October 7, 2004

Dear Parents,

On October 1st, we began to participate in the Book-It! Program. For those unfamiliar with the Book It! Program, it is a national reading incentive program for grades K — 6 sponsored by Pizza Hut. Your child has a monthly goal of 5 books. Once the goal is reached, your child will receive a Free Pizza Award Certificate, which entitles him/her to a one-topping personal pan pizza. On the first visit, your child will receive a Book It! card with clip and sticker for the card. On each subsequent visit, the child will be given another personal pan pizza and a sticker to recognize his/her reading achievement. If your child meets his/her reading goal in all six months of the program, he/she is rewarded at the restaurant with a Book It! All-Star Reader medallion with neck ribbon. Book It! will end on March 31, 2005. This program requires nothing additional to what you have already been doing; I will send home books and have your child read it to you.

On Saturday, October 16th your child is invited to walk in the homecoming parade with his/her class. Your child should be dressed in their favorite Onekama clothing or blue and gold. Balloons will be provided for each student to carry in the parade. It begins at 11:00 a.m. If your child is going to participate in the parade, then please be sure to return his/her permission slip. The permission slip will be sent home next week. We will meet in the Village Park at 10:30 a.m. The homecoming game is at 1:00 p.m. Unfortunately I have a family wedding this weekend in Clare. I am unable to participate. If you would like to volunteer to walk with my class, then please let me know.

Enclosed is a wish list. As you know our school budget is becoming less and less each year. When I first began teaching seven years ago, we were given a $1000 budget for each classroom. Now we were given $150 to purchase our supplies this year. Of course you are not obligated to purchase, but several parents have requested a list. The wish list includes craft supplies for our three holiday parties and other necessary items. If you would like to help, then it would be greatly appreciated.

Your child will need a coat every day. The weather has been unpredictable. If the weather is cool, then your child will be prepared with a warm coat. We have had a few students with runny noses, sore throats, and earaches.

There is no school on Monday due to a teacher in-service. On Tuesday we are walking to the Onekama Public Library to return our books. Please be sure that your child brings his/her books to school or you return them to any Manistee County Library before Tuesday.

The following are dates that you may want to add to your calendar:

  • Onekama Public Library field trip — October 12
  • Homecoming Parade — October 16
  • Substitute — October 22
  • Halloween party — October 29

Warmly,

Shantel

sneiders@manistee.org

Mrs. Niederstadt's HomePage for 2004-2005

Main Onekama School Page: http://www.onekama.k12.mi.us