February 2020

Our Internet Safety Week was a great success! The Hank Smith and NetSmartz assemblies provided our students with lot of great information about how to make good choices with electronic devices and Social Media. I hope parents were able to have some discussions at home with their children about the power, both positive and negative, of Social Media, and how screen time on electronic devices can be monitored at home. We appreciate all our PTA did to organize Internet Safety Week!

There will be a School Community Council meeting at 9:30 am on Tuesday, February 25. The SCC meeting agenda is attached and all parents are welcome to attend:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aAa1ChvfK487C0Z5klWIm6EqsZfBFXZXGHqUVaxG5i8/edit?usp=sharing

We have reached 500,000 minutes, half way to our goal, in our Million Minute Reading Marathon!  Click Here to Log your reading minutes!  If you would prefer a paper copy to enter minutes, your child can get one in the library from Mrs. Ruesch. Keep reading!

This is the final week, deadline February 28, to make application to our first grade Chinese Immersion Program. Here is the application. link:  https://forms.gle/vKuYYrFf5KGrqFWv7

If you will have a kindergartner for the 2020 – 2021 school year, we encourage you to register your student March 2 – 6. Kindergarten Registration materials will be available in our Main Office beginning March 2.

If you haven’t already heard, April 6 will be the day that we make-up the February 3 Snow Day.

The following students were nominated by their teachers and recognized last week for consistently demonstrating what we call the 6 C’s: collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship and character.

Zander Allen–2nd Grade, Mrs. Andersen

Lila Crawley–1st Grade, Mrs. Liston

Reese Davidson–1st Grade, Mrs. Faux

Allie Gardner–2nd Grade, Mrs. Blodgett

Grace Hancock–Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Miles Hogan–1st Grade, Mrs. Faux

Luke Johnson–1st Grade, Mrs. Liston

Sean Kelly–6th Grade, Mrs. Monson

Evan Luby–4th Grade, Mrs. Orgill

Audrey McCann–2nd Grade, Mrs. Andersen

Sam Petty–2nd Grade, Mrs. Wallace

Rebecca Schmidt–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Ellie Slesk–4th Grade, Ms. Moore

Grace Verzello–Kindergarten, Mrs. Aitchison

Zane Vigil–4th Grade, Mrs. Orgill

Outside the Principal’s Office.

Saturday night was a great night to be a BYU basketball fan as the Cougs defeated on Senior Night, and the last home game of the year, the number-two ranked team in the country, Gonzaga. Four of our children are BYU grads, and the other is a BYU-Idaho graduate. And of course, our children grew up seeing and hearing me being an enthusiastic BYU supporter for the past 40 years. That family culture was evident Saturday night during the game as we, minus the BYU-I grad, were all texting each other about the ebb and flows of the game.  We had a son at the game, and children in Beaverton, Oregon, Eagle Mountain, and Rapid City, SD all cheering on the Cougars while communicating with each other electronically. Laura and I were babysitting our 18-month granddaughter (fortunately she was asleep in her crib for most of the game) as her parents went to the game. The exciting game and victory, combined with the family texts, made for a fun Saturday night. But I am guessing there were many of you who like our one daughter and daughter-in-law, have no interest in BYU sports whatsoever, and find other things to do with your time on a Saturday night.

Have a great week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!

Our PTA has planned a great Internet Safety Week (formerly known as White Ribbon Week) for students and staff. We are excited to have well-known motivational speaker, Hank Smith, speak to our students about the importance of kindness on Tuesday. And we will have two NetSmartz assemblies on Wednesday. I have attached the Internet Safety Week plan that our PTA has developed, which includes some At-Home Challenges for students and parents.

We have reached 400,000 minutes in our Million Minute Reading Marathon!  Click Here to Log your reading minutes!  If you would prefer a paper copy to enter minutes, your child can get one in the library from Mrs. Ruesch. Keep reading!

The online application process for the first grade Chinese Immersion Program is now open and applications will be accepted until February 28. Here is the link:  https://forms.gle/vKuYYrFf5KGrqFWv7

If you will have a kindergartner for the 2020 – 2021 school year, we encourage you to register your student the first week of March. Kindergarten Registration materials will be available in our Main Office beginning March 1.

If you haven’t already heard, April 6 will be the day that we make-up the February 3 Snow Day.

The following students were nominated by their teachers and recognized last week for consistently demonstrating what we call the 6 C’s: collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship and character.

Eliana Batchelor–3rd Grade, Ms. Elder

Tate Beal–5th Grade, Mrs. Weakley

Aiden Cluff–5th Grade, Mrs. Padgett

Juan Amor Garcia–5th Grade, Mrs. Hill

Olivia Heise–2nd Grade, Mrs. Wallace

Dallin Layton–6th Grade, Mrs. Reyes

Maverick Mantz–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Austin Nielsen–4th Grade, Mrs. Keller

Lexie Orgill–4th Grade, Ms. Moore

James Riding–5th Grade, Mr. Horan

Colin Spigarelli–3rd Grade, Ms. Elder

Jordan Struchen–6th Grade, Ms. Kuo

Jaxon Struchen–3rd Grade, Ms. Moore

Alton White–6th Grade, Mrs. Reyes

Grady Zito–4th Grade, Mrs. Vipperman

After weeks of riding the stationary bike in the gym, it was nice to bike Snow Canyon near St. George last Thursday afternoon. As I was pedaling out of the park, and the steepest part of the ride, toward Highway 18, the road from St. George to Veyo, I heard someone behind me say, “To your left.” And two gentlemen, I’m guessing in their 70’s, easily passed me as they were “pedaling” their electric bikes up the steep incline. A bit of a blow to my pride, but not enough that I want to trade in my road bike for an electric bike.

I debated internally whether to share the following, but I imagine the news will eventually get out somehow. At the statewide Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) Conference that I attended in St. George last week, I was recognized as the state of Utah Elementary Principal Mentor of the Year. To be voted by my elementary principal peers as the school district honoree was recognition enough for me, but to win the statewide award was very humbling and unexpected.

Have a great week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!

Thank you to all of our parents who attended Parent/Teacher Conferences last week. We are also appreciative to everyone who visited our Book Fair and for all of the grandparents and special guests who came to our school on Grandparent Day.

Tonight, February 10, 5:00 – 8:00 pm is our Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night. Just mention Alpine Elementary and 20% of what you pay for your meal will come back to Alpine Elementary.

We have reached 250,000 minutes in our Million Minute Reading Marathon!  Click Here to Log your reading minutes!  If you would prefer a paper copy to enter minutes, your child can get one in the library from Mrs. Ruesch. Keep reading!

The online application process for the first grade Chinese Immersion Program is now open and applications will be accepted until February 28. Here is the link:  https://forms.gle/vKuYYrFf5KGrqFWv7

Last Thursday, the snow, wind and low temperature resulted in a day of no outside recess. The sensation of cabin fever sets in, nerves are frayed, it is more difficult to focus on the desired learning objectives, each minute of the day seems longer and there is more attention focused on the clock, and many are “climbing the walls.” Not to mention the fact that the kids also want to go outside:)

Mrs. Orgill’s class was January’s Box Top winner with 126 box tops!  The 4^th graders in Mrs. Orgill’s class will get a pizza party, which is generously donated by Eckes Paving!

The following students were nominated by their teachers and recognized last week for consistently demonstrating what we call the 6 C’s: collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship and character.

Oscar Ainge–6th Grade, Mrs. Monson

Neil Alexander–3rd Grade, Mrs. Duke

Alivia Barnes–4th Grade, Mrs. Vipperman

Spencer Bergquist–1st Grade, Ms. Johnson

Noah Goeckeritz–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Emery Goeckeritz–5th Grade, Mr. Horan

Eliza Hill–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Hallie Luby–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Ryker Nielsen–1st Grade, Ms. Johnson

Kael Owens–6th Grade, Mrs. Kaczmarek

Katie Proctor–4th Grade, Ms. Moore

Lizzie Pusey–5th Grade, Mrs. Weakley

Chloe Shephard–1st Grade, Mrs. Bailey

Violet Walker–1st Grade, Mrs. Bailey

Deakon Zentner–3rd Grade, Mrs. Duke

Anyone else besides me starting to get Spring Fever? I go to the gym almost daily to exercise, but the stationary bike is not the same as riding my bike in American Fork Canyon or other parts of the Utah Valley. Certainly, the recent snowfall is needed to increase the snowpack, fill up reservoirs, and meet the demand of summer water needs along the Wasatch Front, but I am anxious to bike the Alpine Loop as winter turns into spring.

Each year, as part of my evaluation process, I survey teachers, parents and one grade level (5^th grade this year) of students. I have attached the results of the recent surveys.

Have a great week, and as always, remember that it is a great day to be an Eagle!