Brownell News and Notes,Respect for All

BROWNELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

6000 Aylesworth, Lincoln, NE 68505

October 7, 2009

FROM THE COORDINATOR���

Conferences are coming up soon! Fall parent/teacher conferences are just around the corner on Thursday, October 8th and Tuesday, October 13th. Conferences are a great time to connect home and school!

As you reflect or prepare to attend your child’s conference, keep in mind that what you see at home is information that teachers appreciate as well. Talk to your child about his or her day. Watch their progress via the homework or class work samples they bring home. Connect with the teacher on a regular basis! Be informed!

There are many things you can do to support your child’s education. Practice math facts daily! Encourage them to write out the grocery list, send a thank you or write a letter. Take time to READ together! Remember, it is our partnership between home and school that will help your child achieve to their full potential. Let’s continue to encourage them to do their best, assist them in improving upon their strengths and fine-tuning those skills that need additional work. Allow them to problem-solve as well as experience failure. It is through these means that learning occurs! Together, we can help them achieve!

Attention Families of Third Grade Students���

As the Nebraska State Department of Education develops and implements more statewide assessments, students are being required to participate in more standardized testing in the Spring (specifically, March and April). In order to better balance the testing calendar, LPS is considering moving the administration of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) to the fall. Our school district will be determining the feasibility of this change by conducting a pilot this school year (2009-2010). Brownell third graders have been chosen to participate in this pilot. The testing window for the Fall ITBS is from October 12th to November 13th. The data from this pilot test will be used to determine whether all schools in the district should administer the ITBS in the Fall or Spring semester. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Chris Schefdore or Gay Wahlstrom.

 

BOOK FAIR

Along with Parent/Teacher Conferences on October 8th and 13th, you will find the Book Fair in the Media Center from 4:00-7:30 p.m.

RISE IN ADHD MEDICATION ABUSE

A recent student by researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, evaluating the 1998-2005 data from the American Association of Poison Control Center, shows an alarming increase in the abuse of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in teens. The study involved the number of calls made to poison control centers for 13-19 year olds, in which the reason was intentional abuse or misuse of prescription ADHD medication.

Calls related to teenaged victims of prescription ADHD medication abuse rose 76%, which is faster than calls for victims of general and teen substance abuse. Overall, 42% of teens involved had moderate to severe side effects and most ended up getting emergency room treatment. Four deaths were among the cases evaluated.

Kids taking ADHD drugs to get high or increase alertness may not realize that misuse can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening symptoms, including agitation, rapid heartbeat and extremely high blood pressure. The number of teen abusers who have bad side effects may actually be higher because many of the cases don’t result in calls to poison control centers.

Teens mistakenly think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than street drugs. They experiment with them because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, or study more effectively. One teen overheard her parents talking about how her brother’s ADHD medicine was making him less hungry. Because she was worried about her weight, she started sneaking one of her brother’s pills every few days. To prevent her parents from finding out, she asked a friend to give her some of his ADHD medicine as well. Sixty-one percent of teens say prescription drugs are easier to get than any other drug. They get them from friends at school and are readily available in the bathroom or other cabinets at home. Teens say the bathroom medicine cabinet is the first place they look.

Parents need to keep a very close eye on medications. They should be kept in a safe location, even keeping them locked up, experts say.

 

EDUCATIONAL LEADERS

A group of educational leaders from El Salvador, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Romania, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago visited Brownell on September 18th. The group toured the school and visited classes. They were specifically interested in the comprehensive approach of early childhood and the primary grades.

DID YOU KNOW?

“Imaginarium”

The Brownell art banner, “Imaginarium” is now on display, along with banners from all of the elementary schools, at the Gateway Westfield Mall. It is hanging in the east hallway just past the Bath and Body Works store. When visiting the mall, please take a look at all the wonderful banners and enjoy the work of last year’s fifth grade artists.

Star-Spangled Performance

The Brownell Buffalo Chorus���The BBC! will be performing The Star- Spangled Banner on Saturday, October 17th, at 12:00 noon for the opening of the Lincoln Public Schools District Marching Band Competition. High school marching bands from all over the state will compete in this event, so The BBC is honored to have been invited to present The Star-Spangled Banner. The event is at Seacrest Field, 7400 ‘A’ Street, and the Brownell Buffalo Chorus performs first.

NEW PARENT CENTER ON WEB

Lincoln Public Schools now offers a new Parent Center on the web site at www.lps.org. Go to the LPS web site and look for the Parent Center along the top navigation bar. What will you find?

Quick links to LPS info such as:

The site also features a new item called ParentNotes, providing the most current information of interest to parents: services, resources, data and news from around the school district, as well as links to services and resources in the community.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT CONFERENCE

The 2009 Central Nebraska Parent Involvement Conference will be held at Westridge Middle School, 4111 West 13th St., Grand Island, NE on November 7th. This parent conference is designed to give educational information to parents about major challenges and issues facing families in today’s world. For further information and conference registration, log on to www.gips.org/pic.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION

Don’t forget to save your Box Tops for Education!! Brownell receives a dime for each Box Top for Education turned in. A collection box is in the office.

Also, with “The Big Clip” Sweepstakes, Kimberly-Clark and Box Tops are giving away a total of 1,000,000 Bonus Box Tops! Parents can enter every day at TheBigClip.com to win up to 500,000 Bonus Box Tops for our school.

PICTURE DAY

Individual pictures will be taken at Brownell on Friday, October 16th by Lifetouch Photography. More information will be coming home soon!

 

BUBBA’S CLOSET

Lincoln Public Schools Elementary Principals present Bubba’s Closet, Saturday, November 14, 8:30-9:30 a.m. at McPhee Elementary, 820 Goodhue Blvd. Donate clothes for Bubba’s Closet to Hanger’s Cleaners from Oct. 5th ��� Nov. 7th. Clothes will be transported to McPhee where elementary students can pick out items to adopt and use!

CLC COMMUNITY NIGHT

Come join us Wednesday, October 21st, 5:30-7:30 p.m. for the Brownell CLC Community Night!

5:30-6:30 p.m.

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Come support your Community Learning Center!

 

Brownell Mission Statement

Becoming your BEST in the Brownell Learning Community; Believe, Excel, and Succeed Together!

 

School Improvement Goals

All students will improve their math problem-solving skills.

All students will improve reading comprehension.