NIS Golden Knights News

November 2001

Notes from Mr. O......
We are very thankful for the number of parents who attended the fall parent conferences at NIS. This is truly a display of how important communication between home and school is and how NIS parents want to be involved with their student?s progress. Thank you for completing a parent survey while you attended the conferences. What you say does have an impact on our decisions and the direction for future planning.

Thank you is not enough to express our gratitude to Penny Jamison and the PTO Fun Run committee. This year over $36,000 was raised by this event! We look forward to using those funds to support our programs here at NIS!

Our school has set some very important student performance goals this school year. Through the North Central Association Commission of Accreditation and School Improvement, we are hosting our first NCA Peer Review Team at NIS on October 30. The visitation team will review our school profile, mission statement, and goals. We are currently working on the following goal areas: reading for understanding, math problem solving skills, and improvement in student attendance. The team will look at interventions we are using to achieve the goal, assessment and staff development. We are very excited to share the things we are doing with the visitation team and hope to use their technical assistance to improve our goal plan.

Parents if you plan on visiting NIS in the near future, the doors on the East side (gym side) of the building are locked. Please plan on using the bus zone for parking during the school day ( 7:45 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.). The bus zone must be clear of all cars by 2:15 daily for student dismissal. Please sign in at the main office before going to any classroom in the building. Watch for the no parking yellow Fire Zone lines. We are limited in parking during this phase of construction. Thank you for your patience.

November 9 will be a district wide celebration of "Red, White, and Blue Day." With the events of September 11 and the ongoing war effort, we want to take time to remember those who are working to keep us safe and defend our rights. We need to keep those brave members of the armed forces, the police and fire departments, our national leaders, and the relief workers around the world in our thoughts.

This Thanksgiving, just a few weeks away, will be a sad time for many, but it is also a good time for us to give thanks for where we are and what we are able to do daily in this great nation of ours. Remember to gather with your family, and remember our heroes and give thanks during this holiday season.


Red, White, and Blue Day
Friday, November 9 has been declared Red, White, and Blue Day at Noblesville Intermediate School. All students and staff are encouraged to show their patriotism by wearing their Noblesville Schools USA shirts or the colors of the flag.


Social Health Association Presentation
A parent information night, presented by Social Health Association representatives, has been scheduled for grades five and six on Thursday, November 15, 2001, at Stony Creek Elementary School. The presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. The presentation will allow parents an opportunity to view materials which will be used during classes. Members of the Social Health Association staff will be available to answer your questions.
Social Health Association staff will present to sixth grade students on Monday, December 3. Grade five presentations are Tuesday, Dec. 4.
We look forward to seeing you on November 15!


Dates to Remember
10/30 Waiver Day, 12:00 dismissal
11/5 PTO Book Fair Week
11/7 Picture Retakes, 7:35 am
11/9 Red, White and Blue Day
11/12 Wavier Day, 12:00 dismissal
11/13 PTO Talent Show
11/15 Social Health Presentation
7 pm at Stony Creek
11/16 Midterms
11/19 PTO Meeting, 7 pm
11/22-23 Thanksgiving vacation
12/5 Waiver Day, 12:00 dismissal


Picture retakes will take place on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:35 am. Students should bring their original packets with them to the photographer. New students or students who missed the first round of pictures may pick up an order form in the front office.


The Mini Marathon call out meeting for 5th and 6th graders and their parents will be Tuesday, December 11 at 6 pm in the NIS cafeteria.


Address Changes
Be sure to notify the front office as soon as possible of any address changes or changes in emergency contact information!

NIS Office 776-7792
FAX 776-7797
Attendance 776-7799


The NIS Spell Bowl team will be competing in the State competition on Nov. 15 at South Elementary School in Pendleton. To prepare for this important meet, the team has been practicing the spelling of 750 words every week since September. We will publish the results of the competition and the names of the team members in next month?s newsletter. Good luck team! Go! Spell! Excel!


Keep those boxtops coming....what a great effort on behalf of our NIS students. The Boxtops for Education program is rolling along...we just submitted almost 1,500 boxtops - that's $150 to be applied to computer software purchases. We are well ahead of last year's pace! Watch the chart outside the office to see if we can reach the top - our goal of 4,000. Remind your student to listen for his or her name on Wednesday mornings when we pull boxtops from our school boxes and award sweet prizes to those who have submitted them.


Waiver Days
The following dates are Waiver Days at Noblesville Schools. NIS will dismiss students at 12:00. Lunch WILL be served. Please mark your calendars.

Tuesday, October 30
Monday, November 12
Wednesday, December 5
Tuesday, February 5
Wednesday, February 27
Tuesday, April 30



September 2001

Notes from Mr. O...
A new year - a new beginning! What a great way to start fresh!

The new school year brings lots of excitement for students and teachers. Start the year with good habits by getting plenty of rest and eating a good breakfast. Be organized for each new school day.

Make school a priority. We need you here at school every day! Do not get into a bad habit of missing school. New material is covered in class daily. If you are not here, you will quickly fall behind. Students who attend school and are on time everyday are successful.

Parents, show your child that you care by asking him/her daily to look over homework. Be sure to look for Friday Folders each week. Tell your child how proud you are when they put forth their best effort.

It is the policy of N.I.S. to recognize, reward, and often display exemplary student work. If there is any reason you do not wish to have your child?s work displayed, please notify the teacher and Mr. Osha immediately.

I hope you will enjoy reading the "Home & School Connection" newsletter that will soon be coming to you each month. It provides some tips on working with and through this thing we call adolescence. Good luck on a successful year here at N.I.S. !


Dates to Remember

9/20 ISTEP, 6th grade
9/21 ISTEP, 6th grade

Looking ahead....
10/18,19 Fall Break


24-Hour Attendance Line
Please report absences to the attendance office at 776-7799 before 10 am.


Teacher/author to speak at NHS
Al Granowsky-teacher, author, and educational consultant who believes that the future of our nation is tied directly to how well we educate our children-will speak on Wednesday, October 3, 2001. All members of the community are invited to attend. Mr. Granowsky will be speaking from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Noblesville High School auditorium. The evening presentation is for adults only. This event is sponsored by Noblesville Title 1, Hamilton County Reading Council, and Step Ahead of Hamilton County, Inc.

Al Granowsky
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Noblesville High School
Auditorium
18111 Cumberland Rd.
Noblesville, IN 46060


TARDIES
Has your student been late to school this semester? Let us explain the procedure for check-in that is outlined on page 19 of the student handbook. When your student is tardy, she or he needs to check in with the office for a tardy slip so we can update our attendance roster. Students are always excused when they are coming to school late from an illness or medical appointment. Should students be late due to missing the bus, oversleeping, or "dawdling," they are automatically excused for the first tardy; each additional tardy then is unexcused. When a student reaches his or her fourth overall tardy, a detention will be assigned. We have several students who are already dangerously close to serving a detention; please work with your children to make sure they get to school on time!


Waiver Days
The following dates are Waiver Days at Noblesville Schools. NIS will dismiss students at 12:00. Lunch WILL be served. Please mark your calendars.

Tuesday, October 30
Monday, November 12
Wednesday December 5
Tuesday, February 5
Wednesday, February 27
Tuesday, April 30


Address Changes
Be sure to notify the front office as soon as possible of any address changes or changes in emergency contact information!

NIS Office 776-7792
FAX 776-7797
Attendance 776-7799


Emergency Call List
Parents, please don't forget to send in your Emergency Call List form. The deadline for submitting this is October 31, 2001. If you did not receive the form or have any questions, please contact the office or Carol LeSesne at 877-1251


Spell Bowl will be on November 15
The Hoosier Spell Bowl is fast approaching on Nov. 15. This spelling competition is different from the old spelling bee because it is a team approach. NIS is allowed to have a team of 15 students from 5th and 6th grades. All 15 will practice and assist the team while only 8 will compete the night of the competition. Weekly team meetings are scheduled for Tuesday afternoons between 2:45-3:45. Participants will need to have transportation plans. Attending the first meeting on Sept. 11 is very important because applications and word lists will be given out at that time. Please call Mrs. Epstein or Mrs. Brost if you have any questions about this activity.


Music Recitals
Attention all parents of 5th grade students in Mrs. Sherman, Miss McQuade, Mrs. Siegler, Mrs. Wolf, and Mrs. Milligan homeroom classes!!!! Your students will be participating in a piano recital on October 11, 2001. This recital is the result of nine weeks worth of hard work in 5th grade music. The recital will take place during your child's music period on the 11th. Look for letters describing the details soon in your student's Friday Folder.


Visitors
Parents are welcome to visit classrooms to see their students at work. It is necessary to call the teacher to arrange a time for your visit. When you arrive at the school, you MUST check in at the office, sign in on the visitor?s log, and get a nametag. This process insures student safety and keeps classroom interruptions to a minimum. We thank you for your cooperation in this matter!


Messages for Students
The office has been inundated with messages from parents for their children. Although we realize that sometimes these messages cannot be helped, please help us by making any ride arrangements, etc. with your child BEFORE school. Messages that are left for students are ONLY delivered at lunch time or after school. We DO NOT interrupt valuable classroom teaching time to deliver messages to students. Thank you for your understanding!


Free Art Supplies
The NIS art department would like to announce that we are participating in a program sponsored by the Prang art supply company. Prang makes marker, colored pencils, watercolors, the list goes on and on. This program is designed to help our school receive FREE art supplies! All you have to do is buy Prang or Dixon products, cut and save the UPC codes on the boxes and send it in to school. The more UPC codes NIS collects the more free art supplies the art department will receive. So when you are out shopping for school or art supplies please remember this program and save those UPC codes! Thanks so much for your help!! Miss Kline and Mr. Smith


Boxtops for Education
NIS participates in the General Mills Boxtops for Education program - a fast and easy fundraiser that supports software purchases for our computer labs. Almost $800 has been raised in the past two years and we need your support for continued success.

Have your student write his or her name on the back of each boxtop. Drop them in the specially marked school boxes located outside the office. Each Wednesday, we draw several boxtops and if your student's is drawn, he or she will win a sweet treat.



Tune in to the the Noblesville Intermediate School Radio Station at 91.5 FM on your dial.