CARMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL                                                          
Prairie Rose School Division                                              Carman, MB., ROGOJO
                                                                                              Ph: 745-2623  Fax: 745-3295
                                                                                              E-mail: carmanelm@cici.mb.ca
                                                                                              Principal: Dan Saunders


February /05 Newsletter




Railway Safety
    We need your help in emphasizing the importance of safety when your children are walking home from school near railway tracks. The tracks which cross Linear Grain on Centre Avenue N.W. are quite busy these days. We have been contacted by this company to remind the students that the only way to get past stationary cars is to go well around them. Students should never go between or under these cars. They occasionally move on their own, and the results of an unsafe crossing could be catastrophic. If your child/children cross the tracks when walking to or from school, please reinforce the need to go way around any cars on the tracks. Not crossing on Linear Grain property would be the safest and most appropriate route. We have brought this to the students attention on morning announcements and at our assemblies.

Kindergarten Registration & Open House
    Kindergarten registration for the 2005/06 school year is scheduled for the week of March 7-10/05. Please bring your completed registrations to the school during this week or before.
Kindergarten Open House for the K class of 2005/06 is scheduled for April 27th at 7:00 p.m. There will be a brief presentation, followed by a time for questions and discussion. Parents of next year's K classes are asked to attend with their child on this informal, yet very informative evening.

Cool Cat Running Club
    We are getting ready to begin the second year of our Cool Cat Running Club. Last year, we had so much fun training and participating in the Manitoba Marathon and other special events.
    This year we will run our club on school days 2, 4, & 6. Similar to last year, the runs will take place after school until 4:45 p.m. There may be some changes to our days if conflicts arise, and an alternate Friday run may be a replacement. Our running days will be marked on the school calendar.
    We are anticipating another exciting year and are eager to share a couple of changes to our club this year. We would like to see a few Relay Teams enter the Manitoba Marathon. This is a much longer run, ranging from 4-6 miles per runner. Relays will be open to students who have had a year of Running Club experience. Due to the longer distance of this run, we will begin to train on March 1/05. It is important that students realize that it will require commitment and discipline to reach this goal.
    As well, we will be training for the 2.6 mile Super Run. We will be starting this part of our Running Club after the March Break. Super Run Running Club participants will be open to grades 3-6 this year. A Student/Parent Commitment and Permission Slip will be coming home soon.
    Due to Relay Teams this year, we will require more supervision. We are encouraging parents of children who will participate in the 2.6 Super Run to become involved. Let's get fit and have fun together!
    Looking forward to a great year of running.
Lisa Goertzen, Leanne Bartley & Gord Stobbe.

I Love to Read Month at CES
    February was I Love to Read Month, a time to read, read, read! This year's theme was cultural diversity. The Ukrainian Dance Group from Russell that entertained the school was a great kickoff for the month. A group of Aboriginal drummers and dancers from South West College will be the next visitors to enhance our knowledge and appreciation of our rich Canadian culture.
    Each classroom has adopted a country to learn about the wide variety of customs that the immigrating people have contributed to our culture. This helps us to understand that we are all more alike than different regardless of where we have come from in the world.
    A variety of classroom activities have been ongoing to celebrate the reading month. Guest readers will be in many of the classrooms and we appreciate the time that our community members have given to the children. If you are able to spare a half-hour or so to visit a classroom as a guest reader, please contact the school (745-2623) and let us know when you would be available and to whom you would like to read. You can provide your own storybook or choose from our tremendous selection in the school library. This is such a great way to involve school and community in an authentic and effective literacy activity.
    Be sure to watch for our "Country Quilt" in the main entrance by the office. Where in the world would you like to read?   Linda Sylvester

Spring Book Fair Dates
    Our school Spring Book Fair will take place;
        Monday, Mar. 21, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. & 6 - 8 p.m.
        Tuesday, Mar. 22, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. & 6 - 8 p.m.
        Wednesday, Mar. 23, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. & 6 - 8 p.m.
        Thursday, Mar. 24, 9 a.m. - noon



From the Phys-ed Department
Exciting New Equipment

    In the gym we have 2 new and exciting pieces of equipment for student, staff and community use. First is a wonderful set of new volleyball standards, complete with winches, nylon leaders, net and protective padding. It's a real beauty! The other is an instant pulse unit on a weighted floor stand which can read and register the pulses of 2 students at a time in only a few seconds. It's a great addition to the personal fitness goals of our Phys-ed/Health curriculums.
Set the Stage for a Lifetime of Benefits
    The positive impact of physical activity is too great to ignore. Ensuring that your children participate in regular physical activity can result in better performance in the areas of memory, observation and problem-solving as well as improvements n attitude, creativity and over-all well-being. Here are some tips to help parents and children get going:
1. Children should get at least 90 minutes of physical activity every day. 30 minutes should be moderate to vigorous.
2. If possible, have your children walk or bike to school.
3. Support your school's phys-ed program.
4. Encourage participation in school activities including intra-murals and other school events eg. skating, carnivals, field days
5. Be an active parent and lead the charge. Walk the dog, slide, skate, bowl, golf, bike, play catch in the back yard.
6. Help your children sample a variety of sports' activities to see what "sticks".
7. Check out community programs.
MB. Association of School Superintendents

Mini-Stick Hockey Tourney
The last couple of weeks at noon recess we have held a mini-stick hockey tournament for the grades 5&6
classes. The tournament attracted 13 teams of 4 players each. Each team played 3 games in the round robin prior to the playoff rounds. After quarter and semi finals, 2 teams remained unbeaten. Medallions for best name, good sportsmanship and most close games, as well as tournament winner and runner up will be awarded at our next assembly. Final game is on Friday, Feb. 28 at 12:15. I think all participants have had a blast. Our focus from the beginning was to be active and have fun! dks

Hawaiian Day, KG
    KG kids escaped the long Manitoba winter days and headed south to the tropical islands of Hawaii! The children traveled on a speedy 747 piloted by Captain Darrell Ens. The students were greeted with the traditional "aloha" upon arrival, along with a flower lei. While in Hawaii, the students experienced 8 different tours, including lei making, snorkeling, volcanoes, tropical fruit tasting, the hula, seashells and a visit to the ocean for some "boogie" boarding. Everyone sent a postcard home. It was a great experience and a lot of fun!   Aloha, Lisa Goertzen