PawPrints

It’s that time of year! Save the date forMcKinley’s Annual Fun Night on Friday,April 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This year’stheme is Earth Kids!

There will be plenty of crafts for the stu-dents both on the main floor and new thisyear – upstairs! Student creativity will bein full swing. Farm to School will be re-turning with fun-filled displays and a tastysnack too!

Traditional games and new games willfill the evening. The ever-so-popular Cake

Walk will be in the community room. Weare looking for bakers to bring in all ofyour favorite treats! Please drop them offin the community room on Friday morningof fun night. Come hungry because OldChicago pizza will be for sale in the cafete-ria. Admission is $10 and includes every-thing except food and the general store.(age 3 and under are free)

As we all know, events are only as suc-cessful as the caring parents who help. We

Let the bidding beginMcKinley’s third annual Trivia Night was a huge hit on all fronts with great items to bid onand plenty of fun for all trivia teams. Story, P2.

FARM TO SCHOOL: The Veggie Vote, P3

PawPrints4 CONTRIBUTE: Do you havephotos or a great idea for Paw-Prints? Please send toSix.rays@hotmail.com or callKelly Ray at 563-505-2626! >> Continued on P3 >> Continued on P4

BILLSCHNEDEN

McKinley Elementary School Thursday, April 12, 2012 43 days left before the last day of school

It’s time for some Shout OutsOur McKinley Volunteers are amaz-

ing and that is why the PTA would liketo give a SHOUT OUT TO: ❖ Science Enrichment Night (Matt

Johnston) and his committee for help-ing 4th/5th grade students learn aboutpaper rockets/airplanes. We are sograteful for your help: Matt Walsh,Mark Maltarich, Tim Chen, and MissSmiley.

❖ Picture Day (Jean Stephan) forhelping children look their best in theirschool pictures.

❖ Spirit Wear (Jaci Hunt) for spread-ing school spirit by selling gear at thelast Skate Party.

❖ Trivia Night (Traci Swanson) forchairing yet another successful event.It was a wonderful evening: lots ofpeople, fun and money made forclassroom technology.

❖ Bookfair (Colleen Skolrood andBeth deBlois) and all the volunteerswho gave many hours so that our stu-dents can have wonderful new booksin their hands to read.

❖ Variety Show (Amy Smith) for ar-ranging and serving up deliciouscookies for an after show treat. ❖ Nominating Committee (Kathleen

Maltarich, Cynthia Weeks, and SarahPriest) for spending countless hoursfinding enthusiastic/eager parents toserve next year on the PTA.

A good scrubbingThis year’s Spring Clean Up and

Planting date is May 6. The annualevent will run from 1-3 p.m. with vol-unteers needed for all aspects of get-ting the school’s grounds sparklingclean and ready for plantings.

FUN NIGHT<< Continued from P1are looking for volunteers for a shift or allevening. Junior High or High School sib-lings welcome too! The events are fun,the kids have a blast and you get to meetnew McKinley families. All of the stu-dents love it when their parents work theevent. You score major “cool points”!

Two shifts are available for volunteer-ing: 5:15-6:30 p.m. and 6:30 pm-7: 45p.m.

Please call or email one of the names

below to volunteer. Thank you for your continued support

of McKinley!Lani Smith: Fun Night Co-Chair,

441.9111 or leilanismith1@msn.comKathy Walsh: Fun Night Co-Chair,

355.3944 or kaw1002@gmail.comTami Mahl: Volunteer Coordinator,

355.7222 or tjbyram@yahoo.comHeidi Hulme: Game Coordinator,

514.1456 or heidisavon@hotmail.com

McNotes

FROM THEPRINCIPAL’S DESK

Good mental health is necessary forall children to be successful in schooland in life.

Mental health has to do with the waypeople get along, the way childrenfunction in their families, on the play-ground, and at school.

Characteristics of mentally healthychildren are children who feel goodabout themselves, feel comfortablewith other people, and are able to meetthe demands of everyday life. Parentscan help raise mentally healthy childrenby working with them to develop thesecharacteristics.

1. Help children feel good aboutthemselves.❖ Teach children to deal with a vari-

ety of different situations❖ Share with children both the good

and the bad❖ Teach children that it is OK to

show emotions❖ Help children realize they do not

have to be perfect to be accepted❖ Respect children and they will

learn to respect themselves❖ Encourage children to relax and

enjoy simple pleasures2. Help children feel comfortable

Earth Kids!Fun Night targets the planet (and cake) with

HOW IT WORKS: SMARTBOARDS

SO, you’ve just dropped the kids off and now you’re headed towork, the gym, coffee with friends, to run a mountain of errands.Something. Anything.

Then, at 3 p.m., you’re back to pick up your children. You know whatyour day consisted of, but what about theirs? What exactly happens in-side those McKinley walls?

Now we’re giving you the opportunity to ask – and hopefully find out.Today, the topic is Smartboards. What is this new piece of technology?Please fill out this form and place it in your child’s Thursday folder.

QUESTION:

COMMENT:

CONCERN:

COMPLIMENT:

PawPrints2 ON YOUR CALENDAR: SpringClean Up is Sunday, May 6,from 1-3 p.m. on the schoolgrounds. Volunteers are alwaysneeded. PawPrints 3WISH THEM WELL: Our two

fifth-grade teachers – Mrs.Schultz and Mr. Scott – are retiring at the end of the year.Also retiring is Mrs. Moss.

PRINCIPAL’S DESK<< Continued from P1with other people❖ Expose children to people outside the school and family❖ Set an example for children with a positive personal rela-

tionship❖ Discuss the importance of trust in a relationship❖ Demonstrate to children the importance of respecting others❖ Encourage children to become part of more than one group.3. Help children learn to meet the demands of everyday life❖ Teach children to take responsibility for their own actions❖ Encourage children to plan ahead❖ Encourage new experiences for children❖ Help children learn to establish realistic goals❖ Discuss the importance of decision-making.

Bill Schneden, Principal

Sugar maples live on in form of new students

Two new students joined McKinley April 2 even thoughthey’ve really been at the school for nearly 75 years.

When the two large sugar maple trees in front of McKinleywere cut down in August 2010 it was decided to save a 6-footsection of the trunk for a wood carving.

Several designs and locations were considered, but the finalconcept was an indoor sculpture for the library. Working froma simple sketch, local artist Thom Gleich (retired DavenportNorth High School teacher) carved two children reading.

A dedication ceremony was held in the library with StudentCouncil representatives, teachers, staff, parents and the artistwho created the sculptures present.

This answer is pretty simple:

RECORDNIGHT

Artist Thom Gleich took a part of one of McKinley’s sugarmaples and used it to create this wood sculpture.

A Thank You to Our Table SponsorsQuad City Bank & Trust; WG Block Company; Urological Asso-

ciates; 1862 Mortgage; Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors, Peg Hopkins;

State Farm Insurance, Matthew J. Casillas; Townsend Engi-

neering; Zimmerman Honda; Lederman Bail Bonds; Keys to

Music Piano Studio, Linda Allebach; D’Souza-Krutzfeldt Fam-

ily Dentistry; Ruhl & Ruhl Insurance; Quad City Spring; Man-

agement Resource Group, Dan Portes; Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors,

Matt Schwind (McKinley Class of 1972); Jeanne & Mike Stef-

fenson (2 tables); Red Apple Child Care Center; Extreme Chal-

lenge MMA; New Choices Incorporated (2 tables); DFI Printing

Solutions (3 tables); K & K True Value Hardware; Robert W.

Baird & Company; Carver Aero; Piehl Motors; Daytrotter;

Arnold’s Body Shop

Silent Auction DonorsArnold’s Body ShopAugustana AthleticsAztecaBettendorf Life Fitness CenterBass Street LandingBuilders Sand and CementBurke CleanersCallaCapri Cosmetology CollegeCentral PTAChamps Trophy and AwardsChicago CubsChick Fil AChipolteCirca 21Comedy SportzCookie’s By DesignCulver’sCumulus BroadcastingDahl FordDairy QueenDavid HoukDistrict TheaterDunn Bros.Expression’s JewelersFamily MuseumFamily VideoFive Star Salon SpaFlorence FamilyFreddy’s FrittersGiraffe PhotographyGrand Harbor ResortGrape LifeGreat River BreweryGrinder’sMrs. HarrisThe HON CompanyIsabel BloomJacob’s BreadsJuliann VanderveldeJump Start Gymnastics

A Kneaded TherapyLagomarcino’sLife Fitness CenterMack OrthodonticsMoran FamilyMusic GuildNapaNiabi ZooNew Ground TheaterNoodle’s & CoPalmer Hills Golf CoursePapa Murphy’sPlaid RabbitQC MallardsQuad City SpringRalph IaccarinoRave CinemasRivalsRiver BanditsRoyal T’s Beauty ParlorRudy’sRunning WildSawyer BeefScentsy rep Alison ByersSierk OrthodonticsSmall Wonder’s PhotographySnow StarSoap BoxSoap E SudsSplash LandingStashu’s and Son’s DeliSudlow PTAVillage Corner DeliWhitey’sWise Guy’sXpress Tunnel WashYMCAYour Design3 Gypsie’s Design11th St. Precinct

FARM TO SCHOOL

Students voted April 10-11 on which vegetables should be plantedin the school’s garden.

Garden readyto spring into action

Soon the winter bedding will come off our garden, and greenseedlings will begin to peep through!

This is an exciting time for our school community. Students,parents and teachers are taking steps to prepare the garden for thegrowing season. Here is what you can expect to see in the comingweeks:

Veggie Vote: Held April 10-11 at lunchtime. Kids voted on theirfavorite leafy green, carrot and tomato to plant.

Fun Night: April 20. There will be a fun-filled Farm to Schoolactivity outside on patio next to garden.

Garden Bed Prepping: date TBD. The leafy beds will be tilledinto the garden, to get ready for planting.

Planting Day: Tuesday, May 1, during school day. Each classwill have a visit to the garden, where they’ll be able to plant seedsand seedlings.

What can you do? Take your child inside the garden gates, for acloser look at what is going on. Better yet, volunteer to care forthe garden for a week this summer. You don’t need a green thumb– just the ability to weed and water!

Anyone can do it, and it’s great family fun. To help, contactSarah Priest (sarahscottdavis@hotmail.com).

In the end, when reviewing McKinley’s third annual TriviaNight, it was difficult not to get caught up in the numbers.

There were the 63 bottles of wine donated for the Wine Pull.There were the 30 businesses and individuals that sponsored the

trivia team tables.There were the more than 50 donated (and assembled) silent

auction baskets.There were the five David Houk prints of the McKinley mural

scene up for bid.There were the five Kohl’s volunteers and the $500 store donation.There were the more than 25 volunteers that helped make the

event run smoothly.And, of course, there was the biggest number of all – the

$14,000 raised for the school’s technology push, centered aroundputting SmartBoards in each classroom.

New and unique donation streams (the Wine Pull and tablesponsorships being the biggest) helped push that final number tonew heights.

The event, held March 2 at Arsenal Island’s Heritage Hall andhosted by Mr. Trivia, also brought in 31 teams of eight players each.

Special Thanks to These VolunteersSilent Auction/Raffle DonationsAmanda Esparza, Heather Sandy, Cynthia Weeks, Kelly Ray, BrieZapatka and Jenny Wynn

Basket AssemblingJulie Moran, Emily Price, Kathleen Maltarich, Carrie Hummel Jen-nifer Strang

Wine PullCynthia Weeks

EventKathy Walsh, Jill Nelson, Lani Smith, Kelly Ray, Lance Ray, TeresaFey, Amy Lawson, Cynthia Weeks, Amanda Esparza

Table SponsorsCarrie Hummel, Glenn Hummel, John Moran, Tim Chen, ScottHopkins, Matt Johnston, Pat Stolley, Scott Florence, Alex Mon-giat, Chad Lewis, Amanda Esparza, Greg Swanson

Trivia Night ChairpersonTraci Swanson

PLEASE THANK THE BUSINESSES WHO SO GENEROUSLY DO-NATED TO TRIVIA NIGHT BY PATRONIZING THEIR ESTABLISHMENT

AND PERSONALLY THANKING THEM ON BEHALF OF MCKINLEY.