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O’Loughlin Eagles News
Kathryn O’Loughlin McCarthy Elementary School
1401 Hall St. Hays, KS 67601
(785) 623-2510
April 2015
April Showers Bring May Flowers!
Kansas State Assessments
Grades 3, 4, and 5 will be busy with state assessments this month. The Science assessment will be taken in 4th grade. Assessments in math and English Language
Arts will be aligned to the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards. The assessments
will individually identify areas where students are doing well and also highlight where additional instruction is needed. Assessment results are expected to be made available in August, 2015.
Your support during the assessments can make a positive difference in your child’s
success. Rest, nutrition and positive encouragement help students approach the assessments with a positive, successful attitude. We appreciate your continued support throughout this important assessment season!
Don’t Be Late! School Starts at 8:00 am
School starts at 8:00 am Students will be
given tardy slips if they arrive after 8:00 am.
Tardies will be documented on their permanent
file. Arriving at school on time is definitely in a
child’s best interest. Classroom work begins the
moment the bell rings. If your child is not in
school, he/she will miss what may be important
information or the opportunity to learn something new. Being absent and tardy is acceptable
if absolutely necessary, but it should be avoided
whenever possible. Students perform best when
they follow an established routine or structure
at the beginning of the class day.
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O’Loughlin Eagles News
Celebrate Dr. Seuss’
Birthday
Lunch Payments
A large number of notes are sent
out every day to inform parents of a negative balance in their child’s lunch account.
Food Service asks that the negative
amount not exceed $5.00. Food Service
offers an online program where you may
either deposit money in your account or
view the balance in your account. The site
is called myschoolbucks.com. You may access your child’s account with their student ID number. That number was given
to each student at enrollment, but if you
don’t have it, call the office and we can
give it to you.
Sunscreens & Sunburns
Sunscreen lotions and creams are effective in preventing adverse skin changes from exposure to sunlight; the higher the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number, the more protection. Researchers have now found that microscopic skin changes may occur even in the absence of redness, so an SPF of 30 is probably better than 15, even though 15 is enough to prevent redness and
is currently recommended for the average person.
Products labeled “waterproof” remains effective for 80 minutes after immersion; those labeled “water resistance” about 40 minutes. Sunscreens should be applied 15 minutes before exposure to give active ingredients time to become more firmly attached to the skin. Reapply every 60
to 90 minutes, more often if one sweats a lot.
Box Tops For Education
The March Box Top winner is Miss. Danielson’s 2nd grade class, collecting 660 Box
Tops.
REMINDER
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Cooler mornings and warmer afternoons
bring an increase of jackets in our lost and
found. If you notice your child comes home
without his/her jacket, please have them check
the lost and found when they get to school the
next morning.
Orchestra
For orchestra, we have the All
City Strings Concert on Monday, April
27 at Hays Middle School. The concert
will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Our 5th graders need to arrive by
6:15pm to tune. Students need to come
dressed in nice clothes. Please look for
more details to follow.
Upcoming music events:
Kindergarten program: May 5, 7:00pm, O’L gym. Come and see
what we’ve been doing this year in music!
Music Program - May 7, 6:30pm, grades 1,2,3
O’Loughlin Singers
7:30 pm grades 4,5,
Yes, everything is a bit out of place in our “Wacky World”. Come for an
evening of silliness and
fun!
Thank you! Joan Crull
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O’Loughlin Dress Code
O’Loughlin Eagles News
This dress code is intended to promote appearance that refrains from interference with the
intended function of the school activity or creates potential health and safety hazards. Neatness
and cleanliness of personal hygiene is encouraged at all times.
For reasons of health and safety, shoes must be worn at all times. Except in those situations where approved by a school sponsored group or activity, headgear (examples: hats, caps,
bandanas, sunglasses, stocking caps, head covering) should not be worn in the building until dismissal bell rings. Items of apparel that are considered distracting, unsafe, offensive, revealing,
or suggestive (direct of indirect) reference to alcohol, drugs, sex, profanity, gang affiliation, Satanism, tobacco, etc. should not be worn.
Students dressed inappropriately may be asked to secure the proper attire before returning to class. Sponsors of extracurricular activities may individually set additional guidelines to
serve the best interests of their organization.
PTA Notes
By: Alaina Cunningham & Mandy Fox
Co-Presidents
We hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break!! Our next meeting will be Tuesday,
April 7th at 6:30pm in the Media Center. We hope you can join as we finalize the
plans for Fun Night, Friday, May 1st. We are in need of donations and volunteers
to make the night a success. This is a fun event for the entire family to celebrate
the end of the school year. We will have games, prizes and inflatables. Please help
us to make this possible.
Thank you,
The O'Loughlin PTA
No School April 3rd, 6 and 24th
Counselor’s Corner
with Mrs. O’Connor
I was shocked this past weekend when I started looking at
my family’s summer schedule, but the time I penciled in our vacation, visiting
in-laws, and a couple of camps the month of June was booked! Just to give
you a heads up, school starts on August 13th next year, so I got to thinking
how can we make the most of summer? Then I thought about all of the interesting stories students come back to school with in August. The best news is
what children remember most isn’t usual flashy or expensive. It is spending
time with family. So prepare to set the electronics aside, get out the sunscreen and have some fun.
Picnics- The brats or hot dogs cooked on the grill become a fun summer
memory when you grab some watermelon, juice boxes, and a blanket
and turn it into a picnic.
Reading Time- Making a trip to the library once a week not only provides
an outing, but will help your child to continually develop the skills they
learned this past year. Make it fun with a reading camp out in the living
room: shut off the lights, grab some flashlights and a snack and have
some family reading time.
Cooking- The extra time during some summer evenings may give you the
opportunity to cook with your child. The students love to tell me what
they have learned to cook. It is also a great opportunity to practice math
and kitchen safety skills.
Old School Fun- Elementary students love to catch bugs, play with bubbles, and use sidewalk chalk.
Garden-Though under our current drought conditions a large garden might
not be the best option, a pot of flowers or a couple of tomato plants is a
great way to teach children about caring for plants.
I hope these ideas can help you start planning your summer fun!
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O’Loughlin Eagles News
Being an Ambassador
Hello, I am O’Loughlin Ambassador, Grace Weaver. I’m here to tell you about what it is like to be
an Ambassador. The first thing to know is you have to be a fifth grader. Next, you have to write
an essay to get into the program. O’Loughlin Ambassadors do many helpful things. We help out
at hot chocolate mornings where we fundraise for the school by selling hot cocoa and cinnamon
rolls. We also help at an event called Mix It Up Lunch. That’s where kids sit with different kids
than they normally do. That way, we make new friends. We also do a teacher appreciation breakfast to thank them for what they have done for us. The Ambassadors helped arrange an event
called Kansas Kindness Day this year, too. A way O’Loughlin Ambassadors represent the school
is by showing new students or new families around the school. We do this in a polite way that
represents our school well. We learn how to represent the school at meetings which are held
once a month by Mrs. Harman, Mrs. O’Conner, and Mrs. Steinkuhler. At the first meeting some
FHSU Ambassadors came and taught us some things too. Being an Ambassador is such a wonderful privilege!
Lunch
We enjoy having you here at school and appreciate the many volunteer hours and endless support you generously provide. Without your kind support, it would be difficult to
facilitate many of the individualized instruction opportunities our students benefit from
each day. It is an honor to have you join us for lunch; however, we are limited on lunchroom space and request parents come to school for lunch only one time per month
(per child). When joining your student for lunch please call the office no later than 9:00
am the day of your visit.
Our lunch program is outstanding and offers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables each day as well as a delicious main dish. We ask parents to refrain from bringing
“fast food” and carbonated beverages for their child’s school lunch. If your child does not
care to eat the school lunch, students are welcome to bring a sack lunch from
home. Cartons of milk are available for individual purchase. O’Loughlin School strives
to create a welcoming, encouraging environment for our students during their lunch
break. Your assistance with the above requests will make a positive difference.
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Tornado Safety Tips
Before the storm:
Develop a plan of action
Have frequent drills
Have a NOAA Weather Radio
with a warning alarm tone
 Listen to the radio and television
for information
 If planning a trip outdoors, listen to forecasts



“DUCK”
Down to the lowest level
Under something sturdy
Cover your head
Keep in the shelter until
the storm has passed
If a warning is issued or threatening weather approaches:
Always remember “DUCK”
 Stay away from windows
 Get out of automobiles and get into a sturdy structure or ditch,
or buckle your seat belt and get below window level of your vehicle

Well, Hello Spring!! We survived the winter and have been creating art like crazy! We have some exciting events coming up this
April!
On April 10th, we will be holding an Aluminum Casting Workshop
courtesy of FHSU's Sculpture Department and Toby Flores. This
will be held in the Friendship Garden area for most of the morning and afternoon.
Students in 2nd and 5th grade have created compositions that will be formed into
a metal sculpture that they will get to take home! If you are interested in watching the hot metal being poured into the sand molds, feel free to stop in!
April 24th is also an exciting day, as it is the Annual Spring Gallery Walk in the
downtown Hays area. The Hays Public Library will host the Annual USD 489 K-8
Student Art Show during this event. Be sure to
stop in to see the amazing things that our young
artists have done this year!!
For more information regarding the Annual Spring
Gallery Walk visit the Hays Arts Council website.
Wishing You and Yours an Awesome April,
:) Mrs. Younger
April, and May 2015 Highlights:
April
April 1
April 3
April 6
April 7-9
April 7
April 8
April 9
April 10
April 13-17
April 13
April 14-16
April 14
April 17
April 20-23
April 21
April 22
April 23
April 24
April 27-30
April 27
April 28
Walking School Bus resumes
No School, USD 489 April Recess
No School, USD 489 April Recess
4th Grade assessments
Para Appreciation Day
PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm in the Media Center
Para Appreciation Day
O’Loughlin Ambassadors’ Meeting, 3:00-3:45 pm in the Media Center
FHSU Aluminum Casting Workshop, Jennifer Younger’s class
5th Grade Assessments
Custodian Appreciation Day
Redbud trees delivered to 5th grade students, 2:30 pm
3rd Grade State Assessment
3rd and 4th Grades attend HAC presentation “Presidio Brass: Sounds of
the Cinema”, 12:45 pm at Beach Schmidt Performing Arts Center,
FHSUStaff Meeting, 3:15-4:15 pm in the Media Center
O’Loughlin Site Council meets, 5:30 pm in the Media Center
4th Grade students visit Nicodemus
3,4,5 Grade State Assessment
O’Loughlin PTA meeting, 6:30 pm in the Media Center
Administrative Professional’s Appreciation Day
O’Loughlin Ambassadors’ trip to Abilene, KS
NO SCHOOL, USD 489 INSERVICE
4th Grade State assessment
Cafeteria Ladies’ Appreciation Day
All City Strings Concert
4A visits Hays Public Library, 1:45
May
May 1
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
May 12
May 14
May 15
May 18
May 19
5th Grade Famous Figures Competition
O’Loughlin FUN NIGHT, 5:00-8:00 pm
Kansas Fitness Day at FHSU, 3rd Grade
National Teacher Day
Kindergarten Music Program, 7:00 pm in the gym
Nurse’s Appreciation Day
5th Grade visits HMS, 8:45-10:30
Spring Concert, grades 1, 2, 3 – 6:30 pm in the gym
Spring Concert, grades 3, 4, 5 and Singers – 7:30 in the gym
O’L Ambassadors annual Friendship Garden clean up, 1:30-3:00
AR 100 Point Breakfast, 7:30-8:00 am in the Media Center
KC trip to Hays Public Library, 1:00
5th Grade Promotion/DARE, 1:30 pm in the gym
All School Awards Assembly, 8:45 in the gym
O’Loughlin Field Day and school picnic
O’Loughlin Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:30-3:15 pm
O’Loughlin Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:30-12:00
Nicodemus National Historic Site Receives 2015 Ticket to Ride Grant
From the National Park Foundation
Nicodemus, Kansas (January 20, 2015)-Nicodemus National Historic Site is one of
65 national parks selected to receive a 2014 Ticket to Ride grant from the National
Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Nearly 300 fourth
graders from Hays, Wakeeney, Stockton, Plainville, Damar Hill City, and Ellis will
converge on Nicodemus in two days in April to experience the historic town of Nicodemus and its rich history. They will arrive via the “Ellis Trail” (Ellis north to Nicodemus) and spend the afternoon having lunch, listening to period music, learning
about travel by covered wagon, and playing period games. They will end their day
with a walking tour of the town site to see historic buildings.
Now in its third year, the Ticket to Ride program provides the much-needed funds
to make national park field trips possible for schools across the country.
“We know that one of the greatest barriers keeping America’s youth from visiting
their national parks is access to transportation,” said Neil Mulholland, president
and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Through our Ticket to Ride program,
we eliminate that barrier and open up a world of experimental learning in our nation’s largest classrooms-our national parks-and help inspire stewardship of these
treasured places.”
This is the second year Nicodemus has received the grant and are expanding the
participants by including fourth graders from Hays, Stockton, and Plainville. On
April 17th, O’Loughlin 4th graders will travel to Nicodemus via the historic “Ellis
Trail”, the route original settlers traveled, using compasses and phone gps systems
to identify landmarks along the way. Reenactor and residents will greet them and
participate in the days activities.
The 2014 Ticket to Ride grants were made possible, in large part, through the support of Bayer USA Foundation, Disney, and Subaru of America.
For the full list of park grantees, and their projects, visit the Ticket to Ride on the
National Park Foundation website.
For more information on the National Park Foundation and how to support and
protect America’s national parks, please visit www.nationalparks.org. For more information on the National Park Service, please visit www.nps.gov.