Welcome back from an outstanding, extended Holiday weekend. Hope you spent lots of time with family and friends. The weather sure cooperated for outdoor activities.
Today, the students were given the "Act of Kindness" of carrying in grocery bags. It was so nice to see that many of the students had already done this and on a regular basis. Encourage your child to help a neighbor or friend with this act also.
Tonight is our 4th Grade Recognition. The event begins at 6:00. Please plan on being here early to have your picture taken. The evening will begin with our 4th graders singing and then receiving awards. After dinner, we will watch a short DVD program of the students. I am looking forward to the special night ahead.

Our 3rd graders had the pleasure of going to Wagon Trails Animal Farm yesterday. The weather was very cooperative and the students really enjoyed themselves. Both Mrs. Wittenauer and Mrs. Hay commented on how well-behaved the kids were as well as the director of Wagon Trails.
The tomato and green pepper plants made their way to your homes today-hopefully safely. I encouraged the students to start a "garden" of their own and take on the responsibility of caring for the plants. Their "garden" can be just these 2 plants re potted in a larger container or adding more plants to make it a more prosperous garden. Good luck with growing. I look forward to hearing about the "vegetables of labor".

The school was treated to an amazing performance by the Seminary Singers. The performers consist of 9th-12th graders at Poland High School. They performed group songs as well as some duets and solos. They are all very talented and North always enjoys their show. It is always nice to see our past students that are a part of Seminary Singers. Yea for the North Alumni!

Today our 4th grade took their annual field trip to the Juvenile Justice Center. Mr. Smith took us on a tour of the center and talked a lot about choices that the students make. He also stressed the importance of listening and respecting parents. It is quite an enlightening day. Thank you for the parents that were able to join us. Please ask your child about their reaction about this field trip.

Our 1st graders were the first class at North to visit the 'OH Wow Science Center' in Youngstown. They were treated to a day of fun, hands-on activities. If your child was fortunate enough to go to the center, please ask them to share their favorite part of the trip!I look forward to hearing about it during morning announcements.
The "Act of Kindness" assignment for this week is to sweep, dust, or do a chore inside the house. I hope there are many hands up on Friday to show they completed this assignment!

It is not too late to join "Team North" for the annual Poland Relay for Life.
We are still accepting families of North students to join our team. There are many ways to participate in this event such as walking, working the tent, or raising funds. The event will take place at PSHS on July 8th and 9th from 6:00p.m.-6:00p.m. If you are interested in joining "Team North", please contact Miss Gura or Mrs. Resch at the school or email teamnorthrelay@yahoo.com.

I just may be getting a 'green thumb'. As I visit the greenhouse, I am amazed at the growth of our vegetable plants. Mr. Sofranec is watering them daily (maybe he is the one with the green thumb!). These tomato and green pepper plants will be making their way to your house next week. Let's hope the sunshine and warmth stays around so the plants can get planted in the ground.
Poland Idol will return this Summer! If your child is interested in entering the Poland Idol for Celebrate Poland, please have them get a registration form in the office. The event will take place on Saturday, June 25 at 10:30 a.m. The details and rules are listed on the registration form.

Have you ever heard of a talking dog? Well, there is one in the new book we started this week. The students have heard the first 2 chapters of I Was a Third Grade Spy by Mary Jane Auch. The chapters go between Arful, the talking dog, and Josh, a 3rd grade boy. Arful began talking after he was accidentally hypnotized into thinking he was a boy. Josh and his two friends decide to keep this a secret and use Arful to discover what the girls are planning for the school talent contest. Please continue to ask your child about the book. We will read a chapter every morning.

Popcorn Sale on Wednesday! Mrs. Wittenauer's 3rd grade class will be selling popcorn to the school for 50 cents. This is a final activity to their economic lesson. They began by learning different economic terms and then applying for a job. Their job application allowed them to choose several jobs such as advertiser, supervisor, and accountant. Each student in Mrs. Wittenauer's class will be taking part in the sale tomorrow. The 3rd grade will use their profit to help fund a fieldtrip this year. Please support the "Poland Poppers" with buying a bag of popcorn for 50 cents. Thank you.

We finished the book, Freckle Juice this morning. Andrew, the main character, did not get freckles after drinking the secret recipe that Sharon gave him. The only thing the juice gave him was an upset stomach and a day home from school. Andrew did not want to face Sharon at school without freckles, so he decides to dot his face with blue magic marker. Everyone in class laughs at him, but his teacher gives him a secret formula for removing freckles. Andrew removes his freckles and learns an important lesson, to like yourself just as you are!
Please encourage your child to complete the Act of Kindness for this week. Each child should read to a younger brother/sister or friend. If there is no one younger than your child, have them read to you or a neighbor. Thanks so much for helping with this and spreading the joy of books!

There have been sitings of pink flamingos in Poland! These birds have been seen at many North family homes along with a sign that reads: "You've been Flocked!" They have been flying from home-to-home helping North raise money for Relay for Life. If you are interested in having these birds land in your yard, return the pink flamingo form with your donation. If you would like more information about the flamingos or Team North, please email us at teamnorthrelay@yahoo.com.

I want to thank all the students for the well wishes for my birthday. I am a very lucky person to have over 200 people sing me "Happy Birthday" first thing in the morning! It started my day off perfectly!
I would also like to thank Mrs. Fedor, our school nurse, for all that she does. She is such an important part of our school. Happy Nurse's Day to Mrs. Fedor!

Today we started a new book, Freckle Juice by Judy Blume. This is a classic story that I remember as a child in elementary school. The main character, Andrew, wants freckles just like his classmate, Nicky, so his mother will not know if his neck is dirty! Sharon, who teases others, has offered Andrew her secret freckle juice recipe. He has to pay 50 cents for this recipe that makes him sick to his stomach. Andrew does not get any freckles from this juice but decides to solve that problem on his own, but isn't sure he really wants freckles. Ask your child about Andrew and his freckle dilemma.

This morning, students shared their stories of how they celebrated Mother's Day and what they did special. Many moms enjoyed breakfast in bed, while others received special cards. My personal favorite was the gift of peace and quiet. Everyone in the family went for a hike while mom stayed at home for relaxation by herself. However you celebrated, I hope it was the best day ever.
The Act of Kindness assignment this week is "when you see someone in a sad or bad mood, cheer them up." I gave the students some suggestions of how they can cheer others up: Make a poem; Draw a picture; Listen as they talk; Tell a funny joke. Everyone has a bad day and could use a little 'sunshine' brought into by others!

Our 3rd and 4th graders listened to a guest speaker this morning. Mr. Smith, from the Juvenile Justice Center, paid a visit to our school to talk to the group about bullying. He had great stories and examples for the students. He also had some students participate in role playing. He stressed how important it is to stand up for yourself and others if there is bullying. Please ask your 3rd and 4th grade child about what they heard.
I would like to extend a "Happy Mother's Day" to all of our North moms, grandmas, aunts, and friends. May you all be treated to a relaxing day. You all deserve it!

This morning we finished the book, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. The main character, Lilly, loves her teacher, Mr. Slinger, and brings in her new plastic purse to share with the teacher and class. Lilly can not stop playing with the purse and gets the purse taken away by Mr.Slinger. This makes her mad so she decides to draw a not-so nice picture of Mr. Slinger and puts it in his school bag. Lilly starts to feel guilty about this on her way home and writes a story of apology to give Mr. Slinger the next day. Mr. Slinger forgives Lilly and throws away the not-so nice picture from the day before. The story is a great example of our character trait for May, forgiveness.
The 3rd and 4th Grade testing is complete! Congratulations to them for a job well done. They took their time and did their best. I am very proud of them. Enjoy this sunshine while it lasts!

Our school has received great news! We were awarded the grant from Kohl's Earth Day planting. These funds will be used to continue activities with our greenhouse! Thanks again to the volunteers that helped with our vegetable and flower plantings.
The character trait for May is forgiveness. The meaning of forgiveness is deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn't have to pay. It is very important to say a sincere apology when you have wronged someone, using eye contact and making sure to
say what you did wrong. It is just as important to accept apologies and move forward with the friendship. This is a good rule for all to live by.

Rain, rain, go away... we need to go out and play! Our 3rd and 4th Graders are moving along with their tests this week. Unfortunately, they were not able to get outside for recess to burn off energy. They can both heave a sigh of relief knowing they are half-way finished. Please continue with exercise, good sleeping, healthy breakfasts, and encouraging words before they leave for school. We will be finished with testing on Thursday.

Welcome back. I hope everyone had a relaxing, enjoyable Spring Break. It is amazing that we have returned to the month of May! Our 3rd Grade returned to a day of Achievement Tests, tomorrow will be 4th Grade's turn. Please remind your children to get to bed on-time and eat a good breakfast. I also encouraged the students to do a few exercises or stretches before coming to school to wake their bodies up! I know that each every one will do their best.
The sharing this morning included lots of fun games that were played for Family Game Night over break. Hopefully this will continue in your house on a weekly or monthly basis. The "Act of Kindness" assignment for this week is to help with dishes. The students can wash or dry dishes, load the dishwasher, or put dishes away. Let's cross our fingers that no dishes will be dropped and broken!