Character Counts at Mason!

September 6, 2013

www-mes.stjohns.k12.fl.us

IMPORTANT DATES

September 12—7pm-8:30pm—Boy Scout Roundup

September 13th—Teacher Inservice Day—No School

September 17th—Title 1 Open House 6-7:30pm

September 18th—Interims Issued

September 19th—Health Screenings

Grades K, 1st, 3rd

September 23rd thru October 11th—

Teacher Conferences

September 26th—Picture Day !!

PTA Meeting, October 8th, 4th grade @ 6pm

October 24th—End of First Quarter

October 25th—Teacher Planning Day—No School

October 31st—Report Cards Issued

November 5th—Picture Retakes

November 11th—Veteran’s Day—No School

PTA Meeting, November 12th, 2nd grade @ 6pm

OTIS A. MASON NEWS

Otis A Mason Elementary School

207 Mason Manatee Way

St Augustine, FL 32086

Phone—904-847-8440 Fax—904-847-8445

“Where We Educate The Future”

Kim Dixon—Principal

Pattie Foulk—Assistant Principal

School Office Hours: 8am to 4pm

School Hours: 8:30 am to 2:50pm

Early Release every

Wednesday at 1:50pm

The Administrative Corner

Hello Manatees, We have gotten off to a great start. I want to thank all the parents for getting your

children to school on time. Our tardy bell rings at 8:30 so all children who are not in

the building at that time will need to be escorted to the front office by their parents

for a late slip. With safety as our number one priority, be sure to read the “Manatee

Essentials” in your child’s notebook and on our webpage for information on policies

and rules for helping in our school. If you have any questions or concerns about our

policies, please call 547-8440.

We are so very proud of our Manatees as they show us their good character by being

Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Have you heard about our daily Words of Wisdom?

Each morning on WOAM, our morning news show, Mrs. Dixon and I share Words of

Wisdom with thoughts of the day based on becoming caring citizens. We end with

“make it a good day, or not, the choice is yours”. We want all our Manatees to be

the BEST that they can be every day!

Our Title 1/Open House will be held from 6:00-7:30 pm on Tuesday, September 17.

We are going to offer three different times to visit classrooms to accommodate our

families with multiple siblings. The times are as follows: 6:00-6:25, 6:30-6:55 and

7:00-7:25. This will be a time for you to visit your child’s classroom and sign up for a

Fall Parent Conference between September 23 and October 11.

I would like to encourage you to join our School Advisory Council team. Also known

as the SAC team, all parents and family members are welcome to join. Meetings are

usually 45 minutes in length and are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Members

of the SAC team also guide the decision making for our students and provide

valuable input to help us increase student achievement, recognize good character,

and provide parental involvement opportunities for all of our families. Our first

meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2013. We hope to see you at 3:15 p.m.

in the Media Center.

Finally, I would like to encourage you to not only check your child’s homework every

night, but also have them explain it to you. That way you can see their level of under-

standing of the concepts being taught. Remember, children should be reading or

“read to” every night. We want our Manatees to Read to Succeed!

Go READ Manatees! - Mrs. Foulk, Assistant Principal Newsletters will always be available online on our

school homepage. If you do not have internet ac-

cess, please let your teacher know that you need a

printed copy!

*If a student arrives late to school, he or she must

be walked in to the front office, accompanied by

an adult.

Mason Manatee Reminders

*Teachers and staff are not available for morning walk in conferences, so please schedule

conferences in advance.

*On Wednesdays, there is a different lunch schedule, so please check with your child’s teacher or with

the front office.

* Student checkouts or transportation changes are not allowed after 2:15pm, Monday, Tuesday,

Thursday and Friday AND 1:15 on Wednesday.

*AM/PM child care & after school programs are available through Extended Day. Call Melinda Stevens

at 547-8449 for information.

*Everyone visiting St. Johns County Schools are required to sign in at the front office to receive a

school access badge. Please be prepared to show a valid State issued ID, or Driver’s License. You must

also be approved for school access to eat lunch with your child or attend field trips.

Important Reminder All children who arrive via parent drop off must arrive before 8:20

to eat breakfast in the Manatee Café. All youth dropped off after

8:20 must report directly to class.

Student Belongings

Parents !! Please write your child’s name on

lunchboxes, jackets, backpacks, and any-

thing else they may be carrying to school.

ALERT NOW CALLS !!!

Important announcements and emergency information are provided to you via our

automated system. If you are not receiving Alert Now calls, please contact Mrs. Lebon at 547-8436 to

change the number that we are sending these calls to. Don’t miss any more announcements or PTA information.

Additionally it is VERY IMPORTANT that you return the BLUE card with emergency contact names and numbers

listed on the FRONT and BACK of the card.

Go Read Manatees !!

Nurse’s Station

Health Screenings for

grades K, 1st, and 3rd are

scheduled for September 19th. Any parent

who wishes to opt-out of this program must

submit a request in writing prior to

September 13th. THANK YOU !!

Students of the Week Aziah Agront, Kelsee Behnen

Tyler Binkley, Ashley Brock, Kailee Kent, Steven Battista, Kiara Tolbert

Avery Bailey, Brooke Biermann, C.J. Clark, Kalani Jones, Landon Ravan, Jayne Smith, Sierra Sutton, Lucas Zarr, Tristan Kyall

Jamarein Major, Kai LeBlanc, Landon Benchoff, Luke Lavana, Layla Thomas, Dayton Taylor, Zeni Barrett, Matthew Shaughnessy, Layne Fickert, Bryson Blalock, Ethan Sikes

Bailey Locklear, Nicholas Wiberly, Mary Avendano, Noah Brzinski, Cole Bokowski, Kylie Germany, Dae'Shaud Woodard, Summer Rynn

Wyatt Sexton, Olivia LeFors, Tara Robison, Gracie Merckling, Kendal Weber, Cali Lennon, Sydney Hinton, Jalyn Alcorn, Andi Barbour, Camille Hamblin, Brady Dugan, Megan Storms

Natalie Castillo, Brennan Powell, Taylor Bunnell, Keyon Edwards

Darrenizia Tobler, Sean O'Rourke, Ava Nemecek, Kyle Sikes, Naomi Mitchell, Dillon Anderson, Ava Webb, De'Andre Burks

Monday 9-9

Chicken Quesadilla or Max

Cheese Sticks w/ Marinara or

Taco Sauce

Mandarin Oranges

Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday 9-10

Grilled Cheese on Honey

Wheat Goldfish Bread or Beef

Taco w/ lettuce, tomato,

cheese cup & Taco Sauce

Baby Carrots with LF Dressing

dunk cup

Corn

Mixed Fruit

Wednesday 9-11

Chicken Nuggets or Chicken

Fajita Salad

Whole Grain Breadstick

Baked Beans

Cherry Tomato & Celery Stick

w/LF Dressing Dunk Cup

Fresh Apple Slices

Dipping Sauce Dunk Cup

Thursday 9-12

Pasta & Meatballs or Fajita

Chicken Wrap w/ taco sauce

Spinach & Romaine Salad

w/ LF Salad Dressing

Sweet Green Peas

Peach Cup

Friday 9-13

STUDENT HOLIDAY

TEACHER INSERVICE DAY

Monday 9-16

Honey BBQ Ribette Sandwich

or Macaroni & Cheese

Steamed Broccoli

Green Beans

Apple Sauce

Tuesday 9-17

Mini Corn Dogs or Cheese

Tortellini w/Marinara Sauce

Spinach / Romaine Salad w/

LF Dressing

Mixed Fruit

Corn

Mustard, Ketchup

Wednesday 9-18

Chicken Fajita Salad or Choice

of Pizza

Whole Grain Breadstick

Baby Carrots and Cucumbers

with LF Dressing dunk cup

Sweet Peas

Fresh Sliced Apples

Thursday 9-19

Hamburger on a Bun or

Home Style Chicken Sandwich

Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle,

Mustard & Ketchup

Peach Cup

Potato Wedges

Baked Beans

Friday 9-20

Chicken Nuggets or Hot Dog

w/ Mustard & Ketchup

Whole Grain Breadstick

Sweet Potato Puffs

Cherry Tomato & Celery Stick

w/LF Dressing Dunk Cup

Choice of 100% juice: Apple,

Apple Cherry, or Fruit Punch

MANATEE CAFÉ Breakfast is $1.25; lunch is $2.35 & comes with fruit, or assorted fruit juice & choice of

Remember to wear

your TEAL and GREY

every Friday for

SCHOOL SPIRIT

DAY !!

Go Manatees !!

St Johns County Area Youth Opportunities

International Day of Peace: Peace in the Park, Southeast Branch

Saturday, September 21 @ 10 am

Help build a compassionate community while having a great time

with your friends and neighbors! Be part of the 2013 human peace

sign, and enjoy music by Lonesome Bert & The Skinny Lizards.

Festivities will also include compassion games, the Blue Lotus Belly

Dancers, face painting, popsicles, and pinwheels. You can help to

make and share “peace soup,” a.k.a. “stone soup,” by bringing 1

cup chopped, raw veggie or 1 can of beans. Bring your own chairs

and meet at the Al Wilke Recreational Field at 6140 S. Main St.,

Hastings, FL. This free event is sponsored by Pie in the Sky, Island

Doctors, the Initiative for Compassion, Unity & Peace Saint

Augustine, and the St. Johns County Public Library.

Public Library Youth Events

National Library Card Sign-up Month:

Celebrate with the Bookmobile

Saturday, September 28 @ 10 am

Come to the library for a special storytime,

courtesy of the bookmobile. Kids will get a

special tour of the "rolling library" and will

do a craft, too.

Knotty Knitters Knitting Club—Saturday, September 14 @ 11am

Everyone is welcome to join the Southeast Branch's knitting club, The Knotty Knitters. All ages and abilities are encouraged to join and instruction can be provided to beginners. Make new friends and learn a new craft.

International Day of Peace: Let's Go Fly a Kite ! Southeast Branch

Saturday, September 21 @ 11 am

Release your wishes for peace on the tails of a

kite. To celebrate International Peace Day,

families are invited to come to the library to

create a kite, which will promote peace and

harmony. We will go outside and fly our kites

(weather permitting). This family program is geared toward all

ages and is sponsored by the Friends of the Southeast Branch

Library.

NATIONAL ESTUARIES CELEBRATION--Free and Open to the Public--

Estuaries have played a significant role in the rich cultural history found here in northeast Florida. What

are some ways you think estuaries have helped shaped our history? Come to our two-day celebration that

kicks off Friday evening with a Star Party and continues to Saturday where families can explore how

estuaries have shaped northeast Florida's human history. Friday evening's Star Party (September 27, 2013,

6pm - 10pm) is the perfect opportunity to bring the family, or that special someone, and look up at the beautiful night sky and

explore navigational history. Saturday (September 28, 2013, 10am - 2pm) is a family event showcasing northeast Florida

specialists that play a large role in restoring, researching, and teaching about the estuary. We'll have food, face painting, a Sea

Turtle obstacle course, fishing, hiking, biking, gardening, a plant sale,

and much more. Both events take place at the GTM Research Reserve’s

Environmental Education Center, 505 Guana River Rd., Ponte Vedra

Beach, Florida 32082. For additional information or questions please

visit www.gtmnerr.org or call 904-823-4500.

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY VOLUNTEER PROJECT

Faver-Dykes State Park, September 28, 2013, 9:00 - 11:00

Join thousands of volunteers across the country and take part in the

20th Annual National Public Lands Day! Faver-Dykes State Park is one of

the many host sites for this national volunteer effort. The project will

involve raking, pruning, trimming, cleaning, and weeding the formal

gardens within the park.

Upon completion of the project, participants are welcome to explore

and enjoy the Park. We offer many activities for your enjoyment

including hiking, biking, fishing, a

playground, picnic areas, and boating in

Pellicer Creek. Please bring gloves, hat,

sunscreen, and comfortable working

clothes. Drinks and snacks will be

provided.

The Redirecting Children's Behavior Course

Course Content

The Redirecting Children’s Behavior course presents non-violent strategies that foster appropriate behavior in children. The following topics are explored: assessing and building relationships, styles of interaction and results to expect, handling emotions during heat-of-the-moment exchange, diagnosing motivations that lead to misbehavior, appropriate redirection strategies, improving self-esteem, fine-tuning communication skills, and creating problem solvers.

Details

The St. Johns County School District is offering the course free of charge. The 15-hour course is divided into a series of five 3-hour classes (one night per week). Participants must attend the first class to be eligible for the remaining classes. The course will be taught at the Fullerwood Center auditorium (10 Hildreth Drive, St. Augustine FL 32084). Participants must arrange for child care on their own. Special accommodations must be arranged with Nancy Morrison at 547-7672 the week before the first class session. Participants completing all 5 classes will receive a certificate from the International Network for Children and Families in collaboration with the St. Johns County School District.

Registration

The course is open to school district staff and to the public. Seating is limited. To register, please contact Jill Bullard at jill.bullard@stjohns.k12.fl.us 547-7712. If you leave a voice message, be sure to spell your name and provide a phone number or email address. Please be sure to indicate which session you would like to attend (Summer or Fall). Seats will be held until 5:45p during the first session – and then made available to those on the waiting list.

Fall Course Dates

Class 1…….. 530p-830p, Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Class 2…….. 530p-830p, Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Class 3…….. 530p-830p, Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Class 4…….. 530p-830p, Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Class 5…….. 530p-830p, Tuesday, October 22, 2013

About The Publisher

The Redirecting Children's Behavior course is published and monitored by the International Network for Children and Families in Gainesville, Florida (Kathryn Kvols, President).

About The Instructor

The certified instructor for the course is George Freeman who holds a masters degree in psychology and is certified in the state of Florida as a behavior analyst. He currently serves as a Program Specialist for the St. Johns County School District. He has taught the Redirecting Children’s Behavior course since 1999 and values its techniques and philosophy.

St Johns County News and Opportunities !!

Treaty Park

Your child can join a free tennis clinic to introduce young people to the “fun” of playing tennis - a true “lifetime” sport for your child.

Hosted by SJC Park & Recreation’s Coach Bobby, “free” kids tennis clinics are scheduled for Saturday Sept. 14 @ 12:30 pm for Ages 9 & under and for Saturday Sept. 28 @ 12:30 pm for Ages 10 & up.

Treaty Park is located at 1595 Wildwood Dr, St Augustine. To sign up for your free clinic, please contact Coach Bobby @904-471-2463 / staugustinetennis@comcast.net.

Are you living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground; on the street; in abandoned

buildings; or living with friends or relatives due to an economic hardship, are you a teenager

and living independently or with someone other than a parent or legal guardian; then you

may be eligible to receive services provided under the McKinney-Vento Act. Contact

Marie Lebon @ 547-8436 for more details. You may also visit: http://

www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/student/homeless/