News from Normangee Elementary!

We would love to hear your feedback on our first family math night, Nachos & Numbers. Anything that you think we did well, and any ideas you have that will help us make it better for next year! Write your comment here or email me at klee@normangeeisd.org. Thanks!

As you know a major earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti causing widespread destruction. Millions of people are affected and thousands are dead. Several of our students have shown a genuine concern for these people. We would like to let them know that there are ways to help. Monday we will begin collecting items for Health Kits that will be distributed to the people of Haiti through an organization called UMCOR (Untied Methodist Committee on Relief).

These kits will provide basic necessities as well as teach personal hygiene. The items we will be collecting are:
• hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″, No kitchen towels)
• washcloth
• comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
• nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
• bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
• toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
• adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
• $1.00 to purchase toothpaste
• 1 Gallon Ziploc bags

Important Kit Assembly Information
• All items included in kits must be NEW items.
• All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items-nothing more.
• Do NOT include any personal notes, money or additional materials in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.

If you have any questions please contact Diana Whitesell at the school.

Parents, remember to join us Thursday night for our first annual Nachos & Numbers family math night. The kids and teachers are excited about it, and we have some great volunteers from the high school to help out. It all starts at 6:00 in the cafeteria. You must accompany your child to the event and to the booths. See you there!

Last Friday the 15th, our kids had the wonderful opportunity to have the Houston Museum of Natural Science bring their science dome exhibit to campus. All day long, kids from kindergarten through grade 12 saw presentations inside a 20-foot inflated dome that ranged from learning about stars, the sun, and black holes to human anatomy and the planet Mars!

It was quite a treat to have access to such technology, and I believe it was exciting for our kids to have this special day where their minds were challenged beyond the usual classroom activities. This wouldn’t have been possible without PTO. We have a wonderful group of parents who work hard and devote themselves to our schools, and I am very grateful. I know our kids don’t necessarily see all that goes on behind the scenes to make school happen; but to those parents who have given of their time and money, please know that the rest of us do.

Thanks again!
Mrs. Lee

All Kindergarteners will be screened this month for inclusion in our Advanced Academic/Gifted and Talented program (unless a parent requests their child not be screened). In addition, now is the time to nominate any 1st through 5th grader if you feel they are intellectually gifted. A letter will go home in backpacks this week giving you more details. The deadline for nomination is February 5th.

School officially begins for the spring semester tomorrow. The teachers and staff were back at work today and were hard at work preparing for what will be a productive and challenging semester for our students. We spent some time reflecting on the fall and addressing important events coming up as we move into the TAKS season. We appreciate your support at home, and as always, we encourage you to be involved at school! If you have questions about how you can serve as a volunteer, please contact me directly (klee@normangeeisd.org or 396.9999) or contact our PTO president Caryn Feuhs.

Mrs. Lee

Although we are disappointed to have to postpone our first annual family math night — Nachos & Numbers — we are thrilled with the reason for it. Our Lady Panthers have advanced to the state championship in volleyball, and we couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to go to San Marcos and support them in their bid to take the title! We will let you know as soon as we have a due date for Nachos & Numbers.

We will not have school on Friday (Nov. 20th) so that our school family will have the chance to see our girls play and win. We hope you’ll join us at Texas State University for a great contest!

Mrs. Lee

You might be asking … what in the world is Nachos & Numbers? It’s a family math night that Normangee Elementary is hosting for the first time ever, and we expect it to be great fun! You and your child are invited to join us on Thursday, November 19, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm for math games and activities. There will be more than 25 math stations set up throughout the cafeteria and gym, including a simulated grocery market where you and your kids can learn math together. There’s no better way to help your child than to learn together with them! We hope you’ll join us. Look for more information in your child’s backpack this week.

Because this is a family event, children will NOT be allowed to come to Nachos & Numbers unless they come with their own parent, grandparent or caregiver. We look forward to seeing all our families there!

Monday – Sleeping Zombie Day (pajama bottoms, no shorts)
Tuesday – College/Pro Sports Day (hats okay)
Wednesday – Hippie Day
Thursday – Camo Day (hats okay)
Friday – Panther Spirit Day

Last night I had dinner with a friend of mine who is also a second grade teacher in College Station. She is a very creative, energetic and enthusiastic teacher, and I will often bounce ideas off of her about things I want to do in Normangee. But last night was different … she was very down and discouraged about her purpose as a teacher and the job that she has to do each day. As I sat and listened to her, I had to remind myself that before I became a principal, I was a teacher; and sometimes the struggles I faced as a teacher then were not fully understood by the school administration. The principals had been out of the classroom too long to truly understand my daily struggle.

There is a lot I could say about the job of a teacher, but in essence, what I’d like to say is that the teachers on our campus are “called” to their job. They love their students and feel a real burden for their success. They don’t walk about the door at 4:00 and stop thinking about their classrooms. Instead they take work home, ponder while they cook dinner, come up with ways to reach each kid, and more.

I hope my teachers realize how much I value their contribution and that I will do my best not to forget what it’s like to be them.