1. education
2. school

810 N. Commercial
Auburn, KS 66402
www.auburnelementary.net
Auburn Elementary Newsletter
October 16, 2014
From the Principal’s Desk
PREPARING FOR PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
A parent-teacher conference is a time when important people in a student’s life can talk about how that
student is doing in school. It is a chance for you to ask questions about your child’s progress. It is also a
time for you and the teacher to work together as a team to discuss ways you both can help your son or
daughter.
This meeting is a great venue to celebrate successes as well as discuss areas for improvement.
Preparation by the teacher as well as you, the parent/guardian, is required. A few tips to make
conference time the most productive follow:
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE
Talk to your child – Find out which subjects your child likes the best and the least. Ask why. Also, ask
if there is anything your child would like you to talk about with the teacher. Help the child understand
that you and the teacher are meeting to help him or her.
Gather input from others – If your spouse, another care-giving adult, or someone with pertinent
information or insight (doctor, counselor, other guardian) can’t attend the conference, ask that person’s
concerns and questions before the conference.
Make a list – Before you go to the meeting, make a list of topics to discuss with the teacher. Along
Thisquestions
year there
willacademics
be a school-wide
walk-a-thon
to raise
for Christmas
with
about
and behavior,
you may want
to talkmoney
to the teacher
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the Topeka
Rescueconcerns,
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In the
past,
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have
earned
money
home
life, personality,
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hobbies,
and othergrades
topics that
may
help the
teacher in
to provide
needs
wants
for themusic
children
who
find themselves
and
their
working
with both
the child
(e.g.,and
religious
holidays,
lessons,
part-time
jobs, or a sick
relative).
families celebrating Christmas under hard circumstances.
DURING
THEhave
CONFERENCE
Auburn
students
taken Week,
home notes
with information
concerning
event.
Next week
is Banned
Books
a celebration
of being Free
to Readthis
in the
Ask
Questions
–
Questions
you
ask
during
the conference
canevent.
help you
express
your hopes
th
th
Students
are
encouraged
to
raise
at
least
$5
for
this
The
participants
willfor the
United States.
5 the
and
6 and
graders
will
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lessons
on
what
this
week
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student’s
success
in
class
for
the
teacher.
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the
important
first in
rd
walk
onHopefully,
Friday, October
, for one
hour from
2:30
to 3:30. are
If you
need
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about.
they
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understand
why
challenges
made
and
that child. If
case
time
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teacher’s
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th
to
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your
copy
ofmake
the note
that willchoices,
go home
Wednesday,
September
24 ofplease
e-mail
if they
appropriate
itgifted
will
help
decrease
the number
book
bans
your
child
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special services
and
talented
programs,
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[email protected]
. We(e.g.,
request
donations
be
turnedspeech,
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October
1st. therapy)
insure
our to
country.
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all
read a of
banned
book
nextchild’s
week!progress.
be
ask
about
the
frequency
services
and
your
Volunteers are also needed to work stations that provide water for the walkers.
Addressing problems – Parent-teacher conferences are a good time to discuss any difficulties (either
This is going
to be aa child
greatmight
opportunity
students to feel the joy of giving.
academic
or behavioral)
be havingforat our
school.
Thank you in advance
for your
help!reports are being sent home
Written
progress
When problems arise, parents will wantthto consider the following: 1) Avoid angry or apologetic
September
25 . Additionally, Parent Portal
provides
Auburn Elementary
Staff
reactions.
Instead, ask for
examples. 2) Ask what is being done about
thebottle
problem and what strategies
Water
easy
access to
student
classroom
seem to help at school.
3) Develop
an information
action plan thatabout
may include
steps
the
parents can take at home
donations
needed!
performance.
Check
it
out!
and steps the teacher will take when the problem comes up at school. 4) Schedule a follow-up
conference and decide on the best way to stay in touch (phone, e-mail, or letters sent to the home).
Walking for the Rescue Mission
Banned Books Week
AFTER THE CONFERENCE
When discussing the conference with the child afterward, stress the good things that were covered and
be direct about problems that were identified. If an action plan is in place, explain to the child what was
arranged. Monitor your child’s classwork and homework. Ask how the student feels about schoolwork.
Stay in touch with the teacher to discuss your child’s progress. Continuing to keep in touch with the
teacher, even if things are going well, can play an important role in helping your child succeed in school.
When a child knows parents and teachers are regularly working together, the child will see that
education is a high priority requiring commitment and effort.
Assigned conference times
were sent home with students
earlier this week. The notes
with the assigned times were
bright ORANGE.
EVERY
student was given a notice.
Please ask your student
and/or check back packs for
this notice.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
will be Wednesday, October
22, from 4:00–8:00 PM and
Thursday, October 23, from
8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Sixth grade students should
attend the parent-teacher
conferences
with
their
parents, as the conferences
are
student-led.
Please
refrain from bringing all other
children to conferences,
unless there is no other way
to attend. Thank you for your
cooperation.
NO SCHOOL
October 17, October 23, &
October 24
FIFTH ANNUAL
GRILLIN' AT THE VEE
Saturday, October 18th,
11AM-1PM, the AuburnWashburn Public Schools
Foundation will host a
cookout outside the Topeka
Hy-Vee store, 29th and
Wanamaker. Come enjoy a
great lunch deal. Proceeds
will benefit students through
classroom grants and other
school projects.
Thanksgiving Luncheon
Mark your calendars now and plan to be our guest at the annual Auburn Elementary
School Thanksgiving Lunch.
October
This year’s Thanksgiving Lunch will be held Friday, November 21, 2014. We will be
serving the traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, green
beans, roll, and pumpkin dessert. All this for the low, low price of $3.40.
Mr. Blackmore and the Early Morning Singers will provide entertainment during the meal.
You may reserve your lunch ticket by completing the meal ticket request included with this
newsletter. The cost of the guest meal tickets is $3.40. The deadline for requesting
tickets will be MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10th.
Please send your meal request forms with exact payment (cash or check made out to
Auburn Elementary) to the AE office. Meal tickets may be picked up at the school office
the day of the Thanksgiving Lunch.
PLEASE KEEP the top portion of the Thanksgiving Lunch flyer so you will know the lunch
schedule of the different classes. Note that the Early Morning Singers students will be
eating first, so if your student is a member of that group, plan to be here at the 10:40 time
to eat with them.
Hope to see YOU November 21st.
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20
20-23
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22
22
23
24
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28
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29
29
30
31
31
31
THANK YOU!
A big THANK YOU to all the parents and grandparents that accompanied the
kindergarteners to the Pumpkin Patch and Freddy’s for lunch on October 3rd.
Your help was GREATLY appreciated!
Parade—2:00 PM
Room Party—2:30 PM
(Preschool will have their
parade & party from 10:30-11:30AM.)
You are welcome to come as early as 1:45 PM to assist with a child’s
costume. Arriving earlier may interrupt classroom learning activities.
Thank you.
Halloween Costume Theme
Don’t forget, as you’re thinking about Halloween costumes, to
help your child choose a costume that is a book character. We can
match most general costumes to a book from our library, or you
can always get a book from the public library. Questions? Call
Mrs. Kline at 339-4461 or e-mail: [email protected].
When selecting a costume, please remember it should not include
weapons nor simulations of weapons or blood. Characters should
not portray violence or be vulgar or grotesque in nature. Your
support and cooperation in this matter is appreciated.
November
5
6
7
19
Halloween Parade and Room Party
Times
NO SCHOOL
PTO Meeting 6:30 PM – in the
Teacher’s Lounge
Book Fair
Early Morning Singers – 8 AM
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Kids in the Kitchen – 3:45 PM
NO SCHOOL –
Parent/Teacher Conferences
NO SCHOOL
Food night @ Freddy’s
Picture make-up day
Early Morning Singers – 8 AM
6th Grade field trip – Wolf
Creek 8:50 AM – 2:15 PM
Kids in the Kitchen – 3:45 PM
Early Morning Singers – 8 AM
STUCO meeting 7:50 AM
HALLOWEEN Parade 2 PM
Room parties to follow
Preschool Halloween parade &
party 10:30*-11:30 AM
EARLY RELEASE – 3 PM
5th Grade Field Trip – Royals
Stadium 8:50 AM to 2:15 PM
Dental screening day
Early Release
Counselor’s Corner
Trick-or-treat safety tips









Carry a flashlight or glow
stick
Always trick-or-treat in
groups with an adult
Walk- no running
Stay on sidewalks and out of the
street
Be sure and double check the
street before crossing
Only go to well-lit houses
unless it is ok’d by the adult you
are with
Do not eat candy unless it has
been checked by an adult first
Respect other people and
property
Be polite and say “thank you”
The Buzz from PTO
Carnival planning is just around the corner. This event cannot take place
without full community support… WE NEED YOU! Please plan to attend the
October 20th PTO meeting where more details about the carnival will be
discussed. The tentative date for carnival is March 7th.
Mark Your Calendars!
By October 20th, we need to have 10 committee chairpersons identified. A
committee break-out is listed below for you to review. The next step is
identifying 50 volunteers to help run the activities the night of the carnival.
Volunteers need to be committed by the November 17th PTO meeting.
Helping with the activities would be an hour to hour and a half time
commitment. This could be parents, staff, high school students, church groups,
community volunteers, etc. If you know of a group that might be interested in
volunteering, please feel free to contact them with the carnival information.
PTO Meetings are held at
Auburn Elementary in the
Library at 6:30 PM. All
Parents and Staff are
encouraged to attend.
Childcare for school-age
children will be available.
Meetings are scheduled for the
following evenings:
If we do not have volunteers by the dates listed above, the carnival might be
cancelled this year.
October 20th
Contact [email protected] with your contact information if you are
interested in helping!
December 8th
CARNIVAL teams:
 Volunteer team – coordinate volunteers
 Silent Auction team – collect and organize items for silent auction
 Games team – organize & setup games
 Communication team – send out information about the carnival to the
community
 Decoration team – plan & setup decorations
 Donation team – work on collecting donations from area business
 Merchandise team – determine merchandise to be sold
 Food team – schedule volunteers to help serve the meal.
February 16th
THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone
who brought in labels
and box tops. We will
have another collection
date in the spring, so
continue to save them.
FAMILY FOOD NIGHT
@ FREDDY’S
Join us for supper Tuesday, October 28th,
5-8PM. Freddy’s will donate 15% of all sales
to AE PTO! Invite your family and friends to
join you!!
Don’t forget to
send in your Sunny D labels thru November
to help your teacher get FREE books!
November 17th
January 12th
March 2nd
April 20th
May 18th
Don’t forget to like us
on Facebook. Make sure
you look for the Auburn
Elementary Icon to “Like”
the school. Stay informed
of activities and events
happening through-out the
school year.
We are also collecting Kellogg’s box codes. Look on the
inside of your Kellogg’s box for the code.
Note from the Nurse:
If you send over-the-counter
medications, including cough
THANK YOU
drops, with your student, please
send a note giving your
permission for them to take
them at school. Also, please
send the medication in the
original container, not a baggie.
Thank you.
School-Wide Walk-a-thon Results
Last Friday's walk-a-thon was a huge success! This year we chose
to have the grade level with the highest percentage of
Lunch & Breakfast
Prices
for NOVEMBER
Regular Lunch
Reduced Lunch
$40.80
$ 6.80
Regular Breakfast
Reduced Breakfast
$22.95
$ 5.10
participation lead our walk. Third grade lead us with 82% of their
students contributing. Our Auburn students raised $2,459.87
that will be donated to the Topeka Rescue Mission's efforts to
provide for children and families celebrating Christmas under
difficult circumstances. We thank the students, donors, staff, and
volunteers whose efforts made this possible!
The Auburn Elementary School Library would like to invite you to celebrate reading at the Scholastic Book Fair, held
during Parent-Teacher Conferences, October 20-23. Students will get to preview the Fair on Monday and Tuesday and make
their wish list to bring home. Then the Book Fair will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm on October 22nd and 23rd.
The fair is online, too, so if you can’t make it to the fair, you can still support the school library with purchases online.
The link to the fair is on the AE webpage. All orders will be delivered to school for free! And the new Wimpy Kid book can be
preordered and delivered to school, too.
Our Special Family Activity will be held Tuesday evening at 6:30 with Book Fair shopping afterwards. Author Angela
Servantes (her book Gabby Lost and Found was featured in last year’s fair) and the Helping Hands Humane Society (The book is
about a girl helping at a humane society so our local society will have pets for adoption and doing tricks!) will be presenting in
the cafeteria. It should be a fun evening! The Family Scavenger Hunt will be Wednesday evening from 4-8:00 with a prize of
$50! We’re also offering the movie Princess Bride in the Treehouse during conferences. Parents can attend conferences while
students enjoy the movie or shop the book fair. If students bring a grandparent to the fair, they receive a chocolate kiss and
are entered into a drawing for a knight’s helmet!
The All for Books collection will be going on the week before the Book Fair in each classroom and will continue during
the fair. Students donating a dollar get to fill in slips that will be used to build a castle at the Book Fair. The class to raise the
most money receives inflatable swords and $100 in books for their classroom! Remember this collection is for a good cause –
Scholastic matches everything collected to donate books to children’s charities.
Volunteers that help at the book fair will receive $5 gift certificates. Your child will bring home book fair information
and an order form this week. Please come help us promote reading and raise some money for our library! Questions? Call Mrs.
Kline at 339-4461.
STUCO Fundraiser
Oct. 14-23rd
Pre-Order Form
STUCO is taking part in the Gary’s Pumpkin Patch Kettle Corn fundraiser this
year. The Kettle corn was taste tested by all STUCO members and it was voted
the best that they have ever had. The cost per (1 lb) bag is $8.00 and STUCO
will profit 50% of each bag sold. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the STUCO
Holiday Family adoption and an organization that AE will sponsor for the year.
Nothing says “Fall” like Kettle Corn so go ahead and order for friends and
family. All you have to do is complete the pre-order form at the bottom and
attach cash or check (made payable to AE STUCO). Please return the pre-order
form and payment attached to the school on or before Oct. 23rd. We anticipate
the popcorn pick-up to be Oct. 27th after school. If you have questions feel free
to contact Ms. Hoffman or Mrs. South (STUCO Sponsors). As always thank you
in advance for supporting the efforts of our students. 
Kettle Corn Pre-Order
_________________________
______________
___
Family Name
Student Name
GR
_____________________
Phone number
_______________
# Bags ordered
X $8.00
Payment method (circle one):
Cash
Total: ___________
Check