 Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Radon Did you know that the EPA has designated January as National Radon Action Month? You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it is a natural radioactive gas that can be present in your home. According to the EPA, the entire state of Iowa is considered high risk for radon gas in homes. It is the leading cause of lung cancer death among non-smokers. However, exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. Testing the levels in your home can help determine if your family is at risk. For more information, please visit the Iowa Dept. of Public Health's website at: http://idph.iowa.gov/radonKits can be purchased at may home stores, such as Lowes. You can also contact your local public health department. Levels within the home should be <4. Imagine Mrs. Schlueter's surprise when she tested her own home and found the radon level to be 44! Mitigation systems can be installed to reduce this level back to an acceptable level. Every 2 years, we must conduct radon test levels in our classroom. Our last test was completed in September 2017. It showed a level of 1.2, which is in the acceptable range. Missing Shoes....  Have
you found a pair of shoes like the ones above and wondered where in the
world those came from? We seem to be missing a pair from preschool.
They have (or at least used to have) VMPK on them, but that may have
rubbed off. If you find a pair that does not belong at your house, and
Grandma has not recently bought some for your little darling, we'd love
to have them back. These are one of the extras we keep on hand in case
someone wears their snow boots and forgets their shoes, etc. If you
have some your child has outgrown and are looking for some place for
them to go, feel free to drop them off! :) Morning Drop Off Please keep in mind that when you enter the building, the learning begins. If you come before our doors open at 8:10, we ask that you help your child practice the Bulldog Beliefs. * Be Respectful * Be Responsible * Be Safe These beliefs will follow your child throughout their years here in Van Meter Schools. There is a kindergarten class across the hall from us that is beginning their day. Please teach them to be respectful and remind your child that yelling is an outdoor voice. Chasing your friends in the hallway can also be unsafe. We appreciate your help! | Weather Also, when there is snow on the ground, please be sure to send boots! The children will not be able to wear them in the classroom however, so an additional pair of footwear for inside is needed. (Hint: Crocs or Croc-type shoes are easy and fast alternative to keep in their backpack for times like these! :) In the event of bad weather, please continue to watch Channels 8 and 13, as well as the VM Schools websitewww.vmbulldogs.com and their twitter feed. If they delay school 1 hour, we will hold our school day beginning one hour later than usual, or 9:30 a.m. If the Van Meter Schools cancel or delay for 2 hours, our Pre-Kindergarten will not meet that day. Volunteers needed *
We would love to have a parent (or a set of parents) who would be
willing to spend approximately 30 minutes at the beginning of the week
to help with the check out and return of library books. If you would be
willing to help, please let us know. *
Our kids love to have visitors come into our classroom and read books
to us. If you (or Grandma and Grandpa :) are interested in coming in,
please let us know! Play Have you ever stopped to watch your child play and thought about what is going on? It's pretty amazing isn't it?? "The Genius of Play" is a great website giving you information on how play affects your child. It states that "Experts
agree that play has a profound impact on childhood learning." It also
give games and activities your child can do, both alone and with some
bonding time for all of you :) Be sure to check it out! http://www.thegeniusofplay.org/Upcoming Events: January 3 - School Resumes 26 - NO PRESCHOOL February 19 - NO SCHOOL |
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