember these words: Climb high. Climb far. Your goal the sky. Your aim the stars. Then, put the list of your goals in a safe place. When you start to get sidetracked or lost, you can pull them out and remember where it is you want to go and how you want to get there.

With something to think about, this is Ms. Muth. Make it a great day AND a great year …..or not. The choice is yours.

Calendar

Nov 26 – Jan 14 Jan 7 School Resumes Jan 23 Muffins with Mom

Harrison ES Yearbook Sale 8am – 8:45am Café

Jan 9 PTA Meeting

Dec 10- 14 6:30pm, café Jan 24 Early Dismissal Day

Scholastic Book Fair 8:45am School Begins

Art Room Jan 10 Early Dismissal Day 2:15pm School Ends

8:45am School Begins

Dec 12 PTA Meeting 2:15pm School Ends Jan 25 Spirit Assembly

6:30pm, café 9:10am

Jan 16 5th

Grade Field Trip 3rd

grade & Tappers perform

Dec 13 Early Dismissal Day Look About Lodge

8:45am School Begins School of the Outdoors Jan 30 2nd

Quarter Report

2:15pm School Ends Cards Sent Home

Jan 18 NO SCHOOL

Dec 21 K – 2, Band & Orchestra Teacher Professional Day Jan 14 – March 8

Concert. 1pm Gym OTELA testing

Jan 21 NO SCHOOL

Dec 24 – Jan 4 MLK Day

NO SCHOOL – WINTER BREAK

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT:

December is a prime time to sample some of the many talented music groups and programs throughout the district. Winter

concerts from the orchestras, bands and choirs at the middle schools and high school will be going on at the Civic a few days

a week from now until Winter Break. The elementary schools will be showcasing their students’ musical talents as well. For

dates and times, please visit the Performing Arts page on the district web site or visit the individual school web page for more

information.

December is also prime time for snowy weather. Being a walking district, it is imperative that our students have safe routes to

school. Please be sure to clear your sidewalks as soon as you are able after a big snowfall. Too many times when sidewalks

are not shoveled, students resort to walking in the streets, which is obviously a very dangerous situation. Let’s help keep our

kids safe!

Wishing every family happy and healthy holidays!

Jeffrey W. Patterson

Superintendent

Board of Education

Betsy Bergen Shaughnessy, President

Edward Favre, Vice President

Linda Beebe

Tom Einhouse

Emma Petrie-Barcelona

Breakfast/Morning Procedures

The doors for breakfast open at 8:20am and close at 8:30am. Students

arriving on time for breakfast are expected to enter the cafeteria get a

breakfast tray and eat. If your child/children do not want to eat breakfast

they should arrive at Harrison by 8:45am.

SHOPPING AT TARGET BENEFITS OUR SCHOOL! Did you know that shopping at Target using your Target Credit Card helps our

school? Yes! Simply designate Harrison Elementary School as your school on your Target

Credit Card and a percentage of each purchase is donated to our school! Visit your

local Target Store for more information or go to Target.com/tcoe.

Music News

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, December 21st

Kindergarten, Choir, Band, Strings perform at the sing along at 1:30 Friday January 25

th 3

rd Grade, 4

th Grade Tappers, 5

th Grade Tappers perform at the 9:10 assembly

Friday, March 22nd

5th Grade performs at the 9:50 assembly

Tuesday, May 7th 4

th GRADE ATTENDING CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA ($7.00)

Thursday in May 5th Grade Band and Strings perform at Lakewood High School

Friday, May 31st 4

th Grade performs at the 10:35 assembly

ADDITIONAL DATES FOR CHOIR AND TAPPERS

Friday, December 21st Choir sings at Fedor Manor (leave 11:30), lunch at Burger King

Wednesday, March 20th Choir sings at the Choir Festival at the High School at 7:00 p.m.

June Choir and Tappers perform at the Talent Show

Keep a Song in Your Heart!!

2nd

Grade News

We are working hard on our compare and contrast reading passages. Please continue to practice the second quarter sight

words with your child, as well as math facts and counting coins. Thank you for contributing to our Thanksgiving Feast. The

children enjoyed sharing a meal together and thinking about the meaning of the holiday.

5th

Grade News

5th grade will be going to Look About Lodge on Wednesday, January 16. They will be outside, please pack a lunch and dress

for the weather.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT SCHEDULE

Mondays 5th Grade Tappers during recess

Tuesdays 4th/5

th Grade Choir after school until 3:45

Wednesdays 4th Grade Tappers after school until 3:45

Mondays/Wednesdays 5th Grade Instrumental Lessons at 10:00 a.m.

Message from your Family Resource Coordinator

THANK YOU TO KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES WHO ATTENDED

PLAY-A-DAY! What a wonderful investment you made in your child’s academic success by

spending time learning about meaningful play. The reading and math skills your

student built will benefit them throughout the school year.

REMEMBER: TO CONTINUE TO PLAY EVERY DAY!

A few household items, a dose of imagination and the gift of your time is all it

takes. Your child will thank you!

It was a pleasure to get to know all of you and I look forward to seeing you in

the future.

Sincerely,

Tanya Coughlin, Family Resource Coordinator

YEARBOOK SALE NOV 26 – JAN 14

Harrison Elementary School yearbook will be a soft cover book with 36 color pages.

Order forms were sent home on Monday, November 26. Yearbook orders must be in

by January 14, 2013. You can also order yearbooks on line at

https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ yearbook ID Code: 11597213. The cost is $16 and your

student will receive the yearbook in June. (see copy of order form below)

Brrrr! It’s getting cold outside. Please dress your children appropriately.

Coats, hats, gloves and boots are great for outdoor recess. Students go outside

for recess if the weather is clear and the temperature is above 20 degrees.

LAKEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DRESS CODE

The purpose of this dress code is to enhance school safety, improve the learning environment, and promote good behavior.

Children’s attitudes toward schoolwork and behavior are related to the clothing that they wear. Therefore, we recommend

clothing and footwear suitable for a working atmosphere and appropriate weather. In order to achieve this goal, the following

guidelines are in place at the Lakewood Elementary Schools.

Shoes Tennis shoes or sturdy, form-fitting shoes are recommended for the school day.

No backless or high-heeled shoes are permitted. (Flip flops are not permitted; sandals with back straps can be worn.)

No shoes with wheels (can be worn if wheels are removed)

Pants, shorts, skirts Pants and shorts need to fit snuggly at the waist.

Sagging clothing is not acceptable.

Extremely brief shorts and short skirts are not appropriate for school. Mid-thigh length or longer is appropriate.

Shirts Shirts with sleeves are recommended.

Halter, tank, and thin-strapped tops are not permitted. Sleeveless athletic jerseys without a t-shirt underneath are not

permitted.

General Tops and bottoms must overlap at all times, including when arms are raised.

Hats, caps, hoods, and other headwear may not be worn during the school day unless for school-sponsored activities.

Jackets and coats (outerwear) may not be worn indoors during the school day.

The following items are inappropriate for school and therefore not permitted:

o Unnaturally colored hair

o Make-up, body glitter, and tattoos

o Visible body piercing other than in the ears

o Clothing that is in disrepair, ripped, or contains holes

o Any article of clothing or accessory that promotes drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex, violence or is offensive or

degrading

o Anything that may cause a distraction to the educational process or is deemed inappropriate or unsafe

This dress code does not regulate the exercise of an individual’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

Dear Parents and Families:

We invite you to visit our Scholastic Book Fair and experience a celebration of reading that provides families the

opportunity to get involved in a universal mission: encouraging kids to read every day so they can lead better

lives. All purchases made at the book fair will directly benefit Harrison’s School Library!

Book Fair Dates: Monday, December 10 thru Friday, December 14

Shopping Hours: 8:20 AM to 9 AM Monday-Friday

11:15 AM to 1 PM Monday-Friday (at student’s recess time)

3:05 PM to 5 PM Tuesday and Friday (after 3:20 PM with adult)

5:30 PM to 6:30 and 7:00 to 7:45 PM Wednesday (with adult)

Special Events: Shop before and after the PTA meeting on Wednesday night.

Please consider visiting the Fair to complete some of your holiday shopping. You may also share the website

with family and friends who can purchase books for your student without attending the Fair. You can visit and

shop at our online book fair from now through December 12:

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/harrisonelementaryschool9

At the book fair we have three additional options for helping our school:

1. We will be selling cancelled library books for 25 cents each. 2. Help our teachers build their classroom libraries by purchasing a book from their wish lists and

donating it to your child’s class. 3. ALL for Books program. You can donate loose change directly to our library through this program and

Scholastic Book Fairs will match your donations with a donation of up to one million books to two non-profit organizations dedicated to helping children, families, and teachers acquire books and educational resources - Kids In Need Foundation and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc

Our Scholastic Book Fair theme – All-Star Book Fair: Every Reader Is a Star! – encourages kids to read, and

the more they practice reading, the better they’ll get! Reading is vital to every child’s success, and raising kids as

readers means getting involved while they’re young. Now is the time. Since there will never be a substitute for a

parent’s direct involvement in his/her child’s education, please make plans to visit our Book Fair. Hope to see you

there!

If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out and return the volunteer sheet that was sent home with your

student, or you may contact our Book Fair Chairperson, Cynthia Peck at 216-226-8440.

PTA December/January 2012/2013 Chalk Talk

Dear Harrison Families and Staff: Every year seems to go more quickly, and this year is no exception. I am amazed to find that Thanksgiving is already behind us and the end of the year is approaching. My children eagerly await the first real snow storm and I try to prepare for the long winter ahead. On this note, if you are looking through your closets and find that you have outgrown coats and winter wear, please consider donating at the school to help others in Lakewood. If you are looking through the closets and find that you have no coat for your child for this winter, please contact Tanya Coughlin, she has some winter wear on hand for our children. The November meeting, which included our Multicultural Dinner, was a great success! Those who attended shared dishes from pan pieorogies to Burmese noodles, to eggplant parmesan to green bean casserole. The food was delicious and the company was wonderful. I hope to see you all at the December meeting on December 12, which will feature some terrific books from our Book Sale and a winter craft to take home. Speaking of our Book Sale, please shop at the sale during the week of December 10 through December 14. Books are the holiday gifts that keep on giving! All sales benefit our school library. If you are interested in volunteering at the fair, please see the article in this Chalk Talk. As we head into 2013, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the blessings we have and how we will use our talents to help others in the year ahead. Please consider giving an hour or two of your time as a volunteer, either at our school or another worthy organization. We appreciate your valuable gift of time! I hope you all have a wonderful winter break and a Happy New Year! On behalf of Harrison PTA, Cynthia Peck Harrison PTA President

PTA Upcoming Events:

12/13 – Early Arrival / Release

12/12 – PTA Meeting and

Book Fair

6:30P Harrison Cafeteria

12/17 – PTA Executive Board

Meeting

12/24 – 1/7 – Winter Break

1/9 – PTA Meeting and

Game Night

6:30P Harrison Cafeteria

1/23 PTA Executive Board

Meeting 7:00P

1/23 – Muffins with Moms

8:00A – 8:45A Harrison Gym

1/24 – Early Arrival / Release

Membership Our Key to Success: Thank you to our 113 members!

We are approaching our goal of 150 members for this year. We still have time to reach it. Please consider joining the PTA today and adding your voice to our number as we advocate for our children locally and nationally. Together, we do make a difference, and it starts with YOU! Adult memberships are only $5 per person, and scholarships are still available.

Looking Ahead: Malley’s Candy Sale

It’s almost time to start thinking about Easter and Spring Candy! Malley’s Candy sale will begin in February!

Spring Carnival It’s never too soon to start planning! We will need help with both events

If you can help with either event please call Aaron Cooper at 216-744-3701

Book Sale Every Reader is a Star!! A child who reads is learning more with every word. This is one of the most important life skills we can share with our children. To show your child the importance of reading, consider buying a book, or volunteering your time to help at the Harrison Elementary Book Sale. The sale with be held from Monday, December 10 to Friday, December 14. Set up will occur at noon on Friday, December 7. If you have free time during the day or in the evening the week of the sale, please contact Cynthia Peck at 216-226-8440. There will be evening hours on Wednesday, December 12 in conjunction with our December PTA Meeting

Thank you to Papa John’s for donating the Pizza Party for the Box Top winning classroom

Thank you to everyone for their support of our “My Art”

Thank you to everyone who brought in cans for our Aluminum Can Drive. We raised approximately $70 for Harrison’s Family Resource Fund. There will be another can drive in the spring, so keep saving those cans!

PTA December/January 2012 /2013 Chalk Talk

Room Parent Update: Room Parents have been assigned to almost every classroom at Harrison. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to be a Room Parent. The Room Parents will be coordinating the holiday parties for each classroom. Room Parents are reminded to contact their teachers as soon as possible to discuss the holiday parties! Please contact Jenny Beno at 216-226-6931 if you are interested in volunteering as a room parent!

Muffins with Moms: Muffins with Moms will be held on Wednesday January 23.

Students are encouraged to invite a female role model (mother, aunt, grandmother or other adult female) to enjoy this special time together. Donuts, bagels, drinks, and other delicious breakfast goodies will be available. We hope to see you between 8:00 and 8:45 a.m.! If you can donate baked goods for the event or help with set-up and clean-up, please contact Jenny Beno at 216-226-6931 ** All students must be accompanied by an adult**

Box Top and Label Contest UPDATE! Harrison families have raised just over $600.00!! That is only $400 away of the goal set for our

school! Congratulations to Ms. Witt’s class for collecting the most Box Tops! Proudly display your

trophy! And enjoy the Pizza Party! The top three students are:

o Mason Weidner #1537 o Jordyn Parker #553 o Simon Gilchrist #531

Harrison will have another drive in February. Please start saving! Ask your friends, neighbors, family members and co workers to save box tops for you!

The winning classroom will display the “Top Star Trophy” in their classroom! Along with prizes for the students!!