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The Husky Iditarod Official Newsletter of the Aurora Husky Pups

“Meeting the Challenge, Exceeding Expectations”

Mark Standage, Principal

Desiree’ Teahon, Assistant Principal

www.aurorahuskies.org

@Aurora_Elem

March 2020

Dates to

Remember

March 2 5th Grade

DARE Graduation MS Theater

7:00 PM

March 8 Daylight Savings

Time Begins SPRING FORWARD

March 11 End of 3rd

Quarter

March 12 & 13 No School

Spring Break

Parents, thank you for your support as we had a great turnout at the February Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences. We enjoyed the opportunity we had to discuss your child’s progress. The success of our students is a reflection of supportive parents. Anytime you have a question, concern or just want to share information, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or myself.

The arrival of March means that spring is hopefully just around the corner! The weather this time of year is unpredictable and requires the need to pay close attention to the forecast and how your child is dressed for school. I know students will be anxious to break out their shorts, but as you know temperatures in Nebraska this time of year can fluctuate 30-40 degrees during the day. Please help to ensure that your child comes dressed appropriately to go outside for recess. It’s easy to take off a coat, jacket or sweatpants when the temperature warms up later in the day.

It’s during the spring that we begin to plan for the next school year. Student Placement Request Forms for the 2020-2021 school year will be available to be picked up from the office beginning Monday, March 16. Additional information can be found in this newsletter on page 3. Another important event to help us prepare for the upcoming school year is Kindergarten Round Up. If you have a child that will turn five on or before July 31, you will want to make note that Kindergarten Round Up will be held on Tuesday, April 14th at 6:30 pm. We will be mailing more information about Kindergarten Round Up to families who have age eligible children later in March. If your family is new to our school this year and you have a child that will be eligible for Kindergarten, please contact the office so that we can add you to our mailing list.

As your family is making plans for summer vacation, you will want to keep in mind that the 2020-2021 school year will open on Thursday, August 13. The 2020-2021 School Year calendar is now available on our district website (www.aurorahuskies.org).

We appreciate the opportunity to work with your child(ren). Thank you for your continued support!

Mark Standage

Principal

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Heather Beckman and Henry Christenson

The Hamilton County Spelling Bee is held each year in February. Fifth through eighth grade students

are eligible to participate. Two students from each grade level qualify for the bee, along with an

alternate from each grade. Lucy Gustafson was the alternate. Fifth graders Heather Beckman and

Henry Christenson won the right to represent Aurora Elementary School. Four places are awarded at

each grade level. Henry placed 1st and Heather placed 4th in the 5th grade division. Henry was also

our overall winner in Hamilton County. Henry will compete at the district level on March 21st. Great

job Heather and Henry, we are proud of you! You represented our school well!

Aurora Community Preschools Contact Information

Below is a list of preschools in Aurora. If you have children that are ages 3-5 and would like them to attend a preschool, please give these contacts a call. TLC—United Methodist Church Aurora Preschool Cross of Christ Preschool Holly Salmon Jeff Sutter 402-694-4409 402-694-6471 Ext 25 402-694-6966 402-694-4209 cocpschool@gmail.com Aurora Childcare Aurora Headstart Sarah Griess 402-694-4090 402-694-3210

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Later this year, we will begin the initial process of grouping students for the 2020-2021 school year.

When making these assignments, our staff considers each individual student. Some of the factors

which influence student placement include: learning styles, social and emotional development, the

balance of boys and girls, special learning needs, work habits, leadership qualities, and friendship

considerations. We work hard to place each student in a classroom setting where he/she will

experience success. Parent requests for homeroom teachers will be considered when making our

placement decisions however, circumstances such as those listed above may prevent your request

from being honored. We are unable to honor requests in excess of 40 percent of the class capacity,

therefore requests will be considered on a first come basis. You may pick up a Student Placement

Request Form from the office beginning Monday, March 16. The deadline for submitting these

requests to the office is Thursday, April 9. Requests must include a statement indicating the

rationale for your request. In addition, requests must be educational in nature, based on

your child’s educational needs. Requests based on “what you have heard about a teacher”

or “whom your child thinks he/she wants” will not be honored. If staffing changes occur over

the summer, your child will remain in the homeroom group to which he/she was assigned. You will

be notified in August prior to the beginning of the school year as to who your child will have for their

homeroom teacher.

Did you know that penguins can swim up to 22 miles per hour? First grade has been busy researching and studying penguins. Not long ago, we were nose-to-nose with more than 75 Antarctic penguins. Thanks to a generous grant from NETA (Nebraska Educational Technology Association), we were able to cap off our learning with a virtual field trip to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. We learned many fun and interesting facts directly from a penguin expert at the zoo via a webcam and microphone. We watched the penguins dive, swim, and eat. Some lingering questions were also asked and answered. It was a fantastic learning experience.

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Look for this Casey’s

App in the App Store

The fifth grade Quiz Bowl team participated in two competitions this school year. The first one was an online competition on November 5th called the Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl. We were able to participate in this one right here in our classroom after school. The students worked together to answer 100 questions about various topics. They did an awesome job and placed sixth out of 20 fifth grade teams! The other competition was held in Hastings on Tuesday, February 4. The students did a great job and had a fun time seeing how the process worked. The team consisted of: Tajel Lents, Brianna Spady, Caitlin Salmon, Chloe Fawver (front row), and Tucker Sherman, Matthew Gentert, Jacob Molliconi, and Lincoln Kemling (back row).

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In Aurora Elementary, we use the Six Pillars of Character as a framework for teaching good character. Six ethical values: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship, are taught in the classroom using hands-on learning experiences, supplemented with books and activities that help the students to understand the concepts and how these pillars will improve their lives.

A classroom lesson each week focuses on one of the pillars listed above. The students in each grade level are learning aspects of these pillars in order to make our school environment conducive for learning and friendship. The use of the same terminology throughout the grade levels help the young people to remember and use what they have learned when dealing with other people.

After each pillar, a number of descriptive aspects are provided to inform you what is covered with each pillar. Your support at home with these six core pillars will help your son or daughter be a person of character that makes our homes, school, and community a better place to live.

TRUSTWORTHINESS Think ``true blue`` • Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends, and country

RESPECT Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant and accepting of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements

RESPONSIBILITY Do what you are supposed to do • Plan ahead • Be diligent • Persevere • Do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes • Set a good example for others

FAIRNESS Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly • Treat all people fairly

CARING Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need • Be charitable and altruistic

CITIZENSHIP Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment • Volunteer

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Show Kindness...

K—2

On the Playground

Marrik Dahlin

In the Classroom Hadley Hoegh

At Home

Lauren Evans

3—5

On the Playground Keri Wagoner

In the Classroom

Joey Ballas

At Home Norah Olsen

Honorable Mention Winners!

Hadley Hudson Vivi Fahrnbruch Atley Miller Nolan Wineteer Claire Randell Alex Dick Micheal Vetter Matthew Proctor Gavin Jacobsen Tajel Lents Kooper Dinville Korey Caudill